Curse

Aera Lure · May 24, 2007, 10:59 PM // 22:59

Fix Party Search. Why? Because it does nothing at all, despite being an idea that would actually do a fair amount of good.

What it doesnt do: (edited for clarity)

1. Save what we type in when we change towns. Its more efficient if it doesnt do that to simply stick with looking for a group on channel.

2. Make it so we can search globally.

3. Allow us to have the use of a few more characters in the description of what we seek.

4. When you rollover a party in the Party Search menu, you should be able to see who the party is composed of, just as you can when you are invited to a party.

Its not useful as implemented, since in the form its in its simply easier to look for a group on channel at the location you are currently at.

It would be slightly more useful if an "ad" typed into Party Search (monk LFG missions ~hard mode~) followed me around everywhere I went so people knew i would do that at the drop of a hat.

It would be even more useful if people anywhere could search and see that Treya is a monk looking to do hard mode missions, even though she is not in the town you are in, maybe not even on the same continent.

It is a good idea. It could be tweaked to be a bit better if ads would stick with us, but it could be a godsend for the game were it implemented to be global.

OhCrapLions · May 25, 2007, 01:43 AM // 01:43

/signed
I would also like to see:

1-More tpying space for our ads. One line isnt enough.
2-Quest Search. See people in the same town/district with the same quest in their log.
3-Class search. Need a Mesmer? Search for mesmers or people with mesmer secondary with this easy to use search tool.
4-Search Exclusion. Dont want to play with any one and be invisible to the search tool? This option will enable that.

gameshoes3003 · May 25, 2007, 01:57 AM // 01:57

I do use the search function. But while people aren't looking at it, I type in LFG. There need to be a better incentive than just dis-cluttering the chat and less typing...

Kook~NBK~ · May 25, 2007, 02:38 AM // 02:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

Speaking of search, why doesnt search work on this site anymore? Doesnt for me at least. I cant be the first on this topic.

Fix Party Search. Why? Because it does nothing at all, despite being an idea that would actually do a fair amout of good.

What it doesnt do:

1. Save what I type in when I change districts. What's the point of not being able to do that? Its more efficient in that case to simply stick with LFG every time I switch locations than to re-type it into Party Search.

Don't change districts. The party search window covers every district of the town you're in.

Quote:

2. Make it so I can search. Why doesnt it do that? Why cant I search for others who have "Hard Mode" or "HM" in their descriptions? Wouldnt be because no one uses it because what they type in doesnt stay with them when they move, does it? I bet that's why.

Make sure results are continent-wide and can be filtered. I've never seen anyone listed in Party Search so i dont know what results even look like, but based on the fact that my information doesnt stay with me when I move, it seems Party Search is useful only in the outpost/town you are in (?). How is that different at all from LFG on channel?

People who have their party window seet for Hard mode appear in the party window with red lettering.

Quote:

3. Allow us to have the use of a few more characters in the description of what we seek.

Several more characters, please!!!

Quote:

I dont understand why it was even implemented in the form it is now. Conceptually good. It simply has no teeth to it whatsoever. There's not as many people online as there used to be, fewer trying to make groups, and even fewer trying to make hard mode groups. An actual Party Search would help a lot.

Yep, the party search window isn't a well-designed thing, and many people have abandoned PUGs for solo (me and my hero/hencies) play, which stinks. There's a suggestion in Riverside Inn to make a "Puggsville" in each of three chapters where people can gather to do things such as vanquishing.

freekedoutfish · May 25, 2007, 10:00 AM // 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

What it doesnt do:

1. Save what I type in when I change districts. What's the point of not being able to do that? Its more efficient in that case to simply stick with LFG every time I switch locations than to re-type it into Party Search.

Simply posting LFG in every town you go into, is not good practice. You might be doing HM or NM, a mission or a quest. You need to use more distinct messages when searching for parties, including your profession!

It annoys the hell out of me when you get people in outposts simply posting "LFG"....

....you just think "well what profession or build are you? are you dong HM or NM, are you doing mission or quest?"

Thats one reason why its fine if it removes your message when you leave.]

And what if you do the mission, but your message is still there prompting for a group and someone whispers you to join.

If it doesnt automatically get removed, people will forget.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

2. Make it so I can search. Why doesnt it do that? Why cant I search for others who have "Hard Mode" or "HM" in their descriptions? Wouldnt be because no one uses it because what they type in doesnt stay with them when they move, does it? I bet that's why.

Make sure results are continent-wide and can be filtered. I've never seen anyone listed in Party Search so i dont know what results even look like, but based on the fact that my information doesnt stay with me when I move, it seems Party Search is useful only in the outpost/town you are in (?). How is that different at all from LFG on channel?

An actual search function is useless, unless people actually use it.

And a search facility is also useless because people dont always use the same terminology. Not everyone writes "HM" or "NM". Not everyone posts that their doing a mission or quest, not everyone posts their profession or build.

Until people learn to be more distinctive and standardised in their LFG messages, a search option wont work.

And alot of people cant spell, or even speak the same language.

If people start using it correctly, and standardise their messages, then a search option would work, and then maybe make it continent and district wide.

But it wont work unless people use the party search and learn how to post LFG messages correctly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

3. Allow us to have the use of a few more characters in the description of what we seek.

I dont understand why it was even implemented in the form it is now. Conceptually good. It simply has no teeth to it whatsoever. There's not as many people online as there used to be, fewer trying to make groups, and even fewer trying to make hard mode groups. An actual Party Search would help a lot.

That I agree with, but I also understand why Anet limited it. They have to restrict how much data is stored at one time on their servers. Huge amounts of text would slow it down.

They also wanted to prevent people posting stupid messages with "----" and "<<>>" in them, and all sorts of things.

But we do need an increase to maybe 50-80!

Aera Lure · May 25, 2007, 03:12 PM // 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

Simply posting LFG in every town you go into, is not good practice.

I was tired when I wrote my OP, which was not a good thing. In no way meant to imply that all I might type is "LFG." I never, ever, look for a group just typing that. What I meant by "LFG" in that context was looking for a group on channel.

In fact, what I wish for Party Search was not that it save what I type when I change districts, but rather that it save what I type when I change location. Its not useful in its current implementation to have it only work on the location you are in, since most people are in district one. Take this scenario:

"monk LFG missions HM ~hard mode~"

Or something like that. I want that to be visible continent-wide, or cross continent. That was what I meant by search. I want to see anyone and everyone else who has "HM" or "hard mode" in their criteria. No one doing hard mode in the town I am standing in? I change towns and try there, but wait, I have to retype my Party Search criteria. My point was, why bother with Party Search then? Just type this:

"monk LFG missions HM ~hard mode~"

On channel as you move around looking for a hard mode mission. This was why I dont want to have to keep retyping it and why it fails as it is now. There becomes no point at all to use Party Search in that case, but in any case really. Why type anything in the Party Search criteria then? Just look for a group on channel. Why use it just in the town you are in when its in fact easier just to look on channel?

Edited my intitial post for clarity.

freekedoutfish · May 25, 2007, 03:34 PM // 15:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

I was tired when I wrote my OP, which was not a good thing. In no way meant to imply that all I might type is "LFG." I never, ever, look for a group just typing that. What I meant by "LFG" in that context was looking for a group on channel.

In fact, what I wish for Party Search was not that it save what I type when I change districts, but rather that it save what I type when I change location. Its not useful in its current implementation to have it only work on the location you are in, since most people are in district one. Take this scenario:

"monk LFG missions HM ~hard mode~"

Or something like that. I want that to be visible continent-wide, or cross continent. That was what I meant by search. I want to see anyone and everyone else who has "HM" or "hard mode" in their criteria. No one doing hard mode in the town I am standing in? I change towns and try there, but wait, I have to retype my Party Search criteria. My point was, why bother with Party Search then? Just type this:

"monk LFG missions HM ~hard mode~"

On channel as you move around looking for a hard mode mission. This was why I dont want to have to keep retyping it and why it fails as it is now. There becomes no point at all to use Party Search in that case, but in any case really. Why type anything in the Party Search criteria then? Just look for a group on channel. Why use it just in the town you are in when its in fact easier just to look on channel?

I agree and thats all a valid point, but a far easier system to find HM players would be to add icons above players heads to show which mode they use.

Although i would agree we need a search system that would span the whole game, in a WoW sort of fashion.

Aera Lure · May 25, 2007, 03:39 PM // 15:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

I agree and thats all a valid point, but a far easier system to find HM players would be to add icons above players heads to show which mode they use.

This would be a nice little enhancement. I agree with you 100%. I feel bad as a monk standing in a district looking for hard mode play when I get a bunch of invites and no one knows I have my little hard mode icon turned on.

I do, at least, whisper anyone who invites me that in fact that is the case, so they know I am not ignoring them, but it happens 2-3 times per every district I land in.

I so hope we get a global implementation of Party Search. It would aid hard mode so much. The icon you describe and/or at least something we type into Party Search criteria sticking with us as we switch locations both would help a bit.

Ozric · May 25, 2007, 04:08 PM // 16:08

Good ideas.

The problem with the lack of characters in the detail pane could be fixed by leaving the line as is, and you could have an eyecatcher description there, then have a notepad where you could put in addl., more detailed information. This notepad could pop-up when the cursor is moved over your one-liner much like when you take a peek at your saved builds.

Aera Lure · May 26, 2007, 03:55 AM // 03:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozric

The problem with the lack of characters in the detail pane could be fixed by leaving the line as is, and you could have an eyecatcher description there, then have a notepad where you could put in addl., more detailed information. This notepad could pop-up when the cursor is moved over your one-liner much like when you take a peek at your saved builds.

That would do just fine for me.