Pick-up groups, aka "PUGs", are akin to a "pick-up" sports game in a field full of kids, where the event that eventually occurs wasn't planned in advance, but still the game goes on: Teams are formed from those currently around and the teams can play, within certain rule-sets, doing things that can't be accomplished alone.
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?