A bit bothered

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

so last night i ran into a returning player and decided to help him out.. everything was going good until i invited him on one of my late night PI runs to which he agreed to do. not even 2 missions in and he starts complaining about "this isnt the CoH i remember" and "none of this was in base game". where things really flew off the rails was when the entire team tried helping him with the UI and he was nothing but combative with them. after a while of back and forth i was forced to boot him from the team because as much as i would have liked to see this resolved, i had a grind team to run. this has been on the back of my mind since and its been really bothering me. this isnt the first unsavory encounter i have had recently, but its the first ive had directly caused by trying to help someone. This was on Everlasting around 4 to 5 am ish EST? also apologies but i dont really know what tags to use for this.

Edited May 3 by GM Crumpet
identifying player

[MoonSheep]

i wouldn’t worry about it mate, it’s not for everyone

[Shenanigunner]

You should have told them to ask for their money back. 🙂

 

I can't quite imagine what they were complaining about, as very little of the "out of the box" game has changed in obvious ways. I think a Live player, suddenly given this "update," would have to go a while to realize that there are change in things like power balance, UI details, etc. That is, I think you can play almost 100% old-school if you want to or are unaware that there are changes and goodies to go looking for.

 

So, oh well. They can either come to terms with Issue 27/P7 and like it, choose to nerf most of the improvements and play old-style, or go complain on Champions Online. 🙂

 

Sorry you had a crummy team experience. They are in the minority here, as long as you excuse the run of the mill "poorly matched team" experiences.

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

8 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

You should have told them to ask for their money back. 🙂

 

I can't quite imagine what they were complaining about, as very little of the "out of the box" game has changed in obvious ways. I think a Live player, suddenly given this "update," would have to go a while to realize that there are change in things like power balance, UI details, etc. That is, I think you can play almost 100% old-school if you want to or are unaware that there are changes and goodies to go looking for.

 

So, oh well. They can either come to terms with Issue 27/P7 and like it, choose to nerf most of the improvements and play old-style, or go complain on Champions Online. 🙂

 

Sorry you had a crummy team experience. They are in the minority here, as long as you excuse the run of the mill "poorly matched team" experiences.

this is basically the sentiment the team was trying to give to the guy. almost nothing has changed and many of the features he was having issues with were there since beta which he claims to have been a part of. but also another part of me cant help but feel the confusion was genuine as he was still there in PI trying to find his way back to "the level 20 zone" as he put it. despite having given him an ouro to use and taught him how to use it. but it wouldnt bother me so much if this was just a random encounter. i try to make my persona as "Incubussy" an enjoyable one for people who are play extremely late at night where leveling teams are mostly dead and not only was something good i tried to do turned out to be a stinker, my mood was soured for the rest of the PI run thus ruining the experience i try to put on for the other members.

[Lines]

Sorry you had a bad encounter.

 

I know that these things can sour an evening, but I'd bet that your positive disposition lightened up someone else's day.

 

Hold on to that and keep being cool.

[Scarlet Shocker]

sounds like a rough time for the OP which is sad.

 

I also feel sad for the player in question.

 

I think maybe the player has some serious trauma relating to shutdown. We know memory is faulty and s/he has had over a decade to misremember stuff (a natural thing) and paint rose and gold over those memories.

 

then the current reality smacks them in the face and "IT'S NOT HOW I REMEMBER IT!"

 

That can be genuinely traumatic. But if that person was struggling and distressed it's unlikely they would be open to explanations/discussion/teaching and might rail. We know nothing about them or their situation.

 

I hope this doesn't colour OP's good nature for the future and I hope the other person finds a way back to enjoy the game.

[Snarky]

[starro]

you just need to know when to cut it short before negativity impacts yourself or the team.  "gosh, it's late, you must be tired, see you later"  You then just identify the global and  avoid.

 

 

[Unearthly Herald]

No matter what, just stay true to yourself and keep being you. If he/she can’t accept that you were trying to help them, then there’s always going to be someone else to help who deserves you to help them and won’t be difficult to be around. Don’t let an individual ruin that experience because there are so many cool people in this game. I hope you are not discouraged from playing this game. You are a great team player and I see that you are 
good-natured.

[PhotriusPyrelus]

I probably wouldn't invite a newly returning player to a farm run.  He's probably looking for some more relaxed at-level mission running with people around his level, not tagging along as a leech while minmaxed toons demolish entire groups in seconds, blitzing from group to group just to get XP as fast as possible.  That said, if he wasn't enjoying how the team was playing, he should've politely excused himself from the team.

But I don't know, I wasn't there, and your description of events is pretty vague.

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

1 minute ago, PhotriusPyrelus said:

I probably wouldn't invite a newly returning player to a farm run.  He's probably looking for some more relaxed at-level mission running with people around his level, not tagging along as a leech while minmaxed toons demolish entire groups in seconds, blitzing from group to group just to get XP as fast as possible.  That said, if he wasn't enjoying how the team was playing, he should've politely excused himself from the team.

But I don't know, I wasn't there, and your description of events is pretty vague.

 

when he asked to leave the group, we were more than receptive to him, one person even gave the guy chat commands to both leave the team and the game should he desire it, which honestly is above what i know. despite all the help we tried to give him, he only harped on about how nothing was right and that he was frustrated. i would have kept him in the group to continue trying to help him if people hadnt started pming me to boot him because we were spending alot of time doing a whole lot of nothing. i just feel bad about the whole situation. i mean it wont stop me from trying to help others in the future but i think im gonna be a bit more wary about them. i told him exactly what he was going to get into and he still agreed. i do know that alot of this is just hearsay. im not trying to really paint the guy as a villain. i just wanted to vent a lil bit is all.

[DoctorDitko]

"Leaving is good. Never coming back is better."

- a different Doctor

 

I assume other folks, like myself, mainly remember the amazing people we met on Live.

What we forget is that there were toxic players even way back then. Far fewer than most MMOs, but they existed and could really wreck your night.

You just may have found one of those. Sorry, and Non Carborundum Illegitimatus!

 

And, now that it's stuck in my head:

"What I need is a decent shirt. To hell with the raggedy. Time to put on a show!"

- ibid.

 

 

Edited May 3 by DoctorDitko
punctuation is important, kids!

[UltraAlt]

12 hours ago, CertifiedSkrunkly said:

"none of this was in base game"

 

Well, if you are in PI and running police scanner missions .. that much is true ... as well there not being level 50's or Incarnate powers - as well as a bunch of power sets that weren't in the "base game".

 

Of course, the game moved up to level 50 pretty quickly, but it was a while before the scanners were added to the game.

 

It is clear that your intentions were good.

 

I certainly hope you didn't drag a newly returning play with a character below level 20 into a PI scanner mission, but that does sound like it what you did.

It sounds like they were getting frustrated because they were getting thrown into the deep end of the pool with water way over their head and nothing to stand on.

 

I would suggest not doing that again.

If you run with a returning player, run missions on their level or close to it. I would even just let them run their missions and help out.

 

[GM Crumpet]

I find it really odd. I logged back in just after Homecoming went live and it was like it had never gone away. The UI was the same, the music was the same, the graphics were better than I remembered, and there were more power sets to pick from. I'd forgotten a lot and had to ask how to get to Striga and PI though 🙂 

 

Sometimes nostalgia isn't enough, and people are never happy. If that player hadn't played since an early issue then maybe there was a lot that was different. You can't always help someone if they just have a negative outlook. All you can do is cut them loose and wish them well.

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

35 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

 

Well, if you are in PI and running police scanner missions .. that much is true ... as well there not being level 50's or Incarnate powers - as well as a bunch of power sets that weren't in the "base game".

 

Of course, the game moved up to level 50 pretty quickly, but it was a while before the scanners were added to the game.

 

It is clear that your intentions were good.

 

I certainly hope you didn't drag a newly returning play with a character below level 20 into a PI scanner mission, but that does sound like it what you did.

It sounds like they were getting frustrated because they were getting thrown into the deep end of the pool with water way over their head and nothing to stand on.

 

I would suggest not doing that again.

If you run with a returning player, run missions on their level or close to it. I would even just let them run their missions and help out.

 

 

as i mentioned previously, i let the person in question knew what we were going to do. i made sure and they had agreed to come along. i always run PIs at such a late hour and thought bringing them along to play would be a fun. but such a visceral reaction was not something i would expect. i had several other people in my team who were new to the game who came along that had no issues whatsoever with learning the game. ontop of that, the guy was taking absolutely none of our help to get him -out- of there. i dont think the issue is so much the fact he was new but it was just like a flip had switched from nice guy to "i hate you get me out of here but also you are wrong and everything you are saying is wrong because this is how i remember it being, not that.". we told him where the team quit button was, where the client quit button was, one person even went and gave him chat command for that and more. and after having been booted, he was still in PI for another 15 minutes even though an hour before i had given him an ouro portal and taught him how to travel with it. but his attitude was like a brick wall. ive never had this problem before helping anyone.

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

41 minutes ago, GM Crumpet said:

I find it really odd. I logged back in just after Homecoming went live and it was like it had never gone away. The UI was the same, the music was the same, the graphics were better than I remembered, and there were more power sets to pick from. I'd forgotten a lot and had to ask how to get to Striga and PI though 🙂 

 

Sometimes nostalgia isn't enough, and people are never happy. If that player hadn't played since an early issue then maybe there was a lot that was different. You can't always help someone if they just have a negative outlook. All you can do is cut them loose and wish them well.

 

funny thing is that was another thing he was arguing about, that the UI wasnt at all the same as he knew it. yet he claimed to have been a player since beta. as time goes on i think i was just being trolled now.

[UltraAlt]

22 minutes ago, CertifiedSkrunkly said:

as i mentioned previously, i let the person in question knew what we were going to do. i made sure and they had agreed to come along.

 

I think you missed my point.

I don't think they knew what they were getting into.

 

 

22 minutes ago, CertifiedSkrunkly said:

but his attitude was like a brick wall. ive never had this problem before helping anyone.

 

I have no idea, but it does seem like they were in over their head ... probably on more than one level.

 

 

Edited May 3 by UltraAlt

[cranebump]

1 hour ago, GM Crumpet said:

Sometimes nostalgia isn't enough, and people are never happy. 

This description fits a particular player I've played with (till I learned better) and seen recruiting fairly regularly. They run missions only. They ask for a specific level range (or a level minimum). They gather everyone outside the mish door (because WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOING IN BEFORE ME?). Before heading in (behind our fearless leader), you get a rundown on how the mish will be approached. They always play a tank (er, I mean, THE tank). They always herd to a corner (they take pains to point out the spot--because we're all pretty stupid). If there is ANY perceived deviation from this plan, they'll stop everything to type out their hissy fit. In short, this person is a colossal douche bag (a descriptive nugget that never appears in the recruiting pitch).:-) That said, their expectations are pretty clear once you're on the team -- I'm going to play like it's 2009, and no one's going to stop me. I'm also going to bang on how people play these days while I do it. Because I'm a sour, sour, sour sack of birdsh*t.

[CertifiedSkrunkly]

27 minutes ago, cranebump said:

This description fits a particular player I've played with (till I learned better) and seen recruiting fairly regularly. They run missions only. They ask for a specific level range (or a level minimum). They gather everyone outside the mish door (because WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOING IN BEFORE ME?). Before heading in (behind our fearless leader), you get a rundown on how the mish will be approached. They always play a tank (er, I mean, THE tank). They always herd to a corner (they take pains to point out the spot--because we're all pretty stupid). If there is ANY perceived deviation from this plan, they'll stop everything to type out their hissy fit. In short, this person is a colossal douche bag (a descriptive nugget that never appears in the recruiting pitch).:-) That said, their expectations are pretty clear once you're on the team -- I'm going to play like it's 2009, and no one's going to stop me. I'm also going to bang on how people play these days while I do it. Because I'm a sour, sour, sour sack of birdsh*t.

 

 

this doesnt surprise me one bit, one time i was running some DFBs to level a psionic, and the DFB leader was being extremely toxic to EVERYONE. like, i mean over the smallest things. if you werent standing there infront of the guy in atlas, you had 30 seconds to get there or be booted, as well as gloating about booting people for not switching alliances fast enough. anyone who would accidentally kill a cadaver was immediately yelled at, and once the DFB was done he would "shame" anyone who killed cadavers on broadcast. all i remember about the guys global was that it was super insensitive. something about su*c*de.

[Scarlet Shocker]

Nostalgia; it's not what it used to be!

[Pleonast]

As someone who never did any sort of farming or power-leveling on Live, those experiences can be rather unexpected. But that’s no excuse to be argumentative or rude. Since the OP was trying to be helpful and deescalating, there’s really nothing more that could be done. Don’t punish oneself for others’ actions. 

[Greycat]

Sounds like someone who was just going to be negative.

 

"This isn't the COH I remember?" Most of the base stuff is. If he left in issue 10 and came back in issue 15, it wouldn't have been "the COH they remember" either.

 

Don't let it bother you.

[GM Crumpet]

I've edited the original post to remove the name of the player. It seemed fairer than locking and hiding the thread. Just to remind people that naming and shaming other players isn't allowed.

 

And it's rare for a GM to edit players comments, but I think this is an interesting discussion and nothing said so far has warranted more serious action.

[Ghost]

4 hours ago, cranebump said:

This description fits a particular player I've played with (till I learned better) and seen recruiting fairly regularly. They run missions only. They ask for a specific level range (or a level minimum). They gather everyone outside the mish door (because WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOING IN BEFORE ME?). Before heading in (behind our fearless leader), you get a rundown on how the mish will be approached. They always play a tank (er, I mean, THE tank). They always herd to a corner (they take pains to point out the spot--because we're all pretty stupid). If there is ANY perceived deviation from this plan, they'll stop everything to type out their hissy fit. In short, this person is a colossal douche bag (a descriptive nugget that never appears in the recruiting pitch).:-) That said, their expectations are pretty clear once you're on the team -- I'm going to play like it's 2009, and no one's going to stop me. I'm also going to bang on how people play these days while I do it. Because I'm a sour, sour, sour sack of birdsh*t.

With the condescending names he uses, and the way he publicly takes shots at players who leave - I’m actually surprised he’s able to put a team togethet

[GM Crumpet]

Just now, Ghost said:

With the condescending names he uses, and the way he publicly takes shots at players who leave - I’m actually surprised he’s able to put a team togethet

A few months ago I joined a farm and the player insisted we all fight, which is a bit hard on a level 1. He then complained because we weren't his autobots and kicked us for hitting things when he didn't want us to. I gave him one star on Yelp and Trust Pilot 🙂