Questions from a noob

[CantgetRight]

So, I just started playing yesterday I just picked a server and jumped in. I think I’m on blue side of everlasting. After playing a few hours I noticed that atlas park is pretty empty and no One is grouping or teaming sub level 30. At lease that’s what I got from the chat. I asked about super groups and tried to talk to the few I saw running by. No one really payed any attention or responded. I’m looking for a good community and trying to make some friend to level/play with. Dose it get better at higher levels? Should I switch servers? I’m located in Germany, but only speak English so the EU server didn’t look promising. Any suggestions? Or is the game kind of dieing out again? 

[Six-Six]

Hey! Welcome Home, as they say.

It could be the time zones. peak hours seem to wax and wane every now and then. And with the quarantine in most countries, it has been more irregular (although I have seen a bigger population when signing in -- server capacity dots in the shard choice).

I play in Reunion, and while the physical server is located in Germany, it is not limited to Europeans. English is still prevalent, although you do have specialised groups for French, German, Scandinavian, etc... Also, a lot of my AU and Asian friends play there since there is a wider intersect in terms of time-differences as opposed to US time.

That said, you can transfer you character to Reunion or any other shard. You get IIRC 3 transfer tokens per week that refreshes every week. 

On finding groups, you're going to want to switch to the LFG (looking for group) channel in the chat menu.  announcements are made there phrased like so:
"Batman-lady: LFG L15+ Posi 2 TF 2/8

This translates to Batman-lady (player) is looking for a group of players with minimum level 15 to run the Positron 2 task force, and he already has 2 of the 8 players in his team. you will want to click on his toon name to send him a direct tell, or just in the LFG channel, to ask him for an invite to join the team. A lot of teams run task forces, but there are also quite a few mission runs where you help the leader get through his missions. The LFG channel is city-wide so you don't just need to be in a certain zone to get notifications. 😃

And while there are a lot of higher level teams, there are also a considerable number of lowbies starting out just like you. A lot of people, once they reach level 50 (and some before they even reach 50) create alts and start from level 1.



My global is my username @Six-Six. Be happy to level up with you on Reunion. 

[Stygus]

Hi there, the game is going strong, not sure what issues you had with teaming, 

You'll see people running DFB's those are low level trials, from level 1 up, mission teams can be found from your team tab, 

Don't be afraid to start your own team the game and players are pretty forgiving, 

I'm in Asia so time zones are wonky, but you can get me at @Stygus

I play on Everlasting,  but I have toons on Reunion,  look me up if you get stuck, 

Hope you get a lot out of the game

[Obus Form]

1 hour ago, CantgetRight said:

So, I just started playing yesterday I just picked a server and jumped in. I think I’m on blue side of everlasting. After playing a few hours I noticed that atlas park is pretty empty and no One is grouping or teaming sub level 30. At lease that’s what I got from the chat. I asked about super groups and tried to talk to the few I saw running by. No one really payed any attention or responded. I’m looking for a good community and trying to make some friend to level/play with. Dose it get better at higher levels? Should I switch servers? I’m located in Germany, but only speak English so the EU server didn’t look promising. Any suggestions? Or is the game kind of dieing out again? 

Answering your Questions

 

Dose it get better at higher levels? 

Yes it gets much better.  High level content such as Incarnate trials, Peregrine Island missions, even AE farms are constantly being run.  As are whatever weekly TFs that give you additional merits.  Everyone's running these

 

Level 1 - 15: Everyone is doing Death From Below (DFB)

Level 15 - 20+: Everyone is doing Drowning In Blood (DIB)

Level 25+: Go to /LFG channel and either Start a TF yourself or join one already forming.  Asking "Level 33 blaster LFG" will never get you any groups

Level 50: Go to /LFG channel and join PI missions, Maria Jenkins Arc, or high level TF

Level 50+: Go to /LFG channel and join Incarnate Trials.  These trials gather in Ouroboros

All levels: Start the TF of the week yourself, or join one already forming.  Asking "Level 50 Brute LF weekly TF" will never get you any groups

 

Should I switch servers?

The highest population sever is Excelsior, blue side.   Red side is only 30% of the players.  You can switch between Blue <--> Red instantly via Null the Gull (change alignment) in Pocket D.

Excelsior playerbase focuses on PVE.  Other servers (I forget their names) focus on RP or PVP

 

I’m located in Germany, but only speak English so the EU server didn’t look promising. Any suggestions?

It might lag since you are across the globe.  I don't have experience so it may or may not be true.  IIRC the EU servers are not located in EU, but are called "EU" so that everyone playing plays at the same time zone.  Excelsior server runs on the Eastern Standard Time schedule.   Most people play after working hours and on weekends. 

Reunion is hosted in Germany.

 

Or is the game kind of dieing out again? 

Go to Excelsior server and see the 99999 people in Atlas Park, Ouroboros, or Pocket D before raids.  

 

I am @Obus Form on excelsior server.

 

Happy hunting 😃

 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Obus Form
Reunion is hosted in Germany

[Grouchybeast]

1 hour ago, CantgetRight said:

So, I just started playing yesterday I just picked a server and jumped in. I think I’m on blue side of everlasting. After playing a few hours I noticed that atlas park is pretty empty and no One is grouping or teaming sub level 30. At lease that’s what I got from the chat. I asked about super groups and tried to talk to the few I saw running by. No one really payed any attention or responded. I’m looking for a good community and trying to make some friend to level/play with. Dose it get better at higher levels? Should I switch servers? I’m located in Germany, but only speak English so the EU server didn’t look promising. Any suggestions? Or is the game kind of dieing out again? 

Welcome to the game!  Reunion is pretty busy at peak Euro times, and English is the language used almost all the time in the main channels.  As someone said above, joining the Looking for Group channel will be your biggest route into finding teams, and I see plenty of low-level content being advertised on Reunion.

 

Some low level stuff you might see advertised are:

 

DFB (Death from Below) - a quick, short task force (TF) for sub level 20 characters to get XP and some nice low-level buffs to their characters.  The minimum level is 1, so you can jump in literally from the moment you materialise in Atlas Park.

Posi 1 (Positron's Task Force 1) - minimum level 10. 1 - 1 1/2 hours

Posi 2 (Positron's Task force 2) - minimum level 11. 1 - 1 1/2 hours

Synapse (Synapse's Task Force) - minimum level 15.  2 - 3 hours

Frostfire team, or Hollows team - a group doing story arcs in The Hollows hazard zone. While you could join at any level, it's good for around levels 5-15.

You might also see people advertising for teams doing missions in  in Kings Row, which is ~5-10.

 

The completion times are very rough estimates, and might be longer or shorter.  If you see someone describing their TF as 'speed' or similar, then it will be faster but will get you less XP, as they're probably after the badge for completing the TF.  One thing to note is that once a TF is started new players can't be recruited to the team, so it's not a good idea to join if you think you might have to leave before they end.

[Grouchybeast]

1 minute ago, Obus Form said:

IIRC the EU servers are not located in EU, but are called "EU" so that everyone playing plays at the same time zone. 

Reunion is hosted in Germany.

[Obus Form]

Just now, Grouchybeast said:

Reunion is hosted in Germany.

Thanks I will edit that now

[Ironblade]

If you do stay on Everlasting, I would suggesting joining the global channel:  Everlasting TFs

If you move to another server, I would ask in the forum section for that server to find out the main channel(s) for teaming other than 'Looking For Group' which is in your chat tab by default.

[Without_Pause]

I feel like there is a sliver of DIBs being run compared to DFBs. I would suggest, and more so for new players, to get some contacts and run their missions while seeing who wants to join. As a vet, radios are boring as hell but an advantage since you stay in the same zone. If you aren't running things like Frostfire, the Croatoa zone, and some lesser used these days zones, you are missing out.

 

Also don't be afraid to try out as many builds as possible and be willing to start over. I think I tried out 4-5 yesterday before picking two and I've played the game on Live and here for 8+ years and I feel like I tend to know what works going in, My softball estimate is I've rolled 70+ characters. I wouldn't question if it was 100+.

[CantgetRight]

Thanks, for all the help and advice everyone. Really appreciate it. I think I’ll try the advice given and see if I can get some teams. It might help more once I get out of atlas park like some of you said. If it still seems empty it might be a time zone issue and then I’ll just look into the servers you all suggested. Glad to here there still a community. I really like this game and having a lot of fun making. If you guys have or know any active SG let me know. I think joining a good one can probably really enhance the game.  

[Oubliette_Red]

You don't even need to transfer your character, just go to another server and roll up another character. Heck, go on every server and roll a character. 🙂  That's one way of checking out the community on each server.

 

Definitely keep an eye out on the LFT channel, should be one of the defaults, though I recommend editing the channel so that it only shows LFG chat. Cuts down on some of the noise. Find someone else calling out that they are looking for a team, you can both hook up and run together.

[Six-Six]

The players on all shards are very, very nice... compared to other mmos. The community is very helpful in-game as well as here on the forums and discord. If ever you've got a question, don't be afraid to ask either here, discord or the help channel in chat in-game.

Go. Hunt. Kill Skulls.

[Oubliette_Red]

Also, not that most MMOs make the distinction, but here in CoH "noob" is a term used towards someone who thinks they know everything about the subject at hand (or the game) but really all they know is how to show their assterik, "newb" (short for newbie) is someone new to the game. One will get you help, the other... not so much. 🙂

[Grouchybeast]

5 hours ago, CantgetRight said:

Thanks, for all the help and advice everyone. Really appreciate it. I think I’ll try the advice given and see if I can get some teams. It might help more once I get out of atlas park like some of you said. If it still seems empty it might be a time zone issue and then I’ll just look into the servers you all suggested. Glad to here there still a community. I really like this game and having a lot of fun making. If you guys have or know any active SG let me know. I think joining a good one can probably really enhance the game.  

One thing you need to remember about CoH is that almost all of the content takes place inside instanced missions.  So even if there are a lot of people playing on a server, you'll still see relatively few of them running around in-zone.  It can look a lot emptier than it really is.

[Snarky]

Everlasting is a very good and vibrant server.  Truly uber super geeks over there.  It is also a role playing server.  You can run in teams over there, but they only truly warm up when you have an outfit, a backstory, and spend some time chatting, in character, as that is more the focus than experience grinding.  They grind, oh yes, they are excellent TF runners, some of the finest PUG teams, but they shine at RP.  That's the whole deal over there.

 

Excelsior is a bit busier, a bit more wild west, and maybe slightly less organized.  Smart peeps, but by the very nature not as focused on others gaming experience.

 

To give an example.  There is a starter trial.  Death From Below.  Sewer madness, usually run a few times to powerlevel a new toon.  There is a badge in it, that takes a little coordination to get.  Nearly every Everlasting PUG team I run on gets that badge 95% time, whether anyone even mentions they need it.  On Excelsior?  Heh.  It....can happen?  People seem a little happily shocked when they get it.  (and I set it up 90% time to just fall in their lap....still  you have to be disciplined to get it)  So, yeah.  Everlasting is excellent playerbase, very active.  But more focused on the character experience than the grinding experience.

 

Wherever you pick I know every server is filled with the best gamers of any MMORPG in the world.  Homecoming is really just that for a lot of us.  So enjoy, don't be afraid to ask questions,.  We can help level, help you earn billions, help you understand and build very powerful characters.  And we have cookies.

[Six-Six]

Another trick to teaming is to start your own. Usually there are a lot of people looking for a group, or more of looking for someone to start a group/team. If you start it, you can get the number of people you like (sometimes, I just run with one other person or a 4-man team, doesn't always have to be 8). Once you have your team, you can pass the star of leader ship to another person. Chances are, they've done the mission/TF on another toon. In any case, it's quite all right to fumble about as the leader. No one really minds as long as you're all having fun, earning XP, and getting new powers. 😃

[Dazl]

As has been pointed out, Everlasting is the RP server and they are a very healthy RP community. Depending on your interest that can be a good or bad thing. Creating a character on each server to see which one you like is a good idea.

[Tugzug]

Another thing of note: you'd be surprised how many players are lurking and waiting for something interesting to form--I myself am guilty of this behavior too. Sometimes you just gotta advertise something, even if it's just "hey I'm running missions blueside level 15" or the like. Leading a casual mission team requires almost no leadership skills or game knowledge, so no need to worry or fret about being the leader.