Queues for full PvE Maps instead of "Join in "

[Chelu.2095]

Spamming "Join in " for Meta-Events is just frustrating. To gamble for a spot is not fun. Queues that give us atleast a idea if there is a chance to join would make joining Meta-Events alot more enjoyable. Ofc you can always join 20min earlier to get a spot, but thats not the point of this post. Make joining full Maps more enjoyable. Queues like the WvW one would improve the open world/world boss/meta event experience alot. If you have a few friends on a full map and you try over and over and over again to join without any idea if you can join in the end or not, it feels awful!

Did anyone of you experienced the same?

Edit: This post is not about easy joining. A full Map is full. But if you still want to join that map, there should be a queue and not a gamble to do it. It feels awful to spam a button without any idea if you have a chance. Imagine the feel of someone else telling you he could join the map after you tried to get in for 10min and he klicked the button once. Its not fun and not a fair system at all.

[Danikat.8537]

A queue wouldn't mean you're any more likely to get into the map. If you can't enter then that means it's full and you have to wait until someone leaves, and if it's a meta-event that's not likely to happen until it's over or someone's computer crashes, which is relatively unlikely so chances are you'd be queuing until the event is over and then getting into a useless map. It would only save you having to spam join and change it from a 'first one to click the button after someone leaves' to 'first one to join the queue' getting in.

But on that understanding I'd be ok with it, as long as you only got put into a queue when trying to join someone in a full map, and in all other situations you continue to go into a seperate instance instead.

[Dami.5046]

I just wish they did the drop down menu GW1 had so you could chose the 'district' you wanted.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Dami.5046 said:I just wish they did the drop down menu GW1 had so you could chose the 'district' you wanted.

They designed the current system assuming that wouldn't ever be desirable (bad assumption, as it turned out, but their original goal was a game that would make that option seem superfluous).

However, it's been some time since people have provided ANet with good reasons for swapping instances, so I hope they've put some time in figuring out some alternatives. Queues are the obvious choice, but as @"Danikat.8537" points out, often worse than the status quo. Another possibility would be to auto-populate LFG when there are multiple instances (making it similar to the "choose a district" option in GW1). The game could also change the conditions under which a new map spawns (e.g. soft-capping with fewer people, so that more instances spawn, reducing the need for map swapping), timing out instances more readily (to mitigate the impact of stalled event chains), and providing more transparency in LFG ("this squad is in IP 231, which is nearly full" etc).

[Biff.5312]

If there were a queue I suspect that because it's easier to 'sign up', you'd end up with more people competing for the spots. I doubt it would lead to it being easier to get into the map - probably the opposite.

[Orion Templar.4589]

I'm also in favor of some kind of queue, or simpler way to manage/view/join instances. The constant "right-click join, map is full, click ok, try again" cycle definitely gets tiring. And on the flip side, when you're doing an event and you lose connection, I'd like to have a few minutes of grace period where your "spot is saved" and you can get back into that map instance after you regain connection (whether you're part of a group or not). It's been awhile since that problem happened to me, but in the past it was especially frustrating in Dragon's Stand to make it nearly to the end, disconnect, then be unable to get back into my map instance because someone else took my spot and the map was full.

[Skotlex.7580]

I am guessing this would really only make sense for maps with a long meta in which dropoff half way are likely. In other words: dragon's stand.

For all other PvE content it's just.... unlikely that anybody will want to leave the full instance until the meta is over, and then it doesn't really make sense to go into that instance.

[mortrialus.3062]

@"Danikat.8537" said:A queue wouldn't mean you're any more likely to get into the map. If you can't enter then that means it's full and you have to wait until someone leaves, and if it's a meta-event that's not likely to happen until it's over or someone's computer crashes, which is relatively unlikely so chances are you'd be queuing until the event is over and then getting into a useless map. It would only save you having to spam join and change it from a 'first one to click the button after someone leaves' to 'first one to join the queue' getting in.

But on that understanding I'd be ok with it, as long as you only got put into a queue when trying to join someone in a full map, and in all other situations you continue to go into a seperate instance instead.

Saving everyone from having to spam "Right Click Join Instance" the entire freaking time is a huge deal on it's own. Right now you're already not guaranteed to ever get in, it doesn't matter if you entered early or not compared to the other stragglers. Right now is the absolute worst of all worlds. At least a WvW queue style system is less of an active headache to deal with.

[Aaralyna.3104]

I honestly don't like to see any queue system. The one for WvW is already bad enough. Aka I am not even trying to start joining wvw when i see a queue on all maps. I like current system. However, a tiny popup menu where you can switch maps would be nice (in case you end on a map with buggy event). Now you need to find some lfg to change maps (and they usually don't exist in bugged maps).

[Dami.5046]

Queue makes no difference if you want to get to a meta event. It would just be even more annoying.

[Gehenna.3625]

And what if you don't want to do the meta but just want another map to open so you can do map completion or whatever? I mean if you're put in a queue that means it won't open another map instance and I wouldn't want to be in a queue for a map because of a meta I don't actually want to do.

[Jura.2170]

Queue for this map, is a good idea

[Rasimir.6239]

It's already a nuisance trying to play events on a map when you find tons of people just standing around without participating because they'd rather spam join on the "free loot" map than try and get things going on the current map. A (visible) queue would give even more people the incentive to proclaim the current map as dead and just stand around until their queue pops, while scaling events into oblivion for those around that actually want to play the map/instance they are on. You can probably do away with megaserver for many maps at that point and just replace the copies with a generic waiting room.

[JPUlisses.8756]

This is still needed.

[Kruhljak.2705]

Agreed.  And we're about to see this sort of thing all over again with the Halloween Labyrinth.

[torakun.9638]

I may have a solution.. may be flaw here I dont know..

 

1. Make the people who already inside the main map to have a timer to move or otherwise be put into overflow map. (This could battle the- "camping for loot" - type of people)

2. Anet need to distribute the population by capping the number of ppl. Say 70% cap in the main map, the rest into the next map automatically ON META EVENTS only. Therefore the next map will still have a fighting chance when the starting time getting closer, that 30% number can grow into 65-70%.

3. Minor maybe but give much better incentive to deliberately move to overflow map from the main map to help out. Limited in number though, otherwise the overflow map will turn into main map.

For example, volunteer to help overflow map will get: 2hr exp boost, 10k karma. Plus extra reward when the overflow map META is succeed, massive boost in Magic Find and Movement speed.

I can see the flaw on the first map being people use bot to press buttons, however, bot shouldn't exist in this game anyway, so its up to Anet's detection system toward botters.

Edited September 23, 2021 by torakun.9638

[ASP.8093]

9/10 of the time your queue won't pop until the meta is done. Seems like it would encourage more frustration and confusion, not less.

(The optimal zero-frustration scenario, imo? Don't spam join if the map is full. Just recognize that you didn't get in and go do something else.)

[Rasimir.6239]

28 minutes ago, torakun.9638 said:

may have a solution.. may be flaw here I dont know..

The main problem I see here is that technically there is no such thing as a "main" or an "overflow" map. All instances of a map are equal, the number is determined by the number of players that currently want to play in that map, and all players again are equal, no matter the reason they join the map (completion, story, meta, chatting with friends, whatever).

 

Other than that, as far as I can see, the system already works similarly to what you propose: every map has a soft cap, after which new players entering the map are not automatically put on that map instance any longer. It is however possible for players to join that map instance on purpose (via joining a party member already on that instance), up to the hard cap or players on the map.

The game has no way of knowing if a player coming into a map is going there to join a meta event or not, so changing map population rules based on event status isn't feasible. A few maps try something like it, but only by blocking all entrance during certain event phases to stop people from "leeching" the meta rewards. As you can see by people afk-ing in some of the more involved meta maps (e.g. Dragon's Stand), even that doesn't stop those that are focussed on reaping the rewards without helping to get there.

[BadHealer.3608]

On 2/20/2019 at 11:22 PM, Skotlex.7580 said:

For all other PvE content it's just.... unlikely that anybody will want to leave the full instance until the meta is over, and then it doesn't really make sense to go into that instance.

You are serious telling me that if a meta is happening magical all players will stay on the map? So the following wont happen at all if a meta is running:

 

- People leaving the map, after they did finish exploring

- People playing their story and leaving the map

- People are leaving for PVP and WVE

- People are joining their guild/friends on other maps

- People got disconnected  / computer crashed / internet went down

 

I'm quite often on maps and I'm ignoring the meta, because I'm busy with other things or I already got my daily reward from it. There where NEVER a magical force that stop me from leaving the map, when I want to, even if the meta is running.

 

I also have been on the other side of the coin and wanted to join a map with a meta. Even with a group of 10 people. From these 10 people 8 where able to join the map, 2 weren't. Only way to join a full map is to stand in the other map, do nothing beside spamming join instance. That is absolutely no fun, but in 8/10 times you will get your reward so this "work" is still worth it.

 

Of course it would be much better if you could do something on the map that you are right on, but the more often you press the join instance the higher your chance to join the instance.

[ProtoGunner.4953]

It's 2021 and they should just increase the amount of players who can join a map. AB usually has like 100-200 ppl. The maps are huge and it's annoying if you can't join. Lately happened to me with Gerent and Tequatl while friends could do it and I tried for 10mins to join. It's stupid. Got worse latels, usually it worked out, but I think PCs got better.

[Gehenna.3625]

4 hours ago, ProtoGunner.4953 said:

It's 2021 and they should just increase the amount of players who can join a map. AB usually has like 100-200 ppl. The maps are huge and it's annoying if you can't join. Lately happened to me with Gerent and Tequatl while friends could do it and I tried for 10mins to join. It's stupid. Got worse latels, usually it worked out, but I think PCs got better.

I don't know if it's a matter of "just" increasing the amount of players who can join a map instance. It's not a matter of size of the map but the performance loss per player on a map instance. More players simply means poorer performance. 

 

PCs got better but not everyone has a new PC and even with better PCs the frame rate can get pretty dire with lots of people around in the same map instance. It's just the nature of an MMO with a persistent world. Some games are better than others at it. This game is a lot better than SWTOR in that respect for example.

[ProtoGunner.4953]

1 minute ago, Gehenna.3625 said:

I don't know if it's a matter of "just" increasing the amount of players who can join a map instance. It's not a matter of size of the map but the performance loss per player on a map instance. More players simply means poorer performance. 

 

PCs got better but not everyone has a new PC and even with better PCs the frame rate can get pretty dire with lots of people around in the same map instance. It's just the nature of an MMO with a persistent world. Some games are better than others at it. This game is a lot better than SWTOR in that respect for example.

I agree with you to a certain point. But HoT was released 6 years ago and naturally the general player got better PCs. And with the help of DX11 hopefully this issue will be resolved.

[Hashberry.4510]

This would less of an issue if players had not gotten into the habit of chaining metas, rather than insuring you get to a map early so you and your friends may play together. Meta trains are a blast, but it’s not always going to get you on the map you want.

[Excursion.9752]

I've always thought if you are commanding a squad of 35-50 and you use a way point that it should give you the option of opening up a new instance.  Then people could join you in your map.

[Gehenna.3625]

5 hours ago, ProtoGunner.4953 said:

I agree with you to a certain point. But HoT was released 6 years ago and naturally the general player got better PCs. And with the help of DX11 hopefully this issue will be resolved.

We'll see. I am always surprised when I see people talk about their 10-year-old PCs. DX11 could do something but I'll believe it when I see it and I'm not expecting it to enable an increase of population in map instances. But hey, I'll gladly be wrong 😉