Anyone else notice a slowly increasing number of people joining groups just to solo?

[Bill Z Bubba]

22 minutes ago, Carnifax said:

but I'm happy to get distracted and take a detour. 

 

Where detour = another red box to click Follow at!

 

Also:

 

 

Gratz!

[Glacier Peak]

22 minutes ago, Carnifax said:

I don't tend to run ahead. But if the path bifurcates and we're leaving a spawn behind I'll often jump them just to see if I can.

 

Or it's one of those city map missions and we're curb stomping them anyway (Valkeries crappy warriors, 5th Column, Wolfy World) I might jink left and clobber a spawn. Quite often someone will come with and we'll have a wee adventure.

 

I don't like speeding off to end room and completing missions, but I'm happy to get distracted and take a detour. 

Oh man that is my next character - Bifurcator, dual blades Scrapper!

[Triumphant]

It's not really anything new to me.  I've been playing here pretty much since Homecoming came online and it's always been a thing.

 

The solution is to introduce content that is difficult enough that the whole group has to stick together and coordinate in order to overcome each group of mobs.  That's the only way you'll get the team play experience you're looking for.

 

This is supposedly coming down the development pipe, so be patient.  The issue should (hopefully) resolve itself, at that point.

 

In the meantime, I would recommend recruiting for taskforces that are lower level and when you recruit, state clearly and firmly that the taskforce is specifically for that level (15, 25, 35, or whatever).  This should keep any incarnates for joining and asking to recieve the star, which is what causes the problem in the first place (Uber-character joining the taskforce that is so strong that the rest of the team is relegated to "Hold my beer" status).

 

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Triumphant

[A Cat]

7 minutes ago, Triumphant said:

This should keep any incarnates for joining and asking to recieve the star, which is what causes the problem in the first place (Uber-character joining the taskforce that is so strong that the rest of the team is relegated to "Hold my beer" status)

The true incarnate power is a tray of purples. 

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 minute ago, A Cat said:

The true incarnate power is a tray of purples. 

 

Thus the Disable Insps button when forming TFs.

 

[Snarky]

Yes the current run content at +4, insp disabled level 44 no incarnates, while having a #10 nail in your right foot seems to be solving all these issues.  Thankfully.

[Bill Z Bubba]

11 minutes ago, Triumphant said:

This is supposedly coming down the development pipe, so be patient.  The issue should (hopefully) resolve itself, at that point.

 

This should prove interesting. The fact that most folks will quit a TF as soon as they realize insps have been turned off or enemies have been buffed, makes me suspect that this new content won't be utilized much at all except by the hardcore and even then, if they realize there's no greater reward for the extra difficulty, they too will move on to other pastures. But I'm curious to watch it play out. At least for a time you'll have folks diving in to master it.

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 minute ago, Snarky said:

Yes the current run content at +4, insp disabled level 44 no incarnates, while having a #10 nail in your right foot seems to be solving all these issues.  Thankfully.

 

It's almost like powercreep was a bad idea in the first place.

[Snarky]

3 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

It's almost like powercreep was a bad idea in the first place.

ooooh power creep.  runs off to see if name is taken

 

,,,okay so i ended up with P0W4H CR33P a Freak dropout hooked on excelsior, robotics, and too smart/crazy to keep hanging with the show...

Edited September 26, 2021 by Snarky

[DougGraves]

Just play on teams lvl 35 and below.  The godmode players rarely play at those levels, so the difficulty can be turned up until people cannot solo it.

 

The best teams are still the teens in their teens.  A Hollows, KR, or Faultline team is the best teaming in the game.

[DoctorDitko]

It doesn't really need saying (but when has that ever stopped me?) that a lot of this friction comes down to communication. Set explicit goals when you recruit a team, and fewer issues will appear. It's not that much typing in the LFG window to specify a "Speed ITF, DPS emphasized" versus a "Stop & smell the XP roses ITF, all welcome."

 

 

[Triumphant]

1 minute ago, DougGraves said:

Just play on teams lvl 35 and below.  The godmode players rarely play at those levels, so the difficulty can be turned up until people cannot solo it.

 

The best teams are still the teens in their teens.  A Hollows, KR, or Faultline team is the best teaming in the game.

 

The problem I have with this is that many of the most fun/interesting powers in the game and the powers with the neatest animations are high level powers.  I also find it fun to mix and match IO sets and global and procs to try different combinations of effects.  This is a huge part of the attraction of this game- the large number of character builds and powers you can combine to make very unique and interesting characters.

 

I want to play with all the toys that the game provides.  I just want the game to provide a reasonable amount of challenge to teams of players while we enjoy all of those toys.  I don't think this is an unreasonable expectation.  If the game offers all of these bells and whistles to us, we ought to be able to use them and still have fun.  If we just grow bored, then what's the point of having them in the first place?  🤷‍♂️

[Aurora_Girl]

1 hour ago, UltraAlt said:

 

The people that find this offensive are the culprits of like thinking.

They aren't joining teams to be part of team. They are joining a team to show-off or be a disruption.

 

They aren't recruiting for team and then trying to run away from their teammates.

They are joining a team to show-off or be a disruption.

 

Any more like villains that want to step forward and be put on ignore?

Because that is what you are to me. You are villains that are trying to disrupt teams that other people have assembled.

I don't have time for your obnoxious behavior.

Step up, vile ones.

You know you don't want to game with me either.

Let us be done with this so we can all move on.

(I bet a majority of those who do are already on ignore. There are far more cool people in THE CITY that want to game with each other rather than to be obnoxious to other players).

 

Reeeeeeally getting strong TDE here. 

[Bill Z Bubba]

7 minutes ago, DoctorDitko said:

It doesn't really need saying (but when has that ever stopped me?) that a lot of this friction comes down to communication. Set explicit goals when you recruit a team, and fewer issues will appear. It's not that much typing in the LFG window to specify a "Speed ITF, DPS emphasized" versus a "Stop & smell the XP roses ITF, all welcome."

 

If only it were true, Doc. Last time I decided to broadcast and lead a team for an ITF, I specifically stated over and over that it was a max diff kill most run. Halfway through the first mission the whining that it was too hard and taking too long started. Two folks dropped. Others wanted the difficulty dropped. Too many folks don't read or understand or care what's being requested.

[Wulf2]

As a newly returned player, I get frustrated in groups where everyone knows what is happening and they expect me to as well.  No matter how clear I am that I've recently returned, have no 50s and am taking my time enjoying the content, there is always a few people who want "efficiency" or speed.  

 

Now, there is nothing wrong with these attitudes.  But what it really comes down to is communication.  When you join a team, ask if it is OK to stealth the end.  Ask the expectations.  It takes all of 30 seconds to type it out.  Less if you make a macro.

 

One of the things I always loved about COH/COV, was the community.  I have not been disappointed since my return.  People are generally helpful, kind, and generous.  (Shout-out to Bathory on Reunion).  To keep the community healthy, I think we need to communicate more, and be willing to say, "Hey, this group isn't for me.  I want to move fast and this guy wants to read the mission reports.  Have fun, I'm out."  Conversely, the newbie like me also has to be willing to say, "If y'all are moving fast, I shouldn't be here.  I want to read this stuff.  Have fun."  In the end, we each have fun doing different things in different ways.  We have to remember to respect that and recognize when our own expectations aren't being met and communicate effectively.

[Aurora_Girl]

1 minute ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

If only it were true, Doc. Last time I decided to broadcast and lead a team for an ITF, I specifically stated over and over that it was a max diff kill most run. Halfway through the first mission the whining that it was too hard and taking too long started. Two folks dropped. Others wanted the difficulty dropped. Too many folks don't read or understand or care what's being requested.

 

A truism in all walks of life: no matter how big you make your sign, a not-i consequential amount of people will choose to ignore it. 

[kubwulf]

10 minutes ago, Aurora_Girl said:

 

A truism in all walks of life: no matter how big you make your sign, a not-i consequential amount of people will choose to ignore it. 

What's that old adage?  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.  

[DoctorDitko]

6 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Too many folks don't read or understand or care what's being requested.

Agreed, and Aurora Girl already said it, but communication does require a receiver to function. I can only suggest taking a page from journalists, don't bury your lede:

 

KILL 'EM ALL, let Pluto sort 'em out: XP massacre ITF forming, pst!

 

MERCURY IN THE DUST: Fastest ITF possible breaking records now, pst!

 

(At least either should net you players with a sense of humor, always a good thing.)

[Aurora_Girl]

31 minutes ago, DoctorDitko said:

Agreed, and Aurora Girl already said it, but communication does require a receiver to function. I can only suggest taking a page from journalists, don't bury your lede:

 

KILL 'EM ALL, let Pluto sort 'em out: XP massacre ITF forming, pst!

 

MERCURY IN THE DUST: Fastest ITF possible breaking records now, pst!

 

(At least either should net you players with a sense of humor, always a good thing.)

 

As a journalist, I support this message. 

 

EDIT: Bonus props for spelling "lede" correctly! 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Aurora_Girl

[Coyotedancer]

1 hour ago, Triumphant said:

It's not really anything new to me.  I've been playing here pretty much since Homecoming came online and it's always been a thing.

 

The solution is to introduce content that is difficult enough that the whole group has to stick together and coordinate in order to overcome each group of mobs.  That's the only way you'll get the team play experience you're looking for.

 

This is supposedly coming down the development pipe, so be patient.  The issue should (hopefully) resolve itself, at that point.

 

In the meantime, I would recommend recruiting for taskforces that are lower level and when you recruit, state clearly and firmly that the taskforce is specifically for that level (15, 25, 35, or whatever).  This should keep any incarnates for joining and asking to recieve the star, which is what causes the problem in the first place (Uber-character joining the taskforce that is so strong that the rest of the team is relegated to "Hold my beer" status).

 

 

 

Be careful painting with too broad a brush, there... Not everyone with a higher-level character is a potential menace who'll demand your star and force you into a speed run.

 

When I team, it's typically with my support types. They are (Like almost all of my crew at this point-) finished, fully-equipped 50+ characters.

I still tend to run them almost exclusively with lower- to mid-level teams rather than at end-game, though. They were even built with that level of play in mind.

 

Why?

 

It's not to "show off" or spoil your fun.

 

It's because those lowbie and midbie teams are the ones that benefit the most from HAVING an attentive support character running along with them. End-game teams these days just don't need me. They're typically all very self-sufficient individually, and would be better served having an extra damage-focused character along instead of one of my support-focused Defenders.  So, when I want to get my classic Rad or my Dark or my Sonic or my Thermal on, I jump in with a 20- or 30-something PUG. I buff. I debuff. I pew pew the bad guys (Or the good guys, as the case may be. 😝 ) and have a great time doing it.

 

I'm not there to solo the map. 

I'm there to make sure we collectively kicks butts as stylishly as possible. 

[ForeverLaxx]

This is reminding me why I solo practically everything save for Task Forces. Which, of course, gets people upset because I want to solo in a multiplayer game and that makes me weird.

[Apparition]

If the team lead says that he or she wants the team to stick together during a TF, SF, or Trial, then I'll stick together with the team.  However, if nothing is said, then I may go off on my own.  Reasons:

 

1. The difficulty is set at +0 or +1, the team is obviously kicking butt without me, and thus I'm bored.  So off to find my own fun I go.  This is probably on me, but I have difficulty taking +0 or +1 seriously, especially at higher levels.

 

2. I'm playing melee.  Lately, I find playing a melee character to be a slow experience compared to some other ATs and don't feel like I'm contributing if I'm staying with the team.  So I like to jump ahead a couple of groups of everyone else and stay ahead.

 

3. We're fighting Council.  It's... Council.  Any one of us could solo it, so sticking together is boring and inefficient.

[Bill Z Bubba]

11 minutes ago, ForeverLaxx said:

This is reminding me why I solo practically everything save for Task Forces. Which, of course, gets people upset because I want to solo in a multiplayer game and that makes me weird.

 

You are weird. Solo the TFs as well!

[Nightmarer 2]

To be honest, I haven't noticed any such thing. I have noticed a steady decline in population and a steady increase in people asking to doorsit in a farm as well as a steady increase in farms asking for hitters (it is, I can't farm on my own, let's form an AE farming team so we don't have to play the game) but I haven't noticed ppl soloing in TFs. Since I don't think it is a problem in the slightest, that's prolly why it didn't catch my attention if happening at all.

[Bill Z Bubba]

On that topic, my memory is failing. Was being able to start TFs solo ever a thing on live or did that happen with the SSPS and carry over to HC?