Problem with this game isn't the game

[jjm152]

The last couple days I've found a good strategy for grouping is to offer helping someone to gain levels in one of their areas they're having trouble with (defensive magic or ranged). There are a few safe places that I can solo and get decent xp, which when coupled with someone trying to heal me or take a few shots with their pea shooter, benefits the group.

I took my first trip into an outlying area with a group last night and we killed a good many zerx. Even had a few zerx wipe the team a few times! All in all it was great fun! But the one thing I really like this game is that I'm not forced to do any grouping. It's there if I want it.

But hey, if I'm online, I don't mind grouping or helping someone gain levels in a hard-to-level skill. I like me some meatshields but I'll return the favor too.

Puk

I was in that team. There definately are Trykers that group, I pretty much group exclusively for combat related XP now. Soloing is far too slow in this game to be a worthwhile persuit once you hit the 50's and beyond. My "solo" time now is entirely devoted to foraging and replacing my equipment that gets chewed up like a meat grinder. Last night after an evening of playing I watched all the armor on Puk's character dissapear while we were fighting in Resting Waters, its crazy. My time when I can't group right now is best served making replacement gear for myself and other people...

Anyway, in a good team you can easily (atleast right now) get 10 or more levels in an hour or so. I find it hard to average about 3 by myself and getting more difficult as my character progresses and needs to defeat harder things to gain reasonable XP.

I think the OP's problem is basically that there are so few people in the Tryker regions on general. Most of us know each other and the ones that go out and XP do it together. I definately recommend joining a guild ASAP since thats your easiest ticket to a good XP group. Otherwise you're probably going to have a lot of problems with just asking over /region.

Later

[larsa]

... Some people seem to have stated that they like to solo.. thats great. But, what is your attitude when dealing with an invasion which is grouping on a mega scale ? or someone needs particular mats from mobs that only a group can take down ? Oh sorry, I prefer to solo, go deal with that yourself. I'm not asking that people stop soloing, but maybe think more about how teamwork can make the game more enriching instead of drawing ones fun purely from oneself. ...

Frequently I like to solo too and the reason for that is that many groups have only one concern: xp, xp, xp, as fast as possible. These groups stay at the same spot for hours and hours, pulling the same type of mobs for hours and hours in order to gain levels. And I find that type of play incredibly dull.

However, what I like is a type of play where I set me some goal, for example to make me that blue vest of light armour. Okay, then I need to head out to collect some materials, need to harvest, need to defeat some mobs to get to the harvesting spot or to quarter some materials, need to return to the town to my "workbench" to craft that piece of armour - that's the style of play I like and that is a style that doesn't work well with most groups.

Understand me right, I like to get a level too so now and then - in fact when I've levelled up I will immediately visit the trainer to ponder about the new skills that might have openened up and will head into the wild after that to test that new spell I might have got. Thus gaining a new level is certainly welcome but levels are not the reason why I play the game. I'm levelling at a slow pace, I'm taking my time, stopping at the bar for a chat and a bit of role-playing - and honestly, this style of play can be very social and communicative, no matter whether you're in a group or not.

[seedyman]

Its the playerbase. Sorry guys

Log on. ask for a group, no replies. Do a /who and find over 50 people in the region. What is everyone doing ? I decide to go see if anyone is doing bayling gingos. Nope, no one there, off to Clopper camp. Nope no one there again. Hmm. On the way I see quite a few people, and what are they all doing ? Soloing!

I have a character with each race and the problem seems universal. This MMORPG's player base is a bunch of soloers. Why even play a MMORPG in this case. Why not play a non online game. If a MMORPG goes down this path, many people will get bored in no time at all. I think the game is awesome, but if I have to explore it on my own, then its not really an online mutiplayer experience, is it ? More like an online mono player experience.

Occasionally I will find a group to play with, maybe twice a week, but more often than not, I'm forced to solo, and I end up logging off as I finding soloing boring. Sure, you can solo in this game, so why not ? Maybe someone can answer that question. But, why not group ?

I think all the mobs should be made a LOT harder, or our abilities toned down to help force grouping, otherwise there is no teamwork or strategy.
Its satisfying to have a group built for a specific purpose. Healers heal, tanks tank, others cast debuffs and control the crowd etc. Everyone has a purpose and helps enforce the role for a particular job or skill set and makes the experience of taking down something you have no chance of taking solo very satisfying.

So, can we try to group more ??

1. People DO group a lot, but frequently within a guild.
2. Some people don't like to group with strangers.
3. Some people in guilds turn off region chat.
4. You don't have to be in a group to interact with others.

Don't jump into a new region and start demanding that people group with you, and don't try to stuff us in anal-retentive little molds. If I can heal AND fight, I'll probably want to do both, probably nuke too. People need to pay a little more attention to their fellows in such a group, but it's WAY more fun than grouping in EQ where people scream at clerics if they do anything more that cast heals. Or CoH where you have "support classes" and blasters, the support people aren't expected to contribute anything except to keep the blasters alive, while THE ALL IMPORTANT BLASTERS kill the baddies. (exaggeration I know, making a point)

Don't try to make everyone play the way you like to play, everyone isn't you.
Try getting to know some people in game and join/form a guild.
If it's all about grouping and XP farming as fast as you can, you might want to try a different game. Please.

[ralgur]

I only read about a page and a half of responses, but the tameness and lack of flaming I saw is a testament to the quality of people this game is attracting.

/bow

Anyway, enough butt-kissing! Basically, the way the game is right now, it's forcing people to be very selective in grouping due to item decay. Heck, the way I understand it, the exp gained is even borked because it's based on the highest skill in the group that was used during a fight.

So no, it's not the playerbase. It's the devs. If they'll fix this bunk, then people will probably group more.

[drech]

I just wanted to throw in another possibility as to the lack of grouping.

A lot of people, whether they admit it or not, are shy or just assume they don'tknow the game mechanics well enough to really participate.

In fact, they may not group because they're afraid of getting slammed for not knowing certain aspects of the game.

All I can say is: if you are one of these, just jump in and don't care what people think - ask your questions, get answers, group and enjoy. Almost everyone out there is cool and willing to help (so far

And I definitely agree with the poster that recommended forming your own group if you can't find one that's already forming. Chances are, you will get more tells from folks like those above who just don't have the gumption to start their own group yet, or who maybe don't know that much about how things work and are a little wary of getting slammed for it.

[mockmaw]

I do both solo and group. I am also in a fun guild and usually get my groups that way. But how did I meet my guild? By finding a group and saying " Hey got a spot for one more?"
Sometimes I don't care to look at regional chat. I'm not chatting i'm fighting. So that's what I am focused on. I find it reasonable to think others are like that too.
I enjoy the fact that I can actually play by myself if I want too.
My guild groups almost always incorporate passersby who actually ask for a group.
I think part of it is how you ask as well. If you just ask for a group people may just not respond. If you are looking for a group for a sepcific thing such as go kill kipees at such and such maybe someone who is there needs a hand even tho they were solo'ing.
The population of this game is small. And is sure to be part of the problem. But i've never had an issue.
As often as I group which is alot. I've never joined a group from Region chat. For some reason even if I see someone is looking for one I just don't care to join them or invite them to join me.
It also depends what times you are on I think. During the mornings and day it seems rare to see alot of folks on. But it's not just groups, hard to find crafters too.
I think this game rocks and once it catches on there will be an end to alot of these problems.
Right now I think the surest answer is to get ina guild if you can.