I post on forums very rarely but this topic is about my home server on HC so I feel compelled to say something about Indomitable server's current predicament.
I currently lead the weekday Hamidon raids on Indomitable. My toon for leading the raid is Blighted Maiden, a Dark/Rad/Leviathan Blaster. I had been playing in the early days of Homecoming when Indomitable was as populous as Excelsior and server activity was bountiful. I played for a good 6 months before real life got in the way and I had to give up playing for a while. I come back nearly two years later to find the server was a shell of its former self in activity and I wanted to help reverse that trend.
When I became raid leader I took a couple steps to help eliminate some confusion people were having about the raid. The previous posted time was 7-9pm Eastern, which is bad because it meant having a set of people show up at 7 and then a different group of people show up at 8 or even 8 30, which is bad because the people who come early get tired of waiting and leave, which had meant the raid wouldn't meet the minimum number to start, and would more likely be called off. I chose to combat this by standardizing the start time to 8pm Eastern, with recruitment starting at 7 30 sharp. Despite that, I typically don't call for monster hunting to begin until closer to 8 30, because that is usually how long I have to wait until I have enough participants to begin.
The second step I took was to organize the raid the best I can. I got to know and became friends with the dedicated raider base on the server and learn their strengths so I could place them in the best positions to make the raid a success for regulars and new raiders alike. Indomitable has a Very Strong, albeit small raiding base (about 10-12 regulars). For example, last night in our 2nd round of the Hamidon raid the Melee team only had 3 people on it, and was still successful in clearing yellows. Where as other servers typically clear the raid with full leagues, we clear it with as few as 16 players. Does it take longer? Sure it does. With smaller leagues (especially ones with new comers) I try to minimize the risk of failure as much as I can, because nothing drives a new raider away from coming back than waiting 30-60 minutes to raid and then walk away with no reward. If this means calling for a 3 step raid, then so be it. I advertise a 80 merit reward for your time, I'm going to do my best to make sure you get it. I call for 24 people to start, because that is the minimum I feel absolutely sure we can complete the raid in 2 steps. Anything less means I need to make a judgement call during the first damage phase to 75% to see if it the damage is enough to finish in 2 steps.
We want more people to participate though, so we can help regrow the server. Today's raiding league can be tomorrow's WST team, or I trial, or even a new super group. My long term goal is to utilize the game's most teamwork intensive event to help the server come together and promote more group activities. I also regularly advertise for Adamastor before the raid as a warm up and to score some fast merits. So I humbly ask, whether you are a native Indom player or make your home on one of the other servers, please give our raid a shot. It is a unique experience.
I would like to address one point of criticism that I find frustrating:
I get it. Waiting sucks. I do so for nearly an hour every day I lead the raid. However, if I had just 4 or 5 more people that could put up with the (~30) minute or so wait, it would cease to be a wait that long, because I would then have enough people to more reliably start on time. The more reliably I can start the raid on time, the more rounds of raiding we can attempt until we can get back up to 3 rounds per raid. However, if you just choose to bail because you didn't want to wait, then you're contributing more to the problem than the solution. That kind of attitude just isn't constructive toward growing the raid. Now far be it for me to demand people what to do. If want to leave that is fine, you do what you want, just don't be a detriment to those that want to contribute. I know this isn't Excelsior or Everlasting, but we're working hard toward rebuilding to something similar. One person said earlier in this thread that it only takes one bad person to bring an activity down (paraphrasing). Well I believe the opposite is more true, in that one good person to make an activity even better, and I believe I have proved that. Just ask the regulars.
TL;DR: I've done my best so far to make the raid more organized and accessible on Indom. You may have to wait a bit, or even a while, but I ask that you please have some patience. Rome wasn't built in a day. I firmly believe that by rebuilding the raid base other server activities will rise as a result.
Hello. Over all, I believe Darkness Affinity is a great Controller Secondary. However, one power in the set has never interested me and I'm willing to bet others have commonly skipped this power as well. Black Hole currently reads: Opens up a Black Hole to the Netherworld that temporarily pulls in all foes within its grasp. The victims become phase shifted and are completely intangible. They are hard to see, and cannot affect or be affected by those in normal space. Recharge: Slow Type: click Cast: 1.03 seconds, 13 endurance Recharge: 120 seconds Affects: 16 enemies, 50' range, 20' radius, 4 area factor, 1 accuracy versus AoE or negative defense +3 intangibility for 30 seconds on target +3 immobilization for 30 seconds on target • -100% threat for 30 seconds on target (Stats taken from City of Heroes Wiki) As it is, intangibility powers are much maligned and this one is no exception. There are few (but not zero) applicable situations for this. Not very appealing for a Tier 8. I propose Black Hole be reworked to closer work like Gravity Control's Tier 8: Worm Hole. Ranged foe teleport, Foe disorient, knockback You can open a gravitational Wormhole behind a targeted foe and violently push him, and all nearby foes, through it. The victims are sent flying out the other end of the Wormhole and are left Disoriented. You determine the location of the Wormhole's end, and can place it high in the air if desired. More powerful foes may be resistant to the Wormhole effects. I would just change the Foe disorient to either be a -ACC or a short Fear debuff. I believe this change would make Black Hole more enticing as a T8 power to pick. Also, I'd think a Black Hole would work similarly to a Worm Hole, but that's just me. Thank you for your consideration, Indigo Blade
