Interesting Discussion: Bard in Set PT Vs. Bard in pickup PT

[Xccoortri]

This is pretty pointless, but I just feel like invoking some discussion here.

I'm in a Set PT, and we are a very very good set pt. Ideal jobs, everyone's a good player, and at my level, we make about 5k an hour.

What I was wondering is do you guys think bards can level faster in a set party or out? I turn down about 5 invites a night if my anon is not on, and I feel like I could almost level faster in pickup parties then my set, since i could level any day or time I wanted.

I think it ends up coming down to your playstyle. For me, Iget bored kind of fast sometimes and I can see myself quitting a pickup party after a few hours, or just not feeling like playing some days, but with the set pt it keeps me in line and forces me to keep playing and getting exp, or else everyone else would be mad at me.

[Preacher]

Set PTs are nice cause eveyone does their jobs right, hopefully, and you can usually take down monsters easily.

But, in random pts. You can either get a great pt or a crappy one. Set pts downfall are the times, but you get like safe xp cause you know you're gunna do good? Or something? It's also nice to be exposed to knew people not the same 5 people. I'd probably get sick of a set pt if I had one.

Hope I made any sense at all.

[EFigaro]

Set party you know what you're getting. PIck up party could have a Dark Knight tanking. You tell me which will get more XP.

[Rekiem]

I think you can level faster in pickup PT because you can play as much as you want and you don't have to wait for other people to level. I've seen a couple players go from 60 to 75 in about a month. People level quickly in set PT because they don't have to wait for invite but this is something bard don't face most of the time(it does happen that we have to wait for PT), mostly if you play during JP peak time.

With the set PT, you will make good exp constantly but the downside is that you have a schedule and if one guy can't log on, you can't go EXP. With pickup party, you also get good exp but you can play whenever you want, for as long as you want without any limitation. This is what I always liked with pickup PT. I could aply for 12 hours in a row, exp'ing like a madman and the next day, I didnt had to play and I wasn't really forced to log on like you can be with a set PT.

If you don't mind having a playing schedule and you hate waiting for invites, I think set PT are better for you. If you hate having a schedule or depend on other people to log on, pickup parties are for you. But in the end, I think that the exp gain is close to the same, mostly if your a Bard.

[Soonyi]

Most of the time, I team with my LS party. Mostly because all the member are my real friends, but also because I trust them, and they all play each of the job very good. I think also it is a game. It should be having fun too, not just getting exp exp exp. With a pickup party, in my experience, it is kind of frustrating or the people are not really nice.

One example is our Blm and Pld can not make our party time, so we have to find replacement for them. We were level 49 at that time. The Blm replacement did not know how to do Magic Burst and we have to keep typing "Wind now!!" or "Ice now!!" for him... level 49 Blm does not know Magic Burst (o.O);; We also find a Nin to replace our Pld and he was so rude and always trying to tell everyone how to play their job and saying "Nobody leave until I level up. I must get 50 tonight!" In the end, he never even say thank you for party.

We had this bad experience and we all agree we will wait for each other, even it is a little slower to get exp.

Soonyi.

[Seeker_Onos]

I have a set PT, nice group of folks.

They are fairly consistent in their play time, and generally work at staying within a level of one another.

My playtime is fairly erratic - I'll powergame and level like a crack fiend during most weekends, but during the week I'm lucky if I can get on once a night to check my plants and possibly farm a few tigers, goobbues or goblins outside Jeuno before having to log off.

Somehow, I will manage to build up a nice XP lead (right now, I just popped level 55, the set PT are popping into 53, maybe our PLD is 54 now.) They'll catch up and pass me during the week.

By the end of the week when I log onto the set PT's shell, they will likely be on the low side of level 56., and do skill-ups until I can exp. with them for 8-10 hours on Saturdays.

We are kind of a hybrid PT, with more positions (we have 8 members currently) and jobs than the six slots of the PT, and of course, there are always subjobs to keep up with... so it never gets boring.

[Faranim]

My Take:

For pure leveling speed, Pickup Parties are the fastest. The more time you have available to exp, the more exp you get, the faster you level. The downside is that pickup parties are sometimes bad, annoying, and frustrating. They are also sometimes boring, especially if the party doesn't speak English.

Set Parties are good because they are fun, and you earn good exp/hour. However, time constraints usually mean less time spent EXPing.

I've been in a semi-set party (basically, as long as 3 or more of us were online and available we'd group together with 1-2 pickup members) since 60, and I'm now 71. I'm thinking of just leveling in pickup parties to 75, since I'll be able to do it on my own time, whenever and forever long I want.

[Helltaru]

Another advantage of set parties is that setting a formation will never be a problem, trying to get a pickup party to do anything beyond splitting iinto a mage group and a melee group is more frustration that it is worth most of the time..

[Miriamel]

My BRD has a set PT kind of - we have WAR/NIN, WAR/NIN, WHM and me, and we usually get one more damage person and a red mage or black mage if we can. 5k/hour usually.

I turn down a lot of invites, but it's worth it to me, cause I prefer leveling with friends instead of strangers.

[specular]

I agree with pickup parties for pure leveling speed, if that is your goal. Of the numerous invites you recieve, you can select which party you will join and you can "interview" the party leader as much as you want.

Also, if you play with a lot of different people you will get a reputation, because there aren't many Bards and if you play good people will most definately remember you.

Playing in a set party (with friends) can ultimately be more rewarding, even if it is slow due to synchronising your schedules.

[maytrix]

Once you have a schedule and can play like everyday static parties blow pickup parties out of the water in terms of experience. But that's the only way that set parties are better.

Everyone has to be hardcore leveling madmen but when they are let me tell you experience flows like water.

[Outaru]

I like pickup parties for the diversity, yeah some of them suck, and I ask myself how the hell did any of you get to 60, but most of the time you meet some new, cool, funny people. I have been asked for static parties a few times and I turn them down, I like meeting the good, and yes sometimes bad people. And you can have the best of both worlds, I have people that look for me when I come on so in that sense I am semi static with them, so usually its 3-5 of us who know each other well, and 2-3 pickup people. Keeps things interesting.

[Teffie]

Set PT's are so much more... fun!

I had the same set PT with all my friends from level 40 to 75, and I wouldn't have enjoyed it any other way. Playing this game with friends who you know, or made along the way, just make it so much more rewarding in the end. I have so many countless hilarious conversations that we have had together, and I know that if I had picked up PT's till 75, I would barely even talk in them.

Another good thing about set PT's, your not worried about telling [job] that they are doing something wrong. Thus making the PT as best as possible, and everyone is happy to have everyone else around.

[Rekiem]

Another thing you can is PT with friends. You don't really have to make a set and make it all official. Just play with your friends and it will be all good. I find that this work very well in the late 70 because you level very slowy so even if you get more exp than them by joining more PT, you can still play with them cause theres only gonna be a 1 level difference or something.

[Leri]

"Set PT" Scares me now. Never again. Too much pain.

I guess its because of all the stuff that happened when I eventually just gave up. I loved them so (and I still do - dear friends), and sure it was more fun. There was too much fighting and drama.

I guess it kind of just blew up in my face. Near the end it wasn't much fun to PT with them even.. >.>;

Oh well. The set I was in for a few months I joined at 62.. it broke for the last time (at least for me) not to long ago with me like 20k exp to 70. So I guess as far a leveling goes we didn't get much done. Its no surprise we were always fighting and hurting each other.

I'm sure they can be great. Hey I've been in 2 set pts, and they were great ... for awhile. Then people just start getting to pushy ugh. I don't for the longest time all I heard was bickering.

So you could say I'm against set parties. Perhaps its just not for me. :sweat: