It depends.
Depends on whose in the group:
Often it will be a PUG (Pick Up Group) of players I don't know and I'll take the time to enjoy getting to know them (and their level of ability and experience).
If it's friends I regularly play with, I'll chat and work out what everyone feels like doing and how intense they feel like playing.
If it's guild, then there may be some pre-organised aim and perhaps it will tend to be more efficiently executed (or at least aim to).
Depends on whether I have any aims:
I might be in the mood to pretty much tag along and drift wherever the group takes me, so any group is fine, really.
I might be wanting to make specific progress and be short of time, so I'll set up my own group and make sure those joining are aware of what I'd like do achieve. In that way you tend to get a group that is motivated and ligned so should progress well.
I could go on, but you get the idea. My groups vary. I like a varied experience, so often I vary group type intentionally.
It depends.
But I should say, for *preference* I typically aim for a more relaxed experience. Time taken to socialise. Time taken to appreciate the world around us. Time taken to discuss tactics.
What disposalist said works for me.
Kilsin said:Community Opinion - What kind of group do you typically join, steamroll the dungeon in one run as fast as possible, killing selected named mobs or take your time, kill trash and camp every named?
Guild groups nearly exclusively because I know their skill and capabilities. How we approach an area or what we do there is then irrelevant because we can do pretty much anything.
Depends if you are talking about known or unknown...
What Disposalist said with pugs is basically what I do... You put together a group that gives you the best chance to win any situation your group runs into.
Guild groups, I will say Vandraad is right about that... You are going in there with guildies that you know their capabilities, and it's a chance to build the group dynamic to see where there are weaknesses and to know your strengths.
I join any group that has a common goal. I know it's not exactly what you asked, but grouping is more than just dungeon content. Group with people who have a common quest, or a common location they're trying to get to (safety in numbers!), etc. But, since you specifically did ask about dungeons I'll say that I could imagine enjoying both styles, as long as both are supported by the game. I tend to imagine "camp" style grouping more often, but if there are dungeons that are designed so that a specific level group can actually travel through the dungeon that could be fun.
It depends on the dungeon as much as the group. If the dungeon design is lazy (big boss, a couple of mini-bosses, and evenly spaced filler mobs), then I steamroll through. If it's a well-designed dungeon with challenge and reward throughout, then I like sneak or clear, depending upon my group.
If a dungeon has trash mobs, it's a poorly-designed dungeon. And if the trash mobs are evenly spaced and unskippable, it's a Boss encounter with a dungeon tacked on to slow players down.
Ranarius said:Counterfleche said:If a dungeon has trash mobs, it's a poorly-designed dungeon.What does this mean?
NPCs that serve no purpose other than to be an impediment to the group, offering no reward worth wasting a bag space on it or part of any quest no matter how inconsequential?
Vandraad said:Ranarius said:Counterfleche said:If a dungeon has trash mobs, it's a poorly-designed dungeon.What does this mean?
NPCs that serve no purpose other than to be an impediment to the group, offering no reward worth wasting a bag space on it or part of any quest no matter how inconsequential?
What Vandraad said. A Dungeon should be an interesting, rewarding challenge throughout, not a Boss encounter with a bunch of other mobs scattered throughout to slow you down. The presence of trash mobs indicates that part of the dungeon is not designed to be fun, but rather it was tacked on to make the dungeon take longer and feel bigger.
Just like Pantheon is trying to be fun at all levels and not a race to max level, dungeons should be designed to be a rewarding challenge throughout.
I tend to be goal-oriented. If I go into a dungeon I will have a reason and will hope to get something out of it.
But, and this is a big butt, er, but, the goal may well be to help someone else with my own character getting nothing it can use.
Or the goal may be to socialize though that is far more likely in a guild group than with a PUG.
I mostly agree with disposalist.
I mostly disagree with the criticism of trash mobs. A dungeon that is all or even mostly boss encounters is not very immersive unless it is a very small place like a cave that one goes into to have a single boss fight. Going into a larger place that is home or base to quite a few enemies there should be many "trash mob" encounters. Bosses are a small percentage of a population in a large dwelling place - by definition. From a gameplay point of view - I do not want to go into a huge place like Darkness Falls (DAOC) or Goblintown (LOTRO) and get to the end in 30 minutes having fought 5 bosses.
dorotea said:I mostly disagree with the criticism of trash mobs. A dungeon that is all or even mostly boss encounters is not very immersive unless it is a very small place like a cave that one goes into to have a single boss fight. Going into a larger place that is home or base to quite a few enemies there should be many "trash mob" encounters. Bosses are a small percentage of a population in a large dwelling place - by definition. From a gameplay point of view - I do not want to go into a huge place like Darkness Falls (DAOC) or Goblintown (LOTRO) and get to the end in 30 minutes having fought 5 bosses.
I think I should clarify. I don't feel that non-boss = trash mob. I also want many non-boss mobs. I just want them to be more than filler. They should add to the experience and not feel like a chore. They can achieve this in many ways:
Perhaps I am too used to "trash mob" meaning anything other than the final boss or a mini-boss. With even the friends of the bosses being called "trash".
I agree that swarms of cannon-fodder mobs presenting no challenge, requiring no strategy and giving no worthwhile loot even in the aggregate turns a dungeon into a chore not an adventure.
Kilsin said:Community Opinion - What kind of group do you typically join, steamroll the dungeon in one run as fast as possible, killing selected named mobs or take your time, kill trash and camp every named?
This depends on what my goal is at the time. The reason I am joining a group will vary. Here are some examples of reasons to join a group: exp grind / leveling up, camping specific enemies for item drops, running dungeons, questing, raiding. Each of the types of groups you suggested could be viable in different scenarios based on the goals a player is trying to achieve. I wouldn't say that I'm typically looking to join any one specific type of group. The type of group I join will be based on the progression of my character.
For most of my time playing I will only group with exploratory groups who want to take their time adventuring in Terminus. I have no desire to group with folks who want to rush things. When I don't have a lot of time, I will play solo or just help groups out with them knowing, in advance, that it is temporary.
I also don't feel that only playing with folks when their is something big in it for me will always be a thing. I will join groups just to help out and possibly go somewhere new I haven't explored before. Or, be gathering or Perceptioning(I know it's not a real word) while I help them accomplish something bigger. Some days I won't have any goals in mind other than being in the world helping others and enjoying being in the game.
Community Opinion - What kind of group do you typically join, steamroll the dungeon in one run as fast as possible, killing selected named mobs or take your time, kill trash and camp every named?
Typically, would be the friendly, social group. Running dungeons as fast as possible is more related to the design of the game, but it was fun the odd time. But it quickly becomes more and more silent the more of such groups you join and repeat. So, I go back to just helping folks out where I can.
I'm not that much into camping mobs itself, it can be ok occasionally but camping every time I log on, is not something that I would consider a fun experience.
It might be age related but I used to look for good grind groups and considered that fun. Nowadays, I would be less inclined. It can be enjoyed from time to time. But it's not common practice any longer.
At this point in my life, I would love to group up with people and just have a pleasant evening. Goals and targets are less important, just having a chat, a laugh and overall having a good evening. That doesn't mean, not making progress or being strategic. So, my typically sought after group now would be, experienced (or willingness to learn) and skilled players that just want to hang out and have some in game social fun.
So, I would put myself in the second category: kill trash and either camp named or just skip and continue to whatever is on the horizon.