How reliable are PUG groups and PUG websites/apps?

Community General Discussion
1

Hi there,

I’m a shift worker with an unreliable schedule, which makes it hard to find a stable group of people to play with, which will make me resort to PUGs when i reach max level,

After asking around on my usual online forums, people have told me that this playstyle is viable but an absolutely miserable experience. This alone makes me consider dropping the game until i’ve found a job with a stable schedule, which is something i really don’t want to do. I have loved this game for a long time and i just want to be able to do end-game content without considering self-harm.

If there’s anyone else that has this playstyle, what is your experience ? Is it viable at all ?

And are there any better options out there to find a group excluding the in-game group finder ?

Thank you for reading, Godspeed.

2

Personally I’d say, if you’re not playing Tank or Healer, don’t bother. Play another game.

If you have absolutely no regard for your own time, you can PUG as Ret.

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3

What.

I pugged to +15 with no problems on this.

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4

You got me before my edit.

5

I work a job with an irregular schedule aswell and I still manage to get KSM, end up with 3k score and get curve with people I got to know in the game.

That really is the solution, find people and make friends that are willing to take you whenever they and you are available.

Working irregularly doesn’t mean you can’t have social contact x) although it might be a while till you find people, however it depends on your own effort.

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6

Less than a day after deciding to play my mage I was at +15 from pugging. More like a few hours of playing.

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7

@OP - some communities and discord servers are the way to go, pugging just through the dungeon finder is miserable.

You CAN pug m+ as a dps, however, you’ll spend about twice-thrice as long in the group finder as you’d spend in the dungeon. Healers and especially tanks are bis for pugs, because they can get 3 dungeons done in the time it would take you to get one done as a dps.

8

Was the Mage linked to your other characters? That’s like the WoW equivalent to having a famous surname and also being related to the famous person.

9

Eh. I’m close to giving up on healing in pugs because people are so bad at dpsing. Like, I’m seeing people in 270+ gear doing less dps than my mage at 252 that doesn’t even have full tier set and has a 236 ZM trinket… In +20 keys…

I think I’d rather just play my mage at this point.

This is from trying to do DoS as moonkin, the other dps noticed the mage dps;

Like, 274 gear and doing 7k dps and then being “nope” when told he needs to practice. MY MAGE IS DOING LIKE 11K DPS.

Well, yes, but rio didn’t link it because it was namechanged when I changed race on it and didn’t have the data until the update today. So people didn’t see my highest score at the time I was getting my key up to +15.

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10

Seems like with whoever you play they are always bad.

11

Most people are horrible at the game.

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12

Well, you are the best player in the world by miles, so it must be difficult for you.

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13

Not the best player by miles. Just not the average pug guy who goes like this:

And then proceeds to die to pretty much everything that can be avoided. “HURR LOOK AT ME, IM PLAYING HIGH, HAHA SO FUNNY”.

LET’S RUN INTO THE MASKS SPAWNED BY THE SPIRITS IN DOS AND DIE BECAUSE I’M HIGH:

XdDDDDDDDDDDD

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14

This is true, and one of the reasons is that the game fails completely to provide adequate feedback on when you’re doing well versus when you’re doing badly. For some players doing 7k dps might feel like they’re doing well, especially when they have no ingame way of comparing themselves. They may not be using rio or warcraftlogs and have no idea that 7k dps really isn’t a lot. They get their dungeons done because they get carried but feel like they’ve achieved something.

An individual, Torghast-style rating system that shows you your performance at the end of the dungeon relative to others playing the same spec and ilvl in the same dungeon might be good so that mage knows his performance is you know - C+.

Or a DMC-style rating system that rates you all the time in combat. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones had a great system, in which the Prince’s shadow would constantly judge him in combat, pushing you to be more aggressive and acrobatic to get better ratings.

Then players will pursue the S ratings and will want to improve to get better grades.

Right now, other than you telling them they stink, there’s no adequate way of knowing they’re not doing well.

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15

Elahri must have taken up half the internet with his hoard of screenies to show how ossum he is and how bad everyone else is.

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16

I’d have thought enough people would quit on someone doing 7k dps with 274 gear long before they can get anywhere close to +20 but evidently not. I’d legit stop playing a character if I was doing that low dps on it with that kind of gear, maybe even delete it. It would never even cross my mind to say “nope” if someone suggested I need more practice if I was doing that kind of DPS at that ilvl.

I mean… Have you seen people in WoW or any game for that matter?

17

You getting your key to +15 still has no real bearing on what OP asked: Is PUGing miserable and a waste of time?

You frequently claim you leave keys and when there is a “punish leavers” thread you are against that. Why do you ever leave if PUGs are so fun and not a waste of time?

18

I leave keys where people are out of their depth. That’s the smart thing to do. If I’d stay in those keys, I’d think it’s miserable.

19

Yeah, so if OP gets out of their depth people will leave, OP’s key will lower and they’ll be miserable and not having fun.

Which is why I told them to not bother unless they are a Healer or a Tank.

20

I mean, just go again.