Get a group, Have to join a Guild?Follow

Has it gotten to the point that we have to be in a guild to get a freaking group now a days? I have had days that I sit, mindlessly in PoK and other zones with LFG posted to never get a group. I'll even try my hand a pickup groups, but haven't had much luck there either. I'd travel from zone to zone, auctioning my services for a group, but those groups are already filled, or there are none at all.

Guilds seem to only group with their own... So does this mean, if I want a group I have to join a guild?

I thought with LDoNs, my prayers were answered. But now its the same as before. Guilds only do LDoNs with other guild members!

It may be different on other servers, but Tribunal/Ayonae Ro seems to be this way. I know this sounds terribly pesimistic... But if you've sat as long as I have seeking a group, life starts looking pesimistic.

I spend waaaaaaaay more time LFG than I do fighting now. Sad. So Sad.

I seriously don't take it personal. I just don't enjoy the hours of LFG. But mostly I wanted the opinion of others that either go through what I go through, or are in guilds and see things from the outside of where I'm looking at.

Where does this leave the casual player? Once you reach a level to where soloing isn't an option, but a guild requires too much play time, where is the casual player left? (I guess he's left sitting in PoK LFG :)

There are far more casual guilds out there then raiding guilds. The high end content can only support so many raiding guilds per server (unless you're talking about only instanced stuff). Have a look around and I'm sure you'll be able to get into a casual guild without too much trouble.



I'm not trying to talk down to you here, but there actually is a pretty simple solution. Pull up the LFG tool, but instead of hitting "LFG", hit the "group looking for players" tab and do a search for your level range. I'm positive that you will see a lot of others out there LFG too (unless you're level 15 or something maybe), all doing the same thing. Now, start sending tells "Hey, want to join a group in zone X or interested in going to a different zone?" You can build a group pretty quickly this way.

This I have done. Except for the fact that the necessary classes are hardly ever available (healers mostly). The healers don't need to use the LFG tool. They get a group instantly when they log on (or they are already in a guild that needs them).

So I end up with a group with 4 fighters, 1 caster, and an open spot for a healer that either never comes, or logs on 5 minutes after I log off, hehe.

I see guilds auction seeking members... but those auctions are always followed by many peeps saying, "I would never join a guild that has to auction for members."

So I've looked at a few guild's websites. I've posted for membership, but either they don't check their posts, or they don't want me. So I get back to sitting in PoK with LFG up waiting.

if you are starting your own group, make sure you start with the essential classes first. get a healer, get a slower, get a tank. after you get those, fill the rest of the spot with dps/utility. otherwise it's pointless to get 4 people waiting with you.

Not true. Allakhazam did not set this up as a rant forum.

As I stated, I'm merely making an observation.

If healers on your server do not use the /lfg tool, then I would suggest search for healers in your level range in zones like PoK, and The Nexus and just sending a tell, the worst answer you'll get is "Sorry, I'm busy atm." If the healers are getting groups that fast, then someone must be picking them up.

In my personal experience, I always choose guild groups over pickup groups. As a guild, we seem to be able to handle much more content than with pickup members. Since we spend so much time playing together, we have learned to predict the other members tatics and are able take a more proactive stance rather than a reactive one.

Sorry, misunderstood your verbage.

No complaints here. I have several classes and even my Rogue gets blind invites to groups when not even lfg.

Most of the time I decline because of my [bad] experiences with pick-ups.

If I know the person(s) from previous successful grouping I am more inclined to join.

Find a guild to join. It is not that hard (if you have DoN). Some have more detailed joining procedures than others. If you don't like it, then you can always resign. Being in a guild does not guarantee a group anyway, just gives you one more option.

If you do not have a guild, then you should take pains to keep your friends list up to date and rely on it.

You can always BE the leader for an LDoN and invite people who are lfg. That is a good way to add to your friends list.

Joining a guild does give you a better pool of grouping talent from which to draw, true. However it is still not a guarantee.

Did you mention what class you play as your main? If so I missed it. For many classes it may very well be possible to pick up another character and duo, if you're careful about where you go. It may not be something you'll want to do all the time; but if you're open to taking a chance now and then you'll at least widen your circle of friends... some of whom will be guilded, which may eventually lead to an invitation to a guild that you'll actually want to join.

This is not true unless by healers u only mean clerics since they can do far more than other healing classes and are required for many things(e.g. mpg trials). I am not an expert on lfg time for other healers but druids get a fairly lenghty amount of lfg time just like everyone else who just sits in the pok with lfg up.

It would help maybe if you told us what class and levely you are? Let's face it, some classes have a harder time getting groups then others.

Just sitting around in PoK LFG is generally pretty non-productive. I know that you said you go to other zones, but how much effort do you really put in? Again. If I knew your level, it would help.

I play a level 66 paladin. When I log on, the first thing I do is check with my guild and see what they are doing. If nothings going on group wise (I sometimes log in pretty late at night, so this isn't uncommon), I then turn on lfg. I then decide what I want to do solo in the case that I don't get a group. I may decide to farm for cash/loot. I may decide to grind a bit of solo exp (not incredibly efficient as a pally, but it's something different). I'm currently still working on factioning for OoW items, so whacking a ton of lt blues and greens in DS might be worthwhile for a hour or so. Or I may decide to more actively look for a group, in which case, I'll zone into likely zones for groups my level, stick my head in, call out a lfg in the /ooc channel, then move on. You'd be amazed how many groups will take someone who's in the zone they are in, even when they weren't looking for someone in the lfg tool.

If I don't get a group, big deal. I got some cash, or some faction, or some exp. Nothing amazing, but then I didn't exactly have to stress either. When I'm not grouped, I can easily watch TV, read these forums, log in and do work, and play at the same time. It's not like I'm somehow losing that much if I don't get a group. And if I do get a group, then I'll likely get a nice bunch of exp, maybe some loot, and usually some fun (not always though. Some groups are painful!). I just think it's unreasonable to expect that every single time you log into EQ, there should be a group of people just waiting to add you.

Even with a guild, I don't always get groups when I log in. That's just the way it goes. Um... It can also have a lot to do with how much you socialize with people in game. It seems from some of your posts as though you equate "casual player" with "player who doesn't interact with anyone else". That does not have to be the case. But if you've essentially spent the last however many levels doing nothing but soloing your character and avoiding groups and avoiding contact with other players, then you are going to have a problem now. EQ is a very social game. Even a casual player should be grouping with people and making friends. If you've made no friends along the way, then how can you expect people to invite you to group later?


You *really* can't ignore that last factor. I'd estimate that probably 90% of my non-guild group invites come from people who I've grouped with in the past. If you've grouped with someone and know that they wont be a screwup in your group, and you're looking for another member of your group, and that person is in the list, you'll send that person a tell first every single time. Players learn very fast that it's more important to have good players in the group then the "perfect" group makeup. Getting a rep as a quality player will get you more invites then any amount of gear or class desirability.

But obviously, if you don't make a point of grouping and learning and interacting with other players, that's not going to happen. Thus, you'll be at the *bottom* of peoples lists of choices to add to their group. You have to make the effort to get to know more people, and you'll see that change.

in english

a guild halps you get quicker group & quicker raids