And Then There Are Awesome PUGs....

[Erratic1]

Indomitable is a low population server and getting TFs going sometimes feels like the work of pulling teeth. So often I go with fewer than I'd like. Case in point, the Posi 2 I started earlier with 3 people--two widows (including myself) and a controller (Dark/Dark). And yet we did incredibly well up to the penultimate mission when the other widow had to go. But the controller and I figured we'd see what we could do with just the two of us. 

 

We had two wipes in that penultimate mission due to exploding cadavers, but we were pretty sure we could keep going. We did and made it to the final mission....

 

We stealthed the initial bombs, made it inside, and confined our fighting to what had to be fought. Wasn't too bad. Again stealthed the bombs out back and for the final bomb, had the fight. No problem.

 

Then came Vahzilok.

 

Really wondered if we could do him. Only way to know was for me to leap in. Got him to about half but I was out of inspirations and managed to get myself dead twice (rezzed once by controller) with him at half life. So off to the hospital I go while she keeps him occupied. Made it back and he was back up to 3/4ths. Start working him down but there is a full heal. Figured we would keep going. 

 

Again I blow through my inspirations and periodically now I am having to step back, kneel, and then rejoin the fight. But we keep working it. Then he leaps off the bridge, the filthy cheater!

 

So we fight him below along with more of his minions. But I get low on life and have to fly up to bridge to recover. Of course he follows.

 

His mistake. We get back to working without his minions pounding on us. Still, I have to back and kneel...and he's so close. Just kept praying he would not full heal.

 

And then he was down!

 

No IO sets...heck, I don't even slot enhancers until level 23, so no enhancements on my part at all. And we put him down.

 

So some PUGs are just incredible.

 

 

[Skyhawke]

Wait...a dark/dark controller...on a Positron TF...things went awry, but came together in the end...were you on a team with Snarky?

[BZRKR]

Well yeah, Indomitable is the "get stuff done" server.

[Without_Pause]

HT's -Regen FTW.

[jprewitt73]

Not the same at all by any means, but I was short on time yesterday. I wanted to run the Morty Kal SF real quick for the double merits and Notice. Saw a message for a speedy version. I have not had great success with speed run PUGs. We blew through everything in about 12 minutes I think? Super quick, everyone was friendly, chat was lively, and it was amazing. Best PUG I've been on in a long time. 

 

[Magical]

95% of pugs I make or join are amazing. I don't get ppl who constantly whine that every group is bad. you know what they say, if everywhere you go smells like shit, check your own shoe.

 

I regularly run speed apex/tinmage and the average completion time keeps going down. In 2022, it was usually above 15 mins for each TF. In 2023, it was 13-15 mins. now in 2024 i semi-regularly see runs that are 10-11 mins. Cringe runs that are 17+ mins or more for each of the TF's are getting rarer. I don't even add any requirements when recruiting other than saying SPEED.

 

One thing i noticed is that the players on the bigger servers are higher skilled on average. more knowledgable, more aware, more geared, and more aggressive. When there are lots of players about there is more opportunity to team up, the more you play with other players the better your chances to learn from others and improve. someone from torchbearer or something is going to read this and get offended on behalf of their group of friends, but I'm talking about the server pugging ppopulation as a whole, not your private group.