Grouping - Does the game not encourage grouping or are players not interested ???

darkmadman187

Just trying to find if people feel the same as me.... the game gives you many opportunities to group but players don't want to do it.

UPrime

The game doesnt offer enough grouping opportunities

In general player's don't want to group because it's a hassle. But, it's also fun when it works and necessary for longevity of any MMO. Which is why MMO's have to give incentive to group. And right now there isn't enough of that incentive. Daily dungeon quests will help I think.

Goibot

Other (Please Explain)

Grouping mechanics do not allow it most of the time. Phasing in quests and lag in cyrodill groups

smeeprocketnub19_ESO

Both

Craglorn is all group, I wouldn't mind questing there, I could use the skill line exp.

Just need 4 good people to do it, might try it with 3 sometime soon.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

Isn't the grouping part just fun for you ? Me & 4 guildmates went into Cyrodil last night & tried to help DC defend a fort & got destroyed but it was still fun. Maybe this is just that we like grouping more than others, it's why I play MMO's. We have a lot of trouble in our guild whereas we offer members endless opportunities to group, we're even thinking of doing some kind of reward system to encourage them to group, but they don't seem interested at all

dennissomb16_ESO

Other (Please Explain)

The game is more of a hybrid MMO in a sense. Quests, storyline quests etc. are very much a single player design that follows along the design of their single player games. Grouping comes more into effect for group dungeons, trials, Dolmens, world bosses, (forgot to add Cyrodill heh) etc. Since the quests are designed with so much phasing etc. it is difficult to group. It is an interesting design and time will tell if it is successful long term. For me I like it and hate it depending on the day LOL

Sallington

Other (Please Explain)

I want to group, and find groups pretty easily. Others don't want to group, so they don't.

The game definitely encourages both types of play. In Cyrodil you can even contribute to a larger group by playing the solo scout role. Lots of freedom.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

I agree that questing is very much solo based but what about all the rest of the opportunities we have to group ? Dolmens, world bosses, group & public dungeons, trials etc. ??

AngryNord

Both

Dolmens and world bosses people seem to tend to just do together without grouping. Public dungeons too, at least partly (and then some *** keep hanging out at the very start of a public dungeon, refuse all requests to group, and then when you've died four or five times and decide to give up and leave the dungeon, you see them suddenly start moving to engage the mobs...)

Hoamaii

The game doesnt offer enough grouping opportunities

We'll never know for sure whether people actually want to group or not until we do have efficient grouping and players' interaction systems.

Why that never seemed to be a priority for ZoS is beyond me.

I suspect people don't even try to group because it is such a hassle. In which case, we're all paying monthly subs to play a solo game - something does not sound right there.

UrQuan

Other (Please Explain)

For me the big barrier is the grouping tool. I find that it's almost impossible to get an even remotely decent PUG using it. The only way I ever successfully get a PUG is by spamming zone chat, which is obviously far from ideal.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

Hoamaii wrote: »

We'll never know for sure whether people actually want to group or not until we do have efficient grouping and players' interaction systems.

Why that never seemed to be a priority for ZoS is beyond me.

I suspect people don't even try to group because it is such a hassle. In which case, we're all paying monthly subs to play a solo game - something does not sound right there.

The game imo offers many opportunities to group..... if you joined my guild you would get many requests from people to join a group..... the problem is out of 68 members there will only ever be maybe 15 who are asking & no-one else accepting or even talking guild chat.

ers101284b14_ESO

Players don't want to group

Seems people just don't want to. The vet zones where supposed to be group oriented and people just complained about it til they where made to be soloed. I still see complaints about there being group dungeons where you have to have 4 people to complete it.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

Ur-Quan wrote: »

For me the big barrier is the grouping tool. I find that it's almost impossible to get an even remotely decent PUG using it. The only way I ever successfully get a PUG is by spamming zone chat, which is obviously far from ideal.

I agree with that, there have been a lot of posts regarding the group finder not working properly but as I said before if you join a guild you will a very small minority wanting to group & the rest don't even talk never mind group.

BBSooner

The game doesnt offer enough grouping opportunities

I wouldn't mind more areas in the general 1-50 that were especially difficult solo and would reward grouping. But that's kind of a pipedream.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Seems people just don't want to. The vet zones where supposed to be group oriented and people just complained about it til they where made to be soloed. I still see complaints about there being group dungeons where you have to have 4 people to complete it.

That is ridiculous.... of course you should have a 4 man group for a GROUP dungeon..... its the whole idea of them. I will admit when I first reached Vet zones I did struggle but then I changed one skill in (rune focus) & all was solved it was still a challenge to defeat a quest boss but I managed it. I don't think they should of been nerfed as it encourages players to change their builds to improve their efficiency as a solo & group player

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

BBSooner wrote: »

I wouldn't mind more areas in the general 1-50 that were especially difficult solo and would reward grouping. But that's kind of a pipedream.

There is.... group dungeons, dolmens, world bosses are almost impossible to defeat solo unless you come back when seriously overlevelled. This is what I'm not understanding theres all these challenges that REQUIRE a group but people aren't grouping.

NorthernFury

Both

I think many people want to just solo things and get them done for the most part, rather than deal with grouping. And they can, for the most part.

Also, the grouping tool is horrible right now.

BBSooner

The game doesnt offer enough grouping opportunities

darkmadman187 wrote: »

BBSooner wrote: »

I wouldn't mind more areas in the general 1-50 that were especially difficult solo and would reward grouping. But that's kind of a pipedream.

There is.... group dungeons, dolmens, world bosses are almost impossible to defeat solo unless you come back when seriously overlevelled. This is what I'm not understanding theres all these challenges that REQUIRE a group but people aren't grouping.

You can solo bosses and anchors on level. Group dungeons, you're correct, require a group to do if you're on level. Im more thinking about quest locations/questlines in the world that are for group play.But I've come to terms with that not likely every happening.

Gilvoth

Players don't want to group

i dont like grouping and dont want grouping. i am not a social person but i like playing where i see other people so im not alone constantly in a single player game. i dont like how im spoken to in groups, and i dont like being told what to do by people. plain and simple.
and by the way im not troling im being honest in what i said here in this post.

Grim13

Both

Last time I tried grouping... we could not for the life of us get one person into the same phase... gave up after over an hour of various attempts... Haven't tried since.

Wifeaggro13

Other (Please Explain)

darkmadman187 wrote: »

Just trying to find if people feel the same as me.... the game gives you many opportunities to group but players don't want to do it.

Its because the end game mechanics are bad. the itemization is even worse making it not worth the effort. If we all wanted to play a magica DPS with a staff & dress im sure everyone would have rolled a sorc on launch day.

lestaudenmaierub17_ESO

Both

In a typical MMO, more than half of the population is solo oriented. I can only imagine that an MMO developed using the Elder Scrolls IP would have an even higher percentage of players who do not group, nor want to group.

So we already eliminate 75% of the population who, upon creating a character, turn off all the chat tabs and never look at the box again until they are V12.

For the remainder of the population, there is very little incentive to do a dungeon more than once to complete the quest and get the skill point.

Finally, there are many MMO players like myself who do enjoy dungeons, raids, etc. but do not enjoy questing with other players. I like to quest at my own pace, and hate questing with other people.

Put all this together and you end up with no very few people to run dungeons with and practically no one to quest with, even when everyone is thrown together into a single megaserver.

zhevon

Both

I tried for on this weekend several times to use the grouping tool for the Wayrest sewers (normal). One person joined - I should say I joined one person - he said he had been waiting for an hour. Gave up; I don't have time hanging around trying to get a group together. And I really couldn't do anything because I am this close to being overlevelled for the dungeon.

Not to mention the <bleeps> who used the grouping tool on a previous dungeon when they were halfway through a group quest so I got next to nothing for that particular quest.

Dolmen's and group challenges can be fun; I ocassionally group when invited - but when you change instances I often can't find the group.

Alledgedly they are fixing phasing; but they have been "fixing" NBs for 3 months and they are still unstable and have poor survivability.

Gilvoth

Players don't want to group

lestaudenmaierub17_ESO wrote: »

In a typical MMO, more than half of the population is solo oriented. I can only imagine that an MMO developed using the Elder Scrolls IP would have an even higher percentage of players who do not group, nor want to group.

So we already eliminate 75% of the population who, upon creating a character, turn off all the chat tabs and never look at the box again until they are V12.

For the remainder of the population, there is very little incentive to do a dungeon more than once to complete the quest and get the skill point.

Finally, there are many MMO players like myself who do enjoy dungeons, raids, etc. but do not enjoy questing with other players. I like to quest at my own pace, and hate questing with other people.

Put all this together and you end up with no very few people to run dungeons with and practically no one to quest with, even when everyone is thrown together into a single megaserver.

awesome post and very correct. i loved reading it and finaly seeing some truth to this subject.

darkmadman187

Players don't want to group

lestaudenmaierub17_ESO wrote: »

In a typical MMO, more than half of the population is solo oriented. I can only imagine that an MMO developed using the Elder Scrolls IP would have an even higher percentage of players who do not group, nor want to group.

So we already eliminate 75% of the population who, upon creating a character, turn off all the chat tabs and never look at the box again until they are V12.

For the remainder of the population, there is very little incentive to do a dungeon more than once to complete the quest and get the skill point.

Finally, there are many MMO players like myself who do enjoy dungeons, raids, etc. but do not enjoy questing with other players. I like to quest at my own pace, and hate questing with other people.

Put all this together and you end up with no very few people to run dungeons with and practically no one to quest with, even when everyone is thrown together into a single megaserver.

I agree & am happy with them playing that way but then why do these people join guilds ?? Of course trading guilds its perfectly normal not to talk to each other or group, this isn't what they are intended for but a PvE/Social guild is designed for strangely enough grouping & socialising.

starlizard70ub17_ESO

Other (Please Explain)

You shouldn't be forced to group if you don't want to. But it should be easier to group when you want. We all know the issues that make grouping difficult. Those need to be fixed/improved before more group only content is released.

Nox_Aeterna

Players don't want to group

I play solo , reason i skip the closed group content for the most part.

I wish i could do the whole game solo , but oh well , i understand there is need for group content and for solo content.

ThePageMaster

Players don't want to group

I invite people on the same quest as me to group all the time. They complete the quest with my help, say nothing and then dissipate quietly. It's as if they were never there.

It can work...there are so many that don't bother with it though.

Traveller

Other (Please Explain)

I think like myself there are a lot of players who love elder scrolls games but this is there first MMO! (work with other players?) I think over time this will get better. I love the group dungeons and PVP now, also great to see veteran players team up with low level players. Although that may be for a challenge ( can I keep them alive) or more likely a laugh. Yes most likely the latter.

Caroloces

Other (Please Explain)

And right now there isn't enough of that incentive. Daily dungeon quests will help I think.

Incentives are key to grouping. You need enough of a palpable reward to get over the inherent awkwardness of grouping. Did you ever group with another player and feel this urge to ungroup simply because you weren't sure what benefits were coming to you from the group? And then feel uncomfortable leaving the group because you felt the other player(s) might feel betrayed or offended?

I think there might be some ways to promote grouping that could be innovative: How about using the Inns as grouping locations where you could go to an NPC who might mention some trouble in x location and offering some type of sign-up for players to group. And then having NPCs in the general vicinity of quest say something like, "you look like a hearty group of adventurers, when you get done this (whatever), can you all look into (whatever)." Doing a series of quests like this would lead to tangible rewards for all members of group. And then, some type of log in journal that specifies those quests done in groups, and which players participated, so you could contact those players again when something else came up.