Molehill

I'm hoping so. In my mind, the ease of getting on a team and participating in the community is part of the game's first impressions. I would think that a good showing would lead to better player retention and then maybe a few purchases / subscriptions. If they believe that, then there's plenty of motivation to keep going with it.

Left in its current form, I'd tend to agree. But I haven't found any indication yet that the devs are abandoning the development of the LFG tool.

This. In 7 years I haven't posted in the forums more than 50 times. But I have a thing or two to say about this topic.

If, as Forbin says, control of team formation goes beyond level and build, then having the game implement a large number of filters on an ever changing set of data becomes burdensome. Basing automatic invites without enough refinement would leave a number (large or small I can't say) of people abandoning an LFG tool.

So I'll turn my suggestion around a bit ...

1. Have the players that are LFT join the queue for multiple, specific events. Leave a space for a short note to be included. (e.g. Have Clarion for UG). Have a list of events that are in progress and are open to them joining (minus those being led by people on the player's ignore list).

2. Have the players that are starting teams or LFM see a list of players LFT for the event they are leading minus everyone on their ignore list.

3. That list should include character information sortable by: toon name, global name, level, AT, primary set, secondary set, notes that the leader may have on the character, LFT note, and status (more on status below). A button to invite is next to every name that shows up.

4. A person who gets an invite will have a pop up message show up "<leader> has invited you to <event> running at level <difficulty setting>. You are <x> of <max number of players>. Do you accept?." There is a <15> second window to reply yes or no.

5. The status column on the LFM screen would show "considering other offer, refused, accepted, no response yet, timed out." If a person refuses then the name is greyed off the list and can't be sent another invite from this tool for that particular event to prevent people getting spammed with invites. If it was refused accidentally, then an invitation can be sent using /invite. A refresh button to update the list might be needed.

6. After the requirement for the minimum number of people is met, A button can become active to start the event. Options to leave the remaining slots, if any, open for people who want to join in progress events are available.

As I write this, it sounds like a modified version of the "Find Member" feature under the Team tab with a bit more focus and refinement. Instead of getting a blind invite wondering what the heck it's for, all that information should be given on the opening pop up for an event that was signed up for. If someone joins the queue for a particular even they should be open to receiving a pop up for an invitation to that event.

Basically the tools for easier filtering beyond ignore lists and sending invites is given to the team leader. So for example, Silver Gale wanting to start a UG would see all the people wanting to join a UG whom she hasn't ignored and who hasn't ignored her. She can randomly click invite for 23 people, or sort to her heart's desire and meticulously select who she wants out of that list to invite.

In trials like DD I've often seen a qualifier that only +2's or +3's are wanted. And most likely with good reason. People may have other requirements for other trials. My suggestion's goal (whether or not it got there is debatable) is to sort of expand on your statement I quoted.

For example, it would be nice if there was...

A simple way to just say "accept the next 23 people (who are +2 and +3 and) who show interest in the (DD) iTrial" would have helped me immensely.

Or not ... use of qualifiers (filters) should be optional. Obviously more filters reduces your chances of finding people to fill the slots.

In the case of trying to start a TF one might want to: "accept the next 7 people interested in STF who are level 50. One of them needs to be a tank and another needs to be a healer."

It's sort of a bastardization between completely open and pre-formed closed teams.

In its current form, the LFG queue isn't being used much. It's a safe bet that the dev's datamining supports that. You say (and I agree) that having random players that the queue assigns results in people getting kicked and deciding that they won't use it.

Now I'm assuming that these people are getting kicked because their build doesn't meet the criteria that the team leader is looking for. I propose that given the ability to set criteria to join an open team would result in less people getting kicked and an eventual increase in the usage of the queue.

I don't know if you think that the suggestions I'm making are bad, or if you think any work on improving the LFG queue is no longer worth the effort. It's fine if people don't like my suggestions. But to say the LFG queue isn't worth any more time and effort is a bit premature. I further assume that before the latest expansion of the LFG queue to include task forces and non-itrials, datamining would have yielded the same conclusion of open teams being under utilized, and as you say a waste of time and resources.

But the expansion did happen. Personally I'm hoping that that points to continued development of the queue.

The help channel is the only way for free players to communicate as far as I know. It's one of the most practical avenues for them to find teams. If an improved queue helps them to find teams and leaves the help channel less cluttered for conversations and asking for help, I think it's worth the effort.

While using the LFG queue? Don't leave that part out. It's sort of important to what I'm talking about. The times I've used it, it seems I got lumped with a bunch of random people.

What has been presented in this thread that would take that away? You're still able to do all that outside of the current LFG queue. I'm suggesting modifications to the LFG queue without touching what people are doing outside of it. We are talking about "Any plan to make LFG more useful" right? My short response to that is to give players who would use it some control to improve the teams that are created. It may attract more people to use it.

My point exactly.

This is the suggestions and ideas forum, right? Where someone might post ideas and opinions that may be contrary to what's been intended?

And make the rest of the team wait while the team lead socializes individually with every person who may or may not be interested in what's being run?

I find that having social interaction in a team while the event is being run is worth more. Getting to that point faster would improve the time I spend in the game.

Your point suggests that there's no reason to have anything to help form groups except chat channels. Or that the current system is sufficient. The help channel is the main carrier for teaming requests, several random conversations, and people actually looking for help.

I think there's room for improvement.

I'm not seeing why they would have to give up that ability. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.

I have a 3-person SG. All my grouping for TF's and trials is done with random people. I can't do anything but speculate on the nature of private teams and taking that away shouldn't be on the table. What I do see is the help channel and zone broadcast channels (to a lesser degree) are a bunch of LFT and LFM requests.

The intent of my suggestion is that the leaders that are LFM'ing could post what they're looking for and the people that are LFT'ing can see what's available that they qualify for. Thus, streamlining the process of getting those two "people" onto a group without spamming the help channel (or watching it, wondering if you missed something when you turned away for a minute) and typing out private inquiries. And maybe not having to bother with the spamming, the private tells, the blind invites, etc. lowers the barrier for more people to start teams rather than wait for them.

Then that team/league could join whatever queue they want, or not and run off to start a story arc. Maybe those features are worked into the queue framework. Whatever.

Currently I believe the queue is blind to the make up of the team and will push forward to start an event even if the teams aren't decently made. I'm simply suggesting giving players some control over the creation of those teams.

I don't think having a tool to help people form pug teams should preclude anyone from pre-forming a team the old way (also locking it so no one else can get in) and then joining the queue. The idea is to better control how those random (not pre-formed) teams would form so there's a better chance for success.

I don't think it's said anywhere that the use of the LFG tool was mandatory to run anything. I view it as a way to facilitate forming a random pug. It's sort of a given that using it would net you random people. Maybe the ignore lists could be integrated in a way to avoid certain players...

What's the "nophase effect" and how does it negate the benefits of having hibernate recharge more quickly?

I've been looking for a good time toon concept...

I think this just prompted the deletion of a lvl 35 defender whose concept I couldn't get my mind wrapped around.

Thanks a bunch!

And here I thought it was the new "Samuel Beckett - Happy Days" powerset ...

Another superhero mmo has the swing power. It's fun, it's one of the very few things I miss from that game. The grappling hook goes off the top of the screen somewhere and latches onto something ... (maybe to low flying, silent airplanes that coincidentally go where you were going anywhere).

Vehicles would be awesome. I'd love a motorcycle for my natural origin toons. I'd make it a recipe or a purchasable (as in inf ... not paragon points) temporary power that you would lose if you ran it into the water.