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Please, please remember to support your allies
momaw
Member Posts: 0 Arc User
First, the illustration.
We're on infected space elite. Throughout the mission I have been handing out heals left and right. I have Extend Shields, Aux2SIF3, TSS2, HE1, and engineer team 3 with two Maintenance Engineers on active duty so the cooldown is halved. I can pump out a little over 15K hitpoints every 15 seconds, and Extend Shields is... well, it's Extend Shields, anybody who's used it knows it can do.
So we get to the final cube, and I close in to start tanking it. I'm a big tough Fleet Negh'var so I've got some crazy hull and armor to throw around. I'm doing pretty good for a while and then it gets in a few lucky torpedo hits. You know, those fun ones that do 75K damage and leave you with somewhere around 1K/second in shield penetrating plasma burn (well, 1K for me and 5 layers of neutronium, it's probably around 2K/second for others). To cut an aggravating story short, I had to run, and of course a final Torpedo Of Doom caught up to me at 13km and killed me.
And I have to ask... where was my team? Not once did anybody give me Hazards to stop the insane DOTs. Not once did anybody give an engineering team to fix the holes. Not once did anybody throw any supportive abilities whatsoever my way. I had four team mates, none of who were being fired on aside from stray FAW spam, and received absolutely no help from them. And this is not an isolated event! This sort of thing happens all the time!
So I have to wonder, why are most players so selfish? Am I some kind of mutant? Do I have two copies of the recessive "heal team mate" gene? Maybe the part of the UI that shows you team mate health isn't enabled by default so nobody else even realizes I need help.
If guilt isn't enough to make people support team mates, then perhaps self interest is: after the cube killed me, it killed the entire rest of my team before my respawn timer was done. If you don't want to be the one taking fire, keep the person who is taking fire alive.
*sigh*
Maybe there should be some kind of dil reward for healing team mates. I bet that would motivate people. :rolleyes:
We're on infected space elite. Throughout the mission I have been handing out heals left and right. I have Extend Shields, Aux2SIF3, TSS2, HE1, and engineer team 3 with two Maintenance Engineers on active duty so the cooldown is halved. I can pump out a little over 15K hitpoints every 15 seconds, and Extend Shields is... well, it's Extend Shields, anybody who's used it knows it can do.
So we get to the final cube, and I close in to start tanking it. I'm a big tough Fleet Negh'var so I've got some crazy hull and armor to throw around. I'm doing pretty good for a while and then it gets in a few lucky torpedo hits. You know, those fun ones that do 75K damage and leave you with somewhere around 1K/second in shield penetrating plasma burn (well, 1K for me and 5 layers of neutronium, it's probably around 2K/second for others). To cut an aggravating story short, I had to run, and of course a final Torpedo Of Doom caught up to me at 13km and killed me.
And I have to ask... where was my team? Not once did anybody give me Hazards to stop the insane DOTs. Not once did anybody give an engineering team to fix the holes. Not once did anybody throw any supportive abilities whatsoever my way. I had four team mates, none of who were being fired on aside from stray FAW spam, and received absolutely no help from them. And this is not an isolated event! This sort of thing happens all the time!
So I have to wonder, why are most players so selfish? Am I some kind of mutant? Do I have two copies of the recessive "heal team mate" gene? Maybe the part of the UI that shows you team mate health isn't enabled by default so nobody else even realizes I need help.
If guilt isn't enough to make people support team mates, then perhaps self interest is: after the cube killed me, it killed the entire rest of my team before my respawn timer was done. If you don't want to be the one taking fire, keep the person who is taking fire alive.
*sigh*
Maybe there should be some kind of dil reward for healing team mates. I bet that would motivate people. :rolleyes:
Post edited by momaw on
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Comments
For one, I have lapses in attention. Sometimes I'm just watching the cooldown on my gravity well, dealing with my own damage, or racing away from a torpedo, and just plain don't notice someone is low on health. Sometimes, when I do notice, they're out of range, or so low down that before getting in range, or in the time between me clicking their portrait or their ship and getting the heal out there, their plasma DoT finishes them. Sometimes I think I'm healing someone (clicked their ship as it passed by, shieldless, glowing green and trailing fire) and it turns out I missed them and I end up wasting an engineering on my own full hull, and the list goes on. And yeah, this is especially true in PUGs, with random channel spam, where calls for support (which almost never happen) wouldn't get noticed anyway.
So basically: Uhr, me not bad person, just derp. You know, Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." (Also works with just plain bad luck.)
That's probably it, though. A lot of the time when people don't get 'their heals', it's one of those things, rather than the team just plain not caring. Though I'm sure some people just plain don't care and, for STFs, build for DPS-at-all-costs. It's not everyone.
I once ended up in an awesome team where everyone were helping each other stay alive. It was great and much faster than it would normally take. I've also found that healing is much more frequent in the fleet alerts than anywhere else.
I like playing the support vessel myself, and the best thing about S7 is that as painful as the new rep system is it does allow me to play the part I want while still having access to decent gear. To that end I always try to heal team mates, especially those in trouble.
I never expect others to heal me (although it is nice when it does happen) since 9/10 they are tac or sci officers who's responsibility isn't healing, and fly ships that need to cycle their own heals just to stay in one piece.
It does happen though, last time I did Elite Infection I flew straight into the swarm of spheres that spawn after you take out the transformer - I tend to hit them all with warp plasma so they are packed together and stuck in place. On this occasion I got quite battered and a few of the team kept me in one piece. I thanked them on team chat, pretty good run actually - barely got the optional with seconds to spare, always more fun when it's tense
I think (or hope) that now dps isn't crucial to getting good stuff more people will be content in playing support roles, and perhaps in time we will start to see more active healers. If missions like The Hive is anything to go by, perhaps we'll see more need for tanks in the future too.
A faster way to heal other players is to use the f key since sometimes clicking on portrait doesnt repond fast enough.
F1 targets yourself, F2 targets next player down, F3 the next one below him, and so on.
Much easier this way.
I am a tactical captain and I fly the Jem'Hadar Attack Ship...and I too throw HE or TSS, and even Tactical Team on players that need it. Although we all have specific "roles" that we fulfill well in the game, STFs, PvP, etc., the team that truly plays together as a well-oiled machine is the one that wins the day.
My mediocre heal or shield buff isn't much....but it might just buy a couple of seconds needed for my ally's healing powers to come off of cooldown so he can save his own bacon.
Of course, your duty is to your own crew. I live by the rule that if I am at 30% hull or lower, and incapable of hitting Evasive Maneuvers or such to escape combat, then I am healing myself and my shields. But it is my job to not just deliver the DPS to the enemy....it is my job to make sure the enemy is neutralized before they can take out the science vessels and cruisers that are keeping other captains in the fight.
It's just a matter of who you happen to be flying with. I fly with trusted fleetmates and friends, so we know to support each other. Every now and then, I get in a PUG that has a few like-minded individuals that play well as a team and do what they can for complete strangers.
And I am always quick to type "TY" in the team chat when a heal comes my way.
I understand the frustration of flying with individuals that offer zero support for the team. Usually, these are the people barking out "orders", as if none of us have flown any of the STFs a few hundred times. Soon, arguments ensue and the person/people who refuse to come to the aid of their teammates are sitting back by the spawn point, telling everyone else "good luck". Unfortunately, it is the nature of PUGs in almost every MMO I've played. However, if there is at least one good team-player captain in the PUG, be sure to friend them and ask them along for another STF...and build your list of trusted captains so you don't have to rely on other people that are selfish with their heals and such.
Just my two credits.
As a gag, sometimes when I'm healing in an Escort and someone says thanks, I reply "You're more useful to me alive than dead.
The problem is my healboats are an Oddy and a Marauder, meaning I am not a nimble medic. If you don't work with me and try to stay at least within 10km, I can't do much for you. 7.5 would be ideal so I can Extend Shields, too, but at least one of these; TSS, HE, Eng Team, and Aux to Struc, is available to help if you can't manage that.
I Support Disco | Disco is Love | Disco is Life
Don't sell your contributions short. Tactical team is the game's one-shot wonder drug and can often stave off imminent explosions. And your hazard emitters, while they may not have much healing potential, can prevent tens of thousands of damage in plasma burn, or get rid of the stupid Shield Neutralizer ability, just as well as somebody's max-aux HE3.
Never ever think "Well, there's no point in trying to help that guy". I've thrown heals at people who literally have no visible health bar left and had them come back from the grave. They just needed to survive that one last hit until their own stuff recycles.
I do not spam repairs onto people who are MOVING away at high speed
or indeed people who I can't reach
(its a waste to go 30 km to repair a vessel if that takes my own weapons out of range)
and actually some people don't want to be repaired (or spammed with tac team)
Sadly some of the people who show up in Elite STF pugs are completely new and just reached cap or so. They don't balance their shields yet, nor have optimal builds.
I really wish the PvE in this game was more team oriented and less about the Kirking. If it were all on the level of Elite STFs, you'd have more prepared people when they reach cap. Hopefully PvP bootcamp readys more people for the content in the game.
If I see you, you can be sure to get an Extend and other resists from me. Especially if you draw a lot of aggro from your damage.
If I miss healing you, it's either because everything is already on cooldown or because you ran away screaming like a girl and now you're too far away.
I mean - you are the Captain of a ship - whether you be in Sci, Eng or Tac, you are still responsible for keeping your own ship alive... Starfleet might be able to get you reinforcements or help, but can they get them to you in time?
Don't get me wrong tho... there are times in eSTFs that I just want to SCREAM at the people in the team for not assisting when you need it... especially when you are pulling the agro for them or just doing a TRIBBLE load of the damage for the team.
At the end of the day it would be nice if it happened more often - but it doesn't so you need to set BoFF skills and consoles for so you don't end up facing the respawn counter over and over. I can do it with both my Tac and Eng Fed characters and have no doubt that I'll be able to do the same with my new Sci character when it reaches skill cap.
This kind of statement worries me a little as a mid-level player wanting to play end-game. At one point it will be my first attempt and I feel like I should expect to get a dress-down from more experienced players for something I missed due to either inexperience or not having the build THEY think I should have. So, to the experienced players: give a n00b who is trying (and that's the condition) a break - you were new once too.
Yet, I do agree that the game should not be so easy to "Kirk". Heck, DOffing makes it way Way WAY to easy to level.
It seems to me, the best way to prevent errors at end-game is to team up often as you level. In other words, learn how to play your character's career. The game is more than "pew pew", right?
Nah, don't worry about people giving you a hard time. Aside from a few bad apples, people are generally ok in this game. If you have any questions about builds, don't hesitate to ask in the PvP forums.
The place for learning is before elite STF. If you go into elite STF without experience and drag the team down, then yes, you should expect scorn. Which is why there is not-elite STF
Problems arise when people think they are Q's greatest gift to the universe and strut into a mission where they turn out to be worse than useless because everybody else is expecting them to supply a level of performance they can't deliver. Don't sign up for the room that says "I Know what I'm doing" unless you really do. Willingness to learn will get you accepted with the end game crowd while cockiness and disregard for tactics will get you dressed down. It's as simple as that.
It is impossible for any one to be as bad as I was on my first STF. Back when the original long form Infected was released me and another fleetmate decided to try it out. Long story short we where 2 hours into it and at the Mario bros. room, when one of the guys we were teaming with had to tell me how to turn the team chat on. He had to do it through the little bubbles that come up when you use the local chat because I had disabled everything but Fleet. he was then able to explain to me why I kept dying when I fell in the plasma.
If I could learn to do these missions you will have no problem.
I also pack AP:D normally and that reminds me to heal. I want that damage boost dangit and if the cruiser is so determined to tank I have to target him and give him AP:D. And if he dies than I loose that damage boost so you can bet your bottom dollar imma slap my two heals on him while I got 'em targeted.
I LOVE tractor beam. Nails an enemy to the floor so you can swing round on him. Keeps enemies near explosions. Keeps enemies away from their objective. Intercepts heavy plasma torps instantly and without taking your weapons off target.
Wish every ship could use a simple version of tractor without having to spend a boff slot! Its a great ability but I agree that HE and TSS are pretty much essential and win out on any ship that doesn't have an excess of science abilities.
If I pull super aggro I will hold it aslong as I can and simply respawn but if someone does heal me I always make it a point to say thanks.
Most of the times when I play I watch movies on my laptop because the game is so easy it doesn't require full attention and I am not even playing with key binds either.
The game asks very little of you when you look at it.
I think the game is balanced towards a much simpler, easier gameplay and the bar is set very low.
And I also think that it should be that. If you had a sto where every map required you to have 2 healers and a tank all geared performing at peak level just to get the job done, you'd quickly lose a lot of people.
Same reason there is no kick function. No matter how great a TRIBBLE-up he is it doesn't really make much difference.
I've never had a single purple console and I always felt overpowered just like I never played normal stf's because frankly it's a quite easy game on both ground and in space.
Not just to figure out the mechanics but in terms of stats too, it's very, very forgiving.
And I think it was done on purpose to attract casual people who are hardly able to time pressing space to get over a ledge. Simply so that it would attract a larger audience.
The downside to that is of course for people looking for constant self-improvement through intense battles that wants to be put to the test, won't feel much if any of a challenge.
So in short the kind of gameplay you are putting a warrent out on it's not at all what sto is about.
Why? Assumming by "support" you mean healer why should the system reward a function that is not a design consideration? Debuffs are a different can of worms as far as credit goes; but since most people wanting to DPS already debuff quite a bit you get most people throwing in some so its not as bad.
When on my Tacscort if I'm not holding agro then we have a dedicated tank so they can take care of themselves. I might throw a heal to someone if they are getting overwhelmed by the non critical mobs (ie: spheres) but I find Its simply more effective to DPS down whatever is killing the inexperienced players than trying to save them through healing.
When on my Engi Cruiser I hold agro so I need to heal myself. I've seen Odys run from single spheres before... i'm not gonna waste a heal on them. Not because I'm a jerk (although I am) but because my engi cruiser is built to tank while DPSing as much as possible... I just don't have the heals to throw around. Alternatively if an escort takes the lead in agro my hands are tied since I only have HE and TSS to give out... I also wonder why an escort is putting points into threat gen
When on my Sci Recon I like to play wizard and break the laws of physics for the lolz while using an all torp/mine offensive toolfit... not healing.
Dedicated healers are just not necessary in STO. I realize we have generations of players that have played nothing but healbots all their gaming careers but the truth is a dedicated healer is simply superflous. The best you can do (IMO at least) if you want to call yourself a healer is some sort of healer/DPS cruiser without threat gen. But that's just conjecture as I have never felt the desire to try it out.
It is just more enjoybale to me then just spamming the spacebar for 15 minutes.
And I guess it is appreciated, since I usually have no problem finding volunteers for space STF's if I ask in fleet chat.
Thing is by helping others and trying to work as a best a team that you can for a group of random people thrown together it's a great way of making friends in game I find.
As a result I'm never short of requests from people to come help them run an STF and have laugh while playing them.
My Fed character always has: TSS, two copies of Engineering team & Hazard Emitter. I have noticed how stingy some others are with heals. Many times, I simply cant heal EVERYONE.
Lifetime no longer gives a forum title. That should be updated on the Lifetime page that mentions what you get. PMing the CSR doesn't work neither.
This is true and I tend to slot it when I have room for a 3rd Sci ability, or TBR as you don't even need to bother targeting those silly torp. Although in all honesty anymore I kinda like getting hit with the HYs (sans Tac Cubes) as it kills the target that much faster. BFI FTW!
Healing in groups has truly become a oneway street in this MMO.
Players will harp at you if you're not dishing out your heals but at the same time they wont cover for you when the heat is on.
I'm Science in the Vo'Quv and I use ET3 on 15 second cool down with Hazzard 3 and Science Team 1 and TTS1.
I also use TBR 1 has a defensive skill to push things away and buy the team time.
I find myself trying to keep team mates alive; however, I've noticed that the gesture is rarely ever returned when needed.
I always think what can I do to help the team when I join a group but it seems many only think of themselves