Solo rewards versus group rewards?

[TedEBear]

Hi everyone,

 

Do groups get more inf as a group than a solo player?  I seem to get a lot more inf and drops solo.  Is it the same amount for a group, or do they get slightly more as a group than a solo player?

 

Thanks for the help.

[nihilii]

I think this is how it goes:

- exp/inf: a multiplier is applied, then your personal rewards are divided by the number of players on team. So if you're solo you get 100% of the rewards, if you're on a team of 2 you get 125% of the rewards divided by 2 = 62.5%, and so on. From what I recall, the multiplier is generous enough there is no reason to have a team of 7 instead of 8; even if teammate #8 is leeching, rewards stay the same for the rest of the team.

- salvage/recipes: goes to a random team member. No extra bonus for teaming (ergo, if you outperform your teammates, you're better off solo)

- incarnate shards/threads: everyone gets their separate drop as if they were solo, so teams are best

Edited August 18, 2019 by nihilii

[TedEBear]

Thank you, that’s a great explanation!  

[DSorrow]

2 minutes ago, TedEBear said:

Do groups get more inf as a group than a solo player?

More total inf. The mechanics are a bit complex, but essentially any XP/inf from an enemy defeat is split equally between teammates. However, the total XP/inf the enemy awards is also increased based on team size. End result: you get less XP per player per defeat, but more total XP and when you factor in the increased defeat speed from added teammates, you pretty much always come up ahead in XP/inf per time.

 

Arbitrary example time: by playing in a duo, you get a 1.25x modifier to XP/inf drops, but the rewards are also split in two so you get 1.25 x 0.5 = 0.625 XP/inf per mob relative to what you would get solo. However, to break even the added teammate only needs to up your defeat speed by 1/0.625 = 1.6 or 60% and in most cases you can easily get that or more which leads to equal or better XP/inf over time.

 

8 minutes ago, TedEBear said:

 I seem to get a lot more inf and drops solo.

Drops (recipes, salvage) don't get increased as a function of team size but rather just the number of enemies which typically increases with your team size. If you're running at x8 already, adding more teammates will not increase drops but they'll be split more ways resulting in smaller drop rates per person. Again, the increased defeat speed usually makes up for this so it doesn't really matter.

 

While adding teammates rarely results in less rewards/time in normal teaming situations, farming is a common situation where that is true (and explains why people charge money). The farmer is already running at x8 so adding teammates only decreases the farmer's personal rewards. Even worse, if the added person is a door sitter or otherwise can't contribute much (common in a farm setting), they don't make up for the increased reward splits in any way.

 

More info: https://cityofheroes.fandom.com/wiki/Experience

[Ukase]

While it's true that large teams get an xp bonus - what's not thought of is the incredible time sink most people suffer when forming that large team! 

Until/unless you've cultivated a list of active, competent global friends, you are without question better off soloing - from an xp over time or inf over time perspective. But - the more you solo, the less opportunity to cultivate that list of active, competent global friends. 

And, of course, a lot depends on your AT and your own creativity. It's clear to me that I have a much easier time soloing with my brute, scrapper, blaster and controller than I do with my tanks or defenders (because of low damage output). My Sentinels and Corruptors and Dominators are capable, but just not as fast. And Doms are always going to get the domination bar filled faster on a team. It just makes sense to team with a Dom. Others may have different experiences and abilities and find soloing to be very dull and completely defeating the purpose of the game. 

As for me, while one guy is taking 10 minutes to form his/her Penny Yin TF, in a solo effort, I'm halfway through the 2nd mission and will finish the tf completely in another 10-15 minutes. 

[PaxArcana]

3 hours ago, TedEBear said:

Do groups get more inf as a group than a solo player?

Yes, and no.

 

Mission Rewards are the same, grouped or solo.  However, in a group, you will complete more missions in the same X span of time.

Individual Enemies are the same total, but divided amongst the entire team.  Essentially, you will get less XP and INF per enemy defeated.  However, a team will defeat MANY more enemies in the same span of time - and there will be more enemies TO defeat in any given mission instance.

...

What this means, in the balance of things, is:  your XP and INF per enemy defeated will be lower on a team than solo; your XP and INF per mission will be about the same.  But your XP and INF per hour of play will be higher, perhaps MUCH higher, on a team than it will be solo.

[Ukase]

13 hours ago, PaxArcana said:

Yes, and no.

 

Mission Rewards are the same, grouped or solo.  However, in a group, you will complete more missions in the same X span of time.

Individual Enemies are the same total, but divided amongst the entire team.  Essentially, you will get less XP and INF per enemy defeated.  However, a team will defeat MANY more enemies in the same span of time - and there will be more enemies TO defeat in any given mission instance.

...

What this means, in the balance of things, is:  your XP and INF per enemy defeated will be lower on a team than solo; your XP and INF per mission will be about the same.  But your XP and INF per hour of play will be higher, perhaps MUCH higher, on a team than it will be solo.

The only time this is true is when that team continues to play through that time span. Most of the time, they do not. Even in task forces, particularly on the lower levels, there are constant interruptions - training, spouse/family/pet aggro, bio, you name it. 

And I gotta say - it depends on what one is soloing with vs. the team composition, and of course - the foes being fought, and of course - the level of the solo player and the levels of the team of 8.  

Odds are, yes, the team will be better - but certainly not every team. It's going to vary. 

[Myrmidon]

Meeting new people to play the game with, team banter and picking up build/play ideas while doing so are the most valuable rewards in the entire game.

[jubakumbi]

6 hours ago, Myrmidon said:

Meeting new people to play the game with, team banter and picking up build/play ideas while doing so are the most valuable rewards in the entire game.

Whereas my quiet time soloing/duoing with a (RL) friend and not having to wait for other people, deal with useless drama, and be subjected to players telling other players how to play is the games most valuable reward for me.

 

Teaming in most all games ruins the game for me, unless I actually know the people in RL and I like to play games with them.

So few gamers I meet, even in CoH now, are actually playing just to relax and have playtime, there is almost always a carrot, a goal, a rush to finish, and I don't dance to the tune of other people or a games incentives, I play at my own pace, even when it means skipping out on whole 'events' in the game, I do what I want to do, the herd is not 

 

I can afford any of the high end builds I design, as I have plenty of resources as well to make my characters, with very little teaming.

 

Specifically in CoH, I can cater the difficulty of the game endlessly, based on what I chose to play and the game settings, without having to interact with another human, or having to wait for them to finish the RL task they decided to start in the middle of my playtime...

 

One man's treasure...

[Myrmidon]

4 hours ago, jubakumbi said:

Whereas my quiet time soloing/duoing with a (RL) friend and not having to wait for other people, deal with useless drama, and be subjected to players telling other players how to play is the games most valuable reward for me.

 

Teaming in most all games ruins the game for me, unless I actually know the people in RL and I like to play games with them.

So few gamers I meet, even in CoH now, are actually playing just to relax and have playtime, there is almost always a carrot, a goal, a rush to finish, and I don't dance to the tune of other people or a games incentives, I play at my own pace, even when it means skipping out on whole 'events' in the game, I do what I want to do, the herd is not 

 

I can afford any of the high end builds I design, as I have plenty of resources as well to make my characters, with very little teaming.

 

Specifically in CoH, I can cater the difficulty of the game endlessly, based on what I chose to play and the game settings, without having to interact with another human, or having to wait for them to finish the RL task they decided to start in the middle of my playtime...

 

One man's treasure...

You know, when I first came back, I wasn’t planning to be Myrmidon anymore. It was the people that I’ve known in this game for 15 years (some of which I had not spoken one word to since the shutdown) that brought me back to it. Some of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in this game were with complete strangers, many of which became friends to this day.

 

And it all started from random “ looking for a team?” tells. And even a few forum engagements.😁

[jubakumbi]

1 minute ago, Myrmidon said:

You know, when I first came back, I wasn’t planning to be Myrmidon anymore. It was the people that I’ve known in this game for 15 years (some of which I had not spoken one word to since the shutdown) that brought me back to it. Some of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in this game were with complete strangers, many of which became friends to this day.

 

And it all started from random “ looking for a team?” tells. And even a few forum engagements.😁

Yeah.

I have the same handle, but I was just as much a recluse then. 🙂

 

I meet a few people heere and there but then lose track.

The biggest thing for me is the freedom for all these kinds of players to enjoy, and to be able to play one way and then another, from one mission to the next, at will.

 

Mostly, when I sit down to play, I want to kill pixels. Not chat in the chat box, not discuss builds or the weather, not listen to some plan about 'herd to here', I just jump in and start killing pixels.

Many people play the game as a social outlet, I simply don't use it that way.

Had a buddy with multiple 50s who could never play the game really at all - he just made characters and teamed with us while he typed away about life - he would get team invites when we were not around and just had no clue. 🙂

 

I figure once I go to Pocket D and start doing iTtrials I will get a few more on the list.

[subbacultchas]

In most things I think teams steamroll fast enough to make the xp/inf per hour better than soloing. In most things, that is.

When farming I find the exact opposite to be true, I can clear an AE mission and get much more xp & rewards. It does take a bit longer, but I don't find bringing others along makes it quick enough to offset the lost XP. It could be compounded by the fact that my farmers tend to be controllers or doms, but I don't know as to why that would be.

Edited August 19, 2019 by subbacultchas

[Myrmidon]

4 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

 

I figure once I go to Pocket D and start doing iTtrials I will get a few more on the list.

You know, now that everything post-50 is Incarnate content, I don’t give one damn about doing Incarnate Trials. Unless you’re looking for badges, the current system fits right into your wheelhouse.

[jubakumbi]

5 hours ago, Myrmidon said:

You know, now that everything post-50 is Incarnate content, I don’t give one damn about doing Incarnate Trials. Unless you’re looking for badges, the current system fits right into your wheelhouse.

Just to have the wider variety when I want it, and I figure that is where the more 'dedicated' might hang out...

[Llewellyn Blackwell]

This is one of those how one builds and plays kind of things that make math on its own hard to rely on. If I am on a singtle target big bad killer specilaist build then yeah give me a good team with some heavy aoe to speed up the gain.

 

Put me on my name sake here a blaster and most of the time the team is costing me XPs that I am doing most of the heavy lifting to earn, but I fret not one bit as that is just paying it forward. As long as they are fun and sociable or at the worst quiet but staying out of the way I will do what ol berk does best and lead the way forward dragging even the least skilled young sidekick to victory and mentor them into proper  young heroes.

 

A good example is the citadel I was on this morn. Id planned on doing my usual but there was literally one raedy to go with 2 spots to fill so I joined up. We hit the first mish, the leader was telling the scrapper they were on point. I was already in the first room and had cleared several full groups of mobs. Berk dont hide behind no one lest he hates them and wants them to be humbled by eating dirt.

 

The leader didnt get to complainy though I did detect a hint when they asked me to at least state my plans better so they could offer more support. Thing is Berk dont need support. sure buffs are nice and all but they dont really speed up my kill time much, and it was only due to the leader wanting the group to stay together that I didnt suggest splitting up in the caves to speed up the killing. but there was an MM on the team so frankly not going to stay behind them or even give them much chance to keep up with me in them caves. sorry but I need some breathing room. It was a fine if slightly slower then my average run, most seemed fine with it over all. But fact is Id likely of had a faster time etc going solo. But really i only tend to solo TFs on my stalkers as they feel made to concept wise. Berk doesnt have vengeance to go it alone, he has it so when a link in the chain breaks he can make the other links into blades that can cut down all before us.