Community Debate - When you've finished building a group for a dungeon, started making your way in relatively deep and someone bails without a word, what do you do? Write the person down on your naughty list? Call it and end the group? Advertise for a replacement? What would you do in that situation and why? #MMORPG #CommunityMatters
Advertise for a replacement you still have 5/6. As far as the bailed with out warning I may note it. If it happens a few times i would black list once ISPs go down power outages these are random unknowns.
edit This is assumes that we waited 5 mins or so for them to log back in.
I would ask the group their status (anyone short on time, anyone feeling doom and gloom). I would ask anyone who wanted to leave to do so now. Then if there was enough party left to salvage, I would start to use the tools available in game to search for replacements and work to restructure the party strategy to match our numbers so we could limp foreward.
I would send the member who bailed a friend request so I could potentially inquire later about why they left. I woudn't party with them again until I could square away why they dropped.
There are so many RL reasons for dropping out there's no point assigning bad action to it, unless it happens really regularly.
As for how quick you replace them, it depends on the effect the reduced party numbers has. If it adds to the excitement, but can be coped with, I would give them 15 minutes before LFM.
It's these kind of things that can build a friendship and make a community - it doesn't have to be negative at all.
Advertise to replace them and continue fighting with 5 till a replacement arrives. Not very concerned with the reason why someone left. I typically don't write anything down, if it's not bad enough for me to remember without taking notes than it's not bad enough to stop grouping with that person.
If on another day I encounter that person and I think "hmm, do I recognize this name?" I give them another chance for sure. If I think "hmm, this is the guy that dropped out the other day without warning" I give them another chance. If I think "hmm, this is the guy that was a jerk, talked trash the whole time, looted the prize then immediatly took off without even saying a word" them I'll most likely not give them another chance.
Depends on the group. If it has become pretty obvious that the group isn't ready for the content we're trying to do, likely the reason the person left, I would either suggest we go somewhere easier and get a replacement or break up the group. Otherwise, advertise for a replacement and carry on. As to writing their name down, it would have to be something particularly egregious for me to actually go that far. Something like them ninjaing a piece of loot I won a roll on and disappearing. Or maybe if they were just extremely unpleasant to group with, unwilling to fulfill their role, etc. Just disappearing unannounced though? As brought out above, stuff happens.
Kilsin said:Write the person down on your naughty list?
Eventually, yes. I make a mental note or write it down for future reference. Maybe they had an emergency, maybe they lost connectivity. Maybe they are just rude. Repeat offenders will be blacklisted, but everyone gets a first time pass.
Kilsin said:Call it and end the group?
Never. Press on! Even if we can't find a 6th, We keep going. This is why 6 person groups are better than 5. Being down 1 person hurts less.
Kilsin said:Advertise for a replacement?
Yes for sure.
It depends on the situation.
I have a list of people that I refuse to group with but usually, the only people who make that list are rude toxic people and people who have shown a pattern of extremely flakey behavior.
In the above situation, provided it was a random thing, I would ask if anyone in the group knew what was going on. Then I would ask how the group as a majority wanted to progress. If the group wanted to stall for a bit while the person came back then that is cool, if they wanted to replace then we would look for a replacement, and if they wanted to call it then we could call it. I will say that if the group wanted to call it and I still had the desire to press on I would hunt for another group asap.
I think it's important to be always mindful and understanding that real-life situations can happen especially in group-based games. Power outages, internet trouble, and emergencies are all things that can pop up from time to time and disrupt a group's momentum, and the player who is experiencing may have little to no control over the stituation.
It's topics and answers like this in this thread that really point out why MMO's dropped the reliance on heavy socially intertwined gameplay. It also shows why some games have LFR or LFG things as well. Some people don't live in areas that have great internet connectivity, for example the country sides or even mid west places. So...what? are you saying that because these people have poor choices in internet providers and poor connectivity that they shouldn't be allowed to play the game? That they should just not bother to purchase and play? This is the problem with requiring a game to be so heavily dependent on social interactions and groups. If they could solo play everything outside of raid and dungeons, then they coudl still buy the game and pay their sub and be the only person that has to deal with the drop. They don't have to be worried aobut being blacklisted and denied content by being denied a group for nothing they can control.
If we're having fun in the group and area we're playing then probably wait for a couple minutes to see if the person comes back. It sucks if you had dropped suddenly and couldn't warn your group and then when you manage to get back online the group has dissolved or gone on without you. And you are stuck, by yourself, in a nasty area that you probably can't make it out alive.
If we were having fun playing the person and the person was rather enjoyable there wouldn't be any hard feelings. Actually would probably look for the adventurer again. The assumption was that since I was having fun that they were also having fun. Could be wrong about that. But only find out how wrong I was at a later date when trying to get together again.
This is the aspect I miss the most from MMOs. The player-to-player interaction and the fun of adventuring together. Like the old pen and paper days of D&D and up through EQ and even DAOC. Having fun is what will secure my monthly subscription.
I'll advertise to get a replacement and keep an eye on the player that D/ced, I'll probably avoid inviting him in the future if I don't get proper explanation on the next few days and, but it might not keep me from inviting that player if there is no other/better choices.
If it's recurrent without a word or explanation I'll simply consider it's not a reliable neither apoligizing player at all. If it's due to another issue he explained I'll simply weight the options as beeing friendly doesn't make up for dropping groups in the middle of heat.
Kilsin said:Community Debate - When you've finished building a group for a dungeon, started making your way in relatively deep and someone bails without a word, what do you do? Write the person down on your naughty list? Call it and end the group? Advertise for a replacement? What would you do in that situation and why? #MMORPG #CommunityMatters
They get noted in my file as having "one strike" and why. You get two strikes and you're on my perma-blacklist. Sometimes **** happens.
You leave too much open for the scenario. Bails as in logs off? Bails as in goes off to play with a friend? I can write it off as someone loses internet. I would be very annoyed if someone bailed to go raid without a word of warning. This is also why I support having an account name to /who people. Oh you logged onto your alt? Welcome to the "naughty" list.
As for the other questions it depends on who left, how dangerous your area is, does a class in the party let you get out safely, and how hard it is to get to where you are. If the healer left and there is no safe spot to rest at then you need to get out of a dangerous spot if they don't log back in before spawns, you may even end up training to the exit from deep inside a dungeon.
"I would ask the group their status (anyone short on time, anyone feeling doom and gloom). I would ask anyone who wanted to leave to do so now. Then if there was enough party left to salvage, I would start to use the tools available in game to search for replacements and work to restructure the party strategy to match our numbers so we could limp foreward."
In regard with the member dropping out without a word. I'll let it slide for once and will group with that member a second time. But if they leave again without a word, I will not be inclined to invite that member to my group. If they are present in a group made by someone else, I'll suck it up and hope for the best.
The why: I'm not someone who shoots someone if they made questionable decisions. But returning questionable behaviour is something I will remember and try to avoid. In time I'll forget about it and take them back in. If this behaviour comes back even then. I'll avoid them permanently.