How to Get a Group

[grimjim]

A common complaint amongst some people here and on other boards seems to be from people who claim they can't find a team to hunt with. With the population of the game increasing, if anything, this doesn't seem like it should be so much of a problem but here's some handy tips on how to get yourself a group...

1. What's your timezone?
Ryzom's English servers are international and have a rising US population but the majority of the playerbase, at least at present, seems to still be located in Europe with another smaller peak of players at US primetime. If your hours fall at the extremes of either the US or European timezones you may have slightly more difficulty so you might want to save your group activities for Friday evenings and weekends. That said there should be enough people around.

2. Don't use Universe chat.
It may not seem like it sometimes but Universe chat is meant for Q&A and help regarding the game. It is NOT for finding groups, trading or anything else. Even many questions are better served if asked in Region chat, particularly grouping questions since regions are organised by level.

3. Understand Region chat.
Region chat only covers the 'chunk' of the map you are in. Not the whole land. Each chunk of land is divided by level and, so, the best places to ask for teams are either in populated areas (Capital cities, plus sub cities in Fyros) or the area of the right level you wish to hunt in where hunters may already be. Be sure to ask in both before you give up.

4. Find People
Don't rely on region chat alone. Get to the right zone, set your radar to 250 metres and look for groups that are already out hunting. Track one of them down, run up to them in around and ask. Teams can get very focussed on what they're doing and may not be paying attention to Region chat. They can't help but notice you in Around thought.

5. Make use of your Friends List
When you do find people you can group with, add them to your friends list. You'll have an established relationship from grouping before and you're likely to remain at a roughly similar level if you play similarly.

6. Join a Guild
Don't rush it, take your time to find a guild that suits you but when you do join one you'll have friends on tap for advice and grouping and they'll have people they know who might want to group with you.

7. Be Willing to Compromise
One of the great things about Ryzom is the skill system. This means even high players in one skill can swap out to a lower skill and group productively with others at lower level. Take advantage of this and be willing and able to use a lower skill that you have.

8. Consider soloing
Fighting solo is perfectly feasible and reasonably rapid up to about level 150 or so. With crystals you can level at a tolerable pace up to around 200 and higher depending on your level of patience. You could solo a few weaker creatures while you wait for a team to come along. Magic is even easier at the higher levels.

9. Don't use 'leet' or 'txt' Speak
Spamming a channel with LFG or LFT posts every thirty seconds will not win you friends. For the most part the Ryzom community is a mature one and prefers people wot speak proper English, innit? If you spam region or universe chat with 'Melee 37 LFG' every ten seconds you are going to be ignored and thought of as 'a bit of a prat.' Don't do it! 'Is anyone hunting? (level 30-50)' is a much better way of putting it and won't give English teachers heart attacks.

10. Don't be a prat
Just because you can't get a team RIGHT NOW does not mean that...

a) The game is rubbish
b) The game is empty
c) That everyone hates you (necessarily)

People are busy, playtimes differ, there might be an official event going on, people might already be teaming... you're not going to get anywhere throwing a public strop and the GMs will likely just mute you and kick you for doing so. It also decreases your chances of EVER getting a team.

Follow these ten steps and you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a team but, if you still can't get anywhere, why not pick up a pick? Diggers make all the money!