The Wall

[madpoet67]

I'm an altaholic and I know it... perhaps more so with this game than any other.

 

I'm also, pretty much, a solo player. I enjoy interacting with the community, but I don't team up often for several reasons, 1) I'm just not very good (I lack hand-eye coordination and I'm so right-handed I'm practically disabled), and 2) I have mental health issues that make it difficult for me to maintain focus (a typical play-session for me is... run 2 missions... watch TV for 20 minutes... run 2 mission... etc.) and that just disappoints teammates.

 

Anyway, I say all this to explain why I just reached level 35 for the first time a few days ago... and that's when I remembered why I didn't get to 50 in the live game until very near the end. I was stuck at 35-37 on my mains for years! Soloing through the 30s sucks! ...even with double XP.

 

But... I remember how much my love for this game was reinvigorated when I did hit 50... So much so, that when the shutdown message appeared in my chat window that fateful day, I literally cried (Yes, a 45-year-old man sobbing on his keyboard... mental health issues, remember?).

 

I guess the point of this post is to ask for advice. What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster? How can I break through this wall that just diverts me into more and more alts while my mains languish?

 

I want... and even welcome... the day when this game is once again the game that tore me apart at shutdown.

 

But, mentally, I don't know if I can get to 50 again playing the way I do.

 

any advice?

[markofantares]

I solo a lot, too. Most MMOs I play solo, in fact. I do mix it up.

 

Join the Looking For Group Channels.  Join a group occasionally to break up the monotony of leveling, especially during slumps. It's fun and easy to join a Radio Group of a Task Force/Strike Force. And, you can still level when side-kicked down to a lower level.

[Prototech]

Hey man,

 

Totally get it, I have the sickness too when it comes to this game and alts. Now the best advice is to try and get into a group or two at that level, if you find a good sgroup they can actually help you do some power leveling or just be around to break up the slow pace of soloing at that level. I know you said you prefer solo and you could still do that MOST of the time but it's quite easy to join in a group here and there and honestly the coh community is super lenient when it comes to 'performance'. In this game like 1 group in 5 has some issues with it but mostly its very easy to just play and enjoy.

 

For you I can recommend avoiding any groups that get pedantic around what 'roles' they are and how they need a specific type of defender. Best case they are looking for more performance than you are comfortable with, worse case they are a bunch of losers that don't understand the game and will just make the experience terrible for everyone by trying +4 because they have a 'healer'.

 

I'm on everlasting @Prototech, I don't mind if you want to run just some duos to pick up a bit extra XP I'll even carry most of the challenge I have a few characters that can handle x3s solo though I tend to run them -1 when by myself. A lot of players, most better than me, would be willing to do the same to help at a fellow passionate fan of the game.

 

If you truly want to stay solo, the only thing you can do is try to really enjoy the game and worry less about leveling. Even pretend you're at max level already! Once you get to mid thirties you have a real good kit of powers and can be pseudo complete in your build. Just play and enjoy.

[Healix]

mad, I was mostly solo on live also, but it was because of my putersaurus that turned large teams into slide shows. There are LOTS of people who love to farm, and you could door-sit while enjoying a ding-a-thon to get you over the hump. As for me, I rather enjoy the journey not just the destination. You can make it to 50 soloing with out any help...I have done it with most of my characters. The fact that we actually have our game back has even made the grind a pleasure for me, because like you, I remember the great heartache I felt when the game was ripped from us.

I'd love to help you. If you see me in the game (I'm on Excelsior) hit me up and we can team. I don't care if your coordination is off, or you can't focus or you just want to soak up tasty expeez...you won't disappoint me!

[PaxArcana]

My advice is to maybe try finding people in-game, who can be open-minded about a drop-in/drop-out player like you say you are.  And who won't be all must be maximum efficiency or DIE!!!!one!!11!! either.

 

Team with them when you're on, to get through those 30s.  :)

[dmaker]

There are some easy to solo AE missions that will give you gobs of xp, especially if you have the double xp buff on. Try Bad's Backyard BBQ It's a level one mission, but if you crank up your notoriety and say Yes to solo elite bosses, you will advance very quickly. There are about a dozen buff bots that follow you around and keep you safe and make the super bads easier to defeat. You will only have access to probably one attack from your powers, so be sure to grab the p2w axe, staff, and mu. You have to defeat 33 per mission, should take 15 mins or so. Even in my early 30's, I still tend to get about one level per mission.

 

Good luck!

 

[Solvernia]

What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster?

 

Play one character at a time.

 

You can make this easier by emotionally investing yourself in your character. As a roleplayer, I'm able to form attachments to my character that go just beyond entertainment value, and so it feels more important to me to focus on one or two at a time instead of trying to do everything under the sun as soon as possible.

[wjrasmussen]

I'm an altaholic and I know it... perhaps more so with this game than any other.

 

I'm also, pretty much, a solo player. I enjoy interacting with the community, but I don't team up often for several reasons, 1) I'm just not very good (I lack hand-eye coordination and I'm so right-handed I'm practically disabled), and 2) I have mental health issues that make it difficult for me to maintain focus (a typical play-session for me is... run 2 missions... watch TV for 20 minutes... run 2 mission... etc.) and that just disappoints teammates.

 

Anyway, I say all this to explain why I just reached level 35 for the first time a few days ago... and that's when I remembered why I didn't get to 50 in the live game until very near the end. I was stuck at 35-37 on my mains for years! Soloing through the 30s sucks! ...even with double XP.

 

But... I remember how much my love for this game was reinvigorated when I did hit 50... So much so, that when the shutdown message appeared in my chat window that fateful day, I literally cried (Yes, a 45-year-old man sobbing on his keyboard... mental health issues, remember?).

 

I guess the point of this post is to ask for advice. What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster? How can I break through this wall that just diverts me into more and more alts while my mains languish?

 

I want... and even welcome... the day when this game is once again the game that tore me apart at shutdown.

 

But, mentally, I don't know if I can get to 50 again playing the way I do.

 

any advice?

simple, don't fixate on your level and instead enjoy your 20 minute game sessions.  You will eventually reach cap

[SwitchFade]

I'm an altaholic and I know it... perhaps more so with this game than any other.

 

I'm also, pretty much, a solo player. I enjoy interacting with the community, but I don't team up often for several reasons, 1) I'm just not very good (I lack hand-eye coordination and I'm so right-handed I'm practically disabled), and 2) I have mental health issues that make it difficult for me to maintain focus (a typical play-session for me is... run 2 missions... watch TV for 20 minutes... run 2 mission... etc.) and that just disappoints teammates.

 

Anyway, I say all this to explain why I just reached level 35 for the first time a few days ago... and that's when I remembered why I didn't get to 50 in the live game until very near the end. I was stuck at 35-37 on my mains for years! Soloing through the 30s sucks! ...even with double XP.

 

But... I remember how much my love for this game was reinvigorated when I did hit 50... So much so, that when the shutdown message appeared in my chat window that fateful day, I literally cried (Yes, a 45-year-old man sobbing on his keyboard... mental health issues, remember?).

 

I guess the point of this post is to ask for advice. What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster? How can I break through this wall that just diverts me into more and more alts while my mains languish?

 

I want... and even welcome... the day when this game is once again the game that tore me apart at shutdown.

 

But, mentally, I don't know if I can get to 50 again playing the way I do.

 

any advice?

 

Dude. Message me in game on excelsior anytime, and mention this thread, and you can roll in teams I make for 1, 2 or 10 missions. Hell, I'll even let you afk in a farm map while I earn inf.

 

None of us should be stuck soloing if we want to team, and if all you can handle is one mission,

 

Let's do one damned mission together!

[HelenCarnate]

I would try to muster the courage to join a radio mission team. It is rare for people to care how good you are on those teams. They also tend to have people drop and be replaced after 1 or 2 missions so no one will be mad if you have to leave.

 

Otherwise if you are on torchbearer Ill get you to 50 in a hurry if you want. @Helen Carnate. 

 

I would aslo 2nd the RP option. It makes it easier to stick with 1 character at a time.

[Blackbird71]

madpoet67, my play style is generally a lot like yours.  I'm an altaholic, I solo a lot, and I play in random bursts as I have time available. 

 

Here's the thing:  on live, I never got a single character up to 50, and I'm ok with that.  I enjoyed every character I did play as far as I played it.  When a character stopped being fun, I made another one that interested me.  Often I'd go back to ones I had previously abandoned and make a little more progress,  but I don't think I got a single character out of the 30's. 

 

I don't feel that I've missed out on anything by not reaching 50.  Yes, there is content I haven't seen, but there was always plenty to keep the game fresh even without that content.  CoX was always more about the journey than the destination, and my character level didn't matter as much as did the fun I was having.

 

I don't know if it's the advice you want to hear, but that's what I'd recommend:  don't worry about reaching 50, just worry about enjoying what you're doing now.  If eventually you get to 50 by doing this, great!  But would you rather be enjoying every minute in the game and possibly not reaching 50, or getting to 50 but not enjoying what it took to get there?

[MunkiLord]

If you're willing to team, joining an ITF from time to can be fun a good way to get levels and influence. If you're on a speed run, then your contributions may not be very high, but if I'm leading I don't care as long as we're having a good time. If you're on Torchbearer send me a message, @MunkiLord, and I'll be happy to have you on an ITF with me. They take anywhere from 20-40 minutes generally. But I'm also not opposed to running a slower version of one in which we kill most enemies on the way.

[craggy]

I'll second ITF. I used to find it a bit of a slog from 20-35 but once I could do ITF that was my go to. Fun, quick and easy usually. That and Mothership raids were a lot of my time prior to shutdown. I'm a hair away from 20 now on my main and can't wait to get back to having at least one character who can jump on when stuff like that is forming.

[Generator]

None of us should be stuck soloing if we want to team, and if all you can handle is one mission,

 

Let's do one damned mission together!

 

Have an Inf.  That's a friggin' healthy attitude there.

[Sorth_31]

I'm primarily a solo player too, I have some (admittedly mild) anxiety issues. But I can say that in the years I played this game on live I was still part of plenty of teams, and most of those didn't care how many missions you played. If you joined and did one or two missions, then dropped out? Fine. Come back later and want back in? Drop a tell and you were pretty much guaranteed unless the team had filled. Or you were a jerk, but that's a totally different kettle of fish.

 

As long as you don't join something like a multi hour TF (Hi Quarterfield) you should be perfectly fine just playing at your own pace and taking breaks when you need to. Hell we all need breaks, it just varies how often. So my advice would be to look for someone who's just doing basic contact missions, paper missions or tip missions. That way you can dive in, do a couple and see how you feel. Then just say you have to leave but might be back later if they're ok with inviting you back. Always worked for me. You can also try shorter TF's if you feel up to it.

 

But all in all you do you. You have no need to explain or justify why you play the way you do to anyone. As long as you're having fun that's the main thing.

[Shadojak]

 

Dude. Message me in game on excelsior anytime, and mention this thread, and you can roll in teams I make for 1, 2 or 10 missions. Hell, I'll even let you afk in a farm map while I earn inf.

 

None of us should be stuck soloing if we want to team, and if all you can handle is one mission,

 

Let's do one damned mission together!

 

Agree 100%. I think you will find that most pickup teams are absolutely OK with you joining for a mission or two. Heck, most will invite you back if they have room once you log back on. I've been in PUG's that have a 50% roster change between every mission. It's a very casual atmosphere in 99% of the teams I join. So feel free to come and go as you want. Its all good, remove that expectation that you may disappoint people and just have some fun!

[Judasace]

Watch for radio teams. Get on one, stay for a few missions, then leave. No one will care if you go. Then just get on another one and do the same thing. IDK what server you're on, but there are people shouting for players for them all the time on Indomitable.

 

I'm an altaholic and I know it... perhaps more so with this game than any other.

 

I'm also, pretty much, a solo player. I enjoy interacting with the community, but I don't team up often for several reasons, 1) I'm just not very good (I lack hand-eye coordination and I'm so right-handed I'm practically disabled), and 2) I have mental health issues that make it difficult for me to maintain focus (a typical play-session for me is... run 2 missions... watch TV for 20 minutes... run 2 mission... etc.) and that just disappoints teammates.

 

Anyway, I say all this to explain why I just reached level 35 for the first time a few days ago... and that's when I remembered why I didn't get to 50 in the live game until very near the end. I was stuck at 35-37 on my mains for years! Soloing through the 30s sucks! ...even with double XP.

 

But... I remember how much my love for this game was reinvigorated when I did hit 50... So much so, that when the shutdown message appeared in my chat window that fateful day, I literally cried (Yes, a 45-year-old man sobbing on his keyboard... mental health issues, remember?).

 

I guess the point of this post is to ask for advice. What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster? How can I break through this wall that just diverts me into more and more alts while my mains languish?

 

I want... and even welcome... the day when this game is once again the game that tore me apart at shutdown.

 

But, mentally, I don't know if I can get to 50 again playing the way I do.

 

any advice?

[PaxArcana]

You know what?

 

We need a Supergroup ...!

 

One especially for people who play 1, 2, 3 missions then log off for a while, before coming back again in an hour.  Or, really, two - one Blueside, one Redside.  And a global channel to communicate and coordinate with.

 

How about Part-Time Heroes//Villains, and just part-time for a channel?  Then folks like the OP can find team-mates who, like him (and to be honest, like me) drop in and out of CoX all day long, with no fuss.  :)

[Apogee]

Dunno if it is taken, but another good name for a SG with a laid back play style

 

Filthy Casuals

 

What server are you playing on MadPoet?

 

And before I forget...

 

"How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"

[jack_nomind]

So first, let me say it does my heart good to see all the support here.  Y'all rock.  Inf all around.

 

I guess the point of this post is to ask for advice. What can I do, in-game or personally, to get to 50 faster? How can I break through this wall that just diverts me into more and more alts while my mains languish?

 

So as someone who ends up playing the forums more than the game due to some comparable factors, two things I've done to push that xp bar are to run Ouro arcs (good xp, good merits, enough story to keep me interested, and delicious delicious badges) and to multibox a farmer/farmee (back on Live, but I understand it's permitted off-peak here as well).  Farming is incredibly dull for me but sometimes it's just the best way to get through a sticky patch of levels, since "clearing one spawn at a time" is a lot easier for me to focus on than "finishing this arc."

 

If you can force-focus for an hour or so a few times a week, I also heartily recommend the ITF.  I will very often form/run them myself because it gives me that little bit of eustress that helps me focus.

[Zolgar]

You know what?

 

We need a Supergroup ...!

 

One especially for people who play 1, 2, 3 missions then log off for a while, before coming back again in an hour.  Or, really, two - one Blueside, one Redside.  And a global channel to communicate and coordinate with.

 

How about Part-Time Heroes//Villains, and just part-time for a channel?  Then folks like the OP can find team-mates who, like him (and to be honest, like me) drop in and out of CoX all day long, with no fuss.  :)

 

As SGs are cross faction now, you only need one. That way rogues and vigilantes can jump sides as needed.

 

The part timers global would be a good idea too, though you would either need 5 of them (Part Timers, Everlasting. Part Timers, Reunion. etc.) or make sure everyone knew to post the server they were looking for a team on.

[PaxArcana]

As SGs are cross faction now, you only need one. That way rogues and vigilantes can jump sides as needed.

I did not know this!  :)

 

The part timers global would be a good idea too, though you would either need 5 of them (Part Timers, Everlasting. Part Timers, Reunion. etc.) or make sure everyone knew to post the server they were looking for a team on.

Definitely just one, because I'm sure people would eventually have alts on multiple servers - if nothing else, so that if someone was LFT on one, and nobody responded, you could say "lemme relog to my character on that server" and bam, team!

[PaxArcana]

Ladies, Gentlemen, and other Sophonts, I give you:

 

Temporary Powers

 

Right, so, "be the change you want to see" ... I've gone and created a SG (on Torchbearer for now, which is where I have an alt), and a Global Channel.

 

My global is @PaxArcana ... hit me up, and let's make this thing work.  :)

[justicebeliever]

So as someone who ends up playing the forums more than the game due to some comparable factors,

 

This is me...

[madpoet67]

Thank you all, so much, for your suggestions and support. This community has always been so much better than the communities in other MMOs. Perhaps because heroism requires a certain mindset... IDK...

 

(on the forums for that "other" game, I would have been called several nasty names and eventually told to suck it up or quit.)

 

Anyway, the great thing... perhaps the greatest thing... is that we can now honestly say this game wouldn't exist without the community.

 

Much love to all...

 

@Cryosteel (Torchbearer)