Forming Teams :: is it too scary to lead/recuit?

[Andreah]

I have seen a team where a member left after the lead did not give up the star when asked.

 

I've also seen teams, where the lead recruited the team to do certain kinds of missions, say peregrine radios, and a player has asked for the star to run the radios at a higher level, the lead consented, and then the new leader picked different missions, such as their story arc missions. 

 

Neither is common, but both do happen.

 

In the first case, good riddance.

 

That's a rule I try to follow -- Don't join a team if you don't actually want to do what the team is advertised to do.

 

In the second case, a team member can have a mission and the team leader can select it as the group mission, and the team will run it at the mission-owner's level and difficulty. No star giving needed. TF's don't work like that, but many other missions do.

 

Further in the second case, sure, the team as a whole could organically decide to do something else, and might have some turnover in that case; but it can also be a blatant bait-and-switch, and that's star-stealing. The player didn't want to go to the bother of recruiting people for the purpose, but assumed that once having gone to the trouble of finding a team, most members would just go along. That gets a team-quit, a one-star, and possibly even a global-ignore from me.

 

That ought to be another rule -- if you advertise for a team to do a particular thing, at least try to do that thing.

[Neiska]

With respect to everyone in the thread, I would like to point something out.

 

I disagree with the notion of "team stealing", simply because the star-passer, makes a choice. It's their decision, to pass the star to whomever. No coercion or intimidation was involved. They can pass it to a 50, just as well pass it to a level 15, and it would still be the same tool being used. 

 

About people "requesting" the star. Well, some people ask in different ways. Some might get aggressive or insistent, or even outright demand it. Even in such cases, I do not consider it "team stealing" as OP insinuated. There is additional pressure certainly, but the current star holder has to select the option to pass the star, to whomever they choose. They are using the tool, as it was designed. No more, no less.

 

The only way I would agree that it was "team stealing", is if the person requesting the star didn't get it, and then talked everyone else into quitting the team, and forming a new one, omitting the previous star holder. To me, that would be a form of team stealing. Which I have never seen or experienced. (I hasten to add I am not claiming it never happens, only I have never experienced such a thing.)

 

People certainly free to come and go as they please, for whatever reason or urge compels them to do so. 

 

I do have to pause and self reflect here though, and ask isn't life rather short for a thing such as this to be a heated debate? We all have access to the same tools, regardless of playstyle and activities. I consider this a non-issue. Surly I am not the only one to view it as such?

 

Best wishes

[cranebump]

1 hour ago, Neiska said:

With respect to everyone in the thread, I would like to point something out.

 

I disagree with the notion of "team stealing", simply because the star-passer, makes a choice. It's their decision, to pass the star to whomever. No coercion or intimidation was involved. They can pass it to a 50, just as well pass it to a level 15, and it would still be the same tool being used. 

 

I dunno. If I request the star, then run something other than what the original leader proposed, it feels like it has become my team (and I have therefore "stolen" it). I wouldn't call a TF where the star was passed stolen because everyone knows what the team intends to do. These observations beg these questions:

 

(1) Why would I bother to ask for the star on someone else's story arc? I mean, I show up, then say, "Hey, gimme the star," then run what I want? That's just major jackassery.

 

(2) Why would anyone pass off the star on anything other than a TF?* If I'm just running a story contact team, and I pass the star off, I assume the leader is going to pick the mishes from then on, which might include mine, theirs, or someone else's (on that, I think the tacit protocol there is usually for the team leader to ask the team member if they mind if/want the team to run their arcs). Has anyone here ever brought a pickup group together, then went, "Okay, what should we do?" I ask because I've never specifically seen that, outside a group of friends/SG mates forming up spontaneously. 

 

*Or other related tasks, like zone events, bank mishes, and so on.

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by cranebump

[cranebump]

3 hours ago, Andreah said:

That ought to be another rule -- if you advertise for a team to do a particular thing, at least try to do that thing.

 

+1 million (though I have to say, I've never experienced otherwise--if I have, I can't recall it).

[DoctorDitko]

I think the essence here has been stated: There are players who demand the star, and those who request the star to help XP or effectiveness, and we've all experienced both.

 

The OP has an excellent point, in that the former are a serious pain in the ass not helpful, and the latter can be good for the team. (Granted, the label "team stealing" may be a bit over the top. Let's not be distracted by that!)

 

For most teams, though, the star = team leader, and therefore the person who decides which missions to run (and how).  The person who went to the trouble to arrange, recruit, and choose the mission should be the defacto leader. Whether it's the optimal setup or not, this is the person who went to the trouble to set up the team!  If they decide to fling the shuriken to someone else, fine. If someone demands to take it, there's a button for that. (It looks like a boot.)

Edited April 17, 2021 by DoctorDitko
ocd

[Zeraphia]

My quick take on this topic is (and I've said this before):

1) When you form a team with random players, you really never know who or what will join. Some people are just behind the curve when it comes to builds, or even if they have a decent build, they lack the game knowledge to use their powers properly (Brutes not understanding they have inherent taunts, Controllers not understanding that those immobilizes are leaving permanent enemy scatter if they're not grouped together properly, Masterminds not controlling their damage/pets when a specific objective calls for people to stop hitting something).

 

2) If I have friends online, I know them, their styles, and the way they play. They also know how I play. Therefore, we work harmoniously to accomplish our shared goals. 

 

3) Leading is quite frankly, a thankless job. You can lead hundreds of Task Forces/events, and no one will recognize your name unless you run something like an MSR every single day. Most of the time the effort you put in to making the event happen will go unnoticed.

 

4) I don't like being the person people go to when something goes wrong 24/7. I am okay with some directions and pointers, but I don't want to teach a mini-class on how to do the event/activity and how to use your character. 

 

5) I ask for star most of the time because all of my characters are level 50, and I have a consistent internet connection. If a leader is below the max level range, it should be generally understood why others will ask for you to donate/pass the star for the TF. 

[UltraAlt]

On 4/15/2021 at 10:01 AM, Shred Monkey said:

My point is that YOU are wrong.  That's not what is happening.  They're increasing the level of the team.  They haven't taken anything away from you.   Besides... just say no if you don't want to do it.  But you ARE wrong about their motives.

 

I am correct in their motives in my experience.

You haven't had the experience I have had.

You have no authority to declare me wrong.

 

Somehow you are leaving out the point that by increasing the level of the team that it allows those higher level players to have access to more powers and how it affects the lower level players on the team. It is an personal advantage for them to raise the level in order to grants them access to more powers; this is not a team benefit. It does not give the lower level players an advantage. In fact, it punishes the lower level players as they don't have access to the equivalent powers and slots that they would have if they were fighting enemies at their own level (ie if they are level 8 and running a task force at level 8, the enemies would be based relative to level 8. level 50 runs and caps the level to let's say 15, the level 8 has the slots powers and slots of level 8, but fighting against enemies based relative to level 15).

 

My recruiting for a team to run a +2/2 XP task force was getting turned into a 0/0 speed task force - pretty much every time for a while. The 50's tend to be doing task forces for the merits alone. So that does negatively impact the reason that I was recruiting players for the task force (and probably the reason that all those that weren't above the level of the task force were taking part in it - that is to say, they were looking for the XP on a team and not the merits alone). Taking my intent for recruiting and changing that to fit their motives is team stealing as far as I am concerned; so it is not wrong that it is team stealing as far as I am concerned (and probably others that didn't want this to happen to them when/if it did).

 

But, yeah, at this point I simply tell them that I'm not going to give them the star. They can leave if they want and I'll find some more players to run with that have the same goal.

 

[UltraAlt]

On 4/17/2021 at 4:09 PM, Zeraphia said:

5) I ask for star most of the time because all of my characters are level 50, and I have a consistent internet connection. If a leader is below the max level range, it should be generally understood why others will ask for you to donate/pass the star for the TF. 

 

 It punishes the lower level players as they don't have access to the equivalent powers and slots that they would have if they were fighting enemies at their own level (ie if they are level 8 and running a task force at level 8, the enemies would be based relative to level 8. level 50 runs and caps the level to let's say 15, the level 8 has the slots powers and slots of level 8, but fighting against enemies based relative to level 15).

[UltraAlt]

On 4/15/2021 at 1:29 PM, Neiska said:

I disagree with the notion of "team stealing", simply because the star-passer, makes a choice. It's their decision, to pass the star to whomever. No coercion or intimidation was involved. They can pass it to a 50, just as well pass it to a level 15, and it would still be the same tool being used. 

 

But their often is coercion going on. When someone else chimes in that the star should be passed, it becomes intimidation.

[UltraAlt]

On 4/12/2021 at 10:55 AM, iBot said:

Thanks for the implied insult though neither am I.  There are a myriad of reasons why a player may not want to lead a team and none of the solutions proposed here would have any impact on that.

 

I was replying to you asking "why should I care?"

I answered with a snarky response to what I felt was a snarky response.

I care about what other people are doing and feeling because I care about what other people are doing and feeling. That isn't something that is simply game based. I try to care about and respect other people.

 

Put yourself in someone else's shoes. 

You take the time to recruit for a task force. You expect to gain 5 or levels.

Someone says give the highest level character to the team the star. Someone(s) else chimes in to do it. 

You relinquish the star due to peer pressure.

The new team leader turns it into a speed task force and you get 1 level out of it.

How do you feel?

[iBot]

Poorly phrased on my part so I apologize for that.  More accurately would be "what impact does it have on your experience in game to care that someone may not want to lead?"

 

As to your hypothetical:

If I expected to gain a bunch of levels for a TF I would plan accordingly.  Meaning I would know what level to do it at, have the double xp boost active, and recruit a proper team expressly stating in the LFG that my goal is to gain XP so the TF will be KILL ALL.  If someone asks for star I say No.  They don't like it they are free to go find something else to do.  I feel no different then any other time in game since I'm in game to have fun which is entirely my business and has zip to do with any of the other players in game at that time.  Good?

[Ironblade]

3 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

It punishes the lower level players as they don't have access to the equivalent powers and slots that they would have if they were fighting enemies at their own level (ie if they are level 8 and running a task force at level 8, the enemies would be based relative to level 8.

Not necessarily.  Some task forces spawn at the maximum level regardless of the leader level.  I believe you called this a bug earlier in this thread, but it is not.  It is by design and working as intended so don't expect it to change.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Ironblade

[Enchantica]

On 4/7/2021 at 11:00 AM, COH Radgen said:

I've always been quite happy to recruit and lead a team but my time is often limited to an hour, maybe two, at a time.  I feel it's a disservice to recruit a team to run two or three missions.  I've also joined teams/tf's as a 50 where a lower level player was leading and have no qualms about running my character at that lower level...it happens all the time for many task forces anyway since there's an upper level cap.  I've also been passed the star without me asking for it if I'm higher level and it makes sense for the content.  I'm good to roll with it either way since I go to the City to have fun and I can have fun even if the team is getting wiped, so long as there isn't a bunch of snarky finger-pointing.

Well one on the best times I had playing was on a Manticore Task force with you as Backwoods Bastage. Lets just say he has alot to say about Countess Crey's " relationship" with Hopkins"  Ver good time I laughed alot.

[Black Zot]

[SwitchFade]

I'm afraid of necromancers.

 

See what I did there?

[Yomo Kimyata]

This post is dead to me.

[Neiska]

Holy necrothread batman

[UltraAlt]

9 hours ago, Yomo Kimyata said:

This post is dead to me.

 

It was dead .....

 

[Ironblade]

On 11/14/2023 at 3:45 PM, Black Zot said:

 

Necromouser?

[Azari]

Because nobody ever replies when I post in LFG but I get a million replies when I start a team myself. 

 

I mean, people don't know that they need a level 50 mind/time controller on their team, but they actually do. Every team needs a procced out mind/time. Simple as that.  😅 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Azari