How to go about organising an instance run (Grouping Up)

version 3.0 (previous version: August 2007)

Sometimes, getting a group for an instance or quest is easy. But other times, guildies aren't available, and nobody on your friendslist wants to go. When this happens, most people seem to give up alltogether and log off for the night, or hang around one of the major cities for HOURS, LFG-ing. When you do get a group together and complain in guild chat about how dreadful the party is... it makes your guildleader feel as blah as you

I think all that's needed to avoid such situations, is a little deliberation when organising trips, or a little ingenuity So here's a little guide! (Click read more). Hopefully this will improve the guild when it comes to instancing and activity

ORGANISING EVENTS
Say, you're only able to log in late at night, like 22.00 game time, and you just want to get a group going to that one instance you need to do. You can of course predict that when you log in, most guildies will be either already in an instance, or doing other things. Just looking at the guild-tab ingame will tell you if there's any use in asking for help in guild chat, too!

One way to make sure (or increase the odds) that you can go instance right when you log in, is agreeing with other people in advance to go together. The best way to plan an instance, and find extra party-members while you're offline, is to use our event system. However, if you just enter an instancerun into the event system, without discussing it with guildies beforehand, it might not yield any results. It'll be one-way communication and counter-effective.

IN SHORT:
- Don't expect people to be ready and waiting for you when you log in! Make sure you plan ahead a bit for best results.
- Tell people in guildchat you want to go to this instance/do that quest, and explain why you want to go to this instance. Epic mount quest? Super duper cool item? XP? Reputation? People will want to help you if they understand you!
- Make sure people know you're planning ahead. If people say 'sure, I can help you with it sometime', discuss with them privately what would be a good day and time.
- Use our event system to enter your event, and wait 5 minutes so it shows up on everyone's calendar. Tell the people you talked with that you put it in the calendar ("hint hint")
- Mention the new event in guildchat.

As some guildies have noted, it helps tremendously to have an "instance buddy" of whom you're sure to go someplace. You'll be less likely to give up on the party if you have someone you were planning to do it with, and it's a great starting point for getting more people (by combining your friendslists or using the table below).

GETTING YOUR GROUP FILLED
So, it's time to start your instance. But, some one didn't show up (boo!) or no more than two/three people signed up. How to make sure you fill it with capable people?

First, establish which roles you and the present people will fill within the party. If you have to resort to taking along some unknowns, it's best to go with the most classic party-setup: healer/tank/support/dps/dps. Support being a hybrid class that can fill two different roles when things go awry (offtank/heal).

Then, when you know what you're looking for, you can check your friendslist. However, if you're like me, half the names on it you don't recognize, and the people of the proper class are already in an instance!

DON'T DESPAIR!
There is a top trick I use to fill my group with good people. I don't look at people, I look at guild names. Some guilds have a reputation of not having any recruitment rules (and offer a higher chance of rude, quiet people that afk out), and some do. Here are some examples of guilds that I feel good about. If you want me to add some, let me know!

• Origin (R) - A raiding guild. The guildleader, Helsinki/September, is a friend of Yreia/Eolan and from what I've gathered from conversations, a nice person. I assume their guildies are too
• Tabula Rasa (C/R) - What I've seen from this guild is positive
• The Companions (C/R) - Casual guild with ambitions to do 25-mans, friendly people

C = casual, R=raiding, C/R = casual/raiding

Just type /who guildname ingame and ask the person of the class you need (first check they're not in an instance already!), or whisper one of the names in the 'guild leader/contacts' column to ask if they can pass the message in guildchat that you need one or two people for your group. If they don't have people that can help, ask if they can recommend anyone (especially asking for a recommendation can work wonders).

Be friendly when you whisper people, and tell them why you're whispering them before you ask them to come with you. I usually say, "I'm a friend of so-and-so in your guild, have had a great experience with you guys, and was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my guildies to {instance}". But if you don't know anyone, you can say, "You guys are well-known, have a great reputation, and I'm looking for a {class} for {instance}, are you interested?". A little sucking up goes a long way

In the type of guild you can find what kind of people you can expect from the guild. Casual/raiding guilds usually have more silent and better focused people, so if you deem an instance particularly difficult, you could choose to try those guilds first. If you're just looking for a great time, or some questing, casual guilds can often provide a great party atmosphere.

Remember: Always show people through behaviour and enthousiasm that instancing with you will guarantee a good time!