Effective Grouping in EverQuest |
Introduction What is EverQuest? At a high level, the first answer would be something like 'A computer game', followed by, 'It's a role playing game kind of like Dungeons & Dragons', followed by, 'It's played over the internet with thousands of other people'. Of course from here us fans could rave on and on about what EverQuest is, and we'd all be fairly accurate. The scope is simply enormous, allowing for as many different experiences as there are players. But one thing which is beyond debate is that EverQuest is a multiplayer game. From the beginning, the EQ team has made it clear that this game is about getting together with others. This concerned me to start out with because the character I was excited to play was a wandering Monk. I envisioned a solitary, unassuming man walking alone in the wilderness, somewhat in the vein of Cain from the Kung Fu series. However, I quickly learned that grouping does not hinder my play style in any way, shape, or form. Indeed by grouping, my character is able to help out strangers in ways he did not expect. Solo play is still very much a viable option, but the benefits of grouping are numerous. Furthermore, the fact needs to be stated that in EverQuest grouping is easy and fun. Grouping with fellow Norrathians can be extremely rewarding. I've heard some individuals rumble a bit how they feel grouping may be too hard of a thing to do, but let me say that it really isn't very difficult. Right now, at any given time, there seems to be from 800 to 1500 players online. Depending on where you're at, you should be able to find others to hook up with. When the next phase starts and into the final release, more and more people will be available so expect to see a lot of people who, like you, want to be effective in a group. Commands So the people are there, and they are for the most part very willing to form a party. But how do we do it? Fortunately for us, EQ has excellent tools built in to make grouping easy. /who (Learn it, Know it, Live it.)
Lets say that you want to form a group, or join a group. You meet up with a few other characters, and now you want to know a little about them. One of the player's name is 'Djamonja', so you type '/who djam', and you instantly know that he is a level 8 erudite wizard. One warning here is that sometimes the search engine gets confused. If the name of the character you're searching for does not get displayed when you just type in a few of the first few letters, try again correctly spelling the full name. Many characters I meet say 'Hey Delphi, what lvl r u?'. Knowing another character's level and class is vital for grouping, however a better option is to use the /who <character> command. /Tell
/Group
Once you have a group formed, it is convenient to set group tell as the default chat option. /Shout
Because many people misuse this command, and depending which zone you're in, you may get tired of hearing all the mindless shouting going on. My recommendation is to turn it off once your party is formed. Personally, I leave it off all the time, except when I need to shout to form a party. Guidelines for Joining a Group 1) Once you're in a group, there is nothing more exasperating than hearing, 'I just have to run and get some supplies, brb'. Unless you're with a group that you party with all the time, expect to take a little heat. If you're going to join a group, be ready. Have all the food and water you need to last you a few (real-time) hours. If you're lucky, a shaman or cleric can magically produce sustenance for you, but don't count on it - they usually need to conserve their mana for healing and fighting. 2) Try to stay together. Norrath is simply enormous and getting lost is a very real possibility. Stop often and turn around - keep within visual sight of your group. 3) Don't attack a critter unless all your spell casters are ready. I did this once and have yet to live it down (sorry gang!). We had been taking on Grizzly's without any problem, but the funny thing about monsters is that sometimes they are relatively tough, and sometimes they are relatively easy. There seems to be a fair bit of variance within each creature, so don't take a chance if you're not fully ready. 4) Rely on the group leader for the mundane organizational stuff. 5) Seek out groups of like minded individuals. Don't be afraid to leave a group if it just doesn't fit your style. You may even wish to be part of a group that isn't within your level just for the fun of it. Gaining levels is definitely important, but even more so is the experiences you have with others. A month or two from now, you'll remember the battles, quests, and adventures you've had, not how you gained level 5. Tips for Group Leaders 1) Be a fair, conscientious leader. Usually, the leader should be nimble on the keyboard and keep the lines of communication open within the party. 2) It is the leader's responsibility to make sure that there's an even rotation of looting. You can set up the loot sharing alphabetically, but don't count on everyone following it. It's easier to set up a rotation based on the order of the characters in your group window. Take a minute at the beginning to list the loot order. Now it's your responsibility to tell each individual when their turn to loot is, and who's next. This may seem like a bit of a burden, but it's really easy to do this, and your party members will appreciate it. 3) Keep the Invite and Disband buttons handy. Be ready to target a character and Invite them in, even in the midst of a battle. You may come across someone who is having a hard time with a monster, and you want to help. If they ask for your assistance, join in and invite them into your group (even if you haven't formed on yet). This way, you'll make a friend, and if you're similarly leveled you'll share the experience. 4) Zones. Currently, many times when the party crosses a zone, the grouping system loses track. Be prepared to disband and re-invite your party members after crossing a zone. This is likely on the list to get fixed during beta. 5) Be aware of all your group's levels. They should be no more than 4 levels apart (although I'm not exactly sure where the breaks are for higher level characters). So a level 4 can group with a level 7 and still gain experience, but it would be better if all characters were within 1 or two levels. 6) Just because you formed the party, doesn't mean you should guide the party towards monsters. If you're in a roaming pack, it is best to let the ranger types track your prey. But be careful if you have more than one ranger in your group - either choose one to lead, or have them take turns. It is not a good thing when more than one ranger brings back a high level creature and you have to battle them all at the same time. 7) Just because you formed the group, doesn't necessarily make you the supreme being. Grouping in EverQuest is not a power struggle. If someone else has a better understanding of the area and local strategy, let them take the lead. Not everyone wants to be a group leader - it's a bit of a chore, but if you do a good job you'll gain respect. Furthermore, next time you're online you'll get messages from your former party members asking if they can join your group. Combat Strategy One common strategy is to form a group and venture to the edge of a dangerous area. Designate one of your strong warriors to run out and find some game. Once the warrior engages the prey, the warrior runs back to the group (with the prey hot on his heels) where you gang up on it until it's dead. The safety of this is that you only attack one monster at a time (unless another one comes along and attacks you, of course). If the entire party ventures out into too dangerous an area, you may get attacked by several nasties and end up hoping one of them didn't target you as you're running like crazy to get away. There are a lot of other strategies you can develop and play with. The main component is to know yourself, your group, and your prey. Conclusion For most people gaming is a hobby. We don't have the luxury of spending our 9-5 work or school day sitting in front of a computer playing games. We have responsibilities, obligations, commitments, other activities, significant others, families... you know, all that stuff that gets in our way of playing EQ. We don't all have the freedom to say 'Ok - every night at 6pm Pacific time I'll meet you outside of Blackburrow and we'll form a party'. More likely, we get home from doing whatever we've done all day (who knows what time that'll be), and we plop in front of ye ol' computer and expect to be entertained. So while we'd all rather be playing EQ 24/7, the reality is, it's a lower priority than getting good grades, earning money to pay the bills, eating, sex...well, most of the time anyway. In my opinion, this is the largest obstacle to multiplayer gaming. How do we form consistent relationships with others when our online time fluctuates so much? Additionally, how do we find others who are interested in the same things we are? And, how do we form groups that are beneficial for all involved? Hopefully this little guide will help. There is a lot more that can be said on the subject of party dynamics, but this will get you started. Remember that EverQuest is built on the fundamental concept of multiplayer. For the majority, the more effective we can be at grouping, the more we'll enjoy it. |