Blizzard introduces cross-server LFG, providing new challenges and chances to goblin-minded people.
What is the main pro of this change: more bodies to choose from. There is practically not an hour of the day when you can find 5 people wanting to run the same dungeon as you. Most probably there is also not an hour of the afternoon-evening when you can't find a group to OS25, Naxx25, ToC10, Ulduar10. That's good.
What is the main disadvantage of this change? We goblins act on our interests. I've never acted as a jerk in a PuG, since there is no point. If someone did his job, I ignored his comments. If he didn't do his job, I kicked or left the group regardless of him being nice or jerk.
On the other hand social people are regulated by social factors (miracle), and these factors weaken dramatically by anonymity. They want to be loved and accepted. While this keep them with the herd in a wrong way (as stopping them from even attempting anything unusually great), it also keep them in the line in the good way (as stopping them from being total jerks). Most of them doesn't ninja, doesn't openly go AFK or start pulling bosses naked yelling "lol pwned you all", simply because they fear bad publicity.
Add the total anonymity of being on different server (meaning you can't spam /trade "X is a ninja"), and total asshattery will follow.
OK, this is a no-QQ blog, so what are our options? There are 2, keeping out of PuGs or controlling them.
Keeping out of PuGs means joining a decent guild. If you have a guild tag but you need to PuG the content you want to run, you are not in a decent guild and should quit. Of course I'm not talking about quitting a hard mode guild since you can't run 5-mans with them for your alt. I'm talking about that you have to PuG the top of the content you can reach. As I already suggested, go and find a decent guild. Use gold to buy yourself a chance to prove yourself. If you failed that chance, study, practice, try again.
Now here comes the other chance. Controlling PuG has a benefit of playing whenever you want, instead of in the set raid times. It is the only option to get PvE pieces for PvP-ers as they focus on PvP, therefore cannot/don't want to raid seriously.
The advice comes partially from Captain Obvious: be the key member of the PuG. Most players play DPS, simply because that's the easiest. Also, most good tanks/healers have raiding guilds, therefore can easily find groups in their guilds, even further decreasing the PuG-available tanks/healers.
If you are the tank/healer, you make the call. They need you, you don't need them, as there are 7 zillion replacements available on LFG. So if your class has a tank/healer spec, dual talent is your friend. Get some gear to this spec, learn its usage and start your own groups. If you are the leader, you can quickly /kick the useless and the jerk, and also can master loot, preventing ninjas taking everything.
So if you don't have a tank/healer spec yet, get one, and get used to it before Cataclysm comes.
What is the main pro of this change: more bodies to choose from. There is practically not an hour of the day when you can find 5 people wanting to run the same dungeon as you. Most probably there is also not an hour of the afternoon-evening when you can't find a group to OS25, Naxx25, ToC10, Ulduar10. That's good.
What is the main disadvantage of this change? We goblins act on our interests. I've never acted as a jerk in a PuG, since there is no point. If someone did his job, I ignored his comments. If he didn't do his job, I kicked or left the group regardless of him being nice or jerk.
On the other hand social people are regulated by social factors (miracle), and these factors weaken dramatically by anonymity. They want to be loved and accepted. While this keep them with the herd in a wrong way (as stopping them from even attempting anything unusually great), it also keep them in the line in the good way (as stopping them from being total jerks). Most of them doesn't ninja, doesn't openly go AFK or start pulling bosses naked yelling "lol pwned you all", simply because they fear bad publicity.
Add the total anonymity of being on different server (meaning you can't spam /trade "X is a ninja"), and total asshattery will follow.
OK, this is a no-QQ blog, so what are our options? There are 2, keeping out of PuGs or controlling them.
Keeping out of PuGs means joining a decent guild. If you have a guild tag but you need to PuG the content you want to run, you are not in a decent guild and should quit. Of course I'm not talking about quitting a hard mode guild since you can't run 5-mans with them for your alt. I'm talking about that you have to PuG the top of the content you can reach. As I already suggested, go and find a decent guild. Use gold to buy yourself a chance to prove yourself. If you failed that chance, study, practice, try again.
Now here comes the other chance. Controlling PuG has a benefit of playing whenever you want, instead of in the set raid times. It is the only option to get PvE pieces for PvP-ers as they focus on PvP, therefore cannot/don't want to raid seriously.
The advice comes partially from Captain Obvious: be the key member of the PuG. Most players play DPS, simply because that's the easiest. Also, most good tanks/healers have raiding guilds, therefore can easily find groups in their guilds, even further decreasing the PuG-available tanks/healers.
If you are the tank/healer, you make the call. They need you, you don't need them, as there are 7 zillion replacements available on LFG. So if your class has a tank/healer spec, dual talent is your friend. Get some gear to this spec, learn its usage and start your own groups. If you are the leader, you can quickly /kick the useless and the jerk, and also can master loot, preventing ninjas taking everything.
So if you don't have a tank/healer spec yet, get one, and get used to it before Cataclysm comes.
23 comments:
One little note of advice for this from some personal experience. If you kick someone from your group, make sure the rest of your group is away from the boss. Often, the scrubs that do something to deserve getting kicked will try and aggro a boss onto a group.
Keep your group far away from bosses after kicking someone and they won't be able to do this.
I expected a more goblinish comment on the Cross-server LFG, like how it might enable cross server goods tranfer. You dissapointed me ;)
Cross server battlegrounds were to random to find your char on an another account but i think with LFG you can quene to an deserted instance like Oculus, god i hate oculus) with your two accounts (or with a friends account) get in and trade the goods from low price server to a high price server. Or maybe you can use some low level dungeons to do that. What do you think about it? (Or am I to deluded to think something like that at 3 am in the morning? )
Meh...best guess is that Blizzard won't allow trading most items. Otherwise, Darkmoon card trading will be sweet. ;)
I think that you mean get your heal/tank spec on the next patch...
I see Cross Server LFG as a double edged sword. One edge is what Gev has spoken about. The other edge is the entrepreneurship opportunities like what Anon comment #3 suggested. Maybe Blizzard will prohibit trading of anything but what comes from the instance in order to prevent problems (and to be honest, I hope they do).
Perhaps you're looking to transfer realms, or in a situation I may find myself in - forced to (because of time zones) - in order to continue raiding. What better way is there to try out a new guild on a different realm than with your own 80 in a no obligation trial?
@Lunar
I never did get the chnace to try trading my items cross realm, always wanted to...
But when running a BG i tried handing over some lovely worg steak to another char and got the message you can only trade conjored items...
So i would assume this is not going to be an option any time soon.
No1 in his right mind would give leadership to some random player (even if its a tank/healer, in raids they may assist) - so why should their role matter?
I don't really understand why anybody would need a cross-server LFG channel. I'm making up numbers here but lets assume the role-population on each server is equal: 60% DDs, 15% Tanks, 25% Healers (sometimes it looks more like 98%/1%/1%). Combining several servers wont help you finding a tank/heal easier since there are more DDs looking for them.
"Most players play DPS, simply because that's the easiest."
I expect more from you Gevlon. This kind of weak blanket statement is what sparks arguments about this topic every day.
Being a dps is not easier than being a healer or being a tank. People playing DPS are more plentiful, yes. this is a symptom of there being far more dps specs, among other things. This in no way means that being a DPS is easier.
Craig R. I think he means it's easier to slack as dps in a 5 man instance.
I suspect cross server lfg will be much smoother than most people are expecting.
I seriously doubt that there will be a Lfg channel for cross server chat. When I read the article on insider it sounded more like what we have now in battlegrounds that are manned from cross server battlegroups. Where you go to Lfg, label yourself as leader / dps-tank-healer and will be automatically instanced into said heroic when group fills. No control, no exploit, no summoning, no gold seller - hijacker hideouts, and no way to get into instance without using the new system. I guess they would make it so that your group, say 5 guildies/socials could que up as a group.
For one that usually thinks outside the box I tought you would see that this is not being implemented for socials to find an instance easier?
Worgen Druid is looking very attractive for 4.0. Bear/tree dual with the option to dps reasonably competently in cat if not needed to take another role.
I think like many tools the success of this lfg functionality will be a lot up to the player. I expect to form up in trade with same server players (preferably guildies or friends) then round out with pugs.
The system definitely has its plus points for forming those 3 am LBRS runs which would otherwise be impossible.
I also suspect that most people won't be as horrible as everyone seems to be assuming. As you've pointed out before Gevlon no one remembers or cares about any of the same server sanctions for bad behaviour. If someone calls me a ninja in trade who is going to remember in 2 days time?
People already have sufficient anonymity to be dicks in pugs and most of us aren't.
I don't think there will be much of a need for cross server pugging of max level content and that most instances will be to run Dead Mines without an 80 holding your hand because there aren't 4 other people ready to hit VC at prime time on your serverl
I am really hoping that there's the option of same-server only groups, though when I am missing somebody for a 5-man it tends to be DPS so I'm not really shy about four-manning heroics.
In fact, I love four-manning heroics, so bring it on, 4.0.
"I don't really understand why anybody would need a cross-server LFG channel."
Because populations on different servers are different. There are some servers where the Alliance vastly outnumbers the Horde and the Horde are a virtual non-entity. Trying to find people to run instances on a regular basis, especially in off-peak hours becomes an almost impossibility. Cross-server LFG may not change the ratio of DPS to healer/tank but it will certainly alleviate problems caused by population imbalances.
Also, there is no way you're going to be able to trade goods cross-server, that's why Gevlon didn't mention it. To think they'd allow such a thing is naive. Or dumb.
I think cross-server instances are good. I've had a lot better luck in battlegrounds than I've had with PUGs. The social element realy goes away most of the time in the bgs when everyone is on a different server.
I play a Shaman, and as DPS, even though I pull enough DPS to zerg Sarth 3D, it's STILL hard to find a PUG.
"Sorry man, full."
"I will out DPS two of your players combined."
"Full."
Sigh.
So I decided to read up on Resto, assemble the gear through Naxx runs, conquest badges, faction items, and of course, the Auction House.
Now I have no trouble finding a PUG for farming Conquest/Triumph (daily) badges. VOA? OS? No problem. What I actually SPEND the badges on, is my main Enhancement set. What I earn them with, is my Chain-heal spamming, Riptiding self.
How did I learn to play Resto: Elitist Jerks.
(BTW, anyone who doesn't think they know their material cold, is an Elitist Moron. As in, too arrogant to seek out help and too stupid to recognize intelligent people who know what they're talking about.)
So if you are a hybrid, get the dual spec! (can't afford it? Hahaha...poor people are so funny.)
Get your new glyphs, new gear, new spec and the appropriate Addons and you'll be literaly rolling in badges.
Oh yeah, and try not to suck in your new role. I would have to imagine this is more of a tanking problem, as healing is much easier than tanking.
Basically, if you can play Whack-a-Mole at the local amusement park, you can heal. Tanking requires proper use of cooldowns, understanding of defense caps, and of course, the right set of gear.
Used regularly on my main, a tank. "Toss me lead for marks" I am always lead in 5 mans.
I am going to make sure I tell everyone in any 5-man I go into that I'm going to need on the frozen orb. I know it's not worth as much gold anymore, but I have been the victim of frozen orb ninjaing a few times. On my server, it's customary to greed on it. I have no idea why. Anytime anyone needs on it, they get bitched out anyway. Everyone should just need on it to avoid that.
@ Craig R "This in no way means that being a DPS is easier."
What is the level of responsibility for a DPS? Do damage, don't stand in the fire, don't pull agro? CC is a joke and no one uses it so DPS is by far easier conceptually and easier to execute.
Healer/Tank responsibility: make sure that when the inevitable above does happen for a plethora of inept reasons (compounded in PUGs) that you can recover.
DPS are so many because they have no responsibility. Easy mode - they ride the coat tails of the tank and healers. You can manage with less than stellar DPS. Less than stellar tanking or heals and your more or less SOL.
I can't imagine Cross Server trade would NOT be allowed - prepping for instances is far more than just "Pally Kings plz" spammed in chat.
I'd bet that someone will figure out cross server meetups in instances if possible, inside your battle group.
There really is very little need to trade stuff to your group members inside an instance. In a PuG everyone is pretty much required to bring their own components and food. When people trade it is because the hunter forgot ammo or someone does not have water. It's definetly not needed in 5mans and I do not see it for raids either.
I take issue with you saying you can find a decent toc 10 pug. Another good post, you're hitting all cylinders lately.
Check out Puggernaut.com (http://www.puggernaut.com). We attended BlizzCon and heard this announcement and are really excited about it! Puggernaut is a high quality, end-game raiding community that anyone from any server can join!
See you there!
Thorhoof
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