PVE Groups

OK so I admit it I have almost exclusivley been hanging out with Henchies doing PVE. Today I agreed to monk for a group doing Galrath. The warriors just plowed into and through the monsters with their superior armor and left the weak armored people to struggle through or die.

Is this the way it is supposed to work? It was so not any fun. It also made no sense to me as a strategy. Finally after someone else left, I said I was leaving and I left the group as well.

I know it isn't good to desert but I may as well have not been there anyway - for one thing I couldn't run fast enough to keep up with them.

Yeah, my mesmer was with a group once, and the first thing the warriors said when we entered the mission was "just run past these first few groups of bad guys." Well, that might work if you're a warrior, but it's not so great if you aren't, especially when all those groups have already been aggroed by the time the mesmers, ele's, etc. are running by them. Stupid.

It sounds like you didn't get into a good group. Sadly, that's the norm, rather than the exception. You can usually tell within the first minute of leaving town if the group is decent. If the warriors instantly rush ahead, if anyone says "gogogogogo", if a few players stand around looking bewildered (because they're used to being run everywhere rather than playing), or if someone is trying to lead and everyone is ignoring them, you'll know you've struck out. Even if things look good at the start, it's common for people to drop out before the quest or mission has been completed. Some quests/missions are easier to do in a group, but most are much, much easier with henchies than with most PUGs. So unless you like to socialize in game or show off your armor and gear or whatever, or you just can't manage a mission and accept that you'll probably have to group with a few dud PUGs before striking gold, hench it.

To answer your question, you got into a bad PUG group. That is NOT the way it should work, but some Wammos (and even other characters occasionally) are like that... This is why wammo's are generally distrusted/hated in PUG groups. Don't get me wrong, there are some very experienced and very good warriors out there (Occupationaly hazard I guess )...

Do yourself a favor and don't allow one bad group to send you running back to henchies. There are some groups that are uber fun to play with, but you will get the occasional group that makes it seem less painfull to gouge out your own eyes with a blunt object.

Don't give up on PVE

That's 75% of the PUG's I've been in!



/blindly searches for bandaids

I find that starting my own groups and pre-screening group candidates greatly reduces the number of unworkable PUGs to about 10%-25%. I do know what you are talking about though, unfortunately.

This is going to become a very familiar topic. Search anyone?

yes, pugs can make life difficult. i used to be in a guild with 4 members, made me resort to pugs for the first 4 months of playing this game. solution? join a large guild! (i know its not for everyone, but it works for me.) my guild has gotten me into pvp(to which i am now addicted), and has intelligent people when i do feel like pveing. I did however, take my monk through the entire game with pugs >< i feel your pain. just dont give up, i have met good friends through pugging. there are decent people out there. i promise

PuG's suck sometimes. Seems to be from my limited experience.

But thats not to say that henchies are any better sometimes. I love the way the healers run in to do melee when no one needs to be healed and then die immeadiatly

I definetly agree with Silent Euphoria in pre-screening a group before going so you know what you're dealing with. Ask your necro's if they are MM or ss before hand so they dont argue during the mission. MAKE SURE your monk actually heals. (had a hard time beleiving the first monk i saw without rez). Try and find out if your warrior thinks he is an invincible gift from the gods of Tyria (these guys drive me nuts cause they always run away from the party and are the first to die.)

And if all else fails, play with one or two people you already know (friends list!) and one or two henchmen. or pm me, Im always bored

Agreed. I do THK with my monk over and over, helping groups get through, just because it's fun, and I get to rebel against snooty (striking) monks in my own special way.

My advertisement is something like:
This has a dual benefit of A) proving they're infused B) proving they know how to read and are at least somewhat intelligent.

I usually don't reply to PMs (I try to nudge the politely confused ones along), and reject all blind invites flatly. I have my own build scheme, but that's just how the game is played. It usually takes a few minutes to form an organized group, so any unfiltered creeps usually drop before we enter.

I've also heard of people asking easy questions, like "What is 33/11?" But I can't speak for that

If there's anything I truly despite it's people who runs by mobs.

I'm a bloodythirsty manic who insists on slaughtering everything that crosses my path.

Honestly, in my experience running causes more trouble than it's worth. Simplier to just take some patience and time to stragetize properly and take down that mob that's standing between you and your objective. Never know, you will get a nice shiny drop, too.

People who runs by mobs, they are scum in my eyes. It's freakin' rude and extremely impolite to do that to your group and that's one thing I cannot stand - inconsideration.

Unfortunately I find henchies too boring so I often prefer PUGs every single time.

Basically 90% of my parties are NOT PuG's mopst of them are actually really nice. They actually say they have to go and say sorry for stuff. I only hate the people who desert you RIGHT at the start of a mission >

Your best bet is simply being more selective in forming PUG's. Make sure you start the party, and talk to each possible invitee and see what their build is, and what their concept of the strategy for that particular mission/quest is. Preparation and coordinating ftw.

Of course it is not always that simplistic, but being selective can greatly increase your chance of finding quality players, obviously.

Grikdog I feel your pain so much. Out of my three characters the only weak one in the bunch is my E/R. Dying does not bother me but what bothers me is when I send a tell to the group that my Energy is low. However I usually endup in groups where the warriors don't give a major shit. In my personal experience as a Elemental I have learned us Eles MUST BE treated like a Monk. Energy is the most critical thing to a Ele, more important for a Nuker like me. I have had to struggle at times with limited Energy and several times over with spells that have been disabled through distraction. I just wish most Warriors would grow a brain and understand that all spellcasters especialy Eles need to recharge their Energy reserves. Spellcasters are the backbone to every damned group. Infact I hardly ever use Dustinia's melee attacks anymore. I rely more on ranged with her. I have in a way become detached with doing melee because of the whole "I gotta storm ahead and kill them all!" attitude.

ive done every mission ine the game on 3 charcters all with pugs and i might get the occasionally bad group but i think if you take your time looking at the group and how the poeple act and there exp you can find an extremely good group

Don't give up on PUG's. It's been my experience that there are more good ones than bad. But in many cases in the latter stages of the game (Desert on) it only takes one person to screw the mission up for you. The key to getting into a good PUG is in catching the warning signs of bad players before starting the mission/quest.

Bad sign #1: gogogogogo
Bad sign #2: "Kick X - we don't need that one"
Bad sign #3: "need 3 monks"
Bad sign #4: you say "hello" no one else says anything.
Bad sign #5: party leader not interviewing members.
Bad sign #6: use of the word "n00b" or profanity when chatting.

Good sign #1: party leader outlines strategy before starting & makes sure everyone agrees.
Good sign #2: party members greet each other & ask about builds/experience.
Good sign #3: party leader kicks anyone displaying any of the bad signs.

Kook good points. Also make damn sure that if you have a Build that relies on another player's Build that they have what you need. For instance a Pyromancer will require in Hell's Precipice a Ranger using Winter.

This whole thread is BS. Forming a good party out of pugs takes hours and hours of spamming your special needs. You'll be constantly kicking members for acting strange. Eventually you'll see people leaving, and than it's to late.
You'll have more luck finding a good party by just gambling. Take everything what comes in, and hope for the best.
Can someone lock this BS thread? I know, I know! This is the first time someone has mentione how bad pugs are, but still.....

With my warrior I didn't have that bad PUG experiences but halfway trough kryta I just did most stuff with guildies and in The Wilds was my farewell to pugs for my warrior when the other warrior screwed up bonus and after that two people pulled the ragequit card, one person lagged out and well, with three people the wilds turns into a dangerous place.
All experiences beforehand were in pugs where I was either the only warrior or where the other warrior kept dying cause the healer was concentrating on the warrior for whom he did not need to run.

With my Necro I can't find pugs that want me.

With my Ele I have had all kinds of pugs thusfar, the latest being the funniest (to me) where I didn't get time to regen, mind you, the warrior, the ranger, the monks waited, just the other ele (who also called his nrg on occasion) kept rushing and not waiting for any regen whatsoever.

One of my Guildies asked me to help him on the Elona Reach mission. He had some 4 other folks in a PUG. I asked in team Chat if anyone is leading group.. I explained to them that Small Aggro's and to Targeting is key.
Mission Starts and we turn the Corner for the Minotaurs. I target a small group of Minotaurs after circling them on the radar. They all start running around targeting different Minotaurs. 4 of them die and 1 ranger is barely alive, the Minotaurs drop. I Res the Monk and start on the rest. he didn't even res one person. I type in to stay in tight group and I will target call everyone hit same target. We go under the bridge with the Plants up top and of course a Minotaur comes running down. I move out of plant aggro to fight Minotaur and they all stand right there to fight him. The Crystal carrier dropped the crystal so I just picked it up and handed it to ghost instead of res'ing the few folks that died. I am thinking to myself negative DP for them already. Now here is where it turned ugly. I explained 1 more time to follow me and not to aggro anyone. We go up the stairs and I circle on radar the 3 on the left. That worked fine and 2 of them take off for the bridge.... I pinged map for them to come back and drew arrows to go up the right side to a safe area between the two crystals. To Late they aggroed the Boss and of course the other 2 with me aggroed another group. They just started fighting. I told my Guildie on Team Speak who was standing there with me Look at these Idiots. I said didn't you see me type in Not to Aggro and to Target 1 at a time. Of course they all died and me and my Guildie left. I took him through just fine with Henchie's and he said that was alot better..

That was my first time with a PUG..

No, you'll have more luck by building it yourself. Unless you're lucky, a PUG will turn into a screaming rush to get through.