Group composition preferences & expanded roles?

Ceejengine

Hey,

Since we're constantly straying away from the holy trinity, especially with the most recent dungeons not even requiring a dedicated healer, I was wonder if it'd be a good idea to open up the group finder a bit by making two changes.

1.) Group composition preference settings. Similar to an outfit tab, you may have up to 3 or 4 pre-set party compositions that you would prefer to run with. When grouping, only players with same preferences will be grouped with you.

For example, the current makeup is
1 tank
1 healer
2 DPS

But if, say, you were a very confident & reasonably confident tank, you could set up one of your preferences to
1 tank
3 DPS

And then you'd be paired up with that composition.

2.) Expand the number of roles you can queue for. Instead of just tank, healer or DPS, add roles such as Buffer, De-buffer, objective runner, etc.

Sangwyne

Ceejengine wrote: »

When grouping, only players with same preferences will be grouped with you.

2.) Expand the number of roles you can queue for. Instead of just tank, healer or DPS, add roles such as Buffer, De-buffer, objective runner, etc.

The issue is, these changes would split up the queue, and make it take even longer, not less. People who are reasonably confident they don't need a tank/healer already tend to queue up as a fake tank/healer instead, to the detriment of others. I would say that given how difficult and prevalent this issue is in other similar games, the only sure-fire solution is to get more people playing Support roles themselves, which is the opposite direction from that which ZOS seems to be taking.

Ceejengine

Sangwyne wrote: »

Ceejengine wrote: »

When grouping, only players with same preferences will be grouped with you.

2.) Expand the number of roles you can queue for. Instead of just tank, healer or DPS, add roles such as Buffer, De-buffer, objective runner, etc.

The issue is, these changes would split up the queue, and make it take even longer, not less. People who are reasonably confident they don't need a tank/healer already tend to queue up as a fake tank/healer instead, to the detriment of others. I would say that given how difficult and prevalent this issue is in other similar games, the only sure-fire solution is to get more people playing Support roles themselves, which is the opposite direction from that which ZOS seems to be taking.

The flip side to your first part is that itll also reduce the number of fake tanks / heals in traditional queues.

I'm betting that once companions go live and people can fill the tank role, queue times will decrease.

As for your second half, 100% on point.

They need to give purpose back to roles that aren't tanks. However, I still stick with my suggestion here and think more roles will encourage more creativity.

Especially if more fights without a "Hold big monster away from team, block this heavy attack that 1 shots and also this mob hits for 25% of your health."

And instead something like, "while being shot at w/ arrows, run here and pull this lever to drop an anvil on those kobolds.