Is the Solution Improvements to Search Engines?
By
Godpants,
Posted on: 2009-06-29 08:20 in Player Questions
AE search got improved with today's release. You can now search on level range and keywords and the system also automatically warns you if certain features are present, such as custom groups or EB/AVs. Hopefully they'll continue to improve it with every release.
I emphatically agree that the current search window is LONG overdue for an overhaul. Here's a list of search window enhancement sugestions I've been keeping:
* Searches should never include players already on teams and solo players in TF mode (e.g. Ouroboros flashbacks).
* Level range increments should be by 5's, not 10's.
* Player ratings (stars) should show up in the search window.
* GIgnored players should not show up in searches.
* The Origin filter should be removed.
* The window should be resizable.
* The list should never be truncated.
* When in a co-op zone, allow me to search for characters of the opposite faction.
* When searching by name, match against any part of the name, not just the start of the name.
* Remember my settings from my last search. If someone drops from the team, it'd be convenient to do a new /search and have the options already set for me from last time. It doesn't have to persist after I log off, but make it persist during a game session.
* Make comments searchable. About to do the Nightstar Praetorian AV? Search for people needing her for the Portal Jockey accolade.
* Add a "Looking for AE missons" flag.
And here's the most radical request: a "team looking for more" capability. Several games already have something like this, for example WAR's "open party" system. I see so many people who don't want to own the star to build a team themselves, but they
aggressively try to get onto existing teams. Those folks are the ones broadcasting "lvl 30 scrapper lft" and even sending tells asking to join teams. With a Team LFM function, they could browse teams that had openings.
The team lead would use radio buttons like the normal search window to set allowable opt-inparameters; anyone outside the limits he set wouldn't see his team listed when they searched for teams. For example, if the team lead was OK with anyone joining he'd click the "All" radio button under AT, but perhaps he wants more support, he could click "Tank, Controller, Defender". If he did that, only those 3 ATs would see his team listed when they searched. Similarly he could set an acceptable level range; if the team had mentors he might pick a wide range but more often he'd want to filter to a narrow level range.
Lastly the team lead could type in a short comment so folks looking for teams could see that the team was doing; some people would like to avoid teams just grinding scanner missions so the comments would avoid unpleasant surprises. And just like some people reject blind invites, people would learn to be wary of teams that filled in nothing in that comment field!
A related suggestion: add $Difficulty and $Zone variables to compliment the existing $Level variable, to enable invite macros like this:
/macro Inv, "t $target, Want to join us running a level $Level $Difficulty mission in $Zone?"
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
Those are great suggestions for additions to the team search window, but wouldn't the idea of removing players already on teams contradict the "team LFM" function? Perhaps only the team leader would show up in the search window, with the other members hidden.
Anyway, I'd like to throw in one more: add an indicator to show the team leader. That way, even if the "team LFM" never comes into play, would-be teammates could know who to ask when they want to join.
Sardan, you have certainly taken the proverbial ball and run with it. Very fine list of specific search improvements there.
I would not think a lot of these would be TOO terribly difficult to implement; then again, I don't write code. But non-farming players need all the help we can get in forming teams, so I hope the Search Engine System equivalent to Castle or BAB is working on it.
"How do you know you are on the side of good?" a Paragon citizen asked him. "How can we even know what is 'good'?"
"The Most High has spoken, even with His own blood," Melancton replied. "Surely we know."
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Those are great suggestions for additions to the team search window, but wouldn't the idea of removing players already on teams contradict the "team LFM" function? Perhaps only the team leader would show up in the search window, with the other members hidden.
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The "search for unteamed players" function is what we have now. You run this when you are building a team. It's aggravating and pointless for that window to include people already on teams so that's what I'm saying needs to be changed.
The "team LFM" function would be brand new, and it would be executed by an individual looking to join an existing team. It could work a couple of different ways but the basic idea is that it's the inverse of what we have now. A team lead flags his team as "LFM" and unteamed folks could browse that list and opt to join or request to join.
Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
There have been many threads bewailing changes due to AE. There is no doubt that many dynamics of PUGs, etc. have changed.
) What variables would help in searching through descriptions to help spot the good content?
How to solve it? I think it is improvements in the various search engines.
There needs to be a way to flag that a non-farm AE team is Looking For More. As it stands, you have to be where the AE team is, listen in broadcast and hope when you join that it is not a Meow team. Either that, or ask a bunch of questions that hopefully get answered first.
There needs to be a way to indicate that you are looking for AE non-farm missions in the search engine. "Looking for anything" could mean missions, task forces, etc. Likewise, if you are wanting to run "regular" arc missions, there should be a way to signal that, and also a way to signal you want to run radio missions.
It would also help if there were more variables for searching the 200,000+ entries in AE. Perhaps also a global Note system for the missions you like that you could call up so that you can run content on all your characters without having to keep a list on paper or whatnot. Sorting the @#$@# from the excellent material (and I have run MANY great arcs) is a challenge. I am weary of slogging through descriptions that turn out to be yet another GREATEST CHALLENGE OF YOUR LIFE or a Farm. (One mish I encountered said that it would continually be republished under different numbers, and to search for it via Author. I presume that is so the Farming Hammer can be dodged.
I started up several teams over the weekend, and all of the above would have made things much easier. I write up a Tell on Notepad and send it out to all folks I am trying to recruit, letting them know exactly what is being offered, but that does not happen much coming back my way.
In short, I think that the folks that want to do regular missions, non-farm activities and the like could be brought together if the Find A Member search engine and the AE Search Engine got some upgrades.
Do you think that would solve the current unrest, or should I just write a DOOOOOOOOOM post and be done with it?
"How do you know you are on the side of good?" a Paragon citizen asked him. "How can we even know what is 'good'?"
"The Most High has spoken, even with His own blood," Melancton replied. "Surely we know."