For those who don't play Redside - why not?

[_NOPE_]

I just dont want to.

The point of the poll/thread, is to find out why people don't want to play Redside.

Dont have a reason.

 

[Zep]

I just don't want to be the bad guy.

 

The thing is it is all perspective.

 

Very few bad guys are anything but the 'good guy' in their own perspective.

 

Take over the world because you want to stop war and suffer - and you would be an even handed fair ruler.

 

Your goal is to put down Longbow because secretly they murder people to keep them quite.

 

My Villains are either misunderstood, damaged, broken or otherwise in a place where they do what they do because...

 

Being the shining knight in glowing white armor has it's perks. Being the Batman-ish get the job done no matter what, or I'm not here to hurt ppl, I just want to earn big bucks...

 

Lots of ways to have fun with all 4 COH alignments.

[Lunchmoney]

Get off my lawn!

[_ancora]

I loved playing villain back in the day, it was all I played. I love the red/black colour scheme for Arachnos, it's awesome to smash Longbow bases apart and mayhem missions were probably my favourite content while levelling.

 

It's fun to roleplay selfishness cause I'm quite an altruistic person in my daily life and go out of my way to help others all day at work. So when it comes time to put on a cape I like to mess up some stuff, go on a thieving spree, destroy the world.

 

Plus, Lord Recluse's Strike Force. Come on. That's the most fun I've ever had in this game. Nothing feels more badass than destroying the symbols of hope for the lazy people of Paragon City.

 

I never found the hero side very enticing although I appreciate the zone design and the general population levels.

[Sunsette]

I RP villains all the time when I'm GMing for tabletop, but I make those villains with the understanding that my players will take them down; I get no joy in those characters except in creating an enjoyable experience for my players, and I frequently get pretty emotionally shook up after a session if something particularly bad happened.

 

I find the idea of playing a villain for its own sake to be completely and utterly cringe-inducing. People tell me about their 'badass' plotline brainwashing Praetorian Penelope Yin -- a character whose primal persona we met as a child, the Praetorian version of which subjected herself to remarkable torture to try and stop a horrible evil -- and I seriously just cringe in real life thinking about it. The idea of even fictionally enabling or glorifying that is totally anathema to me. I don't understand it, and I don't want to understand it. I'm OK with the fact that a lot of people enjoy it, there are things in other areas I enjoy that cause people to cringe too. But I don't want to be anywhere near it in my game time.

 

I could get behind being the 'hero of your own story' where people who genuinely mean well come into conflict with traditional heroes, but I haven't really seen anything that suggests the actual lore underlying most of the missions on red-side actually underscores that. I've done a bit, y'know, but it looks like it's pretty much just someone's headcanon between being either an Arachnos flunkie or total megalomaniac. If that headcanon works for you: more power to you. But it doesn't for me.

[AkuTenshiiZero]

My characters are like 90% concept, and since I'm just plain better at coming up with villains then I play more villains, and I adamantly refuse to change sides on any of said characters because it would not fit the concept.

 

Unfortunately, since nobody else plays villains and I don't really want to play my few hero characters right now, I've basically stopped playing.  It's becoming a serious problem.  The LFG channel is flooded with "DFB BLUE" non-stop.  Well, I'm not playing a hero and I am already sick to death of DFB, so what is there left to do?  I desperately want to play my villain Tanker, I made this character so I could tank for a team, but I just can't get any teams.

 

I'm sure a certain someone is going to come in here and pitch a fit at me for saying this, but we seriously need to do something about the non-stop DFBing.  Nobody is even doing weekly SF/TF missions, nobody does anything but spam DFBs on heroes constantly.  It's impossible for a villain to find a team, and on the rare occasion you do find one it's more DFB.

 

So to answer the initial question: I can't find teams, ergo I can't play redside.  And since I don't want to play blueside, I don't play much at all.

 

[PaxArcana]

Unfortunately, since nobody else plays villains and I don't really want to play my few hero characters right now, I've basically stopped playing.  It's becoming a serious problem.  The LFG channel is flooded with "DFB BLUE" non-stop.  Well, I'm not playing a hero and I am already sick to death of DFB, so what is there left to do?  I desperately want to play my villain Tanker, I made this character so I could tank for a team, but I just can't get any teams.

Make your villain, but on blueside ... run DFB up to level 20 ... visit Null the Gull, and switch to Villain.  Pretend the blueside stuff never happened, you're just so awesome your character _starts_ at level 20 or 21.  :)

 

I'm sure a certain someone is going to come in here and pitch a fit at me for saying this, but we seriously need to do something about the non-stop DFBing.  Nobody is even doing weekly SF/TF missions, nobody does anything but spam DFBs on heroes constantly.  It's impossible for a villain to find a team, and on the rare occasion you do find one it's more DFB.

I'm not going to pitch a fit, but I am going to disagree.

 

People are using DFB, at least in part, to try out new things - ATs, powersets, etc.  It's a quick, easy way to speed level a new character to a level at which you can really get a feel for how they will play.

 

Once they find the thing(s) they like, they keep playing those things further on.

 

((Also, blueside at least, I've gotten on plenty of TF groups within my level range(s) ...))

[AkuTenshiiZero]

Make your villain, but on blueside ... run DFB up to level 20 ... visit Null the Gull, and switch to Villain.  Pretend the blueside stuff never happened, you're just so awesome your character _starts_ at level 20 or 21.  :)

 

Actually, it's AFTER that point where I run into problems.  I can solo to 20 no problem in short order, but it's after that when I want to start finding teams.

 

Truth be told, I think the alignment system was kind of a mistake, because it removes any unique, mechanical reason to play a villain.  Yes, I get that I'm a bit of a hypocrite here playing a hero AT as a villain, but the old restrictions forced people to pick a side.  Basically, my point here is that more choices and more options just results in everyone picking the same thing.

[_NOPE_]

Unfortunately, since nobody else plays villains and I don't really want to play my few hero characters right now, I've basically stopped playing.  It's becoming a serious problem.  The LFG channel is flooded with "DFB BLUE" non-stop.  Well, I'm not playing a hero and I am already sick to death of DFB, so what is there left to do?  I desperately want to play my villain Tanker, I made this character so I could tank for a team, but I just can't get any teams.

 

The solution is simple. Don't "get" teams. Start them. Then you can play whatever you want, whenever you want.

 

On the lowest population server right now, there's 54 villains, right now, during a "low" time:

 

I'm certain that you can convince seven of them to team with you if you want a full team. With the fantastic way that the sidekicking/exemplaring system works, they're still making their XP/Influence no matter what (https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Sidekick), so... if there's a problem, it's not with the game.

[justicebeliever]

Unfortunately, since nobody else plays villains and I don't really want to play my few hero characters right now, I've basically stopped playing.  It's becoming a serious problem.  The LFG channel is flooded with "DFB BLUE" non-stop.  Well, I'm not playing a hero and I am already sick to death of DFB, so what is there left to do?  I desperately want to play my villain Tanker, I made this character so I could tank for a team, but I just can't get any teams.

 

The solution is simple. Don't "get" teams. Start them. Then you can play whatever you want, whenever you want.

 

On the lowest population server right now, there's 54 villains, right now, during a "low" time:

 

I'm certain that you can convince seven of them to team with you if you want a full team. With the fantastic way that the sidekicking/exemplaring system works, they're still making their XP/Influence no matter what (https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Sidekick), so... if there's a problem, it's not with the game.

 

PK's there's a great thread on the ease and difficulty of forming teams...https://forums.homecomingservers.com/index.php/topic,5780.0.html

 

It's really easy for some, and harder for others...It's not mechanically hard and doesn't require any advanced knowledge about the game...But there are alot of people (myself included) who struggle forming teams...Read the thread, see if it shows where some of the difficulty is...

[Trademarked Name]

I remember having a villain character back toward the sunset of live. Got him to around lev 20 soloing. But felt it was a hum drum experience as a class D character.

This go around I had the idea that my favorite toon needed an archenemy and since my toon's history dates back to the 1940's and fighting the Germans, a Nazi villain would be good. I came up with a good name for a German Oberst (Colonel) who was notorious for telling the prisoners he interrogated "Don't think about whether or not I'm going to kill you. Everyone dies. You will just die sooner than most." And with the given name of Maurice, he was cleverly labeled with the nickname "Momento Mauri (Mori)" (Latin for "Remember, death is inevitable.") by the American troops. His  life experience under the 3rd Reich twisted him into a vengeful power hungry mutant seeking nothing more than utter world domination. A Red skull type with Professor X's mind powers.

 

After being face punched through a Counsel time portal into present day by my other toon in 1941, he has made the Rogue Isles his base of operations to regain his power and exact his revenge on our protagonist.

But then I realized he would never actually get to face my Hero character. They would never even be mentioned about to one another. And I was running around the Rogue Isles doing some stuff that felt pretty Unvillainous.

I may revist old Mauri....But for now, I don't really feel inspired to.

[subbacultchas]

You know, I see a lot of DFB posts. I don't think anyone could disagree that those requests often floods the LFG channel. However, I do think we will disagree on what effects that has on team-finding. I run TFs, trials, Hami, and lots of other team-based content weekly if not nightly. I may have issue finding a team for a specific thing I want to run, but if so I can form one easily enough too. DFB may be frustrating, but at least on Excelsior it has never prevented me from finding a team to run content I wanted to run.

[HelenCarnate]

DFB has nearly 0 effect on finding people for TF/SFs. After the teens it is mostly pointless to run and very few run them past 22. At that point joining or starting a TF/SF would level you up faster than doing yet another DFB run.

[HelenCarnate]

I mainly play on blue side due to the first 2 reasons. Lack of people to group with and the mission areas are normally dark and some places are difficult to see where you are going. The other reason is I can roll a brute blue side.

[Garble]

It's hard to put my finger on, but all the red zones feel the same to me.

 

I've played several villains all the way up and for the life of me can't keep straight which zones are which apart from Mercy and Grandville.

 

Blueside each zone has character. Atlas park looks very different from Steel Canyon despite having a lot of the same style. I always know where I am and what that means.

 

Redside I'm always in a dirty mix of quasi-victorian rubble and black tech. Even the casino zone (and here I legit can't remember what it's called) feels the same but with a pyramid. It doesn't help that you're always fighting Arachnids.

[Papaschtroumpf]

I didn't read the thread before answering but I wish there was an "all of the above".

Funny, I hadn't thought about Morality until someone asked me if I wanted to join an RSF and I had to visit the gull and felt "weird" about going "bad" and picked Vigilante instead of the "more bad" choices :)

 

I do have one villain (and 8 heroes and now one Vig). I also have one hero that is Darth Vader themed and that I was planning on taking across the line as part of his persona.

 

Now that I have a Vigilante I do like the convenience of being able to do both and will likely "corrupt" my main too, but I generally find the content not as engaging.

[justicebeliever]

DFB has nearly 0 effect on finding people for TF/SFs. After the teens it is mostly pointless to run and very few run them past 22. At that point joining or starting a TF/SF would level you up faster than doing yet another DFB run.

 

I’m not complaining about DFB, and I’m not suggesting any change.  However, 45% of LFG on Everlasting is DFB, and about 10% is MT.  That means in the 4-7 lines of chat that someone has open in the Global Tab, half is Help Chat, and of the 50% remaining, half is DFB or a mistell.  Of the 25% remaining, is all competing with each other for at least 2 competing Posi 1 TF’s, 1 posi 2, one Synapse, and 2 radio/newspaper missions.  And then all other types of missions/TF’s/Trials.  I can form a DFB trial in under 60 seconds.  It takes maybe 5 minutes for Posi 1 TF.  Posi 2/Synapse - 10 min.  Anything else- 20-30 minutes.  So it definitely has some effect.  That being said, I’m not suggesting we change the system...it’s the cost of doing business.  But it can literally be like 3,000% harder.

[HelenCarnate]

Ok that is fair.

[Clave Dark 5]

It's hard to put my finger on, but all the red zones feel the same to me.

 

I've played several villains all the way up and for the life of me can't keep straight which zones are which apart from Mercy and Grandville.

 

Blueside each zone has character. Atlas park looks very different from Steel Canyon despite having a lot of the same style. I always know where I am and what that means.

 

Redside I'm always in a dirty mix of quasi-victorian rubble and black tech. Even the casino zone (and here I legit can't remember what it's called) feels the same but with a pyramid. It doesn't help that you're always fighting Arachnids.

Speaking as a "I was born on redside" player, that's exactly my take but in reverse, it's blueside I find too samey.  Maybe we both just need to spend more time getting to know the other side, as I'm doing these days because I play blue a lot now (due to population issues).

[Sunsette]

I find blue-side much more samey than red, personally, and I much prefer blue to red. I can see where they're coming from, though -- while the changes are often subtle, there is more of an attempt to vary the 'mood' of blue zones. Red zones tend to vary landmarks much more but the mood is mostly the same. It depends on how you read zones primarily.

[MagnusD74]

It's the opposite for me. During Live, I played a villain exclusively. Nowadays, I continue my love for the Rogue Isles. However, I have a couple of Heroes lingering around.  ;D

 

- Magnus

[AkuTenshiiZero]

It's hard to put my finger on, but all the red zones feel the same to me.

 

I've played several villains all the way up and for the life of me can't keep straight which zones are which apart from Mercy and Grandville.

 

Blueside each zone has character. Atlas park looks very different from Steel Canyon despite having a lot of the same style. I always know where I am and what that means.

 

Redside I'm always in a dirty mix of quasi-victorian rubble and black tech. Even the casino zone (and here I legit can't remember what it's called) feels the same but with a pyramid. It doesn't help that you're always fighting Arachnids.

 

Honestly I disagree.  I think if you spend enough time in the Rogue Isles you start seeing the differences.  I think the blandness of Port Oakes leads to this misconception, every zone has it's unique flair that you see all the time while you're there.

 

Mercy has a clear difference between the crappy lower areas and the nicer raised areas, it basically sets you up with the idea that if you're not with Arachnos, you're treated like dirt.

Port Oakes is, as I mentioned, pretty bland.  There's the pirate fort, but nobody goes there.

Cap Au Diable has the distinct Aeon City raised center, the giant horns, and the Orange Pipes of Doom.

Sharkhead is all industrial and construction, it's very much a big shipping yard, plus the big graveyard area.

Nerva has the small "normal city" island, the Crey island, the Longbow island, and the giant jungle island in the north.

St Martial has a big FFFF-off pyramid, carnival area, and arguably the "cleanest" Rogue Isles city in the center/northeast.

Grandville is a goddam supervillain lair.

 

All the zones are unique.  Just because all of them are dark and dreary doesn't mean they're the same.  On the contrary, I find Paragon City to be way more samey and bland, but that is most likely because I have less experience there.  And that's the crux of it.  People who don't play villains because of the zones would know the zones better if they played villains, it's a self-perpetuating problem.

[khy]

I just gotta say, the tips system is amazing when it comes to villain content being ACTUALLY EVIL, and not just mildly malicious.

 

ESPECIALLY the Vigi -> Villain tips. Holy shit.

 

One in particular : Blast Furnace sends you a hasty text message asking for help. You show up to find that Maelstrom has sabotaged Blast Furnace's armor. Blast Furnace asks you for help because you're his hero! So you decide to take down Maelstrom, and once he's down you go in for the kill. Blast Furnace tries to stop you so you beat him into submission just before Maelstrom teleports away, so you just attempted to murder a guy in front of your adoring fan and beat the shit out of said fan when he tries to stop you.

 

Or another one where a hero's sidekick is on Social Media posting about being a sidekick, so you 'teach him a lesson' by having Malta attack him and also kidnap his grandmother, only she dies from a heart attack. Sidekick attacks you, you beat him down and teleport him back to a hospital. Beating + Dead grandmother, all because you wanted to teach him not to brag about heroics on social media.

 

And lastly, the Council throws a parade but does it legitimately (With all the permits and everything, so the heroes can't stop it legitimately) and Positron contacts you saying "Stay the hell away", so you sabotage the robots in the parade to attack innocent people in order to show everyone just how evil the Council truly is.

 

The hero tips and missions are so lame, the villain and vigilante tips are spectacularly awesome and REALLY vicious.

[AkuTenshiiZero]

I just gotta say, the tips system is amazing when it comes to villain content being ACTUALLY EVIL, and not just mildly malicious.

 

ESPECIALLY the Vigi -> Villain tips. Holy shit.

 

One in particular : Blast Furnace sends you a hasty text message asking for help. You show up to find that Maelstrom has sabotaged Blast Furnace's armor. Blast Furnace asks you for help because you're his hero! So you decide to take down Maelstrom, and once he's down you go in for the kill. Blast Furnace tries to stop you so you beat him into submission just before Maelstrom teleports away, so you just attempted to murder a guy in front of your adoring fan and beat the shit out of said fan when he tries to stop you.

 

Or another one where a hero's sidekick is on Social Media posting about being a sidekick, so you 'teach him a lesson' by having Malta attack him and also kidnap his grandmother, only she dies from a heart attack. Sidekick attacks you, you beat him down and teleport him back to a hospital. Beating + Dead grandmother, all because you wanted to teach him not to brag about heroics on social media.

 

And lastly, the Council throws a parade but does it legitimately (With all the permits and everything, so the heroes can't stop it legitimately) and Positron contacts you saying "Stay the hell away", so you sabotage the robots in the parade to attack innocent people in order to show everyone just how evil the Council truly is.

 

The hero tips and missions are so lame, the villain and vigilante tips are spectacularly awesome and REALLY vicious.

 

My personal favorite is the morality mission "My Other Selves."  You get to fight a godly version of yourself that destroyed all life and then comes back in time to stop you from doing the same.  To which you basically kick him in the nards and say "Thanks for telling me your weakness, I'll make sure to fix that when *I* become a god."

[Clave Dark 5]

I just gotta say, the tips system is amazing when it comes to villain content being ACTUALLY EVIL, and not just mildly malicious.

 

ESPECIALLY the Vigi -> Villain tips. Holy shit.

 

One in particular : Blast Furnace sends you a hasty text message asking for help. You show up to find that Maelstrom has sabotaged Blast Furnace's armor. Blast Furnace asks you for help because you're his hero! So you decide to take down Maelstrom, and once he's down you go in for the kill. Blast Furnace tries to stop you so you beat him into submission just before Maelstrom teleports away, so you just attempted to murder a guy in front of your adoring fan and beat the shit out of said fan when he tries to stop you.

 

Or another one where a hero's sidekick is on Social Media posting about being a sidekick, so you 'teach him a lesson' by having Malta attack him and also kidnap his grandmother, only she dies from a heart attack. Sidekick attacks you, you beat him down and teleport him back to a hospital. Beating + Dead grandmother, all because you wanted to teach him not to brag about heroics on social media.

 

And lastly, the Council throws a parade but does it legitimately (With all the permits and everything, so the heroes can't stop it legitimately) and Positron contacts you saying "Stay the hell away", so you sabotage the robots in the parade to attack innocent people in order to show everyone just how evil the Council truly is.

 

The hero tips and missions are so lame, the villain and vigilante tips are spectacularly awesome and REALLY vicious.

Yeah, those tips were, iirc, written by a newer member of the then-team and it showed that he was really trying to make the writing much sharper than it had been.  The mission design was also starting to think more outside the usual box, which also got my respect.