Zapgrrl

- The invitation is to 'join' the team, not 'help' the team
- You join, and your team chat window *isn't* filled with an argument within seconds
- No one says 'We need a healer' (or, worse, it's misspelled leetspeak equivalents)
- Everyone responds when the leader says 'rdy?'
- Your XPS go up faster than your debt
- The leader actually leads, meaning;
- The most aggressive/suicidal Brute/Scrapper/Tank does NOT become the defacto leader by running in front, and is occasionally told to cool off by said leader
- The leader picks mission based on proximity, challenge or continuity but *not* on getting HIS next contact
- The star doesn't get passed to you mysteriously and WITHOUT BEING TOLD
- No one asks a half-dozen strangers to 'help pls clean out old mish', or if so it's for a really, really good reason (haven't heard one yet)
- People with Recall Friend offer teleports, or at least give them when asked (why? why do some refuse?)
- People who go afk actually say 'afk' or at least 'brb'
- No one is getting PL'ed, or if they are *at least* they have the decency to bring their little debt-immune arses over and help, instead of standing in the entrance
- When someone asks advice for their next level, the conversation takes less than 2 minutes
- No one mentions 'pie', 'loot', 'mana', 'spells', etc..
- When people don't know where to change their rep or find a shop, they ASK instead of hauling their carcass over to another zone
- People call each other by the name of the toons they're using, instead of nicknames the rest of us can't possibly fathom (exception: if most of the players are in the same sg... still annoying but understandable)
- No one goes glowie-clicking unless they're invited to or it's their mission (not as important after the XP nerf, but still)
- People who don't mention they dont' want 'buff X' (fire or sonic shield, speed boost, whatever) don't fly off the handle when they get it. Note: they shoudln't fly off the handle afterwards either- us dumb mortals make mistakes, live with it or play with the other gods
- Everyone waits for the leader to either exit the mission or tell us to do so
- The sk's never initiate fights; they stay close and help
- Everyone has fun 8)

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Do NOT and I repeat do NOT, call yourself a puller...run out in the open, fire off your blast AND STAND THERE. Cut a damn corner, get out of line of sight. Especially if your fighting ranged enemies. It baffles me how some people dont understand this logic.
Then complain when they're kissing the floortiles, 'why didn't you guys help me?'
I never boot noobs for being noobs, but man they can try your patience.

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Yeah. Love when I pull, go to back up and run around the corner and am able to backpedal 2" before slamming into the team. "Uh guys... MOVE!" followed by ::trampled::

[/ QUOTE ]Or just as bad:
You go through the time and effort to expain what you're about to do, set up a corner with Ice Slick, Caltrops, Tar Patch... whatever; then take a beautiful shot, and go around the corner waiting for the enemy pain to commence, only to see the melee characters rush past all your traps and engage the enemy before they reach the setup...

My main is a Scrapper, and even I find that painful to watch...

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LOL My robots tried doing that last night with my */traps corrupter teammate.

At least when I bark at them to get their [censored] back here they listen.

Traps were successful once they came back.

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...or when you do a perfect pull, then some jackarse starts shooting the moment the mobs get into his range- with an AoE preferably.

At least they usually die fast. Unfortunately they don't necessarily learn.

My first toon, my namesake, is an elec/elec blaster. I made her so I could fly around and Zap! stuff. It worked great for a while, but less and less as I levelled up (the nerfs matched my level or something)

So my take on the whole thing: I don't want to 'blap'. I wanted a ranged toon, but right now that's the 'useless build'

I'd go one of two ways, and they're both trouble for the devs;

- make new secondaries that, like dominator assault sets, are basically compilations of pre-existing sets. A mix of (a few)melee attacks, a few defenses, a 'lil bit of control... Y'know. Actual support.

or

- I'd love to see power choices at key levels. Say(for example) at levels 3, 6 and 9 you have the choice between 2 powers that are mutually exclusive- you can't just pick the ones you missed later. This would allow people to keep their current build, but allow those who didn't take a blaster to have good melee attacks to be more versatile.

Oh, and if endurance drain is so hard to balance then give us minor disorient, or sleep, anything at all...

Pax

DO NOT...
...call my character by some hybrid/bizarro name like 'blaptroller' or 'warfender', or if you do don't get prissy when I call you a 'stupinhead' or 'idioramus'. I've used those terms (the first ones) in a tactical discussion before but not for my actual character. I'm a blaster. Shorter, easier to type. And true. So when I say stop it... stop.

DO NOT...
...[censored] about Brutes going Leeroy until you've played one at least until level 10. Seriously. Solo'ed 12 yellow hellions, in one big group in the street, at level 6 (6!) in about 45 seconds. Go ahead... try. (more on brutes below)

DO NOT...
...assume any of the following regardless of your past experience:
-SCRAPPERS are undisciplined yahoos who live to start fights only they can survive... There's a basis for that (mostly caffeinated regen'ners who don't have to wait at all) but most are quite good team players. See? I threw a generalisation in there quite easily and it doesn't apply to most players. I think. Lemme consider it while I run for more java.
-STALKERS are asocial teenagers whose sole source of satisfaction is ganking hardworking, virtuous players and then cackling maniacally. Okay, maybe some are.
-DEFENDERS (or corruptors) can heal, or even NEED to heal. I think by now most people have caught on that prevention is efficient and LIKE non-empaths. Or is it just me?
-BRUTES are nothing more than mindless... okay I admit this one is getting close to the mark. Thing is, rage is insane. INSANE. The damage output is so ridiculous, it's like when vets talk about guys going power-crazy with big guns (shooting machineguns until they run out of ammo or, more likely, die). This class not only ENCOURAGES Leeroy syndrome- it makes it FUN! So my proposal: go with it. Assume that, 30 seconds into the mission, the brute will go nuts and stop looking at what he's attacking, where he is or what his bodily needs are- so help him along! Buff him. Give him your c.a.b's. If he jump in front of Infernal screaming "Ah-HA!" just stand back, light up and watch him die. Or help, knowing you may faceplant with him. But enjoy the ride. Be pragmatic. Just watch him carefully and you'l do fine.
TANKS are useless lumps, 'specially ice tanks. Ahem. Not if the right person is behind the keyboard. They can save your whiny little [censored] like no other AT can, remember that.
MASTERMINDS are really the new and improved Tanks, and they really like to just grab and hold aggro so you can live your villainous fantasy of killing everything and looking sexy doing it. Really, it's all they want to do. Make YOU look good. No no, really.
PEACEBRINGERS/WARSHADES are all snotty kids on dad's machine or rich idiots who bought an account (or worse- the rich idiot's snotty kid!). When exactly did this happen? I've seen squids make pulls they couldnt handle, with voids and titans and whatnot- is there ANYONE on this thread who hasn't? Really? Ok, get off the forums and make your first character. Everyone else: you KNOW you've run headlong into crap you couldn't survive, so why blast these AT's? They seem really hard to play, so cut 'em some slack. The alternative: be considered an idiot-noob when you hit 50 and make one.
DOMINATORS are supposed to be like controllers, but they ain't as good! Granted, they share most of the same primaries but so what? Sure, I prefer the person next to me have /kinetics than /(assault stuff) for MY enjoyment, but for theirs they can play whatever they bloody well want. The dominate abilty is amazing so let them play- you wanted wartrollers(ahem), here they are; just as useful to a team as a controller but they don't buff.
CORRUPTORS have anything to do with defenders. They don't play at all like defenders unless you really want them to, in which case they're okay. BUT. One hint: I'm not playing a bleedin' defender, am I? Am I? Noooooooo- what am I playing? That's right. A corruptor. I corrupt, mainly by KILLING stuff. My primary is damage. Which brings me to:

DO NOT...
...give any importance to an AT's secondary powerset, or assume the player has any powers from it except for the first one. This is related to Corruptors being asked if they can heal, but also applies to MM's (whose minor healing skills are for the MINIONS) and controllers. There is one upside to people who assume too much from secondary sets: watching their first stalker get his face handed to him before they realise that, regen or no, he has the hitpoints of a controller.

DO NOT...
...snub an AT or build because of I5, bad press, minmaxing or whatnot. Tanks are useless? Really? Get the 'troller who said that in the arena with one, just for giggles. I want to watch. Ice/Axe tank? I'll bring the popcorn. <KA_CHUNK!>

The game evolves... yada yada... things change. Tanks got hit hard and they no longer have the staying power- doesn't make them useless by a longshot of course. I've seen useless tanks, and MM's etc... Y'know what made 'em useless? That's right- the person behind the keyboard, not the stats under the hood. A friend of mine used to make builds based on what her SG mates would recommend, then wonder why they didn't work. T'isn't the weapon, tis' the warrior. However...

DO NOT...
...make a 'concept character' whose concept is effectively useless (or almost) in the game, and then expect everyone to put up with it cheerfully. The "idea" might be cool, in which case I encourage you to go pick up Hero System rules and play the toon pen'n'paper. Great game, makes ANY idea you want. But don't get annoyed because someone would rather have a wingman with high DPS instead of a mastermind with no pets but a GREAT backstory. I'm sure the 'idea' is brilliant- have fun. But MY idea of fun is closer to skirting the ragged edge of danger, not pussyfooting around +0 or+1 mobs because someone wanted a laser rifle but no bots. Go play SWG. Or pen and paper. Or solo. Whatever.

DO NOT...
...bring up politics unless you're with RW friends or old-time SG mates. It can lead to bad feelings REAL fast.

**slight political content ahead**
Look, I'm Canadian. That means that, as far as I can tell, 51% of Americans are naive, deluded or scary as hell. BUT. I've traveled a lot. When I worked in Dallas last year I really liked everyone I met, from the folks I worked with to the folks at the hotel, the folks at the mall etc.. I don't want to get into public arguments with anyone- PM me and we'll go at it like rabid mynxes if you want, or try and start a politics thread. Heh, I dare you.
**okay, done**

DO NOT...
...mention religion either. Really, it's worse than politics. What makes it even more complicated is that a lot of characters take their name from biblical references, mostly angels and demons, or music bands (who often seem to pop holy books open and just use whatever looks 'cool') and they often DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. So. Don't ask. That's all. Being asked if I'm female is bad form, but someone schpieiling about the origin of 'Lilith' or 'Ezra' isn't bad form- it's freaky Ned-Flanderism(or pedantic at best). Don't try and change my wicked ways; I LIKE my wicked ways. All the good stuff in life is either immoral, illegal or fattening. Deal with it, or just come to Canada.

DO NOT...
...blame the devs for everything, or even anything in particular, until you sit in on a production meeting for this kind of thing. The quantity of factors that can go into an informed decision is staggering and the simple fact is that often, we can't make informed decisions. They're the ones with the datamined info, so they can know just how effective this or that power is, or if defiance really does suck. THEY KNOW. We don't. Not much room for intelligent debate, but at least your opinions count. Not happy with that arrangement? Go flame the Warcraft devs and see how long your access to their forums lasts.

DO NOT...
...whine about how an event is lame. Constructive criticism is great- but don't just rag on the valentine's day event because you want to solo. Wanting to solo valentine's day seems completely, utterly missing the point unless you're the kid I was talking about with the stalkers earlier- in which case, whack on brutha(or sista)!

I think the devs have fun with events- it's the time they can get wacky and try out stuff- any stuff, and that's okay. At the same time, if they spend too much time on an event someone is gonna [censored]; they're wasting valuable dev time, where's my trenchcoat blah blah (go play matrix online! sheesh!). They can't really win so I suggest people look at events as a sort of very cool test, not only of IF stuff works and HOW stuff works, but the actual impact it has on the playerbase- who's using it, how often, what for etc..

DO NOT...
...tell me about your WoW character. At all. That fact that's its the origin of your name/surname/SG name is, er, a fact. Not cool, cute or neat. Or even interesting. If anything it shows a certain lack of imagination- it's not even like playing an evil version of a hero you had, you're just rehashing old shite.
Anyhow.
I don't want to know what raids you were on- you're worse than listening to granmda ramble-at least her stories are about things she had DONE, not sat on her [censored] until it worked.

And if somehow you MUST- some bizarre circumstance involving a stuck elevator and partial paralysis, I mean MUST tell me about your toon... please, for the love of bob: not the equipment. The only thing more dreadful than a spazzed gamer droning on about how he owned this or that dragon is that gamer telling you about the stuff his character owns. More so when you don't play the game- then it's just verbal diarrhea pure and simple.

DO NOT...
...critique my costume unless you know me, or I ask. You can give your OPINION and that's fine. But it takes a special kind of [censored] to 'inform' me of whats 'missing' on my costume (often called an Art Director). More purple? Needs more purple? Really... tell you what... go stand downrange on a paintball field, I'll give you purple.

DO NOT...
...try and have 'demonstrations' in-game, in the hopes of rolling back I5(keep dreaming), or changing a powerset or whatever idiotic 'cause' you think you have. Heh. A 'cause'. In-credible. Just open the drapes and look outside. Aaaaw. It's too bad the world is absolutely friggin' perfect, 'cuz your revolutionary talents could have been SO useful in a 'real' situation... but having no better cause to vie for than how much prestige you get from missions is okay, 'cuz you're really making things happen. Long live Che!

DO NOT...
...think just because a few people liked a long-winded rant that, somehow, you should post another.

8)

Pax

DO NOT...
...refer to other teammates by some obscure voice-based nicknames left over from WoW, and then expect everyone to know who that is. Or care who that is.
"blastoid-> Goomba is loggin! WE DOOMD!"
"Zapgrrl-> Who is Goomba?"
"Archer0987-> ME U DUMA55!"

Playing with a bunch of ex-WoW'ers was really, really tedious. They stated that only pure weirdos refer to each other by toon names. Is this a CoX-WoW Cultural Barrier?

DO NOT...
...spam blind-invites. I understand that people who blind-invite despite my "No Blind Invites" are probably either retarded, lazy, stupid or sneaking time on dada's computer, and so I've stopped assuming they even (could) read it. But how many times do I have to say no? Do these poor souls feed on rejection? Even once I've stated I'm logging off and my countdown is started they still invite? Twice? To these I give words of latex-puppy wisdom:

"Triumph The Insult Dog-> Spoiler? You want a spoiler? Here's a spoiler: YOU WILL DIE ALONE!"

DO NOT...
...ask for help with your cape mish, only for me to realise you're doing it with lower level people, and set on RELENTLESS!

"(idiotVillain-> Okay! Now we're set! Only need 1 more!"
(this type of dialogue on arriving in a PUG always rings a danger alarm)
"DarkGrrl-> Hey y'all"
"othervictim-> Hey ho"
"patientperson-> greetings"
"otheridiot-> I still dont have a SK!!!"
"idiotVillain-> DG sk him pls?"
"Darkgrrl-> Sure, as soon as he gets to the zone"
"otheridiot-> NOW!"
"otheridiot-> NOW!"
"otheridiot-> NOW!"
"idiotVillain-> lol Relax! She can only SK you when in same zone"
"otheridiot-> THIS GAME SUXXORZ! HOW DO I GET THERE"
(at this point I get suspicious and search to realize- behold! otheridiot is level 5!)
"otheridiot-> OK INCOMING"
"Darkgrrl->idiotvillain: we could be finished by the time he gets here"
"idiotvillain->Darkgrrl: hez ok, not used to the game yet lol"
"otheridiot-> THERZ NO FERRY! [censored]!!!"
"Darkgrrl->idiotvillain: ...friend of yours?"
"idiotvillain->Darkgrrl: no but trying to get full team"

At this point I get more suspicious and search info on all my teammates- mostly in the 13-17 range except the 2 18's... and the 5. Leader/mission owner/idiot was set to relentless (da bomb!) because "Dying is ok if we make more XPS".

Let's chew on that one for a while.

"Dying is ok if we make more XPS"

Following a discussion about how debt NEGATES xps, what the difficulty slider does and why 2 20's can't sk 4 people (and incidentally that they cant sk the 2 18's either), I left. Nice guy though. Meant well.

DO NOT...
...ask me for 'help' when what you mean is 'Infamy' or 'Influence'. I know all about the pain of turning any multiple of 5 (+ 2) after level 10 and I lived through it fine. So can you.

DO NOT...
...leave your /rad corrupter near a shop or arbiter on auto-heal. The healing badges don't work that way, and it's irritating. Your SG only has 3 people and you'll never get the badges for an auto-doc? PM the devs, that might actually help.

DO NOT...
...Assassinate the boss of the mobs we're street fighting, and then say it has anything to do with roleplaying. If it's RP'ing you want, the 8-foot werebeast behind me would have scrunched your skinny little darkity-dark [censored] the moment it appeared in OUR melee. Go PvP, you'll meet people equipped for and interested in interacting with you. Briefly. And sharply.

DO NOT...
...ask if you can join my SG. There are SG's who actively 'recruit' (aka 'spam the req.channel') but I don't. There's a reason, and it's not that I don't like you. I don't KNOW you.

DO NOT...
...use L33T5P34K, and then have the nerve to try and correct my spelling INTO THAT GARBAGE! A boss is a boss, not 8055. Well, maybe with you and your little friends. And that's fine. And kind of cute. Kind of. But don't try and impose this stuff on everyone else- SOME of us have finished school, the big school after that and the bigger school after that. We're not about to start misspelling because you think its cool.

(And as an aside, We aren't disconnected from the modern world, kiddo; Eminem, Marilyn Manson and the guys from all those pseudo-punk and scandinavian death metal bands aren't YOUR age, dimwit. They're MY age.)

DO NOT...
...invite me just to kill a boss. Or finish a tough mission. Or whatever. Feel free to ask for help, but don't say it's for missions when what you want is for me to smackdown a boss so you can log off afterwards. If you want help, just ask. Honestly.

DO NOT...
...do something stupid and try to justify it with a list of your 50's. You can have any amount of high level toons and yes this means you have a lot of experience (or whoever's account that is does...) but that doesn't make you immune to screwing up- it means you know EXACTLY just how badly you DID screw up. Everyone screws up. Even 50's. Maybe even Statesman

DO NOT...
...keep [censored] about I5, and how great I3 was, etc... It's like being told stories by your grandparents about village life, or scary 'back then' stories of driving cattle in bad weather. It *was* great. Now it's over. Live with it.
(I was there. I remember. I5 sucks. Let's move on)

DO NOT...
...play with your enhancements during fights. Optimization is fine and good, but I'd hate to die because you're adding ++ to your swift. This is especially important if there's a scrapper or brute in the pack, as they may 'scout' a bit while you do that. Which reminds me;

DO NOT...
...'scout' while anyone is afk. I have been as guilty of this as anyone else. The temptation can be overwhelming but I've had people do this on respec trials and mishes that could be failed! Not smart! Remember, if you open the door you might FIND SOMETHING!
Okay, one exception: you can do it but NOT open doors or enter new rooms. Enjoy.

DO NOT...
...refuse to use a rez just so you can soak up 'no-risk' XP's. I hate debt- who doesn't? But if you just bought the farm, chances are some or all of us are pretty close to dyin' too and we NEED you!
(some guy actually said this was the ultimate technique for xps- he said his SG had been tporting a dead body around for a month. Please- say it ain't so...)

DO NOT...
...go for a 'quick something' without at least a 'brb'. We need to know this stuff, otherwise you may come back to a dead body. Or many. And sometimes, you just drop the bottle and 10 seconds becomes 3 minutes. I've been there.

DO NOT...
...ask for PL'ing on the premise that 'The Hollows sucks!'. Its tough, i'll grant you that, but if nothing else it's the best zone to learn how to run about without aggro'ing the entire city. Consider it the hard-core tutorial.

DO NOT...
...kill-steal one of my mobs in a streetfight, and then turn around to face me and expect an invite. There are so many good ways to ask for an invite, why use a bad one? It's not cheerleader tryouts- I'm quite certain your level 5 brute can kill stuff- I don't want him killing MY stuff as proof, and it's not I repeat NOT A GOOD WAY TO MEET SOMEONE. It's like meeting someone in a bar by dropping an ashtray on them... "Yay! He noticed me!" Huh?

DO NOT...
...Hang around specialized vendors and try to panhandle enhancements off me. Or if you must, as with all favors you ask strangers, accept 'no' for an answer. My vocabulary is considerably more diverse than 'no' and you don't want all the putdowns I can dish out. Besides, I have shopping to do.

DO NOT...
...ask for my build. If r-click>info isn't enough for you, and my toon is the shining godlike being you wish you were then yes, I can chat with you a bit. But not. During. A. Mission. With 4 other people! And no, I won't 'blow 'em off'! Notice how we all have the same SG name?

DO NOT...
...incrementally write an incredibly long rant on a forum during a day at work. It'll ramble, be way too long AND make your boss think you're on forums all day 8)

Pax

For those who like to play with their costumes;

The new SuperGroup settings allow you to really customise how your basic colours and SG colours are applied- and now you can change the SG colours!