Probably a perception thing - the AT itself's equally useful both sides of the Atlantic, of course, but there are more people that feel the need for pretty green numbers US side.
empaths are as useful nowadays as they were in the past, just check MoSTF and STF lineups.
Proud Coleader of: Fuerza Letal (H), Liga de las Sombras (V), Legion del Fenix (H), Infernal Justice (H), and a happy member of GammaForce (H) and D.O.A. (V).
My alts: http://cit.cohtitan.com/profile/13494
I couldn't log on to my empath without getting a team invite of a tell within 5 minutes. Was awesome!
@Wolfybane
-Defiant Server-
H: Wolfsbane(50 MA/ReGen), Orthoclase(50 Stone/Axe), Dreamhunter (50 Ill/Storm)
Daybreak(50 Fire/Kin) Tygrrforce (50 Hooman PB), Tygrrstryke(50 NRG/NRG), EbonWolf(50 WS)
V: Spektor(50 Spiddy)
Must admit I found a big difference from when I first played my emp/rad defender to playing her now (well - 6 months ago). In the 'good ole days' emps were hard to come by for teams and like they appear to be US side wrapped in cotton wool to be kept safe - now they have been superceded by Kinetics it seems 
Hence the reason my poor healer is languishing under several inches of dust on a srver somewhere 
Golden-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Fire/Fire Tank
Oodja Nikabolokov - Lvl 50 SS/WP Brute
Baby-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Peacebringer
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris?
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So is empath really that useless on the EU?
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Yeah, he sucks. No one likes him.
My empath/rad was one of the earlier toons I created about 18 months ago, she is now 49 and three quarters having lvl'd 5 other 50's in that time frame I can appreciate what you are saying.
I have read many derogatory comments about this class, one time on a public channel I offered her to help in a TF and someone laughed and suggested I had put her on auto heal at level 1 and never taken her off.
It was a bit of a suprise to read such a comment coming from someone who I didn't know and to my knowledge had never teamed with, anyway the TF went ahead with me healing and buffing and also debuffing where time permitted.
Since that TF (about 5 or 6 weeks ago), I roll her out regularly for a run and it feels like she gets more invites lately, maybe the EU side is loving up it's empath's a little more, or perhaps it is just lucky timing on my part.
I avoid Empaths. To many times have I encountered players who think Empathy is a synonym for leach.
I really should do something about this signature.
well, i had almost (almost) the opposite experience of the OP.
My first defender (Anadin) was on the US servers way back in the times of yore... I played him to level 14 then deleted him in disgust after a series of sessions involving incredible amounts of abuse from scrappers who ran off to fight whatever they wanted and expected the fender to abandon the rest of the party to heal them and only them.
After getting my blaster to 50 on defiant I decided to give defenders another go. initally there wasnt much luck in getting into a group (in one case I was told no because of my character's name ( AlwaysUltra ... well, she does have wings!) ). But recentyl I'm getting into groups and , while not being wrapped in cotton wool, the fender is protected and appreciated. No-one has died under my watch so far (fingers crossed) but there have been some close calls , but, and this is where I saw the difference, no tirades of grief. Instead I got thanks for the healing, congratualtions on a good job when a good job was done and a general level of appreciation without being expected to just be a healing machine - she also has archery so its not as if she's going to go on a rampage but its nice to do *some* damage.
So, IMHO, no empathy fenders arent useless. if anyhting they are no longer expected to just follow the scrapper spamming heals and are , from my experience, more appreciated and treated as an equal in a group (PuG or otherwise).
Must be said, after my initial experience on the US servers, I have always done my best to be polite to teh healers and thank them for a good job and make a point of saying thanks when they save my skin.
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I avoid Empaths. To many times have I encountered players who think Empathy is a synonym for leach.
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I have ran into a fair amount who just puts someone on auto follow then puts the healing aura on auto then goes afk.
It's far too common in pugs ><
They also easy to spot in WW as they often forget to turn off the auto aura fire and thus annoys the whole WW 
I'm not surprised the US side try to keep their Empathy defenders more than here. Given the Car Crash quality of half the PuGs I joined over there its not surprising there'd be plenty of demand for em.
The main reason I rolled an empath was because I had got my tank to 50 and wanted to see how the game played from the opposite end of the fighting spectrum. Whilst I have never abused healers I have seen it happen often where people think 'empath' actually translates as 'miracle worker'. No healer in the world is going to keep everyone alive all of the time and when a team member dies the empath usually feels worse than the person who faceplanted! (Unless they had previously been shouting HEAL for the past 15 mins)!
Also as Praf said some people think of healers as being synonymous with the word 'leech'. It is a shame this view is being carried because I would assume there are relatively few people who create a healer and set to Follow and 'Healing Aura on Auto' to lvl with minimal effort - but as with everything these few give a bad name to the masses (except of course Mothers Love who is famed throughout as the worlds greatest healer
Golden-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Fire/Fire Tank
Oodja Nikabolokov - Lvl 50 SS/WP Brute
Baby-Phoenix - Lvl 50 Peacebringer
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris?
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So is empath really that useless on the EU?
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Yeah, he sucks. No one likes him.
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I lol'd 
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empaths are as useful nowadays as they were in the past, just check MoSTF and STF lineups.
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I care very little (.. say actualy none) about the min-maxing TF's. I play for fun, it doesnt include such TF's.
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I avoid Empaths. To many times have I encountered players who think Empathy is a synonym for leach.
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Another case of a too little population. The chances are rather big you meet up with the same person you teamed before, one does it.. not many left to show the opposite.
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Probably a perception thing - the AT itself's equally useful both sides of the Atlantic, of course, but there are more people that feel the need for pretty green numbers US side.
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That seems to be the case tbh. Where i see there any of my toon still appriciated, its not uncommon i get 'mocked' on the EU side for having so little IO bonus' on my character.
The smaller the EU population became, the more 'elite' they seem to be thinking they are.
Oh well, its pretty clear i asume Just to wait for the day that i can move over all my characters to the US
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
I rarely come across PuG members repeatedly this side, every night it always seems to be a different bunch of people.
In any case I almost always find PuGs better this side of the pond. I just cancelled my states-side subscription because I was fed up of car crash teams and teaming with l33t talking idiots. for some reason as well half the team leaders over there seem to think you can't start a mission with less than 8 men, even if it means hanging around for 10 minutes calling for one.
Having an empath myself (emp/son). I love empaths
An empath is not a healer.. its a Buffer with possibility of healing. 
So when I play on my blaster or any other char I get a bit miffed when I must ask to get Forted. Seeing the healing aura on auto (myself hasten is on auto.. that way more fortitude and buffs) And get told.. No need for Fortitude..
When I hear that I raise my eyebrow and shake my head.
I will buff, I will heal, Rez and attack as much as possible. Dont have time to stand/fly around afk, with aura-healing.
Lady Arete on Unionhandbook
My Excel Badge tool
Sinergy_X - If you cannot be bothered about making a team, don't complain about not getting a team. What if everyone's like you?
Empath's are fine, it's your own personal perception that's flawed as others have echoed in this thread.
(Also yes US PuG's can be hilariously bad).
Buffing is a terrible job. Healing however is challenging when the group fights slightly above their competence but fun to do. Problem is Empaths cant solo even one tiny bit. As I solo 90% of the time due to the emptiness of our servers and my dislike to beg people for a place in their group I only dust of my empath when there is a call going out for one which only happens in tf's.
So yes, imo the empath is dead on the EU side. As is every toon that cant solo well for that matter.
I love my empath he's primarily a buffer but always keeping an eye on those HP bars found it really interesting when teamed with m8's WS Fort+AB+CM he could have 3 Extracted essence and be in nova without worry bring forth purple death
Heroes: Phobos-, Protector-Bot, Shadow of Ra, Bionic Eye, Entropic Chaos, Strike-Freedom.
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Visit us at http://www.theechelon.eu
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Problem is Empaths cant solo even one tiny bit.
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There's a difference between solo'ing and solo'ing as fast as a Blater or Scrapper.
If you're unable to solo I suggest you take a look at your build.
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I love my empath he's primarily a buffer but always keeping an eye on those HP bars found it really interesting when teamed with m8's WS Fort+AB+CM he could have 3 Extracted essence and be in nova without worry bring forth purple death
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Empaths are a Warshades best friend! I've discovered this recently from the WS's point of view.
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1 of my first toons ever created, a emp/rad defender originaly on the US server was copied i believe 2 years ago to the EU.
In his time he gained like 12 lvls, mostly due joining up with friends/SG, but hardly.. well, never on a PuG. The old days of a happy dedicated healer are pretty much over (they always forget the buff part).
However, i recently started to play more on the US servers and gave my empath a go and see how it will turn out on PuG's.
Within like 2 minutes i already got the first PM and a team invite. Along with a sonic defender, the whole team protected us like we are not allowed to die or something.
So team scattered, i was solo again and within 5 minutes i got my next invite. Same story.
Would i however put myself on team-search on the EU, i can stand there for ages and never get a single invite. I'm a passive empath, i do not make teams, i dont advertise, i will wait for those who need me.
So is empath really that useless on the EU?
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Empaths aren't useless on the EU, Fire/Kins really do become more godly backed up by one who doesn't attack in order to react faster!
I think the protecting of the defender is a good thing, as they make the whole damn team look good which can mean that they can be something of a keystone.
I think maybe it's not a true perception you have. My empath leveled fast and I think so did everyone else's. Fewer people here make a team and they tend to favour other types of defenders more once they get passed a certain level.
I don't make teams much myself anymore as I may need to drop out the moment I've made it. Try entertaining the making of a team, then make someone a "point" and go from there. Just so that I barely ever have to throw a heal, even in the lower levels I can be as bossy as hell anyway.
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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Sinergy_X - If you cannot be bothered about making a team, don't complain about not getting a team. What if everyone's like you?
Empath's are fine, it's your own personal perception that's flawed as others have echoed in this thread.
(Also yes US PuG's can be hilariously bad).
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You do reflect my previous post just perfectly.
Post below you pretty much explains it
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
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Sinergy_X - If you cannot be bothered about making a team, don't complain about not getting a team. What if everyone's like you?
Empath's are fine, it's your own personal perception that's flawed as others have echoed in this thread.
(Also yes US PuG's can be hilariously bad).
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You do reflect my previous post just perfectly.
Post below you pretty much explains it
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Well enjoy the US so, hope you have a great time over there. As I said I found it to be one long exasperating PuG Car Crash a lot of the time, but I was purely PuGing, no SG or anything.
Once I'm bored with WAR I may restart the sub but for the moment I'm having more fun this side with my Warshade, or my MM when I want to solo (although my MM is actually getting lots of PuGs at the mo).
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Well enjoy the US so, hope you have a great time over there. As I said I found it to be one long exasperating PuG Car Crash a lot of the time, but I was purely PuGing, no SG or anything.
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I already playing for quite some time on the US, to alot enjoyment. However, i got 31 characters here, wich i didnt intent to remake on the US. I will just keep spamming emails to NCsoft to get my characters over
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
1 of my first toons ever created, a emp/rad defender originaly on the US server was copied i believe 2 years ago to the EU.
In his time he gained like 12 lvls, mostly due joining up with friends/SG, but hardly.. well, never on a PuG. The old days of a happy dedicated healer are pretty much over (they always forget the buff part).
However, i recently started to play more on the US servers and gave my empath a go and see how it will turn out on PuG's.
Within like 2 minutes i already got the first PM and a team invite. Along with a sonic defender, the whole team protected us like we are not allowed to die or something.
So team scattered, i was solo again and within 5 minutes i got my next invite. Same story.
Would i however put myself on team-search on the EU, i can stand there for ages and never get a single invite. I'm a passive empath, i do not make teams, i dont advertise, i will wait for those who need me.
So is empath really that useless on the EU?
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!