Devs: When will we get Fleet Only / Raid Group ability?

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This has become my fleet's number one issue. Trying to get even 15 members of our fleet into the same fleet action instance is a real challenge. For fleet actions such as Crystal Enitity, the more players you can trust, the better chance you can have in completing it.

There is already a stickied thread in Game Play: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=116301

It has nearly 700 responses, including a Dev response to say "I fully support this and would like to see it become a feature +1".

What exactly does feature +1 mean?

Can we get a Dev response to give us an idea on what progress is being made on this issue?

When can we expect to see this in-game?

Again, this is a major issue. We can easily spend over an hour just trying to get our fleet into the same instance. Places like "The Big Dig" have proven to be extremely difficult, or its broken again "No available maps" kept on coming up last night.

Thank you, and please keep this constructive.

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Ive only been in a fleet a few days and allready i see the problems.
Take for example the CE , we went there for a fleet event , some of us just couldnt join the same instance , so perhaps the ability to create a fleet only instance somewhow?

I see this the reason many fleets are coming and going.

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Ive only been in a fleet a few days and allready i see the problems.
Take for example the CE , we went there for a fleet event , some of us just couldnt join the same instance , so perhaps the ability to create a fleet only instance somewhow?

I see this the reason many fleets are coming and going.

Yes, it has been an issue, right from launch. Unfortunately it did not make it into Season One: Comman Ground.

I really hope it hits before Season Two, this really is one of the biggest problems many fleets have mentioned.

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Yes, please, for the love of god, let us do FLEET ONLY or BY INVITE ONLY Fleet Actions.

THere's really no other way to test your Fleet's ability to cooperatve and get things done together if some random noob can come in and screw it all up...especially on the Crystalline Entity run.

Together with the difficulty sliding scale which is coming soon, this would massively enhance gameplay and the fun of playing with who you want to play with.

G

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Yes, this is a big issue for us. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I am not a game programmer, but it seems to me, if we are already joined as a Fleet in the Game, it wouldn't be too difficult for the Game to know that and let us start our own instance! / ? !

WHY won't the mission spawn a number of instances and allow more people?
. . . even allow password only instances?

Cryptic, you had to see this coming right?

I am new to MMO's and I hear a great deal about RAID Groups, what gives?

DFC Turner
www.fleet7.com

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This absolutely should be a priority for inclusion in the game as soon as possible. It makes no sense not to make the game friendly for large group activity.

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Its even more of a problem now that you have leveling. Last night I beamed down with a five man team and 2 players end up in a different instance base on there level on THE BIG DIG.

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Yes I am going to have to agree on this one. Being a fleet leader you don't know how aggravating this becomes when you try to get 15 to 20 members into the same instance of a fleet action it has taken us over an hour at times to get everyone in. I'm a little disappointed to say the least. Cryptic can you please fix this. I love the game just would like to see grouping get a little easier. Thanks...

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Yes I am going to have to agree on this one. Being a fleet leader you don't know how aggravating this becomes when you try to get 15 to 20 members into the same instance of a fleet action it has taken us over an hour at times to get everyone in. I'm a little disappointed to say the least. Cryptic can you please fix this. I love the game just would like to see grouping get a little easier. Thanks...


I concur with the Admiral...It really is a frustrating thing when you can't get all of your fleet members in the same instance.

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I must concur with my learned colleagues. It doesn't seem like it would be that huge of a deal and indeed, is the purpose of a MMO ... to allow large groups of people to play together.

Dear Cryptic, please address this as soon as practical. Fleet play is one of the only reasons I subscribe to this service, versus some other game where I usually would play alone.

//FiGiN

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Bump for Devs

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Greetings,

From:
Capt. Vital
7th Fleet Marine Division (Task Force 80)

I am here to support my fellow men and women in fleet combat.

Fleet Actions:
1) Big Dig toke one and a half hours to get most 7th Fleet into a fleet action together. From what I understand only one member of the fleet was left outside and couldn’t get in. All attempts to get him in failed.

2) Tostig System fleet action was a total failure of grouping the 7th fleet together. Many of the 7th members ended up in different instances with no ability to change instance. All of us were locked in that seemed a instance forever. I was personally locked into an instance all by myself. The few luck ones were ability to get in with each other on the first try and continued on without the others, as there was no option to get the fleet together.

This is a huge issue for any fleet that tries to get together and fight the good fight. It is also a massive tactical disadvantage to every fleet trying to at each other. Nothing about the current setup helps in any way shape or form. I would like to ask all developers for your help to fix this issue and make Star Trek Online a better place for all.

I also understand as a person that knows a bit of programming and developing games it will likely take time to fix this issue. I completely understand that; please give it your best shot. And give the developers my best; they have done a great job killing the bugs.

Thank you for your time,
Capt. Vital out.

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I agree fully.Instances should have a fleet only option.Kinda like hosting in some games or make a option to lock out the instance with a password.Or make it a mission to win fleet only instances.

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This one is a "No Brainer" Fleet actions are core to this game .....Fleets must be given a way to access Fleet Actions and not be forced to try to get all their members in the same pug instance. How successful would other MMO's be if they didnt allow their Guilds to run raids in their own instances. Can you imagine the bru ha ha that would occur if WoW ran only Pug raids. Fleet Actions and Raidisodes must be made available for Fleets as well as for Pug groupings. This is a must !!!

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Bump again for the Dev's!!

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I have to concur with the rest of the community at large.

Please figure out a way to allow raid level groups of 20 to form up, rather than fleets having to form 4 seperate 5 man teams. Allow raid size groups to spawn their own instances for fleet actions. The instances don't necessarily have to be private (although I'm sure some fleets would want it that way), but when my fleet schedules a 2 or 3 hour event tied to something like the CE or the Big Dig - and we spend 80% of the time just all trying to get in to the same instance, it's incredibly frustrating, if not disheartening.

In all honesty Cryptic, the main reason I am still paying a sub fee for this game right now is because of the fleet I'm in. They're a great bunch of guys that add a whole other level to the game for me. Make this a priority, make it so I can play with them without frustration, if you would. It'll keep me on the hook a lot longer.

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This has been a real issue from the start of the game, this is an issue that involves all fleets and players that form up task forces to do big missions like this. The problems extend not to just getting your fleet mates in but as someone stated above keeping the random factors out. People take time to set these events up Cryptic took the time to make the TF missions or raidasodes, fact is Cryptic we need this tool to help make these events run smoother. Allow me to relate an example, about two months back my Fleet did the CE the first couple of nights it went well, on the last night we could not complete the mission. We had enough people in the instance, we even coordinated between non fleet Captains to help everyone achieve a victory over the CE. We had a few people (Wild cards if you will ) dropping mines and running into the CE, these folks were asked to join up in groups and help by following the tactics at the time. The over all effect of everyone in this event joining in one band allowed for coverage of damaged ships, when to fire volleys who needed assistance and so on. The end result after almost two hours was a win for the CE some folks just did not want to do what we asked. I would like to post a video of the 7th completing the CE to show how a huge difference a fleet tool like this can make in TF and raidasodes. Keep in mind it took us some time to get every 7th fleet member into the same insatace and even then some were not able to get into the instance, others had to leave and we had to rotate people in so they could complete this mission.

Here is the vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHunkQFNMo&playnext_from=TL&videos=qkzqXmydjCg

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Can any of us that once we have done a certain fleet action , then have a quelist like pvp? so we can join a que and enter a FA from the start , its all a bit messy at the moment.....

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I have has this very problem yesterday. In fact a lot of problems with getting the fleet to be able to do stuff together.

Last night we had 8 of us online and wanted to do something together (getting a little sick of the solo grind) so we wanted to try out the new DS9 fleet action. No luck, first some were too low to even enter (wish we would have known that earlier and save so much travel time) and those of us at the same rank were unable to get into an instance together after 30 minutes of trying.

Then we try crystalline entity. A few members couldn't even get the prompt to enter and after 30 minutes not a single one of us could get into an instance together. In fact, I was stuck in an instance by myself unable to switch instances.

Please, all I ask is that I can play an MMO with my friends. One easy fix? Just reuse the code for inviting someone to your bridge. Use the UI and everything add a new item to the selection box for the "switch instance" window that is "create new private instance" and then just use the bridge invite window to invite people into your instance. Bam problem solved.

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From an outsider looking in it doesn't seem like the tech behind this would be all that complicated. This is a vital part of fleet actions and fleet in general and to be frank a standard in AAA titles. Understanding the time constraints you were under during development aside the fact that this still ins't implemented is confusing to me.

Coderanger, would you mind telling us, as only you seem able to do, how difficult tech wise it would be to implement this system? I really don't see any other reason why it wouldn't already be in game.

Respectfully,
-Vox

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This was the Dev posting back from February 23, 2009:


I have already submitted an internal ticket regarding this for a proper feature and it is on the DEV radar. Now, this does not in anyway mean this functionality is coming. Only that we are aware and will be dicussing this further.

If you would like to have this become a proper feature, please support this thread as it is directly linked to our internal ticket.

In order to best show community response please respond with "I fully support this and would like to see it become a feature +1." This will help us determine overall community response. If you have any suggestions or variations please also include those but again keep them brief and on this specific topic of Fleet specific instances.

Talk to your fellow community in game, in IRC, on the forums and use your voices, we are listening.

What eaxctly does "Feature +1" mean? Does it refer to some kind of a time table?

So far I would say that overall community response has been loud concerning this issue. Well over 600 relies on the Gameplay section of the forum.

With the added content that was released in Season One: Common Ground, this issue is even more important.

I thank Dev. Falforen for his support on this issue, but can we get a status report on the Dev's progress?

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I too find this situation unsat! What good is it to form a fleet and then NOT be able to get all of our members into the same instance? I would hope that the Devs are keeping up on forum post and look at what we're asking for.

On another topic, for Cryptic to form a user council is great. What isn't so great is the fact that it really doesn't represent us very well. To have two members from one fleet... Come on. I'd hope they would expand it so that each of the established fleets could get a seat on the council. That would provide much greater representation for the users!

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Agreed on the council, and a bump for this post.

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Looking for an update on this issue, since your last response to it was on February 23, 2009.

Is there a chance this is part of the new fleet tools mentioned in the Engineer's Report?

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I think it's a very sad day when we can not get a Dev's response on this question. Just let us know if your working on it or not. I noticed that most of the days posts had Devs responses the exception bieng this one.

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I have a work around but due to the nature I can not post it.

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I have a work around but due to the nature I can not post it.

A Dev had posted a work around back in February, but he said that the dev Team had this issue on their radar. I'm just wondering how long we have to wait or what is the current status on this issue.

The best work around is implementing a true Fleet Only Instancing system. Let us form 20 - 25 member raid groups. There is nothing new to this concept, it has been around in other MMos for years.

As I have said before, if Cryptic is going to make Task Force missions and Fleet Actions a major focus of STO's end game content, then they have to make it easier to get fleets into the same instance.

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A Dev had posted a work around back in February, but he said that the dev Team had this issue on their radar. I'm just wondering how long we have to wait or what is the current status on this issue.

The best work around is implementing a true Fleet Only Instancing system. Let us form 20 - 25 member raid groups. There is nothing new to this concept, it has been around in other MMos for years.

As I have said before, if Cryptic is going to make Task Force missions and Fleet Actions a major focus of STO's end game content, then they have to make it easier to get fleets into the same instance.

And by the time they fix it pigs will fly.

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What eaxctly does "Feature +1" mean? Does it refer to some kind of a time table?

The whole phrase there is basically meant to be a canned statement of approval so whichever intern Falkoren stuck on checking the thread occasionally can easily get a tally of interest. The +1 is another way of saying /signed.

Anyway, the main topic on this is a sticky and the responding devs are supportive. I assume as soon as they have any work to show on the matter it'd go there.

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leaving this out is a serious oversight in any instance-based game. private fleet instances should be implemented very soon! please! thank you!

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Bump...in hopes that a dev responds

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I received this responses in another thread....



We want to add a feature where Fleets can do their own Fleet actions - but requires some tech that we need from software (specifically Teams larger than 5 - or teams of teams /raid tech)

Cheers


This is something we are hoping software can deliver by the time Season 2 rolls out. We want Fleets to be able to run their own Fleet Actions. (seems like a big "duh" when I say it like that)



Thank you very much for this response, and sorry I missed your previous answer.....I will pass this along to the others that are following my thread on the topic.

Happy Birthday!

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At least there was a response from the Dev's.

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1) Big Dig toke one and a half hours to get most 7th Fleet into a fleet action together. From what I understand only one member of the fleet was left outside and couldn’t get in. All attempts to get him in failed.

I was just thinking that the same exact thing happened to us at DS9 Under Siege.

It can be very frustrating when you take the time to plan an event that includes the complications of coordinating a large group of people, only to be shot down by an environment that won't let you be together.

The fact is; fleets just aren't on the development radar for the near term. We can except this fact and readjust our expectations.

Or, we can continue to contribute to threads like this. I'm going to go back to my fleet and make them aware of this thread and others that discuss the missing logos, broken fleet bank tabs, lack of fleet meeting spaces, etc.

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I was just thinking that the same exact thing happened to us at DS9 Under Siege.

It can be very frustrating when you take the time to plan an event that includes the complications of coordinating a large group of people, only to be shot down by an environment that won't let you be together.

The fact is; fleets just aren't on the development radar for the near term. We can except this fact and readjust our expectations.

Or, we can continue to contribute to threads like this. I'm going to go back to my fleet and make them aware of this thread and others that discuss the missing logos, broken fleet bank tabs, lack of fleet meeting spaces, etc.

First, thank you for your support on this issue.

Secondly, we did get a Dev response and it is encouraging. It seems that we may get better Fleet or Teaming in instances as part of Season 2. Raid groups might be another story, perhaps requiring more tech.

But, if we can get 5 man teams into the same instance, then it won't be two difficult to get 10, or 15 in as well. You just send in the team leader in first, and he/she hits "call for reeforcements". Once the soft cap is broken a new instance will be created. Then the team leaders 1 - 4 or 5, jump into new instance and in theory we should have between 20 - 25 fleet members in the same instance.

The problem with the system now is that you can't always get a 5-man team in to begin with.

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they should look at wow and solve it like they did.
AND LEARN!
Let us form a "raid" fleet and then let us join a fleet instance (or whatever they are called).
When we join in a big group like that it creates an intance for that group.

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Yes, its allmost unbelievable it wasnt in from the start..
This game allready has a shallow MMO feel too it, without even fleets beeing too team up on the very rare occasions you actually need a fleet support, its a pain too get one all in one instance.

STO needs on all levels more grouping missions (space and ground) thusfar i only seen Crystal Entity that i coudnt solo, or do with a few randoms as fragmeat distraction so i could complete the mission..
Hope now with infestion i finnally going too hit the need for a fleet.

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Glad to see that a Dev replied on another thread and are planning to take care of this issue... Excellent post OP keep up the great work sir...

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First, thank you for your support on this issue.

Secondly, we did get a Dev response and it is encouraging. It seems that we may get better Fleet or Teaming in instances as part of Season 2. Raid groups might be another story, perhaps requiring more tech.

But, if we can get 5 man teams into the same instance, then it won't be two difficult to get 10, or 15 in as well. You just send in the team leader in first, and he/she hits "call for reeforcements". Once the soft cap is broken a new instance will be created. Then the team leaders 1 - 4 or 5, jump into new instance and in theory we should have between 20 - 25 fleet members in the same instance.

The problem with the system now is that you can't always get a 5-man team in to begin with.

Have you tried the workaround since the level banding update? The process was a bit tedious before. Now you can add the fact that the level banding works against grouping fleet members of differing ranks.

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Grouping is a standard function of any MMO, be it 5 man groups, or Fleet/Guild (more than 5+ members) groups. How can a company, especially one that has developed two other MMOs, not have planned for this functionality prior to release???

Getting around to it after release is just lame.

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Have you tried the workaround since the level banding update? The process was a bit tedious before. Now you can add the fact that the level banding works against grouping fleet members of differing ranks.

Yes we have, and it poses yet another road block for teaming up. But I'm assuming their side-kick system will work around this issue.

Grouping is a standard function of any MMO, be it 5 man groups, or Fleet/Guild (more than 5+ members) groups. How can a company, especially one that has developed two other MMOs, not have planned for this functionality prior to release???

Getting around to it after release is just lame.

I also found it strange that this issue was not anticipated, and even stranger that it was not taken care of in Season One.....but at least now they say it is in the works and we might expect it in Season 2.

Several Devs have already acknowledged that this is a much needed improvement in the game. That is a good enough response, for now, and I will wait to see what happens in the expansion.

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I wanted to throw my support behind the issue as well, bolstering what our fleet's first officer has said. Level banding may have not been the solution for fixing fleet action issues. Our fleet is comprised of all ranks who wish to play together in missions, simple as that. However they wish to implement that is their decision.

Fleets could definitely use some attention along the way in addition to the other content. There are many fleets in the game waiting for logos, more affordable banks tabs, and more.

Crandall out