Creating and managing a Supergroup (Voodoo Girl)

Creating and managing a Supergroup 101
by
Voodoo Girl

Most characters in CoH/CoV belong to a Supergroup by the time they are at least level 10. Upon level 10, some players decide to embark on their own and form their own Supergroup - which at first seems fun and exciting, but can turn into a load of work.

If you are serious about running your own successful supergroup, prepare to spend more time managing your supergroup than actually playing the game.

-----------
Part One: The Basics
-----------

Before you even go to register your supergroup, sit down and brainstorm! You need a plan of action before blindly registering an sg and getting it do something. You need to decide what kind of supergroup you are going to create.

Is it going to be a social supergroup? Aimed at PVP? Will it be a role-playing supergroup? What will be the theme; tech or arcane?

Also, make a plan of action. Where do you want this supergroup to go? What do you want it to accomplish? How long do you plan for it to take to get there? It's always best to plan a Phase One and a Phase Two.

Phase One should be out the basics - how many members you want to recruit, your base size, events you want to plan. Phase Two should be your first big expansion, or second goal, you wish to accomplish - by PvP raiding Siren's Call, upgrading your plot, etc.

Also at this time, decide how promotions will work in your supergroup. It is common now to base promotions on prestige earned - which is a great way to reward active players. I would suggest 15k prestige for the first promotion - since it takes a few levels to attain that. This way you know it's a character the player plans on keeping. How the second and third (or even fourth) promotions are earned is up to you.

You will also want to determine the length of time of inactivity before a toon is removed from the supergroup - 7 days? 14 days? 30? 60? 90?

Plot these out into [/i]To-Do lists[/i] and keep them handy! They will be a guide for you to follow!

RENT

You will only need to pay rent if you begin building a base for your supergroup - which essentially is the point, correct? For heroes, rent can be easily paid in Atlas Park and for Villains in Port Oakes

-----------
Part Two: The Beginnings - Recruiting
-----------

Now that you have covered the basics of what you wish you accomplish with the supergroup, go to the registrar and get that supergroup registered! Pick a name and symbol that reflect your idea of what your supergroup will be about - a name that players will want to be a part of. The name of your supergroup is very important - you want a name that your supergroup members will be proud and excited to display. I have seen supergroups excel by name alone.

Now that you have your supergroup - you need members! If you're fortunate to have friends in game, get them to join! If you don't - well, time to start looking for fresh toons!

The best place to look for new recruits are the "noob'' zones - in CoH Atlas Park and Galaxy City, in CoV - Mercy Island.

Place yourself in or near the starting area and prepare for a long day of broadcasting, private messaging, and inane questions!

---------------------
IMPORTANT
---------------------
Once you are ready to recruit - do NOT blind invite people! It is rude and you will anger a lot of players! You also run the risk of recruiting members who will never be active again, or have the egos the size of the lag monster and will wish to run the supergroup themselves.

First thing to do is create a keybind for the broadcast and request channel. To do this type in:

/bind <key of your choice> say enter in your recruiting message here

While the key you pick to bind the message to is unimportant, the message you send out is! You want to send out the most succinct message possible, while giving enough information. You want to make sure you cover the following:

A. The Name of the Supergroup
B. What benefits your Supergroup has to offer
C. The kind of player your Supergroup is recruiting
D Who to contact!

This keybind will become second nature to you - but make sure you pick a key you don't use often! Last thing you want to do - and this has happened to me a plethora of times - is to start typing without the chat box open and be spamming the zone, team, or sg with the recruiting message!

Once you have the recruiting broadcast message complete, time to put it to use! Once you are in the zone you wish to recruit, set the chat box to the broadcast or request channel and activate your keybind.

Do not broadcast your recruiting message multiple times in a short period! Use it ONCE every 5-7 minutes!

Spamming the zone with your recruiting message will aggravate a lot of players and will most likely lead to your getting reported.

Once you broadcast, sit back and waiting for any questions to come in - answer them politely and nicely. If you have just created your supergroup, you might not have a lot of nice statistics to throw out, like coalition size, supergroup rank in the Top 100, member size, etc.

Instead, you want to sell players with the idea of belonging to this new, growing supergroup - something they can be a founding member of.

While waiting for questions to come in, you can also ask any new players standing around you. The best thing to do is send a /tell toons standing around.

It's is also best to create a keybind for this:

/bind &lt;insert key&gt; tell $target, &lt;message here&gt;

The tell message should be similar to your broadcast message, but make sure at the end to leave with: Would you like to know more about the supergroup?

If they do not wish to know more or are not interested, send them a polite /r Thank you though! , rather than ingore them and move onto the next. They'll remember your politeness.

If they do wish to know more, let them know the basics of your supergroup, how it works, what you plan to do, etc.

The above will be your basic formula for recruiting - you will be using it often. I created by supergroup two weeks after launch - over 6 months later I find myself recruiting with the same method!

You will also want to spend time recruiting each time you log into the game (depending on what your rules are for removing inactive members).

-------------
Part Three: Welcoming new members!
-------------

Once you have recruited a new member immediately welcome them to the supergroup on the /sg channel! Recruiting them and not even welcoming them will make them feel isolated and like they were recruited for the sake of increasing your numbers. You want them to know they are an important and pivotal part of the supergroup.

My biggest suggestion, for when you have recruited a new member is to send them a welcoming message - this is where the ingame email function becomes wonderful!

Create a welcoming e-mail - in it you want to cover the rules of the supergroup:

A. Welcome to the supergroup!
B. The Basics
B1. Fighting in SG mode
B2. Promotions
B3. Remaining an Active Member
C. Plans for Phase One (or Phase Two if you are @ that point)
D. Any other additional information (for this part I ask my members to register on www.herocorps.com, so that way I have an offline roster of my sg).
(side note: you might also want to put into this e-mail a message letting your supergroup members to know that if they are going to be out for some time to send you an e-mail letting you know of their absence! This way you won't delete them for inactivity!)

Create this message and send it to yourself! Leave it in your inbox so when you have a new recruit you can easily forward it to them (make sure to delete all traces of the forwarding part).

After forwarding it make sure your new recruits got it alright!

If you have the time, you might also want to show your new members the supergroup base and let them familiarize themselves with it.

---------------------
IMPORTANT
---------------------

You will find yourself often recruiting people who have just joined the game and they are in their first few moments. They might have floated over from WoW, UO, EQ, or wherever - but they're newborns in the world of CoX! You are their first impression! Make it a good one! Make sure to let them know you will be there to answer any questions they have.

They might so new they don't know the /r function or even the /tell - guide them through this! When they create alts they will want to keep it with your supergroup - you'll have become their ingame family!

-----------
Part Four: Managing your supergroup
-----------

Ah, yes - managing the group you've created - this will be the FUN part! Think of your supergroup as daycare - this are your children to take care of! You will need to make sure that they feel active and entertained in an supergroup that is equally as active.

My first and most important suggestion(s) - have bi-weekly or monthly supergroup meetings. Plan a time to do to that is mostly convient for everyone. These meetings should cover the progress of the supergroup and what is ahead.

Also, if you can't always have meetings, send out weekly newsletters via e-mail. Type the message up, send it to yourself, and then forward it to your supergroup members. This will let know they're being kept in the loop as to the progress of the supergroup.

Beyond just telling your members what is ahead, get them involved! Get their input on what should be done - should you get a workshop or a medical room? Do you need a meeting hall or a new teleporter? Get their feedback - let them know their decisions influence the change. It is fart better to balance your supergroup between dictatorship and democracy than one or the either. Running your supergroup purely on your whim will make a lot of your members feel useless - letting everything be decided by the membership will have your supergroup becoming unfocused and undirected. Balance the power between your authority and their collective voice.

In time, as your supergroup grows, you will need a right hand - or two - or three. See who in your supergroup is active and dedicated; someone who could handle the responsibility of being, well - YOU - when you're not there. Let them know that this is a serious position and should not be taken lightly.

Or, rather, as I do with my supergroup, you can open nominations for this position. Explain the position thoroughly to your supergroup, and let people who are interested run for the spot. Let them have their five minutes in front of the membership to explain why they can, and should, handle/have this position, and let your supergroup decide.

Once again, this method to chosing your 'right hand(s)' is solely up to you.

Another important part of managing your supergroup is knowing when to let members go. In most cases, it will often be due to inactivity. The polite thing to do is send them an ingame e-mail letting know they have reached an inactive status with the supergroup by (X) amount of days and are being removed. Apologize if there have been any extenuating circumstances that have prevented them from playing, and if they'd like to become active again to have them send you, or a friend in the supergroup, an ingame email or /tell.

Also, thank them for their participation while they were a part of supergroup.

Some players go inactive for a month or two, and do become active again - having this e-mail lets them know they are not cut-off from the supergroup - but can come back just as easily as they joined.

NOT sending out this kind of e-mail and you will find yourself with some very anger /tells by members who were out due to medical, family, or other reasons.

From time to time you will find you have recruited members who - well - simply have to go!. They are rude, nasty and childish - they make nasty retorts to members who ask simple questions, or harrass other members for stupid things. They will try to tell YOU where to lead the supergroup and HOW to run it.

You've recruited a jerk.

The best way to handle this is up to your discretion. Rather than cause a scene on the /sg, wait for the member to log out, send them a polite e-mail thanking them for joining, but that this particular supergroup might not be right for them - and then remove them from the supergroup.

You'll will probably be harrassed by this member for a few more days before they give up and join another supergroup.

C'est la vie.

-----------
Part Five: Coalitions & etc.
-----------

While they don't have much point ingame, coalitions can still be important. They are additional places to find teammates from, organize events, like costume contests, or task forces - or more importantly - where to get salvage.

You'll find some of your coalitions have a theme opposite of yours - they're tech and you're arcane. This is wonderful! You can set up a salvage trade system. All the tech salvage you don't need you can donate to them, while they dump all their arcane salvage on you! This will help you out vastly when it comes time for crafting!

Beyond doing missions, task forces, arena events, etc. you'll also want to do some public charity events with your supergroup - most common being - costume contests.

These can be fun and crazy at the same time. Make sure you have enough infamy/influence (I suggest 225k) to hold one. It's best to do these in the 'noob' areas to reward new players. Try to get some of your supergroup members to come and be judges with you. Put a message out on the broadcast channel you're having one - give people 10 minutes to get there - it's hard to run across a zone without a travel power!

You might want to try some new games - like hide and seek. Have some of your members hide throughout the zone (or entire city) and have an open contest to see who can find them all first.

Public events are fun because it involves people outside of your supergroup, but it also gives your supergroup some public recognition, which always helps when recruiting!

--------
NOTES
--------

Always greet your supergroup when you log on!

Don't get discouraged if supergroup membership idles out - it happens and it fluctuates - you'll go through periods of high activity and low activity - just keep marching on!

Don't get take sides on disputes within your supergroup! Arbitrate as best you can.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you all for reading - I think I covered the basics with this, at least! I hope it helps you all out - and if there's anything I missed, please, add it on to this thread!

Thanks! I did see an omission that I don't quite get: Rent. WHere does it get paid, who can pay it, etc.

I do have a question. Why kick members due to inactivity? Is there a penalty for having inactive members?

Ah, yes, rent After two hours of typing and editing I kind of forgot that one.

Rent - I saw it recently best described in another post - but it's basically a percentage of your liquid assets - the physical items you have in your base and you total prestige unused.

When you create your super group, it is solely up to you who can pay rent - I find it is easy to give that option to all members , so that when rent is due it can easily be paid. Your due rent can be paid at the supergroup registrar.

As for removing inactive members, it is up to your leadership, but for the sake of keeping a supergroup active and growing, it is better to have active members than inactive ones - mostly for one reason: prestige.

A character that is not played does not earn prestige for the supergroup - so if you see a character has not been played in some time, and the player has not given you any notice, it is sometimes safe to assume they have lost interest in that character.

Still, send out an e-mail informing them of their removal and thanking them - sometimes you'll find out they were simply away (for more than a month at a time), briefly cancelled their description, or had an internet outage.

[ QUOTE ]
As for removing inactive members, it is up to your leadership, but for the sake of keeping a supergroup active and growing, it is better to have active members than inactive ones - mostly for one reason: prestige.

A character that is not played does not earn prestige for the supergroup - so if you see a character has not been played in some time, and the player has not given you any notice, it is sometimes safe to assume they have lost interest in that character.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there a restriction on total number of members? Is there a penalty for having say 100 members with only 20 active?

The total number of members allowed in a supergroup at this time is 75.

There is no penalty ingame for having a certain amount of inactive members - but the slots they occupy could be filled with active members who could* be earning the supergroup prestige to expand.

*whether or not a member does play in supergroup mode is up to their disrection, unless membership in the supergroup requires so. It is better to give players the option than tell them have to.

Alternatively you can designate some members as "Infamy/Influence Farms," where they play out of supergroup mode, but are used as a sort of bank for the supergroup members (when it comes to enhancements, events, etc).

Your guide covers some basics of SG -- very nice guide. I only have one section that I disagree with.

[ QUOTE ]
-----------
Part Five: Coalitions &amp; etc.
-----------

While they don't have much point ingame, coalitions can still be important.

[/ QUOTE ]


Coalitions have a very good point in game! They are your network to other capable Supergroups. The point of the game is to team and interact with others on your way to level 50. Coalitions with supergroups are a fantastic ways to build teams outside of your SG. Not everyone in your SG is going to be available all the time. Use of a Coalition will make your SG more active. Your SG of a max of 75 members has now, with coalition become a SG of 125 members. Or even say an SG of 20 will become double and triple that with the use of a good Coalition. You are only allowed 10 coalitions you need to make sure those SG's you're linked with are providing something to your SG.

For example , Repeat Offenders Network is based on building our superteams using the Coalitions. To even be in coalition to the Network, SG's are required to be highly active on coalition chat.

It is a way to team with people who you know are good players and are familiar with the game. They can also provide you decent team building tools. Beyond just hosting events and trading salvage. Think of coalitions as a network of seasoned players that you have first access to.

It’s also a way to keep people in your SG from feeling isolated and alone when people are not on. Instead just looking to the members of your SG they have the option of giving a shout on the channel to see who else might invite them to team.

I can't believe no one caught this yet:

"It is fart better to balance your supergroup between dictatorship and democracy"

what kinda smelly SG do you run anyway!

I agree...we use our coalitions alot, including the way to communicate and share the base when you grow and have to go through the nasty painful process of making a second SG for alts, 50s etc ....

[ QUOTE ]
I can't believe no one caught this yet:

"It is fart better to balance your supergroup between dictatorship and democracy"

what kinda smelly SG do you run anyway!

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, I really need to spellcheck. I meant to write this guide last night, but rolled out of bed and immediately started typing away.

Thank you for catching that

[ QUOTE ]
Your guide covers some basics of SG -- very nice guide. I only have one section that I disagree with.

[ QUOTE ]
-----------
Part Five: Coalitions &amp; etc.
-----------

While they don't have much point ingame, coalitions can still be important.

[/ QUOTE ]


Coalitions have a very good point in game! They are your network to other capable Supergroups. The point of the game is to team and interact with others on your way to level 50. Coalitions with supergroups are a fantastic ways to build teams outside of your SG. Not everyone in your SG is going to be available all the time. Use of a Coalition will make your SG more active. Your SG of a max of 75 members has now, with coalition become a SG of 125 members. Or even say an SG of 20 will become double and triple that with the use of a good Coalition. You are only allowed 10 coalitions you need to make sure those SG's you're linked with are providing something to your SG.

For example , Repeat Offenders Network is based on building our superteams using the Coalitions. To even be in coalition to the Network, SG's are required to be highly active on coalition chat.

It is a way to team with people who you know are good players and are familiar with the game. They can also provide you decent team building tools. Beyond just hosting events and trading salvage. Think of coalitions as a network of seasoned players that you have first access to.

It’s also a way to keep people in your SG from feeling isolated and alone when people are not on. Instead just looking to the members of your SG they have the option of giving a shout on the channel to see who else might invite them to team.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do understand where you're coming from - but from a game stand-point there's no much to do with them. We can visit their bases - but they can't aid us in base raids, we can't share prestige or crafted items, we can't transfer members (which would be a hoot).

[ QUOTE ]
Do not broadcast your recruiting message multiple times in a short period! Use it ONCE every 5-7 minutes

[/ QUOTE ]

Even better, DON'T DO THIS AT ALL! If you have to use it once every 30 minutes to an hour. Try to recruit people you've teamed with before or with rl friends. This way you know you'll get people you'll actually want to play with in your SG. 4-5 people that will stick with the SG and you know are good players are worth more the 30 anonymous people that joined from an Atlas ad.

I started my own SG with a person I was always playing with. We were able to recruit 2 other people that we were always teaming with. In 18 days we have already accumulated over 1 million prestige and within the next week or so should have enough to build a pretty decent base with the TP pads and maybe hospital. Two people in the SG having heroes with plenty of spare influence helps keep everyone in SG mode almost 100% of the time.

You have to remember, not everyone always teams. I for one, spend most of my time solo'ing - so I don't have a large resource of friends I've teamed with to pull upon to form a supergroup.

Some starting a character would like to have that immediate resource of possible teammates to pull upon, rather than floating around the zone, broadcasting and waiting for a team.

Using it every 7 minutes or so, or to your discretion, allows people who have just logged, or zoned in, to the message.

Where the heck is the registrar in villains?

One bit of information I can't seem to find anywhere: What happens if an entire SG is inactive for an extended period of time? Is there a way to get it back into active status? I am in one and hadn't been on that server for a long time. When I did log in, my toon was SL, and although I can enter the base and edit everything, NOTHING works. I can't power it at all. Do I need to contact Customer Service to reactivate? Or should I just quit and find another one?