Feldon 
After a couple of false starts, it looks like EverQuest II’s Dungeon Finder feature will be hitting the Test and Test Copy servers today. It’s important to note that the EQ2 Dungeon Finder feature will NOT allow cross-server grouping when it goes live. That’s planned for a distant future update.
From SmokeJumper on the EQ2 Forums:
Hi, folks,
The GU 61 feature that got delayed, “Dungeon Finder” is coming to your Test server on Friday, 9/20, in the morning update.
Here’s an early peek at the release notes you see then. There are definitely still bugs in the system, but we need your help to shake out the issues.
Try it at different levels, if you can. Some of you may find that you rediscover forgotten content you haven’t seen for a long time.
DUNGEON FINDER
Dungeon Finder is a matchmaking system to make it easier for groups to get together for dungeons. This requires a certain minimum population to be effective. Since the Test server population is relatively small compared to regular Live servers, you may experience longer queue times at certain level ranges (depending on who is playing at that time). Howver, the system only requires a minimum of six players of the required archetypical group roles in order to make a match, so it won’t take many players at all to make the system work. Hopefully, the Test population is robust enough for this.
To use the Dungeon Finder, click the “Dungeon Finder” button on your XP bar. (Or open the “Zones” menu by using CTRL+Z and clicking the “Dungeon Finder” tab.) (Alternatively, you can also use /df or /dungeonfinder.)
You can queue solo or as a group (only your group leader can queue a group) for any dungeons you qualify, based on level, critical mitigation requirements and if you have the required expansion activated.
- You can either queue for a Random Dungeon (ang get a +25% XP bonus while playing that dungeon) or you can queue for specific dungeons by only clicking the checkboxes next to their names. (NOTE: You don’t get the +25% XP bonus if you queue for specific dungeons.)
- If you leave the dungeon, and your group stays within it, you can use the “Return” button (on the DF interface) to zone back to your group without travel time.
- If you group isn’t full, the group leader can use the “Reinforce” button to allow more players, currently queued in the Dungeon Finder (and who qualify), to join the group.
- If your group finishes a Dungeon Finder dungeon, you can exit and your group leader can queue for another dungeon immediately. This should result in almost no wait time for the next dungeon as long as you have a full group. (If you don’t have a full group, just hit that Reinforce button.)
NOTE: The zones available when you open the Dungeon Finder interface are based on your character’s actual level, not your currently mentored level, if you are mentored. Mentored levels have no effect on DF matchmaking.
We are working hard on this feature even as you test it. We would greatly appreciate knowing about any bugs you find, especially if you see one of the error code messages in your chat pane. We’ll be updating the build with fixes as we go and keeping you abreast of improvements.
Thank you, in advance!
If you read the EQ2 forum thread about this new feature, you can read the list of Known Issues.
Yay Hooray! Might be fun again to level up an alt.
Finally a way to enjoy dungeons at the indended level range?
I hope they didn’t set the level ranges too tight though. You might outlevel the level range by just one and suddenly find yourself unable to join a group for the zone, and thus unable to finish up collections or maybe zone specific quests.
(new user name: Javascript and cookies error showing in Google Chrome)
Uhh 9/20 is Tuesday not Friday.
I like this option. It’ll help with those quick, unplanned trips to the Guild Hall to empty bags, repair, etc.
I’m assuming there is a reason, but why would a full group use dungeon finder? I suppose it would be good for folks not maxed out in exp/AA, but I’d rather have control over my choices.
Wonder if this will bypass Zone timers?
As that would give whole groups a reason to hit the random buttion some times. (WOW was doing that last time I checked it out).
An interesting point, its confirmed then that mentored players cannot join dungeon finder groups. Thats definitely needed for that Stormhold run where a level 90 Shadowknight would demolish it.
The downside though is that a level 65 warden could not join a level 50 dungeon, I hope this causes them to implement some sort of real mentoring system myself.
That’s not a downside…it’s appropriate.
That’s not going to stop people from PLing in low level groups is it? Unless you have to join dungeon finder to access dungeons? Surely not. Surely.
Cristamir: Using the dungeon finder with a full group (assuming it works like other dungeon finders out there) teleports the group to the dungeon – no need for everyone to find their way there.
Demerzel: It may be appropriate, but I was looking forward to going back to dungeons that I missed on the way up with other people who were interested in seeing those places. It’s still possible, obviously, to try to find a group of people interested in heading to Stormhold at level, but it’s going to be even harder than it was before, since most people will be more interested in simply using the finder to put together groups. And how many people do you know of looking to go back to DoF/KoS zones for example? Dungeon Finder could have made an easier way of finding those few who are.. So, yes, a downside for some people.
I had heard there was going to be a loot bonus for using the Dungeon Finder. I see no mention of that and a 25% XP bonus is not much incentive for the 90/300 toons I have.
Fionna: It’s a downside only for those people who do content when they’re massively OP with lvls and aa…this is a way to run zones at lvl in groups, something that has been difficult to do below end-game for quite some time.
I applaud their exclusion of OP chrono’d toons…get one in grp and it stops being a fun challenge and becomes a game of ‘keep up’ with the chrono’d toon who is soloing the entire zone. That defeats the purpose of this feature entirely imo.
@Demerzel That’s all fine for you, but it’s great how others don’t care that what they want makes other people’s fun in the game go in the shitter. It’s simple for you to have it your way, and still allow mentored toons. Provide the option in your setting of playing with or without mentored toons in the group you want to join. That way if you want to crawl through the dungeon in the new op gear they give you, without the aid of a mentored (be it only 5 or 10 lvls even) toon you can. And for those who can solo the old content, but would enjoy having the social fun of grouping with others can also run the zone how they like.
But instead we are getting slapped in the face.
Fionna: The zone in feature is nice, but not really much of a reason to use the DF. Most zones are group-wide zone in anyway. With the travel system and mounts, these days, travel is not a big deal.
Demerzel: This isn’t going to stop those OP people from running those zones. Its not going to be any more inconvenient for them then than it is now. The only way that’s going to happen is for the devs to completely ban anyone above whatever minimum they set from entering the zone. I can’t see that being a very popular move.
dungeon finder feedback
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=507137
more feedback
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=507160
Honestly, unless the dungeons are all instanced, it’s going to be rather disappointing for a group to use the dungeon finder, end up in Sanctum of the Scaleborn, and find that the zone is empty as usual because of one or two mentored players PLing a bunch of others.
This feature will be good for the high level instances, but the static lower level zones are still going to be a mess.
It’s just instances, not shared zones.
@XK: Pretty sure this is designed for heroic instances. There are 96 of them listed on EQ2I as “Major Heroic Instances” and I’m pretty sure they’re missing some. Even more if you include the shorter zones like Cove of Decay, Chamber of Immortality, Firemyst Gully, etc.
I doubt most servers have the active population to be too picky:
Within zone tier (9)
Unmentored
Meets gear/stat minimum
No real incentive for 90/300
As for mentoring in dungeons, if out-leveled toon is Unmentored to the zone min level it’ll be better except at the lowest levels.
Design by player committee will kill this idea pretty fast. Maybe taking it cross server will permit people to be pickier, but I see this flopping out of peak times on all but Guk or AB. I hope I’m wrong.
@DETHDLR: Gotcha. When testing it out at 74 (my only copied toon), I only saw heroic instances, but was not sure if it held true for lower levels.
@Fievall: You don’t need a group to do lower level zones if you are chrono’ed/mentored. So it is pointless to add that to the DF. If you want to run the zone you missed then I suggest you create an alt. That way you can run the zones with the level and gear the zone was made for. You can even twink out your alt with your main and make the zone just about as easy as it would be with your main.
I think it would be better to have an in game list that states dungeons and zone with a quest to find it of easy difficulty
Rather then just let people level with out ever looking at the world. Just need to work out a better way of rewarding people for the time in zone
@Landiin You must have not read my post at all. So I will repost the part you missed =)
As for making a whole new toon. Pffffft. I currently have eight max lvl toons. Three of which that are fully raid geared from this expansion, with max AA, and another four who are geared hard mode gear from the last expansion. With another two that are close to 90 with max AA. With plans to lvl a BL or two when they come out. So don’t talk to me about making a new toon to play through old content. I’ve been playing the game since almost day one. And I’ve played through all the old content many times.
As for grouping with a lower lvl toon, it would be about having fun in old zones that were well put together, on a toon you enjoy playing. I’m not about to start lvl locking toons of my favorite classes at low lvls for this purpose.
So again no. I think the idea of adding the option, so players can chose if they want to group with mentored players is still the best option. It allows freedom of choice, on how you want to play the content in the game, and doesn’t force you to play how someone else thinks you should play.