I like this idea, as long as it supplements the current system rather than overwriting it. Sometimes there's actually enough interest for 2 concurrent raids, in which case you would have a reason to go to the second instance.
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
There was a lot of talk about the set up of zones when Hami was first revamped. I had a detailed PM conversation with BaB on the subject.
What it boils down to is, there's only so much time available, and as long as Hami was the only raid (at the time) filling zones like that, it didn't make much development sense to build a complex raid/zone management system for only one raid.
Now since then, we've had the ship raid, but that was specifically designed to run on smaller numbers.
However with the dev statement that they are looking to create more zone events, here is hoping the revisit the idea when there's 3-4 different raid type events.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
Since trying to get into a full zone is often a form of PvP, I would add a couple of caveats in the name of fairness:
1. You have to keep the zone window open in order to remain in the queue (no queuing up and then running off to do something else while you wait).
2. Never mind, can't read.
Quote:
Why? In WoW (where queued events are common) you set yourself up in the queue and you can do what you like until it pops. I don't think anyone needs to "prove" they really wanna be there by standing around idle until their time comes.|
Originally Posted by Redoubtable
1. You have to keep the zone window open in order to remain in the queue (no queuing up and then running off to do something else while you wait).
|
We're playing a game on computers. There's no point not taking advantage of the fact that we're using a device to make things convenient.
Of course the other side of this is that if there's a queue to get in, there should be a /kick function so that people who get in just to idle around and leech can be bumped. Either a Raid Leader interface or a vote kick system.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
I think you kind of answered your own question. If you allow people to run off and do other stuff then some will speculatively join the queue in the hope that a player will drop near the end of the raid and give them 50-odd merits with minimal time investment. If rewards were given progressively during the raid then it wouldn't be such an issue, but the back-loaded nature of Hami raids makes them susceptible to this sort of sniping.
Quote:
Then the solution would be to re-examine Hami's design, not implement a deliberately designed to be annoying.|
Originally Posted by Redoubtable
I think you kind of answered your own question. If you allow people to run off and do other stuff then some will speculatively join the queue in the hope that a player will drop near the end of the raid and give them 50-odd merits with minimal time investment. If rewards were given progressively during the raid then it wouldn't be such an issue, but the back-loaded nature of Hami raids makes them susceptible to this sort of sniping.
|
Worst part of Day Jobs is that it makes people feel like they shouldn't play certain alts. Not a good idea to add a system that forces people to stand around AFK in hopes of getting in.
"Null is as much an argument "for removing the cottage rule" as the moon being round is for buying tennis shoes." -Memphis Bill
It would still be an improvement over the current system in terms of fairness, and if a proposed new feature causes problems with an existing one then it's the new feature that's broken. If you want to change the way Hami works to cater for a "queue anywhere" system then that's an entirely different suggestion.
Edit: just to be clear, the basic reason for preventing people from running other stuff while queueing is that it enforces game balance in the form of the time/merit ratio. I know that it doesn't maximise convenience, but convenience isn't the only factor in the equation.
Saw some people talking about a Hamidon Raid a little while ago. One person asked if there was still room, and the reply was no, and that there were already people waiting outside to get in. That got me thinking... we have a queue system for the servers (although I don't think it's ever actually been used on the live servers, and when it was used on Test it was kinda infuriating)... so why not a Zone Queue?
Zones have a cap, and when that is reached, a new zone is created (The Abyss 2, etc..). But in some cases you might not WANT to go to the next one on the list, because there's something going on in one of the ones that's full (Hami Raids and Ship Raids are the prime example of this). But in order to wait for a spot to open, you have to keep trying to get in, closing the window, and trying again until someone finally drops. And if you're competing with other people to get in, it's a matter of luck and timing.
My suggestion is to allow people to sit in a queue when a zone is full, and let them zone in when a spot opens up. This means that they won't need to keep refreshing the zone window looking for a spot, and it becomes "first come, first serve" rather than pure luck.
As an added bonus, make it so that the game will hold your place in the queue for a reasonable amount of time (3 minutes? 5? I'm not sure) if you crash or time out. If you're already in the zone, it will reserve your spot there for the same amount of time.