Do large "Frontline" battles still happen?

ArchMikem · September 2019

Years ago I remember when two large Zergs would clash in the fields between two Keeps or slug it out on Alessia Bridge, complete with solo or small groups throwing down Siege to act as Artillery support fire, and the fights would go on for several minutes. And I'm not talking Bridge farms, I'm talking protracted Battles where everyone's aim is to actually cross the Bridge and gain control of the other side. Legit Battles, the kind that you can actually name in the PvP Histories. These days that just doesn't exist (in my experience). Fights are one sided curb stomps with momentum changing sides every so often depending on which Guild logs on or where a Zerg forms. The only times PvP ever gets close to one of these large prolonged Battles is when Emperor is defending their last Emp Keep and it's all hands on deck to defend it. (Even if it's always 95% about that Def Tick...)

Do you guys in the other Campaigns/Platforms see this still happen? Large battles happening away from Keeps? In unusually out of the way locations? Battles that use Siege?

VaranisArano · September 2019

Yes, allowing for the overall drop in PVP population thanks to ZOS' failure to fix performance, it still happens.

We still fight open field or over bridges.

But there's a couple aspects to keep in mind.
A. The bridges and milegate battles are legit fights for control...but also in no small part due to wanting to farm enemy players.
B. When siege does get used in the open field, there's a number of players who promptly complain "Siege is too strong! I should get killed by "real" PVP, not some schmuck who just threw down a meatbag in an open field fight!"
C. Large, long fights exert a big toll on the server's ability to perform. So even though they still happen, its pretty clear that the server's ability to handle such large, long fights has severely diminished over time.

NBrookus · September 2019

It does happen, at least on PC. It's not an everyday thing for sure, but many of the guilds do fight each other.

The biggest impediment to this IMO is the disparity of guild size via faction. For example, all factions have a pug zerg, but the non-pug guilds on DC are all pretty small. The ones on AD are all pretty big. 8 man versus 24 man guild fight is rarely going to go well for the 8 man even if they have pug support.

Hashtag_ · September 2019

No everyone sits in keeps on siege and that's what the big fights are these days

Kadoin · September 2019

Yes, every time I log in for some reason.

Hexquisite · September 2019

PC NA We had decent sized 3 way battle between Alessa Bridge and the Keep that lasted 40+ mins a couple nights ago, but it wasn't huge...it was like 40 AD. 20ish EP and 20ish DC--the EP and DC were small organzied groups, the AD were mostly pug zerg. And no one was trying to get the keep or control the bridge. Lots of AD sitting on the keep wasll sieging. It was still fun though.

InvictusApollo · September 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

Years ago I remember when two large Zergs would clash in the fields between two Keeps or slug it out on Alessia Bridge, complete with solo or small groups throwing down Siege to act as Artillery support fire, and the fights would go on for several minutes. And I'm not talking Bridge farms, I'm talking protracted Battles where everyone's aim is to actually cross the Bridge and gain control of the other side. Legit Battles, the kind that you can actually name in the PvP Histories. These days that just doesn't exist (in my experience). Fights are one sided curb stomps with momentum changing sides every so often depending on which Guild logs on or where a Zerg forms. The only times PvP ever gets close to one of these large prolonged Battles is when Emperor is defending their last Emp Keep and it's all hands on deck to defend it. (Even if it's always 95% about that Def Tick...)

Do you guys in the other Campaigns/Platforms see this still happen? Large battles happening away from Keeps? In unusually out of the way locations? Battles that use Siege?

We had such epic battles with great performance during the "Siege Bug Week". But then crybabies started calling for siege nerfs because they were unable to roll dodge out of the circle of stupidity.

ku5h · September 2019

On PC EU, not really. AD is actively avoiding enemy groups, PvDooring empty keeps. DC runs either small 4-8 man groups, or 50+man zergs you simply can't fight against and EP waiting for their DC masters to push left side of the AD so they can take right side unopposed.

Alienoutlaw · September 2019

ku5h wrote: »

On PC EU, not really. AD is actively avoiding enemy groups, PvDooring empty keeps. DC runs either small 4-8 man groups, or 50+man zergs you simply can't fight against and EP waiting for their DC masters to push left side of the AD so they can take right side unopposed.

Its not that we avoid enemy groups, my guild certainly does not but when you hit two EP and DC 50+ zergs the server locks up, i had 2.5k ping and 2FPS at one point yesterday. would be nice to go back to the days of open field fights without the rubbish performance

heng14rwb17_ESO · September 2019

AD STRONG !
AD POWERFUL !
AD WILL CRASH ANY LARGE FRONTLINE !

dtsharples · September 2019

On PC EU its basically just a load of AD PVDoor plebs taking the map every morning.
It then takes until around 5/6pm until there are enough opposition actually online to start taking any keeps back.
Being that the whole map is yellow at this point, it's no easy feat as AD can just swoop in from any nearby keep in a giant talent-less Zerg.
It must take a certain type of person to enjoy ruining 12 hours of Cyrodiil for other people, but each to their own.

Alienoutlaw · September 2019

dtsharples wrote: »

On PC EU its basically just a load of AD PVDoor plebs taking the map every morning.
It then takes until around 5/6pm until there are enough opposition actually online to start taking any keeps back.
Being that the whole map is yellow at this point, it's no easy feat as AD can just swoop in from any nearby keep in a giant talent-less Zerg.
It must take a certain type of person to enjoy ruining 12 hours of Cyrodiil for other people, but each to their own.

not true, i was in Cyro at 3am this morning and it was a sea of EP zergs night capping so EVERY faction does it

dtsharples · September 2019

Yup, its red from about 3am - 5am.
After that its yellow until early evening.
I have the privilege of working odd hours sometimes, so I see the map at all times.
Funnily enough the only time the map is majority Blue, is during primetime

GhostofDatthaw · September 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

Years ago I remember when two large Zergs would clash in the fields between two Keeps or slug it out on Alessia Bridge, complete with solo or small groups throwing down Siege to act as Artillery support fire, and the fights would go on for several minutes. And I'm not talking Bridge farms, I'm talking protracted Battles where everyone's aim is to actually cross the Bridge and gain control of the other side. Legit Battles, the kind that you can actually name in the PvP Histories. These days that just doesn't exist (in my experience). Fights are one sided curb stomps with momentum changing sides every so often depending on which Guild logs on or where a Zerg forms. The only times PvP ever gets close to one of these large prolonged Battles is when Emperor is defending their last Emp Keep and it's all hands on deck to defend it. (Even if it's always 95% about that Def Tick...)

Do you guys in the other Campaigns/Platforms see this still happen? Large battles happening away from Keeps? In unusually out of the way locations? Battles that use Siege?

People stopped caring and lag happen

Delsskia · October 2019

Our guild gets into large, protracted fights every night that we're in Cyr. Very often we're outnumbered by 2, 3 or 4 to 1 and fighting both EP and DC and we almost always have siege directed at us. Often times we get other AD that join us in the fights. Occasionally the fights only last a few minutes but very often they last more than 30. We do intentionally look for those kinds of fights and if we can't find one, we create one. Sometimes we slow siege a keep to allow time for more enemy players to show up. Sometimes we allow rezzes and forward camps so folks can spawn and ask for zone help, making the fight more interesting. Sometimes that backfires on us, but it usually keeps things interesting.

There are a few guilds that we look for to fight and they look for us for the same reason. Those are generally the most fun. I love it when there are actual tactics and maneuvering for position. Fighting against another guild or 2 who have excellent leads, very refined tactics, skilled movement and great players is about as good as it gets. Far too often these days we get fights that substitute overwhelming numbers for tactics.

The really good long fights still happen, but as often as not, you have to coax them along or create them.

ScruffyWhiskers · October 2019

Scroll runs and intercepts are about the only times you can have pitched battles on terrain that you have not seen so much you feel like you grew up there. That's why they should come up with some mechanics to to encourage that type of dynamic. It has the added benefit of spreading the server load out too.

Also, Right now PC NA CP campaign is horribly balanced. Blue rules everything in the EST daytime up until primetime EST. They will have most scrolls and emp if you log on at 5pm EST. At least its been that way as far as I can tell whenever I play. Maybe, I've just had a bad sample. It seems to be a combo of more pop and better organization.

NBrookus · October 2019

ScruffyWhiskers wrote: »

Scroll runs and intercepts are about the only times you can have pitched battles on terrain that you have not seen so much you feel like you grew up there. That's why they should come up with some mechanics to to encourage that type of dynamic. It has the added benefit of spreading the server load out too.

Also, Right now PC NA CP campaign is horribly balanced. Blue rules everything in the EST daytime up until primetime EST. They will have most scrolls and emp if you log on at 5pm EST. At least its been that way as far as I can tell whenever I play. Maybe, I've just had a bad sample. It seems to be a combo of more pop and better organization.

DC's zone pug group seems to run 24/7, as well as DC now sporting a number of players with @ names I recognize from AD and EP last campaign. Then complains about team orange in primetime.

Zone pugs are good; it gets more players involved. But I wish that the off-hours dominant faction (whichever it is at the moment) would recognize that you can be competitive and want to win while being sportmanlike and contributing to a healthy and fun environment.

Kagukan · October 2019

I see battles like that sometimes. Lots of fun if the server is in a good mood.

dtsharples · October 2019

I know that there is always a lot of push-back against this type of idea, but I genuinely believe that the only way to fix Cyrodiil at this stage is to make the only way of gaining AP / Score to be actual PVP - fighting other players.

Fighting NPCs + Capturing Forts / Resources should just be a means to an end, having a position on the map to port to / hide behind + defend.

It would help to alleviate the stacking of one faction at any time of the day.
It would encourage some of the older fights that the OP mentions.
It would make small-scale + solo play as rewarding, and as important to the campaign as larger scale play.

Vapirko · October 2019

I see it on PC NA all the time. We also had a great Nikel fight, fending off both an EPIC guild then an AD guild and then an AD Zerg. Lots of tri faction fighting and tactical movement to make the most of various people fighting the other factions.

max_only · October 2019

Yes it happened several times today before 5 pm est on Kaal.

EmEm_Oh · October 2019

Alessia Bridge area and Bleaks/Sej outposts do have large frontline fights on noncp.

We need more server stability though.

Luckylancer · October 2019

In my experience, no. The zerg I am with rarely bumbs in to enemy zerg. When we encounter, fight ends in a minute.

There is no incentive to fight in open field. Everyone rides to battle field after they die (stalemate), you cant UA enemy keep even if you push untill the wall, you get less exp than keep fight.

amir412 · October 2019

Well, from the experience i've had the last 2 years, it is NOTHING compared to 4-5 years ago.

Sometimes i ride for 50 minutes, and cant even find a decent fight. Clash between zergs are more laggy than ever.
Honestly, i do not recgonize this game anymore, All the *** we loved, is gone.
Everything that made Cyrodill fun, and addicting is literally gone.

Raudgrani · November 2019

Xbox EU, it sure still happens. Actually, it's about the only thing that happens. 80% of the population within eyesight or closing in on one another most of the time, it feels like. Not saying it's a bad thing, but if it is - it's the least of the problems PVP combat has these days.

Blinkin8r · November 2019

It's pretty rare that battles like that happen at least on console. There's a ball group in every nook and cranny lagging the game out so people avoid those big battles. 1 ball group means a 3 second minimum for your to fire a skill. Performance is the most abysmal i've seen.

geonsocal · November 2019

I've switched most of my time to the EU server, i'm in p.s.t. time zone...unless it's on the weekend - I'm lucky to see 20 people total on the whole map...

lots of pvdooring but same group of folks, it's familiar and fun...

once they open up the 30 day cp, no faction lock map - I'll probably go back to the NA server some more...

max_only · November 2019

geonsocal wrote: »

I've switched most of my time to the EU server, i'm in p.s.t. time zone...unless it's on the weekend - I'm lucky to see 20 people total on the whole map...

lots of pvdooring but same group of folks, it's familiar and fun...

once they open up the 30 day cp, no faction lock map - I'll probably go back to the NA server some more...

That map is currently open.