Groups and Grouping

Ah! The joys of interaction.

I have run in several groups over the years and seen several different ways people group. I have found that some of the following tips may be beneficial to those just starting to mud. There have been several debates as to what a good group is and what a bad one is. Lately I have noticed that Mages are not given the due they deserve during grouping because they kill too quickly to get good experience points. I happen to disagree with this as there are several different mobs on the mud, and the leader of the group just needs to know how to use each player in that group.

Properties of good leader ship during grouping.

The leader of a group should be able to use each player in that group to its potential.

If a player has more experience with certain mobs, then defer to that player for insight into the mobs weaknesses and strengths. Then use a strategy that fits the mob.

As a good leader, one should be able to set good strategies up for each mob. If no one knows about the mobs weaknesses or strengths then set a strategy that will ensure proper testing of that mob. If the first fails try a different approach until you figure out what works best. I have seen several deaths because the leader or groupies were unwilling to try something different with the mob.

If the leader of the group knows the areas that they are going to run, and his/her groupies don't, give the others in the groups some idea of what to expect from the mobs/rooms. This sharing of information is a good way to bring up others self esteem later in their "careers" as mudders. This is also a good way to build friendships, and may gain you some respect from those you are running with. This is an on-line community after all and, as in life, one should show some respect to those that one has contact with.

When fighting in a group, give each player a task during battle.

Example of a good group:

• One player should Tank.
• At least one player should heal
• One should be able to blast
• And an one good hitter

Tips on how to group.

Other players are optional to a group. This does not mean that to have a good group, you have to have four players that fall into the categories above. If more than one player is good at tanking, for instance, then the two tanks can rescue each other or take turns on each battle to keep a good run going.

If you have more than one healer, use them both for that purpose. The first healer should use heal until his/her mana is gone, then switch to his/her hitting gear and just assist in beating down the mob. The second healer can then step up to heal. Often during big battles, both healers need to keep the heals coming to keep the tank alive as his/her hit points drop quickly.

If you have a player that exceptional at back stabbing, then that person should start the battle, and the tank rescue them. This does three things that are, in my humble opinion, beneficial. One, the one doing the back stabbing will get experience points for the back stab. Two the tank rescuing will get experience points for rescuing. And three the mob will be reduced in hit points if the back stabber gets a good hit in.

Another thing to think about during grouping is what mobs to kill. When I run a group and our objective is to just get experience points. I will look at the groups strengths and weaknesses. If I have a group which is strong in magic and low in physical endurance. I will run mobs that are weak to magical attacks. Mobs of this type can be found by experimentation. If I have a strong physical (hack and slash) group then I will find mobs that are weak against physical attacks (low armor class).

I would like to take this time and express something that has bothered me in some groups I have ran in. Talking in group tell is not a bad thing as this is where a great majority of the information should be passed. What bothers me is this, superfluous talking that does not pertain to the objective of the group. This is not to say that talking about other things in group tell is bad, because it is not. It just means that when important information needs to be passed along, like what everyone needs to be doing during the upcoming battle, then the chatter needs to be focused on that. Not on what someone had for dinner that night, or what someone else said about some other person that day. If you want to just sit and talk about those things then use the time regenerating for that, or go someplace else on the mud and talk.

I enjoy good conversation as much as the other person does. But when I am out, say running equipment on a tough mob, I want to know what to expect and how to act accordingly during battle, not discussing my health problems in real life. I have seen several deaths because of this type of thing during grouping. When the group is regenerating chatting is good, when in battle, chatting about things other than the battle causes a lot of extra spam that could prove fatal to other group members.