Let us solo TFs

Simple concept. If you raise your difficulty to the right number of heroes/villains, you can access a TF. A simple request that would allow a solo player or a smaller group of players with the proper difficulty to play a mission.

Its frustrating. I have a several toons on servers that are dead about 80% of the time. I've logged on during weekday hours between 5-pm and 9 pm and found less than thirty people total logged onto the faction my character is playing in all level ranges. I'm about to be forced to transfer chracters to freedom simply because I cannot find groups outside of a day or two which a pre-arranged TF is run, and I cannot find six people willing to sit there while I run higher content. I've been trying to get merits for a few recipes for one toon on protector, and I'm forced to rerun low level Oroborous arcs because there are no teams to be had, anywhere.

The devs have already set up diminishing returns to prevent task force farming, would it be that bad if a solo character, or a duo or trio of close friends can run a mission themselves, without having to pad? We eliminated padding in normal missions, why not do it for task forces and strike forces?

The fact is, that this game does not have sufficient population to allow everyone on every server access to the content specifically designated as what you should be running. I do not like being locked out of PVE, and its frustrating because I have not seen a single strike force run in the month I've been back on villain side. Not one. There was one ITF call which I was rejected from because I was in the late 30s and most everyone else was higher.

I just want to be able to access content. This is especially true villainside where the characters are more solo friendly, and so there is less active teaming going on anyway. I'd love to experience some of the higher level content and strike forces, and as yet I've simply not had the opportunity.

Please change it.

A Task Force implies more than 1. /unsigned, no, and all that jazz. If you want to play them on "dead" servers, join the global channels for the servers. They aren't actually dead.

I, uh... don't think they're going to go for that. The "Force" in the name rather implies that they're designed to be run by groups on the conceptual level; what you're asking is basically for TFs to be scrapped altogether and replaced with story arcs that have the same flavor text, and I just don't see the designers going for that. Certainly not and leave the existing reward structure in place.

It's been asked for. Repeatedly. All reasons against allowing it are irrational, stupid, moronic, idiotic, dumb, ridiculous, asinine, illogical and pointless. Some of the devs appear to be against it regardless of that fact.

So, yea, I'd like it as well. Ain't gonna happen.

EDIT: As with other things in the game, (offline sg invites, account storage, etc) it's better for them to force the asocial to buy a second account.

The work around, for those that don't know, is to have the minimum number team up long enough to start the TF/SF in question. Then have all but 1 quit. The last teammate logs off without quitting the TF. Then you can solo it.

It's an annoyance. One that shouldn't exist. But it is what it is.

Team content that only needs a team to START it, not DO it.

It's nothing but a completely arbitrary annoyance and a waste of time for those of us that enjoy soloing such things.

I don't want to run one solo but I'd like to run some of them with the usual 3-4 people I run around with and TF's only requiring 4 people are fairly rare. I'm all for removing the minimums and making them suggestions instead: "I really recommend a team of 8 and you only have 4. Are you sure you want to undertake this task" or something.

Short version.

No.

Long Version.

Hell No.

What part of Team Content just is not understood these days?

Some tf needs the team to simultaneously click a few glowies. This needs to be changed if tfs can be done by one person. Since a solo tf is equivalent to a story arc, will the reward of a solo tf be reduced to that of a story arc?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba As with other things in the game, (offline sg invites, account storage, etc) it's better for them to force the asocial to buy a second account. The work around, for those that don't know, is to have the minimum number team up long enough to start the TF/SF in question. Then have all but 1 quit. The last teammate logs off without quitting the TF. Then you can solo it. It's an annoyance. One that shouldn't exist. But it is what it is.

In my opinion, this trick shouldn't be allowed. Just that there is no way the dev can tell whether you are solo-ing a tf, or all your teammates have actually dc-ed. That's why this trick still works to this day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba Team content that only needs a team to START it, not DO it.

I believe not every character can solo tf. So, what you said is not universally true.

On the other hand, I think the dev is not doing a very good job in making team content. Most team contents are aritifcially imposed, for example needing 6 people to start and clicking 4 glowies simultaneously.

I am against the proposal. Would it hurt me when people on 'dead' servers could solo a tf? It would give us more hard to get recipes and that is nice I guess.

However,
It would hurt me if people went soloing and farming TF's on any server other then a 'dead' server at the slow hours. It would be harder for me to find teams or even Taskforces. I think there are lots of arcs available that you can solo but a TF should always be a group effort.

I'd be willing to go with (Badge but no Merits) or (Merits but no Badge) in exchange for being able to enjoy this additional content. Especially if I could choose one, then the other by running it twice. Maybe I feel like being a Force of One.

In the meantime, I can run the existing allowed-to-solo content and whatever the "One Random Arc" button gives me at the AE.

I don't think it's unreasonable to at least reduce the minimum numbers to get the TF started. I don't think there's any content that can't be done with at least 4 people (STF, LRSF, Khan, Baracuda included) with the exception of raids (Hami, Mothership raid).

While maybe reducing the task force requirements down to 1 person may be too extreme, however I don't think it would a bad idea to reduce many of the taskforces minimun requirements down to lower numbers. Certainly TFs like Manticore doesn't require 7 characters.

but just because a few specific toons can solo a TF, doesn't mean that everyone can. put the minimum numbers down to 1 and I'll then complain when my training enhancements only, team-oriented 2nd build, TA/Archery Defender can't solo anything for more than 3 minutes.

I still get sad when I'm trying to do normal arcs solo (usually on Villains, unsurprisingly) and the contact says "you better bring some friends!" or worse, I don't get much of a warning, then turn a corner and find an EB staring at me. I usually just shuffle that one off to the side until I've levelled a few times then go back for the cheap win.

I'm not bashing anyone that likes to solo TF/SF's. I just happen to like the idea that some content requires teams. If they were to add more team oriented content I wouldn't object to changing the TF requirements to allow people to solo them.

Replace the old TF's with new stuff that really does require team efforts.

Here's what I don't get:

If the fear is that people will solo TFs and never team for them, why not pull the merits for the solo run? That way, people will still form traditional TFs to grind for merits, and I can attempt them by myself for regular arc reward. On no reward whatsoever. Yeah, I'd take no reward at the end if I they responded to difficulty settings.

I'm with Bubba here. The reasons against this are ridiculous, and basically come down to "TEAM WIT MEH!" a lot of the time. The basic word "force" doesn't imply multiple people, not intrinsically, and "team content" doesn't have to mean forced teaming. People have been perfectly willing to team for everything in the past, and I don't see why TFs should be different.

In fact, giving us a no-merit run that allows us to invite people mid-way through would actually make the things a significantly lesser hassle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

Some time of days there's less than 30 people online, but still later time theres plenty even in smaller servers. I'm playing on really small server and still get enough players to play TF's. Sometimes it takes a time to start but usually only a few minutes to get full team.

Perhaps its good idea to make a few more small team (1-4 players perhaps) TF/SF's to low and high levels but I don't think theres any problems to play full team TF's. I suggest to search channels. Perhaps theres something similar like we have Defiant Events what is best channel of my server.

I still support removing the TF/SF team size requirements.

So allowing people to solo TFs would kill teaming?

Just like allowing people to set their missions for eight people while solo would kill teaming? Funny how I still see plenty of people forming up mission teams... You'd still have plenty of people forming TF teams, because most people simply aren't interested or capable of soloing them.

You don't need seven people to complete a Manticore TF. You just don't. If they're not going to let us solo them, they should at least cut the minimum requirement for all TFs to four people. You simply don't need more than that.

Either way, they should be giving a full reward. Finishing a TF solo is harder than it is with a team, so people who can do it should be rewarded for doing so.