Team recruiting etiquette

[KaizenSoze]

A few notes after running a lot of PUGs.

 

Folks make mistakes all the time, forget what alignment they are, forget they are in an AE mission, never quit the TF team they finished 10 mins ago, or need a badge for an alt. Nobody is perfect, I have done all of these things multiple times.

 

If you send a message to someone recruiting. And that recruiter tells you that you're the wrong alignment, still in a TF, etc... Tell them that you understand and you are going to do X. X being, changing alignment, quitting the TF, or passing on the team. Don't just say, "oh I forgot" and go silent.

 

I have no idea what you are planning. Are you going to change alignment? Continue with your AE mission? Should I hold a spot? Keep in mind that team leads might be getting bombed with IMs and don't have time troubleshoot why you cannot join.

 

As for switching to alt, folks sometimes don't know what alt they are switching too. It happens. But when you come back on the alt. Please, include the  the name initially you IMed with before you switched. Otherwise, I have no idea who you are.

 

Just some suggestions to make running PUGs easier.

 

[tidge]

When I get a tell that someone is switching characters, I right-click to get global name. Gotta be fast sometimes!

Edited March 4 by tidge

[SeraphimKensai]

24 minutes ago, KaizenSoze said:

As for switching to alt, folks sometimes don't know what alt they are switching too. It happens. But when you come back on the alt. Please, include the  the name initially you IMed with before you switched. Otherwise, I have no idea who you are.

I personally will issue out a common code phrase so ppl know it's me because some character names are pretty complex/confusing especially when they're getting bombarded with tells.

 

So I'll typically say something like the code phrase is: Chocolate Chip Pancakes, or something so common that it sinks in to their mind because they can picture or place it. So when I alt and message someone about Chocolate Chip Pancakes, the invite comes quick often with a message about how hungry the leader is now.

[KaizenSoze]

26 minutes ago, SeraphimKensai said:

I personally will issue out a common code phrase so ppl know it's me because some character names are pretty complex/confusing especially when they're getting bombarded with tells.

 

So I'll typically say something like the code phrase is: Chocolate Chip Pancakes, or something so common that it sinks in to their mind because they can picture or place it. So when I alt and message someone about Chocolate Chip Pancakes, the invite comes quick often with a message about how hungry the leader is now.

I bet that's your safe word too!

[SeraphimKensai]

Just now, KaizenSoze said:

I bet that's your safe word too!

No that would be Mother Teresa.

[Snarky]

I run content a bit.  Almost always two types.  TF/SF/Trial or I post a badge mission is up and see if anyone wants/needs.  
 

I run all TF/SF/Trial at +0/x1 as speedy as possible. Ads loom like: “Posi 1 8+ speedy” or… “RED Tarikoss SF 15+ Cap Au Diable RED”.  
 

I still get people 20%? Who try to join villain content and I have to go back and forth 1-4 times with.  
 

I accept players in the order they send tells.  No matter how confused they are (unless they give every indication of not being able to figure out what RED means…). If people send a tell they are alting I reply okay, get their global, and save a spot.  I almost never run a TF where an AT matters.  Sometimes I do look at the team content and start praying for a Tank, but I never alter my methodology. 
 

A couple days ago I posted this ad “RED Mako Patron Badge mission Sharkhead on last mission RED PST”.  So, I got a few good responses but I must have had 5 Heroes try to join. And the conversations with each one were confusing and tedious.  And I was juggling the 5 lost in space convos while grabbing real players  and trying to not let Snarky out of the coffin. ⚰️  I think two of the 5 finally made it to Redside. I started to wonder if the average age of players Blue was heading to 7-8.  

[Crysis]

And sentence structure matters when recruiting!

 

Them:”Running 50+3 MJ arc, PST for invite!”

 

Me: “I’m already in zone, invite to MJ arc plz?”

 

Invite sent and accepted.

 

Them:”Sorry but you gotta be 50+3 to run this, was in my announcement.”

 

Me:”I’m a 50 with two T3’s, and we are doing this in +3/x8 right?”

 

Them: “Nope only wanting 50+3 players.  YUNOREEDGUD?”

 

Has happened to me more than a few times.

Advertise what you are running first and then any specific AT/LVL requirements you are seeking for your team.  

[brass_eagle]

I've encountered these scenarios many times while leading teams. There's a point where I don't have the time (or the will) to pull the answers from people--all the while juggling other private messages. If I feel my broadcast provides all the details needed, it's clear who isn't reading or trying when messaging me. Not to say I don't go out of my way to help confused players, but when I do.. it's clear who isn't trying. Good communication is also asking "How do I get to redside?" If you go dark, I may just fill your spot. CoH is filled with people who are allergic to the star but plenty who will join in a heartbeat.

 

The moral of the story here is--make it easy on the one broadcasting and you are more likely to get someone else's/keep your spot. There's an advantage in communicating well.

 

1 hour ago, tidge said:

When I get a tell that someone is switching characters, I right-click to get global name. Gotta be fast sometimes!

 

I believe this also works even if they go offline. You may get '@Superd00d64 is offline at the moment' in a yellow error message, but you still get the name.

[Lunar Ronin]

1 hour ago, Crysis said:

And sentence structure matters when recruiting!

 

Them:”Running 50+3 MJ arc, PST for invite!”

 

Me: “I’m already in zone, invite to MJ arc plz?”

 

Invite sent and accepted.

 

Them:”Sorry but you gotta be 50+3 to run this, was in my announcement.”

 

Me:”I’m a 50 with two T3’s, and we are doing this in +3/x8 right?”

 

Them: “Nope only wanting 50+3 players.  YUNOREEDGUD?”

 

Has happened to me more than a few times.

Advertise what you are running first and then any specific AT/LVL requirements you are seeking for your team.  

 

Wait.  Wait, wait, wait.  People are seriously demanding people with both Destiny and Lore Incarnate abilities slotted for the Hero's Epic story arc?! 

[ZemX]

22 minutes ago, Lunar Ronin said:

Wait.  Wait, wait, wait.  People are seriously demanding people with both Destiny and Lore Incarnate abilities slotted for the Hero's Epic story arc?! 

 

I heard warning bells too.  You're gonna show up to that and find out it's 7 level 1s sitting the door and you've just been given the star.  "You have the mission right? Plz set +4x8!"

[Andreah]

1 hour ago, Crysis said:

Them:”Running 50+3 MJ arc, PST for invite!”

 

All this would mean to me is they're level fifty and planning to run it at +3 difficulty. Which honestly, isn't exactly needing all level shifted players, or even all 50's.

 

For the sake of argument, if someone does request specific levels in their advertisement (I usually don't for my high level non-TF/trial teams), then it's on the player to know what their own level is and not send a tell if they're not a match.

 

I usually say something like "All levels welcome" in my advertisements, and I still get people sending me a tell like "Is level 8 okay?"  and I just invite them. :)  Won't be level 8 for long! 

 

... which is worth another gentle warning I ought to put in my welcome to the team macros -- lowbies will level fast on this team, and if that's not what you want, then at least disable xp earning. 

[Crysis]

1 hour ago, Lunar Ronin said:

 

Wait.  Wait, wait, wait.  People are seriously demanding people with both Destiny and Lore Incarnate abilities slotted for the Hero's Epic story arc?! 

 

It’s goofy but it’s happened to me on MJ’s arc, MLTF, ITF and a half dozen other TF’s or Trials.

 

I honestly think people just don’t understand game mechanics sometimes.  

[Ironblade]

3 hours ago, KaizenSoze said:

Folks make mistakes all the time, forget what alignment they are, forget they are in an AE mission, never quit the TF team they finished 10 mins ago, or need a badge for an alt. Nobody is perfect, I have done all of these things multiple times.

And let's not forget the classic:  "I'm standing right next to the contact; where are you?"  "Um.....  which shard are you on?"  "Oh......"

 

 

3 hours ago, tidge said:

When I get a tell that someone is switching characters, I right-click to get global name. Gotta be fast sometimes!

Yep.  This is what I do.  They're also generally attentive to this issue and lead off with a tell, "Hey, I'm back.  I was <previous character>"

 

 

1 hour ago, Lunar Ronin said:

Wait.  Wait, wait, wait.  People are seriously demanding people with both Destiny and Lore Incarnate abilities slotted for the Hero's Epic story arc?! 

Yeah . . .  I don't think i want to be on that team after all.

 

[Oklahoman]

30 minutes ago, Ironblade said:

Yep.  This is what I do.  They're also generally attentive to this issue and lead off with a tell, "Hey, I'm back.  I was <previous character>"

 

Very helpful when people do that. As a leader, if you want, get their global before they leave (as @tidge suggested above) and then obsessively do /i @global or /li @global to reinvite them with whatever character they log back on with. You can hit enter, then the up arrow, to do that command a few times and maybe catch them before they have to send you a message at all.

 

Also, if you are alting, I ain't waiting more than a couple minutes. Hurry it up, we're burnin' daylight.

[Zhym]

29 minutes ago, Oklahoman said:

 

Very helpful when people do that. As a leader, if you want, get their global before they leave (as @tidge suggested above) and then obsessively do /i @global or /li @global to reinvite them with whatever character they log back on with. You can hit enter, then the up arrow, to do that command a few times and maybe catch them before they have to send you a message at all.

 

Also, if you are alting, I ain't waiting more than a couple minutes. Hurry it up, we're burnin' daylight.

 

BTW, this thread linked in Oklahoman's signature is directly relevant here:

 

 

[Zhym]

2 hours ago, Lunar Ronin said:

Wait.  Wait, wait, wait.  People are seriously demanding people with both Destiny and Lore Incarnate abilities slotted for the Hero's Epic story arc?! 

Right?  If I'm on with my +3 Incarnate, it's almost certain that he's not only already done the MJ arc and met the Praetorians, but also saved the world from Mot and gone quite a ways toward thwarting Emperor Cole's invasion of Primal Earth. 

[Player2]

8 hours ago, tidge said:

When I get a tell that someone is switching characters, I right-click to get global name. Gotta be fast sometimes!

After telling someone recruiting that I'm switching and asking them to hold a spot for me, I always send a tell when I log back in with the alt character by starting off with "<-- [name of character I previously contacted them on], invite please?"

 

Something else I will do if I haven't played a given TF or trial in awhile or otherwise am not familiar with what's being recruited for, I start off by sending a tell to ask for a minimum level.  Sometimes they just invite me and it works out, sometimes I get the answer to my question and can either follow up with asking for invite or declining because I'm under or letting them know I'm switching to a level appropriate alt.  I have noticed --more with the Imperious TF than any others-- that there's often that one enthusiastic individual that wants in because it sounds good or there's not enough else going on or maybe they missed out on something else and just latching on to the next thing, whatever... but people show up after getting lost trying to figure out how to get to Cimerora and then being walked through getting the Midnighter badge in the Night Ward, that they will show up and be under the minimum level requirement.  I've seen people a level or two short join up, sometimes be in their 20s, and at least once a level 17 made everyone wait and finally showed up only for everyone to realize we now have to wait on recruiting someone else.

 

Basically... know your TF/Trial level requirements, but if you don't then just ask.

[Lunar Ronin]

6 hours ago, Crysis said:

 

It’s goofy but it’s happened to me on MJ’s arc, MLTF, ITF and a half dozen other TF’s or Trials.

 

I honestly think people just don’t understand game mechanics sometimes.  

 

Sometimes I think that a lot of people either forgot or don't know that the game existed before Incarnates for a long time.

[biostem]

One thing that really gets under my skin is when a team leader invites you to their team then decides to run YOUR missions without asking...

[Turric]

14 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

I personally will issue out a common code phrase so ppl know it's me because some character names are pretty complex/confusing especially when they're getting bombarded with tells.

 

So I'll typically say something like the code phrase is: Chocolate Chip Pancakes, or something so common that it sinks in to their mind because they can picture or place it. So when I alt and message someone about Chocolate Chip Pancakes, the invite comes quick often with a message about how hungry the leader is now.

 

I believe that I ran a bunch of Lady Grey task forces with you doing the very same thing a week or two ago and it worked out very well! As I was switching toons every run, it was an easy identifier!

[SeraphimKensai]

7 hours ago, Turric said:

 

I believe that I ran a bunch of Lady Grey task forces with you doing the very same thing a week or two ago and it worked out very well! As I was switching toons every run, it was an easy identifier!

It wasn't me, but I've been doing that on Everlasting for years so maybe it's spreading like warm peanut butter on toast.

[Latex]

Was it Posi 1 or Posi 2 where you have to fight your clones? I remember wiping on that like 5 times, group was ready to give in. I said to all of them to just use 4 purple/Luck inspirations, downed it in 1 go.

If you make a pug make sure people know the power of Luck 

[Turric]

5 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

It wasn't me, but I've been doing that on Everlasting for years so maybe it's spreading like warm peanut butter on toast.

 

Well, it is a good idea anyway!