Balmung's Finest: Community Dungeon Crawling Initiative

[Rhylund]

What’s this all about?: Balmung’s Finest acts as a ‘looking for group’ channel for those interested in running dungeons with other players on Balmung server.

 

Why not just queue for the Duty Finder?: I try to start a group with players from our server before resorting to the Duty Finder because I believe in community over convenience. Running dungeons is a cooperative endeavor and it’s an experience that I’ve found to be more enjoyable when done with players I know I’ll see again. The joys of building trust, establishing a rapport, and making friends are often lost in the cross-server Duty Finder groups.

 

Why should I join?: This linkshell is for those who share my passion for building a strong community through the cooperative play of running dungeons (and eventually raids) with players right here on Balmung. The goal is to learn from and encourage one another. When you’re entering a dungeon with other members of this linkshell, you should be going in feeling confident that you’re going to have a good time.

 

 

Sounds great! How do I join?: You can get an invite by contacting myself or one of the pearl holders below in-game.

• Rhylund Ganzentsyn
  
• Fleeting Dawn
  
• E'rinha Tia
  
• Kivhi Yuhga
  
• Katja Wynter (graveyard shift)
  
• Darien Cadell
  
• Eve Malusion
  
• Liadan Summerfield
  

Rules:

1. Don’t be a jerk!: Should go without saying, but it needs to be said. Members are expected to treat others with courtesy and respect. Be positive. Encourage inexperienced players, don’t put them down. A little kindness goes a long way.

2. Keep it (relatively) clean: I’m not putting an age requirement on the channel and some people are more sensitive to foul language than others. Some profanity is fine, but moderation is key.

3. Leave the drama at the door: If you’re having a problem with another member, contact an officer. Let's keep it civil.

 

 

The Future?: Just a couple thoughts. Open to suggestions.

• Raids: The possibility is there for interested parties to set up raids once more people start to hit the level cap. This may be of particular interest to those who chose their FC for RP reasons but still want to experience top tier content.
  
• Class Mentors: Players that are exceptionally passionate and knowledgeable about one of the classes. The 'go to' players for when you have any questions or would like some humble advice about a specific job. 
  

[Aduu Avagnar]

That would be cool, during P4 I know a lot of my groups came from the Intermission LS and Mumble Chat, but if there was something dedicated to this that would be good.

[Khaze'to Zhwan]

Thats a good idea, would keep those channals free for people trying to Rp and just chat, we don't want to turn it into /2.  I can imagine a lot of people using their FC's for that (Cough Cough Join the EU here Cough Cough) but it would be nice to have an ooc channel for just in game stuffs.

 

Man I have so many LS's right now, really hope they add a sorting option and more tabs to early access and release.

[Jomoru]

What if you don't have contempt for the Duty Finder but would rather play with people you know?

[Havoc Snow]

First of all I just want to start by saying that the claims that duty finders have  a negative impact on communities is just superstition. I've been in Beta since Phase 2 started and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I have never been so frustrated trying to play a game than I was sitting in front of Copperbell or Hauke Manor shouting for hours trying to find a group.

 

On the other hand when the Duty Finder was added the very first group I got into was Brayflox and the people I ran with were incredibly helpful since it was my first time running it, they were chatty, friendly, and I was actually sad I couldn't play with them again (perhaps the only downside I can say to the Duty Finder).

 

Now with that being said, I'm all for this idea despite the above sentiments. Personally though, I'm not going to join a group with someone to talk about the weather or chat about your dog/cat. When I get into a group or a dungeon the most I usually talk is to explain a boss fight or something, anything else is just slowing things down especially when I'll likely need to run the same dungeon another 10+ times.

 

tl;dr: The Duty Finder isn't a bad thing, and neither is not wanting to talk and only wanting to progress in a group. However I am all for a server specific dungeon crawler group.

[LiadansWhisper]

I think random dungeon finders can have a negative impact on a server community, as I saw in WoW from Wrath of the Lich King to present day.

 

However, there are a lot of other factors that play into that.  It's not like, one thing.  There are many other factors in FFXIV that will offset any negativity you see in the dungeon finder.

 

I'm going to be playing a main spec healer, but I'm sure I'll get around to tanking and DPSing at some point.  I'd love to be a part of this if there's ever room.  

[plutosams]

I'd love to be a part of it.  I love running dungeons and if I can run them with like minded people all the better.

[Khaze'to Zhwan]

tl;dr: The Duty Finder isn't a bad thing, and neither is not wanting to talk and only wanting to progress in a group. However I am all for a server specific dungeon crawler group.

 

This is more what I was meaning as well tbh.

[Nel Celestine]

Consider me interested, and if possible, i'd love to record and release these runs.

[Jomoru]

I think random dungeon finders can have a negative impact on a server community, as I saw in WoW from Wrath of the Lich King to present day.

 

However, there are a lot of other factors that play into that.  It's not like, one thing.  There are many other factors in FFXIV that will offset any negativity you see in the dungeon finder.

 

I'm going to be playing a main spec healer, but I'm sure I'll get around to tanking and DPSing at some point.  I'd love to be a part of this if there's ever room.  

 

I didn't find Wow's community have changed much before or after Dungeon finder.  When I was with a group I knew, they were awesome. When it wasn't even if it was same server it was a coin flip. I got plenty of abuse with people from my same server tanks who couldn't tank shit, healers who couldn't heal shit, DPS who attack whatever they want and ignore Cc, etc

 

The only thing DF cut out was "wait around 3 hours looking for group because I'm a mage" That's why I think DF is seen as so bad. You get to see more of Wow's community in a quicker period of time.. and alot of it is shit people.

 

 

On the otherhand dungeons are always more fun with friends rather than silently compitent types who never speak up.

[FreelanceWizard]

I'm in. I much prefer to play with people from my own server (that is, after all, why I picked it ), and having a place to LFG for RP-friendly groups is a good thing, IMO.

[LiadansWhisper]

I think random dungeon finders can have a negative impact on a server community, as I saw in WoW from Wrath of the Lich King to present day.

 

However, there are a lot of other factors that play into that.  It's not like, one thing.  There are many other factors in FFXIV that will offset any negativity you see in the dungeon finder.

 

I'm going to be playing a main spec healer, but I'm sure I'll get around to tanking and DPSing at some point.  I'd love to be a part of this if there's ever room.  

 

I didn't find Wow's community have changed much before or after Dungeon finder.  When I was with a group I knew, they were awesome. When it wasn't even if it was same server it was a coin flip. I got plenty of abuse with people from my same server tanks who couldn't tank shit, healers who couldn't heal shit, DPS who attack whatever they want and ignore Cc, etc

 

The only thing DF cut out was "wait around 3 hours looking for group because I'm a mage" That's why I think DF is seen as so bad. You get to see more of Wow's community in a quicker period of time.. and alot of it is shit people.

 

 

On the otherhand dungeons are always more fun with friends rather than silently compitent types who never speak up.

 

I have had a different experience.  The community from BC and the community now in MoP are very different, and Dungeon Finder is part of that.  However, like I said, it's just a single piece in a rather large puzzle.  In the case of FFXIV, I don't think it will be an issue.

 

Incidentally, the issue with DF and "shit community" is that when you are forced to queue with people from your server, you have a social investment in behaving and doing your best (or else you'll be blacklisted).  Dungeon Finder removes that.

[Havoc Snow]

I think random dungeon finders can have a negative impact on a server community, as I saw in WoW from Wrath of the Lich King to present day.

 

However, there are a lot of other factors that play into that.  It's not like, one thing.  There are many other factors in FFXIV that will offset any negativity you see in the dungeon finder.

 

I'm going to be playing a main spec healer, but I'm sure I'll get around to tanking and DPSing at some point.  I'd love to be a part of this if there's ever room.  

 

I didn't find Wow's community have changed much before or after Dungeon finder.  When I was with a group I knew, they were awesome. When it wasn't even if it was same server it was a coin flip. I got plenty of abuse with people from my same server tanks who couldn't tank shit, healers who couldn't heal shit, DPS who attack whatever they want and ignore Cc, etc

 

The only thing DF cut out was "wait around 3 hours looking for group because I'm a mage" That's why I think DF is seen as so bad. You get to see more of Wow's community in a quicker period of time.. and alot of it is shit people.

 

 

On the otherhand dungeons are always more fun with friends rather than silently compitent types who never speak up.

Pretty much this. If I ran with my Guild on WoW I was pretty much guaranteed to have fun and get through it without much issue. If I ran with a PUG I picked up from shouting in trade chat or LFG it was a 50/50 chance I was going to have a bad time.

 

There's a common misconception that just because you're on the same server as someone they aren't going to royally suck, or they won't ninja your gear. This couldn't be further from the truth, after all you never know when someone on the Duty Finder is from your server (unless you ask), and during Phase 2 and early Phase 3 I got ninja'd a LOT on gear, having healers roll on +Int gear or an Archer that was rolling on every piece of caster gear he could get because it was All Class instead of DoM. The Archer was even on Balmung so.... yeah. Like I said, people fearing that Duty Finder will be the end of server cohesion are just being paranoid.

[LiadansWhisper]

There's a common misconception that just because you're on the same server as someone they aren't going to royally suck, or they won't ninja your gear. This couldn't be further from the truth, after all you never know when someone on the Duty Finder is from your server (unless you ask), and during Phase 2 and early Phase 3 I got ninja'd a LOT on gear, having healers roll on +Int gear or an Archer that was rolling on every piece of caster gear he could get because it was All Class instead of DoM. The Archer was even on Balmung so.... yeah. Like I said, people fearing that Duty Finder will be the end of server cohesion are just being paranoid.

 

Actually, that isn't what I was talking about.  You may get a bad player, or a ninja.

 

And then you can tell your friends, and their friends, about said bad player.  And if they're bad enough, or pull the same behavior enough, they will find themselves without people to do dungeons with.

[CalemvirLucin]

You can send me a invite in-game  I'll be mainly a healer and I am always down for dungeon runs!

[Jomoru]

I think random dungeon finders can have a negative impact on a server community, as I saw in WoW from Wrath of the Lich King to present day.

 

However, there are a lot of other factors that play into that.  It's not like, one thing.  There are many other factors in FFXIV that will offset any negativity you see in the dungeon finder.

 

I'm going to be playing a main spec healer, but I'm sure I'll get around to tanking and DPSing at some point.  I'd love to be a part of this if there's ever room.  

 

I didn't find Wow's community have changed much before or after Dungeon finder.  When I was with a group I knew, they were awesome. When it wasn't even if it was same server it was a coin flip. I got plenty of abuse with people from my same server tanks who couldn't tank shit, healers who couldn't heal shit, DPS who attack whatever they want and ignore Cc, etc

 

The only thing DF cut out was "wait around 3 hours looking for group because I'm a mage" That's why I think DF is seen as so bad. You get to see more of Wow's community in a quicker period of time.. and alot of it is shit people.

 

 

On the otherhand dungeons are always more fun with friends rather than silently compitent types who never speak up.

 

I have had a different experience.  The community from BC and the community now in MoP are very different, and Dungeon Finder is part of that.  However, like I said, it's just a single piece in a rather large puzzle.  In the case of FFXIV, I don't think it will be an issue.

 

Incidentally, the issue with DF and "shit community" is that when you are forced to queue with people from your server, you have a social investment in behaving and doing your best (or else you'll be blacklisted).  Dungeon Finder removes that.

 

 

 

That was not my experience in BC. I had alot of Horror stories that made me quit for a time. For a month I had an awesome group running then drama. BC had just as much potential for horrible runs its just you did so much fewer of them they didn't add up.

 

And I got plenty of drama, bullshit posturing, "Who cares about my rep I'm a tank" in BC. PUGS have always been what they are DF just makes it so you take less time getting one.

 

 

Now if you actually have personal connections to people, then its not a Pug.

---

There's a common misconception that just because you're on the same server as someone they aren't going to royally suck, or they won't ninja your gear. This couldn't be further from the truth, after all you never know when someone on the Duty Finder is from your server (unless you ask), and during Phase 2 and early Phase 3 I got ninja'd a LOT on gear, having healers roll on +Int gear or an Archer that was rolling on every piece of caster gear he could get because it was All Class instead of DoM. The Archer was even on Balmung so.... yeah. Like I said, people fearing that Duty Finder will be the end of server cohesion are just being paranoid.

 

Actually, that isn't what I was talking about.  You may get a bad player, or a ninja.

 

And then you can tell your friends, and their friends, about said bad player.  And if they're bad enough, or pull the same behavior enough, they will find themselves without people to do dungeons with.

 

 

If they are a tank or a healer, guess what? That doesn't really work. There will always be DPS who need Tanks healers, even ones who are horrible.

[Myxie Tryxle]

I think it's a good idea. I leveled up my CNJ during phase 4 to 20 using exclusively groups from my linkshells (Intermission, Corvus) so that the RPC folks playing DPS didn't have to wait in line for half an hour or more just to finish each step of the story quests. I think I ran the chain of three dungeons three separate times on Saturday to help folks out while gaining a few levels myself.

 

It also helps build the community. Even if a player isn't the best DPS, tank, or healer you've played with, in this kind of environment, there's incentive to work with them. Offer helpful advice and such, because unlike a random pickup group, you will likely be seeing that player again, so you'll invest some effort. If you help those other players out, there's a high chance you'll play with them again and have a good time. I think it helps foster community while improving the gameplay of that community, in this case, the RPC community.

[Havoc Snow]

There's a common misconception that just because you're on the same server as someone they aren't going to royally suck, or they won't ninja your gear. This couldn't be further from the truth, after all you never know when someone on the Duty Finder is from your server (unless you ask), and during Phase 2 and early Phase 3 I got ninja'd a LOT on gear, having healers roll on +Int gear or an Archer that was rolling on every piece of caster gear he could get because it was All Class instead of DoM. The Archer was even on Balmung so.... yeah. Like I said, people fearing that Duty Finder will be the end of server cohesion are just being paranoid.

 

Actually, that isn't what I was talking about.  You may get a bad player, or a ninja.

 

And then you can tell your friends, and their friends, about said bad player.  And if they're bad enough, or pull the same behavior enough, they will find themselves without people to do dungeons with.

How is blacklisting someone on your server any different really than the very slim chances of you ever seeing that person again in the DF? I mean beyond the obvious that one is a voluntary action.

 

If I play with someone on my server and they're an asshat, I blacklist them and I tell my friends about them, they get black marks but ultimately in a large server like Balmung that's not going to matter a whole lot, they'd have to be a COLOSSAL douchebag for the entire server to hear about them and I've never met a person that was so bad they were server wide blacklisted.

 

Same situation, only I'm using the DF. Some guy is being an asshat, the dungeon is over and I go on about my business, and chances are 10,000 to 1 I'll never see that guy again anyways so who cares?

[CallmeYahweh]

I am most definitely interested in this idea.

 

Sign me up!

[Noble_Einherjar]

I personally don't mind the Duty Finder. I loved uh .. whatever it was called in WoW (can't believe I've already forgotten), and I found the lack of such a feature in SWTOR to be one of its greatest weaknesses.

 

That being said, I totally support and admire this initiative. I'm not ready to join a LS/FC or anything yet, but this is definitely going on my list of places to look into when I am.

[Darien Cadell]

I have no contempt whatsoever for duty finder, and I never have in any game. I have a tendency to play the tank or healer and acknowledge that I'm going to be carrying my group. In fact, the only group I had in P4 that wasn't duty found was a group of 3 Japanese all damage dealers and me a CNJ in TamTara. It was brutally painful, I pretty much tanked and healed the entire thing (not because they were bad, but none of them have threat generation, what did they expect) but we finished the instance.

 

Before WoW had instance matching, I did a looot of random groups as a healer, the most infamous being a 13 hour "run" through the Sunken Temple. There were lots of breaks, but what a waste of a day. Give me a dungeon run where everybody rage quits after 10 minutes any day.

 

But to me, dungeon finders are an extension of solo play. I usually stay very quiet in them and prepare for the worst. You'd be surprised what you can do on your own sometimes, when the rest of the group is dead.

 

Real group play is found with friends and with intention to make new friends.

 

So really, I'd totally be up for something like this, and some of my FC probably would as well.

[Rhylund]

I'm taking down names and looking forward to running with you all when we go live! 

 

Admittedly, I may have been a bit dramatic saying I felt 'contempt' for the duty finder. Really, I just miss the days when I had a list of acquaintances that I've had pleasant dungeon experiences with. I'd use this list to put my groups together, some acquaintances become friends, some don't, some befriend one another or introduce me to new people that I can add to my list and so on.

 

Watching a that 'web' grow was a magical thing for me and it's something that I miss dearly. I understand there are people that just want to get their dungeon done and go. That's fine. As I mentioned in the original post: convenience vs. community (speaking strictly in terms of dungeon running, of course. I'm not implying that you're out to destroy the community if you don't want to wait longer for a dungeon run.)

 

Great discussion on both sides, everyone. Keep it up.

[Aleister]

I'm taking down names and looking forward to running with you all when we go live! 

 

Admittedly, I may have been a bit dramatic saying I felt 'contempt' for the duty finder. Really, I just miss the days when I had a list of acquaintances that I've had pleasant dungeon experiences with. I'd use this list to put my groups together, some acquaintances become friends, some don't, some befriend one another or introduce me to new people that I can add to my list and so on.

 

Watching a that 'web' grow was a magical thing for me and it's something that I miss dearly. I understand there are people that just want to get their dungeon done and go. That's fine. As I mentioned in the original post: convenience vs. community (speaking strictly in terms of dungeon running, of course. I'm not implying that you're out to destroy the community if you don't want to wait longer for a dungeon run.)

 

Great discussion on both sides, everyone. Keep it up.

I think this is personally great and you can sign me up for this linkshell. I'll be a Marauder.

[Havoc Snow]

I will one thing that makes me all for this idea. As much as I love the DF for its convenience, having a group of people that you can just ask "Hey, you guys wanna run X Dungeon?" is always much more convenient than even the duty finder so long as people are always up for running something.

[Rhylund]

I will one thing that makes me all for this idea. As much as I love the DF for its convenience, having a group of people that you can just ask "Hey, you guys wanna run X Dungeon?" is always much more convenient than even the duty finder so long as people are always up for running something.

 

 

Yep! And even if you can't get a full group together, it's always nice to let those filling a damage role hop aboard the instaqueuemobile if you're a healer or tank.