Curse

Winterclaw · Aug 30, 2007, 06:08 AM // 06:08

Okay, my last idea to improve PUGs went over like a Lead Zepplin so I thought I'd give it another shot.

One part of the problem with PUGs seems to be that you don't know the skill level of the person on the other side. This about this problem leads me to that there's no where in the game where you can really learn to play the game aside from getting thrown into it and hoping you can think or (more likely it seems) pound your way through. There are a few quick tutorials at best and that's it. There are the forums and wiki, but not everyone knows about them or uses them and they are still theory only. I mean you could say X skill stinks or is great, but for some people they actually need to see how and why it stinks or why it is a great skill. Furthermore, people are given a few skills but aren't necessarily taught how to play their class in an area designed for doing just that. And finally another problem is that there are some classes like assassins and mesmers who aren't apprecitated as much by others and others like monks where you have to have two of them.

So here's what I think might help: an area which someone of any campaign can access and take part of equally (meaning it'll need some PvE skills for everyone to be on equal footing).

In this island you'd have a series of areas. Each one would be designed to teach a specific thing and spend enough time (more than 1 minute) so people can get a better idea about how to improve themselves.

The first group of areas would be dealing with core things everyone should know like pulling, watching the radar, energy and ade management, and theory/practice on good skillbar design. IMO it shouldn't be one or two quick quests that people can breeze through and forget but a series of missions/quests designed to give people the better play habits they need to PUG and not make others bald in the process.

The second areas should be sectioned off depending on your class because the goal of them would be to learn how to play your class and how to play it well. Els would learn about when to use the different element lines. Monks would learn how to heal, prot, and smite well. Sassis would learn hit and run. That sort of thing.

The third set of areas (and probably the first ones you'd PUG with others) is how to get along with and without some classes. For example in one you'd need to have one mesmer or assassin along and able to do his thing in order to get past the mission. In another you'd have to complete it either without any monks or any monks that are there have to go smite or use non-healing skills from another class.

Finally you'd get a series of quests/missions designed to hammer home everything you were supposed to learn and learn well. The big chevet is that there'd be no heroes/henchies in these areas so you'd have to get by with what you have at hand and put the things you learned to good use.