Team Agreement Re: Sewer Trial Badges

Before I start, if there has been a thread about this subject, please forgive this rehash.

I'm not writing this as a rant, but as a suggestion of courtesy between fellow players when running the sewer trial.

I was on two sewer trial teams this afternoon, for the purpose of getting some quick influence for my level 50 (Event Horizon Man). The first team was not a fun experience because two players started to argue about badges when the Vaz boss was not taken down first. Me, I could care less about the badges, but will help someone get those two badges if they want them. But, as I said, it was not a fun experience because for the rest of the ride those two players kept bickering.

On the second run, when all 8 were invited to a team, I suggested before we start the trial, we come to a team agreement on the badges: was this a team in it for the badges or not? We didn't come to an agreement and as a result, some people were upset because they did not get the badges.

I say again this is not a rant post, as I don't care about badges. But I know some of you out there do, and being a sub since July of 2007, I learned to be a team player. If someone feels the badges are important to them, then as a team player, they are important to me and I will help you get them. It's nothing to be ridiculed and I hate it when someone joins a team just to ruin the experience for others by denying them the badge out of spite.

So I'm throwing out two suggestions for you to discuss today that I hope will help smooth over badgefights during the sewer trials in the future.

1) The star has to let the team know, after a discussion, whether it is a for the badges run or not. And once agreed, the star is the one that has to enforce it. If someone deliberately says one thing but does another just for spite, not only should the star kick them off the team right there, that person does not gets back on that star's team on the next run. There are plenty of people out there more deserving of the next run.

2) For those of you out there who think badges are, to quote one herp-derp, "reatarted and dont mean nothing to me", the game does not revolve around you. Teaming takes co-operation, respecting the other players you team with, and listening to the team star. And there is only one star on a team. You are not the one who calls the shots: he or she does. You don't want the badges, we get that. But respect those who do, and help them, or find another team that isn't running for the badges.

That's my two cents (badges?) worth.

MoggieCanada

because the side badges in this trial are relatively easy to get (the vahz one is kind of annoying with more than 5 people) i usually will mention "we have to do X to get this badge" if we dont get it, oh well not like these things arent being run constantly or even hard to get in general

It helps a little to mention that the Vahz minions give no XP and are not required to be defeated to move on to the next phase. Not a lot, but a little.

Badge runs should be announced ahead of time, but I can't imagine anyone arguing over the very easy badges in the DFB trial. If you don't care about badges then it doesn't matter whether or not you defeat the boss first, so you might as well defeat the boss first. If you do care about badges, it doesn't hurt if you and the rest of the team take out the minions for the extra XP.

This is honestly the silliest thing to argue about.

I always go for the badges when on a Sewer Trial, as likely someone wants/needs them. Usually, I am the one forming the trial, so it's easy enough to get people on board.

However, I always approach it with a grain of salt, as there is often a sewer newbie, someone not paying attention, etc. etc. and we end up not getting the first badge.

When that happens, I just go 'oh well' and move on. No point in bickering/complaining as once it's done, it's done. Unless it was a dedicated 'badge run', I really can't feel justified complaining to someone about messing up the badge. As I usually run it 4x for all the pre-level 22 bonuses, I haven't 'not' gotten them yet. Usually, I just run it again immediately, and usually with 4/5 of the original team remaining, and 9/10 times, the original offender has 'caught on' to the badge requirement and we do it just fine in round 2. But again, if it's not a dedicated badge run, I don't get huffy about it.

When I have the star, I'll announce what to do to get the badge as soon as we zone into the Vahz and Lost areas, before even approaching the bosses. Even though I usually have them already, I do this as a courtesy since it is easy enough and (I think) it sets a positive example of good team leadership that hopefully people take away when they go on to run their own teams later on.

I have this problem quite often when running the trial. I'll bring it up right when it starts: Badges or no badges? Sometimes there's one or two people that want them. If I have the star, I'll tell people: Badge run. I'm not a badge hunter, but I will *not* purposely ruin another player's experience if I can help it. The run is fast whether you go for badges or not. I've actually had to boot a few players that chose to be butt-ejected-projectiles and .... wait, that makes me sound dirty. They were doo-doo heads. I kicked them from the team for that reason. There were other times when we just didn't get the badge(s), and if that happens, oh well. however, when they run in with AOEs blazing on the Vahz boss to ruin other player's times... they can go find another team. I'll shed no tears for them.

the vahz boss badge is hard to get with a lot of players
4 or 5 go for the badge, 6+ it just isn't going to happen. Too many minions beating on people and the AV takes awhile to go down.

On DFB I just assume that someone needs the badge(s) so I play the way to get them.
I don't view it as a badge hunting exercise but as a tutorial in teamwork.

I usually ask going in if anyone needs the badges... If they don't, that's fine. If someone pipes up and says they do, that's fine too. There's no harm in trying for them, even if it's only for one team member's sake.

On the vahz badge there is always someone who pops off an aoe or a cone and kills a minion. Its really not worth getting your panties in a bunch over, as sewer runs happen ALOT and you will definitely get the badge sooner or later.

As far as the OPs experience with the bickering idiots, its good to identify those kind of tools early on so you know now to team up with them later on something that requires solid team work.

It is so easy to get both of those badges, that anyone aware of what you need to do would have to be intentionally griefing to miss them.

My problem is that (in the case of Cadaver counter) someone ALWAYS forgets to check their team chat to know that they shouldn't defeat any of the minions. My Brute has tried 3 times and failed each time because of one silent player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shubbie Im very good at taking a problem and making it worse.

When I was running the sewer trial quite a bit, I made macros that pointed out to the team how to get the badges at each stage, and just played as if each run was a badge run, even if nobody expressed any interest in them. It might take multiple attempts to get the Vahzilok badge, but at least they were quick. If I actually needed the badge and there was someone on the team who always messed it up, I would leave the team after it was finished and get a new team. There never seems to be a shortage of sewer teams.

If your teammates are prone to bickering during a sewer trial, just complete it and get a new team. Just be glad the situation didn't come up half-way through Dr. Quarterfield's task force.