We need a Looking for members System
By
Evangel,
Posted on: 2009-08-08 09:43 in Suggestions and Ideas
I'd certainly like the search system to diferentiate between those on a normal team and those on a TF/SF/Ouroborus/AE team. The LFM system you suggest is certainly a step in the right direction
/signed
I'm gonna /sign this simply because I've wanted a better version of the team searching system since they put it in in I2 (I think?). I'd really love to be able to specify my own level groups within the search UI without having to use the /search command.
This idea has been suggested before, and it's every bit as good as it was then. I would LOVE to see this implemented. It would get rid of so much of the "Team LF 1 more" spam, and make recruiting for new members sooooo much easier. Definitely and enthusiastically /signed.
Feel free to try out my AE mission arc, # 473452: Praetorian Redemption
@Valerika
The OP's suggestion comes up regularly. Here's a list of search window enhancements 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 and notes) 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.
The team lead would use radio buttons like the normal search window to set allowable opt-in parameters; 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 (like me) 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.
as i have over the years, i /sign this suggestion yet again. it really would help pugs.
More comprehensive LFT tools would be welcome, but would need to be accompanied by an education initiative to train/encourage new players in their use. I'd be fascinated to know what percentage of the player base uses the flags we have now; I'm guessing it's pretty small.
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No to this one. Optional filter? Sure! But always filtering? No thanks. I use search for other purposes, such as inviting people to SGs since you can't right-click their name in the chat box to do it. If they happen to be on a team or TF mode at the time, I wouldn't be able to do that.
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Originally Posted by Sardan
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As stated earlier, it should be an option that you can opt out of (and should be opted out on default). Remember, it's the search function, not just the team finding function.|
Originally Posted by Sardan
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I'd also love to get some kind of queue function set up for team formation. Join the teaming queue for a zone/level range or the queue for a specific task force that way you're easier to find and you don't have to keep checking back every five minutes.
really want to respond to this but after 8 attempts I cant be bothered because of a "bad input" error even when there are no non-alphanumeric characters...
There any many suggestions that have been posted many times in this forum. Many have not been implemented because they are impractical, pointless or downright stupid, but this is not one of them. This has been suggested many times for a very good reason!
The Team Finder system is already very important these days, and it seriously needs an update. The ability to filter between teamed and unteamed, cross-faction searching, a better flag system, just for starters.
There are channels on servers that can help with teaming but a lot of people dont use them either because they arent members of the forum and dont know or because they dont trust thigns that arent game developer material.
City Info terminals. These should be re-fitted to give access to a team and task schedule bulletin board system. redside should be given shadey men in shadey coats standing on shadey corners who help criminals find likeminded thigns for jobs and cake and stuff.
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I like these ideas. City Info terminals are currently comically useless, ANYTHING would be an improvement.
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Originally Posted by Evangel_EU
There are channels on servers that can help with teaming but a lot of people dont use them either because they arent members of the forum and dont know or because they dont trust thigns that arent game developer material.
City Info terminals. These should be re-fitted to give access to a team and task schedule bulletin board system. redside should be given shadey men in shadey coats standing on shadey corners who help criminals find likeminded thigns for jobs and cake and stuff. |
I would suggest that the terminals work as follows:
Team leader has a small list of options that pop up when he clicks the star.
options:
list on City info? yes no.
if no, then they dont appear on the board when someone searches.
if yes then they have the option of choosing their target audience or of leaving blank to reach everyone.
options: level range , Archetype , mission type , origin
as long as the team is listed and has less than eight members it will appear on the board when a person searches. If it hits 8 members the listing disappears until the number drops below 8 when it automatically gets re-listed if the team leader still has the option selected.
from a user point of view:
click on terminal, filter your search options by
level,
my Archetype
my origin
mission types
and all available teams that
a: have room
b: want new members
c: will probably say yes when you ask
appears. you apply for a place by clicking a button beside the team details (maybe current members, current mission, current zone), however, the leader is not notified immediately. he will see the requests when he checks the inbox and can send invite or reject at the click of a button.
Anyone that joins a team or logs off has their signup requests deleted so leaders dont end up inviting non-existant or already busy people.
TFs and SFs can be arranged and scheduled for a future time with a form of sign up sheet. at the time of the TF the leader checks the signups and sends the invites. Names can only be removed from the list by the person that signed in the first place or by the TF organiser.
TFs that go past their organisation date are removed from the board automatically or can be removed by the organiser.
I am really really sorry for the multi-post but this %*£"$ing board wont let me post more than a certain number of characters in a single post for some strange reason. anyone know if this is a setting in the userCP ?
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I never thought about that. Well, as long as the default was to hide folks on teams that'd be fine too. Since the primary purpose of the Search window is to find people to team with, its current state of cluttering the list with ineligible candidates has got to be changed.
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Originally Posted by TwilightPhoenix
No to this one. Optional filter? Sure! But always filtering? No thanks. I use search for other purposes, such as inviting people to SGs since you can't right-click their name in the chat box to do it. If they happen to be on a team or TF mode at the time, I wouldn't be able to do that.
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Freedom: Blazing Larb, Fiery Fulcrum, Sardan Reborn, Arctic-Frenzy, Wasabi Sam, Mr Smashtastic.
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I'm going to bump this because Super Sidekicking will make this much more useful.|
Originally Posted by Sardan
And here's the biggest request: a "team looking for more" capability. 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.
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The simplest change would be to add a "Looking for team members" flag for the team leader, plus a UI method for the team leader to change the flag setting (because when you're teamed the menu disappears -- you can change it with a slash command, but most people don't know it).
In my experience CoH teams last much longer than teams in other MMOs. This is due in part to the SK feature, which will be even more true in I16 and Super Sidekicking. This is great aspect of the game and this inherent advantage should be emphasized.
I like the current LFT flag that players can set, but I'd like to see one that is configurable by the team leader, indicating that the team is are looking for members.
Additional info that would be helpful would be team level range, and # of people on team, plus a comment field for the leader, to specify what they are doing, archetypes desired, etc.