A note to Newbies: Don't be afraid to team!

I have to try and get the word out to all new players. Don't be afraid to team.
I understand that all new players have heard from the veterans is that Blind Invites are comparable to anal [censored] and bring instant death!

The problem is the gross overreaction to this phenomenon.
We now have a new generation of players who are afraid to respond to team invites, afraid to invite other players, and afraid to start teams.

you don't know how many times I have played low level toons and spent hours standing around spamming LFT messages while all around me are tons of people my level standing around doing nothing and NOT responding to me.

the ironic thing is, the instant i say i am starting a team, these same people send me a tell instantly saying they are dying to team.

To set the record straight: When you read from the veterans that they hate Blind invites, they are talking about invites to people who have NOT broadcasted LFT messages!

If you are standing there spamming LFT messages and the guy standing next to you is spamming LFT messages, then FOR GOD'S SAKE, get together and make a team!!!
Time after time i have seen the same two guys who are the same level spamming LFT messages and for some reason REFUSE to TELL eachother!

This game doesn't always come to you! Sometimes you have to MAKE the game come to you. There is not always going to be a ready-made team for you to go to.

There are so many times when i see 4 or 5 people of the same level standing around spamming LFT messages and I am the one to literally say "hey guys why don't we start our own team?"

I understand that many new players don't feel comfortable starting and leading teams. I was the same way when i first started, sometimes i still don't feel like leading the team.

However, I want to see every player get the most out of the game and I would hate to see new players get a bad impression of COH because they spent an hour standing around spamming team invites to no avail.

Especially when you get to around level 16 or higher. At this point most players have found a regular group to play with and are not really looking for a pick-up team.

However, there are casual gamers like myself with crappy work hours who can't always play with the same people every time and who still rely on Pick up groups even at higher levels.

We need to stick together and make sure no Toon is left behind!

Right on man, right on.

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To set the record straight: When you read from the veterans that they hate Blind invites, they are talking about invites to people who have NOT broadcasted LFT messages!


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You mean, they don't like getting invites when they don't have their LFT flag on. Use teamseek, not broadcast to make/join teams, pleeeeease.

Teaming at the earliest levels can be of an incredible benefit. Initially everyone is in the same level range of each other right out of the Zig. This eliminates the problem of finding folks in your level range. Three times now in the last 3 weeks I have come out of the Zig and broadcasted my level, type and LFT. Twice I got into a pickup group and once I started one myself by sending a tell to another player.

When the groups both had Kalinda and Matthew Burke contacts the leader alternated the missions. Since several people had those missions in their list they could click ok to clear the mission off their list and go back to the contact to get the next one or click no to keep their mission.

After every other mission we would break to level and sell or buy and regroup. Using this method you can get accustom to other Archetypes and playing with larger groups. Doing this early can make you a better team player and has the add-in feature of being able to ask questions to other players on the team.

You will find out quickly that playing in good groups make this great game ever greater.

The main problem with teaming is that teaming basically forces you to skip content and leave permanent unsightly blank spots in your contact listing. The CoV model is better in one way and worse in another than CoH: since contacts are released only one at a time, you don't get the unfinished contact syndrome, but on the other hand, you have to be even *more* careful about your leveling and influence rate, or you end up missing out on the special "hidden" contacts entirely, which I am told are of significant in-game importance.

OMG Blind invites drive me crazy. The game gave us a nice little feature that allows other players see what we are looking for if we are in fact looking. When my lft flag is not up, pretty much tells you I am not looking to team. And the people that send the blind invites, and you decline and then they decide that they want to send it again, and again and again until they force you to maybe not so politely ask them what they don't understand about "declined to join your team" Also the ones that will send you a tell and then before you can even answer them the invite is sent. UGH. Yes most veterans do hate "Blind Invites" but that is just what they are "Blind Invites" Have to agree, if someone standing next to you is spamming lft, hell yea jump right in there and rock and roll.

On the subject of Blind Invites... I've actually gotten into the habit of accepting them, if for no other reason that to educate the person sending them. 95% of the time, it's actually a pretty decent team. The blind inviter simply didn't know any different. (and here's where i refrain from my tangent about educating people on Corrupters not being "healers"... grumble )



Slightly off topic but:
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you have to be even *more* careful about your leveling and influence rate, or you end up missing out on the special "hidden" contacts entirely, which I am told are of significant in-game importance.

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Significant importance? No, not really. They are kinda fun though. I particularly dug Doc Buzzsaw's Arc. If you don't mind some spoilers, here's Hermod's Guide to Unlockable Contacts.