The New Peer Pressure (Are You Feeling It?)
By
Acemace,
Posted on: 2011-03-04 08:16 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Quote:
I tend to play a single Main for long periods of time anyway, so I feel the Urge, not the Pressure, since I'm pretty much enjoying it
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Originally Posted by Rubberlad
The heat is on to keep playing high level toons instead of rolling new ones or playing lowbies. Some folks only want to run strike/taskforces or only certain s/tfs...
Are you feeling pressured to play incarnate content or just tf content? If yes, are you more than okay with or does it frustrate the hell out of you? |
I think it will fade some, especally as people look at the new TF/SF.
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Yes, I feel pressured to do it if I want to team. I still play lower-level characters, but I find it hard to team with them because everyone else is playing level 50 content. I'm not happy about this, but it's not the end of the world, either. Nothing is preventing me from doing either high or low level content; I just have more limited social options when doing one rather than the other.|
Originally Posted by Rubberlad
The heat is on to keep playing high level toons instead of rolling new ones or playing lowbies. Some folks only want to run strike/taskforces or only certain s/tfs...
Are you feeling pressured to play incarnate content or just tf content? If yes, are you more than okay with or does it frustrate the hell out of you? |
It is a fundamental shift in the culture of the game, though, from one based on the journey and stopping to see the scenery to one based on the destination and getting the payoff at the end. Yes, I know both strands have always been here to some extent and continue to exist. I'm just arguing that the emphasis has changed and pointing out that I'm, at best, lukewarm on that change.
This could cause potential problems down the line, with new players crying even more than usual, "Where is everyone?" and worrying, this time correctly, that "All the low-level stuff is empty of teams." That said, the emphasis has been on retention, not growing the player base, for several years now, so this problem may remain purely hypothetical.
Of course, it does seem to fly in the face of the apparent goal of adding an extensive end game, which is to capture and retain that previously ignored market of hardcore, reward-oriented, contest-loving players. I, for one, think of such players as severely lacking in patience, quick to quit and try something else, and frustrated by the fact that there are veterans "ahead" of them. Assuming this emphasis shift does bring them in to give the game a look, will they have the patience to stay to reach Incarnate-ness?
tl;dr version: Yeah, I'm feeling it. Yeah, it frustrates me, but not too much.
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-and 40 others on various servers
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Quote:
That about sums it up for me right there.
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Originally Posted by Olantern
Yes, I feel pressured to do it if I want to team. I still play lower-level characters, but I find it hard to team with them because everyone else is playing level 50 content. I'm not happy about this, but it's not the end of the world, either.
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"Certain it is and sure: love burns, ale burns, fire burns, politics burns, but cold were life without them." - Romulan proverb
My Characters
The day I feel any kind of "pressure" playing this game is the day I stop playing.
I pretty much play one character for long periods of time, anyway. It seems that I reroll my main every year or so.
Nope. I find it annoying at times (as mentioned, oh, two weeks ago when my little lvl 17 controller was trying to deal with rikti raids and, quite literally, at least 85% of the server was on 50s doing TFs with the others in missions or scattered) but I'm generally just ignoring the mess and doing what I want to do.
Not really in a "peer pressure" way, but I did want to give the Incarnate system a fair shot. Trials and TFs aren't really my thing, though, and looking at all the hoops you're going to have to jump through to unlock the other slots, I'm just about over it.
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I just rolled a new Elec/Nrg Manip blaster, its up to 39.
Gotten plenty of teams.
The only thing I am worried about are the weaker ATs (stalkers), combos, and Percived low value toons (What? You aren't a RAD/KIN? BOOT-TAKADOOSH!!!)getting teams on raids.
I can see the "turnstile" filled with people who can't get into preformed leagues because the playerbase just doesn't value what they chose to play.
Its a minor worry though.
When something good happens to me, I can never enjoy it....
I am always too busy looking for the inevitable punchline...
BEHOLD THE POWER OF CHEESE!
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I was just thinking the same thing. The game seems to be shifting from a "the game is the journey" alt-friendly game to an end-game raiding, one-or-two-mains culture just like any other MMO.|
Originally Posted by Rubberlad
The heat is on to keep playing high level toons instead of rolling new ones or playing lowbies. Some folks only want to run strike/taskforces or only certain s/tfs...
Are you feeling pressured to play incarnate content or just tf content? If yes, are you more than okay with or does it frustrate the hell out of you? |
As a consequence my altitis is having to be curbed because when I get on to play and roll a new alt all my friends are too busy running WST or end game content to get shards. Gathering interest in low-level teams is getting increasingly harder.
In short, I'm feeling your frustration.
I do this stuff because I want to. I enjoy doing the task forces and getting the rewards for it.
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Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Dispari has more than enough credability, and certainly doesn't need to borrow any from you.
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I've played my L50 almost exclusively so no pressure here.
------->"Sic Semper Tyrannis"<-------
Much of the player base were clamouring for 'end game' content. That being said, do I feel that I absolutely have to play my 50's?
No.
Matter of fact, I was on my lvl 21 Defender last night, dragging around a bunch of friends on their 13-38's on Mercedes Sheldon's arc.
I look forward to getting my Ouro portal on her tonight, the old fashioned way.
I'm very uncomfortable playing with people I don't know, so I tend to avoid PUGs at the best of times. I have no clue how the Incarnate Grind has affected lowbie pick-up teams on Liberty.
One thing I have seen, though... Most of my friends list are spending their time on their 50s, grinding for shards. If FCM and I weren't very good at duoing this game, or if all of my current "in-progress" toons weren't reasonably solo-capable, I'd be at a total loss when it came to leveling my current alts.
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I haven't rolled a new character in months, but that's only because I have so many alts that I made an agreement with myself to play existing characters for a while before starting any new ones.
However, I have played plenty of low-level characters lately. I went the incarnate route with a couple of my 50s when it was first introduced but haven't touched them for a few weeks now. There's still plenty of lower level content I haven't done, so I don't really need or want to focus on the incarnate content right now. It'll still be there when I finish with my lowbies.
Of course, it helps that I solo more than I team. I've always enjoyed soloing, so I've never really had to care too much what everyone else in the game is or isn't doing. So no peer pressure for me.
Between being burnt out on other endgame raiding and favoring ATs that can be antisocial and not be hampered by it, not really.
If it's like that other game after the other people I usually play with burn themselves out chasing Ultimate Power I'll still be happily casually plodding along, and enjoying it, though I'm not sure I really want to sub to yet another game after they locust this one.
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I do wonder if we'll see the rise of 'leet' Raiding SGs, with membership application processes and raiding schedules and all the stuff the 800lb Gorilla is famous/notorious for.|
Originally Posted by Olantern
It is a fundamental shift in the culture of the game, though, from one based on the journey and stopping to see the scenery to one based on the destination and getting the payoff at the end. Yes, I know both strands have always been here to some extent and continue to exist. I'm just arguing that the emphasis has changed and pointing out that I'm, at best, lukewarm on that change.
This could cause potential problems down the line, with new players crying even more than usual, "Where is everyone?" and worrying, this time correctly, that "All the low-level stuff is empty of teams." That said, the emphasis has been on retention, not growing the player base, for several years now, so this problem may remain purely hypothetical. Of course, it does seem to fly in the face of the apparent goal of adding an extensive end game, which is to capture and retain that previously ignored market of hardcore, reward-oriented, contest-loving players. I, for one, think of such players as severely lacking in patience, quick to quit and try something else, and frustrated by the fact that there are veterans "ahead" of them. Assuming this emphasis shift does bring them in to give the game a look, will they have the patience to stay to reach Incarnate-ness? |
I can see it happening, especially on Freedom and/or Virtue. First time we see someone in AP looking for only level 50 recruits for their SG we'll know we've really entered the Raid era.
Or if someone invents the CoH equivalent of... Gearscore...
Two days ago I threw a Renault SF together, and a couple weeks ago I did both Posi 1 and 2 in a row. It's a wee bit harder to throw them together but not majorly so.
I dunno, with the amount of people that are concerned over the lack of low-level toons you'd think there'd be lots of low-level toons. It feels kinda incongruous.
I'm totally happy with more people playing 50s. I used to retire a character when they hit 50, but now I can split my time between my 50s and my characters that are still leveling.
...I forgot what experience means.
no, really quite the opposite, i play solo or small groups like always, but now i keep my global tab open while playing and now more than ever i have the option of finding new stuff to switch and do as well. I still see plenty of players running morality mishes, but i kind of like the amount of added tfs going on now, prior to i19 they were there, but not as frequent. now there is less pressure so if an itf is being advertised, but i have to eat/go to the store/just want to chill that day, i know others will be up when i'm more in the mood.
I've gotten a tank to 50 since the alpha slot opened and a bunch people I know have started new toons and are playing them in small groups. There were a lot of lowbies in play during the Sister Psyche WTF and I'm thinking something similar will happen when one of the Incarnate TF's or Lady Grey isn't the WTF.
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My main is my main for a reason. |
Originally Posted by Rubberlad
The heat is on to keep playing high level toons instead of rolling new ones or playing lowbies. Some folks only want to run strike/taskforces or only certain s/tfs...
Are you feeling pressured to play incarnate content or just tf content? If yes, are you more than okay with or does it frustrate the hell out of you? |
I play her a lot regardless... and finally got the LGTF run done on her (also badger). My other level 50s are still only occasional (only two have them have run the initial incarnate arc and neither have the Alpha slot slotted yet.)On the other hand, I've created three new characters in the last two weeks.
Siberian Spring-50 (Cold/Rad, Rad/Ice, Ice/Rad, Sh/Ice) - KGB SS8
Chernozem-50 (Ice/MM, Emp/Ice, MA/Regen) - KGB SS8
Wila-50 (Dark/Arch) - KGB SS8
Also: Krassivy Mechtayu-50 (Ill/Rad) - KGB SS8; Ms. Hypatia-50 (Dark/Regen)
More like finally something my level 50s can do besides constant TFs!! Oh wait..
Did I miss the thread when Going Rogue came out about the peer pressure to abandon your 50s and end-game content in order to roll lowbie alts to play in Praetoria and try out the new Power Sets?
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The heat is on to keep playing high level toons instead of rolling new ones or playing lowbies. Some folks only want to run strike/taskforces or only certain s/tfs...
Are you feeling pressured to play incarnate content or just tf content? If yes, are you more than okay with or does it frustrate the hell out of you?