I know you're really venting about the mentality of some of the players (and I hear ya, brother) but since no one else has chimed in I might as well give you the same flamin' response everyone else will.
A) Freedom. There's half your problem right there.
B) You complain that everyone is farming, and then when you logged in you went and farmed. Aren't you part of the problem?
A) Yeah, I can't find a decent number of players elsewhere. I started on Pinnacle. I like teaming.
B) I logged in to group for exp at 48. Guess what /who all 47-49 turned up?
Note that in the AE you don't have to stick with your own level. Auto-SK and auto-exemp apply.
Also, I've found the AE to be a source of some of the most challenging content I've played yet, in part because custom critters hit a lot harder than most standard NPCs.
However, farm missions are set up for minimal effort and maximum reward. If you want to enjoy AE with a challenge, avoid farm teams. There are a lot of players who like AE for the content and challenge (even making challenge missions).
Logging in at 1 AM doesn't help you find teams, even on Freedom; Pinnacle's a ghost zone at that hour.
It can be done on Freedom though, I have all the time. But it does make a it a little harder.
there are challenge missions designed to challenge individuals or groups. Hopefully I15 new search will let you find the content that you want.
AE has everything - but you can't find it
Here's the problem; any mission/TF the devs come up with as "end game" content will be picked apart and reduced to a formula. The devs will put out some uber end game TF/Trial, and within a week you'll have guides about how to beat it in under an hour or somesuch...
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Here's the problem; any mission/TF the devs come up with as "end game" content will be picked apart and reduced to a formula. The devs will put out some uber end game TF/Trial, and within a week you'll have guides about how to beat it in under an hour or somesuch...
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I was thinking about that. One of the things I love about the AE is the auto-level range... not having to worry about SK's is fantastic.
So, one of the things that made the original respec TF more challenging (the game has changed worlds since then) was the random spawns. Even with unlimited agro control on tanks at the time, no one could be in four places at once on the last wave. Made it a lot trickier than 4 static spawns.
How well does the AE allow for scripted random encounters?
With the liberal use of patrols, ambushes and battles, placed in front, middle and back, an arc can be filled with lots of random action that can be a good challenge for solo or team play. They also add more dialogue to the stories if you want your action to also have a decent plot. You just have to do a bit of searching for arcs that list those elements in the story details description. There are lots of threads in the MA Stories and Lore section of the forum where you will find lists of recommended arcs, some of those can be a good challenge. You can also look for EB/AV tags if you like facing tough foes.
No AV/EBs Deal with The Devil's Pawn-207266 Slash DeMento and the Stolen Weapons-100045 Meet the Demon Spawn-151099 Feedback
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I was thinking about that. One of the things I love about the AE is the auto-level range... not having to worry about SK's is fantastic.
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That's sort of true. If you set it so that everyone is kicked up to level 50 or some other high level, but if you build it for level 30ish, then you'll only auto SK to 30 while everyone above that will either have to RSK down, or be playing the SK game again.
I would really like to see it auto SK eveyrone to the mission holder level rather than playing that game.
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I would really like to see it auto SK eveyrone to the mission holder level rather than playing that game.
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I've been thinking about this quite a bit. The level-disparity XP distribution formula in this game is totally borked; there's no two ways about it. For about a year I was toying with ways to rebalance the formula based on the "two scrapper" thought experiment**, despite Arcanaville telling me in PM it was hopeless.
Then about two weeks ago I suddenly realized the whole problem goes away if you just make the whole team the same level (or at least close to it). So my current favorite suggestion is to SK the whole team up to the highest level character minus one (i.e. follow the normal "SK" rules but apply to the whole team, automatically).
The only trouble is you suddenly lose the opportunity to fight higher level critters than +3 (sometimes, +4), which some people do enjoy. So in tandem with this suggestion I would also recommend expanding the difficulty slider an additional 4 slots, up to "+4 base level".
You do lose the ability to RSK down to a lower level character, though, which may be a problem. Possibly there is some way to solve that by having the SK rules only take effect after RSKs are done, but it could get complicated.
** The "two scrapper" thought experiment is this: put two scrappers on opposite ends of a large map and let them defeat enemies as fast as they can. Presuming they can handle double-size spawns, the ideal balance solution is that neither of them should be able to tell from the time-averaged XP that the other scrapper is even there: the XP gets created and divided in such a way that each scrapper gets their "natural" XP rate overall. If you actually run this experiment, you'll find that the lower level scrapper always gets more than their fair share of the XP, and the higher level one is screwed - they'd be better off truly soloing. (The ideal solution should be determined prior to the team size bonus multiplier, and then the bonus applied afterward.)
And for a while things were cold,
They were scared down in their holes
The forest that once was green
Was colored black by those killing machines
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So my current favorite suggestion is to SK the whole team up to the highest level character minus one (i.e. follow the normal "SK" rules but apply to the whole team, automatically).
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My problem is that I don't want to artificially inflate the level requirements for my story based arcs but at the same time I don't want to spend an hour building a group to run them. The one I just published last night is a level 20-54, but I only have one character below 20 that would auto level up to it. So that means I either focus on recruiting teens for it, or I play the "who's gonna SK me?" game.
And sadly I can't easily tweek the villian groups to make it work either. My main stock villain group (5th column) has critters that go from 25-54 or 1-20 or 20-25, but none say 35-54.
Grr.. Argh.
So the suggestion would solve your problem as well, then. Right?
And for a while things were cold,
They were scared down in their holes
The forest that once was green
Was colored black by those killing machines
i run boss maps and stuff solo on my tanker for fun some if them very challenging. Just today i got saw a broadcast looking for an a/e member stating looking for damage dealer. i sent a tell asking if a level 50 tank would do. invite was sent immediately. I accepted and started looking over the team no one and i mean no one over level 25. They look at me and my set bonuses and immediately say "should we change it to bosses?" i say no need lts are fine. right away i figured out they were wanting me to power level them. So i jumped in a group and drug that group to another group and started attacking.
half way through the battle i toggle off against all odds. team wipe minus me. toggle it back on and finish off the spawns they rez each other and remark wow that hurt. i do that a few times before i finally drag them into the biggest baddest nastiest spawn placement on the map aggro the world with fire ball and quit team.i imagine they got the point.
So you joined a team, entered the mission w/ them all, then proceeded to get them wiped out? That's real teamwork right there! I would have reported you for griefing.
was invited after their team was already inside the mission. i enter the mission. realize that all they wanted was for me to power level them. so i decided to pull my own weight in the map. i mean when their level 22 energy blaster blew half the spawn away i figured they were able to handle it so i moved to the next spawn.
they invited me to a team knowing they could not handle those spawns. they were on a map that forced the levels to level 54 lt's. I can only hold so much aggro when i try to.
I doubt any gm would have had a problem with me in any way considering the team "organizer was level 12 inviting a level 50 tricked out tanker to give him a free powerlevel.
they got what they deserve. debt. and no xp. had i obliged them and gavem the free pl people here would grief me over making another noob 50. I think my way was better for all. (especially me)
Yeah, in some play since I've been invited to teams by a level 2 (?!) that is demanding "Need more 30+ for 52 boss miss, have tank & kin" ... of course the tank was level 13 and the kin level 15, but my eyes just about popped out of my sockets.
I think a better LFG system would be terrific.
So rather than just quit the team, that you asked to join, once you decided it was not something you wanted to do, you decided to be a total jerk and intentionally cause team wipes?
What a class act... 
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So rather than just quit the team, that you asked to join, once you decided it was not something you wanted to do, you decided to be a total jerk and intentionally cause team wipes?
What a class act...
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I get the impression they got themselves killed and he didn't overexert himself to save them, rather than overtly trying to train on to them.
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So rather than just quit the team, that you asked to join, once you decided it was not something you wanted to do, you decided to be a total jerk and intentionally cause team wipes?
What a class act...
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I get the impression they got themselves killed and he didn't overexert himself to save them, rather than overtly trying to train on to them.
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Really? Did you miss this part:
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half way through the battle i toggle off against all odds. team wipe minus me. toggle it back on and finish off the spawns
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and
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i do that a few times before i finally drag them into the biggest baddest nastiest spawn placement on the map aggro the world with fire ball and quit team
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Oh yeah, and
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they got what they deserve
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Yep.. Nothing intentional there at all.
I get much less moral indignation up than Panz around wiping a team that's 100% dependent on me to the extent that it's a PL. I empathize with the above... 50 joins a team of 7 <25's that immediately decide that this tank will carry them through levels and ramps it up... they get some free pl, then some debt. Especially given the rate you can get xp at, I don't view it as more than a slap on the wrist.
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Yeah, in some play since I've been invited to teams by a level 2 (?!) that is demanding "Need more 30+ for 52 boss miss, have tank & kin" ... of course the tank was level 13 and the kin level 15, but my eyes just about popped out of my sockets.
I think a better LFG system would be terrific.
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Every character we make starts at level 1. There is often a dearth of people willing to start their own team. I personally have started putting together a team w/ my newly created characters, and have been thanked for it. I contribute to the best of my ability, and as I level up, I can contribute even more.
If you don't like the fact that there are going to be low level characters on some teams, then ASK before you accept the invite. Don't go in and give them what you think they deserve for trying to level up...
thats good that you build teams when you are level 1 or 2. it is wonderfull. just don't invite a level 50 with the intention of being powerleveled. And select a mission that can be run at your own respective levels. should a level 50 ask then explain he would have t exemp.
Facts are this team leader was intentionally looking to get his team and 2 of his own toons powerleveled.
They wasted my time so i wasted theirs.
lol not to mention that gave at least 4 of them 2 levels on that one incomplete map.
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If you don't like the fact that there are going to be low level characters on some teams, then ASK before you accept the invite. Don't go in and give them what you think they deserve for trying to level up...
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Nah. I join the team, survey what's there, and if I'm clearly powerleveling lowbies, I drop.
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If you don't like the fact that there are going to be low level characters on some teams, then ASK before you accept the invite. Don't go in and give them what you think they deserve for trying to level up...
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Nah. I join the team, survey what's there, and if I'm clearly powerleveling lowbies, I drop.
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And that is perfectly acceptable. In fact, that is the preferable thing to do; don't like the team - quit.
I've got a half hour to kill before brunch (bottomless mimosas are calling me!). Given I've been in the mood to play COH lately, normally I'd log in, but I find myself asking "what's the point?". I really, really like the idea of Mission Architect. AE missions are not the sole reason for my rant, but serve to illustrate. Apologies if it's a little long winded, it's stream of consciousness.
(Freedom) I logged into my 50 spines/fire last night because after my respec I really want to put the hurt down on some big groups. Nothing going on besides Cim and AE. By "nothing going on" I mean no large body of players trying to do anything for a specific reward, and not that many folks in Cim - everyone's in Atlas.
I log into my 48 fire/rad and decide it's 1am, I might as well grind out a level or two. I go to an AE farm. Nothing but level 54 bosses (ice fairy map) as far as the eye can see. 1 stone tank, 1 scrapper, 1 blaster, 5 fire controllers. In one hour I went from 48 to 50 and made several $M inf. So what's the next challenge for my fire rad? Heck, I didn't even care enough to slot his last few powers. All I need is AM, fire imps, leadership, and enervating field in these AE farms.
I'm am oldschool MMO'r (led raids for top tier guilds in EQ and then WoW) and I like challenge. I especially like team challenges (soloing AV #5321 with my scrappers or defenders or controllers is not a challenge I am interested in) and I like risk vs. reward. What bothers me about AE is that it basically gives me all the reward I could possibly want (exp and inf) for little to no effort. Which makes me ask "what's the point?".
I don't mean to say the AE engine as a whole hands me my world on a silver platter. I mean to say that it enables even sillier farms than the old PI runs, and users flock to these farms like rabid geese (note: being birds, I doubt geese can actually catch rabies) to breadcrumbs. ("So don't go to AE farms!" ... but that's where I find _teams_ !)
I guess part of my rant is lack of a real endgame - or rather, something that players will flock to that has decent risk/reward. The first time the respec mission came out, I was doing it 5-6 times a day because it was suitably CHALLENGING and FUN, and tons of players were drawn to it. My current "best" approach is to farm the ITF repeatedly for merits to get the few rare recipes I'm interested in and cash for the non-rares while still enjoying solid TEAM play and a moderately challenging environment. I admit, one of the things I love about COH is the lack of endgame - I am working more than fulltime as an analyst and don't have 30-50 hours a week to raid anymore.
Anyhow. I guess my rant is more about the human mentality ("look! Free cheese on a silver platter! Let's all go there!" "Try my cheese, it's the best!" "_my_ cheese has blue fairies!") than the game itself. AE just shows it off. I want to play on fast paced, competitive, fun teams with a decent risk/reward. Given that this is COH, the risk is ... well, pretty limited (I is can has softcap defense?! woo!) but still, there aren't many rewards that people are lining up to pursue either... except free cheese.
Anyhow. That's my stream of consciousness rant. I've attended a few BBQ's this weekend, so flame away, I've got sauce ready. There are doubtless things I could do to improve my gaming experience, but what it comes down to is there aren't good reasons for people to do anything but line up for cheese on a silver platter, and I'm not big on free cheese (gives me gas).