125175-returning-player-i-want-to-believe

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I played WS for about two months after release; I finally ended up closing down my sub not because I didn't enjoy the game, but because of the horrendous lag I experienced in the open world (stuttering/etc) that was making it impossible to play enjoyably. 
 
I started a returning player trial and I find I still quite enjoy the game (even though I'm still learning!). WoW is getting really boring for me and this seems to fill in that cartoony, wild gap in my arsenal (I also dabble in FFXIV which is much slower paced but more fantasy-esque). And I love the style and colors and characters. So far, not getting the lag (crossing fingers). Is it possible that my video card is at fault? I had some issues with my AMD card and Skyrim since AMD tries to do some overlay thing.
 
In any case, I did my first group content last night (shiphand) and while I enjoyed it, I agreed with the vet player that it was long and a little tedious. She kept begging us to disband, but I really just wanted to see it since I had never done any shiphands before. It also took -forever- to get a group (about 1.5 hr). Is that normal for low level content? My concern is that while I can tolerate that at low levels, I don't have the time in my schedule to sit in queue for two hours for dungeons or adventures. I intend to play a healer type (spellslinger is awesome so far, but I also have an esper that's higher level, just forgot how to play it during my break).
 
I love the jumping puzzles, the challenges, the frenzy of the game. I just want to see if I can expect fun at 50 (I happen to enjoy raiding and dungeoning; I don't need fluff or solo content) or if it's just going to be 2 hr queue after 2 hr queue to get any fun. 
 
Also a bit sad that I had to go Exile PvE to get any population....I love Dominion's feel so much more :-(  but it is just so much more empty on that side.
 
Please help me to believe! I'm also a little nervous since I see all these people saying it will go B2P or F2P and I'd hate spending 30 bucks on a couple months sub just to have it go F2P or B2P in a few weeks.	
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			Welcome back! Don't listen to the B2P/F2P stuff too much, its all speculation for the moment, nothing from carbine confirming a business model change. The content at 50 is pretty active, Genetic Archives (the first 20 man raid) is completely pugable now. People still do a lot of vet content too, you can join our lfg channel (/chjoin lfg). This can help you find groups both at low level and once you get to 50. 	
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WS wasn't playing well with AMD for a while, though I hear a lot of the optimization problems have been improved significantly. That may be why you're not experiencing the lag you used to!
 
Are you sure you did a shiphand? Those can be completed with even just 1 person - don't require a group. Low level queues can be pretty long, but you can get a group a lot faster by asking in channels. I... forget the names of the lfg channels. Someone come in here and help! XD
 
Anyway, you should believe! Don't let the b2p/f2p folks get you down. This is a fantastic game with a (I think) bright future, with nothing but improvement on the horizon - and it's already pretty solid! Hang in there. Find a guild. Join those lfg channels I can't remember the names of (sorry!!). And have fun!	
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Welcome back!
 
Speculation/hopes/dreams of the f2p masses will bring down any forum. Personally, I try to stay away from those threads and stick with the happy 'hey, I'm returning or new' type of threads. And, of course, the Morning Coffee thread. :)
 
You said you had to Exile due to population. You can /chjoin LFG. Also, look into a new/returning player friendly guild. Seeing as you are Exile side, you can add me as a friend (names in signature), so if you have any questions or need help, you can ask. I usually play after 6pm EDT and anytime on weekends. I can also help you find a home. :)
 
You also said you really wanted to go Dominion and have characters over there. My advice is to play the faction that makes you the most happy. You can /chjoin EntityLFM and /chjoin EntityChat on the Dominion side. Also, look into a new/returning player friendly guild, such as Old Timers Guild.
 
Don't let the forums get you down. Play the game and decide for yourself. :)	
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It seems people don't like Group Finder anymore.  If you're on Entity Server join these channels and spam them for group stuff:  For Exile, /chjoin LFG.  For Dominion, /chjoin EntityLFM and /chjoin EntityChat.
 
Shiphands can be soloed, just click the box next to "Do not find others"
 
 
 	
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			I want to give you some positive feedback, but I fear if a shiphand was too long (not the queue, but the instance itself), WS is not going to be a good game for you group content wise. How long were you in the shiphand?	
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I want to give you some positive feedback, but I fear if a shiphand was too long (not the queue, but the instance itself), WS is not going to be a good game for you group content wise. How long were you in the shiphand?
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			Unless you're playing with a friend, I recommend soloing shiphands at least for your first time.	
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Shiphands are soloable because they are scalable content.
 
Go in solo, then the mobs can be killed by one person, in a regular time frame. Go in with two, three or more, and the mobs get progressively harder to kill.	
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Oh, no, I had no problem with the length of the shiphand - only with the wait to get into it. 
 
And playing FFXIV, I'm used to vets wanting to skip cut scenes and I honestly don't mind it. I wasn't under the impression shiphands were soloable. Perhaps that was why it was so easy?  My memory from launch is somewhat rusty.	
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The shiphands scale- and they are the easiest group content in the game (but a lot of fun).
 
The wait times while leveling are pretty crummy for all of the instances. If you are willing to play a support role (like healer) then you should have no problems getting groups once you hit 50. Definitely join the player made LFG channel, which ever faction/server you are playing.	
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Oh, no, I had no problem with the length of the shiphand - only with the wait to get into it. 
 
And playing FFXIV, I'm used to vets wanting to skip cut scenes and I honestly don't mind it. I wasn't under the impression shiphands were soloable. Perhaps that was why it was so easy? My memory from launch is somewhat rusty.
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I hath resubbed and not regretting it one bit :3  Now to find peeps to hang with!
 
And somehow figure out how to explain to my wow raiding team that their heal lead is just totally bored with WoW >.> 	
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			Show them GA. The mechanics are just so much fun :D	
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			check out this FAQ for new players it can help out a bit https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/125295-faq-for-new-players-new-nexian-you-should-read-this/	
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I hath resubbed and not regretting it one bit :3  Now to find peeps to hang with!
 
And somehow figure out how to explain to my wow raiding team that their heal lead is just totally bored with WoW >.> 
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I rolled dominion and I've had no problems with the queues at lower levels. The level 10 dungeon has popped for me 3 times now (trying different classes), and each time in under 15 minutes, the one i did an hour ago took no more than 3 minutes. The shiphands have been fine too, although slightly longer queue times. I didn't realise you could solo them either, so thanks for the info guys. 
 
Please note I am on the EU server though.	
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Yea, try healing in WildStar. It's... different.
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