Time to Revisit the Search Features?

The current method works fine, but this seems like a collection of very useful tools to me. It can only goes as far as players understand how to use it, and then there are those who would intentionally misuse it. So let's open the topic for discussion. I present this idea in 3 main topics:

Part 1 - color coding
Universal color coding for the team tab, player search menu, friends tab, Supergroup tab, and targeting reticule of other players.
In order of precedence:
White/Light Gray: Offline on the friends and supergroup lists, doesn’t occur on the search menu, is the current white on the team tab for a defeated teammate, and would become the color of the reticule border of a defeated character.
Orange: Online, and solo, but playing a character from the opposite side (a villain when you are logged in as a hero). In PVP (but not Co-op) zones, the orange is already in play for the reticule.
Blue: Online, on the same side, and solo – all features
Dark Green: Online and on a team – all features
Bright Green: Online and on your team – all features
Red: Online, but not interested/available for teaming (the current ignore all requests).
Black/Dark Gray: A character on your ignore list.

additional suggestions on color coding:
a) busy: I try to remember to put a note up and hit the ignore key when I’m about to make a new costume or do a respect or use the base designer or build an AE mission, but I forget. And I’m not about to back out or rush through just to find a buddy has logged in and said ‘Hey’. So if the game can determine when a player is using an editor function, can my actual status be shifted to red? And yes I know I can open the chat window while using the base editor.
b) closed teams: A team closes automatically when you have 8 members, but leaders can set the closed indicator whenever they please. This moves all members of the team to red status. Likewise, mission types that lock teams (Task/Strike forces) also become red when they start.
c) I’d love to suggest that orange could show up on the search menu when you are in PVP or Co-op zones, but I imagine it’s been suggested many times, and if it could be done, it would be by now.
d) Having no idea how the Praetorian world and shifting alliance is meant to work, I don’t know if I should suggest that a third color be introduced or just put them in orange (i.e. ‘not on your side’).
e) Why a black border? Ever been on a Hamidon or Mothership raid (or even a task force/team) and wonder why no-one on your team is talking and yet they all know what they are doing? That’s because someone on your ignore list is in charge (so you aren’t getting the instructions). Getting the entire raid group to halt while you try to figure out who to remove from the ignore list isn’t going to happen. But if you know there are ignored players around then you can un-ignore and participate meaningfully (not to mention re-evaluate having them on ignore).

Part 2 - preferences
Change the menu of activity interests to be more comprehensive and allow players to indicate interest level in each. A suggested activity list: Zone Patrol, Zone Events (raves, fires, GMs, zombie/Rikti raid, costume contests, etc), Contact/Story Arc Missions, Radio/Paper Missions, AE Missions, Task/Strike Forces, Trials/Raids (Hamidon, Mothership), PVP Zone Patrol, PVP Missions, and Arena. For each of these provide 3 radio buttons – interested, neutral, decline. Remove ‘any’ and make the default for each category neutral.

additional thoughs on preferences:
a) Farming and Power Leveling. So you and some buddies have been playing a while, got your toons up in the mid-forties, and now another friend wants to join in. Power leveling the new guy is the only option. So I accept that these activities have a legitimate place in the game. I also feel that these activities should be kept inside your supergroup and/or coalitions; it’s like admitting you’ve kissed your sister - not something to share with the general public. But let’s face facts, these activities occur. Some of us like it (dude, I’m trying to purple out my toon), and some of us don’t (I should report you for suggesting it). So if the interest section allows you to indicate if you will or will not join a team for these purposes, are we promoting a happy gaming environment where you can hang with like-minded individuals, or just facilitating the cheaters?
b) Badging. The above could also be said about Badging. Is it worth a preference indicator?

Part 3 - updating the search feature
These fields always show in any search:
Name (color coded from topic 1 to indicate availability, which is selectable)
Player comments
These fields are optional and adjustable:
a) minimum security clearance (default 1),
b) maximum security clearance (default 50)
c) origin(s) (default none) {why, oh why, is this a concern?}
d) archetype (default all)
e) zone(s) (default all)
f) has minimum requirements for the mission I have active [need a Midnighter badge to enter Cimerora, etc] (default none, unless you have a mission active)
h+) titles (defaults none. Each title is its own field)
i+) mission types (default none. From topic 2, each of which will become a field in the result). Each of the activity fields would show a dot for people who have marked this category as preferred, an ‘x’ for those who mark it decline, and empty otherwise.

additional ideas for search:
a) For any adjustable field, click on ‘none’ to remove the field from the search parameters.
b) Titles are: Leader if you are currently leading a team, Recruiter if you have the right to recruit players to your supergroup, and Coordinator if you have the right to make coalitions. This will allow players looking for a team, supergroup, or coalition to limit their searches to players who can help them. These titles can be hidden. This is probably the spot to add Farmer, Badger, and Leveler if such features are added.
c) Search by Contact - A ‘look for team’ search button on each contact’s screen. This preloads the search feature with the minimum requirements (appropriate level range, badge requirements, not already on a team) for the story arc/trial/task-strike force the contact is offering.
d) Blind Invites - How about a spot in the invite window that shows me the parameters of the inviter’s search so I can see what sort of activities they are planning to run / type of team they are putting together?

K, there it is. What do you all think?

i don't really know if it is just going to be me saying this, but i was confused as all hell terying to understand this. it seems alot more complicated then what is in place now.

Good ideas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aitchuu Part 2 - preferences Change the menu of activity interests to be more comprehensive and allow players to indicate interest level in each. A suggested activity list: Zone Patrol, Zone Events (raves, fires, GMs, zombie/Rikti raid, costume contests, etc), Contact/Story Arc Missions, Radio/Paper Missions, AE Missions, Task/Strike Forces, Trials/Raids (Hamidon, Mothership), PVP Zone Patrol, PVP Missions, and Arena. For each of these provide 3 radio buttons – interested, neutral, decline. Remove ‘any’ and make the default for each category neutral.

I would group task/strike forces and trials together as they are similar. Raids are quite different in nature. Maybe roleplay can be added to the preference list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aitchuu a) Farming and Power Leveling. So you and some buddies have been playing a while, got your toons up in the mid-forties, and now another friend wants to join in. Power leveling the new guy is the only option. So I accept that these activities have a legitimate place in the game. I also feel that these activities should be kept inside your supergroup and/or coalitions; it’s like admitting you’ve kissed your sister - not something to share with the general public. But let’s face facts, these activities occur. Some of us like it (dude, I’m trying to purple out my toon), and some of us don’t (I should report you for suggesting it). So if the interest section allows you to indicate if you will or will not join a team for these purposes, are we promoting a happy gaming environment where you can hang with like-minded individuals, or just facilitating the cheaters?

I would keep farming and power leveling unofficial. Also, do we have power leveling now under the new sidekick system?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aitchuu b) Titles are: Leader if you are currently leading a team, Recruiter if you have the right to recruit players to your supergroup, and Coordinator if you have the right to make coalitions. This will allow players looking for a team, supergroup, or coalition to limit their searches to players who can help them. These titles can be hidden. This is probably the spot to add Farmer, Badger, and Leveler if such features are added.

I think it would be better if the leader can have a way to explicitly say that the team is looking for more. From the color coding in part 1, the leader can choose to close the team. It would be more efficient if there are indications of which leaders are looking for more.

I'm going with "It seems a bit *much.*" But some of the items do seem like they'd come in handy. Trim it down some.

- Base editing, character creator, mission editor all automatically return a "busy" message, just like AFK does.
- Teams. Lots of things come up with this, from not having the player show up unless they're the leader (which would be fine with me) to having the team leader show up with a star, as well as the "Team LFM" setting.

I strongly disagree with this:

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