We tried a year or so back to do a play through, leveling up new toons (we all played a heap way back when), and ran into this group finder thing.
Used to be you could just group up, and go in the front door of a dungeon by walking to it, and if you were under leveled, that was just something you had to deal with. If someone crashed, they could just re-enter and run back through.
The group finder blocked all this - had to do certain dungeons in a certain range and if you went over it or one person in the group did they were blocked from doing the content (no over leveled farm of drops or recipes either), if one person crashed they were loicked out and required completely restarting.
We ran into these issues at Black Temple (I tihnk) and everyone just quit.
Problem is I dont think you can. Unless they changed it, once you go past the level band they set for for each dungeon (sub 80), it will not let you enter it.
It used to be you could enter any dungeon, at any level, just by making your way there (under level or not) and walking in the front door. You could farm recipes this way too.
I have no idea why, in a game that was already struggling for players, they would make it harder to do content.
I hear you on this, Yang — but honestly I don’t know enough myself to give a clear answer on how it currently works. If you’re up for it, we could always test it together sometime. Feel free to add my characters PowerCandy and PowerBarbie to your friend list — I’d be more than happy to try it out with you, since I’m curious about this myself.
I haven’t run a lot of dungeons yet, but I understand the frustrations you’re describing. From my perspective, a good approach nowadays would be something closer to how the solo dungeons work (like The Forgotten City), where content scales with your level so you can jump in regardless of progression. That way:
You could run older dungeons at any level and still get a worthwhile experience.
Players could boost or help out friends who are behind without being blocked by level restrictions.
It would keep dungeons relevant and fun even for people already capped at 80.
Personally, I’d love to see scaling or optional level-sync for group dungeons, because I’ve got friends who plan to start fresh, and I’d like to either boost them or run scaled content with them to show them how great the game can be.
When we tried, as we were leveling, you could only enter a Dungeon through the Group finder thing, and you had to be in the level band for that Dungeon - if someone in your group was too high (or low) they couldnt come along. It actively blocked people doing content.
Also, if someone crashed (or had to leave), they couldnt just come back in by going in the dungeon entrance or be replaced by another person, as entering the dungeon was handled via the Group Finder screen. So, everyone had to leave, and restart - that completely reset the dungeon.
Once we realized how it worked, everyone just quit. I think we had spent like 30-45 mins working through a dungeon, then we had someone disconnect. When they logged back in they were outside and couldnt rejoin. Its a mess.
You first have to form the group and then enter through the GF. Don’t sign into the GF, form the group first and then the leader can choose wich dungeon you want and enter as a private group through the GF. This way all group members get ported in.
Getting into the dungeon in a premade group wasn’t the issue - we figured that out. As you described. It’s all the problems that have resulted from the GF.
It used to be, before the GF, that you just grouped up and went in the entrance to a dungeon. Now thr GF method is mandatory - you can’t not use it.
Also, the GF blocks you if you are too high or too low - as we found out. Slightly outside the level band of your group - F you buddy.
Also, if one person crashes, it’s a full instance reset. Why? Because it boots that person and entering the dungeon is locked behind GF. They cannot re enter just by going in the entrance and running back through. It blocks people joining a group already inside. Same for grabbing a new person if someone drops.
I suppose it blocks taking lowbies through or farming recipes or weapons, etc. (If any bother with that anymore.) Some recipes were enemy level locked so no idea how you would farm those anymore.
That is false: you can enter a dungeon if you are above the minimum level (and for 1 or 2 earnt access to it. eg: main system). Just don’t use the random queue.
You just can’t get the purist progression if a member of the group is too high level. But you have the ability to stop earning xp if you are working on that.
I did farm vanity stuff here and there myself, so I am sure you can do that.
I havnt run much dungeon. So I wanna tag us both along.