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

[Ukase]

45 minutes ago, Rishidian said:

We are not talking about written stories - these are live people with their own thoughts and behaviors.

When I was in college, I attended the same university my father taught at. I did this primarily because if I made a 3.0 GPA or better, I'd get half my tuition reimbursed due to my father being employed there. When he asked who was teaching my economics class (he was the chair of the finance dept.) he about had a stroke because I took the guy whose rep was an easier grade. I asked him what the difference was. He told me that the better professors would know how to approach the same problem from a different angle and explain things to different students in different ways if they needed a different perspective. 

So, while I'm not a PhD in any category at all, I'll do my best to explain this from a different perspective - I think, I hope. 

We're all different people, presumably alive (except maybe for Snarky who claims to be undead, as opposed to alive) and we all certainly have our own thoughts and behaviors. So, I completely agree with the part of your post I've cited. 

As we're all different, it stands to reason (doesn't it?) that we'll all have somewhat different ideas of what's fun, or amusing, or engaging - whatever the term is that answers the reason or reasons why you play this game. So, when we gather for a team up, or a league, if nobody knows who anyone else is, the odds of all players being on the same page, with the same agenda are quite poor. 

One player may want XP. 
Another may just want a Notice of the Well. 
Another may want the incarnate reward table. 
And another may just want to team up with other players because they ...like it? Or their build isn't that great, or their AT is a support character and it makes sense to them to buff/debuff as the need arises. 
Yet another may want all those things. 

The mission objectives in our Nav bar - Barring communication from the leader to the contrary - is the one thing that all players should be in agreement on. 
We all know the drill. 

Whether it's "Defeat X" or "Destroy Y", or "Escort XYZ", there are ways to accomplish these tasks quickly. There are ways to accomplish them efficiently. There are ways to enter the map, clear all the NPCs on the map. Some prefer this is done as fast as possible. Others don't see the logic behind that - as there's just another mission to follow this one, and we may as well get as much reward as we can while we're in here. I mean, we are having fun in here, right? (or are we interested, engaged - whatever the term may be for you) 

Some folks have different goals. As a result of having different goals, the methods for completing various tasks are likely to be different. The only way to accomplish these tasks with any harmony at all is to communicate how you'd like to do these tasks. As a wise man once said, "You have not because you ask not!" 

We're not mind readers. If some of us play the same game in a different fashion, there's nothing wrong with that. Until my "fun" ruins your fun. Then it's wrong. But - if you didn't tell me what's fun for you - is that my fault? Or is it yours? Or do we just blame the HC devs for bringing the game back? NCSoft was smart enough to recognize how stupid this game is sometimes - that's why they shut it down, because of all the complaining, right? 

For those that couldn't tell, that last bit was intended to be sarcastic! (and rhetorical!!!) 

Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy the game as best as you're able. Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us. If I can be helpful, ask me politely. 

 

[Rishidian]

44 minutes ago, ZacKing said:

 

True, but why should they conform to what you want and how you want to play?  

Not saying they have to conform (or not conform) to anything.  And I don't believe I said, or inferred, anything about conforming.

Just stating that using a written story to illustrate live interactions doesn't work.  It's a bad example that seems to be used regularly in the forums.

 

Kind of like using Sponge Bob to show how we can talk underwater.

 

I have a question: Why would Superman join the Justice League?

 

[Rishidian]

Ukase - While I don't agree with you on everything (If I did, then one of us would be redundant), I think you are spot-on.  That was well said, and I appreciate it.

[ZacKing]

1 hour ago, kelika2 said:

Sure!

 

Still hasn't been edited.  Your post still shows a quote attributed to me that I didn't make.  I did not write what you are quoting in this post.

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by ZacKing

[ZacKing]

22 minutes ago, Rishidian said:

I have a question: Why would Superman join the Justice League?

 

Why not?  He knows he can be of service.

[Ignatz the Insane]

Good grief.  People are relitigating stuff that was already covered multiple times in this thread.  Either you haven't taken the time to read all the responses, or you're so intent on your opinion being 'right' you feel the need to chime in(redundently).  

 

1. There are certainly players who want to show off.  Are they the majority of those who go off on their own?

2. There are certainly players who obliviously go left when others go right.  Are they the majority?

3. There are certainly players who get bored with corpse blasting and decide their damage potential is being wasted.  Are they the majority?

4. There are certainly times when the team stays together.  Is this the majority?

 

My money is on 4,3,2,1 in that order.

 

[kelika2]

19 minutes ago, Ignatz the Insane said:

Good grief.  People are relitigating stuff that was already covered multiple times in this thread.  Either you haven't taken the time to read all the responses, or you're so intent on your opinion being 'right' you feel the need to chime in(redundently). 

 

I dont think people read whole threads.  Headline, last few posts, get into it and repeat in other threads.

[Bionic_Flea]

1 hour ago, Rishidian said:

Why would Superman join the Justice League?

At first, because he felt bad for Batman.  Later, because he was scared of Batman.

[Apparition]

1 hour ago, Rishidian said:

I have a question: Why would Superman join the Justice League?

 

 

 

[drdread]

1 hour ago, Rishidian said:

I have a question: Why would Superman join the Justice League?

 

 

Just to jump on the bandwagon.

 

 

[Without_Pause]

Superman teamed up with others in part because in case Superman was ever compromised, Batman would be there to keep him in check. See him giving Batman kryptonite. 

[Dona Eis Requiem]

3 hours ago, Voltak said:

EVen if I am not team leader and I see some team member doing this stuff like going on their own to solo groups of mobs , split away from the team, I tell them straight up that whatever they think they can do solo, they will do it faster if they do it with the team.  Taking on a mob will be faster with the team, not solo.  
It's also screaming for the question -- why did you join the team?  

Also, if the game is too easy for you, come talk to me:  I got stuff in game that if I put you through it, it will  adjust your attitude a bit. 

 

Honestly, I don't really care what people do in a TF setting. I understand that a lot of folks are going to be doing them for the merits.

Most of the time, I've teamed with some really fun people for those.

I'm not the one forming teams (you wouldn't want me to with how slow my net and computer are, trust me) so I just go with the flow in that regard.

I'm just not overly fond of joining leveling teams where one person is so OP that the rest of us may as well be door sitting in a farm.

If that's what I wanted to do, that's where I'd be. 

I liked the company of teammates and friends I made back on live. Not one person that was in my SG or global list would have ever treated another player like s**t

because they didn't have all the shiny toys. We just had fun together. 

I don't want it to seem like I think everyone is assho because that's not what I'm saying. 

[Voltak]

1 hour ago, Dona Eis Requiem said:

 

Honestly, I don't really care what people do in a TF setting. I understand that a lot of folks are going to be doing them for the merits.

Most of the time, I've teamed with some really fun people for those.

I'm not the one forming teams (you wouldn't want me to with how slow my net and computer are, trust me) so I just go with the flow in that regard.

I'm just not overly fond of joining leveling teams where one person is so OP that the rest of us may as well be door sitting in a farm.

If that's what I wanted to do, that's where I'd be. 

I liked the company of teammates and friends I made back on live. Not one person that was in my SG or global list would have ever treated another player like s**t

because they didn't have all the shiny toys. We just had fun together. 

I don't want it to seem like I think everyone is assho because that's not what I'm saying. 

I feel you. 

My statement is in support of what you said. 

It's a team, if you join a team it is for team play.   I don't understand the want to join a team if you want to solo stuff 

[Nerio72]

Just put ice slides in every mish ala Frostfire, no one will care about anything else.

Wheeeeeeee!!!

 

 

[Dazl]

8 hours ago, kelika2 said:

Look, we all know this game is easy and with a little screening 8 stalkers can kill Hami

Go check the Excelsior forums.

As one of Excelsior's hami raid leaders I doubt very much this ever happened. So I searched the Excelsior forums and couldn't find it. Maybe my search-fu is weak, so if you have the link please do share. I would love to hear how they pulled that off.

[Glacier Peak]

38 minutes ago, Dazl said:

As one of Excelsior's hami raid leaders I doubt very much this ever happened. So I searched the Excelsior forums and couldn't find it. Maybe my search-fu is weak, so if you have the link please do share. I would love to hear how they pulled that off.

Yeah I couldn't find one on Excelsior's sub forums either, but Torchbearer had this:

 

8 Player All Stalker Hami Raid. Looks like a lot of pets in the video down the page, still impressive IMO.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Glacier Peak

[kelika2]

1 hour ago, Dazl said:

As one of Excelsior's hami raid leaders I doubt very much this ever happened. So I searched the Excelsior forums and couldn't find it. Maybe my search-fu is weak, so if you have the link please do share. I would love to hear how they pulled that off.

 

51 minutes ago, Glacier Peak said:

Yeah I couldn't find one on Excelsior's sub forums either, but Torchbearer had this:

 

8 Player All Stalker Hami Raid. Looks like a lot of pets in the video down the page, still impressive IMO.

Whups.

[Excraft]

12 hours ago, Voltak said:

EVen if I am not team leader and I see some team member doing this stuff like going on their own to solo groups of mobs , split away from the team, I tell them straight up that whatever they think they can do solo, they will do it faster if they do it with the team.  Taking on a mob will be faster with the team, not solo.  
It's also screaming for the question -- why did you join the team?  

Also, if the game is too easy for you, come talk to me:  I got stuff in game that if I put you through it, it will  adjust your attitude a bit. 

 

Depending on the makeup of the team, their builds, mission settings etc it may very well be faster to solo a mob than it is to wait for the team.  Threads like these never once can explain what exactly is the benefit of huddling together to go from mob to mob.  They also neglect that sometimes if groups are wiping out enemies before an individual can get a single attack or hold in, that isn't fun either.  No matter what anyone tries to say, dividing and conquering is a perfectly reasonable and viable tactic and it is helping the team to complete objectives.  People don't need to be arm in arm skipping from mob to mob.  If you want to play a game where you need a complete team to cross the street, there are plenty other MMOs on the market for you.  City of Heroes never was like that and never should be in my opinion.

 

As others have said here, communication is key.  If you want everyone to huddle together and jump from mob to mob, make that perfectly clear when forming.  Otherwise let people play as they like and enjoy themselves while contributing to the team.

[Excraft]

11 hours ago, Rishidian said:

Not saying they have to conform (or not conform) to anything.  And I don't believe I said, or inferred, anything about conforming.

Just stating that using a written story to illustrate live interactions doesn't work.  It's a bad example that seems to be used regularly in the forums.

 

Your argument doesn't work either.  Many if not all of those written examples follow real life behavior.  People work collectively without needing to be attached at the hip.   Where I work everyone has their own phone, laptop and other office equipment at their desks.  We work collaboratively with people in other offices all over the country every day.  Projects are broken down into various tasks and people will go off and work on their piece.  If we were to be expected to be huddled together in a room all day working side by side, we'd never get anything done.

 

11 hours ago, Rishidian said:

I have a question: Why would Superman join the Justice League?

 

To sell more comic books.

[Voltak]

3 hours ago, Excraft said:

 

Depending on the makeup of the team, their builds, mission settings etc it may very well be faster to solo a mob than it is to wait for the team.  Threads like these never once can explain what exactly is the benefit of huddling together to go from mob to mob.  They also neglect that sometimes if groups are wiping out enemies before an individual can get a single attack or hold in, that isn't fun either.  No matter what anyone tries to say, dividing and conquering is a perfectly reasonable and viable tactic and it is helping the team to complete objectives.  People don't need to be arm in arm skipping from mob to mob.  If you want to play a game where you need a complete team to cross the street, there are plenty other MMOs on the market for you.  City of Heroes never was like that and never should be in my opinion.

 

As others have said here, communication is key.  If you want everyone to huddle together and jump from mob to mob, make that perfectly clear when forming.  Otherwise let people play as they like and enjoy themselves while contributing to the team.

That is irrelevant 

This discussion is NOT about how to complete the mission in the shortest time possible with dividing and conquering.  
The issue being discussed is about that ONE INDIVIDUAL, not a half the team splitting, but only one individual who is going out to solo stuff. 

Also, the team attacking the same mobs will kill the mobs faster.  

Also the team will get to the mob, since it is attacking a group of mob already, the best thing to do for you is to help kill the mob the team is already engaging.  

Bottom line, respect the team leaders, be considerate of others, ask and look for consent beforehand.   

If it's your team and you are the leader do what you want, and please have the courtesy to explain to the rest of the team what you are doing, and why you are doing it. 

you can enjoy the game and not be inconsiderate with others. 

 

[Ukase]

19 hours ago, Voltak said:

EVen if I am not team leader and I see some team member doing this stuff like going on their own to solo groups of mobs , split away from the team, I tell them straight up that whatever they think they can do solo, they will do it faster if they do it with the team.  Taking on a mob will be faster with the team, not solo.  
It's also screaming for the question -- why did you join the team?  

Also, if the game is too easy for you, come talk to me:  I got stuff in game that if I put you through it, it will  adjust your attitude a bit. 

Interesting. So, have you read elsewhere in these forums where some players are frustrated because when they drop their judgement or AoE or whatever power - and they feel it's wasted because between them mashing the button, and it executing, someone else's nuke went off a second earlier? I would swear I read about this routinely. It certainly happens to me often enough. 

I once got chastised for being the first to use my nuke, wasting another player's nuke, because they were a split second slower than I was. (Not a real admonishment, it was more of a "darn it" kind of frustration on their part. I am sure most of us have felt that way. 

You think it's faster. (for all to stay together and fight through mobs) In some cases, it may well be faster. But, I suggest you consider that in some cases, it is woefully slower. It all depends on the players on the team - their ATs, powersets - and most importantly, the competence and experience of the players behind the avatars. 

Further - you're welcome to correct me any time you like - but don't be surprised if I just laugh at you for having this idea that your way is the way I'm supposed to do things. I say that in the context of you not being the team lead and giving direction. That's not your place in that context. You're just another teammate just like me. You have no authority in that case to give instruction. You can make a suggestion, sure. Offered as such, I'd probably take it. But if you give correction - well, a smart man said to me, "rules without relationship reap rebellion". I suggest you NEVER give correction to someone you don't know. It never works. You can offer a suggestion - that's a different thing. 

The joining the team answer may be different for different people. Merits, badge, XP, etc. And that answer tends to dictate how folks want to do a certain task. Me, I'd rather go as fast as I can. Compared to some - due to page load times, knowledge (or lack of same) of a given tf/trial, inexperience on a character - I can be faster than most, or slower than some. It's a bit relative. Either way, if the team lead communicates the desired approach, it would save about 200 pages of posts in these forums. 

[Excraft]

6 hours ago, Voltak said:

That is irrelevant 

 

Sorry to be blunt, but this is utter horse shit. 

 

6 hours ago, Voltak said:

Also, the team attacking the same mobs will kill the mobs faster.  

 

This ignores what several people have already pointed out - depending on the content, it is far faster to complete the mission objectives by splitting up.  See the Shadow Shard TFs that were brought up as an example.  Maybe you have 4 or 5 hours to waste on a play session, but not everyone does.  Splitting off into separate groups to complete objectives faster is helping the team, no matter how much you want to deny it.  The same lie can be repeated over and over again as many times as you want, it will never make it true.

 

This statement is also purposefully disingenuous in that it doesn't take into consideration any number of possibilities with team makeup with regard to level, slots, enhancements, AT makeup etc.  If I'm on a team of lowbies with minimal slots and enhancements (if any at all) running a Positron TF and I'm on my fully decked out level 50, believe me, I'm doing more damage than they are at a faster rate than they are.  This can happen all the way through the game.

 

6 hours ago, Voltak said:

Also the team will get to the mob, since it is attacking a group of mob already, the best thing to do for you is to help kill the mob the team is already engaging.  

 

And what happens when that mob is defeated so fast I didn't even get a chance to fire a shot or apply a mez?  How is that me helping the team?  Because we're arm and arm?  It's not helping at that point, it's leeching and isn't fun.

 

6 hours ago, Voltak said:

If it's your team and you are the leader do what you want, and please have the courtesy to explain to the rest of the team what you are doing, and why you are doing it. 

you can enjoy the game and not be inconsiderate with others. 

 

I'm guessing you missed the last part of my post?  If you did, please go back and re-read it.  And being considerate of others goes both ways.  So long as someone isn't running off and doing stuff to intentionally grief others, there's nothing wrong with what they are doing.  This thread and others like it are very superficial, thinly veiled attempts to define the "right way to play."  They're getting old to be honest.  

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Excraft

[Aurora_Girl]

Murderball or not to murderball, that is the question...based on the context. 

 

Why are y'all so conflicted? BSOD handles this shit every single Wednesday on our theme ITFs and not a single ego is sneezed on, let alone bruised. 

[Snarky]

We rode along beside us,
going nowhere once again.
It was dark just like before,
and the empty place between us,
like the empty space inside,
still filled to overflowing
with sad tears we both had cried
alone, together.

 

- Rhey W Hedges

[Seed22]

On 10/28/2021 at 1:00 PM, kelika2 said:

Its like people AFKing but not actually Away in large cities or quest hubs in other MMOs.  They dont wanna interact with anyone but they dont wanna be alone either.  So people join groups to go off and solo to be noticed but also be around other people.  Doing so alone is basically a firefarm and that isolation over time gets to those attention starved lone wolves gets them to flex in teams

 

That or they dont realize you can start  task forces by yourself

Or your warm enough body is cheaper/easier to get than temp pets

Or they dont have the nerve to form their own groups due to decades of party/group finders doing it for them.

 

Either way a large portion of the games casual base has boiled off over time.  Only ones that are left are the grizzled gattagofast gattadoitnow icantfeelanythinganymorebutdoingitanywaysbecausenothingelsetodo kinds of people.  either spend time looking a little anal in LFG saying "kill thru" or "staying together", "steamroll", etc or start becoming one of those "i mumbah back in MY day we fought evil together" people

 

Also please note that the gattagofast types are generally the squatters who wait for the group to be almost full so they dont have to wait long to get started

You use SO's on 50's don'tcha squidward 😛