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Diantane

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Posts posted by Diantane

    Yep, defenders can still kick butt, but as a team

    in Defender

    Posted

    Some of the teams that I host have been made up of all defenders. For some reason the huge amount of buffs, debuffs and protections makes this team rock through mobs pretty fast. I'm surprised more defender teams aren't around.

     

    Trivia; When LIVE first started, two RAD defenders with the same debuffs on a boss would allow anyone to kill it with one simple "brawl." This was nerfed two weeks later.

    Blasts are too weak

    in Defender

    Posted

    When I made a defender I have to train the first attack, but after using it in DFB for a half down levels, Its's removed from the toolbar and I concentrate on my primaries.

     

    I have a 50 pain/rad defender. Its best blast with 3-SO damage enhancements does 3 x 30 (big deal! ). The only defender I have that does any real damage is a kin/beam 50. All the other ones are very weak damage. A defender's blast are a secondary power and they don't crit.

     

    I tried dual pistols on a Sentinel and it took me almost two minutes to kill anything during Frostfire. I can't imagine training DP on a defender - lol.

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    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 3/3/2024 at 9:43 PM, Ironblade said:

     

    This is really a situational thing.  A team of 8 controllers would be extremely powerful and get through enemies quickly - AFTER they get their pets.  By then, they'll have a good array of powers, probably some IO's and, as noted, their pets which are their main source of damage.

     

    But you're talking about Frostfire which, as I recall, is in the 12-15 range?  So if people are actually in that range, it's pretty rough no matter what AT's you have.  For this reason, I would never turn up the difficulty.  I do Positron and Synapse at base difficulty.  I only go to +1 once we reach the Penny Yin TF which is 20-25.  By the time you're ready for the ITF, sure, plenty of teams can handle +4.  But Frostfire?  Ouch.

     

    Doing Frostfire at +4 allows a player at level 14  to advance to 19 in less than an hour + time for wipes. A wipe happens mostly because the PUG team is full of inexperienced players. They would normally play at +0 but all of them want to be 19 fast.  After the first hour of players quitting and re-recruiting, and then playing until they level, it becomes easier. After they level twice, everything gets very easy and fast. I have done Frostfire at no difficulty before and it was dead boring (never again).

     

    To make it easier for the players, we do the first two indoor missions at +1, then Flux at +3. So Frostfire at +4 is just a little harder.

     

    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    8 hours ago, Ukase said:

    So, I'm just going to say this out loud. Two things can lead to disappointment. Unrealized expectations and Unrealistic expectations. 

    When a player leads a team for something as straightforward as Frostfire, all the non-leaders are there to do one primary thing - complete the mission.  Some make a beeline for keystone and the altars to get to Frostfire ASAP, and some want to kill every single npc they see. You're clearly someone who wants to run point, and you want the team to stick together. You have a method, like most of us. Some leaders want to always go left whenever there's a path that diverges into different directions. Some like to go right. 

    Here's what I think may be frustrating you - not every reads chat. Also, not everyone agrees with the choices a leader makes. Most of us will go along, and as soon as the mission is over, without telling you the real reason why - we leave the team. I left your team a couple of days ago because you seemed to think we were children who needed to be told what to do. You're in your sg base, presumably training, meanwhile your team is running your mission. You weren't there, and yet you expected PUGs who've never teamed with you to go the same path you would. I think that's being unreasonable. In my defense, (if I need one) I came late; the mission was half over. I knew where the team was - because on my map, I saw where there was still fog, and where there wasn't. 
    Now, I get that lower level players and even some incarnates LOVE killing every thing on every map. That is what they are there to do, and that's great. But dude, if you're not even on the map, and I've never teamed with you before, I have no way of knowing how you want to do anything. 

    You're having unrealistic expectations. Communicate that you want people to stick together. Allow for times in between missions for people to train. 

    Use team inspirations before tough fights. Use ATT if some of the team has gone the wrong way. Use macros to communicate more quickly if you think it will help. Crack jokes. Don't bark orders or give instructions unless it's for a badge. Make suggestions. Teams in CoH are not a benevolent dictatorship, they are a collaborative effort. But, that's just my opinion, and opinions vary. 

     When I host a team I usually explain the storyline and tell the team about problems that lie ahead, Today while doing the Striga Isles arcs, we were all laughing together and having a really good time. On the Agent Watkins arc that starts in Steel, When we do the first building mission, I explain quite a lot to everyone. But when we enter the last room that has well over a hundred Freakshows, I let them find out on their own what is about to happen, but I do tell them that I know how to beat this room. That they only have to ask for my help. They usually go on in, but when the team wipes and wipes again, they say something like, "What were you saying about how to beat this room?" 

    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 3/1/2024 at 2:42 PM, golstat2003 said:

     

    As a TEAM LEADER when someone send you a tell that they can join, you need to ask what their AT is, if it's not what you are looking for. You sent the call out for a team, so it's your responsiblity as the TEAM LEADER to check that. Or get upset when folks don't bring a DPS AT.

     

    EDIT: Also you need to communicate with the team in chat to keep the team together. Being team leader is not just forming the team.

    Thank you too!

    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 3/1/2024 at 1:39 PM, DougGraves said:

     

    So you were the leader on that team.

     

    It must be the team I was on.  It was set to +3.  We did well with everyone together, but I think at every branch in the hallway it split up until there was no more than 3 people together.  No one seemed to be reading the chat.

    Yep, that was the one. I've hosted the Flux arc at +3 for about two years. It allows the time the team needs to become acclimated to the higher level foes so raising up to +4 Frostfire, won't be that much more of a challenge. Unless the team is made up with long time players, splitting up the team usually leads to disaster. 

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    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 3/1/2024 at 1:37 PM, Ghost said:

    If you’re forming the team, and are down to just needing certain types of players (heals/tank/holds/DPS), you could always ask for people to tell you what type of toon they are on before you send an invite.

     

    Just a suggestion.

    Now why didn't I think of that?? Thank you for that suggestion.

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    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 3/1/2024 at 1:32 PM, BurtHutt said:

    I'm more curious as to how the team was taking on the bad guys. A team of controllers should be fine in that scenario if you used the proper strategery! 

     

    I only team and so many teams are hot messes in regards to strategy but we get through because the toons are pretty powerful now (cheaper IOs, incarnates, better builders etc). Sometimes it's a challenge at lower levels because we don't have all of the upgrades so you need to pull, divide and conquer and so on. Most teams just blitz the enemy.

     

     

    Only one controller was a vet. The rest were low level (less than 12). They just can't do much damage so that greatly extends the time it takes to complete a +4 Frostfire.

    Hosting Hardships and Happiness

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 2/25/2024 at 1:22 PM, JasperStone said:

    Thank you for how you run arcs ... may have run with you?

     

    Also thank you for the heads up on Arsenal.

    I am currently working on an Arsenal/Pain Troller and can attest to low DPS when there are multiple of us on a team.

     

    I'm currently hosting with 'Frostfire a ice/fire sentinel.

     

    Led one team through the Hollows to Frostfire (got to level 19) yesterday evening.

    Then led another team through the Striga Isle arcs (Peebles took most of the time),  By the time we got to Lars Hansen, I had out leveled the area. We only did a street mission and then Lars told me to take a hike (got to level 30 after 5.5 hours straight).

    Next I will start Provost Marchland @+3 at about 6:45 pm EST today.

     

    Hope to see ya and anyone else that wants to tag along,

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    Hosting Hardships and Happiness - Part 2

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Since I'm not getting a well rounded team most of the time, I diagnosed the problem and think another guide would be helpful. Like when I ask for a DPS player, which stands for (Damage Per Second), but refers to an AT that does heavy damage (Scrapper, Brute, Stalker, Blaster. Sentinel, PB, WS, Soldier and Widow). I asked for DPS last night (and even DAMAGE) and ended up with 5 trollers. This just doesn't work (did Frostfire with 5 trollers once, and it took us 2.5 hours to complete the mission). We ended up not getting that far last night. I ran into a room while cloaked, full of baddies and the team didn't follow. Instead they figured they could skip that room and took the elevator upstairs. This team seemed to be filled with children and I chose not to lead them anymore and logged.

     

    I'm sure that you would love  to level your controller, but filling up a team with them will level you very slowly. The very most controllers you want on a team is two, but preferably just one that is experienced with the game. Then a healer, defender, dedicated tank (takes the alpha and pulls critters from weaker players) and the rest DPS. That would be a well rounded team and  would steamroll through missions.

     

    Sometimes the team will get wiped over and over again. The problem here is the player, not the archetype.  I have had teams that steamrolled through the same mission @ +3 or 4 so I know that it is possible. Most players will quit the team to look for an easier way to level/play. But a few stay and fight to complete the mission. Thank god there are true warriors still playing. Even a defender can be a "warrior." I have taken the alpha (the first to run in and agro the group), with Sentinels and Defenders (and do this over and over throughout every mission).  It's because of my high level of gaming experience just like so many others. 

     

    The funny thing is that many players think they can level faster on an easier team (+0 or 1) I have even seen teams that started Frostfire @ +0. Frostfire, himself would be "gray" in the end. This would be extremely boring to me. If they stayed with my team, they would be a much higher level when we're done. I usually start a brand new character and 6 to 7 hours of fun later I'm in my low to mid 30's just doing arcs.

    Hosting Hardships and Happiness

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Diantane

    On 2/25/2024 at 1:22 PM, JasperStone said:

    Thank you for how you run arcs ... may have run with you?

     

    Also thank you for the heads up on Arsenal.

    I am currently working on an Arsenal/Pain Troller and can attest to low DPS when there are multiple of us on a team.

    I also made a arsenal/pain troller (Painful Control) on Excelsior. It worked pretty well, but when teams were not protected by themselves or others, I was mostly just a healer and had little time for control. That's why I made an arsenal/thermal (Thermal Artillery) so I could give the team some resistive defense as well as healing/buffs and debuff.

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    PUG Life: I was the problem

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Our team walked into a room with two groups. I put the group on the left to sleep so we can concentrate on the group on the right while the other group takes a a nap. Then some idiot throws an aoe at the sleeping group and both groups wipe the team - UGH !

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    Hosting Hardships and Happiness

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I've been hosting teams since shortly after the emulator started. Do this nearly every day and for several hours straight (retired Vietnam Era Navy Vet). I run arcs  (storyline missions with merits and badges). I find them interesting. I always solo them before I host the first team so that I can learn the story.

     

    Recruiting is something that you have to do constantly. This is because the the average player will do one to three missions and then take a break from the game for a few hours to days. Sometimes I get L50 vets that stay for the entire arc (even a long one like "Provost Marchland" which lasts 4-5 hours depending on the team). Generally run them at +3, but this is governed by the team. Some players complain that this is too high and that I should lower it. Then there are other players that say this is too low and I should raise it. You can tell when there are constant wipes or the team is "steamrolling."

     

    Because of the recent update there are "a lot" of Arsenal Controllers and Dominators. If you're not careful, your team will have 4 to 6 of them. This never works as it takes too long to complete a mission (little to no DPS). After you say something like "LF3M" you can add whatever the team needs. Like LF3M - DPS or LF3M TANK or LF3M - HEALS. We call these teams PUG's or Pick Up Groups, but you do have some control on what you get.

     

    As I have done some arcs over a hundred times, I get to know every part of them very well. Like warning the team that the next section has two groups. As soon as you enter the room there is one group right down the middle of the columns, but be careful as there is another group to the right just as you enter the room. Most "uneducated" teams will run straight for the center group and the other group comes from behind to wipe the team (this is on the Agent Watkins arc). There is another mission on Agent Watkins that is INSANE. The artificial intelligence of the critters are far different then other arcs/missions. There are 4-500 Freakshows in this mission (the second largest indoor map in the game (first is Atta in the Hollows)).  The last room usually wipes the team (except for me, because I know what to expect and hang back). Then I explain to everyone why this happened and ask if they would like to know how to beat it or let them try again on their own. 

     

    SPOILER - This room has three levels or tiers. You walk in on the second level. If you stay there you will most likely die; as Freaks jump up from the bottom and jump down from the top and overwhelm the team. The secret is to run straight to the top level. From the entrance, turn right and run up the ramp. Then clear them out so they can't jump down. When you finish this level you'll come down a ramp to the second level platform. Do not stay there and fight as they are still jumping up from the bottom. Instead immediately run to the other side of the room (past the entrance) and get on the second level bridge. Then clear that level out. When you finish, run to the other side of the  room again and go down the ramp there to the bottom and work your way to the other side. Then click on the desk and the mission is complete! A few "bad: players will click on the desk to end the mission, but this kills the excitement and a lot of XP. Plus hospitalized players can't get back in to work off their debt.

     

    Note: Lower level players will gain a few levels in this mission on double XP. Its like Frostfire on drugs - lol. I have done this at +4 several times if I play a defensive tank (didn't train a lot of the weak secondary attacks - just taunt) or a ForceField Defender If I play this defender we play every arc on +4 except Provost Marchland. The AV's are too hard even with a team full of L50 vets. We have tried and failed many times (even with P2W tools).

     

    If you see a call for a team on "Look for Group" that has this format, you'll know it is me:

    L32 BLUE 3/8 "Provost Marchland" Arc Team LF3M

     

    See you ingame!

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    How to increase your capacity for inspirations at any level

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    No, this isn't a mod. My capacity for inspirations has been about 50 over what you see on your character. Mostly break frees and rez's. The answer? Just mail yourself a bunch of inspirations. You can have up to 100 emails which mostly went unused until I started doing this. This works with all of your characters since they all have access. If I get an extra rez or whatever, I mail it.

     

    If you die and don't have a rez, just check your mail 🙂

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    This happens every time in a PUG team:

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Diantane

    You're in a PUG Team and you come up to a mob and then everyone just stands there and waits for someone else to make the first move. Because of this, I always take the alpha regardless of which AT I am playing. Yes I die more often or lose a lot of health, but at least the team moves on. In order to keep things going, I'll even try to pull other mobs into the fight when it starts to die down.

     

    Its amazing how many PUG tanks will also just stand there. When I play a tank I just run and jump into the middle of them and start taunting. Even my attacks have a taunt enhancement in them.

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