This entry is about how I go about getting into a PUG when none of my friends or guildmates are available to join me.

For the purpose of this entry, I’d like to clarify context of what I’m talking about when I use the word PUG, because its simple explanation of “Pick Up Group” doesn’t offer enough clarity in itself.

My Definition of a PUG

For context of this entry, a Pick Up Group is what I’m getting into when I enter myself into the LFG tool and enter into a dungeon group with three or four complete strangers who I’ve probably never partied with before.

In this case, I am not bringing any Friends or Guildmates along with me, and none of the players who end up in the dungeon party are on my Friends list (at the start) - we’re all complete strangers coming together to accomplish a specific set of tasks in conquering dungeon content.

My PUGging Strategy - The Basics

I use Pick Up Groups to level my toons through Azeroth, spending each toon’s rest bonus and then parking the toon to rest up in between while I work on the rest of my toons.

Occasionally I use my Azeroth toons and solo with them - to gather quests and do prerequisites for the next dungeon’s list of quests… but that’s about it. Once I have the quests in my book, I head back to an Inn and proceed to PUG my levels up through dungeon runs.

I also join in on Outland PUGs when the opportunity is right, and use these same strategies and tips to land those parties.

Here’s what I do when I have time to hit a dungeon on one of my toons:

1. Log into one toon that can stay online for a bit - ie: 30 minutes at least, without hopping to another toon. Stay out of combat if at all possible, advancing skills like Fishing and doing Auction House work to entertain myself during this time.
2. List myself in the LFG tool, either specifiying what dungeons I want on this toon or by putting myself in a zone so I’m only ‘lurking’ in the LFG channel.
3. Pay attention to the LFG channel and if there’s an opportunity to hit a different dungeon than I had originally planned, take it.

As a result, I don’t end up controlling what toon or what dungeon I try to go into, but I regularly find myself having little troubles finding a group to join. It’s when I want to advance a specific toon that Murphy’s Law tends to take effect! In all of my playing I try to downgrade the amount of influence Murphy may have at any moment, and it is only thwarted by keeping an open mind.

Tips to Help These Strategies

If you’re largely a solo player and have no Real Life friends in the game, the best way to get into dungeon groups reliably is to follow any of the following:

• Join a large levelling guild with many players around your range, and participate in guild chat and events
• Bring up a family of toons that are in different level ranges so you have more choice at any one time
• Play your main toon as a Healer or Tank in group situations
• Build a Friends list from previous PUGs so you have people you can call upon to fill spots

Note, there are times that there are no groups going for the dungeons I want, even on my healer toons, so keep that in mind as well. I find that weekends are great for Azeroth dungeons and mid-afternoon works well for Outland dungeons, but late night and evenings also work well - you’ll need to experiment.

Some Alternatives and Extra Tips

1. Build A Solid Friends List.

   This is especially important if you wish to play only one toon and not bother with a family of characters.

   You may occasionally get lucky and fall into a group of someone else’s friends and have a good run, but unless you take the time to build your own online relationships you’ll always have problems finding dungeon parties because good players begin to ‘clique’ with you on the outside.

   REMEMBER: It’s not wise to behave like other people are computerized NPCs who are available to do what you want, when you want it, without you having put in effort to build a friendship first. (it doesn’t matter how busy your life is - impatient people wind up on Ignore lists, not Friends lists)
   

2. When In A Party, Stand Out

   A big key to finding a solid guild or group of friends to tackle game content with is being adequately prepared yourself, and being noticed by those who appreciate players who come prepared.

   Don’t be fooled into thinking that good players don’t notice when you put in a small amount of effort to be prepared for a PUG - they may cover for you by providing water or arrows or a summon after you need repairs two wipes in, but it won’t earn you a good place on their Friends list.

   Check out these entries regarding the topic of Social Wheel Greasing - Introduction, First Aid, Preparation For Dungeons, and Sharing Your Skills.
   

3. Keep an open mind.

   Sure, it’d be nice to hit a specific dungeon but if nobody else is calling for someone to fill your role in a party, it might be better to do something on a different toon this time.

In Closing - Can One Ever Escape PUGs?

In closing, I’d like to add the following:

If you’re hoping to one day be able to avoid the chaos of PUGs completely, only running with friends and guildmates and others you already know, keep the following in mind:

• Good guilds are looking for good TEAM players - personality and skill combined. They might even find YOU in PUGs!
• PUGs can help you find new friends, as well as give you a training ground for improving your player skills and general team skills.
• Sometimes, in order to learn new content it’s best to run with strangers and bring back the information to friends
• Unless you’ve got Real Life friends to team with, the good players in your guild may perceive you as a “tag-along” instead of a real contributor.

So in short - no, I think for the most part, PUGs will never completely go away. While Guild Runs may take over some of the PUG needs, a player should always be prepared to take part in PUGs to acheive reputation, gearing, attunement and general skill building goals set out by the player or their guild environment.

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