Post by Sir Smeg on Apr 12, 2006 9:23:34 GMT
Time to touch on a subject close to my heart, the aspect of Guildwars which plagues me the most - in fact the strongest reason for the Psychobunnies' existence: The art of getting a Pick Up Group. *Shudder*
Now, we all know that there are times when you are left hanging by your friends. A mission needs to be completed but your own set of buddies are either busy, or have developed a specific allergy to the mission you're attempting. You need some talent, fast.
Fortunately, Guildwars being the MMORPG melting pot that it is, there is usually plenty buzzing about (although I use the word 'talent' in the loosest possible sense). Yes, I speak of the PUG, a group of players you've never met yet must rely on to acheive your goals. The problem is finding a set of people who are not going to be a collosal let-down just when things turn difficult. The kind of people who return to town the second their life is taken by a monster. The kind of people who quit once their personal goal is acheived. The kind who rush wildly in to a group of monsters and expect YOU to pick up the pieces. The kind....etc
Unfortunately all I can advise is patience. If you want to be confident in your group's ability you'll have to spend some time in town crafting the perfect PUG experience.
The first and most important rule is Make SURE you are the leader. This way it is up to you who joins the party and gets to decide when the mission begins. No sense in starting a mission before everyone has sorted themsleve out, but trust me - I've seen it happen a lot. Remember that you can lose your leadership if you join a larger party, so watch out.
To find players for your party I strongly recommend actively shouting out what you are looking for, rather than random inviting every sod in the area. I further recommend being a little original in your invitations. If you spend a little time on your shout, people will realise you are serious about the mission and likely to dedicate some care to it. A shout like 'WANT MONK M+B!!!' will betray the fact you're in a hurry, and are unlikely to play the mission carefully. Something like 'Party of 5 seeks a good monk for help with the mission, possibly bonus too!' should do the trick. Keep on doing this, changing your wording every so often until you begin to get some replies.
Hopefully you'll have generated some interest by now. Perhaps you'll have some people inviting themselves in to your party, or some Whispers coming from interested players. I suggest giving priority to those who take the time to write to you personally as they are likely to have more patience and a clearer head than those who simply hit the 'Join' button.
If you require a specific person to join you, don't irritate them by inviting them silently. Send a whisper to the player requesting their assistance. Trust me, players approached in this way are often very polite and more willing to join you. They are also flattered by the personal attention.
Ok, you have your party. No sense in hitting 'Enter Mission' immediately. Give people the time to get absolutely ready, and use this time yourself to weed out the weak links. Look for players who seem impatient and hasty. They are often not worth keeping as they jeopordise the whole endeavour. Also look for players who don't talk, even when asked questions directly. Those that don't talk are less likely to listen.
Of course the very best solution of all is to get as many Psychobunnies as possible to stop whatever they're doing and come with you!
Well, I hope that covers everything. Feel free to add or subtract from what I've said. Happy hunting!
Now, we all know that there are times when you are left hanging by your friends. A mission needs to be completed but your own set of buddies are either busy, or have developed a specific allergy to the mission you're attempting. You need some talent, fast.
Fortunately, Guildwars being the MMORPG melting pot that it is, there is usually plenty buzzing about (although I use the word 'talent' in the loosest possible sense). Yes, I speak of the PUG, a group of players you've never met yet must rely on to acheive your goals. The problem is finding a set of people who are not going to be a collosal let-down just when things turn difficult. The kind of people who return to town the second their life is taken by a monster. The kind of people who quit once their personal goal is acheived. The kind who rush wildly in to a group of monsters and expect YOU to pick up the pieces. The kind....etc
Unfortunately all I can advise is patience. If you want to be confident in your group's ability you'll have to spend some time in town crafting the perfect PUG experience.
The first and most important rule is Make SURE you are the leader. This way it is up to you who joins the party and gets to decide when the mission begins. No sense in starting a mission before everyone has sorted themsleve out, but trust me - I've seen it happen a lot. Remember that you can lose your leadership if you join a larger party, so watch out.
To find players for your party I strongly recommend actively shouting out what you are looking for, rather than random inviting every sod in the area. I further recommend being a little original in your invitations. If you spend a little time on your shout, people will realise you are serious about the mission and likely to dedicate some care to it. A shout like 'WANT MONK M+B!!!' will betray the fact you're in a hurry, and are unlikely to play the mission carefully. Something like 'Party of 5 seeks a good monk for help with the mission, possibly bonus too!' should do the trick. Keep on doing this, changing your wording every so often until you begin to get some replies.
Hopefully you'll have generated some interest by now. Perhaps you'll have some people inviting themselves in to your party, or some Whispers coming from interested players. I suggest giving priority to those who take the time to write to you personally as they are likely to have more patience and a clearer head than those who simply hit the 'Join' button.
If you require a specific person to join you, don't irritate them by inviting them silently. Send a whisper to the player requesting their assistance. Trust me, players approached in this way are often very polite and more willing to join you. They are also flattered by the personal attention.
Ok, you have your party. No sense in hitting 'Enter Mission' immediately. Give people the time to get absolutely ready, and use this time yourself to weed out the weak links. Look for players who seem impatient and hasty. They are often not worth keeping as they jeopordise the whole endeavour. Also look for players who don't talk, even when asked questions directly. Those that don't talk are less likely to listen.
Of course the very best solution of all is to get as many Psychobunnies as possible to stop whatever they're doing and come with you!
Well, I hope that covers everything. Feel free to add or subtract from what I've said. Happy hunting!
).