I have a question about CoH culture.

[PeregrineFalcon]

8 minutes ago, Brawlin said:

Discord is more then just a voice platform. I am talking about its awesome text communication to form groups. I was never talking about voice chat, voice chat was never the focus of this discussion.

Ah. I clearly misunderstood what you meant then.

 

My mistake.

[Peacemoon]

1 minute ago, biostem said:

I play at very weird hours, so I neither have the desire or the need to be talking to my computer or don a headset at like 3AM.

 

Almost none of my IRL friends play MMOs anymore, much less at the hours I mentioned above.

 

Some of us like to RP, and hearing the voice of the actual player behind a character severely breaks that immersion for me.   Wanting to play the game instead of holding voice conversations is also not my idea of a relaxing experience.  I have to talk on the phone a lot for my day job, so going home to basically do the same is not my idea of a way to unwind/relax.  Do what you like, but don't act like others not doing things the way you prefer is "nonsensicle"...

Agree 100%. When I’m on my PC playing I’m usually trying to relax and unwind, not be super social. Most people I know are generally the same. 
Now we would jump on Discord if we were doing something like M+ on WoW so we could better communicate, but most people I know wouldn’t want to do that all the time unless it was needed.
The only person I can think of who does like to be on voice chat a lot is because he has difficulties typing and reading fast enough to communicate in real time over text.  

[Erratic1]

7 minutes ago, Brawlin said:

Discord is more then just a voice platform. I am talking about its awesome text communication to form groups. I was never talking about voice chat, voice chat was never the focus of this discussion.

 

I have used Discord for years. As I noted upthread, I am always in it (because I have it  auto-launch when I boot my machine). And currently I am in my CoH supergroup's channel.  And yes, it operates like a forum of its own.

 

But I associate with plenty of other people who are not members of that SG and only have them as in game friends (global) and that works well too.

[roleki]

I am super old, and I use Discord to organize matches/events in other games, but for whatever reason (see: every other reply in this thread) it's been a non-starter in CoH.  It's a shame, too, because Discord is pretty simple to use and I've <almost> never been left hanging around waiting for people to show up in other games.  There ARE people who use Discord for voice chat, and that works out pretty well, I mean, for voice chat.

[joyispunkrolex]

Discord is a mistake, something that should not exist. I feel the same way about Slack and Teams and any number of other platforms that are sometimes used in place of actual support tools. If you want to run an application to support voice communication among a group of friends, fine. But any online game that requires users to involve an external resource, particularly one that can't be indexed by a search engine and that sits outside normal game access is something that should not be countenanced.  I wouldn't play a game that where the user community regularly used an external service and I'm frequently saddened that other gamers continue to do it anyway.

 

City of Heroes in particular has wonderful and easily customized in-game chat tools. I'm glad I don't need voice comms to play, and there's less than zero reason to interact with any external service for purely in-game interactions like group-finding or immediate help requests. 

 

You're saying the whole world should standardize on your thing and I'm saying your thing is an plague on gaming, software support and the concept of communication in general. If it's worth keeping online, put it in a forum, a wiki or a support page somewhere. If it's an immediate, in-game need, we already have great tools for that. Other games should get on this level.

[The_Warpact]

My VG uses teamspeak and on live we used vent. That being said when we get together is when we use it.

I do not have rando's on my server, I don't know you and frankly I don't want to know you.

Nothing personal but, the people in my VG have known each other forever, we are friends in rl and I have went and some of us have got together I actually drove to SC to meet some members. 

I do have some ppl in the VG that PuG and there has never been any of us that wanted to bring someone in our circle. We are too close knit.

We have a FB page that we use to pass info or correlate get togethers instead of hopping in game.

We do have a Discord page too but only use it for back up or to archive builds. 

 

Even on this forum I probably not too my knowledge ever teamed with anyone (I did PuG back on live).

 

I'm old and set in my ways, so here is my advice. Start your own group find some good friends and stick together. Good luck.

 

 

[tidge]

[Snarky]

1 hour ago, Brawlin said:

(Asked on the reddit too but thought I might get some better answers here.)
 

For context I come from more modern MMO's like swtor and wow and using discord is the norm for most harder content.
 

Every single discord I have joined has balked at the idea of using discord to organize for content. I always get the response that you should just use their in-game chat channel or the in-game LFG.
 

So players of CoH are expected to be in CoH staring at chat (or a stream of LFG chat) hoping to either find likeminded people online looking to do the same content you are doing or hoping to find people currently forming for content you are looking to do.
 

I would launch CoH if I knew that someone was running content I would like to do and everyone I have talked to makes it seem like that's a foreign idea.
 

So my question is, why is the community of CoH so close minded to better ways of forming for content? I know the community is old but I feel like when you have tools like discord that give you access to 1000's of people who are interested in playing CoH and then not use it and instead use the LFG channel which is just straight up worse since people have to be at their computer, online, doing nothing, looking at chat and want to do your content.

I played CoH on live.  I started Redside on Liberty.  This will mean nothing to you.  What it means is in reality it was a ghost town.  With very few ghosts at that.  But I came over from console games and any people seemed like a lot.  Then after 6 months I moved to busy servers.  

 

When I rediscovered the game was back (thanks Homecoming) I played the same way as always.  Typing.  now in the meantime I had played some WoW and had done (very little) Discord there.  

 

I liked the thoughtfulness of typing.  To me it seemed 'right'   

 

Then I found an SG (I do not recall how) that does hard badge attempts.  They use Discord.  Period.  I have never looked back.  Been playing with them for the better part of a year.  Easiest way to do organized content and good friends.  

 

I play with Cosmic Council.  There are top notch speed runners, builders, farmers in the group.  There is a weekly Master Incarnate Trial(s) on Saturday.  Starting with Master of Magisterium Really Hard Way.  (They always get it, 97% on the first try)

Cosmic Council is a large organized SG.  We have a lot of quality players and a schedule of 1-2 events almost every day.  Plus a lot of casual play and discussions on Discord:

 

https://discord.gg/DVksJ4N

 

read the Rules and info, if you are interested, then post in Gateway (under public channels) that you agree to the rules and who you want to bring on board.  You will usually get a response in a few hours tops.  The leadership is most active 6-9 Eastern time. Good luck!

[Mezmera]

1 hour ago, Brawlin said:

everytime I try and get a group together for relentless vanguard ASF I get met with silence.

 

This ones a unicorn at the moment.  It's quite a tough endeavor for an uncoordinated team of 8.  The team really needs to be well built from top to bottom with a sturdy tank, some good support, debuffers and damage dealers along with making sure you get the requisite incarnate Destiny powers. 

 

You yourself as the lead need to understand to build the team to specifics and have options that you can switch to so as to fill in for an easier time for the team.  I'm known to have had success getting PUGs through this and yet still I find it a slog putting one together sometimes, it is just what it is.  Most people are used to the lesser difficult gaming wildly abundant outside of Aeon that the reward for Relentless just might not seem worth their time.  Until they get more stuff like this to get people more willing to participate and maybe tying in some more special things its just going to be hard to organize Aeon's.  

 

But yeah calling people closed minded won't help your cause any.  Before I go preemptively judging potential teammates I like to first look in the mirror and make sure I myself have options to bring that can carry a team through something like a Relentless Aeon with a few capable teammates.  

Edited May 20, 2022 by Mezmera

[cranebump]

I’ve attempted using Discord to promote SG organization and play. Crickets.

 

I report this as someone who uses the platform to run an online TTRPG campaign. Discord has served us well for that. And if I wanted to run mishes with friends (whom I cannot get to play as consistently as I), I’d use it for voice. I’d use it to organize SG stuff, if I could find consistent interest. 

[zenijos10]

2 hours ago, Brawlin said:

(Asked on the reddit too but thought I might get some better answers here.)
 

For context I come from more modern MMO's like swtor and wow and using discord is the norm for most harder content.
 

Every single discord I have joined has balked at the idea of using discord to organize for content. I always get the response that you should just use their in-game chat channel or the in-game LFG.
 

So players of CoH are expected to be in CoH staring at chat (or a stream of LFG chat) hoping to either find likeminded people online looking to do the same content you are doing or hoping to find people currently forming for content you are looking to do.
 

I would launch CoH if I knew that someone was running content I would like to do and everyone I have talked to makes it seem like that's a foreign idea.
 

So my question is, why is the community of CoH so close minded to better ways of forming for content? I know the community is old but I feel like when you have tools like discord that give you access to 1000's of people who are interested in playing CoH and then not use it and instead use the LFG channel which is just straight up worse since people have to be at their computer, online, doing nothing, looking at chat and want to do your content.

I don’t agree this is a closed minded group.

 

 To the actual question at hand. I can see the value in a discord lfg channel so that you could monitor from your pc, laptop, or phone or anywhere and jump in when something you’re  interested in is occurring. For me personally, I prefer to not have a constant stream of messages to beckon me to the game.  
 

I like to have dedicated time to play then be done. In the spirit of moderation and mental health, I vastly prefer that all game related functions require me to actively login to the game.
 

 

[Bill Z Bubba]

2 hours ago, Brawlin said:

Alright, clearly there is a disconnect between what I am talking about and what everyone is assuming. I was not talking about voice chat because for most content outside of badge runs its not necessary even then its iffy. I was strictly talking about getting groups together for content since nearly everytime I try and get a group together for relentless vanguard ASF I get met with silence. Even simple speeds I have to spam LFG/opt-in channels to get anyone at all for a long time.

 

I'd argue that it has far more to do with the content itself (the ASF) than it does with how you're attempting to form a group.

 

SG I run with got all the badges and haven't touched it since. I suspect that this is the norm out there.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Bill Z Bubba

[Oubliette_Red]

3 hours ago, Brawlin said:

For context I come from more modern MMO's like swtor and wow...

<snip>

 

I had a good laugh at that.   😆
SWToR was released before CoH was closed down.

WoW came out the same year CoH did.

 

Regarding your question, none of us can talk for the COH community only our own personal pixels of it. I use Discord to talk to the friends I play CoH and other MMO's with, I don't join and chat in PuG servers for trials/raids/etc. The CoH:HC Discord channel has chat channels should people feel the need to use them for coordination, but I've always found that well organized trials and Mother Ship runs using basic commands in in-game chat to be effective enough.

 

Edit: Your first post wasn't exactly clear regarding vc. Since Discord started out as vc for MMO players especially for game that had no vc, like me I'm sure that others figured that's what you were referring to. I see messages in the CoH:HC Discord server quite often, I actually have some of the servers muted because I do not play on them. So players do use it. 🙂

Edited May 21, 2022 by Oubliette_Red

[Snarky]

2 hours ago, Brawlin said:

Alright, clearly there is a disconnect between what I am talking about and what everyone is assuming. I was not talking about voice chat because for most content outside of badge runs its not necessary even then its iffy. I was strictly talking about getting groups together for content since nearly everytime I try and get a group together for relentless vanguard ASF I get met with silence. Even simple speeds I have to spam LFG/opt-in channels to get anyone at all for a long time.

Wait wut?  Wtf.  Discord but just to organize?   I am lost.   You mean chat up a bunch of peeps but then when the content starts just type?  Or …. Again wtf?   If you just want to type there are about a zillion options built into the game.  Form SGs form TF channels.  Form anything.  Ise the in game public channels.  Wtf is Discord without talking to people?   I feel like i’m taking crazy pills. Its the same thing!  Cant you oeople see this?

Edited May 21, 2022 by Snarky

[zenijos10]

28 minutes ago, Snarky said:

Wait wut?  Wtf.  Discord but just to organize?   I am lost.   You mean chat up a bunch of peeps but then when the content starts just type?  Or …. Again wtf?   If you just want to type there are about a zillion options built into the game.  Form SGs form TF channels.  Form anything.  Ise the in game public channels.  Wtf is Discord without talking to people?   I feel like i’m taking crazy pills. Its the same thing!  Cant you oeople see this?

Discord is always on and can be viewed from nearly all kinds of modern devices.  The idea is that it is lightweight and easy to monitor.  You don’t have to log in to the actual game, but if you see something happening you like, you can pop in a message and log on.  
 

Discord can social media-ify the lfg channels. This is precisely why I don’t use it for lfg.

Edited May 21, 2022 by zenijos10

[Brawlin]

1 hour ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

I'd argue that it has far more to do with the content itself (the ASF) than it does with how you're attempting to form a group.

I am certain I am not the only one in the game that enjoys the relentless ASF+Vanguard. Now using the tried and true methods that CoH (spamming in game LFG/opt-in channels) swears by I have gotten none off the ground. Now I am supposed to believe its the contents fault and that in-game LFG is good?

[biostem]

9 minutes ago, Brawlin said:

I am certain I am not the only one in the game that enjoys the relentless ASF+Vanguard. Now using the tried and true methods that CoH (spamming in game LFG/opt-in channels) swears by I have gotten none off the ground. Now I am supposed to believe its the contents fault and that in-game LFG is good?

Not all content is equally appealing to all people - be it due to difficulty, time commitment, the zones or enemy factions involved, or simple unfamiliarity with the content.  It's not about "fault" insomuch as it is about what is recognizable and what people are ready or willing to flock to.  I, for once, often pass on announcements for "SPEED X" or "RUSH Y", as I prefer a more leisurely pace, but I'm glad those options are out there...

Edited May 21, 2022 by biostem

[KC4800]

If I was on Discord and you said a "relentless ASF+Vanguard." was forming, I wouldn't join it because I have no idea what that is. It's some new lingo, for some new players..and that's great. But us old timers we...aren't interested, sorry.

 

I dont want to sound like I am against what you're doing. But I think you are barking up the wrong tree coming to the forums for support. Think of a new way...jump start this game. I'm all for a new generation to fall in love with it.

[Snarky]

45 minutes ago, Brawlin said:

I am certain I am not the only one in the game that enjoys the relentless ASF+Vanguard. Now using the tried and true methods that CoH (spamming in game LFG/opt-in channels) swears by I have gotten none off the ground. Now I am supposed to believe its the contents fault and that in-game LFG is good?

not sure what server you are on.  task force junkies on excelsior could probably rustle up one of those if anyone could.... (this is an in game channel like a private lfg)

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Snarky

[Rokkeb]

The hardest stuff to do in CoH is too easy to require discord to join a party to do that content. I've never found a game community in discord worth stayin in, it always devolves into meme bullshit, or toxic-gamer bullshit.

[TheZag]

Some groups will use discord but not the server as a whole.  Since the vast majority of the game is easy enough for a pick up group to complete,  not many people feel discord is necessary.  Ive went in a discord voice chat a few times for city of heroes but it wasnt to coordinate the team.  It was just to joke around while we were running stuff.

[SeraphimKensai]

Personally I have nothing against Discord, Teamspeak, Ventrillo, Mumble, etc. That said I'm not single, and my wife thinks its weird if I'm wearing headphones talking to "random internet strangers" instead of talking to her. Also I'll often watch a movie or listen to music while playing, because let's face it for 95% of the time this game is easy enough to play while sleeping, some exceptions being a relentless ASF or running the higher levels of @Linea's missions in AE.

 

That said I'll occasionally hop on discord and talk with members of my guild, but then against I've been with the same guild now for going on 18 years through a number of mmos and other multiplayer games, but I don't hop on others comms unless: we've struck up an interesting conversation in game chat, and can demonstrate a reasonable expertise of the game, as I don't have a lot of patience for stupid mistakes.

Realistlically, its probably a good idea to let ppl use comms if they want, but not try and force that on someone, as typically other's time and interest is more important than your desire to have them on comms.
 

[Greycat]

If I want to play the game, I'm in the game. I then look for other people who are also in the game and interested in playing the same thing, through either friend/global friend lists, SG rosters or LFG (or just screaming in broadcast.)

 

No "Sure, I'll play, I'm 15 minutes away at the store though." Or suddenly finding the game won't launch or whatever.

 

Why the *heck* would I use another program? The uses I have for discord are:

- Supplemental RP

- General BS.

- Teaming wise? Typically just "Hey, not going to be on next week" to give the SG a heads up so they know what's going on. The closest I come to "teaming" information is something like using it on my phone to mention the power or internet in my home went out if a friend or my SG mates are expecting me.

[Chronicler J]

Most of them can't clear +0 Prog. Huge disappointment. 

[Brawlin]

Content like Prog is exactly why I would want to use discord to form for teams. Rather then be at the mercy of LFG spamming for members.