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

[Botzoman]

As someone who tends to be a bit slow on the typing side, I'll typically just run Task/Strike Forces on the odd occasion if I lead anything. I tend to get a bit of anxiety at times as well, feeling like as the leader that I need to BE the frontline which again, as a slow typist, can collide with each other.

 

(Which also runs into anxiety of "Am I tanky enough to lead into fights?"  I usually get a baseline of IOs for each new toon (Steadfast/Glad/Miracle/Numina/etc) but don't usually bling it out till 30+or "Why did I run this particular brute without Taunt and why did karma make it a team of all Blasters with me cause I run mindless content and don't worry about what ATs people run?") 

 

I could keep listing my anxieties for a good bit here (and it's not all about tanking either, I'm just remembering a 6 blaster 1 Fender + me on a tauntless Titan Weapons Dark armor Brute I was in yesterday. Kills me inside when I see anyone flop, even mega aggressive Blasters, even when I'm not the leader or tank) but I think people get the point. At least with a TF/SF I don't need to fill slots between missions either which does help with the typing situation.

[DoctorDitko]

Astrophobia is a real thing, usually interpreted as a fear of outer space, but can include a Lovecraftian fear of stars and the spaces between them! (Maybe didn't waste ALL the money I spent on a Psych degree!)

 

And yeah, there are people who max out the scales for Introvert and Extrovert. I'm one. When I'm in an Extrovert mood, I love leading teams, despite my constant typos (the human capacity to understand despite typos is amazing!). In an Introvert mood? I'd rather join & pitch in.

 

That said, there's a difference between organizing an ITF "for fun" and having a player say, "I'm 50, would you like me to take the star?" and "lol! You are 47! Gimme star or I'm out!"

 

I believe OP is referring to the latter.

 

And some players are gracious enough to "have" the star without "being" the star, if someone else has gone to the trouble to organize, recruit, and welcome the team. These folks tend to get friended!

Edited April 8, 2021 by DoctorDitko

[Xenosone]

Its because forming teams blueside is a crap shoot. Most of the blue side teams are incompetent morons and afkers. A product of the ae farms. 

Redside is near impossible but it tends to have competent people. 

I cant comment goldside because its not really a side but a long arc 

[Darmian]

5 minutes ago, Xenosone said:

I cant comment goldside because its not really a side but a long arc

It can happen though. It's just different than the other two sides, well at least on Reunion. That's partly due to a dedicated Praetorians SG that will help out any Gold (when we're on obviously) that needs it. So while I hardly ever see 8 member teams there I do see 3, 4 and 5 member teams reasonably regularly. Plus part of the SG supports those mad enough to want to get a Gold to 50 (there's a few of us!) and that helps with teaming in First Ward and Night Ward. So, possible but needs particular circumstances.

[Techwright]

3 hours ago, Sovera said:

Team stealing... ow.

 

I can imagine joining a group for a Manti, see the leader is 30 and say 'Hey, let me have the star so we'll be at 35' and get an exasperated, 'Ffs, team *stealers!*'

Just a thought, but presentation might make a world of difference in such situations.  "Hey, let me have the star so that..." may be well-meaning, but it can be perceived as confrontational, and create distrust.  Alternatively, offering to serve, "Hey, may I offer to hold the star so that...", might be a few more characters to type, but it is more likely to be (unconsciously) seen as courteous, more respectful of the recruiter's effort, and shows willingness to serve the team's need. 

 

Personally, I used to lead often in the original game, but very rarely do in this reality.  I especially avoid it if I'm tanking.  I find recruitment, fielding questions, and typing responses to be too much of a distraction to tanking, especially since I'm often taunt-pulling into a corner where everything is close up and visually confusing.  I'm more inclined to recruit when I'm working at the edge of the combat zone, like a blaster or controller.   I also don't lead task forces as a rule, unless I've run them several times as a common teammate.  I've seen too many leads who slow things down because they've no idea what they've gotten the team into (looking at you, Numina TF).

 

I also avoid league leading.  I don't fully understand the nuances, and trying to balance teams in the league is another level of headache I'd rather not deal with, especially if a 50 suddenly drops from the league and they were leading a team of lowbies.  Then the howls begin no matter how deep into the event you are.  I've a great appreciation of those who regularly run the leagues on Excelsior.  It's got to be a headache at times.

 

 

[Yomo Kimyata]

11 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

I know that you all have seen it.

 

There are far more people that will join a team rather than trying to recruit one.

There are far more team leaders that will only lead a team if they know the people on the team (on their friends list).

 

I've always wondered why people are so hesitant run/recruit/lead PUGs (Pickup groups).

 

What is the fear of the Star?

 

What is the problem you are trying to solve?

[Giovanni Valia]

When I'm doing missions I'm usually focused on combat, and not as focused on coordinating the team or chatting. Most people will expect the team lead to give out instructions or have some sort of conversation, occasional witty banter.

 

Minor annoyances when leading teams; people rush off completely apart from the team lead, people enter mission map before the leader is even in zone (all enemies on map then scale to their level), people who actually go afk without any notice or expect you to carry them while they continuously die. The only time I'll put up with any of that nonsense if if I'm with friends or too drunk to care. Leading is like herding cats in this game.

[Carnifax]

Mostly because not leading means not feeling guilty if I have to leave straight away because RL kicked in. 

 

I will happily lead if I know I'll be on for a while. 

[Lusiphur Malache]

I don't want to be the leader of a dysfunctional team. I suppose there are a few more like me. Did a ITF kill most a corr, def, 4 blst, and 2 ws neither with dwarf. We finished it, but it wasn't pretty. 

 

I don't mind leading on 1 shot missions like Adamastor or a dark astoria, but a tf/sf/itrail no thanks don't need the pressure and as far as team stealing,I'll take the ⭐ if offered and no other 50 wants it, albeit reluctantly.

[Snarky]

There were two LGTFs recruiting last night at the same time.  One ad was "Speed LGTF forming"  the other "LGTF forming in RWZ"  I joined the second.  A 50 was leading, so no star passing.  I said "Heyas", and asked "Is this Speed?..or...?"  No response.  No problemo,  I already kind of got the read.  Turns out I was correct.  We killed most on the way to the targets and mission objectives.  

 

I was on my Brute.  I took off from the group to the next fresh mob every chance I got, never farther than a room away.  The team had no heals so I ran Rebirth Core, always making sure to get back into the middle of the pack and hit it whenever it was up.  The team was not killing as fast as my SG (Thankfully, those peeps leave me sprinting more than killing half time!) but they were doing okay.  We had a alien killing spree from door one to the end battle.  It was a hoot.  

 

This is another reason I do not lead teams.  There are teams available.  Doing what I am interested in doing.  That would be okay with me on the team.  That I can help.  That I do not have to recruit, corral, be ignored by, or solve problems for.  I can just join a team and Brute!  This is what I do to relax after all....

[Gulbasaur]

10 hours ago, Xenosone said:

Its because forming teams blueside is a crap shoot. Most of the blue side teams are incompetent morons and afkers. A product of the ae farms. 

Redside is near impossible but it tends to have competent people. 

I cant comment goldside because its not really a side but a long arc 

I disagree on both your first two points - I've rarely teamed with AFKers or incompetent people while levelling. I find it can happen a bit at top levels. You get what you give with the LFG - if you say "not a farm" then you don't get XP leeches. Scrappers and brutes who can't take the heat are a bit of a recurring problem at low levels, but I've never encoutered anyone I'd call incompetent. 

 

Redside teams are easy to get together on Everlasting, which has always had one of the better villain ratios. "Redside missions team: all welcome" usually gets a little squad together. 

Goldside is actually not that hard to get people to join you for because of its rarity (particularly past about level 5 as I think everyone has started and stopped Goldside). Once you get to the second zone, it's very easy to put a team together. Getting them to Praetoria can be a bit tricky if they don't know how. 

[Andreah]

Having the star isn't fun. It's work, and work I find very unpleasant -- I've posted about this in the other thread linked so I won't detail it.

 

There are a number of dysfunctional teams, and I don't like being on the as a team member either. But I'll almost always do one mission before I quit, and if I quit I'll do it politely and without a parting shot. Unless they really, really insist on it. If it comes to that, I won't be nasty, but I will speak my mind bluntly. That's pretty rare, as it should be.

 

More common is a team that does a bait and switch. Please, just do what you advertise the way you advertise it. If you are advertising for people to do radios, don't do a storyline. If you're advertising a TF, don't go do missions. Recently, a team I joined to run a TF, for which only needed on additional member after me, went on a half hour GM hunting event first. I had enough time for the TF, and would have stayed to the end no matter what -- I'd make time if needed. I did not have enough time to hunt GM's first. So I politely said I did not have enough time to do both things, thanks for inviting me, good luck, and dropped.

 

I see the trouble team leaders can get themselves into, and I try to work along with them. If there's a delay, or if they're not recruiting as well as I would like, hey, at least they are trying. I respect that. I'm a guest here, I'll give them some reasonable slack.

 

But I do see some players who are not patient and who are star-greedy, Every few days on radio teams someone will say "Hey, I have a mission we can run, gimme the star". The team leader can get radios just fine, no need to volunteer your non-radio mission. Sometimes the lead will make the mistake of offering it up. Worst case -- you can select someone else's mission to run without giving up your star. Not everyone seems to know this. But when leads give up their stars, that's usually a bad sign. They, like me, might not enjoy leading. Or they're just too trusting. These teams often disband quickly.

[Andreah]

4 minutes ago, Gulbasaur said:

if you say "not a farm" then you don't get XP leeches

Hah, most of the time this is correct.

 

I was on team running normal missions, and our lead picked up a 47 brute from Looking For Group chat. This was normal +4/x8 content, good xp/rewards for a team that works together and does decently well. I'm on a level 32 brute, and I've been being main tank -- doable on a team that works, but I'm happy to let the new arrival have the spotlight. The new person arrives inside and immediately asks "Is it okay if I door-sit?" Glad I wasn't the lead and have to deal with that. No, it's not okay. This is not a farm. You are a high level melee, show us your chops.

 

Honest, if the lead had let them door sit, I'd have dropped. Sadly the new brute then plays the mission out half-heartedly and I just did my best to be the main melee. We did fine, thank you CoH awesome team synergy. But we could have done better.

 

The player left and was advertising in the LFG channel for "leveling teams", I suppose hoping to get one that would let them door sit. Just ask for a farm that will take a door-sitter folks. It's okay, farms are cool, and there's often some running that will take a sitter on my server.

[Sovera]

30 minutes ago, Andreah said:

Having the star isn't fun. It's work, and work I find very unpleasant -- I've posted about this in the other thread linked so I won't detail it.

 

I'm just glad this world (and this game) has room for us all. I'm fine with having someone else lead but I don't find it an ordeal. First because I run point. Be it Blaster, Scrapper or Tanker I'm usually found diving in first. But since these past months I've been on a Tanker only binge I know I'm the linchpin. And since I strive to be self-suficient I don't -need- a specific AT. Having a kin is always nice, as is having all sorts of buffs, but the team will not crumble if they are not present.

 

So with me as the linchpin I can recruit whomever at whatever level (though +4x8 content does need me to be incarnated to pull this off). Controllers (don't like them, but don't refuse them either), Defenders, Scrappers. All is good. Someone is semi AFK dealing with a child or a phone? Carry on, as long as it's not an obvious door sitter who AFks at the door, then moves to the next mission and repeats it. But someone who is AFK for three or four missions is fine by me. I just don't assume malicious intent and that they may be dealing with long phone calls from parental units (mine can take up to 15 or 30 minutes despite making noises at being a bit busy atm).

 

CoH is just that easy as far as I am concerned. We can shape the difficulty for the team. Market Crash? Only one incarnate? +2 is it is. Five incarnates? +4 if everyone is up for it.

 

But that's why I typed that initial line. I'm glad there is room for us all. Imagine if instead too many people wanted to lead the teams and not enough were left to join? All those calls and people wanting -you- to join -their- team!

 

Instead I can lead and you can follow ^^

[Snarky]

1 hour ago, Gulbasaur said:

I disagree on both your first two points - I've rarely teamed with AFKers or incompetent people while levelling. I find it can happen a bit at top levels. You get what you give with the LFG - if you say "not a farm" then you don't get XP leeches. Scrappers and brutes who can't take the heat are a bit of a recurring problem at low levels, but I've never encoutered anyone I'd call incompetent. 

 

XP Leech.  So F-ing derogatory.  Look, we are almost all of us trying to get Exp, usually for an alt.  Half the time on a 50 you join for a kill badge or getting inf/drops as you have fun.

 

XP leech implies someone not trying or who has a less than toon or who doesnt know fights/mechanics and is not optimal.  BS.  As long as you "mostly" try to help you are not a leech.  When I join a +4 kill all ITF on a 35 Brute guess what I do?  Kill Surgeons.  All the Surgeons, and Engineers if I get mistaken.  It helps.  Not leading the charge to Rom, but doing something.

[Gulbasaur]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

XP leech implies someone not trying

That's what I meant - door-sitters and AFK-ers.

I like lowbies coming along for the ride, but if they don't say anything and just door sit then I don't really have time for that. I regularly run level 50 tip missions in Atlas Park specifically to help lowbies so they have an option other than running DFB for a quick boost. Also, it's fun because keeping them all upright becomes a mini-game of its own.

[DZKFire]

I used to lead radio missions but they are pretty boring and so many leave on first mission that I'm constantly spamming LFG. I don't think I've joined a radio mish in a long time anyway

 

I do lead TFs from time to time. They are good EXP (even if rushed), the team has a static set of missions that they all (silently) agree to do and commit on finishing, and they provide random badges. Of course some people have left on emergency notice but that's rare.

 

It's all goes down to if I'm interested in doing a TF and no one is advertising (I lead) or if there is already an LFG ad (no point in me leading). If I'm below the level maximum, then I pass the star over to any high level that volunteers. The only potential issue is, like someone brought up, a higher level demanding the star which I have honestly never seen before. I really don't see any problem tbh

 

The only time I'll be hesitant to lead is if I'm forming up for a somewhat challenging TF. If i form a +4/x8 ITF, then i make sure to lead with a very strong character capable of carrying any underperformance.

[Snarky]

1 hour ago, DZKFire said:

I used to lead radio missions but they are pretty boring and so many leave on first mission that I'm constantly spamming LFG. I don't think I've joined a radio mish in a long time anyway

 

I have had good luck with Radio teams in PI on Excelsior.  Usually my go to after 30s whenever there is no TF I am interested in.  Team leaders I have encountered there run quite a regular pattern and do not dissolve quickly.  They add as peeps leave.  I would guess my avg missions are between 5-10 with each team before I need a break or something comes up

[Christopher Robin]

Hunh, it's strange sometimes the perspective you get from reading threads like this.

 

I lead stuff all the time and I don't really experience the problems that people here are describing.

I've hosted costume contests (thousands of them), lead events, officiated runs and held challenges both

in-game and on the forums here (cough *sig* cough). I've even invented new things (The Cannon-Brawl Run,

Corpseflinger, CoXsO). I go out of my way to find new players and help them with mundane tasks or getting their

bearings (the way people helped me get started). I gave away influ as fast as I could earn it back in the day and almost

made it to zero for shutdown (giving away hundreds of billions is tougher than it sounds). I've heard the horror stories of

terrible teams but almost never encountered them (once or twice in a decade). On live I had a list of "don't invites" but it only

had like 3-4 names on it. This has been one of the best communities I have found which is why I put so much effort into keeping it.

 

All of the above said, I rarely lead leagues or Task Forces and never organized a Hami Raid but that is just because I lack experience

with those things. Also most content I've done many times over and most maps (especially the repeatable ones) I have long

since memorized so maybe being comfortable and knowledgeable enough to answer stuff on the fly helps (I'm also

a fast typist) but yeah it's weird to think people can be playing the same game as me and have such a different

experience that they'd say "Most of the blue side teams are incompetent morons and afkers." is just bizarre to me

because I play Blue-side nearly exclusively with the occasional prolonged arc that is Gold-side

(never red though). Maybe I am just that lucky or I attract a certain kind of people.

 

 

 

[Lunchmoney]

I like to lead TFs and I tend to get into character when recruiting. It creates a bit of fun and attracts attention.

 Eg - Citadel TF, 25+, 7 spaces. BORING!

John Spartan (one of my toons) - Attention Heroes! The notorious villain, Simon Phoenix, is on the loose! The mighty hero, Citadel, has indicated that he might be hiding with the Council! Come join me in my hunt for Simon Phoenix! Along the way we will bust some Council bases, earn XPPoints, influence with people and Merits! 

I am in need of 7 brave Heroes to join me in my mission. Are you up to the task?

[Lunchmoney]

4 hours ago, Christopher Robin said:

cough *sig* cough

Can't see sigs when on mobile.

[Christopher Robin]

@Lunchmoney Thanks, I did not know that. My signature says...

 

Like the Costume Creator? Enjoy a challenge? Love to WIN?

Then you should click here before noon April 16th!

New colors and theme added!

 

It's the contest I am currently running (in its 6th week now).

This was the winning entry and prize drawing from week one.

 

    

Edited April 12, 2021 by Christopher Robin
contest in its 6th week now

[Seen2BeGreen]

The costume color challenge is great! What the heck is a corpseflinger though CR?

[Christopher Robin]

@Seen2BeGreen

Well it originally was called something like "What Can Your Level 1 Do?"

and the idea was to make a level one hero meet up in the old sewers and sprint

madly past as many huge mobs of level 5+ Hellions as possible before faceplanting.

 

Afterwards I would stand over each downed hero on a 50 and look at the distance to an X marker

I placed in the entryway. Multiple runs and the person with the most cumulative yardage

would win a prize. Upon having the rules I had made up explained in the sewers one

contestant quipped "so we're all gonna die here, what really matters is who can

fling their corpse furthest down the hall?" and so it came to be known as

"That corpseflinging event" and eventually just "Corpseflinger."

 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Christopher Robin

[UltraAlt]

On 4/7/2021 at 10:58 AM, iBot said:

Why does OP care about others' feelings on leading teams?

 

Because I'm not a sociopath or a psychopath.