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Four Player limit on group size has me worried

13

Comments

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004

    Originally posted by ignore_me

     




    Originally posted by Baikal

    4 person groups work.

     

    I was a skeptic because I liked 5-6 man groups, but playing Taral V at PaxEast really changed my mind. With a slighly smaller group you have less speciality roles. In larger groups you find your gameplay limited, you spam the same skills over and over. Playing as a healer in Taral V, I wasnt just healing, I had to CC, I had to do a little DPS, and most all of the skills on my bar were used. I was definitely NOT a healbot.

    Now granted the tank had to tank, no variety for him, but I wasnt a heal bot, the Consular had times he had to help heal, and the Jedi Knight had to do some off-tanking as well as DPS. I'm not saying that everyone is a hybrid, what I am saying is that if a skill is on your hot bar, odds are you are going to use it, and that made it a much more enjoyable, and complete feeling to playing my character. No idea if that is representative of the rest of the game, but it was a pretty damn good feeling.



     

    Not that it's bad, but it does sound like you make everyone except for the Tank out to be a hybrid. Anyway, I think the class mixes will be fine, and I think that the four man group is viable, star-warsy, and great.

    I now think that people will quickly become used to filling 4-man groups.

    But, I still want scaling & bigger groups (not multiple groups compounded in a raid). The reason why they didn't is probably because they could not fit more than 4 characters in the dialogue scenes, but it would be nice if it were more flexible.

    given that players might prefer to take one of their companions.. i would expect group sizes to be no more than 2 players and 2 companions..  .. at least.. groups should be easier to get with such low requirements..image

  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by Phry

    given that players might prefer to take one of their companions.. i would expect group sizes to be no more than 2 players and 2 companions..  .. at least.. groups should be easier to get with such low requirements..image

    Players are still a lot better than companions, so when possible I think that 4 player teams will be the preferred number image

     

    But you're right in that there'll be overall more grouping seen in SWTOR than in other MMO's, because of the larger spread of hybrid roles and classes and the option to even go with 2 or 3 persons on adventure.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • PalebanePalebane Member RarePosts: 4,011

    I wonder how long it will be before developers just let you take a group of companions along, so nobody has to bitch about not being able to find a group.

    Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.

  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by Palebane

    I wonder how long it will be before developers just let you take a group of companions along, so nobody has to bitch about not being able to find a group.

    I think chances will be nil, the addition of all kinds of group finding tools will be the likelier chance of happening.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • PalebanePalebane Member RarePosts: 4,011

    Originally posted by MMO.Maverick

    Originally posted by Palebane

    I wonder how long it will be before developers just let you take a group of companions along, so nobody has to bitch about not being able to find a group.

    I think chances will be nil, the addition of all kinds of group finding tools will be the likelier chance of happening.

    Well, as you said in your previous post, the hybrid class dynamics will help. I was being sarcastic. It doesn't seem like very many players even want to group these days, which is why I said that. They do it to complete the content, but would probably be just fine having a group of NPCs with them. It really wouldn't surprise me at all.

    Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.

  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by Palebane

     It doesn't seem like very many players even want to group these days, which is why I said that. They do it to complete the content, but would probably just fine having a group of NPCs with them.

    Yeah, I agree that it seems that people tend to move to solo leveling more than they used to, but I think that how an MMO works has a lot of impact on that, it conditions MMO gamers into a certain direction until one way of doing stuff becomes their habitual action ingame.

    For example, EQ forced you to group, not because you couldn't earn exp while soloing but because grouping made leveling so much easier and faster and thus most of the times also more fun.

    WoW and later themepark MMO's made solo leveling more appealing because there was less fuss and trouble when leveling solo than grouping.

    WoW also made group leveling more attractive because of its dungeon finder tools, only the problem here was that complete randomness and anonimity only made that kind of grouping more attractive because of the fast leveling and rewards, however it didn't lead to people bonding or interacting with eachother as much as in former grouping like in EQ.

     

    So, how an MMO works and how it encourages grouping can have a lot of impact on what habits will become prevalent among MMO gamers in the MMO they play. I'm interested in seeing how community and grouping will work out in the upcoming MMO's.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • RyukanRyukan Member UncommonPosts: 829

    I can see how a 4 player max group size corresponds to the 4 classes per faction. I wish the max group size was at least 5, but oh well I doubt it will kill my enjoyment of the game.

    I do know I will have more than 3 guildmates/gaming friends I will want to group with when playing...here's hoping they have a lot of raid content LOL!

  • Major69er1Major69er1 Member UncommonPosts: 133

    4 is enough and seems to work real well

  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by drbaltazar

    4 player?wow this is bad!so basicly  if we read between the lines this will be a dungeon crawler no open world pvp no open world pve etc!

    wow another dragonest !great just what we didnt have!another title like the other million that were made since the beginning of gaming.

    instanced to death!

    Wrong conclusion, you've been reading between the lines in the wrong book.

    SWTOR will be like WoW, like LotrO, like Aion and other themepark MMO's. Its planets are as much open-world with no loading screens as those MMO's. If you don't like themepark MMO's as seems to be the case with a lot of burnt out, jaded MMO vets on these forums, I suggest you move on in your search of an MMO that's more to your liking, gl with that.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • IsaneIsane Member UncommonPosts: 2,630

    Originally posted by ignore_me

    I am concerned about the limitation on group size in TOR. This will be a bad feature if there is no way to group easily with more than four people. The 6 man group has been a flexible tool, and though it can be a bummer to fill those groups sometimes, for people who have more than 3 friends there better be some way to not have to say, "sorry, guess you have to go do class story while we run this." It doesn't have to be there at launch, but sometime in the future this will have to be addressed I think or the game could suffer.

    The game is to be played as designed.

    The core game is four player groups and SToryline. To play in bigger groups the content exists. Biowares approach will result in much better content and strategy requirements where 4 people have to work together.

    Other than a swarm of people abusing and just rolling over content, the sad state of affairs is it finally l;ook like someone has thought about what they are doing and will be providing GAMEPLAY.

    The fact you don't like it is a shame , but we don't want the game ruining on the whims' of a few.

    ________________________________________________________
    Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel 

  • IsaneIsane Member UncommonPosts: 2,630

    Originally posted by drbaltazar

    4 player?wow this is bad!so basicly  if we read between the lines this will be a dungeon crawler no open world pvp no open world pve etc!

    wow another dragonest !great just what we didnt have!another title like the other million that were made since the beginning of gaming.

    instanced to death!

    Oh the Drama..... This will actually be a game with decent gameplay. hehe some of the planets are massive and full PvE so you need to crawl back somewhere and read up on the game before you burst a blood vessel.

    ________________________________________________________
    Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel 

  • drbaltazardrbaltazar Member UncommonPosts: 7,856

    wonder if each faction race class whatevemcallit will be aggressive neutral at start would be nice if all class,all race etc were different faction so if say your a jedi and all allies around you could still be killed by your own teamate if they feel like it!

    yes i know i explain it badly but imagine the neutral faction in eq2 everybody is against you etc!

  • HerodesHerodes Member UncommonPosts: 1,494

    (edited myself), I can see the point somewhere in groups of only four. In a perfect TOR world one character of each class joins your party.
    Though... a closed beta tester should write into the TOR forums, that WoW forced 3 damage dealers into one random group, and they were still waiting for a tank or healer, who only need one spot.
    Most people like to break things - even in games like LotRo.


  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by Herodes

     

    ...really four classes per side?

     

    Actually 8 per side, the Advanced Classes are actually what is called 'classes' in other MMO's. It's like EQ2 where you pick your definite class at L20, only in SWTOR it's at L10.

    Actually, SWTOR is exactly like Aion, in Aion you first pick the generic class - for example Warrior - and at L10 you pick your actual definite class and specialisation, like in Aion for example Gladiator or Templar.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • HerodesHerodes Member UncommonPosts: 1,494


    Originally posted by MMO.Maverick


    Originally posted by Herodes
     
    ...really four classes per side?
     

    Actually 8 per side, the Advanced Classes are actually what is called 'classes' in other MMO's. It's like EQ2 where you pick your definite class at L20, only in SWTOR it's at L10.
    Actually, SWTOR is exactly like Aion, in Aion you first pick the generic class - for example Warrior - and at L10 you pick your actual definite class and specialisation, like in Aion for example Gladiator or Templar.

    Not intended to derail the thread:
    Is it like a skill tree = a new class or do the higher classes still have playstyles to choose from? Early Everquest 2 was like the first part.
    Edit: I didn´t play Aion yet, so no idea. :)
  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    Originally posted by Herodes




    Originally posted by MMO.Maverick

    Actually 8 per side, the Advanced Classes are actually what is called 'classes' in other MMO's. It's like EQ2 where you pick your definite class at L20, only in SWTOR it's at L10.

    Actually, SWTOR is exactly like Aion, in Aion you first pick the generic class - for example Warrior - and at L10 you pick your actual definite class and specialisation, like in Aion for example Gladiator or Templar.






    Not intended to derail the thread:

    Is it like a skill tree = a new class or do the higher classes still have playstyles to choose from? Early Everquest 2 was like the first part.

    Edit: I didn´t play Aion yet, so no idea. :)


     

    Each AC in SWTOR has 3 skill trees from which to choose from, 2 AC specific and 1 that it shares with the other AC that falls into the same generic class.

    If you've played AoC then you'll know exactly how it works, because the skill tree set up in SWTOR is 100% exactly the same as in AoC: 2 that are part of your class (AC in SWTOR) and 1 that is shared with other classes/AC's in the same generic class. Like how the Soldier classes Conqueror, Dark Templar and Guardian in AoC share 1 skilltree of the generic class 'Soldier' they belong to.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."


  • Originally posted by Herodes

     




    Originally posted by MMO.Maverick





    Originally posted by Herodes

     

    ...really four classes per side?

     






    Actually 8 per side, the Advanced Classes are actually what is called 'classes' in other MMO's. It's like EQ2 where you pick your definite class at L20, only in SWTOR it's at L10.

    Actually, SWTOR is exactly like Aion, in Aion you first pick the generic class - for example Warrior - and at L10 you pick your actual definite class and specialisation, like in Aion for example Gladiator or Templar.






    Not intended to derail the thread:

    Is it like a skill tree = a new class or do the higher classes still have playstyles to choose from? Early Everquest 2 was like the first part.

    Edit: I didn´t play Aion yet, so no idea. :)

     

    not sure how comparision would be to eq2 or aion as i haven't played them. but most of the advanced classes have 2 specializations you could choose from, or you could of course make a hybrid.  when you choose an advanced class, you get 3 skill trees. 2 that are unique to that advanced class and 1 that is sharded between the 2 ACs of that base class.

     

    Bounty Hunter Advanced Classes

    Mercenary (Roles: Mid - Long Range Damage Dealing, Healing)

    PowerTech (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Tanking)

     

    Imperial Agent Advanced Classes

    Sniper (Roles: Mid - Long Range Damage Dealing)

    Operative (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Healing)

     

    Jedi Knight Advanced Classes

    Jedi Sentinel (Roles: Close Range Damage Dealing. Wields dual Lightsabers)

    Jedi Guardian (Roles: Close Range Damage Dealing, Tanking. Wields a single Lightsaber)

     

    Jedi Consular Advanced Classes

    Jedi Shadow (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Tanking)

    Jedi Sage (Roles: Mid-Long Range Damage Dealing, Healing)

     

    Smuggler Advanced Classes

    Gunslinger (Roles: Mid - Long Range Damage Dealing, wields dual pistols)

    Scoundrel (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Healing, wields scatter gun)

     

    Sith Inquisitor Advanced Classes

    Sith Assassin (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Tanking)

    Sith Sorcerer (Roles: Mid-Long Range Damage Dealing, Healing)

     

    Sith Warrior Advanced Classes

    Sith Marauder (Roles: Close Range Damage Dealing. Wields dual Lightsabers)

    Sith Juggernaut (Roles: Close Range Damage Dealing, Tanking. Wields a single Lightsaber)

     

    Trooper Advanced Classes

    Vanguard (Roles: Close - Mid Range Damage Dealing, Ranged Tanking)

    Commando (Roles: Mid - Long Range Damage Dealing, Healing)

  • HerodesHerodes Member UncommonPosts: 1,494

    Aye, thanks a lot for the clarisomething, Maverick and gaou. Of course you still not convinced me to buy this game (in my opinion EA is butchering good dev teams since 1789), but it is good to know the devs plan to do character development more interesting than... well, more interesting. :) (too weekend to think of an example)

  • FloggingJudeFloggingJude Member Posts: 108

    Originally posted by zaylin

    Very good point :). Not to mention I do notice a lot of the time people doing the "have 4/6, need " all the time in most popular mmos out  now. I think having a smaller group size will allow people to  get instances/group content done with less wait (as a lot of people dont have a lot of time to sit and wait fer 30min/hour to get groups together too). I just hope they dont add dungeon/instace finders to the game.

     I have to disagree.  I think the designers' intent is to create a game that is "action packed" with little down-time (hence the companion missions to sell your grey items, etc).  I think that the dungeon finder will allow players to continue play while eliminating the need to sit in a city and spam "LFG for X flashpoint, Class, Lvl" etc.

    Maybe there's a common ground?

    image

  • ignore_meignore_me Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,987

    [quote][i]Originally posted by Isane[/i] [b][quote] [i]Originally posted by ignore_me[/i] [b]I am concerned about the limitation on group size in TOR. This will be a bad feature if there is no way to group easily with more than four people. The 6 man group has been a flexible tool, and though it can be a bummer to fill those groups sometimes, for people who have more than 3 friends there better be some way to not have to say, "sorry, guess you have to go do class story while we run this." It doesn't have to be there at launch, but sometime in the future this will have to be addressed I think or the game could suffer.

    The game is to be played as designed. This statement is strangely directive, and assumes that the original design brooks no argument.

    The core game is four player groups and SToryline. To play in bigger groups the content exists. Biowares approach will result in much better content and strategy requirements where 4 people have to work together. Other than a swarm of people abusing and just rolling over content, the sad state of affairs is it finally l;ook like someone has thought about what they are doing and will be providing GAMEPLAY. The fact you don't like it is a shame , but we don't want the game ruining on the whims' of a few. [/b][/quote]

    I guess I should be clear about liking the existing format, but feeling that it needs addtional options. Would it Ruin the game to allow 5-8 character groups with scaled-up mobs in addition to the 4 man standard groups?

    Survivor of the great MMORPG Famine of 2011

  • neorandomneorandom Member Posts: 1,681

    Originally posted by ignore_me

    I am concerned about the limitation on group size in TOR. This will be a bad feature if there is no way to group easily with more than four people. The 6 man group has been a flexible tool, and though it can be a bummer to fill those groups sometimes, for people who have more than 3 friends there better be some way to not have to say, "sorry, guess you have to go do class story while we run this." It doesn't have to be there at launch, but sometime in the future this will have to be addressed I think or the game could suffer.

    4 is the group content goup size, 2 players with their 2 pets can fill it, or all 4 can be players or 3 with 1 pet ect.

     

    raids are many groups on a mission to take down something no set of 4 can handle alone.

     

    so ya, if there are 5 or 6 of you and youre worried about 4 being the limit, well you can break into 2 and 3, or 3 and 3 and fill in with someones companions.

  • ignore_meignore_me Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,987

    lol, getting a lot of "but these go to 11," type answers. I know that the game was designed for four-man groups. I'm super excited about the game and plan to devote the next few years playing it, so I'm honestly not trying to bash.  /blockpitchfork

    It seems like this may be a moot point for many, but it will probably create exclusion for me and my group of RL friends who play together.

    Survivor of the great MMORPG Famine of 2011

  • cybersrscybersrs Member UncommonPosts: 181

    Hello!

    Could someone help me please...

    Normally Youtube videos show 2 tank and 2 healers 4man party... so, if I want to play as SIth Inquisitor DPS, probably I wont find group, right?

     

    Thank you for the help!

  • neorandomneorandom Member Posts: 1,681

    Originally posted by ignore_me

    lol, getting a lot of "but these go to 11," type answers. I know that the game was designed for four-man groups. I'm super excited about the game and plan to devote the next few years playing it, so I'm honestly not trying to bash.  /blockpitchfork

    It seems like this may be a moot point for many, but it will probably create exclusion for me and my group of RL friends who play together.

    i dont see how your friends will be excluded, you can break up into groups of 2 3 or 4 using companions to fill out missing roles (the ai in swtor is smarter then 99.999992747623% of wows player base so if you ask an ai companion to heal tank or dps it will do so better then your friends anyway).

     

    so unless your group of friends is incapable of dividing up into small groups and rotating who is with who or all joining into a raid group to do stuff, then i dont see a problem with 4 man unit content at all.

  • neorandomneorandom Member Posts: 1,681

    Originally posted by cybersrs

    Hello!

    Could someone help me please...

    Normally Youtube videos show 2 tank and 2 healers 4man party... so, if I want to play as SIth Inquisitor DPS, probably I wont find group, right?

     

    Thank you for the help!

    the ideal 4 man is 1 tank 1 heal 2 dps, whether 2 3 or 4 people are players or some are companions under ai control to fill a gap.  double tank double heal is going to severly lack dps.

     

    4 dps or 3 dps and a healer will have some people dieing a bit im sure but would be just as doable due to insane dps.  (well no bosses without someone being tankable)

     

    also remember every class has 2 specialties, inquisitors are the healer, but can also be a meelee dps, warriors can be juggernaut tanks or dual wielding meelee dps, imperial agents on the other hand are snipers or up close dps, and the bounty hunter can be nasty dps or dps tank.

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