No longer feeling special.
By
Ashtoreth_NA,
Posted on: 2011-04-12 13:39 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
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Originally Posted by Little_Whorn
I think I actually agree with the OP. What I liked most about this game was the separation of the ATs, the uniqueness of every AT. Let me explain. I'd roll builds that, when I played them on a team, I felt unique like I was doing something that everyone would notice and appreciate my presence on the team. I.E. having a ridiculously survivable tank, a kin/sonic to best maximize damage, a plant dom to best control groups, or a fire/fire blaster to be a true glass howitzer. Every AT had its weaknesses and strengths. In a team, others would appreciate my unique strengths and would help cover my weaknesses. The whole experience could be summed up in compliments from others such as, "great buffing" or "your tank can take quite a beating".
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I agree with this to an extent. I recently decided to try a 'classic' team with one of each hero-side AT for a tight-knit team of 5 characters, each with well-defined roles. As it turns out my schedule is shot and the idea received lackluster response so I shelved it.
I'm not going to scream Doom and say that the new content will kill the game. I LIKE the Alpha Slot stuff because you only get one (life is about tough choices) and you can use it to fill gaps in your character (I HATE End issues so most of mine go with Cardiac).
I've been here since I9 and I remember when a team with no Blaster or Scrapper wasn't going to do 'enough damage' to defeat some of the tough AVs and EBs. A team with no Tank could survive but the players had to be smarter and keep their wits about them. A team with no buffs might do okay but then the Rad or Kin suddenly raised everything a notch or two. Inventions made everyone better...maybe by too much. Incarnates does that even more and then gives toons Power choices they never had available solo before.
ED was put in place because most characters were built the same way all the time. There was no reason NOT to have perma-Hasten and 6-slotted Stamina. Most people dropped in 1 Acc and 5 Damage in their powers and went to town. How boring is that? Now we can have everyone on a team (or most at least) go '1-2-3 JUDGEMENT!' and the target is pretty much gone. Everyone can do that...not just Blasters firing their nuke. The buff powers are the same way.
So after all the screaming about ED and characters being diversified we're drifting back towards all being the same or at least very similar again.
I like the Incarnate theme and Inventions but I think we're going too far down the road of common Powers.
"Comics, you're not a Mastermind...you're an Overlord!"
To those who have emphasized feeling special is tied up to skill rather than powers now, I agree to a limited extent. The problem is that for the vast majority of the content offered now simply spamming your powers is enough. You can have all the skill in the world with your [insert AT], but it doesn't mean a damn if anyone can walk up and nuke a spawn into dust. The game's diminishing difficulty completely sinks the whole skill argument. Skill allows players to distinguish themselves when faced with unusually difficult content. But what is difficult in this game anymore when teamed? BAFs? Lambdas? Please. Failure on those is rare and becoming rarer with the main reason for failure being not enough warm bodies. Another warm body is another judgment-slinging, team-buffing asset, no matter the skill.
Silverado's argument for skill really only applies in those outlier situations like someone soloing 9 AVs at once in AE. For the rest of the content, these new incarnate powers enable anyone and everyone to blow through it. Where's the skill in that? And let's be honest anyway, compared to many other game genres, CoH and MMOs in general don't exactly require high amounts of player skill.
As for the post saying teaching others should be the source of enjoyment, fine. However, 1) I'm not sure I log onto CoH to be an ambassador for the game. 2) You can do that without these overpowered incarnate abilities anyway so I question the relevance.
In response to Comicsluvr, you're right. I really don't have an issue with the alpha slot since it requires players to choose and have access to one and only one. Can't have spiritual AND musculature running at the same time. But, as you put it, that's the problem with the new incarnate stuff. I can have a nuke, debuff, buff, and pets all at the same time. No way around it. If everyone can sufficiently perform everyone's roles, there has to be some marginalization of each AT's uniqueness.
In response to the "form your own team of steamroll" argument, I don't see how this is relevant. 1) We could do that pre-incarnate slots anyway. 2) It's much easier (too easy IMO) to form a steamroll. I get that you feel special in forming and leading a powerful team. I love doing that as well. But my argument is that its just too easy to make such a team now. How many recruiting BAFs or Lambdas take the time to inquire about people's ATs and abilities? How often do you see the new content teams looking for particular ATs? Almost never. Why? Because it's just not necessary. Get a team full of incarnates and it doesn't matter what ATs join or what skill each player has. With barrier and judgment alone, everyone is capped to def (and res for a limited time) and deals fantastic damage. Maybe if the content was more difficult or team size more limited
you'd have a point. Apex and Tin Mage seemed to be the "more difficult content without massive parallel increase in player power" step in the right direction IMO. But unfortunately with the new incarnate content, player power is again racing out ahead of content difficulty and building steamroll teams is just not anything fantastic anymore.
And no, I'm definitely not crying Doom. I love playing this game. Not sure this game will ever be doomed anytime soon (which is good). Where else would we turn for a superhero themed MMO? CO or DCUO? Riiiight...
I actually get what the OP is saying; if you take pride in being good at what you do, then sure it could be frustrating to see people "get for free" something you feel you "earned the hard way".
But, really, its just a game. If you really need an ego prop, turn off your computer and do something "worthy" for real. And take pictures, so you can look at them fondly whenever your ego needs propping. It's more productive, and you might even do something truly worthwhile vs completing a butch purple IO set on your 5th alt's second build.
For those who argue regarding the homogenization effect, well yeah, that's power creep in action for you. We must not allow a mineshaft gap, obviously. The where does it all end (in disaster) wonder of it all is not new. Bubbles always burst eventually. But if you are riding the up-side for the duration you can have a lot of fun in the meantime.
On the other hand, if you prefer a less escalated play experience, there's good news. The Incarnate content is stacked on top and doesn't really permeate downwards. So, you can continue to enjoy the non end game aspect of the game indefinitely. Just resolve to not worry about what the Joneses are doing and play as you always have.
Personally, I'm already bored running BAFs and Lambda's, and I'm a pretty casual player. I came back after a couple month absence two days ago, have played about 10 hours, and have basically caught up already, have 5 each of the Incarnate trials under my belt (all successful), and led Lambda myself earlier tonight. I wish there were at least one other Trial to mix up the monotony a bit.
We're victims of our own appetites of course; many of us go thru the content so much faster than they can make it rather than savoring it over time. It's all about the new shiny. But, that wont stop me from playing enough to get each of the 4 new slots filled in. I find my Skinner box quite comfy, apparently.
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This pretty much fits what I was thinking. I was on a 16-man BAF today with my Elec/SD, and it was just me and a Fire Corrupter at the north door. I put down my Lore pets (the Tier 3 with the Vicky and ACU), he put down RoF, and for the next 5 minutes hardly anything made it farther than the doors. We ended up completing the phase with 0 escapes. |
Originally Posted by DanZero
You don't know how many players you play with think you're special. They'll rarely say it, but if you do your job well, they certainly think it. I know when I see someone working it, I think they're special.
Many many times, I'll take a second to scroll all the way out, position and see how everyone is doing. Usually, if things are going poorly, there's one dude hammering away to make up for it. I'm impressed. When things are rolling, there's usually one dude doing something no one quite catches that's making things super easy. I'm impressed. Every so often, I see something way the heck out there that is soooo cool, it merits a mention in Team. But we are all so busy, most times it's a quick, nice work Player. I honestly have seen with the new incarnate powers it's easier to tell who has NO CLUE what they're doing, and who's rocking everything at once, holding down the fort to make up for mistakes. BAF doors for example. That player who's on a door with one other dude and not asking for help? Yep. That one. I see it, run by with a sigh of relief, and help the six player team leaking enemies because no one knows how to run it. I think the special players will start to stand out more as content requires more of players. A great player with great tools will outshine an avaerage player with great tools. It's not the powers that make us super. It's not the build. Those give you the tools. Using those tools well is all in the brain, hands and (sometimes) feet. |
A good player will ALWAYS stand out, no matter how many flashy powers inept teammates haphazardly use.
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I'm like Dechs, any toon'll do. Even the older content, I wouldn't specifically ask for anyone to bring anything, and I wouldn't turn someone away because it would be better to have something else. CoX has never needed a specific make up of teams and incarnacy, for me, will make more people be less picky about teams. Which is a good thing.|
Originally Posted by Little_Whorn
How many recruiting BAFs or Lambdas take the time to inquire about people's ATs and abilities? How often do you see the new content teams looking for particular ATs? Almost never. Why? Because it's just not necessary. Get a team full of incarnates and it doesn't matter what ATs join or what skill each player has.
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As for the whole being 'special' thing? I know I put effort into my toons and playstyle, I know I'm doing the best I can. I don't need people to tell me if I'm good, because whether I am or not is irrelevant. I'm being the best I can be, and that's enough for me. (I do tell others if they're doing well, however, I don't expect everyone to feel like me).
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I agree...i would rather have my pre i5 8-11 perma fire imps and another 3-5 almost perma back on my fire/rad then i could solo the entire incarnet material solo it would save me some time...and no im not joking!
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Originally Posted by Comicsluvr
ED was put in place because most characters were built the same way all the time. There was no reason NOT to have perma-Hasten and 6-slotted Stamina. Most people dropped in 1 Acc and 5 Damage in their powers and went to town. How boring is that? Now we can have everyone on a team (or most at least) go '1-2-3 JUDGEMENT!' and the target is pretty much gone. Everyone can do that...not just Blasters firing their nuke. The buff powers are the same way. So after all the screaming about ED and characters being diversified we're drifting back towards all being the same or at least very similar again. I like the Incarnate theme and Inventions but I think we're going too far down the road of common Powers. |
I'm not sure if anyone needs to feel like "that special snowflake" but incarnate level powers have really skewed the game to the "see it - kill it - move" without very much variety.
This makes most ATs kind of pointless except the damage dealers, a tanker and the occasional heal. I am referring to the trials specifically but I've begun to notice things have gone from easy to ridiculous 'phone it in' as people have gotten their T3s and up with level shifts.
- Soft control: kind of pointless when defeat is the best debuff, which usually happens in seconds.
- Hard control: mostly pointless except to evade an alpha for a squishy or to prevent mob scatter.
- Buffers: mostly pointless now that anyone can grant PBAoE super defense or full mez protection
- Rains: You get off a second or two worth of DoT damage before someone fires off a judgement power.
- Long casting powers: no effect since someone rolls in before you can even get the power activated and blasts the mob to bits.
- Healing: see soft control.
- Immobile powers: long cast time, long recharge means they are left 2 mobs back the moment they are cast.
- Enemy toggles: Useless against anything except AVs since even EBs get crushed so fast it is barely needed.
- Non incarnate pets: mostly blown to bits by 54 enemy AoEs, slow to follow, [not counted for rewards?], general liability for run and gun teams
It looks like toons that have been great at damage, especially AoE and focused single target damage are where it's at for the late game, and the Incarnate powers just add to it. Fast firing damage dealers, crashless nukes and -regen -dr are about all you need now.
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Originally Posted by PumBumbler
I'm not sure if anyone needs to feel like "that special snowflake" but incarnate level powers have really skewed the game to the "see it - kill it - move" without very much variety.
This makes most ATs kind of pointless except the damage dealers, a tanker and the occasional heal. I am referring to the trials specifically but I've begun to notice things have gone from easy to ridiculous 'phone it in' as people have gotten their T3s and up with level shifts.
It looks like toons that have been great at damage, especially AoE and focused single target damage are where it's at for the late game, and the Incarnate powers just add to it. Fast firing damage dealers, crashless nukes and -regen -dr are about all you need now. |
i wouldn't quite say this... blasters are sorta pointless now...
but yeah. i really dislike the endgame content. I love my level 50s. i'm not interested in grinding the same two trials over and over again, against the same dull foes, in the same dull trials, with the same dull plot. There is a limit to my level of tolorence for this level of brainless grinding. All to get rewards that can only be used against the same grinding content i got them in.
no thank you.
i'm not sure who thought this was a good idea but they really need their head examined.
Since i20 came out i've lost all interest in this game. this might be my last month playing COH. Maybe. i'll think about it before canceling the subscription... i've got a life and school, and i'm just not interested in this grind it seems.
(besides. the worst part about going rogue was praetoria and it's horde of dull and overpowered enemies which lagged my pc with their epilepsy triggering powers. why would i want to play end game content focusing on praetoria and it's dull and overpowered enemies which lag my pc with epilepsy triggering powers?)
Wow, there's a lot of this "nobody needs me anymore".
Someone can boom every couple of minutes, guess my damage isn't needed.
Someone can have pets every 15 minutes, guess my mastermind pets aren't needed.
Someone has similar powers to mine sometimes...
But this game isn't Dungeons and Dragons. Superheroes don't HAVE classes. The notion of forcing people to specialize was always a bad one. Lots of them have the same powers, just in different gradations.
Forcing people to specialize forced people who wanted to, for instance, use force fields to become H34L0rs on teams...when that isn't the role they thought they ought to have.
But no, no, Industry Leader and years of tabletop gameplay have convinced everyone that we must have classes! Only one kind of superhero has superstrength! Only one kind of hero has blasts! That guy with kinetic speed powers? Well, he has to be H34L0r.
"But Ash! If they don't force players to make characters that complement each other they might make bad characters!"
....So?
I would much prefer more uniqueness in character power selection. THEN people might stare at your character and go, "Wow. That guy is like Thor." Right now, experienced players just tick off, "Ah, he using THAT build." Or actually make the gimp Batman you want, who is really only useful because he did the research and is willing to lead.
"But we can have IO builds that are all different! We're unique that way! My IOs make me special!"
I really hate IO sets. Its like a mini-game for number crunchers, complete with the Let's Play Auctionhouse minigame. They don't make a character unique, they just futz numbers.
My pet peeve is people who refuse to acknowledge it when I tell them my character has unlimited power. If I rp attack them they are of course disintegrated beyond the ability of any hospital or magic to restore. Yet despite this they refuse to delete their characters and still keep playing them as if nothing happened. ~Mandu, 07-16-2010
[QUOTE=But this game isn't Dungeons and Dragons. Superheroes don't HAVE classes. The notion of forcing people to specialize was always a bad one. Lots of them have the same powers, just in different gradations.
Forcing people to specialize forced people who wanted to, for instance, use force fields to become H34L0rs on teams...when that isn't the role they thought they ought to have.
But no, no, Industry Leader and years of tabletop gameplay have convinced everyone that we must have classes! Only one kind of superhero has superstrength! Only one kind of hero has blasts! That guy with kinetic speed powers? Well, he has to be H34L0r.[/QUOTE]
No, not quite. Specialization doesn't necessarily imply reliance upon the DnD tank/mage/healer trinity. There are lots of other abilities that classes can specialize in and still be very useful. You said it yourself. FF isn't forced to be a healer, FF buffs defense which is just as useful (or more) than healing. At most, a focus on specialization would only force FF players to focus on buffing defense while forcing healers to focus on healing, etc, etc.
Specialization isn't a dirty word. Look at TF2. Every class is fairly well defined and everyone can find a playstyle that appeals to them. But anyone who plays TF2 understands that a medic is not supposed to be the l33t dmg dealer on the team. No one expects the spy to wade in the front door guns ablaze without eating pavement. Same analogy can be used for CoH.
No, Incarnate slots have done the equivalent of letting all of the classes in TF2 do massive dmg while simultaneously being able to heal and buff others. I just can't see anyone who rolls a empathy def looking to heal (or a FF looking to buff team def, or a fire blaster looking to AoE spawns) not being a bit disappointed when incarnate powers allow everyone else, regardless of toon, to heal/buff/dmg just as much.
The entire game isn't played at 50 with incarnate abilities. Weekly Strike Targets are from any level range, as an example, and control/support is still in demand there.
All these incarnate abilities, all this unlimited power... it's dangling keys. Sure, it trivializes level 50 content... but the level 50 content was *already easy*. I honestly believe that's why some of the Incarnate powers are 'go crazy? don't mind if I do!'. Let people feel overpowered to keep them paying at a point where many people historically have unsubbed. The only way the devs could screw up what AT balance exists is if someday in their infinite wisdom they allow the incarnate abilities to exemplar down below 45.
Weight training: Because you'll never hear someone lament "If only I were weaker, I could have saved them."
Yea, I never thought of the exempting down point. Suppose my disappointment stems from the game's lack of quality difficult end game to match the incarnate powers, but that's old news. Guess I could just spend more time lvling up more toons rather than focusing on the lvl 50 endgame scenario. Good point BruteSquad
My main (necro/dark mm) could solo GMs before ever gaining any Incarnate abilities. I know may folks WITH Incarnate abilities that still can't say this. Honestly, it was never about proving anything to anyone but myself... and frankly, the first time was almost an accident - I was testing my latest build on Eochai, and realized I was WINNING.
Where to find me after the end:
The Secret World - Arcadia - Shinzo
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Obviously, I don't care about NCSoft's forum rules, now.
I dont mind the rest of the incarnate powers.
Judgement is game breaking for me on many levels.
I am an FFer, and well Barrior still can't offer what I offer.
However Judgment makes things cake, and when the blaster is under shadowed by the scrapper and tank who now have their niche, why would you take any squishy.
A team of tanks and scrappers are the new thing. I know, because I have been the only controller on pretty much any Lambda I have done. Actually we had a dom...so, well...there.
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Not really sure how new that is. I've always been annoyed at how many scrappers show up whenever I've tried to form a tf, pre i20 :P With the incarnate stuff, people are just working on their favorite toons first, which happens to be melee for a lot of people.
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Originally Posted by Nyx
A team of tanks and scrappers are the new thing.
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<:[ shark goes nom nom nom ]:>
[QUOTE=theOcho;3409811]As to the REAL reason I'll be leaving, I'm afraid it is indeed because Tamaki Revolution dc'd on me during a RSF.[/QUOTE]
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Judgement is on a long timer and isn't going to replace regular AOEs from any powerset, be it a Blaster, Tanker, or Scrapper. It's nice, but it's kind of like Interface: the debuffs are nice, but not huge enough to make a massive difference to how powersets and ATs work (which is what you are describing). They ARE a buff, but they aren't wiping everything away: and they are getting us ready to face even tougher stuff than we have in game, which is getting easier from these buffs.|
Originally Posted by Nyx
I dont mind the rest of the incarnate powers.
Judgement is game breaking for me on many levels. I am an FFer, and well Barrior still can't offer what I offer. However Judgment makes things cake, and when the blaster is under shadowed by the scrapper and tank who now have their niche, why would you take any squishy. A team of tanks and scrappers are the new thing. I know, because I have been the only controller on pretty much any Lambda I have done. Actually we had a dom...so, well...there. |
Your anecdotal experience about big teams of Tanks and Scrappers doesn't mean much, either. I can easily negate it with my own anecdotal experience of BAF and Lambda teams with much more balanced teams and a lot of range. In that other thread about Kheldians, someone said they had never seen a Kheldian on a Trial... yet more than a few had seen Kheldians. Careful of making blanket statements with your own small experience.
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Pre-Incarnate, I was beginning to feel extraneous on many ITFs because competent players with good builds don't need a buffer/healer. You blame this on Incarnate powers, I blame builds. People like the OP. Sure, he's fantastic but I came to play, not follow somebody else around who doesn't even need me there.|
Originally Posted by Little_Whorn
No, not quite. Specialization doesn't necessarily imply reliance upon the DnD tank/mage/healer trinity. There are lots of other abilities that classes can specialize in and still be very useful. You said it yourself. FF isn't forced to be a healer, FF buffs defense which is just as useful (or more) than healing. At most, a focus on specialization would only force FF players to focus on buffing defense while forcing healers to focus on healing, etc, etc.
Specialization isn't a dirty word. Look at TF2. Every class is fairly well defined and everyone can find a playstyle that appeals to them. But anyone who plays TF2 understands that a medic is not supposed to be the l33t dmg dealer on the team. No one expects the spy to wade in the front door guns ablaze without eating pavement. Same analogy can be used for CoH. No, Incarnate slots have done the equivalent of letting all of the classes in TF2 do massive dmg while simultaneously being able to heal and buff others. I just can't see anyone who rolls a empathy def looking to heal (or a FF looking to buff team def, or a fire blaster looking to AoE spawns) not being a bit disappointed when incarnate powers allow everyone else, regardless of toon, to heal/buff/dmg just as much. |
You don't get my point. I don't want to be Teh Healer. I want to be able to heal/buff. Interruptible casts don't cut it. I'm the buffer who gets distracted with actual fighting and sometimes forgets to pay attention to the squishies I'm herding.
Is it really surprising that not everyone enjoys specialization to the point the system forces them to? That's what the naysayers are rooting for. Not playing superheroes, but the game system. But this game was never balanced. Most Defenders and many Controllers got the short end of the stick. What logic prevents us from being allowed to use our own best buffs/heals on ourselves??!! Frankly, being allowed to target ourselves would solve my problems with this game. Force fielders who actually have decent fighting force fields! Empaths who refuse to die, self-rezzing like Mr. Immortal!
Even D&D allows that. I once had a healing specialist that was forced to duel another player. How did I win? Concentration spec and 6 Heals, thats how.
Finally allowed to break out of this rigid caste mold, the weak sisters are glorying in proper damage (We ALWAYS had a Tier 9 AOE nuke, but it's pointless to use because we are so. damn. weak.). And maybe you didn't pug enough the first week, but no Defender could keep their entire team alive in those trials at first. We need those extra buffs to plug the holes the new Incarnate challenges offer.
My pet peeve is people who refuse to acknowledge it when I tell them my character has unlimited power. If I rp attack them they are of course disintegrated beyond the ability of any hospital or magic to restore. Yet despite this they refuse to delete their characters and still keep playing them as if nothing happened. ~Mandu, 07-16-2010
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I guess I see your point. I mean, if defenders and controllers traditionally get the weak end of the stick, the devs could either shore up their weaknesses (low dmg) or simply buff their strengths (support/control) to make them stand out in their own right. But then I realize, CoH's endgame is almost always about dmg and usually AoE dmg, whether weakening dmg resist or weakening regeneration. I suppose you're right. Easiest way to make defenders and controllers more relevant given the current content is to simply make them do relatively moar dmg rather than increasing the power of their primary abilities.
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Originally Posted by Ashtoreth_NA
Pre-Incarnate, I was beginning to feel extraneous on many ITFs because competent players with good builds don't need a buffer/healer. You blame this on Incarnate powers, I blame builds. People like the OP. Sure, he's fantastic but I came to play, not follow somebody else around who doesn't even need me there.
You don't get my point. I don't want to be Teh Healer. I want to be able to heal/buff. Interruptible casts don't cut it. I'm the buffer who gets distracted with actual fighting and sometimes forgets to pay attention to the squishies I'm herding. Is it really surprising that not everyone enjoys specialization to the point the system forces them to? That's what the naysayers are rooting for. Not playing superheroes, but the game system. But this game was never balanced. Most Defenders and many Controllers got the short end of the stick. What logic prevents us from being allowed to use our own best buffs/heals on ourselves??!! Frankly, being allowed to target ourselves would solve my problems with this game. Force fielders who actually have decent fighting force fields! Empaths who refuse to die, self-rezzing like Mr. Immortal! Even D&D allows that. I once had a healing specialist that was forced to duel another player. How did I win? Concentration spec and 6 Heals, thats how. Finally allowed to break out of this rigid caste mold, the weak sisters are glorying in proper damage (We ALWAYS had a Tier 9 AOE nuke, but it's pointless to use because we are so. damn. weak.). And maybe you didn't pug enough the first week, but no Defender could keep their entire team alive in those trials at first. We need those extra buffs to plug the holes the new Incarnate challenges offer. |
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And this is where power creep and buffing arms race comes into play. Controllers do immense damage as it is thanks to containment, and defenders do lots of stuff as well depending on their primary. Buffing both creates a situation where corruptors and dominators, nevermind masterminds, start to become extraneous.|
Originally Posted by Little_Whorn
I guess I see your point. I mean, if defenders and controllers traditionally get the weak end of the stick, the devs could either shore up their weaknesses (low dmg) or simply buff their strengths (support/control) to make them stand out in their own right. But then I realize, CoH's endgame is almost always about dmg and usually AoE dmg, whether weakening dmg resist or weakening regeneration. I suppose you're right. Easiest way to make defenders and controllers more relevant given the current content is to simply make them do relatively moar dmg rather than increasing the power of their primary abilities.
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So what do you do then, buff those classes? Then, the previous classes become just as unnecessary (logically) or you get into the situation where the pure damage classes (blaster/scrapper) become utterly useless.
We saw something very similar to this happening early in CoH's lifespan. Because of this situation, ED and the GDN came into play and despite what people want to believe, it was good for the health of the game. The problem is becoming one of the devs not learning from their past mistakes with the sheer power some of these incarnate slots produce, and CoH is too old to handle another ED/GDN situation, primarily because none of the original content has even seen a revamp.
Honestly, unless the situation is rectified sooner rather than later, the power creep is starting to collapse the game from under itself. Worse yet, if the next batch of incarnate slots are terrible, the system as a whole will implode in the long run, as people will refuse to do it/time will be wasted creating stuff nobody uses.
You can find a way to stand out.
Hell, i was on this ITF the other day with my SS/fire/soul (yeah, you know that armor set that sucks because itÂ’s squishy) almost everyone had iPowers and faceplanted while we tried to speed the 2nd mish. I think there were two tanks that died too. Not only did i end up soloing the entire mish, i also did that for the 1st mish and all the way up to the AVs in mish 3, but i went and proceeded to beat the **** out of the ambush mob. The mob had been spawning at the rest of the team, to give the team some credit that can be quite hard. So i tanked and killed about 8 of those EBs and their mobs. Next day i Soloed the ITF in about 1:12 (or was it 1:15?)
And i can hold an entire spawn point in BAF on my own. Maybe 1/4 of the LTs make it past.
So yeah, i still feel pretty special.
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