Bungie.net Community
This topic has moved here: Subject: To Join or Not to Join...... That is the question.
  • Subject: To Join or Not to Join...... That is the question.
Subject: To Join or Not to Join...... That is the question.

It only takes a simple question to change everything.

I pretty much gave up on groups ever since Halo Reach killed HLG.

  • 12.23.2011 5:33 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Fabled Legendary Member


Posted by: The Bloody Nine
I usually have an open mind when it comes to group invites. If the group seems like something I'd like, I'll join in a heartbeat. My entire Bnet experience changed when a certain someone invited me to a group of theirs, and I don't really have anything to lose by joining, do I?


bbe <3

  • 12.23.2011 5:49 PM PDT

only the best game ever.
~Sur Squishy
XBL: D a r k s t a r
PSN: darkstarrr
Minecraft: The_Dark_Star

Forum Rules | Terms of Use | Code of Conduct

I have recieved many group invites in which I usually ignore. I only join groups that I find appealing, those groups are usually groups that much of the community is apart of. (Bnet Achievements, BUNGLE, Coup d'Bungie, etc.)

  • 12.23.2011 6:07 PM PDT

I can honestly say I have never experienced what you have explained in the OP.

  • 12.24.2011 11:39 AM PDT

i c u thar c' ing my signiture

Yours in _Kai_

I usually join, look at some of the threads both current and past, if I like it I say, if not, I leave. I usually give the group a chance.

  • 12.24.2011 12:05 PM PDT

Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own council will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.” -Yoda

No I don't accept invites unless it's a group that I really like.

  • 12.24.2011 1:28 PM PDT

1. Sees recruiting message
2. Clicks delete.
3. Thinks "I hate people who send me these stupid messages."

  • 12.24.2011 1:32 PM PDT


Posted by: DeeJ
What are the specific personal lures that motivate you to join a group. I would love to see this question answered from a very specific perspective as to WHY you join a group.

The first question I always ask myself when considering joining a new group is "Is this group about something that interests me?" Obviously I'm not going to join a group I'm not interested in.

If I find a group interesting, I then ask myself "What is the true driving force behind the group?" (i.e. "What central theme/idea/action drives the heartbeat and constantly nourishes the group members?").

In my time on bungie.net, I've seen many groups spring into existence essentially stillborn because they didn't have a simple and focused goal/mission/purpose.

Generally speaking, I also don't believe in the sustainability of groups centered only around discussion. While there are exceptions, I've seen many great discussion-centered groups die out simply from an inability to maintain momentum and focus. Discussion-centered groups often rely too heavily on a single leader or small collection of admins to keep the fire stoked. If one or more of the leaders steps away from the group for any reason, the group sees effects immediately and quickly slips into inactivity, often never to recover.

I'm not an artist, so I can't speak to the effectiveness of groups focused around artistic creativity (i.e. map making, Forge, etc.)

I think that the most stable groups are those centered around playing video games regularly. A regular, reliable, and established game time is the easiest way to bring members together and keep them together. While these groups generally also lean heavily on active leaders, it is the reliability of the regular games rather than the formidable, but inevitably exhaustible, enthusiasm and creativity of the admins that keeps the group healthy.

My experience is mostly based on my time in For Carnage Apply Within and The Myth Jumpers. I've seen cyclic highs and lows including departures and changes of admins, loss of old members, influx of new members, group restructurings, and even one complete rebuild. In 7 years, the one constant is that the group thrives when the games are well organized and reliable and the group suffers severely when the games are sporadic or disorganized.

Concerning PMs and their role in group recruiting, I've been on both sides of the issue. I've done more than my fair share of deleting and ignoring random group invites, but I've also sent a few PM group invites. I completely disagree with randomly spamming members with a generic group invite PM. However If I see a member make a post about Myth or looking for people with which to play Marathon, I will often send that member a PM describing FCAW and inviting him to join the group.

[Edited on 12.24.2011 3:10 PM PST]

  • 12.24.2011 1:39 PM PDT

We're concerned

Cafe|MLP: FiM|Bnet Regulars|FCAW
Got a question, comment, or concern? PM me.

I got tons in the past before, I almost never get them now. I have only joined one that someone has sent me before, but when I joined the group was dead so I left instantly.

  • 12.24.2011 1:43 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

I come to Bnet to distract myelf from homicidal and suicidal ideations.

I usually join right away to check it out if it is active I might stay. Inactive groups I will try and start up and see if things get going.

  • 12.24.2011 2:23 PM PDT

Cammalamm is the best.

External Links-
>My Photobucket page
>My Twitter account

i have not got one lately.

i would love a good group tho

  • 12.24.2011 3:02 PM PDT

GT: j0sh291
"Gentlemen. I be placed at a bewilderment. There I were, resting, when I hear a frightful row on deck. What be that first mate?"
-"Mutiny. And what fate befalls mutineers? I think we know the answer to that, don't we? Mutineers...HANG!!!"

Twitter:@j0sh291
Follower of Christ!

][-][ //-\\ ][_ ((_))

When I first created my account here, I received tons of invites to groups, which I decline them all. Until I decided to check them out.

I join, after a while I became a mod there, then became leader then it all died.

As a personal experience, it changed my view on b.net

[Edited on 12.24.2011 4:14 PM PST]

  • 12.24.2011 4:13 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Fabled Legendary Member

I understand nothing because my life is a conspiracy.

I read it, then I ignore it. I should do more research into the group, though.

  • 12.24.2011 4:27 PM PDT


Posted by: lime013
I read it, then I ignore it. I should do more research into the group, though.
I would say so, you could be missing some really cool groups.

Also guy, thanks for your feedback, it is really interesting to see what you guys have to say.

[Edited on 12.26.2011 6:58 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2011 6:57 PM PDT

I never really read them.

  • 12.26.2011 6:58 PM PDT

I read them and then send a polite message back, telling them Im sorry but I'm not joining any groups at the minute, it's costs nothing to be nice!

  • 12.26.2011 7:48 PM PDT

Coup d'Bungie Admin
Coup Art by Amocin
Facebook: Link | Email: Kodyack@mail.com | SteamID: Kodyack1 | Phone: 320-267-3934 | Skype: Klykaa | Address: 656 Roosevelt Rd. St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301

I decline. I'm not active enough in the groups I want to be apart of. Adding more doesn't help :/

  • 12.26.2011 8:13 PM PDT


Posted by: DeeJ
What are the specific personal lures that motivate you to join a group. I would love to see this question answered from a very specific perspective as to WHY you join a group.

Do you prefer general chatter among an exclusive guest list?

Do you look for people who want to play games?

Do you seek out artists who can share in some creativity?

Picture your ideal group. What do those people do together?


I feel like this is a good thread that will help the devs increase the popularity and functionality of private groups. So, here's my feedback.

Do you prefer general chatter among an exclusive guest list?

Not necessarily. Although an exclusive list helps you get to know the gamers/ members and you can build a relationship with them. It also helps keep the trolling down to a dull roar.

Do you look for people who want to play games?

Absolutely. Why else would I go to a video game developer's site?


Do you seek out artists who can share in some creativity?

No. I'm no artist with forge, paint, or any other type. I'm just a dude who likes throwing ideas around.

Picture your ideal group. What do those people do together?

The first, and formost, that is essential to any group I'm personally interested in, is activity. If there's no discussion and or motivation, there's no point in the group. A lot of groups are inactive due to members forgetting they exist. A nice fix would be a notification system, which I believe is being worked on.

The second is as follows: Members have a common interest. They would discuss this common interest and post links to interesting things they discovered on the web that others should see.If it's a group of guys that like to game every saturday night, they'd even break out the consoles and play some FFA or something.

To answer your question, they interact with each other routinely.

  • 12.26.2011 8:28 PM PDT

Posted by: Sardonic13
I think that the most stable groups are those centered around playing video games regularly. A regular, reliable, and established game time is the easiest way to bring members together and keep them together. While these groups generally also lean heavily on active leaders, it is the reliability of the regular games rather than the formidable, but inevitably exhaustible, enthusiasm and creativity of the admins that keeps the group healthy.

I agree with everything in that paragraph. (Applause)

It's a difficult recipe to mix together. As you said, you need a common interest in games, a common interest in the way they are played, a membership base that is enthusiastic to invest, and a leadership committee that is patient and imaginative enough to keep the party lively.

It's not as easy as just clicking that link labeled "Create New Group", but it can be done. All of the required ingredients are here.

  • 12.27.2011 10:47 AM PDT
  • gamertag: Cweggz
  • user homepage:

MROS (Mindless Rabble of Scientists) - A group to discuss any aspect of science

Posted by: R3ACTlON
Hard is good.

the secret is to get those whose rectal cavity is sought to be tasted by the masses.

I made a group 5 seconds ago, it's a nice idea, but it's been done so many times before by so many people. I made it solely to make my group page even.

  • 12.27.2011 10:52 AM PDT

Cool people make cool groups.

As bad as this sounds, I check the member list before I join.

  • 12.27.2011 11:07 AM PDT


Posted by: DeeJ
Posted by: Sardonic13
I think that the most stable groups are those centered around playing video games regularly. A regular, reliable, and established game time is the easiest way to bring members together and keep them together. While these groups generally also lean heavily on active leaders, it is the reliability of the regular games rather than the formidable, but inevitably exhaustible, enthusiasm and creativity of the admins that keeps the group healthy.

I agree with everything in that paragraph. (Applause)

It's a difficult recipe to mix together. As you said, you need a common interest in games, a common interest in the way they are played, a membership base that is enthusiastic to invest, and a leadership committee that is patient and imaginative enough to keep the party lively.

It's not as easy as just clicking that link labeled "Create New Group", but it can be done. All of the required ingredients are here.
It is easy to be active when you have something in common to talk about.

  • 01.01.2012 3:06 PM PDT

Known by some, but not by all.
Soffish: Do not eat!
TWP Assistant Director.

Whether I know who is asking me to join a group is one deciding factor for me.

~Delta
Posted by: insaneAssass1n9
It does not happen as much as it used to, but I am sure most of you in the community have experienced receiving Bungie.net Private Group invites.

I personally have received many in the past, there were some that I joined and some that I did not. The ones that I joined were mostly groups that had something to do with the things that I was interested in at the time.

My question to you guys is, when you receive a private message asking you to join a group, what is the deciding factor for you joining the group or not?

  • 01.01.2012 3:14 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Do you know about time travel?

I haven't received a group PM invite in awhile now, but not like I ever actually accept them. Or even read them for the matter. As soon as I see it's a group invite I immediatly back out and delete the PM.

  • 01.01.2012 9:58 PM PDT

Theme Builder 4.1 is out for Bungie.net!

Theme Builders

I politely read the message and check out the group. Weather I join or not depends on how interesting the group seems to me.

  • 01.01.2012 10:05 PM PDT