Long live the PUG! (A heartwarming tale) - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

October Jade

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

drifting between Indiana and NorCal

01 Nov 2005 at 20:09 - 1

This afternoon I had the fortune to play with the best pickup group I've seen in my 600 hours of Guild Wars. I needed the Villainy of Galrath quest, so I went to ToA. Upon entering I saw someone else post "LFG villainy," and the party was established. We continued recruiting in this fashion, inviting anyone needing the quest without regard to class or level. We ended up with seven players (only two of whom were level 20) and Alesia. Yes, we took a healer hench (*gasp*).

We ripped through the entire quest in only 25 minutes...not a single death. It was truly a mindblowing experience, and it saddens me slightly that it probably won't ever happen again in the remainder of my GW tenure.

Moral of the story: pickup groups have a bad reputation and often rightly so...but don't count them out completely.

cangeman

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Oct 2005

Point Of No Return [NORE]

N/

01 Nov 2005 at 22:09 - 2

I had a good pickup for that quest also. We formed up in D'Alessio Seaboard and ended up losing one early since he thought we were doing the mission. We made it all the way to The Black Curtain and almost completely wiped but one of our party members managed to make it to the Temple of Ages. From there we regrouped and ended up leaving with 6 players between 14-18 and a mage & healer henchmen. The rest of the quest went pretty smoothly.

What I liked most was that the core of the group stuck together through the whole thing even when it looked like all odds were stacked against us at several points during the run. Most people in pugs I've quested with tend to give up early if something goes wrong.

Kool Pajamas

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2005

Maryland

Mage Elites [MAGE]

01 Nov 2005 at 22:29 - 3

People that complain about PuGs just dont know how to pick them.

ExplosiveBadger

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

MN

E/Mo

01 Nov 2005 at 22:31 - 4

I've had countless PUG groups. The best PUG group i've had was one who got through Thunderhead Keep without a death. We had the 'leader' of our group baby sit the king and he told us exactly what to do and we all listened. It was so fun. It was my 4080495th attempt at the mission too, i'm glad I ran into these guys..

Santanus_Perro

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jun 2005

Scott Township, PA

Iron Rangers

W/Mo

01 Nov 2005 at 22:46 - 5

The best PUGs for me have always been quickly put together. I don't have a reason for it, but its true. Now, I will say that PvP is a whole other ball game.

BurningPants

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

That Other Guild [Tog]

01 Nov 2005 at 23:31 - 6

PUGs aren't given enough credit. I don't mind losing so much when it is with people who I'm having a good time with.

I've had so many good ones that I can't even begin to recall them with detail.

Iere

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2005

Midnights Revenge [MiRe]

Mo/Me

02 Nov 2005 at 00:10 - 7

I adore one PUG I got for Ring of Fire. It was my millionth time through the mission.

I get in a "well-balanced" group with another monk. Some idiot warriors run off, try to engage the massive mob of mursaat, and die. The other monk, me, and one warrior (not one of the idiots) stay, the rest leave. I've been bumped up to leader. Sweet.

We start recruiting. This time, instead of posting "looking for (specific classes)", I started requesting "friendly, talkative players".

We ended up with a party of two monks, one warrior, one elementalist, three rangers, and a necromancer.

It was the best party ever. We all chatted wildly through the mission- admittedly, we died a lot, but we had so much fun that it was worth it. One of the rangers acted like an eleven-year-old girl. It was really cute. The other monk made no secret of drinking (she even went AFK in the middle, saying "brb, you can handle it-- I've gotta get another shot"), let me heal sometimes all by myself(and encouraged me with "see, you can keep it going alone!"), and synced better with me the more wasted she became. At the end of it, she asked me to join her guild-- I was sad because I was planning on making one and didn't really like her cape.

I added her to my friendslist, and she hasn't been online since =(

But yes, I'm of the opinion that I meet with better success when in a friendly, rather than "balanced", group.

Raz Silverwing

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

Questionable Knights [QK]

02 Nov 2005 at 03:25 - 8

My best experiance was trying Thunderhead Keep for the first time. We ripped through everything and won in under 30 minutes.

Divine Elemental

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Near Your House

I Used To Own [ IUTO ]

02 Nov 2005 at 03:30 - 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kool Pajamas

People that complain about PuGs just dont know how to pick them.

Wise Words

Loch

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

02 Nov 2005 at 05:33 - 10

Here's how to pick people who know how to play the game for the last few missions:

"Starting group for mission with Monk Henchies, whisper me to join."

So few monks are around that I'd rather fail a mission twice with henchies than shout, "GLF MONKS!!!" for half an hour. The only people that join up are the people who think the same way.

I join PuG's just because using full hench teams is so boring. Except during the desert missions and Thunderhead Keep, where it's impossible to find a decent group.

nightrunner

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2005

San Francisco

W/Mo

02 Nov 2005 at 05:44 - 11

I've met some of my best GW freinds in PuG's

Ran into them twice in a row doing missions, so we said "let's put each other on our Freinds List, since we seem to be pretty close to the same point in the game!"

We've all beaten the game multiple times now, but we still play together and talk often.

LordMahal

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

Germany

R/Mo

02 Nov 2005 at 08:52 - 12

Ive had some of the best times with PUGS. I arrived at Thunderhead for the first time and in minutes was in a group. We flew through that mission as if it was the easiest one in the game. After that, knowing how well we worked together, we 6... minus two we lost after that mission, went on to beat every mission after including the end, all in one trip. It was a blast. We all knew our abilities and how to work together. I see people trying to do those last 4 or 5 missions saying this is my 1000000th time trying...I must have been blessed on that one day because we never even had a death in any of the missions! It might seem strange, but I was sad when we were done. Knowing that this is probably the only time I will ever be part of such a fantastic group like this.

Shusky

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2005

Flying Purple Hippos

02 Nov 2005 at 10:55 - 13

Everyone seems to love his/her Thunderhead Keep pug

Yeah, me too. We had one elementalist, one monk, one necro, two rangers, two warriors, and Mhenlo. We failed for the first time really close to the finish, but no-one left. We actually had decent communication, build discussion, and joking around

We finished at 4:30 AM, too.

Aera Lure

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

In Baltar's head

Bring Out Your Dead [BOYD], former officer [LBS]

Mo/

02 Nov 2005 at 15:53 - 14

I want more PUGs and groups like Iere's, when I go looking for random things.

Pretty rare now I do a PUG, but I love the fact that there are a few experiences still like that one.

Errevain

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Jul 2005

02 Nov 2005 at 20:38 - 15

I have no magnificent stories about PUGs. I have had good experiences with them, but they are few and far between. In fact, "heartwarming tales" of PUGs on Guild Wars almost sounds mythical or make believe to me from most of my experiences. Unfortunately, Guild Wars PUGs epitomize the phrase "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch" when it comes to missions. As a result, Guild Wars has almost become a single player game for me, using henchmen for everything, including missions most people say are impossible to do with them.

I believe my only hope to consistently enjoy the multiplayer aspect of GW is to find a guild that is together for the sake of having decent players to group with and grouping with only them. I imagine the designers thought most players would want to join a guild, but I'm not sure the motivation they envisioned would be to escape a large potion of their online community.

Xonic

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2005

Mo/Me

02 Nov 2005 at 20:43 - 16

maybe it's a good PUG, but the key of this story is: healer hench.

actually if you have a full team of henchmen, you may do better than, or at least as good as this PUG

littlemerk

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Nov 2005

Anti-Pants Coalition

Me/N

02 Nov 2005 at 20:43 - 17

my best group was at Iron Mines of Moladune. We had at least one of every profession. We went through an infusion run and ran past markis and capped all the way back to the beginning again, did bonus and beat the mission with only 2 deaths, no whiners, no droppers. After each boss there was a wait to make sure those that needed skill cap had time to complete it. We had one warrior leading that waited for mana recharge for the eles and monk and everyone just followed and focused fire one enemy at a time.

Frits

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

Nederweert, The Netherlands

Guild Of Dawm

Mo/Me

02 Nov 2005 at 20:55 - 18

The first time I went in the UW i had this amazing group. We went in and just killed the Aatxes and did the mission, did the mission where you have protect ghosts? got to the spider and way further. So i was like "What's all the fuss about? UW isn't hard at all"... I found out the opposite the second time I went in lol. I've talked to a ranger from that party after the UW a very nice guy

sirelricthemad

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

The Grotto

Crusaders of Valhalla [Odin]

Mo/N

03 Nov 2005 at 06:58 - 19

I'm really one of those people who think PUGs get a bad rap. With a 12 hour time difference from my guildmates, i don't really get to do massive amounts of misisons and our interaction is mostly limited to some hilarious banter on guild chat and the occasional farming runs. Point of it is, for the most part, I do pretty much all the missions with PUGs and I've had some absolutely awesome times. Granted there's always gonna be some dork who ruins it for me, but for the most part, PUG's are fun. Especially that wonderful 8man Grenths farming group I started up, for people who were tired of the uber serious farmers and just wanted to go hunt some greens and have some fun. We spent hours running around yeling at the dwarves, ingesting ale and re-enacting scenes from the movie Aliens (with the help of ghost in the box). Best PUG I ever had. We still farm together frequently

Long live the PUGs

Frits

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

Nederweert, The Netherlands

Guild Of Dawm

Mo/Me

03 Nov 2005 at 08:29 - 20

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirelricthemad

Long live the PUGs

Indeed

munkieix

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

where ever u want me to be

Gangsters in the Hood

03 Nov 2005 at 09:02 - 21

i loved my thunderkeep pug ... henchies! x7

The undead Mesmer

Delphian Scribe

Join Date: May 2005

Holland

No guild ;_;

N/Me

03 Nov 2005 at 09:14 - 22

hmmm i havent gotten a decent PUG yet but i had a nice guy in a PUG it whas in thunderhead after you beat the last mursaat boss a big bunch of white mantle appear.

whell it took some ppl too long and everybody left only me and the monk remained and whe owned the group of white mantle

.

he whas one of the better monks

EternalTempest

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

United States

Dark Side Ofthe Moon [DSM]

E/

03 Nov 2005 at 14:46 - 23

I only do pugs with the game. I think part of that is the reason why I get as much gold and required longer to get PvE 100% done but I have no objections. There a lot of bad ones but there are great one from time to time. In fact, last night

Since I have 100% of my ele skills unlocked, working on doing the bonus missions I've missed. Hooked up with this great player. Knocked out Dunes of Despair, Ice Cave of Sorrows, and Iron Mines. Even got my pumpkin Infused.

Did similiar theme to OP, just grab people with being slightly selective and reserving the finaly 1 to 2 slots with healers (and not doing the "pure monk" thing either, we had E/Mo too).

qwe4rty

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2005

Texas

Brewed to Perfection [BtP]

03 Nov 2005 at 15:20 - 24

My best PuG was really just a joke in Tombs.
I get an invite and I decided to join, just to check things out.
He enters mission, I see we have 4 hench, .. uh..ok... I'll check it out.
Won 3 fights, one was flawless, before we lost to a high ranked guild. Was one of the funnest things in the world, every1 was talking and it was just hilarious.

Had to go afterwards, but I'll always remember that. This was only a few weeks ago too.

Sharpe_116

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2005

The Adventurers Society

Mo/W

03 Nov 2005 at 17:01 - 25

When i was a noobie all i did was join PUG groups. But now i have guildies who are much more xperianced and.. better than random people... Although sometimes i do join some PUG groups for fissure and sorrows(when im rlly desperate) and HoH

. But if i had to choose over guildies and random people.... guess who. Now i have a story about random groups

back in the day when air spike groups still roamed the pvp world. In tombs i joined an air spiker group which actually used ts. too my astonishment WE MADE IT TO HOH! AND HELD IT FOR 7 ROUNDS. i couldent beleive it lol!. But i haveto admit these guys were skilled, counting down attacks, everyone hitting at the same time !. ill always remember

but now their ain tno air spikers no more

just ranger spikers and iways GRRRR

Raz Silverwing

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2005

Questionable Knights [QK]

03 Nov 2005 at 18:13 - 26

I've encountered air spikers in the past week. Really really good ones at that.

And forget what I said about my thunderhead PUG, trying it with my monk, no one dies till the mursaat swarm at the end and everyone attacks their own target.

And how is it possible to lose at the end of thunderhead keep 3 times in half a hour?