The Grouping Tool

Spudone · September 2014

Is it just me or does anyone else use the grouping tool? Its sad to see that so many people are spamming zone chat, if you set up the tool it takes all the leg work out of grouping. I know that there are people out there who don't know of its existence but what gives?

Also for those who say the tools sucks or is bad, it actually works very well. Just set the size of group you want and what content you want to do and it will find people of various roles to fill the group for you.

Also even if you can do multiple roles only have the role that you want to do selected at the time you are searching for a group. Lets work together to get the community to use a really great tool so that there is less work in finding a group to clear content. I hate having to sift through zone grind group spams just to find questing or content groups it is getting kinda ridiculous.

ers101284b14_ESO · September 2014

I used it today and got a party in about 5 minutes.

Jando · September 2014

I think it would be great if you were able to queue for multiple dungeons/activities.

Spudone · September 2014

What zone were you in @ers101284b14_ESO ? Im in Craglorn on EP side.
that would be pretty cool too @geoffreyb14_ESO

ers101284b14_ESO · September 2014

I was in craglorn ep also. This guy was spamming chat needin help I pulled up the grouping tool and he was put right into my party. We ran up to the quest and died hard. He invited another person we died still, I pulled up grouping and another guy was immediately put into our group. We ran it fine. Now they do need it to be more specific so you can look for certain quests but the tool itself works well

Spudone · September 2014

Thats great news. I was just arguing with someone in zone on the effectiveness of the tool. lol from what i can tell the people not using it think its hopeless because they are impatient or because they dont know about it. Most i have found after about a min or two cancel the search. if everyone was using it we wouldnt have queue times like when the game first started.

AoEnwyr · September 2014

I've tried using it a couple of times but to little effect. I would find it most useful for doing Public dungeons but you can't select a dungeon of this type from you list so you just have to group for your world area. Unless I am using it wrong, it wasn't of much use to me. May be more relevant once I get to doing Craglorn stuff.

GnatB · September 2014

I've attempted to use it for each one of my characters save one in the first "real" zone for the first "real" group dungeon.

With one exception it matched me with 1 other person, (the other person being the leader), and then nobody else for at least 1/2 an hour. (Admittedly, the only tank char I have is part of a dedicated group, so maybe tanks get an instant *good* queue?)

The only time it actually "worked" ended up in a group consisting of 4 DPS, no tank, no healer. Group leader obviously didn't set it up right, and from my experience in BC, since everybody in that group was at/below lvl, I find it extremely hard to believe they fared well. (upon seeing 4dps in it, and them running in, I dropped out, so maybe they did pick up either a healer or tank.)

Invariably I left group finder because I saw an lfg I could fit, or there was an obvious group forming at the entrance that almost immediately invited me when I dropped the old group. (and, most of the times, there was at least 1 over leveled person in the group, which as far as I could tell caused no negative side effects for the rest of us)

So, if they aren't using it in craglorn, odds are because it didn't work pre-craglorn.

Also, perhaps the reason it's such a fail is it doesn't let you queue for lower level content? I tend to finish the zone then go for the dungeon, so am probably close to outleveling it. Wouldn't be surprised if others have completely outleveled it.

aronothub17_ESO · September 2014

I used to but it seems to take so long now. IMHO they need to get rid of the whole you need to be in the same faction to group especially for group find and if your same guild. Nothing more annoying than asking in your adventure guild if anyone wants to run a dungeon only to all be on a different faction. It's not like you can enter the same zones anyway until vr and even then your a community you should be able to work together. A guild should be like the mages and fighters guild neutral meaning you can group together no matter your allegiance

LtCrunch · September 2014

Spudone wrote: »

Is it just me or does anyone else use the grouping tool? Its sad to see that so many people are spamming zone chat, if you set up the tool it takes all the leg work out of grouping. I know that there are people out there who don't know of its existence but what gives?

Also for those who say the tools sucks or is bad, it actually works very well. Just set the size of group you want and what content you want to do and it will find people of various roles to fill the group for you.

Also even if you can do multiple roles only have the role that you want to do selected at the time you are searching for a group. Lets work together to get the community to use a really great tool so that there is less work in finding a group to clear content. I hate having to sift through zone grind group spams just to find questing or content groups it is getting kinda ridiculous.

Hey glad to see you're bringing your awareness campaign to the forums! I was having a conversation with you and some others about the grouping tool in Craglorn earlier in the day

Fruitmass · September 2014

geoffreyb14_ESO wrote: »

I think it would be great if you were able to queue for multiple dungeons/activities.

I have to agree. I'd also like to see it fixed so that it wouldn't just drop you if your in a group with only one other person and they leave.

Largely though I'd like to see it go cross faction when it comes to searching for dungeon groups to help reduce wait times. Pvp and open world I can see being restricted but seeing as dungeons are set up the same for everybody and only really effect you and your group, faction isn't so much of an issue there.

Overall my experience with the group finder tool is a positive one, some minor irritations with function and it can take a long time to find a group but usually it's nothing too horrible.

GnatB · September 2014

Thinking about it some more, I think the biggest part of the problem may be that it immediately starts trying to form the group, instead of waiting until it's assembled a group (internally) then notifying the players that the group is ready to be formed.

As is, if people already in a group attempt to group find, it has to find a partial group that matches that new group, or just simply start a new group. It can't just go "Oh, party has tank/healer, I'll grab this singleton DPS, and that singleton DPS, and presto. Full group. It has to look for the group that is already just the two DPS. If it's already put together a 2 dps and healer group? Tough. If it's already put each of the DPS in with a healer or tank? Tough. The current system really only works if you assume that only single players are ever going to be trying to find a group from scratch. It will never be partial groups looking to find more players.

Thinking of it, considering the leader control, the system may never ever actually try to merge two groups together, even if they fit.

Spudone · September 2014

yeah I had good experiences in the past. I had a two month time span where my internet wasn't good enough to log in and it just seems like ever since i came back (bout a month ago) the tool takes longer and longer everyday. I agree its not perfect but I feel its a better way to get groups than sifting through the grind shouts in zone chat.

bertenburnyb16_ESO · September 2014

lol it doesnt work well, having to search an hour at prime time for either one of the vr dung is not a well working tool, even dps it cant find, I seriously doubt its working well

Shaun98ca2 · September 2014

Fruitmass wrote: »

geoffreyb14_ESO wrote: »

I think it would be great if you were able to queue for multiple dungeons/activities.

I have to agree. I'd also like to see it fixed so that it wouldn't just drop you if your in a group with only one other person and they leave.

Largely though I'd like to see it go cross faction when it comes to searching for dungeon groups to help reduce wait times. Pvp and open world I can see being restricted but seeing as dungeons are set up the same for everybody and only really effect you and your group, faction isn't so much of an issue there.

Overall my experience with the group finder tool is a positive one, some minor irritations with function and it can take a long time to find a group but usually it's nothing too horrible.

YES TO THIS.

It NEEDS to only place you into the group once it has a full complete group......considering that's only 4 people shouldn't be TOO hard.

TehMagnus · September 2014

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/123968/introducing-grouping-2-0 <= made a long post here with ideas to improve the tool.

AshySamurai · September 2014

I use grouping tool and all time we have to wait. Or ask in guilds and spam zone chat a little. But all my way to VR it wasn't work well.
@magnusnet‌, nice idea. (btw post not so big)

Moomins · September 2014

I have never found the grouping tool to be effective or efficient. It is slow, sometimes taking up to an hour or so to find a member, and on many occasions it will find two or three people (including myself) and leave us hanging for so long waiting for the last member that we give up.

As has been mentioned before quite often the group leader doesn't know how to use the grouping tool, and has no idea how to set the search parameters for specific types - be it dps,healer or tank... This causes tons of problems as the search will then go on and on and on ad-infinitum with nothing happening.

Even if you do know how t use the tool properly, it is still extremely slow, and infuriatingly so at times. For this reason, it seems that at this point the best recourse is to call out on chat for that last member, or nothing will ever happen...

So, personally, I don't like the current grouping tool, its clumsy, and slow. I think it needs a rethink if nothing else...

LtCrunch · September 2014

bertenburnyb16_ESO wrote: »

lol it doesnt work well, having to search an hour at prime time for either one of the vr dung is not a well working tool, even dps it cant find, I seriously doubt its working well

Wait times have very little to do with the quality of the grouping tool. The only reason there are long wait times is because too few people are actually using the thing.

LtCrunch · September 2014

Moomins wrote: »

I have never found the grouping tool to be effective or efficient. It is slow, sometimes taking up to an hour or so to find a member, and on many occasions it will find two or three people (including myself) and leave us hanging for so long waiting for the last member that we give up.

As has been mentioned before quite often the group leader doesn't know how to use the grouping tool, and has no idea how to set the search parameters for specific types - be it dps,healer or tank... This causes tons of problems as the search will then go on and on and on ad-infinitum with nothing happening.

Even if you do know how t use the tool properly, it is still extremely slow, and infuriatingly so at times. For this reason, it seems that at this point the best recourse is to call out on chat for that last member, or nothing will ever happen...

So, personally, I don't like the current grouping tool, its clumsy, and slow. I think it needs a rethink if nothing else...

Everything you mentioned in your post is directly due to the playerbase, not the tool itself. Long wait times happen because very few people actually use the tool due to either a lack of knowledge that it exists, impatience, or simply because they already find groups within their guild(s). The more people using the tool the less time it takes to find a group. As for group leaders not knowing how to properly search for 2 DPS, a healer, and/or a tank.....I don't even know what to say to that honestly, it cant really be made much more simple.

JessieColt · September 2014

The biggest issue with the grouping tool is that you are limited to what you can queue for.

If you are over-leveled for the dungeon, even if you haven't finished all of the questing in the zone, you cannot queue for anything in the zone.

The tool needs massive love by the dev's and a complete overhaul. If you are in the zone, you should be able to queue for anything in the zone, even if you are over-leveled.

If you missed, or skipped, content originally and go back to complete it, the only way to find a group is by spamming zone chat.

Armitas · September 2014

I think they need to add some notification to new players on the grouping tool and how to use it. Maybe they can make using the grouping tool as the first undaunted quest. I think the tool is working but no one is using it because they don't know it's there.

Spudone · September 2014

Brandalf wrote: »

Moomins wrote: »

I have never found the grouping tool to be effective or efficient. It is slow, sometimes taking up to an hour or so to find a member, and on many occasions it will find two or three people (including myself) and leave us hanging for so long waiting for the last member that we give up.

As has been mentioned before quite often the group leader doesn't know how to use the grouping tool, and has no idea how to set the search parameters for specific types - be it dps,healer or tank... This causes tons of problems as the search will then go on and on and on ad-infinitum with nothing happening.

Even if you do know how t use the tool properly, it is still extremely slow, and infuriatingly so at times. For this reason, it seems that at this point the best recourse is to call out on chat for that last member, or nothing will ever happen...

So, personally, I don't like the current grouping tool, its clumsy, and slow. I think it needs a rethink if nothing else...

Everything you mentioned in your post is directly due to the playerbase, not the tool itself. Long wait times happen because very few people actually use the tool due to either a lack of knowledge that it exists, impatience, or simply because they already find groups within their guild(s). The more people using the tool the less time it takes to find a group. As for group leaders not knowing how to properly search for 2 DPS, a healer, and/or a tank.....I don't even know what to say to that honestly, it cant really be made much more simple.

this is exactly what i tried to get across in my op. Any ideas on how to get the word out there on how to use the tool or raise awareness of its existence. its not that bad there could be some tweaks but for the most part its really a good tool. I really feel that if people knew about the tool and how to use it chat would clear up instead of being filled with group spams (except for grinding of course unless ZOS recognizes that its going to be part of the game no matter what and puts an option for it in group tool lolz)

Like I said the tool really isn't at too much of a fault here. Although i do agree some things need overhauled there are plenty of other things the devs need to work on first. I feel we can work as a community to at least alleviate this issue near completely (except for overleveled grouping and multiple queues)

LtCrunch · September 2014

JessieColt wrote: »

The biggest issue with the grouping tool is that you are limited to what you can queue for.

If you are over-leveled for the dungeon, even if you haven't finished all of the questing in the zone, you cannot queue for anything in the zone.

The tool needs massive love by the dev's and a complete overhaul. If you are in the zone, you should be able to queue for anything in the zone, even if you are over-leveled.

If you missed, or skipped, content originally and go back to complete it, the only way to find a group is by spamming zone chat.

I agree with this, but I see these things as small and easy tweaks, not a "massive overhaul" otherwise I completely agree that even if you are overleveled you should be able to queue for content, which once they add in the group leader dungeon scaling, I expect to see it implemented at that point.

UrQuan · September 2014

Brandalf wrote: »

bertenburnyb16_ESO wrote: »

lol it doesnt work well, having to search an hour at prime time for either one of the vr dung is not a well working tool, even dps it cant find, I seriously doubt its working well

Wait times have very little to do with the quality of the grouping tool. The only reason there are long wait times is because too few people are actually using the thing.

And the reason few people are actually using it is because there are a lot a problems with it.

Here are a few:

You're severely limited in the content that you can select to queue for (in particular if you're not within the very limited level range for a given dungeon, you're SOL and have to resort to spamming zone chat)
You can't specify the roles you're looking to get filled
You can't see who else is queuing for what content (this means you can't look and see that there are 3 people looking for a group for dungeon X, so maybe you'll want to go for that instead of dungeon Y like you were originally going to find a group for)
You can't queue for multiple contents (maybe you want to do any of the 3 dungeons for that particular level, but no, you have to choose just 1 to queue for)
Often it will create the group without making anyone the leader
Sometimes you'll queue for one dungeon, and find that it has randomly switched you to queue for a different one - I had this happen to me almost a dozen times one day as I spent almost an hour trying to find a group for Banished Cells, and it kept switching me to Fungal Grotto