The Etiquette of Using/Not Using the Magic Pack Buff?

I got my start in City of Heroes back in 2004 as a Force Field Defender. I have buffed the team in my day, and there's nothing wrong with that.

That said, I have been eying the Magic Booster Pack, mostly for its costume options. But I am a little concerned about the buffing etiquette involved in the tarot buff power.

Some of my characters would buff everybody they could, and for some it makes sense to at least do it for their own team. But other characters would never have such a power and/or never use it on others; it makes no sense thematically for those characters.

I honestly wouldn't mind using it with some characters. I know it's on a long timer and it's got to be a lot less obnoxious than rebubbling with Force Fields. But it's not so much the bother of buffing or monitoring the buff's expiration: even though I am not much of a role-player, I care about concept, and for some characters this power is wrong. If it were just a benefit to me, I wouldn't hesitate to pass it up for concept reasons...but since it improves things for teammates, I might feel awkward about not doing everything I can for them.

If you have the Cyborg Pack, nobody expects you to self-destruct every time it's recharged. DO those of you with the magic pack find people want you to use the tarot card buff? Even on your non-magic characters?

What about regular teammates or SG members? They'd certainly figure out if one had the Magic Pack soon enough. Would they openly -- or even privately -- resent me for not always buffing them with this power?

Have you felt any pressure to use it? What do you do when playing characters for whom this power is not thematic or appropriate?

Use it if you want. Don't if you don't. I've never had anyone ask me to get the buff, but have been thanked by people that I've used it on.

Since it's a random buff, you can't predict which buff you'll get, so most people don't ask for it.

It's a nice little bonus, but you don't need to use it.

95% of the Tarot buffing I see is in one of two forms:

(A) Randomly hitting people, especially low-levels, as they mill around Ms. Liberty
(B) Everyone Tarot buffing each other before starting a mission/TF and then promptly forgetting to ever refresh it except for sporadic re-buff flurries where half the people waste their buff on someone who still has it and then forgets to try again on someone else after it refreshes.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it. I've never asked, been asked nor seen anyone else really ask for it. It's just a nice perk but nothing anyone really invests much effort in.

What Jophiel & Aett have said, seriously.

I'm one of those who about half the time forgets I have the Tarot Deck until we are standing around the TF contact or about to go into the big final fight against the BBEG.

And even then, sometimes I use it and sometimes I don't. Since they don't stack, if people are exchanging them, I try to get the one left out.

Nothing to stress about - no one will give you dirty looks if you don't.

As far as RP-wise, I've never seen people pay attention to any of the vet/pack powers. Otherwise, justifying why everybody has a wisp/drone/clockwork/fairy pet, a wand/Nemesis staff, a ghost-slaying axe and/or the ability to punch people with darkness, the ability to read fortunes, the ability to run fast and do backflips, and a self-destruct system would get a little taxing.

Since there isn't an "accept all buffs" flag or toggle, I just ignore it. Stupid box gets in the way of playing.

I don't expect to get any buffs, so I'm not concerned with whether anyone has the ability or inclination to give it to me. However, if someone does decide to pass out the Fortune buff, I'd wish they not do it during a fight. I don't need to have a box suddenly appear in the middle of my screen when I'm concentrating on not dying.

I often use the buff on people I know. Unteamed, I also use it as a kind of "tag, you're it!" drive-by power on those people. Both are pretty common among folks in the crowd I hang with.

It wouldn't really occur to me to use that particular power on folks I don't know, even on a team but especially not as a drive-by. There's a small chance it will debuff their toHit - small enough that it's probably not normally a big deal, but potentially annoying depending on level, foes in play, and team or self buffs.

I have justifications for some of my characters for those. Banshee Diva, my sonic/psi blaster, has given command performances throughout the world; her jetpack was a gift from an enamored Captain Castillo, she charmed the Nemesis staff off of a Fake Nemesis that wanted her autograph, etc. They're fun to think up, even if nobody asks!

From an RP standpoint...

for the vet rewards, I usually don't grab them unless I see them fitting character concept wise.

For the booster pack temp powers...I just remove Self-Destruct off my tray first thing.

Fortune telling, I keep on my tray, and use only when it's been used on me, or it's asked for. It's a useful little buff, sometimes you see a noticable effect, sometimes you don't.

If it's a RP concern of using it...just say it's just an OOC buff, since you happen to have it.

All my characters' vet rewards and other powers were bought from Ebay.