I few people have said similar things, but my empath is now 26th lvl and has never, ever... EVER had any problem finding a team. I'd say, on average, I get invited to a team once an hour when I'm already on another team.
Do you guys try asking people if you can join their team, or do you sit about waiting to be asked?
(\_/)
(O.O) Bunny: Our time is coming
(> <)
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I few people have said similar things, but my empath is now 26th lvl and has never, ever... EVER had any problem finding a team. I'd say, on average, I get invited to a team once an hour when I'm already on another team.
Do you guys try asking people if you can join their team, or do you sit about waiting to be asked?
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Always ask myself 
but does not seem to work at the low levels.
It all boils down to that Emps need teams. And at the moment there seems to be a lot of Emps about, so getting a team is difficult.
Advice? Might sound egotistical but aim to be the best there is. Like any other AT play it well and people will remember you.
Trying to solo an Emp is a nightmare imho.
This is what it sounds like when Crows cry.... Kah Kaaaah
Moonlit Shadow was also my badge collector, which filled in the time nicely when teams weren't readiliy available.
My empath has a dark secondary which gives her very nice snipe and debuffs at low level. She can solo a little easier than most other empaths but it's still slow and she has to be very careful.
Course slotting attacks in your secondary means you have less slots available to your primary for healing and buffs...always a compromise in what empaths are really here for if you want to solo a bit as well. There are never enough slots to go round 
If you're going to level an empath with PUG's, you will want to start creating and leading teams, it makes things MUCH easier.
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If you're going to level an empath with PUG's, you will want to start creating and leading teams, it makes things MUCH easier.
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what he said!^
And just to add, if the teams arent coming to you, make the team yourself!
Getting to know people, and having them trust you/you trust them makes the empaths job alot easier. PUG's are imo the hardest way for empaths to level.
The people in a PUG are generally not used to your playstyle, think that because you heal you are a god and can keep them alive no matter what! And then they moan at you when they get another debt badge!
Having a few people to team with all the way, who know your limits, aswell as their own, have a laugh, and are, well, good to team with, makes the empaths job alot easier and more fun packed!
So get inviting some people! 
Hello...
My very first toon in this game was MD (empathy/radiation) and I've never been bored playing him. I typed "Healer" in search comment, and i've never lacked teams to join. Not even now as lvl 50.
Playing healer keeps you on your toes and that's what I like about it. Example: Blaster goes "LEERROOY JENKIIINS" and aggros giant group, sometimes you can save them, sometimes not.
I hope you'll give the healing buisness another go, if you need hints/advice, I'm at /t @MD,<message>
With Moon Angel I had absolutely no problems getting a team until the early 30s. This was back in the heyday of the tank and by the time teams were hitting the 30s and a well-slotted tank could hold and absorb all the aggro a mission could throw at it, a lot of teams went cool on empaths. I had a torrid time getting teams during the mid to late 30s.
Things picked up considerably in the 40s as teams started taking on significant numbers of AVs and suddenly I was in demand again.
However, with soloing next to impossible you are likely to be waiting on teaming opportunities all the way to 50. I took my scrapper to 50 in a fraction of the time it took with Moon Angel simply because I never ever had to wait around for a team. If there was nobody about I just went off and did my missions anyway until people started to show up.
Use a hero planner to try to wangle three attacks in before level 12. It'll put some empathy powers on hold but you'll be able to solo to some degree throughout the whole game. If your secondary has a buildup power (Aim, for instance) try and wangle it in - it'll help solo.
I was quite lucky with my emp - SG was very understanding. When I wasn't needed I'd go solo an alt, if someone in coalition had a team going around Wilf's level I'd switch to empath. Couldn't do it with no or a small SG, I guess.
I loathe responsibility in any form so rarely make teams.
If you're forming a PuG, make sure you have two or more new missions in your tray ready to go, and don't wait til you have a full team to start mission, or people may get bored of waiting.
DON'T eat muffins while I'm developing you.
Pants! Turkey Magnates! A man in a box! Rogue AI! Come one, come all, to arc ID 10107 - It's [i]'Not as long as some other arcs'[/i]!
IMO Soloing is possible but slow (and pretty boring) with an empath, but that's not really the point of defenders, particularly empathy types... IMO.
I can sympathise with your situation - until recenlty, and once established, my empath would usually be swamped with team offers almost as soon as I logged on. However, this has really changed lately, no idea why but I'm guessing it could make life a lot harder for new empaths.
I have found it very hard trying to start teams as an empath - a lot of people seem to prefer kicking off with damage dealers or a tank, only adding a defender when they have a core of 'hard' AT's. Few seem to want to start a team with an empath, especially at low levels (I don't think I've ever been invited to a team BY an empath myself)
I'd heard that starting off an empath could be tiresome when I made mine. The method I used to help her get going was to simultaneously create a 'broker' alt for her. Whatever is currently FOTM and seen as 'desirable', something that will get plenty of team invites - a tank (pre-ED) or maybe a regen scrapper. Get them onto a team to bait the hook (easy back then) and at the first sign of difficulty/teamwipe/cry of 'we need a healer' immediately offer to swap out for the empath. Worked like a charm every time. Sure, it does mean you need to use up a character slot and waste a little time on the broker alt to keep it at a similar level to your empath for a while. Still, I found it didn't take long to get my empath established and through the early levels, at which point you can just delete the 'mule' if that's it's only purpose. Worked for me.
Hmm any expert empaths care to say if many binds are needed to empath 'effectively'
Obviously i know there's the matter of how much effort you put in anyway..but I remember hearing some people bind heal other to left click etc..
Chief
Guess I'm fairly experienced due to time served if nothing else (not for me to say if I'm 'expert') and I'd say 'not many really'.
I have bound keys for quick access to Heal Other, Healing Aura, Absorb Pain and Clear Mind right next to my movement keys. I'm a southpaw, so I use the numberpad for movement and targeting with my thumb on the cursor keys, which are my quick use powers binds. Mouse cursor stays over the team list so I can select a team mate then immediately thumb down on the relevant power.
I have bound keys for quick access to Heal Other, Healing Aura, Absorb Pain and Clear Mind right next to my movement keys. I'm a southpaw, so I use the numberpad for movement and targeting, with my thumb on the cursor keys, which are my quick use power binds. Mouse cursor stays over the team list so I can select a team mate with it then immediately thumb the relevant power.
I also have a few empath specific speech macro buttons in my tray (which are also duplicated with shift+keybinds) -
"Gather for RA (emote overhere)" - probably some kind of industry standard that one.
"Casting RA on $target - be close to them FAST if you want some" - I personally find this one very useful, teams I've been on seem to agree, though I've not seen it used by other empaths.
"$target - you have been Adrenalin Boosted" - as a lot of players don't seem to be very familiar with AB, it lets them know that they can go postal and not have to conserve their endurance for a while. Tanks I've teamed with seem to like it as it reassures them that I'm definitely on their case when they're charging into an assault, or in danger of getting swamped.
"I'm an Empath, not a psychic - so TELL me if you're mezzed with some ZZZZZZZZZ's" - I only tend to team with PUGs, and am constantly amazed at how many players just assume I can instantly tell, through all the graphic effects and chaos of a big pagga, the moment someone has been slept/held whatever. We can't CM you if we don't notice you're mezzed. I only tend to use this one at the start of a PUG, and again whenever new players join.
Oh, FWIW, to players wanting CM - just use some ZZZZZZZZZ's they're really easy to pick up on quickly in the chat window, anything else can be confusing - I've seen far too many lengthy and unclear binds or whatever for 'I'm mezzed'. Worst offender was something like "Oh dear, $target seems to be messing with my mind". Sorry, stuff like that is easily missed.
Only thing I ever wanted to bind was numpad healing - binding target teammate 1 & fire off Heal Otter to numpad one, teammate 2 to numpad 2 and so forth. Wasn't a lot quicker, after empathing for some hectic teams you'll be speedy on the trigger anyway - my reflexes are terrible but was pretty good at twitch healing by about level 30.
DON'T eat muffins while I'm developing you.
Pants! Turkey Magnates! A man in a box! Rogue AI! Come one, come all, to arc ID 10107 - It's [i]'Not as long as some other arcs'[/i]!
Started playing an old blaster yesterday that I'd abandoned ages ago at L11. Today I was on an L14-ish team doing Frostfire that simply would not consider starting the mission without an empath. Leader eventually took on an L6 who got SK'd (obviously) but it seems that the 'we need a healer' mentality is still alive and well at least in some quarters.
Kind of funny really, because only the day before I did Frosty with that toon four times with various teams with no problems, and though some of them had defenders none of them had an empath.
Empaths do have one advantage over other 'healing' sets at low level in that their heals never miss. Better a small heal in the nick of time than a large one that misses when it's needed.
I like dark defenders with their debuffs myself but I could never get used to seeing that dreaded word 'miss' float up the screen at the worse possible moment.
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Only thing I ever wanted to bind was numpad healing - binding target teammate 1 & fire off Heal Otter to numpad one, teammate 2 to numpad 2 and so forth. Wasn't a lot quicker, after empathing for some hectic teams you'll be speedy on the trigger anyway - my reflexes are terrible but was pretty good at twitch healing by about level 30.
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Never used binds for my heals, I know it would have made life a bit easier but I enjoy the rush I get with reflex and twitch healing
heh well....ive lasted since release with an emp, teams most days prolly on, then wham laods at once, but mine could solo from lvl 12/14+ area ;D yep slow, yep boring, but when needs must!!! emp/psi ftw 
roll on some defender buffs in future patches!!!
Some top tips in here.
My healer is there as the consummate side kick for those times when a team is in jeopardsy or my SG needs one for a TF etc... It also helps that I'm in no rush to level him.
I'd say:
Go on with your Emp, wait and/or ask, maybe put a quick advert on request "Lvl X healer lft etc" No luck today, use an alt instead. Some days ar medic filled, others a total drought.
Put useful powers/info in your search message.
Have several trays lined out for different gameplay. Have one that is purely the healing & buffing tray.
Practice with your Emp, don't leave it for months on the shelf. Keep it warm so you stay sharp as it plays a bit differently from most.
"Like War_Hero said, leave it as it is, it toughens up the softies." - Naz Nomad
Union Heroes
War Borg - Leader of The Paragon Knights
Union Villains
McCabe - Co-leader of The Rogue Knights
Defiant - Supreme Hero
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Only thing I ever wanted to bind was numpad healing - binding target teammate 1 & fire off Heal Otter to numpad one, teammate 2 to numpad 2 and so forth. Wasn't a lot quicker, after empathing for some hectic teams you'll be speedy on the trigger anyway - my reflexes are terrible but was pretty good at twitch healing by about level 30.
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I'm too stupid to make any binds, lol, so I've just twitch healed to this day! Never got me in much bother before, and tbh, I find that binds would only make life a little harder.
Twitch healing ftw!
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Ok... Need help here want to make an Empath defender but how do you get anywhere :S If you can't get a team thats you sitting in Atlas waiting... I've gotten one to 12 at the highest, then DELETE!!! so what makes you all carry on!?
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You gte luls for sure. Hel I have posted in two threads on this very section about it. People come and go with the need for them. I still think there is a feeling of "lets make a pint of not using an empath" But you wait until late 30s when you get asked if you want to take an SK and help against an av.
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You gte luls for sure. Hel I have posted in two threads on this very section about it. People come and go with the need for them. I still think there is a feeling of "lets make a pint of not using an empath" But you wait until late 30s when you get asked if you want to take an SK and help against an av.
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Sadly, I think Issue 7 has might just have made empath defenders almost totally redundant against AV's, and possibly in any team that has any expectation whatsoever of facing one. 
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You gte luls for sure. Hel I have posted in two threads on this very section about it. People come and go with the need for them. I still think there is a feeling of "lets make a pint of not using an empath" But you wait until late 30s when you get asked if you want to take an SK and help against an av.
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Sadly, I think Issue 7 has might just have made empath defenders almost totally redundant against AV's, and possibly in any team that has any expectation whatsoever of facing one.
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Absolutely no way its just time some empaths really got to know just how useful their buffs can be at certain points on certain toons in a battle. Take me for example i have an invulnerability tanker and an empath. i should be able to know exactly when to use the right buff at the right times when reading what buffs turn up or start flashing next to any invulns name and thats with no excuses. Whilst kiting an AV, empaths are very handy for buffing tankers indeed whilst debuffers are very handy on the AVs themselves.
Picture an AV surrounded by everyone in a debuff zone and a tanker taunting from afar. Because the tanker is out of range of the AVs pbaoes and aoes the AV wont use them whilst taunted and so the people surrounding the AV wont get hit by them, meanwhile the tanker is being buffed and watched over by an empath - sweet!
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
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Started playing an old blaster yesterday that I'd abandoned ages ago at L11. Today I was on an L14-ish team doing Frostfire that simply would not consider starting the mission without an empath. Leader eventually took on an L6 who got SK'd (obviously) but it seems that the 'we need a healer' mentality is still alive and well at least in some quarters.
Kind of funny really, because only the day before I did Frosty with that toon four times with various teams with no problems, and though some of them had defenders none of them had an empath.
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Yeah, this is pretty funny. Sure having an empath may feel reassuring, but I have been on team where both me and my friend played radiation defenders, and we slashed thru the mobs like sickle thru weeds. I barely managed to get a glimpse of Frosty before he was dead. (I have to admit this was before I7, but still.)
Ok... Need help here want to make an Empath defender but how do you get anywhere :S If you can't get a team thats you sitting in Atlas waiting... I've gotten one to 12 at the highest, then DELETE!!! so what makes you all carry on!?