Multi-group content is not the way.

So...8 people on a team is just fine, but 9 or 10 isn't?

That's really what the OP and a few that agree with him is saying. They want their definition of team content to be applied to everything.


These raids have very little in them that require the entire League to be doing the same thing at the same time. In the BAF, you can easily split up and finish the first objective. Fighting Nightstar with one team, while the others hold off her reinforcements in the second objective. Splitting off to the different spawn points to catch escapees in the third. Using the same tactics on Siege (one group fights him, the others are support/defense). Splitting the groups between the two AVs together so they both fall at the same time.

The Lambda trial: Teams can go different directions around the outside of the complex to finish the first objective fast, then split to take out the turrets if they want. Once they clear out the courtyard and then the Guardian AV, they HAVE to split up if they want to do the rest in the easiest way possible. Once Marauder shows up, one group can be shutting down the portals, and the other deals with the big guy.


I'm not seeing the places where having more than 8 people in a trial is a detriment. Can one of you point them out for me?

If you're feeling useless on a large team, that's what a League is for. Make a smaller one and go to town. You don't have to do everything at max capacity. No one should be feeling useless regardless. It means you're either not doing something you're supposed to be doing, or you're choosing not to help.

Ok so I'm back, after having run two successful BaFs and one failed Lambda. And I stand by my original statement. I dislike multi-team content.

BaF #1: Joined by queuing. Nearly full league. Flashy lights. Stuff dies. Prisoner phase goes fairly smoothly. At the Siege pull, I am told to "wait for it." I was. I was just...waiting at the leading edge of it, because I am a Scrapper and as soon as something comes into range I'm gonna whack it. I whack it, more flashy lights, more stuff dies. Yay we win.

Lambda. Formed through queue. Seven people, we never got an eighth. Random quirk of randomness makes me leader. I pull everybody into one team, ask if everyone is familiar with the trial. Two people say they are not. One person is familiar enough to help give out instructions. I r leader nao. We kill everything that moves before heading inside, for the iXP and threads. The other experienced person offers to take acids, I offer to take grenades. We go after temps. Get all the acids, and nine grenades, and the Synchronized badge completely by accident (woohoo!). By this point I have completely forgotten which people are new, I honestly can't tell. The team. Is. Awesome. Everybody hands over the temps, the acid person seals the doors, we clear Marauder's swarm, pick up another grenade or two, fight him...and run out of time with him down to some stupidly low amount of health. If we'd had that eighth person we would have won it. Yes, it failed. But we almost succeeded because EVERYONE was doing what they should do, everyone was taking responsibility for their own little role. Everyone had their moments. There was no glory-hounding because there didn't need to be. But individual contributions? Hell yes, there were. It was all about individuals contributing.

Baf #2: Formed through coalition. Full trial. Lots of good players. Flashy lights, everything dies. I shoot stuff. I learn that Blaster >>>>>>> Scrapper on prisoner stage (duh). More flashing lights and everything dying. I shoot more stuff. We get to the last phase, get Siege and Nightstar down below half health, and....Lost Connection to Mapserver. I log back in to a reward screen. Yeah, I'm real important.

You're absolutely right...

Multi-group content is not "the" way.

Neither is solo content "the" way.

Nor are TF's/SF's "the" way.

One thing I've always respected about the team here at Paragon Studios is their ability to cater to many different playstyles and still maintain a game that is, at it's core, just damned fun. There's no one thing that I can put my finger on about CoH and call it "the one thing" that makes it fun; it's a combination of many features and options presented as a whole.

With the Incarnate Trials we've added to the variety and have given more people more options. The Incarnate abilities don't change existing content, nor are they in any way a requirement for current content, even for the new Trials and not having them doesn't make you enjoy something any less. As is the case with most things in CoH, you're only competing with one person...you! (Heck, even the levels shifts don't practically apply outside of the Trials).

Are all of the aspects of the Incarnate Trials going to be perfect out of the gate? Of course not. Just as is the case with most if not all game design, things get better with iteration and you learn from past experiences.

Wise man once say, "Variety is the spice of life." Loud CM once say, "Options are good!"

Whilst I agree entirely with the OP, this argument is, for now, a lost cause.

Try again when the shine has worn off, when those who are running these things 3 or 4 times a day have maxed out their new slots and realise there's nothing more to do until the next issue crawls out a few months down the line.

Personally, no argument will convince me to step onto this hamster wheel. In two years or so of playing I haven't run any particular TF more than half a dozen times at the absolute most. Running the same thing over and over again isn't entertaining to me, it's a job, and I already have a job in the real world.

My secondary account expires this month, my primary expires start of May. I'll come back for the next issue, assuming it's got something that isn't just more raids. In the meantime I'll spend my time, and money, on other games, that aren't taking a direction that's completely counter to my preferred playstyle.

Issue 20: The Anti-Anti-Socializing Issue