The problem with catering to completionists...

Thulsola · June 2014

This is not a criticism of the base game Zenimax has produced, but rather some suggestions for how to improve the game. I am truly enjoying my ESO experience, and I hope the Zenimax manages to address the core community issues before everyone unsubscribes. But looking past the immediacy of bug fixes and balance issues, I think ESO could benefit from a couple of changes.

I am a stealth based sniper NB. I love playing my character. I stumble upon mobs as I'm exploring, I sit back, take my time, line up my shot, and smile with immense satisfaction as I take out a healer with 1 shot and then turn to focus on their friends.

But you know what? There aren't any quests that I have found that this gives me an advantage over a tank or DPS player. And before you think I'm whining about class imbalance, I'm not. But I wish there were quests where the the quest giver looks at me and says "I need you to sneak through this mob infested area without being seen, kill the leader, and then get out without being caught." A quest that makes use of my specific skills that would be difficult for other classes to complete.

Which leads me to the completionists, because this would never happen in an MMO. Too many people who play the game would complain about not getting the achievement for the quest because their character doesn't have the required skills to do it.

So recognizing that, I think ZOS should change the quest dynamics to let each character class use their specific abilities on some quests while still satisfying the completionists. I think they need to add a second tier of reward for a quest - a bonus - if the quest is completed in a certain way.

Some quests would give you a bonus if you stealth them. Some would have an incredible tough boss that could only be reasonably soloed by a tank, but other characters could choose to bring the roof down on the boss instead. Of have a way to complete the quest that uses so much magics that only a magic user do it, but everyone else would have to complete a maze instead.

You could also apply this kind of thinking to multi-boss dungeons. One boss that is easier for the NB, one that is easier for the tank, one that is easier for the magic user - make it obvious that including all classes in your group has a real benefit in the quest.

I also think that the solo dungeons have to allow for each class to better use their strengths. Again, at the risk of sounding like a class balance whiner, I find it very hard to sneak past mobs in a lot of dungeons. I could deal much better being a squishy character if I didn't have to engage in a lot of fighting to complete a quest. Especially if I want to loot the containers along the way. The solo dungeon forces you to kill every mob you meet. I don't really understand that. If I'm willing to forgo the xp from killing them in order to complete the quest, then I should be able to do that.

Maybe have it be a mini-game in order to remain stealthed for containers - based on your stealth abilities. If your stealth abilities are below X threshold on container type Y, you have to play the mini game to stay stealthed. If it is higher, then you just loot it without breaking stealth. This should also apply to mat gathering. I mean, seriously? I'm a freaking level 38 NB who can walk up behind many bosses undetected, but I can't pick a damn plant without being seen?

Then there are the guilds.

I didn't start doing the fighters guild or mages guild quests till I was in my 20s, because I didn't realize that there were necessary passives in each of those guild trees that you couldn't really live without, even if you aren't a tank/DPS or mage (I'm thinking specifically of intimidate and persuade) I mean, I'm not a mage, or a fighter. Why would I join those guilds?

I know Zenimax is going to bring us the thieves guild and the dark brotherhood at some point, but I really wish that the classes that are best suited for a particular guild be the only ones who can easily complete the guild quests. Again, I know the completionist are going to get upset at me for this, but really. I'm not a mage. How does it make sense that I can become a Master Wizard?

I'm not saying that a NB shouldn't be able to do the mage's quest line, or that a mage shouldn't be able to do the thieves quest line when it comes out. But make it harder for those not specked for it, and make people have to really, really decide if spending the skill points in the mage's guild line is really going to benefit their NB.

So, to summarize my suggestions (TL:DR):

Have bonus rewards on some or all quests for completing them in a class specific way,
In multi-boss dungeons, have the different classes be beneficial on different bosses,
Craft dungeons in such a way that sneaking is a more viable option rather than killing, and
Don't break stealth for looting/have a mini game for it.
Make the guild quest lines most beneficial for their logical classes - and have guilds that are relevant to each class.