I've written a lot about them here in my blog, because over the years of playing, I've come to recognize the high value of them for any player who likes to experience the depth of the game in all of its aspects, and the social value that PUGging has given me when it comes to holding my own with new friends I make while playing the game.

Why PUG?

Lots of answers spring to mind, but some of the main ones for me, are this:

Why I PUG:

• I like the concentrated encounters that dungeon runs offer (versus questing) - less running around, more playing
• I like the quietness of a small guild of introverts for my general hangout - that chat window isn't big enough to have real conversations going on very often
• My friends aren't always available for what I want to do, or there aren't enough of us
• I like my toons and love to practice all of their skills. Playing with different classes in a familiar encounter adds spice
• As I PUG, I meet other players who are solid in skill and attitude and we become friends, and I begin to meet their friends
• As my experience in PUGs grow, I'm invited to other parties with people I know play well more - and good players tend to gather together.
• As a writer, PUGs also inspire me in compiling educational information for those who, like me, have a competitive edge to do well in whatever they do, even if they don't have raiding aspirations :)

Why I Want My Friends To PUG

• So that when you decide to join in on a dungeon run I advertise on chat in the Outland (or at level 70), you're not making all of the cardinal sins that PUG-experienced players learned while PUGging in Azeroth. I don't want to have to say "dude, you stink".
• So you have a basic clue of what you need to do to handle heroics and I don't have to ask you each time whether you're heroics geared when you say you'd like to come along
• I want friends who will invite me into their dungeon group, without any type of reliance on me to help fill out the rest of the group.
• I want to share experiences with my friends, as it's much more fun that way - as long as it's not my friend who is committing cardinal dungeon party sins out of lack of experience (and thus looking like they're way younger than they are)

Now, that having been said, let me say this as well:

My Hunter was my first one up, and she really didn't do a LOT of PUGs. I did some, and killed a lot of people until I figured out how to control my pet and use it as a tank, and negotiate tight areas with difficulty getting Ranged to be able to sling arrows.

When I hit Outland the day of the expansion release, I didn't PUG at ALL with that toon, just did quests until I hit 70. I still rarely PUG with her as my Mage came up and that's where I got comfortable with PUGging and my role in it.

My second and subsequent toons have all PUGged a lot. In fact, my Healing Priest who just hit 69 in her second run of Shadow Labs, has been PUGging since level 38 almost exclusively for experience and leveling (52-58 I gave up, went Shadow and ground my way to Outland then went back holy and back into LFG). The toons lower than her are also on the same trek, with a few more traded run-throughs with friends added in there.

So, I understand getting familiar with the game, making a few friends and doing quests with another person or two, and only having larger parties on rare occasions to take down some group quest outside an instance... but once someone has any aspiration to get some gear from dungeons or experience the whole dungeon thing, I think PUGging is important and a respectful way to show your friends you want to do your part to be a solid contributor in the group.

So, maybe you don't PUG with this main toon for a bit, maybe you PUG with a lowbie where others are just as inexperienced as you. The skills transfer to your higher level toon as many are basic dungeon etiquette and dungeon processes more than class skills.

And of course, if you're on a 14.4k modem or simply don't have the time to even consider dungeon instances, no need to PUG.

But please, when I ask if any DPS wants to join in on a run that's forming in the Outland (Azeroth is way more forgiving and quite okay - it's where everyone is still learning the ropes), don't decide that now is the day you're going to "try dungeons". Jumping in to the deep end will be stressful for both of us ;)

Related posts:

1. How To Join A PUG
2. Toon Updates: Healing Priest Hits 44
3. Does Guild Building Include PUGs?

Now there's an LFG Tool that you have to list yourself in, in order to subscribe to the "LFG line". You could just "/join lfg" but you wouldn't be subscribed to the same one as the tool - you need to have yourself listed as looking for a group or looking for another member for your group, in order to subscribe to the Global channel.

Often, I don't really want to commit myself to doing anything in a group, but I want to hear what's going on in general - what dungeon parties are being formed, what classes are required, who's doing the call-outs, etc. Even more often, I'm not sure what toon of mine I want to hit a dungeon with - it often depends on what others on the realm are looking to do, especially in low population hours.

So, what do I do? I "lurk" in the LFG Channel, and I'll show you how to as well.

What Is Lurking?

In short, to lurk is to prowl around, hoping to be undetected. Watching. Listening. But not actively participating in the activities at hand.

In this case, that means not listing yourself as available for a specific dungeon but still listing yourself in the LFG tool so you can keep up with what might be available for you to join if it interests you.

How To "Lurk" On The LFG Channel

Here's how you do it - you list yourself as available in a ZONE instead of a Dungeon or Quest, and if you choose a zone that is ill-frequented, it's quite unlikely anyone will ever do the proper search to find you there:

De-lurking To Join A Party

Sometimes I just subscribe to the LFG tool to hear what's going on but know that I don't have enough time to get into anything myself. Most times, however, I subscribe to the LFG tool and watch for something that one of my toons can do... and then when someone advertises on the LFG line for something I'm interested in, I whisper to them from whatever toon I'm on and offer to hop over to the other to join them. I've never been turned down, and find it's a reliable way to burn off rest bonus on my pre-Outland toons.

Related posts:

1. How To “Lurk” On The LFG Channel
2. How To Join A PUG
3. To The LFG Tool: Some Laments

Now there's an LFG Tool that you have to list yourself in, in order to subscribe to the "LFG line". You could just "/join lfg" but you wouldn't be subscribed to the same one as the tool - you need to have yourself listed as looking for a group or looking for another member for your group, in order to subscribe to the Global channel.

Often, I don't really want to commit myself to doing anything in a group, but I want to hear what's going on in general - what dungeon parties are being formed, what classes are required, who's doing the call-outs, etc. Even more often, I'm not sure what toon of mine I want to hit a dungeon with - it often depends on what others on the realm are looking to do, especially in low population hours.

So, what do I do? I "lurk" in the LFG Channel, and I'll show you how to as well.

What Is Lurking?

In short, to lurk is to prowl around, hoping to be undetected. Watching. Listening. But not actively participating in the activities at hand.

In this case, that means not listing yourself as available for a specific dungeon but still listing yourself in the LFG tool so you can keep up with what might be available for you to join if it interests you.

How To "Lurk" On The LFG Channel

Here's how you do it - you list yourself as available in a ZONE instead of a Dungeon or Quest, and if you choose a zone that is ill-frequented, it's quite unlikely anyone will ever do the proper search to find you there:

De-lurking To Join A Party

Sometimes I just subscribe to the LFG tool to hear what's going on but know that I don't have enough time to get into anything myself. Most times, however, I subscribe to the LFG tool and watch for something that one of my toons can do... and then when someone advertises on the LFG line for something I'm interested in, I whisper to them from whatever toon I'm on and offer to hop over to the other to join them. I've never been turned down, and find it's a reliable way to burn off rest bonus on my pre-Outland toons.

Related posts:

1. How To "Lurk" On The LFG Channel
2. How To Join A PUG
3. To The LFG Tool: Some Laments

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.

Related posts:

1. Greasing the Social Wheels: Preparing For Dungeons
2. How To "Lurk" On The LFG Channel
3. How To “Lurk” On The LFG Channel

In World of Warcraft, most PUGs are put together for the purpose of going through a 5-man dungeon instance, and because Pick-Up Groups generally consist of players who don't know each other, sometimes the antics in the group can be a little annoying.

After experiencing the chaos of PUG groups at low levels, some players find a guild and notice that guild runs tend to be a lot more consistent and a lot less annoying than PUGs, and the temptation to rely on the guild group as the only source of dungeon party access is very strong. After all, why deal with strangers when there's all these people right here, in my guild, who I could go in with?

But, I am noticing in my own playing, there are benefits to PUGs, and at some levels or during some occasions, PUGs are actually more consistent and reliable than guild groups. Especially if your guild is casual, non-raiding and players solo a lot, thus lacking dungeon knowledge and teamwork experience despite their wonderful guild presence.

So, while I ponder a more pithy entry about the Art of PUGging, I'd love some input from YOU!

Do you PUG?

Do you encourage your guildmates to PUG?

Do the influential people in your guild PUG and/or encourage you to PUG?

What solid skills of yours do you attribute to your experiences in PUGs?

Related posts:

1. How To Join A PUG
2. How To "Lurk" On The LFG Channel
3. How To “Lurk” On The LFG Channel

I picked up a couple of new pieces during the run, but the nicest one was my Mage's first epic piece (soon to be replaced in Outlands) - the [Circle of Flame] which came from Ambassador Flamelash, a boss who could be skipped without one even being aware of it since it's not required to go past this guy to get to anything else.

Now, I've got a mere two quests in my book for Blackrock Depths, and I'm satisfied that I've wrung some good experience out of the dungeon. I might go in again in a PUG as a good way to spend rest bonus, but right now my Mage is sitting at level 59 with 9.7% rest bonus left, so I'm thinking it would be good to park him in a city for a week and let him rest.

Related posts:

1. Blackrock Depths on the Mage
2. Re-Guilded: Mage, Hunter, Priest
3. Ode To Blackrock Depths