No teams available!

AE XP. Nerf It. Hard.

I used to form teams almost every day, using /search, sending out waves of messages for people to join, etc. But now... now even that doesnt work. This new generation of players has no clue how to play, some of them have never left Atlas Park. It was depressing to get a 5 man team together at level 28ish the other day and have someone leave because there wasnt a /kin on the team. We had a /Dark and a /Cold. Apparently that wasnt enough for him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackAlleyBrawler you *******!!!!

I feel the original poster's pain. I much prefer playing redside. I just find the ATs there much more enjoyable. However, good luck finding a team. Before the Mission Architect, finding teams was difficult, but doable. Now? Pfft. Before level 35, the only available teaming option is AE farms in Cap au Diable. After level 35, it's either ITF runs or AE farms in Cap au Diable.

"Well, make your own team!"

I tried, repeatedly. I spent quite a few of my evenings just standing around, searching, and asking anyone that shows up in my search window within five levels of my character that isn't already teamed if they'd be interested in teaming. Most of the times, I'd only find three to five people in one night that fit that criteria, and only once was anyone interested in doing non-AE farm missions.

People said that the newness of the Mission Architect would wear off after a while and I'd be able to find teams again. I've waited four months, and I still am not finding anyone willing to team outside of AE farms.

Sorry, but I'm done waiting and soloing. I already purchased a lifetime subscription to Champions Online. Just a few more weeks, and I'll be able to play with others again.

After seeing the replies, I can say this.

I know how to create teams. I do it when necessary. Last night no one wanted to be on my team. I asked politely and either I got no answer or 'no'. Well, no, that's not entirely accurate -- I got one guy who said yes, but he left almost immediately for an AE team.

The problem is not that I don't know how to start teams. It's that in Cap au Diable, on the Virtue Server at that time, there were no players willing to team with a measly 17th level brute.

Is it that I should have gone back to Port Oakes and tried there?

Maybe it was just that time of night. (11 PM CST)

Or maybe something else.

There are DOZENS of valuable posts here already, I only want to add...

that I form really fun 8-man teams EVERY SINGLE time I log on (the only exception being dbl-xp weekend - THAT was a chore).

I lead teams primarily because I don't trust anyone else (barring a select few) to do it as efficiently and enjoyably as I.

But LIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE, forming and running teams gets easier and easier every time you do it.

Just gotta jump in, make some mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and keep pluggin away.

When forming teams, a polite, literate Bind is MANDATORY, I use:

/bind x "tell $target, Level $level-ish team LFM - would you like to join us?"

I never begin forming a team until I have AT LEAST one of my own, level-appropriate missions ready-to-go (meaning I already have it selected as the active mish before I invite the first member).

I often try to run around and grab 2 or 3 good mish before forming my team, so we can steam-roller right along with mere seconds between exiting the finished mish and moving to the next.

Beyond FORMING a team, I've found that most players respond well to an actual LEADER, who leads by example and provides solid direction and commands WHEN APPROPRIATE.

When Leading I usually have the map open, constantly checking for SPLIT teams and turned-around stragglers. Stragglers get a TP, Split teams get a:

"REGROUP on **(tank, scrap, or Kheld meat shield)** pls".

Keep an eye out for inadvertant mega-aggro (more groups than intended) and let fly:

"Fall back & Regroup NOW pls" if it looks too dangerous (I usually wait until 2 heroes are down before issuing this request).

Leading can be a chore, but it can also be extremely rewarding. I get private Tells as they are leaving, thanking me for inviting them, from heroes on just about every team I form.

BOTTOM LINE: Like everything in life, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

Start forming and leading teams... you may not be great at it, at first, but you will improve, and it will make the game more fun, in the long run, I promise.

When in doubt, spam the Search window. Start with the LFT-flagged players first, then work your way down others who match your level range, throwing in sidekicks as the mentor situation allows. Be polite and informative - start with a greeting {hey, hi, hello, etc.} and follow through with what kind of missions you're running {arcs, radios etc} and what type of enemies you expect to encounter. Throw in the actual story arc premise if you feel like it.

Takes me about five minutes to assemble a team of three or four that way, with more becoming available as time passes and new players log on. A modicum of politeness and showing that you know what you're doing {or faking it convincingly} can go quite a long way.

An open letter to NCsoft

Great advice in this post. I'd team with this person!