Is the content locked gear system a good choice?

Rioht

First things first:

I have been a very adamant voice on these forums since beta regarding the limited itemization system that locks items and gear behind content walls. To some, this is a system that provides rewards for completing endgame content, while to others it is a limitation to their playstyle and inhibits their ability to enjoy a game.

Disclaimer... I belong to the second camp. However, i also believe that it is possible to incorporate a itemization system that provides benefits to players who want to play only the latest and greatest endgame content, and those who with to enjoy this game in a sandbox Elder Scrolls format.

Evaluating a content locked gear system

Pros:
- It encourages players to engage with the latest pieces of content.
- players who earn the gear have to work towards it.
- players who complete the content are rewarded with epic loot.
- please add your own below.

Cons:
- it discourages players from engaging in any content that is not the latest and greatest.
- players are not always able to participate in the content. Such as solo players or players with shorter amounts of time available to play.
- players have no access to gear by playing the game in a way they enjoy.
- please add your own below.

To me the biggest problem I see with a content locked gear system is the fact that players are left with only a handful, or single activity ingame that will reward them for their time. In a game that is a massive as ESO, it is sad to say that the vast majority of content is a waste of time to someone who is looking to progress their character.

This is becoming apparent with the latest IC PTS, where players are already bringing up their concerns about being forced to do IC, being forced to abandon trials, being forced to abandon any non IC dungeons and having no way outside of playing IC content to have access to VR15/16 gear.

Maybe this isn't the best way to approach end game itemization?

Another option:

One way around this, would be to open up every set in the game to drop at your characters level. With one key requirements of course:
-The content that the gear is meant to be acquired through presents a MUCH greater chance of finding those pieces of gear.

I will take, for example, the cyrodils light set.

In this system, a player looking to get some gear from this set could PvP and earn some AP to be able to purchase the set from the vendor. The player can put in a specific amount of time and know they are working towards that item.

However, a player who wants gear from that set could also simply quest through some Caldwell's silver, or run a dungeon they enjoy knowing that there was still a small chance they could find a piece of that set, or another high end set piece.

Picture it like this:
Player A spends 1 hour doing trials and finds a trial piece they want.
Player B pends 1 hour and finds 1 random endgame set piece, they most likely wont get the exact set they want, but they have something. IF they specifically want a piece, they can do what player A did.

This form is itemization would appease to both kinds of players.

Players who enjoy content locked gear itemization would be able to continue playing the latest and greatest content while earning the gear they want consistently.

Alternatively, players who enjoy spending their time doing a variety of other activities would be happy to play the way they want while still earning endgame gear that COULD be the gear they specifically want.

Please feel free to provide feedback or suggestions, or /lurk if you choose.

Thank you.

MCMancub

Rioht wrote: »

Cons:
- it discourages players from engaging in any content that is not the latest and greatest.

I can't say I agree with this. People looking for large zergs and AP will still PvP in Cyrodiil, especially in campaigns where IC can be locked. People will still continue to do the old vet dungeons for gold keys in order to obtain the Undaunted shoulders. The only thing really getting held back are the Trials, and because they're Craglorn specific, I'm OK with this.

Very little about this DLC is different from any expansion or DLC you'd see in any other MMO.

DDuke

Do you want to know what happens when a game starts handing out epic raid gear to people who never even run those raids (or in other words, don't deserve the gear)?

Here's a good video explaining the failure of latest WoW expansion & how subs dropped to 5.6m, the lowest since 2006.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUoMQuKef0M


Gear progression is not only wanted, it is essential for the well being of a MMO.

Rioht

DDuke wrote: »

Do you want to know what happens when a game starts handing out epic raid gear to people who never even run those raids (or in other words, don't deserve the gear)?

Gear progression is not only wanted, it is essential for the well being of a MMO.

I fully understand that, and I agree that the gear should not simply fall from the sky.

What I am trying to emphasize is some form of incentive for players to go outside of the small handful of areas that constitute endgame. You can literally fill your entire inventory with loot drops and quest rewards doing veteran quests in silver and gold and not even need to.bother looking at your loot. I can guarantee you, 100% that everything will be vendored or deconstructed. Where's the excitement of finding a purple item, knowing full well that you will NEVER use it.

Rioht

MCMancub wrote: »

Very little about this DLC is different from any expansion or DLC you'd see in any other MMO.

Thats not a great way to think when trying to improve a game. Just because something has been done many times in the past doesn't mean it is the best way to do something.

hellkrasher

Though i think the DLC model is a smart move from ZOS, i agree that locking sets and enything that may affect your effectiveness in the game shoudnt, by any mean be behind a paywall in a B2P game. Content behind the DLC its fine, i get it, but combat effectiveness, not a good idea imo.

Nebthet78

I feel Special Gear Sets/Drops themselves, should be locked behind the latest and greatest content, with the ability to be able to purchase it in the guild stores, like how the current PVP gear works. That encourages trade. They should be BoE (bind on equip) instead of BoP (bind on pickup).

However, I DO NOT feel that Mats and the way to gain them for crafting purposes should be locked behind a content wall like Imperial City DLC.
ie: The current set up where trash mobs only in IC Dungeons will drop v15/16 gear for deconstruction, but won't in all other scaled dungeons, with the exception of bosses and mini-bosses.

Every scaled dungeons trash mobs should be dropping scaled weapon and armor, with the exception of special drops.

When you gate content behind a wall where a majority of players don't want to go, it becomes an obvious money grab. It's not about improving the game, it's about improving their wallet.

There is no denying that PVPers need new challenging content. But so does every one else and it is not a smart idea of them to put PVE advancement behind PVP content as it just creates fighting between the 2 player bases.

IC content is fun... PVP not so much. I find it very, very boring.

If there was a release of IC like Craglorn that required grouping to do the content, I would be really happy. It would be challenging and fun.

But. IC is for PVPers and ZOS is putting PVE content behind it in an attempt to force a bunch of players who want nothing to do with PvP to buy it and and it is not a good idea. I don't want to pay full price for a DLC to only be able to do 2 dungeons because I don't like the pvp that goes with it, and because it is the only way I can gain an efficient amount of scaled drops to decon to upgrade my gear to continue my PVEing.

I wold pay 500 Crowns for access to those 2 dungeons only, but I am not willing to pay 2500 crowns for it.

Xael

DDuke wrote: »

Do you want to know what happens when a game starts handing out epic raid gear to people who never even run those raids (or in other words, don't deserve the gear)?

Here's a good video explaining the failure of latest WoW expansion & how subs dropped to 5.6m, the lowest since 2006.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUoMQuKef0M


Gear progression is not only wanted, it is essential for the well being of a MMO.

No offense but this is very misleading response. WoW had a subscription drop for more reasons than welfare epics. WoW has had the most MMO fanbase since 2004 and a lot of people are just sick to death with that game. People are bound to leave after a matter of time. Not to mention the fact that the last expansion was very dull to a lot of people. It had nothing to do with welfare epics and more to do with the design of the overall game and the lackluster options it provided. The game has had major design shifts every single expansion, some worse than others. People are bound to leave. Not to mention the fact that there are way more options today than there were in 2006.

Emma_Overload

The best gear SHOULD be difficult to acquire, BUT...

1) ESO has a diverse player base of PvPers and PvEers, some of whom play in a group and some of whom play solo. Therefore, it is only fair that there should be MULTIPLE paths to obtain that gear, whether that be through raiding, questing, grinding or fighting in the Alliance War, so that ALL players have access to gear progression.

2) NO gear in the game should ever be Bind-on-Pickup. Bind-on-Pickup is terrible for players and it's terrible for the economy of the game. If a player puts in the effort to overcome challenging content to obtain a gear reward, that player should be FREE to dispose of that gear as he or she pleases, including sales in a guild store!

Rioht

Emma_Eunjung wrote: »

The best gear SHOULD be difficult to acquire, BUT...

1) ESO has a diverse player base of PvPers and PvEers, some of whom play in a group and some of whom play solo. Therefore, it is only fair that there should be MULTIPLE paths to obtain that gear, whether that be through raiding, questing, grinding or fighting in the Alliance War, so that ALL players have access to gear progression.

2) NO gear in the game should ever be Bind-on-Pickup. Bind-on-Pickup is terrible for players and it's terrible for the economy of the game. If a player puts in the effort to overcome challenging content to obtain a gear reward, that player should be FREE to dispose of that gear as he or she pleases, including sales in a guild store!

Well said thank you.