Let us solo TFs

Eva,

All TFs wouldn't get my vote. The STF, LRSF, 5th TF/SF, ITF and Lady Grey (and Faathim) should pretty much remain where they are (maybe drop to 6 for Lady Grey).

One of the great things about redside (IMHO) is that all the original SFs needed just 4 to start.

Anyone who says you need more then one person to be a "force" obviously hasn't played a scrapper correctly.

There isn't any logical reason to not allow anyone to solo TFs. You can't say that it will discourage teaming, it will decrease times for averaged runs, etc... Because none of you have the data to support any of those claims. They're all assumptions.

So if you can show me that allowing players to set their missions for 8 equivalent players has decreased the number of teams since I16's inception then I will eat crow, but until then you have no leg to stand on.

And if ANYONE thinks that someone soloing a TF is going to get through it faster than a team will... I've got some bridges for sale.

I'll take the brooklyn bridge please

Bubba, the flaw in your argument is basically "If there's no simu-glowies in team content, it shouldn't be considered team content". What do you want the devs to do, add an arbitrary 8-click glowie puzzle at the end of the STF/LRSF?

You want something that's IMPOSSIBLE for YOU alone before being forced to team. But the game isn't balanced around YOU. Imagine if the TFs didn't have player limits: Jonny Newbian comes along and sees Statesman, and talks to him. How far do you think he'll get before rampaging onto the forums crying about how "That statesjerk's mission arc is too hard!" and we all have to tell him that it's designed for 8 people?

Now imagine this happening Every. Single. Week. Multiple times, even.

Also, let's play the slippery slope game: Let's say the devs DO allow you to solo a TF. Eventually, the hardcore players are going to want badges to show off their awesomeness. What if the devs granted them that? What about all the other badgers who don't have the capacity to solo AVs? Mind you, the game and rewards system are balanced around SOs (except the invention badges, heh), and I don't see too many "AV killer" builds working without IOs, making badges for soloing TFs unfair.

Any content that lets one person do it should be playable by a solo, SO'd Empath defender who only takes half their attacks. I realize that sounds sad, but it's how you make a game like this work for the most number of people.

Yeah, you could have the contacts say "You might want to bring X# of friends", but does anyone ever actually pay attention to that? I know I don't.

I guess the underlining reason for my objection is such: -I- wouldn't be able to solo most TFs (unless the AVs downgraded to EBs, though i doubt that'd fly). Don't get me wrong, I'm a reasonably competent player with IO'd-out 50s and such... but the majority of my characters' powersets and pool choices are not 100% conducive for this sort of thing, and that's honestly not fair. While complaints that we don't feel exactly like "Heroes" and "Villains" within the respective Cities theroef are valid, the title of the game ISN'T "City of Powergamers", and the devs opening up content that would embrace that sort of playstyle would only further divide the playerbase and force a lot of people who aren't up to snuff to quit. If you open up TFs to soloing, you have to nerf the crap out of them so that -anyone- could solo them... and then adjust the rewards accordingly. And that'd take away all the accomplishment and reason for trying to solo them in the first place.

I want to see some none forced option but they gave us non forced PvP and people now claim they shouldn't be attacked in PvP zones if they aren't PvPers. I'm not sure what sort of illogical complaint no team requirement could lead to.

Everyone also seems to be forgetting the fact that you can solo task forces and all you need are pads so I don't see what the big deal is. If you're dead set on soloing a task force, having to invite people to form a team so you can isn't going to encourage you to team with them. So again I say, no one has any fact based argument in order to properly refute this, no one has data mined that the new difficulty slider has caused a decline in teams, or has anyone shown the number of people who actually have soloed a task force.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people at this point asking for a solo-able Task Force wouldn't necessarily be in it simply for the rewards. Maybe the vanity rewards, like a badge, but I don't see most people asking for something like this wanting the exact same loot other people who form a team and run it are getting.

So, why not eliminate the rewards all together? The most you get is an SO of your choice at the end, just like any other difficult story arc. Or not even that, I don't care. The reason I'd want to solo a Task Force or Trial is for the story or the experience of fighting a new, challenging opponent. So while I would love to run Terra Volta, it wouldn't be for a respec. It'd be for the thrill of facing down multiple freakshow and struggling to keep the core safe.

I don't see how it would be hard to dumb down the difficulty of task forces to make a "solo" version, one that had little to no rewards short of finishing the story and collecting a solo version of the badge. If anything, let players see as they finish the solo arc what they would have got if they had done the team version instead. A little enticement for people to take the next step. Most people that are reward minded will, but those of us that are here purely for playing the game and enjoying it's stories will be satisfied.

The reason I support this is simply don't have time to run a Task Force or Trial, even on my weekends. With a family and a full time job, time is precious little. City of Heroes, till this day, still amazes me with zone design, story content and ease of playing. Adding a solo, reward-less version of the task force would simply be more content my higher levels could enjoy without having to sink a huge amount of time in one sitting for a story. And I don't mean I couldn't free up the amount of hours needed to run a task force, I could. But with life's interruptions... screaming kid, chores to be done, biological and what have you... I wouldn't want a bunch of other people waiting on me anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes just so I could complete a story. To me, it would be much easier to tackle it at my own pace - AFK when I need to inside a mission - and still get the full lore experience the game provides.

I'll quit rambling... that's basically how I think - and why I would support - solo task forces should be handled.

BillZ has been correct in everything he said in this thread. There isn't a good reason why Task Forces can't be started solo.

I'm even in favor of keeping the mobs spawned for the minimum number of players when you solo a TF. For example, if you're able to solo the STF(haha), I believe it would be a good idea to keep the mobs set for a team of 8.

Sure, on two conditions:

1) All of the late (any that are available from 40-50, including Imperius) TF AVs get the same condition that allows Hamidon to kill PA.
2) All of the late (same definition) TF AVs are a minimum of 52 and all spawns are x8 regardless of any other setting to the contrary.

But then, these are just my axe to grind (and should apply to teams as well, of course). I suppose there's a third condition that there never be soloing badges.

I'm all for this suggestion. It allows me to play the way I want to play, while at the same time not hurting anybody else.

Task Force teams will still form. It's that simple. A lot of people like teaming, and will continue to form teams. A lot of people won't be able to solo the Task Forces and will still team.

I don't see how this hurts anyone to be able to solo a TF. If you can't do it with one of your characters, either get better at the game, pick a build that can do it, or invest the influence to make your build better.

There is no logical reason not to allow this.

Besides, by allowing people easier access to soloing task forces, it will keep people that don't like teaming off your team and still allow them access to rewards. That is good for everybody.

I can buy the work argument as well. Obviously we have no idea how much work a change like that would require, but if it is any significant amount then I can understand the feature not being implemented. But much like you, I'll keep asking for it.

I guess I don't understand why some content in this game can't be directed towards Teams only?