Mission teams - not a thing anymore?

[TheOtherTed]

So I finally mustered the courage to set my team flag last night on my level 17 controller.  I initially had the flag set for anything, but shortly after set it for missions.  I got a few tells pretty quickly - but they were all for fighting AVs, or DiB, or some TF or other, and each character who sent a tell was a much, much higher level than me.  I politely declined all - I wasn't close to SO or IO territory, and I hate the sense of being carried (even if the team leaders don't see it that way).

 

Do people not run old-school mission content?  Or is the population such that there just isn't a "critical mass" of players in that level range to get a team going?  If I try to put together a team (which I haven't done in, oh, say, 10 years), are there enough people in the late teens / early twenties (level-wise) to be worth the effort?

 

Sorry if I seem a bit sour - my favorite aspect of the original COH was casual mission teaming.  I'd hate to think that it no longer exists.

[Sakai]

Yes there are still missions teams. 

 

When I am in that sort of mood I either watch the LFG channel or form my own and advertise there as well Global channels I belong to and Broadcast within zone. 

 

On Excelsior I see them on a wide range of levels. 

 

Havent actually bothered with the flag....honestly forgot it was there. 

 

Dont lose hope and happy hunting. 

 

 

[MetaVileTerror]

They happen frequently on Everlasting as roleplay teams.

[Hedgefund]

With 2xp you fly out of lowbie levels now.  Most folks are using DFB to get to 15 as well, so I'm not surprised that there's a dearth of lowbie player availability.

[Darth_Helmet]

I think most people use the LFG chat tab to find teams or fill teams. I know I do. I've never had a problem finding or filling a team, at any level using lfg chat.  So yes, mission teams are definitely still going on. ( I agree with the above poster that people usually do 3-4 DFB from lvl 1 to around lvl 12-15 , but if you REALLY wanted to not do that...I'm sure you could form a team and do missions using lfg)

Edited October 13, 2019 by Darth_Helmet

[EmmySky]

On Indom I see recruiting on LFG channel for everything...these folks are specific.  Level X mission teams, X arc teams, X TF teams, X badge team.....and most of them include minimum level required if it's a for a specific purpose (like level shifted or 11+ for Posi 1).  

 

I havent seen many people using the flags and one night when I set my flag it went utterly ignored for 3 hours.  

 

I think you will have the most luck in the LFG Channel or Broadcast or even Help Channel. 

 

Good luck!

[Securityuniform]

A lot of times you will see people advertising a level x mission team in such and such a zone. For a large number of them your level isn't that much of an issue. As long as you have a travel power most will let a lowbie or two join. I've run shadow shards level 50 missions with some very low level team members. I just keep the difficulty at 0 or +1 and teleport them from the entrance to the mission door. After that everyones had a blast and have forgotten how low some of the team mates are. 

 

If you want to team up and see something above your level being advertised just send a /tell to the person asking for team mates saying you are level x and could you join please? The worst you'll get is a polite sorry, no. A lot of times you'll be invited in. Just ask, unless they already have too many lowbies for the mission most team leaders are happy to throw a few into the mix. We were all low level struggling to find a team once. For a lot of us it's a bit of a pay it forward situation. Someone in the past did nice things for us to help us out and now it's our turn. Eventually it will be your turn to do the same.

[Yomo Kimyata]

My experience has been that if you want a mission team, you have to build it yourself.  The team flag, in my opinion, is useless. 

 

Most people seem to speed level, but I've had a lot of success with advertising "Running Doc Delilah arc lvl 20" or "Steel Canyon missions lvl 12" on the Looking channel.  Lots of the time, people will switch toons to fit the advertisement.  

 

It works a lot better than passively setting a flag and waiting for the invites to roll in.  I just don't think there is the population to support that.

[Gulbasaur]

4 hours ago, MetaVileTerror said:

They happen frequently on Everlasting as roleplay teams.

Even non-RP teams. I run missions via the LFG channel (not the queue - its lockout mechanic is too annoying)  pretty much every time I go on. 

[ILIWAPCT]

81 Villains

424 Hero's  

 

Back on live you could form teams after the Zig easily...

[TheOtherTed]

Thanks for all the feedback.  Looks like I'll have to suck it up and form my own teams on LFG.  Since I've been back, I've done so for Cavern of Transcendence and the Spelunker badge, but those experiences were hit-or-miss.  Once each I got a full team no problem; since then, nothing but crickets.  And one plucky Fire/Something scrapper.

 

On an unrelated note, does anyone do old-school sewer teams?

[Heraclea]

On Torchbearer, I see people recruiting for Maria Jenkins mission teams fairly often.  The fact that this brings you to AVs needed for an accolade helps.  The other PI mission contacts, like Crimson, Harvey Maylor, or Unai Kamen, are not all that popular. 

 

I occasionally see people running missions teams in the Hollows and Striga as well.  And I do see people running mission teams Redside on occasion. 

 

One problem with mission teams is that they are more rewarding for the person running the arc than for most other people; only the mission owner gets the merits, unless everybody takes the same contact at the same time and stays from start to finish.  This is why I prefer task/strike forces, where everyone gets all the rewards.

[MisterBernie]

1 minute ago, Heraclea said:

I occasionally see people running missions teams in the Hollows and Striga as well.  And I do see people running mission teams Redside on occasion.

Hollows, Striga and Croatoa also unlock tf contacts which also contributes to their popularity, I'd assume.
I also see Faultline arcs advertised semi-regularly, and imo that's one of the better written arc collections.

 

I think Indigo and Crimson in particular suffer from being against Malta. And so damn long.

[LiquidBandage]

13 hours ago, TheOtherTed said:

So I finally mustered the courage to set my team flag last night on my level 17 controller. [snip]

 

Do people not run old-school mission content? [snip]

 

Sorry if I seem a bit sour - my favorite aspect of the original COH was casual mission teaming.  I'd hate to think that it no longer exists.

The most important aspect of having the fun you like is to make it happen. This was true back on live, it is even more true now. 

 

If you just passively wait around for someone to scoop you up to do some content you enjoy, you will be waiting a while (or competing for limited spots when someone asks). If you like X content, it is pretty likely that someone else wants to do the same (or help if you frame your LFG request that way). When you try to recruit for missions, mention what level you are so people have a rough understanding of what powers will be available to them. Also, as you recruit between missions, they will see that you are progressing (i.e. gaining xp). All of the AE farming beggars will still be there and everyone else will notice that you are actually getting stuff done. 

 

Another problem is that DFB is way too prolific in the 1-22 level range. If you try to run mission content in lower levels, do not get discouraged. Recruit whatever you can and just run with it. That is the challenge, that is the fun (there is rarely one right way to approach content). 

 

If you are persistent, you will find other people that enjoy the same content as you and you will find friends that you can draw upon to make forming teams faster. In some cases you will gain a reputation for running X content and people will seek you out, making teaming even easier.

[Darth_Helmet]

7 hours ago, TheOtherTed said:

 

On an unrelated note, does anyone do old-school sewer teams?

 

I.think that's why DFB is so popular. DFB combines the feel of an old school pick-up sewer team with some big bosses along the way and a GM at the end.  Basically DFB is the new version of the pick up sewer team. You'll absolutely never have a problem finding/filling a DFB team...

[Apparition]

28 minutes ago, Darth_Helmet said:

 

I.think that's why DFB is so popular. DFB combines the feel of an old school pick-up sewer team with some big bosses along the way and a GM at the end.  Basically DFB is the new version of the pick up sewer team. You'll absolutely never have a problem finding/filling a DFB team...

 

Unless it's a redside DFB team. :(

[boggo2300]

what is this redside thing you speak of?

[EmmySky]

4 hours ago, boggo2300 said:

what is this redside thing you speak of?

Its a myth....intended to divide the heroes so we can be vanquished!  Don't fall for it.

[TheOtherTed]

7 hours ago, Darth_Helmet said:

 

I.think that's why DFB is so popular. DFB combines the feel of an old school pick-up sewer team with some big bosses along the way and a GM at the end.  Basically DFB is the new version of the pick up sewer team. You'll absolutely never have a problem finding/filling a DFB team...

I tried DFB a few times in original COH, and intensely disliked it (too easy with too much reward, IMO).  I started running actual old-school sewer teams as a counter to it and was consistently able to get good groups together, but then the curtains came down.  Might try again.

[Shred Monkey]

(On Excelsior) I see a lot of LFG messages for teams starting about level 20 (usually Talos radio teams).  I think most people do DFB to level 17ish... Positron and DIB to 20 (or just limp by solo).. then start teaming when they get to Talos. 

[kiramon]

Lots of people plvl/dfb/dib to 22 to use IOS before looking to team for real. 

[Abraxus]

I still love mission play!  I just don't particularly enjoy soloing it.  When I have one of my mates around consistently enough to walk through content, I always prefer that to DFB power-leveling for the first 20 levels.

[Gulbasaur]

On 10/14/2019 at 1:08 PM, TheOtherTed said:

  I started running actual old-school sewer teams as a counter to it and was consistently able to get good groups together, but then the curtains came down.

I quite often run my Tip missions in Atlas and put "Tired of DFB? Join me for some tips in Atlas Park. L1s welcome" and it fills up in seconds and a lowbie character will usually level up about four times before you've left the first room.

[Shred Monkey]

16 minutes ago, Gulbasaur said:

I quite often run my Tip missions in Atlas and put "Tired of DFB? Join me for some tips in Atlas Park. L1s welcome" and it fills up in seconds and a lowbie character will usually level up about four times before you've left the first room.

I like this idea... I may start doing this myself.  

[Gulbasaur]

1 hour ago, Shred Monkey said:

I like this idea... I may start doing this myself.  

You usually get players across a whole range of levels and everyone is always pleased to join you. "Just do your best and try to keep me alive" is my only real requirement.

 

It's good if you just want to run about smashing things and not worry about things being particularly hard.

 

Leadership and the SoA equivalent helps as it somewhat increase the lowbies' usefulness, but I only really do it for stuff I could probably solo. I do one at +2x8 to test out my allies and then go up to +3 or +4 if it doesn't take too long.
 

The only ones you really need to worry about are the tanks who pick up more aggro than they can handle. I mostly run these on my stalker who can nuke like the best of the best, but can't hold aggro at all so I have ended up in a pile of corpses once or twice.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Gulbasaur