"microsoft ensures a reputation system that recognizes false reports"

True enough @Genchy. They didn't have to be on your FL. It just seemed like that was the intention, since the only way to get a full group if you couldn't get enough people together via FL, was to hang out and spam people in the social areas.

That's pretty much how I did... still do it, actually, myself if I'm not in the mood to deal with riff raff. Party up and lock it down. Although TBH... I find most gaming lobbies to be more silent than anything else anymore.

 

@Blue

Destiny is a perfect example of why something different would make for a better gaming experience.

I quit Destiny at 20 just for the reason you brought up. The people on my friends list that were playing it was limited and those that were playing were spread out level wise. I either had to "pug" strikes or spam for groups.

Game hub groups would have been simple. Event calendar post "looking for 3 people for X at such and such time". people sign up, we meet at intended time and game on.

No spending weeks trying to meet random people, befriend them while increasing my friends list to astronomical numbers in order to accomplish the same thing.

 

I think there were a few lfg sites for raids. I just never bothered with them. IMO the raids were just long enough to be a PITA considering what you got from them... that eventually wasn't worth getting after the next update came along.

Don't know why you'd quit at 20 just because of that. It wasn't impossible to find groups. Maybe a bit more effort to look on the web, in which case it wouldn't be much different than having a hub. Only difference is you'd have to use 2 devices to put it
together.

Even at that, I only found that I needed 1 or 2 other friends when I did want to go after some raid gear. Between myself, them and people on their lists, we could get a group together. When the Crota DLC came out, I had 2 or 3 friends that would start running
that raid and do it back to back, over several characters, and do it 2 or 3 times each character just to get practice for when 'reset' day came... so they could get it done really quick to get more chances at gear. They'd spam me to join. I got tired of it
TBH. Felt like that's all I was doing was the raid... and you only got the really good stuff the first time after reset.

 

Actually Randver and Blue Destiny had (still has up to a point) a thriving community on here, many friendships were made and raids, strikes organised with like minded people on here. There was even a forum clan. So no need for a game hub, if you had
participated in the thread here.

 

I did pop into the thread here a time or so @Genchy.

As much as I try to be tolerant (and I feel I'm at least semi successful) of a lot of different types of people... there are a few that I just wouldn't be able to do so without muting them. That makes for awkward conversations.

Not that I don't appreciate the thought, but no thanks. I did well enough with my FL. I actually do have a few people from these forums on my FL, but don't think I've gamed with them.

 

I agree about muting some, in fact I did that when playing Horizon with a couple of regulars here, but I managed to party up with good folk and added many great people. The system as it is works for me.

 

@Blue

Don't know why you'd quit at 20 just because of that. It wasn't impossible to find groups. Maybe a bit more effort to look on the web, in which case it wouldn't be much different than having a hub. Only difference is you'd have to use 2 devices
to put it together.

I already do that and have since the ability to do it has been available. The problem is that only a small percentage of console gamers know you can do it so that's why I think integrating into the console or even games (like NCAA football online destiny
league's did) would make it easier.

Quitting Destiny had more to do with the lack of matchmaking. The level design, boss fights, etc just seemed lazy. Start at point A, fight to B which will be a small dead end, let Ghost analyze, repair something while you fight off waves of pop in mobs or
kill a high HP, bullet sponge boss, rinse, repeat.

 

I already do that and have since the ability to do it has been available. The problem is that only a small percentage of console gamers know you can do it so that's why I think integrating into the console or even games (like NCAA
football online destiny league's did) would make it easier.

I don't think that's the case, at least not entirely. You have stated here before in different conversations, that many PC gamers also game on console. You did so in order to make the point that, contrary to what some people on
these forums may seem to convey in their opinions, we don't exist in a 'Xbox' bubble. I agree with that, but that being true, it also works the other way. It makes no difference if PC gamers also play Xbox, or Xbox gamers also game on PC... both cases have
PC experience. In fact, it would be nigh impossible to find people that have an Xbox but no PC.

Draw that to its natural conclusion and (IMO) anyone who has at least the most basic PC skills can search on the internet. Therefore, the only thing missing in the equation of "I wonder if I can find a group on a website since I
can't find one through my FL"... is the motivation to do so... and I find that more believable than only a small percentage of console gamers knowing it can be done.

In fact, I'm a perfect example. I found a group of gamers and added quite a few of them to my FL shortly after I started my XBL sub over 10 years ago... and I did so because I "wondered if I could find a group of like minded people
on the computer since I couldn't find them very easily on XBL"



Quitting Destiny had more to do with the lack of matchmaking. The level design, boss fights, etc just seemed lazy. Start at point A, fight to B which will be a small dead end, let Ghost analyze, repair something while you fight
off waves of pop in mobs or kill a high HP, bullet sponge boss, rinse, repeat.

Pretty much no disagreement here. At least not enough to spur further discussion.

 

@Blue

Therefore, the only thing missing in the equation of "I wonder if I can find a group on a website since I can't find one through my FL"... is the motivation to do so... and I find that more believable than only a small percentage of console gamers
knowing it can be done.

I agree 100 percent with your logic but look at GG's last response to me. I've either done a horrible job of explaining how it works or he's completely oblivious to the options available off the console to organize and find people ( other than going into
a gaming forum and going the "looking for people to play with" route).

This site isn't as active as it used to be but gives a good example of what could be integrated into the console
www.theoldergamers.com/divisions

The larger groups seem to have disappeared in favor of smaller ones that cater to a more specific demographic (time zones, age, genre of games) but they all work similar to the above site.

 

I don't know Rand.

I followed your link. I decided to look into a few games, just to see.

First link I clicked was a home page link. OK, that took me to a brief rundown of the game and etc. Not what I was really looking for.

Decided to check out the link(s) labeled "Division Forum". First one I tried threw me a page that told me I hadn't followed a valid link and to contact an administrator.

Decided to go to another game's "Division Forum" and did get to its forum page.

So now I'm left with a decision of which do I want to do... sign up/create an account. Input whatever criteria I decide to use in order to find people with similar interests. After I get the list of groups, comb through that to find people and then find
the ones that are online currently, is there an extra step for finding out if there are groups currently playing, with open slots?... correct me if I'm wrong, I'm guessing this is probably close to the number of steps involved since I don't have much experience
with this process at all.

Now I realize that integrating this into XBL will eliminate a few of those steps. But still... I'd have to do this every time I get a game.

I think the point that GG was trying to make is that the way it works now is. Buy game, install and start playing, choose MP match making.

It's very true that convenience has its cost, but that kind of convenience seems to have some people convinced it's worth combing through riff raff and tossing the bad apples (which may be tedious, but it isn't hard to do) in comparison to having to use
that system for every game.

 

@Blue

The site I linked is specifically for older gamers (25 is apparently old in their world) so the site itself is limiting the demographic with that requirement.

The way most of them work now is you find your group/game and go to the events calendar. The event calendar allows you to join a planned event or make an event for people to join. You arrive in game at the event start time. It's like me asking a friend on
Tues if he wants to grab lunch on Fri rather than asking Fri at lunch time. The more friends being invited to lunch, the more likely the advance notice will allow then all to attend.

It does take pre-planning so definitely not useful for someone who's gaming time is a half hour whenever they can squeeze it in. As I said before this will never replace "join match" and shouldn't but it expands peoples options significantly for those who
choose to use it. (racing, FIFA, Madden leagues, end game content in games like Diablo, Destiny, Borderlands, any MMO, etc etc etc )

 

I can see that working and working well for those who are planners. But as hectic as life seems to be for many people nowadays, it's not the 'how well' but the 'for how many' that makes me wonder about it's usefulness.

The way it is now has its limitations, but the quick and easy factor is not to be denied (not saying it is). Not to mention... it isn't hard for me to know the times I may be available to play 'Game X' next week... but, if I decide I'm not in the mood to
play that game by the time 'game day' arrives, it doesn't do me much good.

In short, at least for me, setting game dates... easy. Predicting game moods / preferences... life happenings in between... not so much.

As long as it doesn't interfere with what's there now and how it works... fine by me.