CoX search function - What you like on competition
By
Carnifax,
Posted on: 2008-10-10 08:05 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Hmmm. Not sure about that at all Ravens. I use it constantly, so do most leaders when we're searching for extra members. I think its because CoX uses so many instances. There's no point shouting on Broadcast really, half the teams are likely to be outside of range. So I stick my LFT flag on and I know that when a leader does /sea chances are I'm going to be top of the list.
The only places I've noticed Broadcast LFTs happening a lot and superceding flags is Freedom. I think anyone on lower population servers other than the US big two use the LFT / Search system more than relying on Broadcast.
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I agree, i dont know anyone that bothers with broadcast to find a team,you see the odd player asking on the way to missions but not many.
An improved search system can only help things.
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CoH has the great advantage of being able to see what quests party-members have and be able to set the active mission
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That tells you what a team are doing now, not what they plan to do, plus there's a 90% chance that the mission title is going to meaningless to someone looking anyway.
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Mostly true (between missions, you are telling the team what's coming by setting the mission), but imho, irrelevent. Being able to see the other members missions and set one means you have some way of leading the team, which doesn't involve talking to people (which many people don't seem to like to do); you don't have to quiz other members on what quests they have.
CoH is the only MMO I've played where teams don't form for one or two missions and dissolve; I put this down to a great extent to leaders being able to see their party member's quests and making sure everyone gets a mission ticked off the list, and the team having some immedidate sense of direction by having a single 'active mission'. That and the game being pretty solo unfriendly of course.
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The reason Carni & I are banging on about the WAR LFT system is it does seem to work
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Begging pardon, but the reason it works is that it was there from day one. LotROs was definately retro-fitted, I'm guessing that WoW's was also. It's too late for CoX, because the playerbase already thinks of the LFT/M system as a lost cause.
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As far as I'm concerned, LoTROs was there from day one, I came late to the party. 
I suspect you're right about the existing system being lost on most CoX players though, I suspect the devs would have to rip it out and replace it with something new, shiny & simple - with a really obvious new button somewhere on the screen...even then, lots of people won't use it - see my edited in "foolproof" comment above.
And begging your pardon, the reason the WAR one works is it's simple. I can't stress how stupidly dumbed down they've made it compared to WoW & LoTRO's systems; logging into the game is more difficult than joining a team.
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WAR currently has the best team search facility of any of the MMOs I play; click a button and it gives you a list of open teams, with the distance (time to reach them) number of members, and what activity they're engaged in (PvE, PvP, Public Quest), click another button, and you join the team - no invite required.
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You are not wrong. I've been playing WAR for a week or so and the Open Party system is amazing.
Two simple additions inspired by the above, BaB's previous words on this, and the current thread so far would be:
1. Flag if the team was on a TF,
2. Display number of players on team
These alone would not need additional features, though admittedly more code would be needed to retrieve and display this additional information. Folks could gauge who could actually invite them and how the state of teams in a level bracket. Could also help with merging small teams into larger teams.
Additional feature: Recruiting Flag.
1. Teams have a 'recruiting' flag on by default unless the team is full or on a TF - attach this to the team window so the team can see the state of recruiting flag.
2. Team leader can manually turn this flag off by adding another button to the teaming window (e.g. SG nights, a pair of mates duoing, rpers or standing around chatting to mates).
This is a little trickier because it means a team must now carry additional information, and new code is needed to track and alter this data.
So there are two levels here of improvement - potentially low hanging fruit (only guessing here of course) that interrogates existing game data with a bit of user interface work; and potentially more complex work that involves tracking and modifying a new type of data.
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I put this down to a great extent to leaders being able to see their party member's quests and making sure everyone gets a mission ticked off the list
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Hate to say this, but I doubt that's the reason, seeing as exactly the same is currently true of WoW, and LotRO.
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As far as I'm concerned, LoTROs was there from day one, I came late to the party.
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Possibly true, but irrelevent. By that time the majority of players had given it up as a bad job. If no one advertises on it, you can't find teams and it's useless.
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I can't stress how stupidly dumbed down they've made it compared to WoW & LoTRO's systems; logging into the game is more difficult than joining a team.
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Okay, yes, that would be a help. Your average game user appears to have the problem solving ability of a decapitated stupid fish, who did a course in stupid at the university of not very bright, stupidville. 
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
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Your average game user appears to have the problem solving ability of a decapitated stupid fish, who did a course in stupid at the university of not very bright, stupidville.
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I tried that course. Was rather too complicated for me so I gave up.
Or perhaps not...
Saying that, I do rate ease of use a the most important aspect of a search function.
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Hate to say this, but I doubt that's the reason, seeing as exactly the same is currently true of WoW, and LotRO.
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Cough. 
Really? Don't remember that being in WoW, maybe they added it after I left...did I mention I only team with my wife in LotRO? We tend to talk using real words and sound to discuss what to do next. 
That's a serious omission in WAR's quest system if everything else has it though...
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Fact is, LFM systems don't get used any more than LFT systems do. There's a perfectly adequate LFM system on LotRO, actually a very good one. However, what people actually do is scream on Broadcast for members instead.
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It really does work. I saw somewhere someone posting about how they decided to attack a keep for the hell of it, then he made an open party and a couple more people joined so he converted it to a warband (which means he made it so 24 people in total could join).
Eventually he ended up with a complete warband and they took the keep.
[url=http://vox-doom.deviantart.com]Take A Gander At This.[/url]
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Also it should show how many are currently on the team.
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I like most of the ideas you put forward but this? Hell no! All I can see this achieving is arguments and flaming.
Player 1: Hi there, can I join your team please?
Player 2: Sorry, we're full.
Player 1: Full? but you only have 2 people!
Player 2: Yes I know, but we're still full...
Player 1: You're not full! Why won't you invite me?
Etc, etc, etc... and soforth.
If I'm duoing with my girlfriend and we only want us on the team, why should I have to spend however long explaining this decision. Full doesn't mean 'We already have 8 on the team'! Full means 'We have all the players we want/need.'
Sorry, but I really don't like this idea.
Though your other ideas I do like 
[center][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2585/resistancesig3.png[/IMG]
Kalis Elfling - Inv/Axe Tanker. [i]Kevin is watching... Always[/i]
Proud member of [url="http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/"]Honourable United[/url]
@Tellis - I reserve the right to be ridiculous![/center]
Ahh but there's always the "Hide from searches" thingy if people want small cosy teams.
True... I'd forgot about that one (Even though I use it )
[center][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2585/resistancesig3.png[/IMG]
Kalis Elfling - Inv/Axe Tanker. [i]Kevin is watching... Always[/i]
Proud member of [url="http://www.honourableunited.org.uk/"]Honourable United[/url]
@Tellis - I reserve the right to be ridiculous![/center]
Maybe we could have 'Full' teams set with a flag, not by actual number of members and automatically fitered out of any search so you didn't have to hide.
I also suggested that there should be
An option to advertise in the list for team members (this should be a simple toggle).
this would stop the problem of "full" teams with less than 8 members being hassled simply by toggling the advertising option. If you dont advertise, then your team isnt listed.
A "full" flag would be better, or some indicator that the team is content as is. Adding in how many folks you have on a team is overcomplicating the matter; and (especcially as I team with him quite a lot) I'm with Tellis on this: sometimes you're just happy with the team you've got. Giving peeps the numbers leads them to arbitrary conclusions about your team, and results in unecessary tells and potentially awkward situations :P
I hate having to turn peeps down but I've had to do so many times, in fact it's allowed me to flex my excuse gland quite a bit...give us a flag that's a great option.
As for Hiding, tis a great idea but you cant guarantee everyone has it turned on. Then there's remembering to turn it off when you do want to be found, probably just my scatty brain but it's a faff, so I say a flag is the better option.
Still love the idea of the names changing colour when the flag is set.
I don't wanna save my soul now,
I just wanna lose control,
And even if it takes a lifetime, to learn:
I'll learn!
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A "full" flag would be better, or some indicator that the team is content as is. Adding in how many folks you have on a team is overcomplicating the matter; and (especcially as I team with him quite a lot) I'm with Tellis on this: sometimes you're just happy with the team you've got. Giving peeps the numbers leads them to arbitrary conclusions about your team, and results in unecessary tells and potentially awkward situations :P
I hate having to turn peeps down but I've had to do so many times, in fact it's allowed me to flex my excuse gland quite a bit...give us a flag that's a great option.
As for Hiding, tis a great idea but you cant guarantee everyone has it turned on. Then there's remembering to turn it off when you do want to be found, probably just my scatty brain but it's a faff, so I say a flag is the better option.
Still love the idea of the names changing colour when the flag is set.
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WAR has open and closed parties, the way to switch is by unticking an "Open Party" button. Our system could be the same. Closed parties don't show up on the list.
[url=http://vox-doom.deviantart.com]Take A Gander At This.[/url]
Sounds good to me.....if it's really that simple...:P
I don't wanna save my soul now,
I just wanna lose control,
And even if it takes a lifetime, to learn:
I'll learn!
It really is, and it really works.
I agree with Carni that is should be top of the QOL list and would save so many subscriptions from ending from people struggling to find teams in the EU.
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CoH has the great advantage of being able to see what quests party-members have and be able to set the active mission
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That tells you what a team are doing now, not what they plan to do, plus there's a 90% chance that the mission title is going to meaningless to someone looking anyway.
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The reason Carni & I are banging on about the WAR LFT system is it does seem to work
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Begging pardon, but the reason it works is that it was there from day one. LotROs was definately retro-fitted, I'm guessing that WoW's was also. It's too late for CoX, because the playerbase already thinks of the LFT/M system as a lost cause.
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Hmmm. Not sure about that at all Ravens. I use it constantly, so do most leaders when we're searching for extra members. I think its because CoX uses so many instances. There's no point shouting on Broadcast really, half the teams are likely to be outside of range. So I stick my LFT flag on and I know that when a leader does /sea chances are I'm going to be top of the list.
The only places I've noticed Broadcast LFTs happening a lot and superceding flags is Freedom. I think anyone on lower population servers other than the US big two use the LFT / Search system more than relying on Broadcast.