Why Do People Spam Incandescence?


Adeon Hawkwood

 

Posted

I have had the misforutne lately on being on several itrials where the leader and others in the group hit incandescence every time it is up. Many people in the group, including myself, ask them to stop. Not only do they not stop, but they call us idiots for not realizing the genius of spamming incandescence. So I am asking the community, what am I missing here?

I see several things wrong with constanly spamming this power. All of these points are compounded by the fact that more often than not, the incan spammers seem to tp people right into the middle of the mob or the boss's face, killing the squishies. But even when that doesn't happen:

1) The power doesn't actually increase regen, it just gives a buff to incoming healing. So if the healers have to stop healing to hit yes/no on the teleport promp, during that time there is no healing at all and the buff is meaningless.

2) When people are tp'd they lose their positional awareness. Most decent players like to find a sweet spot where they are close enough to attack, heals etc. but not right in the middle of the mob. Probably not as big a deal for melees, but it defintely is for ranged dmg and support toons. So even assuming that it's not a completely mindless tp into the middle of the mob, there is still time wasted by people trying to get their bearings and get back in position.

3) Aside from the healers, during this time,the tanks aren't taunting, the CC'ers aren't CCing, DPS drops, etc.

4) I have every MO badge on my badger and on none of the runs did anyone spam incandescence. With the exception of some Keyes runs, in fact no one used it at all. It is simply not necessary for anything in the game. If a player or group is so lacking in something that it can't control mobs, put out dps, etc., I would suggest there are numerous issues to look at before incandescence is considered the solution.

The point is that whatever marginal benefit is given by incandescence, it is more than outweighed by the loss in wasted time caused by breaking peoples' attack chain, situational awareness, etc.

I'm not saying the power is worthless, Sometimes a strategic TP to get people out of the green on Keyes can make sense. Using it to buff before a boss fight can make sense. But IMHO, mindlessly spamming it on trash mobs is pure stupidity. In fact mindlessly spamming any incarnate power doesn't make a lot of sense, but incandescence is especially annoying.

So I ask, am I missing something?


 

Posted

i think Null the Gull can fix this problem of where you cant be affected by team tp. Of course this can be an upside and downside to it


-Female Player-
Quote:
Originally Posted by mauk2 View Post
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Posted

1. Most people DONT think it increases regen. Or even claim it does. SO you saying it doesnt, as some major point really..means nothing. Not to mention, the people who take it..I would say they ALL know what it does, which..you dont. It isnt a buff to incoming healing either..it is lowering a persons resistance to healing, so the take more. Because it is not the most well explained mechanic, or understood, many people dont know what it IS doing. Most people when faced with something the dont understand (and something the likely would have annoyed them) WONT take it.

I am not trying to say it cant be annoying..but it you are going to claim, indirectly, that the power is useless because it doesnt do what YOU think others think it does..it kinda weakens your argument.

2. I totally understand you here. I agree it is annoying. If you HAVE the tp prompt on, you get distracted by the Yes/NO option, perhaps not using that power you meant to etc etc.

3 and 4..can all be summed up with..

People are idiots. And the TP portion of the power IS annoying.
There is no way around it. I can see both sides of the argument, for and against using it. I would agree that at least half of the people using it, use it at totally silly times, like in the middle of a mob, making everyone face the wall and stuff. Mind you..I dont know when the BEST time would be. You are always going to piss someone off..look at the whiny people who complain about getting sb'd! (Myself, I am a whiny person when it comes to ID)

Another funny thing with the issue to me..I play on Freedumb mostly, and there are OFTEN arguments about the issue during trials. ANd the thing is..pretty much everyone who I see with the power, is a PvP'r. They are used to spamming it in RV every 2 mins, without regard of where their team is (in RV I mean. I have been tpd away from a kill a LOT more than I get tpd away from dying). Then of course, they bring that delightful pvp mentality along, and call everyone who just, for some insane reason, doesnt LIKE being tpd into a wall, off a cliff, into aoes, a nub.

Look on the bright side..a good portion of those players have quality pvp builds..you know the ones..therms with shields or Caut, colds without shields, the list goes on and on. So at least, even WHILE annoying everyone, they are doing something for the league..

Also, in defence to these people and the power itself..is it really spamming to give the league a huge healing increase? I get MAD at emps constantly spamming healing aura..I would go so far as to call that more of a spam, and more potential to let someone die, being in the animation when a team mate takes damage. At least the TP does throw us all together, then that silly spamming emps heal with actually HIT us all, instead if the 3 people way at the back.

The power itself..I get they wanted to try something else. But if using it whenever its up..counts as misusing it..what do we call the person with barrier, ageless, rebirth, who dives into a mob ahead of everyone, almost dies, and fires of their Destiny, buffing NO one else on the league?
Well..besides a twit.


 

Posted

Turn your prompt on and use these two binds

Code:
/bind Y "dialog_yes$$dialog_answer Accept" 
/bind N "dialog_no$$dialog_answer Decline"
Then pressing Y or N on keyboard accepts/rejects the prompt, takes much less time than finding the accept/reject button with mouse.

A lot of the annoyance factor is then gone.


I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.

Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.

So sad to be ending ):

 

Posted

Quote:
Look on the bright side..a good portion of those players have quality pvp builds..you know the ones..therms with shields or Caut, colds without shields, the list goes on and on. So at least, even WHILE annoying everyone, they are doing something for the league..
How is a cold without shields good for a team? A proper cold build will have the shields and frostworks as well as every debuff and a good attack chain; in other words, anything the "pvp cold" has plus more; ditto on therm, when I see those therms with 2 attacks, phase shift and acrobatics I just roll my eyes. A decent PVE build would have all buffs/debuffs *and* actually deal damage.

Honestly, I find the PVP inclined folks to be the most detrimental to a league's success. Not only their builds are subpar, but their attitude is hurtful to the atmosphere. They keep yapping away all the time, and they're abrasive. They'll stop midfight to talk, flirt and argue with each other.

...Ultimately it's not so much "PVP" itself as "teenagers", but the fact is the very nature of PVP attracts a younger crowd. Every league I've been on that failed a trial had a PVP guy running his mouth on it.

The only people being as toxic to a league are farmers - you know the kind, the SS/fires of the world with fireball and taunt who will immediately taunt Nightstar breaking pulls, and spam taunt during the fight as to show they are SO STRONG, resulting in aggro being much harder to grab when they inevitably pull back after two rings, and always pull back in the wrong way so the AV follows...


Rant rant rant rant yeah, I wish there wasn't a 20 hour limit on DA so I could avoid these people forever.

On the other hand, whenever I end up on a league without either farmers and PVPers, it's such an enjoyable experience. If only there was a way to lock out those few tedious individuals from the vast majority of decent folks.

It goes to show farming is good for the game as a whole, because you just don't get these sorts of miserable team experience in regular content; and why is that? Because the idiots are doing nothing but AE farms in Atlas Park. Farming acts as a filter, removing much of the most annoying people from the teaming pool.


 

Posted

@nihilii This and also there is no map on any itrial so large that any tp is needed.


 

Posted

nope. some people love their tp powers though, so much they must use it.

I just canceled those affects for me on most toons and use the y or n button. But that pop up can be annoying as crap especiallywhe it's popping up a little bit too often


-Female Player-
Quote:
Originally Posted by mauk2 View Post
Evil_Legacy became one of my favorite posters with two words.
"Kick Rocks."
I laffed so hard. Never change, E_L!

 

Posted

They think they Masterminds.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by akarah the hunter View Post
@nihilii This and also there is no map on any itrial so large that any tp is needed.
It can be convenient for stragglers, or in situations where several people are defeated. It's also nice if you're playing with a lot of people who really have no idea what they're doing, ie: you're on a TPN and people are outside fighting the good fight against innocent bystanders.

Overall though, I agree with the OP. It's a pretty annoying power and in the wrong hands it does more harm than good.


 

Posted

I didnt see this happen until recently.
Was on a BAF, that was under poor leadership I might add and during the Dual AV fight things were getting a lil tough and I had taken some damage so I flew really high up to avoid further attack. (Softcapped to range and have +range on my attacks from alpha) and then all of a sudden I was hovering in the middle of the fight right off the ground.

Flew back up and I will say it did happen another time before the trial ended. Very annoying.


 

Posted

I haven't really seen this happening at least on Virtue. I have seen people with Incandesence but they were using it sensibly in situations where a league-wide TP is useful (such as Rikti MS Raid, it's great if people are ignoring the requests to move up to the center).


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood View Post
I haven't really seen this happening at least on Virtue. I have seen people with Incandesence but they were using it sensibly in situations where a league-wide TP is useful (such as Rikti MS Raid, it's great if people are ignoring the requests to move up to the center).
Same with defiant but admitedly I wasn't in itrials for a couple of months now. Still leading group in defiant (there are not much players in defiant that does itrials so there is some kind of schedule for usual runs each day and there are some groups that make runs out of that schedule as well) rarely spams incan and it is almost always in a keyes final fight. On TPN it is used to get faster in buildings and people are warned about it before trial starts


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nihilii View Post
Not only their builds are subpar, but their attitude is hurtful to the atmosphere.
I thought I'd quote this specific part rather than the whole message, and I'll state my stance now that I disagree with the majority of it.

While I may have even agreed with you on average that the least useful are PvPers and farmers, I can't even go that far. The majority of us understand it's more the player than the build. It's easy for -any- of my PvP builds to near solo nades or acids among dying blasters left and right. I mean my ranged as well, it's not hard stocking up on 20 purples and using all your single target DPS on crates.

In fact, the majority of trials are just that, single target DPS on bags of HP. If anything, PvPers specialize in that. We try to aim for max damage in a power, then top it off with multiple procs. We make sure we have enough recharge to chain our powers with DR, meaning with it off we're absolutely fine.

The 2 fastest incarnate trials runs I've had were done by both PvPers and farmers.
I can't speak to the PUG PvPer on freedom, but the PvPers I know are the kind to speed run TFs endlessly to get rare goods and grind their character as much as possible. For example, you won't find anyone who can get all their accolades faster than experienced PvPers. Possibly badgers, but accolades involve a lot of movement, which PvPers kind of specialize in (traveling from A --> B quickly).

In fact, the fastest SLAM I've ever been on was right around when it came out, and the majority of the team didn't speak english. I'm not joking either. Serious farmers will speed through things much faster than anyone else in the game, it may very well be their profession to do so. If you were talking about just anyone rolling a farming SS/Fire brute, well, that could be anyone.

Which brings me to another point. PvPers are also PvErs. You can't download the game and jump into a PvP zone, and that's why I have trouble getting outside friends inside the game. PvP in this game is gated behind a lot of PvE. Nobody joins CoH with the intention to PvP. They join to PvE, enjoy that part of the game, then move onto PvP when they're 50. There are no PvPers and PvErs, there are those who prefer one or the other, but PvPers still PvE a lot.

Every PvPer at one point was a PvEr, meaning that every PvPer you dislike was also a PvEr at one point. If that's the case, there's no way to tell if a PvEr is a soon-to-be PvPer or not. People don't magically become a jerk when they cross into PvP.

Not to mention, I'd rather have SS/Fire farming brutes covering the BAF doors than anyone else. Killing them before they step out of the door is nice. You've got an SS/Fire, so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.



I've had my share of trials wrecked by PUG PvPers, moreso than pure PvErs, but that doesn't outweigh that some of the most experienced and skilled players in this entire game are also PvPers.

I quoted that line at the top because I didn't want a respected forum poster, someone who has a lot of influence on people, to paint the wrong picture of PvPers. We have enough trouble as it is without people pointing out people even -we- dislike and grouping us all together.

PS: The average PvP build is upwards of 7-10 billion, whereas the average PvE build is nowhere near that.


@Sentry4 @Sentry 4

PvP Redux is discontinued, for obvious reasons. Thanks to everyone who helped and joined.

 

Posted

To the OP, I originally thought this was just a complaint thread from someone who didn't know how to select the teleport prompt, but you honestly have some very good arguements.

Mainly, the fact is that most people have the prompt off, and most people are so dazed by the teleport that it would slow down the teams DPS etc.
If I were on a PUG and wanted the trial to end faster, you're correct in that I should not use Incan.



Although personally, I use Incan when I believe the team is being too slow. As an example, as my team is finishing the last mob to open up the Lamb doors, I'll Incan to the side of the EB. Anytime 15+ seconds in travel time or something else can be saved, I Incan the team to where it should be. In SLAMs, again, I'll also use Incan to gather everyone for buffs before Marauder, because there are always a few lost.

If a team were to try and break some record speed for trials, they would most certainly take advantage of an instant league wide teleport. That being said, it looks as though you're speaking from the perspective of PUG trials, rather than organized. On a PUG, the majority of people want something simple and without effort. Introducing strategy or complexity would hurt the situation.


@Sentry4 @Sentry 4

PvP Redux is discontinued, for obvious reasons. Thanks to everyone who helped and joined.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sentry4 View Post
For example, you won't find anyone who can get all their accolades faster than experienced PvPers.

Which brings me to another point. PvPers are also PvErs. You can't download the game and jump into a PvP zone, and that's why I have trouble getting outside friends inside the game. PvP in this game is gated behind a lot of PvE. Nobody joins CoH with the intention to PvP. They join to PvE, enjoy that part of the game, then move onto PvP when they're 50. There are no PvPers and PvErs, there are those who prefer one or the other, but PvPers still PvE a lot.
Not to just start an argument..since I do agree with a lot of your points..but THESE. I am not sure what server your on (maybe I missed it) but..wow. lol. I dont think I have played a single day on Freedom without seeing some nublet pvp'd in help, bc or channels moaning about HAVING to do pvp content, to get a badge for their new, freshly pl'd toon. I see plenty of pvp people who claim to HATE pve, wont do it, not want they play for etc etc. Spend 5 mins in RV, and you will here someone having a hissy about pve.

But still..that follows your point about not being able to jump into teh game and pvp. Which, if anything, makes these people even more silly.

Just to add a bit more..I do partly agree with you about the 'best and fastest' TFs etc being run by pvprs or farmer. I have seen a lot like that, been on a few myself, seen 'those' people post similar crazy victories on the froms. BUT...I have also seem the same from the pvp and badger types.
Basically..good players will always be good, stupid people wont. Both groups have more than their fair share of both types.


 

Posted

In other games I would covet a power like Incandescence; in City of Heroes things are straight forward enough that it usually just complicates things. Outside of Avoiding the Green stuff there isn't anything where the benefit is obvious.

I will confess to using Incandescence to pull a non-compliant league to where they should be to finish an objective. It's useful if you're leading a league and also happen to be the only one bothering to read league chat - it wakes people up and shows terminal auto-followers where they should be following to.


The Paladin
Steel Canyon, Virtue
Exalted

@Paladin

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sentry4 View Post
Although personally, I use Incan when I believe the team is being too slow.
I wish everyone with Incadescence did same thing, unfortunately, on Freedumb pugs, the rule seems to be to use it everytime is up, period.

Although it's extremely useful for trials like TPN or UG and in many situations, some ppl just click it happily oblivious of everything else and it can be downright annoying, specially on trials like MoM, where you accept the TP to get out fast of a purple circle on the floor... just to find out you've been teleported right into another one... like has been happening to me many times on a MoM trial just a few minutes ago (grrrrrrrrrrrr).


 

Posted

Yes this happens on Virtue. About 3 times for me in the past week in TPN. I asked them to stop since I didn't have the prompt on. I was pulling terminal groups and getting ping ponged into the middle of the room. Of course their response was to turn on teleport prompt. So I had to take 5 minutes and find the damn thing just so they could think they were cool. There was no reason to use the teleport.


 

Posted

Fixed (in beta anyway).

"Team Transporter can no longer be activated while on a mission map."


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by _Klaw_ View Post
Fixed (in beta anyway).

"Team Transporter can no longer be activated while on a mission map."
That's the Team Transporter temp power to allow a team to tp to the mission door. Incandescence is a different thing.



 

Posted

Yeah I missed how it was a new section not part of the incarnate powers section derpy derp.


 

Posted

I think most people on freedom have no idea what the power does and just complain that they are being tp`d. Incan is probably the best buff in the game. You should be grateful they are buffing YOU and everyone on the team.

Bit of advice, put the prompt on and if you don't like it, ask nicely. I have heard how rude the "pvers" are about asking to stop, it isn't normally very nice and if you are rude you can expect the same in return, pvpers are no different in that respect.


 

Posted

The bottom line is that the buff is not necessary. It can be helpful if used at the right time, but never necessary. Used improperly, it can make things worse.

Let's say I am on my blaster -- I like to be in the rear with the gear attacking from range. If the taunters/cc people are doing their job I shouldn't be taking any damge at all, so the healing buff from incandescence is irrelevant. Even if I'm taking some splash dmg or there's a stray mob or two, if that means I'm taking 20 dps, but I'm receiving 25 hps, I don't need the buff.

If, on the other hand, I get tp'd into the bosses face/middle of the mob so that I am now taking 250 dps, the fact that incandescence is buffing me to 200 hps isn't helping matters.

(I'm pulling these numbers out of you know where, but it illustrates the point).

On top of that, when there are three people in the group spamming it everytime it's up, that means that about every 100 seconds or so, everyone in the group stops healing, dpsing, taunting, etc. for roughly 15-20 seconds to deal with the prompt, reposition, etc. Again, that doesn't help matters.

A lot of the people complaining know exactly what it does and quite rationally conclude that the benefits aren't worth these costs.

Also, when half the league keeps saying "plz stop tp'ing" numerous times and the response from the same three people, (who only have the 1-year vet badges and few to no MO badges), keep spamming it nonstop and say "noob," just who is being rude?


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Volific View Post
I think most people on freedom have no idea what the power does and just complain that they are being tp`d. Incan is probably the best buff in the game. You should be grateful they are buffing YOU and everyone on the team.
It's an excellent buff in PvP since it counters the healing resistance. In PvE not so much. It's semi-useful but in general unless the team is really struggling the buff isn't that critical. Most leagues have sufficient defense/resistance buffs that extra healing is rarely needed


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood View Post
It's an excellent buff in PvP since it counters the healing resistance. In PvE not so much. It's semi-useful but in general unless the team is really struggling the buff isn't that critical. Most leagues have sufficient defense/resistance buffs that extra healing is rarely needed
Extra healing is rarely needed on trials and everyones heals (and green insp) doing almost double (per incan, which stacks) is only semi useful ? Lol, k. Count how many deaths there are in the next trial you are on.