Can we go ahead and Kill AE Farms?

I hate to be that guy, but I mean, surely there are other people that are impatiently waiting for i16 to come around just so we can play the game again.

I've had no luck finding or starting any team past level 20 up through level 40, usually 4-8 players per zone outside of atlas, most of them level 50's running past TF's or badging.

And that's on Freedom. Oh wait. That's on Freedom. Is it different over on Virtue? Is it worth paying to move my character?

If you want something done, at least give a suggestion of how you think it could be accomlished.

Also, you said you have no luck finding teams - have you tried joining one of Freedom's chat channels?

NOTE: the people who are busy AE farming are the same people who were previously busy farming outdoor missions in Peregrine or TV missions in Grandville before AE farms existed. Once the AE farms are killed, they will most likely go back to their previous behavior, thus they really have no effect on whether or not "real" groups can be formed.

Also note that server population is probably down slightly because of a combination of the following reasons:

1) CO just launched and some people are over there. Many will probably return soon. Some already have.
2) There is an open beta of the new issue on Test and many people are there. They WILL return soon.
3) Schools have just started up again, cutting into the playing time of many.
4) Miscellaneous other reasons I don't feel like thinking up.

Are people still laboring under the delusion that I16 is going to kill MA farming? Seriously, people, look at the changes - only things they're doing is killing boss farms and pissing off a lot of story-oriented authors who use custom critters.

If you're having issues finding teams, it's you, not the game. Make some friends who do the same stuff you do - works for the rest of us.

Forgot to include my standard response to "can't find a team" posts:

So, you can't find a group?

What method are you using to find a group?

Are you level 40 and standing around in Atlas Park and spamming in broadcast? You're doing it wrong.

1) If you're going to spam in broadcast, you're better off doing so in a zone close to your level range.
2) You should learn which global channels are in use on your server and look there. Every server has these. Some have multiple channels and you should utilize all of these.
3) You should learn to present yourself in a manner where people who might be looking for group mates will want you. Your broadcast should MINIMALLY include your AT and level and be written coherently.

Can't get on a group? FORM ONE!

1) Learn to use the team search function and invites.
2) Learn to read user comments in said search screen. Someone doesn't want a blind invite? Send a tell first!
3) Speaking of sending tells first, you don't need to write a book, but give SOME information as to the plan. If you send tells such as "Group," "Team?" or "U TEAM" you will not win friends or influence people. (And those are some of the more coherent bad examples I've received.)

Anyone who can't find a team in this game is either playing during off hours on a low population server (and even then they have ways of finding teams), or has extremely bad manners and exhibits anti-social behavior. (There, I said it.)

Once you've formed a group?

1) Don't be a tool.
2) Be a decisive leader if you are leading. (i.e. Don't stand around for 10 minutes before setting a mission.)
3) Don't be a bossy leader, if you are leading.
4) Don't run only YOUR missions if you are leading.
5) Don't be a tool.

no =D

Eh, finding a group on villain side is near impossible on Liberty but hero side its not so bad. yeah, the AE is making it alittel harder but hopefully I16 will solve every proble mthat was ever created ever..

I wonder if the Ae is not dead on some servers already. I stopped in Cap on Pinnacle at eight o clock on a Thursday night - ghost town. Bought some insparations ands moved on. 9 o clock or so and went back for more inps - ghost town. Atlas on Triumph seems steady , Cap on Triumph some times has people somtimes not. The other day someone was lamenting they could not find a AE farm team on Pinnacle. YMMV.

I don't think I16 is about killing AE farms - it seems to be more about reducing the rewards a bit, as well as giving farmers the ability to farm without fillers, and non-farmers to be not annoyed anymore by filler requests.
Right now, the AE is unbalancing things, and I16 looks more like an attempt to balance things a bit more, rather than kill off one type of play.

I team every night. I see plenty of other people teaming every night.

i16 isn't going to do jack to kill AE farming. Farmers will be only slightly inconvenienced by the changes by having to have minions and LTs with their bosses, and they weren't farming custom critters to begin with. All the non-farm arcs that used custom critters are getting screwed in a different way with every patch and nerfed for no good reason.

Yeh. 2 of my 3 arcs are filled up with Custom Critters. One arc could be band-aided if I had Halloween/Invasion zombies instead of having to make my own zombeeeeeeehs Figure they'll probably never see a play again since custom is getting their XP/Inf dropped despite the risk/difficulty of fighting them being greater than most official factions. Cept for the combos people abuse because they make easy farm bosses.

Guess it'll prompt me to unpublish 'em and make a Freakshow arc or something. Freaks are a fun faction since they've all got a few screws loose and people would play THOSE arcs at least since freaks are easy XP :P Or Battle Maiden minions...

Hold the Freak idea - they're getting their xp nerfed a bit in I16 too

Can we go ahead and kill AE Farm THREADS?

I'm going to pretend I agree with the OP. Any excuse to get I16 on Live as soon as possible.