Curse

fgarvin · Nov 25, 2005, 04:49 PM // 16:49

I've finished the game, and I did it using only henchies. I tried a pug once, and it was such a disaster, that I swore them off forever. But, now I'm wondering, should I try pugs again. Questing with guildies is always a blast (when you can all agree on what to do), but are pugs just too much of a hassle? With henchies, I can take as long as I want, take breaks when I want, but I'm limited by their AI, I can't tell them to hold back while I agro certain groups, they don't prep themselves prior to battle with any coordination, but then again, they also don't leave once they've capped the one elite they needed. And btw, when I bought this game, I was under the impression that solo play meant solo....single, mono, alone...not with others...lol

Snowman · Nov 25, 2005, 05:10 PM // 17:10

I dont think you have 'missed' this part of the game.

But you are correct about trying pugs once you have completed the game..

its a game.. a game is for enjoyment and entertainment, when you are trying to go through the game seriously pugs usually get in the way and cause frustration, NOT what you want when trying to have fun.

Playing with pugs once you no-longer have the pressure is extremly entertaining!

I sit quietly at the back and watch how the groups play, even if they go the wrong way.. I still keep quiet!.. its such a great laff to see other people making the mistakes you made.

I once sat there for 10 minutes while one group of people tryed to figure out the teleporters in the desert... I could have helped, but I was in tears with laughter.

you havnt missed this part of the game.. you've simply delayed it, and now you will most likley have alot more fun with it.

Mimi Miyagi · Nov 25, 2005, 05:18 PM // 17:18

PUGs are either great, or a nightmare. They all run the gamut. I've been in PUGs where bickering, name calling and stupidity all are on full display. I've been in others that were a breeze.

But playing with guildmates still is the ultimate in the GW experience. Just a few days ago the Guild I'm in did a run all the way from Camp Rankor to Dreadnought's Drifts for skill capping, and it was a blast. We mowed through the monsters like a hot knife through butter, everyone capped their skills they wanted, even Feast of Corruption for the Necros, and had a great time chatting on TS while we were at it.

Playing with Henches is fine - IMO - to get trhough areas of the game that don't require a lot of coordination, or when no one is online. I even managed to cap Life Transfer with just henches - it just took an hour to do it.

But some people hate interacting with other random human players for their own reasons, and that's fine. There isn't anything "wrong" with it. Perhaps they are missing out on part of the "charm" of GW - but that's their perogative.

fgarvin · Nov 25, 2005, 05:35 PM // 17:35

I have to admit, a full guildie party is the best way to go when what needs to be done is difficult. I helped twice on Thunderhead, and omg, what a huge difference skilled players make, and what a blast we had helping two new members complete the mission. But there are times when henchies are the better choice, capping Perdition Rock while (insert activity here) is a great example. Henchies are the most patient people around, they could care less if you and the wife go out to dinner while they wait around some lava pit for you to return. The final mission took more than five hours for me to complete because of a prior commitment, but Cynn (pre-patch) and her buddies could have cared less. Skill capping outside of mission areas, for me, is almost always better with henchies...those buggers never quit, never complain and never call the other team members "noobs".

btw....Cynn = least used henchie

Hate · Nov 25, 2005, 07:45 PM // 19:45

guildies>henchies>alone>pug

Grimm · Nov 25, 2005, 09:29 PM // 21:29

Somewhat off-topic: have you done PvP? If not, you *have* missed a huge part of the game.

Loch · Nov 25, 2005, 09:33 PM // 21:33

PuG's are what you make of them. If you choose your PuG teammates correctly, you'll get a decent bunch.

twicky_kid · Nov 25, 2005, 11:18 PM // 23:18

if you didn't get to play during the first 2 weeks after release you missed out on pugs anyways.

now everyone has their own agenda. over lvled characters and armor. yet still henches are better than 80% of the pugs you'll find.

don't worry about it. pve is very limited on its experience even if you did it with pugs.

aron searle · Nov 25, 2005, 11:29 PM // 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

if you didn't get to play during the first 2 weeks after release you missed out on pugs anyways.

now everyone has their own agenda. over lvled characters and armor. yet still henches are better than 80% of the pugs you'll find.

don't worry about it. pve is very limited on its experience even if you did it with pugs.

not a flame, but that is a very 1 sided opionon.

ive had many good pugs, outnumbering the bad. The key is to be picky with your groups, also some groups can really apriciate your knowledge of the missions (and some just plain ignore you).

I tend to aviod groups that say "Looking for people no noobs", and i never accept or give blind invitations, get them or whisper them first. (and if anyone is like "gogogog" before starting i kick em or leave.

Banebow · Nov 25, 2005, 11:30 PM // 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

if you didn't get to play during the first 2 weeks after release you missed out on pugs anyways.

I think that should be "if you didn't get to play during the first 2 weeks after release you missed out on decent pugs anyways."

Though once in a while, you still find a competent, halfway polite group. *sighs* ah, the good `ol days, when people asked if my ranger could heal because monks were not common. . .

I say, if you feel like you missed out on something, either make a new character and do the missions again, but this time try with PuG's, or just use the character you have now. If you find them detestable, you won't have to keep grouping with them either way, and you'll have answered the question.

B3H · Nov 25, 2005, 11:30 PM // 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loch

PuG's are what you make of them. If you choose your PuG teammates correctly, you'll get a decent bunch.

Yea dont join groups, run your own, and add players to your group wisely based on what is needed for that certain mission/quest or whatever

twicky_kid · Nov 26, 2005, 12:00 AM // 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by aron searle

not a flame, but that is a very 1 sided opionon.

not one sided at all. after the release everyone was on the same lvl as in items and character lvl. that made for fun groups that had to work and fight to the next towns. now everyone is mostly ran to the next town and the wilds is just about completely dead. when you do get a pug there they are lvl 20 or just about there taking on lvl 15-17 foes.

pugs back then were fun and didn't have to work 20 minutes to weed out the noobs and make a decent group.

pugs started to get harder and harder to find after the invinsimonk i started to use the henches. after the AI update i ONLY used henches as most pugs were either dumbed down by soloing or never got the experience of a group before.

better to travel with guildies in any case. if you had to do that same mission 8 times or get stuck on one for a few days b/c of pugs you won't care about the experience at all anyways.

Crotalus · Nov 26, 2005, 12:06 AM // 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

if you didn't get to play during the first 2 weeks after release you missed out on pugs anyways.

I am only going to disagree with this statement because it happened much earlier for me. I would say around the second to the last WPE. Before that time PuGs were great, helpful, and nice. Now i dont really consider them at all for the same reasons you stated.

EternalTempest · Nov 26, 2005, 08:55 AM // 08:55

Pug's will be great around chapter 2 due to everything new again, and willing to explore and not A) Run Through, B) leave when 1st dead.

When GW went live eveyone's was "new" made for a better pug's.

I was in a pug needing to do D'Alessio Seabed with "Bonus Only" no mission.... (if you rember how to do that bonus

)

I do only pugs, guild is starting to get the size that we can do some stuff on missions. It all depends, had lot of bad and good bugs. I beat the game with pugs.

Loch · Nov 26, 2005, 04:53 PM // 16:53

Quote:

Pug's will be great around chapter 2 due to everything new again, and willing to explore and not A) Run Through, B) leave when 1st dead.

I disagree. I'm guessing most people have a decent guild to PvE with at this point. Many others would rather hench the new missions than join PuG's. What'll be left is the same type of ignorant, impatient players as before.

Shimus DarkRaven · Nov 26, 2005, 06:02 PM // 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hate

guildies>henchies>alone>pug

*shakes head*

Guildies>PUG>Henchies>Alone

--The Shim

Mimi Miyagi · Nov 26, 2005, 06:57 PM // 18:57

I'd wager that if people consistently have "issues" with PUGs that the problem isn't the PUG - it's them?

Having finished the game with 7 different characters, I've done the majority of the missions too many times to count, with either guildmates, PUGs, or alone with henches. Some missions can be frustrating (Thunderhead Keep, Elonas, Thirsty River, etc) with PUGs but the VAST majority are fine. In fact, I'd say that some of the more difficult missions are easier since more people you get in a PUG have done them before, which makes doing those types of missions fairly easy. My first characters I made I had to redo Elonas and Thirsty river dozens of times, over and over, because 99% of the time, I was the only one that knew how to do them, and the rest of the PUG were lost. The last time I did Elonas, I got it done first try, and everyone in the group know how to do it, or at least bothered to listen.

The only "area" of the map that is troublesome is the jungle areas, only because you don't "need" them to advance in the story. It's the least "fun" area for most people. You can simply do it with Henches, or a runner, guildmates, or whatever.

Former Ruling · Nov 26, 2005, 07:22 PM // 19:22

Heres my THK expereince with Henchies vs. PUGs.

First Time: Henchies
Got a good ways into The fort defense, had killed the first Jade boss (Prefected Armor) and such..Had to go to Supper..Quit.

Second Time: PUG
Got to fort..aggroed everything at fort..didnt even kill the Dwarf boss to start cutscene

Third Time: PUG
2 minute game - All the warriors except 1 ran at the Tengu while the rest at on bridge - they died got angry and left..as did I.

Fourth Time: PUG
Got to defending the fort..Had plan out - perfect group for it. 1 Necro decides he can be leader now and instructs everyone to crowd 1 Gate door..While their doing that..Jade and Mursaat swamp in through other door - King is dead in 2 seconds.

And so on and so on.

Ventius Hozza · Nov 26, 2005, 08:57 PM // 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimm

Somewhat off-topic: have you done PvP? If not, you *have* missed a huge part of the game.

If you haven't then you have missed a large part of the game, namely IWAY and ranger spike.

Im sorry, I'm a cynic

Dax · Nov 26, 2005, 10:05 PM // 22:05

My 2 cents is the only thing you missed out was the frustration.

The good thing about this game is you can check out all facets of the game out, although it's too bad alot of times things have gotten outta hand so that you don't get a good representation...*cough low level PvP arenas.