Overpopulated, doing the same stuff everyone else is doing, and STILL CAN'T FIND A TEAM!

I'm getting really aggravated with this game lately because it seems the higher my level the less likely I'll ever find a team.

Freedom is one of the two most populated servers followed by Virture and Freedom is the server I play on yet I'm far more likely to find a team on any server at level 1 and team with a bunch of people who most likely is their first time on the game than I am to find a veteran at level 50.

My lowest level character on Freedom right now is not even really that low, he's 47, and I can't ever find a team because everyone is either new to the game or on their 50's. The only way I've found around this is by joining 50's in the weekly strike target when possible.

But I've learned that specific TFs give specific components and non-50 TFs don't seem to really do anything. So like finding a Sister Psyche team during her Strike Week seemed impossible. 50's didn't want to do it because it doesn't drop shards and lower levels didn't want to do it because they thought it was just for the level 50's.

This week is Manticore which is not 50 so I figured no one would be interested in it again and today I was unlocking the Alpha Slot on one of my 50s and it took me a little over an hour to find anyone to help with Trapdoor and the following EB mission. This is the 4th time I've done it and the first 3 I was able to find people within 5 min. but not today.

Following that I'm currently trying to find Lord Recluse (Essence of the Incarnate), Barracuda (Dimensional Keystone), and/or Lady Grey (Hero 1 DNA Sample) SFs so I can build Musculature Boost to slot my Alpha with. Yesterday I had this same issue where I couldn't find any of these TFs and eventually just formed a team myself for Lady Grey. Today I attempted that again and can't even get a response to join a Lady Grey team.

I may be paranoid but I can't be the only one on a full server trying to get this stuff done. There were 3 RWZs today and you expect me to believe that out of 3 different instances of the RWZ there is not anyone forming or joining a Lady Grey TF?

This is ridicules. And they're trying to up team sizes to 48 for issue 20? How about we down grade instead and just make the entire game solo-able because no matter what I'm doing I always seem to be solo 90% of the time anyway and when I am on teams it's only because I have to be and takes me forever to find one. I like to be able to play this whenever I want to play not stand around for hours desperately trying to find someone to team with.

I've literally been standing in Grandville for over an hour before deciding to write this and have check back between paragraphs. I'm still on the game right now, still looking for a TF... and guess what... there has not been a single broadcast, not a single request, Freedom Badge is quiet, and not one tell. There are approximately 132 level 50's on right now and that's only on the villain side. How can it be this quiet?

The only response I ever seen to get is when I say "Hello" and then someone says "Hello back" and that's the end of it. I try to join teams or start teams but nothing. The only thing I seem to be able to do right now is use the game as an over-glorified chat room.

What does a guy have to do to get a freaking team around here?

You need to join a server channel. Freedom has several. On those, you can find out about tfs and teams forming and it's far easier to join in on stuff, or to form them. Forming is far better that hoping one will form so you can join it.

You are getting a bonus along with doing the WTF with the 50s. Stay on that course and you'll get levels in no time.

+1 to the server channels. Most teaming seems to happen there if you can't find one through the traditional methods.

Second on the global channels. They are by far the easiest way to form a team and I have never had a problem forming one at any level. I even put together an all dual pistols Moonfire task force in about 20 minutes of recruiting using global channels. Try joining some of these

RadioFreedom
Freedom TFs and Raids
BMT-Freedom

There is a thread on the Freedom message boards that lists some of the more active global channels. Check that out, join them, and start forming your teams

Also, if you see me in game, feel free to shoot me a tell. My global is @Guardian Irish-Fury, and Freedom is my home.

Best ways to find teams:

Global channels [RF2009 being one I know of on Freedom]
Global Friends [If you run into someone more than once, and/or they're good and you get along, /friend that character and send a /gfriend request. If they don't accept, it may or may not be about you. Assume it's not about you; you don't know either way, and you might as well choose to be happy. ]

Second best ways to find teams:
Join a large SG, or one with a considerable coalition, or one with friendly people that you've gotten into good teams with.
Form teams.

Worst way to find teams:
Broadcast. (If you do broadcast, go to the train station and cycle through every damn zone repeating it. )

OK, let's talk about how to "Form teams".
If there's a global channel with anyone on it, say something like "Manticore LFM, 6 spaces open" or whatever you have. You may get people, you may not. Especially on freedom, when the Manticore fills TELL THE CHANNEL, because a lot of times these teams fill fast.

/search
Choose level you're interested in finding, and if you're fussy choose archetypes.
* Names in grey are ON teams. Don't invite them. That's a roosterhead move.
* Names in blue are not in missions, not on teams. Read the search request; it probably says things like "not looking" or "do not invite" or "do not blind invite." The latter is just a little fussy. But a lot of people are. If you find someone who's set to "Looking for Team" or "Looking for TF" that's an extra bonus.
* Names in yellow are on missions.
* Names in purple are leaders of teams that have room. They can be touchy about being asked to invite you.
* Names in other colors... I can't keep track.

Once you HAVE people spotted, type something like this:
/t $target, Setting up Manticore TF, takes about 1.5 hours, exemplars to 35. Interested?

Click the person in the search window, and send.
Click the next appropriate person, hit "enter-uparrow-enter" to open your chatbox, reselect the last message, and send. It will go to the new $target.

If someone sends a tell back saying "Not right now" or whatever, EVEN IF THEY WERE KINDA RUDE, send a reply like "Sorry to bother you. Good hunting." Most of them will say something like "No problem!" But to some of them, you WERE bothering them. In their head. Doesn't have to make sense to you, but some people don't like the multiplayer part of MMO's.

Eventually, between sending tells to the people you can find and broadcasting in Atlas, Galaxy, Steel, Kings, Skyway, three RWZs, Talos, Indy, and Founders, you will have a team.

Chances are that 6 of your 7 teammates will be uninspiring. You may have a teammate or two that is actually someone you'd like to see again. SO FREAKIN' FRIEND THEM.

To the peanut gallery: Have I left out any steps?

I'm frustrated with a little more than just the game but I'm not going to go into personal issues right now. Just forgive me if I seem a little on edge.

That aside someone in here mentioned Freedom TFs and Raids and it's not the first time I've heard that name but I thought it was just a copy of Freedom Badge so never bothered to check it out before. But after a couple recommendations I finally decided it was worth the time to look at and boy was I surprised. 5 sec. after joining the channel someone in it advertised a Lady Grey TF which I just finished before writing this post. And the channel has continued to remain active all during the TF rather than the several hours of silence I normally get from Freedom Badge. I think I'm just going to drop the badge channel now it was active when I first joined but I've been in there for at least 6 years. Time for something new.

Is this a split the servers post, or a merge the servers post?

I started playing villains about 1 yr ago and was lucky to have gotten an invitation to a very active VG. For the first 3 months of so, when I lead teams, I get half of the team mates from the coalition and half from broadcasts/search.
Over time, I built up a list of global friends and also got invited to private channels for speed SFs and Incarnate SFs.
When I build a team for a SF, I ask my global friends first because I know they are reliable, and then the private channels. After that, I ask in the VG coalition. Any remaining spots are filled with responses from broadcast or from global channels. Since a lot of Freedom players are on the east coast, I can usually build a team in a few minutes until about 1 AM Eastern time. After that, it takes longer to build a team. Freedom becomes very quiet when the Pacific coasters log off, which is around 1 AM pacific time.
Several folks have made good suggestions and as a 12 month vet, I can say that all those suggestions have worked for me.

RadioFreedom has long since been abandoned, it's spawned into RF2009, and a few of the more actives also in Freedom Elite (don't remember if there's an 's' there). If you're in either, you should see TF/SFs being formed pretty much constantly.

Global Channels are BY FAR THE BEST way to find a team. If you're on a channel that's dead (I've, personally, never cared for Freedom Badges), of course it's useless! Join a real channel!

We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.

I'll [insert # here]th the global channels thing.

But sometimes the channels do die off. There's a limit to the number of players that can join any given channel, and they can get clogged by inactive accounts (Last I heard the auto-kick feature that was added still doesn't work). And occasionally the wrong person gets promoted to moderator, and they go on a little power-trip.

In either case, new channels get formed, life goes on. So join the current batch of active channels for your server, and enjoy the teaming.

If you use the Global Channel Search feature it shows you how many people are joined to each channel. Just search for the most populated one with "Freedom" in the name and I'll bet you'll be able to find plenty of stuff to do when using that channel instead of broadcasts.

Freedom is not overpopulated and your are out of your mind. You should be proud to be on Freedom...this is the fastest leveling server in the CoH Universe. If you can't find a team, you need to post your gameplay times and your global handle.

Freedom has lots of 50s though. What levels are your toons? I have lots of 50s and several 20/30/40 toons. I play regularly and will be online the next 4 weekends after this one if your serious.