I started a mission team - and I lived

[DougGraves]

After a few weeks of therapy I may start another one.

 

Thanks to those of you who are brave enough to start mission teams.  So many want to team but so few are willing to step up and organize them.

[Omega-202]

To me, forming your own team is lower stress than joining someone else's.  If you have the star, you dictate the difficulty, the content and the pace.  

 

It's even lower stress if you play a well rounded character that could hypothetically solo the content you're playing on your own.  If I'm leading a mission team and my character could handle it solo at +4/8, then there's no worrying about people playing their roles.  If I'm leading a Lady Grey, I'm bringing my own holds.  If I'm leading a speed run TF, I'm running something with full stealth that can solo a boss room no problem.  

 

I understand social anxiety, etc., but once you're used to assembling teams and running content, especially TFs where you know them from memory, its so much more enjoyable.  

[Bill Z Bubba]

I'm just happy when I put the call out for a max diff kill most ITF and the team fills up quickly. I don't have to think about what AT they are or what build they're running... they said yes to doing my favorite thing so they gotta be all right.

[CFIndustries]

Never did like leading on Live, less so on HC (or as I call it, City of Gods). Causes me anxiety, quite literally. More relaxing to let others lead.

 

Of course, I don't like leading people IRL either…making it virtual doesn't change people's behavior towards leaders and often makes it worse. All my "leadership" experience has been decidedly negative.

 

I'm sure it's a case of 99% of people are great, 1% are bad. But I have a knack for attracting that 1%.

 

Or maybe I just have less tolerance for *sshats than most people? (A comment to which I won't disagree.)

 

I do really appreciate those brave souls who think leading is easier than joining…wish there were more like you! *bows*

 

I also really appreciate the leaders who repeatedly allow me to tag along, I'm quite grateful.

[Clave Dark 5]

I don't exactly mind leading, but it's uncommon for me to actually have any leads on missions, like open contacts, or even the radio/newspaper contact ready to go.  Knowing seven (or fewer) people are standing around wondering why this bizarrely named person hasn't put up the new red star yet does give me a bit of anxiety too.  Plus I don't wanna be that guy who gets everyone on board, "any level welcome!" only to lead them onto an abattoir-like map full of purple Arachnos.  I mean, I know all that's easily take care of up front and all.

[Lines]

I struggle leading high level teams, for similar anxiety/preference reasons others have stated.

 

I think I'd run more mission teams if arc rewards were better distributed around the team. I feel a bit selfish when I'm not soloing them... weirdly.

[MTeague]

When I lead teams, I never go above +3, because if anyone lower level joined, they'll be sidekicked up to -1.

Because any +4's to me, would be +5's to whoever is sidekicked.  That's just unkind.

 

I know, many players will view it as "but I can kill them all easy, sidekicks should just sit back and enjoy the easy XP".  And I can respect that view.

But it's that whole thing where I absolutely LOATHE the feeling of being carried, and when I lead, I assume (correctly or not) that anyone I invite probably feels the same way. 

Frequently, I'll have it set at +2 and no higher unless requested by the team, particularly if there's a bunch of MM's on the team.

 

If I plan to do a specific story arc, I absolutely advertise that up front, so that players know it will be that arc, and not a round-robin of missions from each player. 

[roleki]

I hate leading teams, but weirdly enough found myself leading leagues throughout the Mender event earlier this spring.  And when they ended, I haven't led a team since.

[Andreah]

I don't lead teams either. I doubt I ever will. I have the ability, and even the desire at times. But the moment I have the star, the game is no longer fun and I want to log out. Almost desperately, at times.

 

I don't want to be in a position of having to ask people to join me, even my friends. I don't enjoy deciding what we're doing next, even if it's just the next mission of a linear task force. I don't want to have to babysit people who should supposedly be well-behaved adults. These are things I would have to be paid to do, and I don't consider them to be elements of a game I am willing to play for enjoyment.

 

And most importantly, if the gaming mood strikes me, or leaves me, I want to be able to just drop out. When you are a follower, that's a low cost to the team. It sucks when the leader needs to drop, and if I'm fairly likely to be that dropper, I'm not going to do that to my team. I even get this feeling on task forces and trials; but fortunately I pick and choose when I join them so that I'm prepared to stay no matter what.

 

Finally, when, as a person, I refuse to lead, I take on the responsibility of being a good follower. I'm not going to cause trouble. I'm going to be patient. I'm not going to complain about or sass at my teammates. I'm going to follow instructions as best I can. And I'm either going to support the team leader's decisions, or politely drop myself off the team.

[jubakumbi]

So, in a post praising those who will lead a team and trying to be positive about the ways to do it and the various levels of stress it involves for some people, we have a poster who just has to chime in to snipe at others while claiming to be in the 'moral majority' yet again, for 'playing the game wrong' because they assume other people are doing the worst possible thing to other players...

 

Yeah, I really like laughing at the people that think this community is so very much more awesome than the rest...

 

I agree with @Andreah, try to be a good follower if you join a team, rather than it's new leader. If you like it stay, if you don't leave and make your own.

 

You folks crack me up.

[UltraAlt]

22 hours ago, Omega-202 said:

To me, forming your own team is lower stress than joining someone else's.  If you have the star, you dictate the difficulty, the content and the pace.  

 

It's even lower stress if you play a well rounded character that could hypothetically solo the content you're playing on your own.  If I'm leading a mission team and my character could handle it solo at +4/8, then there's no worrying about people playing their roles.  If I'm leading a Lady Grey, I'm bringing my own holds.  If I'm leading a speed run TF, I'm running something with full stealth that can solo a boss room no problem.  

 

I understand social anxiety, etc., but once you're used to assembling teams and running content, especially TFs where you know them from memory, its so much more enjoyable.  

I used to love to run PuG teams before the Sunset.

I'm trying to get back in the groove.

Unlike other games, people are usually pretty accepting if you are leading the team.

As long as you are honest up front with the "looking for group" content most people want to join and help.

 

And, I think that you are correct, that a lot of people are scared to run teams. Players flee when you say "who wants the star"?

They freak out.

 

The thing is, THE CITY is not like other game. The majority of people that play CITY OF HEROES are not the kind of gamers that play other games.

 

I do think that PUGs (pick up groups) are the best. No one knows each other most of the time so their really can't be any drama. It's just working together to complete the missions.

 

I don't think anyone should be scared to yell out in "looking for group" - I'm looking for people to help me with Hollows missions... or I'm doing blah-blah.

 

And, yeah, I mostly alt out and run lower level content.

The end game gets too flashy for me. Eyes can't handle it so much and I can't see the enemies half the time.

 

So I'm always looking for lower level and mid level teams and taskforces.

 

I've been trying to lead DFB teams when I'm low level for the first 7-10 levels at this point. Not to bypass those levels, but because there seem to be a lot of people to run DFB but there are few that are willing to lead it.

[Omega-202]

38 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

So, in a post praising those who will lead a team and trying to be positive about the ways to do it and the various levels of stress it involves for some people, we have a poster who just has to chime in to snipe at others while claiming to be in the 'moral majority' yet again, for 'playing the game wrong' because they assume other people are doing the worst possible thing to other players...

 

Yeah, I really like laughing at the people that think this community is so very much more awesome than the rest...

 

I agree with @Andreah, try to be a good follower if you join a team, rather than it's new leader. If you like it stay, if you don't leave and make your own.

 

You folks crack me up.

No, it's my fault.  I shouldn't ever lead a team unless I'm playing a tank with the medicine pool, TP friend, leadership and double taunt.  And I need to make sure I give everyone a compliment at every mission completion, and scold anyone who is not following my lead so closely that they're giving me a rectal exam with their nose.  

 

Otherwise I am doomed to be friendless and double secret global ignored by the whole server!  It's going to be really tough for me to run 4 full team weekly TFs tonight, like I do literally every Wednesday...

 

 

 

[CFIndustries]

1 hour ago, Andreah said:

Finally, when, as a person, I refuse to lead, I take on the responsibility of being a good follower. I'm not going to cause trouble. I'm going to be patient. I'm not going to complain about or sass at my teammates. I'm going to follow instructions as best I can. And I'm either going to support the team leader's decisions, or politely drop myself off the team.

+1 👍

[Luminara]

My hat's off to you, @DougGraves.  Stepping outside of our comfort zones is a really hard thing to do, and it's really comfortable to let other people call the shots.  I can't do it.  I can't even make myself join a team.  These forums constitute the extent of my capability to socially integrate.  I applaud your courage.

[Sir Myshkin]

On 9/15/2020 at 1:57 PM, Bill Z Bubba said:

they said yes to doing my favorite thing so they gotta be all right.

I am slowly developing this picture in my mind of you Bill, as a YouTube Host who does a TV-like "Reality" show called "Say Yes! To Kill All TF's!" Your series will have one episode for every trial and task force in the game and document your struggles of gathering players on this adventurous cause.

[Bill Z Bubba]

3 minutes ago, Sir Myshkin said:

I am slowly developing this picture in my mind of you Bill, as a YouTube Host who does a TV-like "Reality" show called "Say Yes! To Kill All TF's!" Your series will have one episode for every trial and task force in the game and document your struggles of gathering players on this adventurous cause.

Hmmmm. To bad we're not allowed to stream or record and post around here.

[Lines]

1 minute ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Hmmmm. To bad we're not allowed to stream or record and post around here.

Yet.

[Coyotedancer]

I love a good smash-fest and leading a team like that isn't all that stressful, I've found. It's just straight-up fun... It's like tossing a wrecking ball into a china shop. You don't have to be a micromanager or a cat-herder. Everyone knows what they're there to do, so as the leader you pretty much just pick the door, get everybody who wants in on-board and then giggle as the chaos and destruction unfolds. If you're lucky, the team will be chatty and prone to terrible puns. XD

 

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Coyotedancer

[Frostbiter]

Every time I consider forming a team to do something I get flashbacks of the last few times. I'm bad at pulling for a team in this game and also remembering that I don't have to hospital since said team can probably rez me. I've come back to so many dead teams. 😞

[Galaxy Brain]

 

Galaxy Brain after just 1 mission being lead

[Black Zot]

I tried to lead a couple times back on live.  Never again. 

 

I'd rather not play the game at all than deal with the cat-herding stress inherent to carrying the star.

 

 

This "anyone can lead a team if they just try" rhetoric is utter horseshit.  Like any job, some people are cut out to lead groups and some aren't - and no amount of effort can change that.

[Andreah]

23 minutes ago, Black Zot said:

This "anyone can lead a team if they just try" rhetoric is utter horseshit.  Like any job, some people are cut out to lead groups and some aren't - and no amount of effort can change that.

Blunt, but accurate.

 

It reminds me of pubic speaking to an extent. There are somewhat shy and quiet people who can stand up in front of a crowd of a thousand and do just fine. And there's people who can talk your ear off one on one, but who'd literally pass out trying to stand in front of a crowd.

[Omega-202]

1 minute ago, Andreah said:

Blunt, but accurate.

 

It reminds me of pubic speaking to an extent. There are somewhat shy and quiet people who can stand up in front of a crowd of a thousand and do just fine. And there's people who can talk your ear off one on one, but who'd literally pass out trying to stand in front of a crowd.

I get it, but at the same time, it's a lot like any other uncomfortable situations.  It starts by forcing yourself to leave your comfort zone, doing the best you can with it, and then repeating the process until its no longer uncomfortable.  For some people the "activation energy" of getting over the hump is higher than others, but for most people, I do not think it is insurmountable.  Your first time talking in front of a crowd is harrowing, but by your 10th time it gets easier and by your 30th time, you'll still be nervous but much less than the first time.  Try getting a career in a research science and see how quickly many public speaking-phobes get pushed into the deep end of the pool and learn to swim by forced repetition.  

 

On the other hand, this game is meant to be a leisurely pasttime, so if leading (or even joining) a team is not enjoyable, then don't do it.  There's no reason to make your play experience unenjoyable.

[Sovera]

Yes, I can't say that I understand this stress that people talk about. I am not saying it is not there or their feelings are inconsequential. Only that I do not understand where the stress comes from.

 

A raid, maybe. Raids needs X of one AT, X of another, then we need to decide who takes what role and if people are not volunteering we need to force it and assign a non volunteer to do it. And 'it' might be really important such as locating bombs or there will be a wipe, or killing a certain NPC or things will sour.

 

But for a TF or just missions? I do not understand. Mostly because the game is really simple. There are hardly any mechanics. It is funny to see new arrivals be like, 'I never did this TF! Is there anything I should be aware of?' This is a typical and worthy question in WoW where each boss has certain mechanics such as reflect damage or kill a certain add fast. But here it's just 'mmmyenooo. Just hit stuff until it stops moving.'

 

I started like everyone else though. Not much of a clue. Logging in, posting a hopeful 'Level X looking for work!' which worked 1% of the time. Then I decided at some point I did not care to be semi AFK and looking at the chat once in a while to see if someone was posting something I cared to join.

 

So I took over.

 

And this is what I want to say. People being stressed and anxious about leading is something valid. They are as they are. But I want to make sure people are not making a mountain from a molehill. And this part is very important.

 

Sometimes when I am leading and I am a bit under level I ask someone higher level to take the star and start the TF. I've lost count of the people who have said 'I hate leading' and 'I'm too lazy to lead'. In both cases I'm '... leading is literally click on the Contacts tab and ask for the next mission'.

 

I led -so- many teams when I was doing my alt leveling spree. But I never overthought it. A '/lfg LFM to do X', click the name, invite, team is full, click contact, get mission. Mission is over. Click the Contacts tab, click contact, get new mission. Repeat, repeat.

 

Never a thought about 'herding', never one about picking a specific team composition (MUST HAVE A TANKER AND A KIN AND ONE EMPATH AND SINCE I DO NOT LIKE CONTROLLERS THEN NO CONTROLLERS ALLOWED! (I really do not like Controllers, but I never even pay attention to what I am inviting. This has led to me, not liking Controllers, teaming with three or four at a time), and since almost never is strategy involved then never a worry about having to instruct players on what to do.

 

Click Contacts, set mission, fly there, wait for team, do mission. Bit of verbal chatter or just doing it in silence.

 

This is what I feel making a mountain out of. Leading a raid involves indeed decision making and assigning roles and worry about composition. But to do missions and TFs it's anyone free. And if the one leading does not care to do missions at +4 then that is fine, because they will say so on the advertising and only those who wish to do it will join.

 

Market Crash, for example, is usually run at only +2 since there is this rumor or myth that the last boss is bugged if ran at +4. But when I wanted to test my last build I specifically said I was going to run it at +4. And people joined. One mentioned the bug and if I was sure. I said I was, they said okay, and we did it. Incidentally I've run Market Crash at +4 a few times and never noticed the boss doing anything buggy at that difficulty level.

 

 

[Andreah]

These sorts of things, such as difficulty in public speaking or leading teams in games, are certainly ones people can learn to overcome, but even in those circumstances, they will often remain unpleasant experiences. I am a research scientist, and I do occasionally present before large audiences, and it something I would not do except for it being a professional responsibility.  In games, I feel no such responsibility to lead teams despite it being unpleasant, so I don't.