ShardWarrior

I do. However, to say that roles were better defined when the game was live is inaccurate. I just finished an ITF/STF/LRSF TF train on a team of 8 of all Defenders and Controllers. I can assure you, there were no "diminished powers" and everyone brought something to the team. It was also a great deal of fun for all of us. EBs and AVs are not dying within 1 to 2 rounds of casting. Not being able to land a hit before something dies is as common an occurrence now as it was on live. You have eight people all shooting at the same things. What do you expect to happen? I still appreciate receiving speed boost or Fortitude/AB or whatever buffs someone wants to apply and it is a certainty I am not the only one. They are icing on the cake to me.

Why?

Saying the game had better defined roles back in the day versus now is not accurate either. I am routinely teaming with people who play the entire spectrum of ATs and power sets and everyone is bringing something to the table.

"Valuable" is entirely subjective. The game always had sets that were not as "valuable" or "desirable" for team content as others. Always. To say otherwise is spreading misinformation.

You are lacking the willingness because this simply is not true. Roll a toon on Torchbearer and join the channel I mentioned. You will be able to find the challenge you are looking for and then some. Post a request there that you are looking to find a challenge and I am sure you will find others to help you. Yes, it was a challenge. It still is. That was not the point. You keep alluding to this mythical golden age of CoH where scrappers and tanks could not solo GMS or where Empathy was never totally outshined by Kinetics in the late game. This was never the case even before IOs. Players were always able to achieve the levels of power they can today, most chose not to due to the price of admission. Those that did are not much different today. Why would you be expecting to easily solo and AV on a low damage AT intended for support even today? You must not do many Hamidon raids. The Mitos required a coordinated effort and each AT has something to contribute. Ranged ATs are not going to clear Yellow Mitos faster than melee because that is how the Mitos are specifically designed. New villain factions and new content can be created with similar concepts in mind. No nerfs to AoE that impact the entire game from 1 to 50, just being creative and imaginative to raise the ceiling that people have been hitting since the game was live.

I could not agree more. What you have said here sums up my feelings on TW as well.

I never said rebalance the entire game around IOs, only new level 50+ content.

The one you chat to and communicate to others in. This is not rocket science. If you are on Torchbearer, try TB Bag channel. Plenty of great players on there and always something going on. There are any number of ways to find the challenge you are looking for. Many people here in this thread have already made suggestions for what content to run. Sorry to be blunt, but stop blaming the game for your total lack of ability and willingness to work within the existing system. No, it does not. You could steamroll content then just as you can steamroll it now. You could completely remove IOs from the game and have nothing but SOs and people would still steamroll the content. IOs have had some impact but not to the extreme degree most think. You almost never needed someone to help with harder content outside of Hamidon raids. I know because I soloed quite a lot on my scrapper back in the day and soloed a few TFs here and there. There were a lot people soloing TFs back then. I remember the threads for it where they posted screenshots of their completion. Other players were never a necessity for most content. You are assuming that any new content would just be increasing a decimal or two in the code and calling it a day. There are any number of possibilities that can be done to add new mechanics to the game so something other than AoE would be required. See the various kinds of Mitos and Hamidon where it is not just about raw damage.

Basic mechanics are in no way preventing you from socializing and forming teams.

I do not thing PUGs today are any different than they were prior to sunset. We absolutely never required the trinity on any team. I specifically remember steamrolling Manticore, Sister Psyche, even Posi back in the day. Even Hamidon was easy back then once we figured out the right strategy. IOs play a part now in that they are more accessible. Prior to sunset, most people did not even use them given the absurd prices on them in the AH. This is a reason why I have suggested any new high level content should be designed for and balanced around IOs. Someone suggested earlier to use Kallisti Wharf as a new level 50+ zone. I think that is an excellent idea. It is a great place to start fresh with all new enemy factions that can be tailored for higher powered builds.

People who say they are incapable of finding like minded players are quite frankly full of crap. I belong to half a dozen channels and between those and LFG I have had no difficulty finding like minded players.

The game was never that well balanced. There were people soloing TFs long before there were IOs and Incarnates.

I personally do not see an issue with 8 level 50s being able to steamroll content. To me, this fits with the superhero theme. This is also why I and others have repeatedly suggested for new level 50+ content that is designed for and specifically balanced around IOs and incarnates. Until then, people can find all the challenge they are looking for and then some by forming their own teams and running the various challenging AE content available.

How? Am I somehow better than anyone else? How did all the people in the various channels I belong to find like minded players? I am absolutely not the only person who has done this.

Stop making random teams then. Socialize. Find like minded players and form teams however you like.

Why? I have had zero problem finding like minded players simply by playing the game. If I can do it, anyone can. This is in no way a difficult thing to do.

I am not suggesting anyone avoid teaming or PUGs. I simply suggest everyone find like minded players to enjoy the game in the way you all like together.

Why? Should ATs get nerfed because people can PUG 8 person blaster teams?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

That is a fantastic idea!

Yes, there was. Since there is only one TW power set in the game, quite obviously I am playing the same one everyone else is. I simply do not care for it.

No, but I do I like to correct ignorance and inaccurate information when I see it.

Hey all! Here is something I had put together a while back that I never wound up using. It is on Excelsior.

Clearly I am and clearly I have a preference in playing other sets. I do not like the momentum mechanic. It is ok for soloing although I prefer my StrJ character more, and it most certainly is not my choice for teaming up. I know it is difficult to have people disagree with you, but that is life.

Why would you expect people going into newly designed content balanced around IOs and incarnates to do well only in SOs? Many MMOs have raid tiers where you need to have a certain gear level in order to run it. This is not a foreign concept and the game already has this to an extent where incarnates need to be unlocked to run iTrials. Is it better/more fun to use various power pools and IO bonuses to attempt to soft cap defense on a blaster or is it going to be more fun to team with a defender who will get you there, leaving you more options for primary power picks to fulfill your primary role? That is up to the individual, which it should be in my opinion.