Wicked_Wendy
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Posts
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Joined
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I think the biggest problem most people see with it is the wait time. A trip mine you set, you pull and it goes BOOM. A time bomb requires a bit more planning and requires the team to actually be patient enough to give the thing time to go off. I have watched a few Tanks trying desperately to actually HERD only to have half the team rush forward and start attacking before he could get back to the spot where he said.. "Herding to here!" Way too many players now that want to put on track shoes and see just how fast they can zip through a mission so asking them to sit still while a bomb counts down gets frowns and possibly even negative comments.
I have an AR/Dev Blaster and just based on the comment my friends made as I was leveling I went with trip mines and skipped the Time Bomb completely. Can't say I regret the decision since I play with a really good herding Tank. He picks a spot to herd to and I start laying mines. I sit back ready to hit Full Auto and then the mob hits the mines. Add in any AoEs thew rest of the team has and the mob vanished quickly. I've used them very nicely to protect the Reactor during Respec trials. Wave hits and a few reach the reactor and then go flying half way across the room before they ever get to do any damage.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Time Bomb I just think the majority of the players out there don't want to sit and watch the bomb tick down before they get to DO anything. -
I like it! Now for the stipulations... Make this a power than recovers quickly NOT something we can use once every TWO hours and make it so the trainer can be summoned anywhere including inside a mission.
Now you have a lot of potential help for your team. Your on a TF and someone goes DING. Vet pulls out the temp trainer and suddenly a Controller has Superior invisibility and you have 2 steathers instead of just one. A Blaster dings and now has Rain or Arrows or Full Auto. The list goes on and on. I don't see why the Devs would find any reason not to use this since it doesn't dramatically change the balance of the game in any way just makes it a little easier for the vet, or anyone close by, to level up. -
Quote:Thanks Lillika :-D the Taxis are still around but the need for us has dimished since Safeguards gave anyone above level 5 the chance to have a raptor pack. We still get together on friday evenings at 8PM EST in Steel Canyon and offer tp to the tailor and have sort of become the unofficial Fire Department teleporting players to the various Arson fires in zone and helping them earn those badges.. at this point all of us have all three and are "FIRE CHIEFS". We also branched out and do some Task Forces inviting along anyone that wishes to join. Three team mates that offer up Stealth, teleport, buffs, debuffs heal and rez generally makes any TF run smoothly.Originally Posted by Lillika
I miss all the Taxibots :'( was the absolute best thing about Virtue when I strted playing CoH in I2. Especially in the Hollows when you would be a thick headed newb and fall into the giant hole in the center.
And when there were no Taxibots on duty... UP UP AND AWAY! *slowly Hovers up and out of said hole.*
Hi, I'm DJ shecky and I'm a Virtuaholic....
Quote:Originally Posted by DJ SheckyIn all seriousness, I've been playing for jsut over 4 years. Started on Justice, but quickly moved to Virtue where all my chars reside. Few notes about me:
- I tend to fly by the seat of my pants as far as builds go
- I am no expert on any aspect of the game, but do my best to make a good teammate
- I am a DJ and the Tech Manager for The Cape and love doing it.
I've run through a numebr of the TFs and some of the SFs. I have done Mothership and Hami raids, but to me it all about who I'm with moreso than anything else.
To all concerned DJ Shecky is crazy.. LOL but its the good kind of crazy that makes you giggle. Love you Shecky even though I do spend more time listening to DJ Angel on the cape. /em runs and hides -
I agree with you that contact need a bit of tweeking and your right it is possible to outlevel entire arcs now with SSK and Patrol XP making it easier and easier to zoom up quickly in the lower levels.
The fact is we screamed for more content for a long time and finally got it and now we have so much its virtually impossible to actually eperience all of it (NORMALLY). There is a way around it however through Ouroboros. Any arc you miss can always be picked up once you hit level 25 and get access to time travel. In fact I actually use it quite a bit to pick up badges I used to labor trying to coax out of a contact simply by time traveling back and doing Spelunker, Negotiator, etc. In addition to the badge I also get a few reward merits for completing it as a TT mission and there are a whole series of badges to be earned by traveling backwards.
Sounds like you enjoy teaming so why not do the Task Forces? I have characters that made their way quickly to 30 or higher doing Positron, Synapse, Sister Psyche, Moonfire, and Citadel. In the process the also earned Gearsmasher/Tank Buster (toward the Freedom Phalanx Accolade), Slayer/Silver Bullet (Toward the Atlas Medallion), and got a good start on Soul Binder (towards Archmage). By the time I completed those all I needed was Manticore and Numina to earn the Task Force Commander Accolade as well. I picked up a huge amount of reward merits and then added to them by time traveling to get the door badge missions I'd missed.
At this point there are so many different ways to level a character you can pick any method you please and have fun doing it. :-D -
I'd go with Talos.. You teleport in fairly close to the Green line and can get to just about all the other zones on the line from there. If, and only if, you have members above 40 level Peregrine Island .. since the only other way there is to get to Talos or IP and then catch a Ferry. For lower zones I'd go with Kings Row.. Bring you in at a safe location and with very quick access to the Train to get to other zones and isn't far from Wentworths or the Trainer.. also there are stores right on the train platform in KR so that is quicker too. For a fourth I'd probably go with Steel.. bring you out near the green line and the tailor. Its a good ways from Wentworths but probably about the same distance from the trainer and Posi (for that TF) than if you arrived by train.
I'd focus more on the lower zones simply because after 25 everyone has an Ouroboros portal these days and can get to any number of the high level zones using that and those tp points are all located very close to train lines anyway.. except of course PI since the train doesn't go there and even THAT teleport point bring you out near the Ferry. Actually using that logic you could probably skip PI completely and use the last spot for whatever fits the needs of you members. -
Quote:AH once again the eternal "It only matters IF they want to team" line. Not to be nasty but if you READ what the OP wrote the whole thread revolves around him, or her, wanting TEAM MATES to say Please and Thank you before offering up SB. I'd say that qualifies as YES I WANT TO TEAM with my Kin.Originally Posted by Sprite Fire
i agree and disagree with about half of what yuo say...
YES a kin should take SB if they want to team... much like a SD should take grant cover. or an emp take... you know... single target heals... or tanks take... taunt (i HAVE seen the rare tanker able to capture and hold agro without taunt. they're rediculacely rare, 99% of the tankers without taunt simply suck at it)
note the "if they want to team". if you don't want to team don't take powers that help the team and not yourself. it's that simple.
- HOWEVER - that is no cause for rudeness, demands, and general ignorence. it's the people begging for SB WHEN THEY STILL HAVE THEIR BUFF UP that drive me insane. Its the random blaster who's end never drops bellow 90% full begging for it while i'm trying to FS so he can dish real damage that ticks me off. it's the emp defender, who neither has end issues, not even an attack chain to manage begging me for SB that drives me nuts.
it runs out really fast... it's a pain in the *** to rebuff the team, especially in the middle of a battle, and especially since FS is up ever 15-30 seconds... and when you're the ONLY actual troller on the team, trying to manage crowd control, healing, sb, fs... so on and so forth that the constant and endless nagging starts to grate on your nerves. Simply put, while i imagine a kin/ defender might be able to keep SB up on the whole party all the time and do all the other things a kin can do... the kin troller (atleast how i play one) has much more useful things she can be doing to help the team then keeping pcs who neither need SB nor will use it constantly buffed.
stone tanker - needs SB
end hogs - need SB
everyone else hardly registers on my list.
I am keenly aware how tough it is to constantly keep an entire team buffed with SB or anything else that wears off no matter how short or long the duration is. I never meant to imply that all a KIN should do is constantly apply dose after dose to every team member. At the same time your "everyone else hardly registers on my list" line seems a little off to me. End hog or not your telling me you''d skip Sbing a Blaster that could dramatically increase his damage output when SBed because "I don't have time I need to attack?" I know for a fact most Scrappers will tell a KIN at the door "No SB I need to be able to control my approach to a mob better so I stay in Melee range" Heck I PLAY Scrappers and I've said it.. Sadly there are BAD kins out there that let that go in on ear and out the other and just keep Sbing everything in sight. But a Blaster can stand back and at range firing over and over and over doing massive amounts of damage but if my Blaster's END bar isn't dipping you'll ignore me completely on a team?
I have a number of EMPS and have FORT slotted so it recovers in about 30 seconds. Obvioulsy I can't FORT the entire team before an attack but I start with the obvious. Tanks have more HP and Defense so the Scrappers get it first (they will be side by side with that Tank in Melee range so they will be taking more damage than support characters. Next the Tank gets it since the possibility of an EB or AV exists at any point in a mission and every little bit helps. After that I look at the team.. Blasters probably get it next since they have the least amount of defense and lower or lowest HP on any team. Then, when I can, the Trollers and Defenders get a dose if it's not time to start over on the Scrappers and Tank. It doesn't need to be constant and it certainly doesn't keep me from using other buffs and my attacks but I do the BEST I can to give it out to as many team mates as I can to increase their potential and help keep things running smoother.
Everyone is entitled to play however they chose so do whatever you like but to me a KIN that has SB and expects people to beg for it every single time with Please and Thank You isn't just hurting the team he's hurting himself. No one has time for that level of politeness during a mission we are all busy fighting bad guys and trying to stay alive. Either use the power you took and just take pride in what you did to help out or don't .. But don't expect the majority of players to polietly ask for SB while a AV is breathing down their neck because it is NOT going to happen. -
Hey
Started in December 2005 on COV and switched to COH when my old PC couldn't handle the lag after they added Grandville. Lets see I have 2 accounts now with 34 on the first one and an addition 16 on the newer one (It just hit the 12 month mark in June). I have 24 fifty levels most on COH with 2 on COV. I have at least 1 50 of every AT on COH excpet a Peacebringer so I have a pretty fair idea how to play most Archtypes. I help run 4 different Super Groups on Virtue.. 3 hero side and a fourth on the Villainous side of things.
- Have done just about every Task Force or Strike Force in game and most a LOT more than once.
- I am the base Archetect/Engineer for all 4 SG so I am definately into base building
- I don't have anything in the "Hall of Fame" but I have several AE stories out there and all maintaining 4 out of 5 stars
- Not totally fanatical but I am a badger and have at least one on both sides with tons of bright shiny things and I am looking forward to Going Rogue so they can swap sides and add more.
-I'm a Taxibot, with 3 50 levels in that SG, so you can usually find me in Steel Canyon on Fridays after 8PM EST offering teleport to Tailors shop or anywhere in zone. We also run Task Forces and Taxibot Sara 2.0 is and ILL/EMP so when we do Stealth and TP are always covered.
- I generally keep Paragon Wiki up in the background so if I don't know the answer outright I can find it for you VERY quickly. :-D
Welcome to COH/V and feel free to send a tell and say HI! -
Quote:OMG ...And you have played the game for HOW many days now?Originally Posted by Cryop
Hello there forums,
So lately I have been playing a Fire/Kin and teaming around. In the latest team (still in it as we speak) we sparked a mini argument about me SBing people.
My argument is that I refused to SB them unless they ask for it and say thank you afterwards. Both me and Shang stated how my using Speed Boost was a gift, not a necesity.
Their argument is that if I don't intend on using the power, why have it. Also that the stone tank (the one who was demanding the SB) would be able to play much better, as well as everyone else, because of it.
Of course I understand that Speed Boost is a big advantage for the team and stone tankers, what I don't understand is that just because it is a help hat it means manners must go out of the window. I didn't roll a /kin just to observe everyone's buffs to see when to give them one.
So what's your overall view on the matter?
You are on a team and SB, especially to that STONE TANK that is holding aggro and helping keep you from having mobs down your throat, is a very valuable tool. This isn't City of Tea Parties it's City of Heroes and in the middle of combat with everything from Bosses, Lieutenants, and a ton of minons you want each individual team members to ask "Please may I have a Speed Boost?" And then WHILE the Elite Boss is trying to wipe the entire team they are supposed to take time out to type "Oh thank you so much for that SB I really appreciate it."
You are on a team and everyone is supposed to pitch in with whatever powers they have at their disposal. Did you ASK politely for the TANK to aggro each mob and thank him for keeping you safe? Did you ask the Blasters and/or Scrappers to attack and destroy every minion you came across during the mission? Do your job and do it well and between fights or at the end of a mission you MAY get comments like "Nice job those buffs really helped!" Can the team survive without SB? Sure it can but I'm sorry taking an attitude that everyone should ASK you nicely to get you to use a power that helps YOU earn XP, INF, and get Salvage and Recipe drops because they team survives better and can fighter longer and harder is absurd. I've played EMPS, RADS, PLANTS, and THERMALS and never, ever, expected anyone to BEG me to heal, buff, debuff or hold. It's my job and the way I HELP the team. If you are looking for PLEASE and THANK YOUs I strongly suggest you find an on line version of "Mother may I?"
Here's a HINT for you .. SB allows every member of ANY team to fire off whatever attacks, buffs, debuffs, hold/immobs or whatever faster. They heal quicker and recover End quicker so they can battle harder and longer. You don't need to examine everyone's powersets to determine who needs it or not... It helps them all so unless a Scrapper or whatever says "No SB please" just give it to everyone. It recovers in no time and only lasts for about 2 minutes so you should be able to SB an entire 8 man team in less than 30 seconds. Your in a battle not at a garden party so forget the manners and do whatever you can to keep evertone alive and in the fight. -
Relax and have fun! I've done more than a few Hami raids now on both sides and the organizers have it pretty much down to a science. Just listen to everything your told and it's probably a good idea to let your team leader know it's your first one. The leaders are great and will be happy to explain exactly what all is involved and what they need you to do. You MAY end up faceplanting a time or two since Hami nad the Mitos are no easy battle but hang in there and unless you die on the last attack you'll leave with no debt and a good chuck of merits or a Hami O.
Nothing else in game quite compares to attacking a giant Jello mold so enjoy the experience! :-D Not sure what you are taking to the raid but worse case click on someone on your team, set yourself to follow and just fire away at whatever they are attacking. heheheh Hey it's how I got through my first raid Hero side with my Blaster! -
Quote:Yeah Bill I'm not a huge fan of Speed runs either. I understand the mentality behind them which is usually either "I am farming for merits and really just want to get this Task Force completed so I can move on to the next Speed Run" or "I'm working on my Task Force Commander Accolade (or whatever) and all I really want is this badge".Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
I've never done a Master Of... run. The idea just isn't interesting to me. (Much like multi-billion IO builds for the "perfect untouchable 5000% recharge etc" character isn't.) If they're your thing, go nuts. Just let me know ahead of time on the MO run so I can bow out.
Speed runs... I'll do on occasion. If nothing else to see what's being done on them for a specific TF. But I find them equally dull, generally. Not much talking, banter or screwing around on them - takes a good chunk of the *fun* out of it for me.
I tend to use Task Forces for other reasons entirely. I have a few characters that have TFed their way to 50 level so I'm generally looking for all the XP, INF, Prestige, along with salvage and recipe drops I can get. I'm not opposed to moving things along using stealth and teleport when possible but anytime I see someone on the VirtueTF channel posting times of 30 0r 40 minutes for a TF I know even using stealth would normally take 90 I assume a LARGE amount of allI I just mentioned got skipped. Everyone has their reasons for however they chose to play and if Speed runs are their thing fine but I prefer a slightly slower pace. I think my BEST example of the opposite would be a LGTF I did a while back. The team leader specified in the global "This is not a speed run we will kill everything!" She was not joking and on the first mission we even stuck around after the Clockwork King was defeated and took out all of the ambushes before moving on. My character started out about 5 bars short of 46 on that run and emerged a 48 level. I had close to 100 more Vanguard Merits than I did before it began, my enhancement tray, salvage and recipes were all full and I forget exactly how much more Influence I had but it was quite a bit. That total went up even more after I sold off the rare salvage and the PURPLE recipe that dropped during that run.. and the time for that TF was 1:47.
As a badger I also like certain TFs for the chance to add to my collection. Moonfire is great for getting Slayer and Silver Bullet, or at least getting very close, as you work on the Atlas Medallion. Manticore is the best way I know to get your Infiltrator badge taking out Paragon Protectors. Synapse and/or Posi pretty much guarentee you have Gearsmasher and Posi even helps out a lot with Embalmed Cadavers and COT Mages. Sister Psyche is a great way to get your Tank Buster badge out of the way.
Speed runs serve the purposes of those that do them but I tend to avoid them simply because I always wonder what I may have missed getting that would add to my wealth or what recipe MIGHT have dropped that would make me tougher because we skipped so much to get done FAST. -
Quote:Well the nice thing about the game is you can do or be whatever you like so whatever makes you happy and content go with. I will add that not trying out a Soldier of Arachnos is denying yourself one of the most fun AT I have encountered in over 4 and a half years. My Crab is set up as a ranged attack specialist the only Melee attacks she owns are Air Superiority and Sands of Mu. Everything else is ranges with lots of AoE. Thanks to numerous Accolades she has the hit points comparable to my Scrappers on COH. So I basically have a character that does about the same damage as a Blaster, has the hit points of a Scrapper, Defenses that some Tankers would envy and two sets of pets (3 Spiderlings and 2 Disruptors) which I have enhanced with Recharges so I can always have at least one set out adding to my damage output. The Omega Manuever gives me a Mini Nuke that doesn't completely drain my end every time I use it and I have THAT enhanced so it is available every 3 minutes or so.Originally Posted by MaxLongstreet
That quote kind of says it all. Glad you're happy, but I didn't create a character as a lowly wolf spider and really have no interest in playing one, no interest in advancing up in Arachnos, and no interest in using Arachnos powers that don't fit my toon.
My memory is going, but I'm pretty sure that I purchased City of Villains, not City of Arachnos.
She solos very well and is welcome addition to any team since her defences extend to anyone of the team that stays with 60-80 yards of her . ( I forget which right now and am not in game ATM). Now if being a pawn of Arachnos bothers you consider her profile.. In that I state that she is actually a member, a leader, of a crime syndicate and uses her position within Arachnos to be obtain information that benefits that group. She may run missions that contacts ask her to help out with but she sends back intelligence to her cohorts allowing them prosper and grow in strength under the very nose of Recluse and his minions. Hey keep in mind Going Rogue is due in less than two months and she will definately break away from Arachnos and become a Rogue do what SHE wants both in the Rogue Isles and Paragon City. If it helps you at all even during the Patron Arcs where Arachnos orders/threatens a character to betray their Patron there is always a choice. I could easily have said No thanks and simply escaped Grandville and done whatever I wanted. -
Quote:50 leveOriginally Posted by Zerlina
The Lure of being able to finally being able to be a Superhero just like the ones I read about as a kid in the comics first brought me to the game.
The community and friendships has kept me coming back for over 3 years
Pretty much the same as Zerlina. I was the only girl in ahouse filled with brothers so I grew up a toyboy and would sit and read comic books just like they did. The chance to BE a superhero drew me in and then the friends I have made and all the fun I have had over the years have kept me here.
To a lesser degree I love trying out new powersets and combinations (I have 50 levels in most of the various ATs and enjoy figuring out the strategy and tactics I need to use to make them successful. I like the diversity of the game which allows me to join an eight man team or solo as I battle villains.
Okay hope that helps with your project and good luck. :-D -
Oh I should have mentioned that either through regular contacts or time travel I have done just about every arc available between 45-50 and and working on finishing the last missions in the RWZ and Cimerora along with one LAST mission from Vernon Von Grun. Tessa is my Red Side Badger and I've managed to do just about everything possible at least once with including Hami and Mothership raids.
I never looked at any of the content as being sent on an errand I was doing a contact a favor and helping them with a situation no one else could handle. In the process I earned the respect and a considerable number of "favors earned" from all of them. My lowly little Wolf Spider has risen from a foot soldier to the very equal of Recluse himself and has a network of contacts she can rely on if she wants anything. Sounds like a very ambitious and villianous character to me. :-D -
Both my 50 level Thugs MM and my 50 level Soa Crab did their Patron arc to gain acces to Patron powers. My MM did not complete ALL of the arcs and just did the first to get her patron powers but my Crab completed every arc for the opportunity to battle Lord Recluse and then, as a Destined One, the chance to take out Statesman. My crab did not, however, take a single patron power opting instead to add even more of the great powers available through her own powersets. My Patron was Mako and along the way through the arcs I got to battle Mako himself, Calystix, Doc Aeon (twice) and finally Lord Recluse himself so I'd hardly call it a boring experience. Other arc from other contacts in Grandville allowed me to battle Synapse, Mynx and even the entire Vidicator's team (Mynx, Luminary, Valkyrie and Ms. Liberty). I've taken down both Indigo and Crimson and even a 50 level version of Stheno leading a much more powerful version of the snakes found in Mercy. Of course she's also done mission in the RWZ and Cimerora and currently needs a successful Lord Recluse SF to have done every available SF/TF a villain can join.
I enjoyed the missions and never once felt like I was an errand girl as I blasted my way to the top of Arachnos .. hehehe after I kicked his Butt in the future Lord Recluse offered me a new job to ensure I stayed loyal and didn't betray him. Hey there are thousands of ways to level in the game and none is better or worse than the other so do what you enjoy! :-D -
NPC Civilains are annoying but at least they scatter and run fast when you hit them. My general strategy on a Mayhem is "nothing left standing". I go in and take out every car, mailbox, fireplug and PPD officer on the map. During that process my AoE attacks have normally sent all of the citizens scurrying to the nearest door to hide. I polish off all the sides and then hit the bank. This normally means if I have rescued a Villain from the Police Station they actually follow me to the bank and assist rather than winding up staring at a parking meter trying to decide if they should attack it or not. hehehe (and YES I have seen them do just that.. had to run back and destroy it before they would move)
Yeah it's a REAL pain wading through 20 or so civilains in the lobby while a Security Guard Captain [BOSS] is trying to seperate my head from my neck but usually one good AoE sends those running out the front door as well. Of course then you have to battle through them as they push you around heading outside before you can target the BOSS. Maybe they could make them defeatable and add a small amount of INF or something to make attacking them worth your while.. nothing huge maybe like they do with exploration badges just a small amount of XP (no drops or prestige etc). If not why am I taking damage from that Boss in the lobby while I am pounding on civilians just trying to run away?
Would I PAY to be able to defeat civilans? NO Not unless it was part of an expansion pack that had a LOT more going for it that just that. How about we just revamp the code and make it a FREE addition for everyone? I do like the BADGE idea although I doubt Marketing and the Devs would buy off on that title. 1 million of them might be a tad high although I never really stopped to count just how many of the annoying little distractions exist on a Mayhem map. How about 5000 instead? :-D Hey how's this for a badge title:
Quote:UNCIVILIZED Your habit of attacking unarmed civlians has earned you the reputation of being an uncivlized thug throughout the Rogue Isles. -
I think the big issue is compatability as the OP eluded to with this quote:
Quote:Marcus Cole was born before the turn of the 20th century and experienced first hand things that a mortal female, of any age, in 2010 has only seen glimpses of during classes they took in High School or College. His tastes in everything from music to entertainment would be flavored by the fact he'd lived through the days when motion pictures had no sound and were filmed in black and white. He'd listened to everything in the way of music from Big Bands to Jazz to Blues to Rock and Roll. He was a young man when there was no such thing a "Woman's Lib" so what exactly are his views on women as his equal? Let's assume that he has spent at least some time studying and learning over more than a century so his knowledge base is vastly superior to anyone who has had only a few decades to enhance their intelligence. Sheer physical attraction aside what mortal woman has the inteligence and range of interests to keep a relationship going with him once the overwelming passion settles?I'm thinking that an 18 year old fresh out of high school would probably not fit the bill ...
Then of course there is the issue of mortality? Much like the Highlander if Statesman has fallen in love with mortals in the past how many times does a person watch the woman they love age and die before the pain becomes too great and they simply stop trying? He'd almost have to find another immortal to provide some sense of stability. -
I think my reasons for Tanking mirror yours. I have played every AT and have 50 levels in every one except PBs to date. I admit Scrappers and Blasters are fun .. "Don't think just do damage" but I also enjoy the challenge of support. When I created my first Tank I asked a good friend who is an outstanding herding tank to teach me the ways of the meatshield and while I don't think of myself as "THE BEST TANKER EVER BORN" I am good at my job! :-D
I take a certain amount of pride in doing the job well and it doesn't matter if I am playing a Controller firing out holds and debuffs or on a Tank grabbing aggro to protect the team I want to do it well. I feel a little bad if anyone else on the team dies before I fall (if I ever do) and will use everything I have available to prevent it. I think one of my best moment occurred on the test server .. I transferred my 50 level Tanker and signed on to do the KAHN TF before they nerfed Reichman. I stood face to face with that 5th column goon for almost an hour while the team tried everything imaginable to take him out. Eventually the call came out to just give up and I stood my ground holding aggro while the rest retreated and quit the TF. No one on that team died in all that time and while I couldn't defeat that overpowered AV he didn't take me out either. I was a little disappointed to see how much they nerfed his powers when the TF went live. ... I knew they had to FIX it somehow but compared to what I faced on test Reichman, HERO SIDE, is a wimp. LOL -
Quote:OH MY Melancton I had a Safegaurd that was exactly like that. It was the Talos mission and I'd been with the PUG team through a few radios that went well so I didn't think there would be any problem. We headed straight to the bank and easily took out the mobs up front. As I headed toward the vault I happened to notice on the mini map that only one of the other 7 team members was still inside the bank. About that same time the "Bank robbers are getting away" posted and I found myself face to face with an AV and support. I did the best I could but even with my IOed Scrapper an AV and a mob designed for 8 not one was too much to handle. Obviouosly there was no time and no way to type in HELP and the one team member still inside the bank must have gone AFK since he never left the lobby.Originally Posted by Melancton
I have run a lot of TFs on PUGs but I have not memorized the "optimal" way to do things. So when a couple of folks take off down the hallway without comment in a mission, I am left to wonder what is going on.
Are they going to the end and TPing everyone in? Are they going to a particular place in the mission? Should I follow? Sometimes they don't say.
I am a team player, and I play as smart as I can. I always look over the team composition and determine the best way to use my powers in light of what other folks have going, ie, I will not drop Rain of Fire unless someone else had dropped Ice Slick, Freezing Rain or an AoE Immob, etc. But I am lost if I am supposed to "know" to "run past baddies" like they are doing and somehow know where to go. And as you have noted, very often they have stealth or are Tanks, so THEY can get past the mobs... and when I try, I look like Swiss cheese before I can get four paces.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no way around literally telling the team what to do at each point. It may be the 47th time someone has run the TF as a leader, but unless someone tells me which tower to assault or which mitos to defeat, I will not be on the same page as the leaders.
Speaking of radio missions, I have run a couple Safeguards with two or three folks, all of whom immediately departed the bank when the message came that the baddies were "getting away!" Mind you, the AV was right there, wailing away-- it was very difficult trying to type a message telling my teammates not to leave while the AV suddenly had no other hero to pay attention to other than ME. But the message that they are "getting away!" confuses folks, and it is hard to explain it in the midst of a fight. I just could not pull it off, since you cannot move while you are typing a message, and I doubt my team understood what I meant by "Dont leave AV is ssssssssssssssswwwwwwweeeeeeeessssss" in any event. But I did have plenty of time to explain it post-mortem. That sort of learning curve just happens.
PS-so I now explain it beforehand to any safeguard groups I lead
After I rezzed I raced to the escape point and did find the team desperately trying to prevent the escape... they failed miserably and after some post mission finger pointing, which I stayed out of completely despite being the only one that actually TRIED to do things right, the team dissolved. Now for the truly crazy part of the thing. I always check team members powersets and even look for VET badges to get an idea of what the team has and what level of experience they possess. Most of the members had a year or less in game but the team leader was a 51 or 54 month vet????? I've run a lot of bank missions since Safeguards began and have never seen anyone use that sort of strategy before. I couldn't help wondering how anyone could be closing in on 5 years in game and not have a clue that there was more to the bank than just the lobby.
It wasn't long afterwards I discovered that people were selling veteran accounts on EBAY and now wonder if I managed to find myself an EBAY Vet with zero months of actual game play but a ton of VET badges running the team. If not I think I may have found the DUMBEST team leader in the entire game. LOL -
To me the temp powers are not a huge issue just a minor annoyance. I carry around a bunch and have regular missions or TFs where I barely touch them. Some that do hinder a bit include Assemble the team (VET reward) since now a team with nothing but us "old" vets just lost the ability to TP. If the Leader didn't manage to grab someone with recall friend no one is teleporting anywhere. Mission Teleporter (Pack) is another and for very similar reasons now I'm zoning to that ONE mission that may be in another zone. On the Lady Grey I mentioned the first words out of our Brutes mouth once we started were 'Hey I lost Ninja Run" /em sighs deeply .. apparently to maximize his build he hadn't take any travel power and just used that to get around quickly.
I think the big thing is the LACK of communication. Some of these leaders have done So many MO runs now that they automatically assume that EVERYONE knows how to do one and never reveal any strategy or the reason behind it. I did a LRSF like this and couldn't help but wonder why my 50 level Crab, with IOS in every slot and all sort of defense, was hiding away while 2 Brutes did all the work. I did a MoSTF a long time ago that was the same way. I'm sure the LEADER knew why we were doing this or that but never bothered to let anyone on the team know what to do or the reason behind it. I don't need a 20 minutes detailed explanation but at least tell me what your plan is and why it works! lol
My Crab is my Badger on COV and At this point she needs a Sucessful LRSF and one more Respec trial to have pretty much every available Accomplishment badge aside from master of runs.. and YES I know respec badges show up under Accolades not Accomplishments(hehe). All I want is a normal LRSF which itself is pretty challenging but it seems like more and more all of the attempts are Masters runs. I don't feel comfortable enough with that SF yet to try and build a team of my own since I have never been on a successful one YET! I WILL keep trying though till I get that badge LOL -
Quote:Arcs can drive one a bit crazy but as previously mentioned there are good reasons to do them..Originally Posted by Clebstein
I'm pretty sure I would never play again if they got rid of paper and radio missions. Arcs have a tendency to be annoying.
1. Arc award Merits upon completion just like TFs and Merits = free enhancements, LARGE inspirations, salvage and recipes.
2. Arc offer up badges some of which are required for accolades which can add End and Hit Points to a character.
3. Certain arcs are required in order to obtain some game features. If you want access to the Midnighter's Club and Cimerora you have to do the arcs provided by Ashley (COV) or Montegue (COH). If you want to join Vanguard and start collecting Vanguard Merits you have to at least complete the first portion of that arc in the RWZ. Want to run a Hess TF in Striga? you need to complete Lars' arc there first. Want to run a KHTF you need to compete the final arc in Croatoa or find someone else that did.
Of course there are ways around some of this. Badge missions can always be run through Time Travel and actually award a small amount of reward merits for completion. As metioned anyone can do a KHTF as long as SOMEONE on the team has completed the necessary arc and can talk to Katy and the same is true of Hess. Vanguard is one exception if you want those merits you need to run the required missions but that only involves 1 defeat 10 Rikti mission and a series of FedExs to obtain.
Radio and Newspaper mission do work well with a PUG, or any team for that matter, with a limited amount of time because they allow you to stay in the same zone and don't require frequent trips back to a contact before they "finally" give up their cell phone number.
Okay now to share my own slightly (?) stupid moment as the OP originally discussed. Oh and let me state that confusing/insane/stupid behavior does NOT necessarily confine itself to radio missions. Now to be nice and protect the dazed and confused I will not reveal the Task Force involved. I was on an 8 man TF team and all went well the first few missions. We got to one where a rescue operation was required and several team members set off in Stealth or Super Speed mode. I assumed we'd wait at the door for TP and get a quick Mission Complete. After what seemed like an eternity it was revealed that NONE of these players had any method available to teleport so the remainder of the team starting fighting our way down to them. Eventually we caught up and finished. I couldn't help thinking the whole thing would have gone a lot faster if all 8 of us had simply started on floor 1 and battled down together. Then pure stupidity set in as one the very next mission we did the exact SAME thing? So apparently we learned NOTHING from the mission before at all? (please read previous sentance with tons of sarcasm attached lol). I had done this same Task Force earlier and completed in just under 2 hours and thanks to this "strategy" (?) the second took almost 3 hours. See its not just Radios you can find goofy players everywhere. LOL Fortunately, in my case, the good ones seem to outnumber the bad and TRUST me I team and PUG a lot. :-D -
Durraken I agree with the others. While I have found myself on a few Master's runs that were NOT exactly advertsied as such until after i joined I stayed knowing what to expect. IF you don't want the hassle leave... Don't purposely set out to defeat what everyone else on that team may want because you don't like it.
Smash I agree with you 100% Master run or not the BEST times I have had on High level TFs have been with my friends. Not only is the atmosphere always friendly but we've played together a long time and know each other's style of play. Doing something like a Master's on a team like that, win or lose, seems easier since everyone knows how to cover one another.
Now I have been pretty lucky on the few Master's I have done as PUGS and no one seemed TOO annoyed when it failed... LOL The Lady Grey tonight being the lone exception. Even then the Leader couldn't exactly start yelling and blaming anyone since SHE was the one that died. Of course everything else including the Devs were to blame. I just kept thinking.... "Hey you were the only one that panicked and bolted for the door when the ambush showed up. We all stood our ground, defeated the AV and the ambush while you were busy dying." It does sort of illustrate one of my points though. SHE was so sure that the ambush would result in someone dying and costing us the Master's Run she bolted for the exit and tried to run right PAST the Clockwork King. If it had been a normal run with no "special badge" at stake I am guessing she'd have stayed right there with the rest of us and NO ONE would have died. Her own obsession with preserving the "Master of" cost the team that chance.
I think from now on I simply decline any offer for one and save myself the aggrevation. I'd rather play my normal game and enjoy myself that spend a couple hours worrying if I would be the one to mess things up! To those that succeed .. I salute your acheivement but I'm happy with the plain old badge and the merits that accompnay it. :-D -
Oh figured I'd add I didn't post this because I feel bad about being termed the Loser that cost us the Master's run. As I mentioned in the first post in only one of those occasions was I among the first to die and that was on a team that just shrugged it off and kept going. And even then two of us died at the same time because 2 mobs were aggroed at once and we got caught between them.
Yeah Rian I know what you mean. My very FIRST try at LRSF was a master run. There I am with absolutely no clue what's involved and I am being herded around, shoved into corners and told to "wait here while the Brutes kill stuff", and it just generally felt like I was there simply because they needed 8 players to start. I'm playing a 50 level Crab that has every Accoldade with powers enhancing my hit points and end and every slot enhanced with a 50 level IO. I'm a Blaster with the hitpoints of a Scrapper and defenses some Tanks would envy but I am told "Now you just stand here quietly while the BIG BAD Brutes beat things up." I put together a Damage machine and I didnt do it to hide in a corner someplace because we can't let YOU fight .. you might die and RUIN everything! LOL -
Don't get me wrong I don't hate the idea and certainly don't discredit anyone that accomplishs the feat on any of the TF/SFs that offer it. I realize there are 50 level long time Vets looking for ANY kind of new challenge and a Master's run definately tests your skills. All that said there are some things about them that drive me a little crazy...
1) I just left a MoLGFT attempt that my 50 level SoA [Crab] had joined. The first little annoying aspect was that no one ever mentioned "this is a master's run" until we'd somehow managed to acquire 5 of the 8 players required. There are players out there, believe it or not, that really just want the badge, the merits and whatever XP, Salvage, Recipes, and Prestige they can get and really could care less about proving how tough they are doing a run with no temps and without the fear of being the "one that died" and ruined everything!
2) The loss of temp powers drives me crazy. I have 20+ that I EARNED or CRAFTED not to mention vet rewards, ect and suddenly I lose access to all of them so someone can prove how macho they really are.
3) They can get VERY boring. Okay I was actually suprised on the Lady Grey we stuck together and just battled our way to Penny and the back to the Clockwork King but I did a Barracuda SF last week where the entire team, except for the Brute, hid until the mission was practically over before he TPed us in to assist. Then in Mission two several of us died anyway and we continued with the thing minus ALL those extra powers we could have had if we'd just done a normal SF.
4) The "Let's start over" mentality can be even worse. We spent twice as long building a team while looking for all the "right" ATs and powersets and with the first mission complete because someone took one wrong step and ended up face planting now we have to all quit, head back to the contact, reform, and do it all over again. I did a MoSFT this way and we redid the first mission 3 time and then failed the challenge on mission 3 or 4 anyway. In the case of my recent LGTF it was even worse the TEAM LEADER who had lectured us all about staying together and NOT rushing was the one that died. We had the Clockwork King practically dead when the ambush appeared and I see in all caps "QUICK GET PENNY TO THE DOOR!" at which point she rushed forward and got zapped. She was the only one defeated during the mission and when we got outside it was everything else's fault but her own and we didn't continue or reform. SHE was just Sooooo upset she decided she needed a dinner break and the 3-4 members from her SG and Coalition all followed suit quiting the team and logging off. So I end up standing in the heart of the RWZ with no badge, no merits and no team.
There are a lot of reasons people do TF/SFs. Some do it for the badges which including Master runs, some do it for the Merits and the potential for Purple drops, others just want XP, INF and whatever else ends up in their trays when they see TF COMPLETE. Frankly while I am a badger I fall into those last two categories more than the first. Masters Runs are nerve racking because no one wants to be the "dork" that blew it. I know for a fact it throws me off and takes me out of my normal game mode. I'm not suicidal when I play and don't like debt anymore than anyone else but when I have that "OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DON'T GET KILLED!" hanging over my head I tend to hold back and spend a lot more time worried about my health bar than the enemy standing in front of my trying to take it down to zero. Normal runs where nothing is a stake and if you die you die are a lot more fun and a LOT more relaxed.
Like I said in the begining I don't HATE them and I applaud all that have succeeded but I really couldn't care less if I do them or not. I won't quit once I join one but so far I have YET to be on a single one that was a success. Give me a normal run with lots of Influence/Infamy and I leave with my salvage, recipes and enhancements full any day. -
I take it on all my tanks but its more of a way to pull back anything that may start to stray than a requirement.
My SD Tanks have Against all Odds which taunts and once surrounded by a mob actually increases my damage output based on how many minons, lieutenatnts, etc I have around me. Shield Defense knocks everything down and taunts them while it damages. And on my DS/SS Footstomp knocks them all down again and taunts as well. When I rush into a mob and use all those actually hitting taunt it about number 4 or 5 on my list of things to do.
My WP Tank has Rise to the Challenge which increases my Rgen rate and debuffs the mobs surrounding me making them easier to hit... different affects but the same principle as Against all Odds since the bigger the mob the more benefits I get from it.
Don't forget every attack you have, slotted for it or not, also tends to taunt a bit but I still always take taunt. Comes in handy even solo when you have a runner since you can force them to turn and come back to you.
Really it is up to you and what you want from your Tank. I take it and will use it even with all those other taunts going just to add to the aggro control but it is certainlt possible to control a mob without having to use it. :-D
If you are doing everything you can to herd and hold aggro its up to the rest of the team to hit that mob hard and fast and put them all down. And remember AVs tend to resist just about anything if they have enough time. During an STF on two seperate occasions a good friend of mine was the tank (and IMO a very good one) but as the team battled Black Scorpion twice he broke from the tank and since my Emp Controller was the next closest target guess who got to go to the hospital? LOL -
No with the addition of Pocket D it went to 9 prior to that it was eight. Mercy, Port Oakes, Cap, Sharkshead, Nerva, St. Martial, the RWZ, and Grandville. The only other zones in game that Villains have access to are Sirens call, Bloody Bay, Warburg and Recluse's Victory .. the PVP zones which neither side has ever had a beacon to use and Cimmerora which both side access only by going through the Midnighter's Club. Oh since there are short TFs there I guess Ouroboros is a zone as well and the only access either side has there is the Ouro Portal anyoine can use after reaching level 25.
If you have 9 beacons in place you have them all and if the old base builder had 10, as mentioned, he probably used one twice... which is kind of silly and a waste of 10,000 prestige and 5 units of control.