Party

A party is a group of one to eight players who share gained experience and JP for killing mobs. Parties are most often formed to gain experience effectively in dungeons.

Overview

Forming a party of two to eight players can be an easy (and fun) way to defeat many of the stronger mobs in the game. This is especially true when your level is lower than the target mob. Even when you are the same level as a Boss mob it can be very difficult to solo slay your target. In a Dungeon Party you can earn very high EXP & JP, loot higher value drops and safely navigate the hazardous rooms and corridors.

The other benefit of party play is that when 2 party members share the same quest goals, both gain credit for defeating the target mob. If the goal of a shared quest is to collect a specific drop from a mob then then the mob will drop as many of these items as there are party members sharing that quest.

The EXP, JP and drops earned while in a party are shared with other members. So while there is certainly safety in numbers, keep in mind that the rewards are being diluted.

Parties can develop problems that may make them less fun and more stressful than solo play. There must be dozens of symptoms but the author believes that poor communication is responsible for 95% of dysfunctional parties. This section will try to address this major stumbling block.

Mechanics

The Alt+T Control menu provides an easy interface for creating a party.

• A chat line command is available also. The first character of a chat line command must be the slash. So be careful if you have some prefix (e.g. % or #) configured. These commands are highlighted in blue-green font in the tool tip for any given action.

Distributing Loot

After giving the party a name you are also prompted to select Individual or Random distribution of items. This refers to how a dropped item that is picked up (looted) by a party member gets assigned an owner. (Sequential/Order was once an option but it was abused to favor experienced players.) Generally speaking, Random is a fair-minded setting however, there are situations when Individual (a.k.a. Self) is mutually agreed upon by party members.

Just keep in mind that a mob drop looted by a party member does not necessarily go to the party member who picks it up. So don't complain if this happens to you. Some parties adopt a policy of "need before greed". This is a mature approach because loot is voluntarily redistributed among members before the party disbands.

Party Menu

Whoever creates the party becomes the initial party master and has access to all the self explanatory commands on the Party menu. Before a party master can leave a party they must hand over authority to another member.

• Buff ON simply toggles whether buffs are displayed next to each member's name
• The same button clicked to make the menu visible can be clicked to hide the menu again

Finding or Assembling a Party

How many ways can you think of to crack an egg? Well that's about how many ways there are to assemble and find a party! There is no party "match-making" service in-game although some forum chatter suggests that something could be brewing on that front. However, don't hold your breath.

Finding using the Ad channel

Use Ad ($) chat channel to scan for any DPLF messages. If you see a DPLF ad that you want to respond to just left-click on the name of the player sending the ad (the player's name will appear underlined once you hover your mouse over it) and a Whisper/PM is automatically initiated at the chat input line. See the image for an example response.

If you find no party to join then advertise your interest in a party: $38 Huna LFDP ... or something like that.

• $ addresses your message to the Ad channel so it shows up in the chat window a distinctive bright/electric blue color
  • some players use the Shout (!) chat channel. Ad and Shout channels both serve a similar purpose however, the Ad chat is often less crowded than Shout chat.
• 38 is your character level
• Huna is your job class (Kahuna)
  • some people advertise their desired role (Tank, DD, Healer, etc.)
  • some advertise their pet level
  • some fighter/strider classes will advertise their weapon as melee or ranged since there is ambiguity there and since a player with a ranged weapon will usually make a good puller
• LFDP = Looking For Dungeon Party
  • some advertise a specific dungeon: M1, M2, LM1, LM2, etc.

Don't repeat your message for at least a minute. Use that time to pick up all the supplies you think you'll need and then ride to the dungeon of interest. If you get a response early then make haste - you don't want to be the one to keep your party waiting. A response will come to you as a PM/Whisper so be sure to ne monitoring Whisper in your chat window. Sometimes the reply will come as an invitation to join a party, in which case you can accept and switch to Party chat tab to communicate with the assembling party.

If you are still in town when you join the party it is courtesy to ask if anyone needs supplies. Oh and please don't be a scrooge - rent an ornitho to get you to the assembling party quickly!

Finding using the General channel

The ad-hoc way of finding a party is to show up at a dungeon lobby and even begin to solo your way through as you look for a party to join. In this case using General chat will be more effective since your target audience is within the range of General chat.

Assembling using the Ad channel

Of course if you are the one initiating the invitations then you'll normally already be at the lobby of the dungeon or at least on your way there. Broadcast an advertisement something like: $DPLF 37+ M1 2/8

• $ addresses your message to the Ad channel
  • ! addresses your message to the global shout channel. In practice, global shout is more popular because you are limited to a small number of Ad messages per day before being muted.
• DPLF = Dungeon Party Looking For
• 37+ is short hand for levels 37-52 or a 15 level spread above the level advertised
  • There is an EXP and JP penalty that significantly reduces the gains made by low level party members when a Party's Lv range is greater than 15. That penalty is more severe when the level range is 20. (I cannot remember the exact details.) It is designed to prevent characters from abusing a DP comprised of high level members to rapidly up-level without doing any real work.
• M1 = Relics of Arid Moonlight - Gate #1 (a.k.a. ROAM1, DMR1, Dry Moonlight Remains Gate#1, Moon1)
  • Check the map for dungeon locations.
  • There are two separate instances of every dungeon and therefore two separate gates.
  • You cannot find PT members gathering at the dungeon lobby inside Gate #1 by entering at Gate #2.
  • Common acronyms for other dungeons:
    • M2,DMR2, Moon2, ROAM2 = Relics of Arid Moonlight Gate #2
    • LM1/LM2 = Lost Mines - Gate #1/2
    • PS1/PS2,PP1/PP2 = Palmir Shrine at Palmir Plateau - Gates #1/#2
    • CV1/CV2 = Crystal Valley - Gates #1/#2
• 2/8 describes the current number of party members. 8 members are not always required. A 4 member party can do quite well and 6 member parties are very common.
  • often a specific role is requested: Healer, Tank, DD

Once again, don't repeat for at least a minute. Players know how to scroll the chat window so you really don't need to advertise again unless perhaps, you wish to specifically target a role or announce the last one or two spots remaining, and so forth.

Expect a reply to come via Whisper/PM.

Uncommon Common Sense

When you play in a party you directly affect the fun enjoyed by other party members. Behaving in a predictable, responsible manner will keep the party productive and ensure that everybody has fun.

Yes it's a game and it's meant to be fun for you too! So if behaving responsibly is not your idea of having fun then play the game but please don't play in a party.

• Use the Party chat tab exclusively. That tab should be configured so that a hash # is always the first character of your message.
  • Chat messages are color coded so don't get upset when party members ignore messages from you that have been sent to general chat in a blue font. That would be your bad not theirs!
  • Don't whisper! Your Q & A chat messages are educating others in your party. If someone teases you about your newb question just ignore them! They have forgotten what it was like to be learning.

• Communicate your intention. Whether that is to
  • go take a bio (toilet) break
  • go attack some mob
  • use a Stamina Saver (or any expensive item that has a long duration of effect)
  • leave the party
  • trade some item(s)
  • run to another dungeon room

• Clearly communicate who is going to take the lead when your party plans to run to another dungeon room. Ideally it will be the slowest runner in the party and not the fastest! This gives all members the chance to select that member and then right click their avatar and select Follow. Those who need to consume a Wind Potion or cast a MovSpd self-buff can then do so before the lead runner starts off!

• If you are the lead runner, please take a wide berth at every corner. When you cut close to a dungeon wall you cause the following party members follow a direct line toward you but since you are making a sharp turn they end up stuck behind the wall. There is nothing quite so frustrating as this and yet the solution is so simple and burdens only the lead runner.

• Enter a dungeon with the largest capacity bag that you can afford and make sure it is empty of any items that you do not strictly need for the party. You can expect to gain lots of loot in a DP. If your MovSpd is reduced by 50% due to reaching 75% of your MaxWT carrying capacity then you will be asked to drop excess items so as not to slow the party's movement. If you do not drop items then be prepared for negative repercussions.
  • Give your force, soul or luna chips to the chipper before your party heads into the rooms
  • Give your blue pots (potions) and mana scrolls to the Healer(s)
  • Drop those useless counter-poison scrolls on the floor as they accumulate
  • Keep only a couple of return scrolls on you. (One is not enough in case you need to abort.)
  • Always keep several resurrection scrolls on you. You may be asked to ress the healer or you need to ress a pet quickly. Especially at lower levels resurrection scrolls are used a lot.

• Before you resurrect a party member always ask if they are ready. If they are not ready then you risk their being killed immediately after you resurrect them. Nobody appreciates the EXP lost when they die!

• Agree upon roles and responsibilities before your party heads out on a hunt. A later section will discuss these roles in detail:
  • Tank
  • Damage Dealer (DD)
    • Puller
    • Chipper
  • Healer

• Agree whether your party will use only Luna chips or only Force + Soul chips. Since rank 1 and 2 Luna chips are VERY inexpensive be sure to stock only Luna for DP's use force and soul when soloíng. Others expect you to always carry Luna chips with you. In fact at higher levels you may be kicked out for not donating 'enough" Luna chips.
  • Party members should give their chips to the designated Chipper (usually 100 will do). They will not be chipping, they do not need them.

• Never go AFK (away from keyboard) without first getting agreement of a transfer of your role/responsibility to another member.

• If you are a party master then ask before handing over authority to another member and never go AFK without handing over authority.

• Always specify a duration and ask permission to go AFK. "Gotta answer the door.. afk 5 minutes, OK ?"

• Never allow multiple mobs to divide and conquer your party.
  • This is the most common way that a party fails. The puller pulls more than one mob by accident and the chipper chips more than one mob at a time and so the Tank and DDs end up dividing their attack effort between two mobs instead of focusing on one mob at a time. (We'll discuss this situation more in the next section.)

• Learn to recognize the debuff icon that a chipped mob has

• Stay in a close group. Even when you are being attacked by a mob, resist the temptation to panic and run away from the mob. Your party can better assist you if you are standing nearby than if you are running around like a chicken with it's head cut off!
  • add in party chat means additional mob has aggro (on me!). Typing add should be the only reaction you have when a mob attacks you. Leave it to your Tank to strike the Add and steal aggro away from you. The Tank can handle aggro from two mobs at a time so long as the Healer(s) are doing their job effectively.
  • If an additional mob has aggro on you. Do NOT hit it back. Doing so will make it harder for the tank to steal aggro from you. Just keep hitting the chipped mob.

• Use the Tab key to cycle through selecting the next closest mob within range. This can be less prone to error than clicking madly to select a mob. (Remember that a second click on the same mob starts an attack and if you have randomly clicked a mob that is not the chipped mob then you have just divided the focus of your party! Tap the Tab key until you have found a mob with the debuff icon caused by the Chipper. Even if there are other partially damaged mobs in range just skip over them and focus on the chipped mob.
  • Never allow multiple mobs to divide and conquer your party.

• Assign the Alt+T Control window action Assist to a hot key. That way you can easily select the Chipper or Tank using the Party Member list then press the Assist hot key once to selet whatever mob that party member has selected.

• Healers do most of their character selection using the Party Member list.

• Make use of Alt+O Graphics to select whether or not the names of other chracters, pets or mobs are shown above each health gauge.
  • The Puller will definitely want visibility of the mob names but most other part members do not need it. Healers especially do not need to see mob or even pet names. Just be aware that sometimes a pet can be mistaken for a mob if you don't check the color of the ring around the base of the creature.

• If you are using a summoned creature (a.k.a. pet) to deliver damage then by all means maximize your pet's mastery of passive skills however, disable auto attack using Active skills when in a party.
  • There is currently a "bug" that causes a mob status update lag to other players when your pet delivers additional damage via certain attacks using active skills. (The dead mob shows dead on your screen but it shows undead on the screen of your fellow party members and is often not refreshed for 5 or 10 seconds.)
  • So if your party is taking much longer than 10 seconds to slay a mob then you could use the pet's active skills early on but in that last 10-15 seconds refrain from using pet active skills and just let the pet use passive skills. This will avoid the notorious and frustrating "lag of the undead" effect.

• Each member capable of casting buffs should stagger this activity so that re-buffing party members does not deplete your MP.
  • If two members have the same job type then mutually advertise your buff levels and then decide who will be the primary buff caster for those buffs.
  • Exercise good judgment when casting buffs and if you are not sure then use Party chat to ask a member which buffs they need.

Oh, and please be warned that when it comes to a badly behaved party member, many parties follow a tough policy of Kick & PK the maverick first and then only maybe explain later what was done wrong! This is more likely to happen above Lv60 however, ... You have been warned!

Beginner (Rank 2) DP Primer

The Dungeon Party Primer at this page is what the author would like to have been taught via quests accessible in the Lv30-Lv49 range. The target audience is Lv49 and below, 1st Job type beginner players and especially those who don't have the benefit of DP play with a more experienced party member willing to train you "on the job" so to speak.

Caveat Lector

The author has limited experience having only played in the first level dungeon "Relics of Arid Moonlight" before writing. If any part of this Primer does not ring true for you then please edit as you see fit but keep in mind that this section is primarily targeting beginning or Rank 2 players i.e. up to Lv49.

Please edit the advanced (Rank 3) party section if your advice pertains to higher level dungeons, second jobs or levels higher than say, Lv49.