ESO Atmposphere within Dungeons

Bozrah

This will be quick and simple. Im completely happy with the mechanics of the dungeons that are currently ingame, but what has always been a big factor for myself is immersion. My reference will be Elderscrolls 4 Oblivion and the underground passage ways that you take while following Uriel Septim when he's being escorted to safety.
Anyone who has played ES4 knows this area very well, and i feel that ESO lacks the atmosphere that this simple passage way presents. First is the music, which is absolutely perfect for this area. Its creepy but gives a sense of mystery and fits the bill just right.
Next is the environmental sounds. As you walk down the narrow tunnels you can hear the slight gusts of wind being pushed past you, the small grains of sand from the stone floors under your foot steps and the horrible sounds that the giant rats and undead make while waiting for the opportune time to attack you.
I know this is an MMO but even when i end up soloing a dungeon, i never feel the way i do when i return to single player ES games.
Im not sure what can be done, but perhaps ZoS Dev team could do a quick run through of ES4 starting area under Cyrodiil city and see what im talking about.

Thanks for listening to my rant

Music from Cyrodiil prison passage way : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKi6uzh4Yks

SanderBuraas

I definitely think that all dungeon should have different soundtracks. What this game needs is more immersion and atmosphere in general.

Muizer

True, you don't get that feeling of suspense in ESO. Not sure if that would be possible in an MMO though. Much of the suspence came from being alone in an alien place. In ESO you're not often alone and the NPC aren't usually as deadly.

Raethek

I agree with you, ES 4 was the best one for me. I guess they don't want to take away from that exp the single player games had. But eso is like a pie in the face at times.

GreySix

Muizer wrote: »

True, you don't get that feeling of suspense in ESO. Not sure if that would be possible in an MMO though. Much of the suspence came from being alone in an alien place. In ESO you're not often alone and the NPC aren't usually as deadly.

Yeah, kind of an immersion-killer when an NPC tells you that you're the first living sentient he's seen in years, and gobs of other players are right next to you talking to him and swarming the dungeon.

Tonnopesce

I do belive that there is a lot of atmosfere when you go into your first delve...then you move to the next one and is just copy paste the first with different enemies ,then you move to the next one and is just copy paste the first with different enemies,then you move to the next one and is just copy paste the first with different enemies then you move to the next one and is just copy paste the first with different enemies, then you move to the next one and is just copy paste the first with different enemies . ....... Well..... You got the point

Gidorick

Yea, we all agree dungeons are cool... the first few times you do them. My problem is they don't take nearly long enough to complete! they all seem really shallow. I want a dungeon that I can literally get lost in... but this game doesn't have those.

Caroloces

One of the things that would help is to introduce torches. Perhaps the healer could hold a torch in one hand, and a resto staff in the other. Another is some type of delaying mechanism so groups would really have to listen to quest line before they could proceed. I don't understand the need to rush through dungeons. Oftentimes, I'll be picking up quest and following the dialogue tree to understand the story, and then I'll discover my group has plunged ahead, and is involved in some battle without me.
Why? What's the Rush? Savor the game; use your imaginations!!

Lord_Kreegan

Caroloces wrote: »

One of the things that would help is to introduce torches. Perhaps the healer could hold a torch in one hand, and a resto staff in the other. Another is some type of delaying mechanism so groups would really have to listen to quest line before they could proceed. I don't understand the need to rush through dungeons. Oftentimes, I'll be picking up quest and following the dialogue tree to understand the story, and then I'll discover my group has plunged ahead, and is involved in some battle without me.
Why? What's the Rush? Savor the game; use your imaginations!!

That is a problem shared by every MMO with group quests.

Try a SW-TOR flashpoint sometime (using the group finder for a random group). Expect to be kicked if you actually take the time to watch the cut scenes instead of spacing through the conversations... even if you explain up front that you haven't seen the cut scenes before. Expect to have some jerk drop out of the quest after everyone rolls "Greed" on a purple item and he rolls "Need".

Having a group mechanic in a game doesn't make people any less of *** than they are in real life, especially when they're hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet.

Ommamar

First carry your own damn torch ;-)! I do agree that if they darken the game some it would add immersion, of course the problem with that is you are going to take up an active slot for a light source. Or as suggested a weapon slot for a light source. As to the music I get it is a method to set tone but every time I think of Monty Python and the knights being followed around by a group singing about them.
I totally agree about people rushing through and the "YOU" are special moments where there is a ton of people all being told the same thing. I think it is a problem with online games particularly those who are based on a single player premise. I think GW2 probably handled this the best I have seen with the player instances they have. Many will have played through the same content but it is not intrusively pointed to as you are going through it. Of course this game had a huge issue with phasing early on I am sure no one wants to see occurring again. It is an interesting conundrum how to make the player feel the champion sense while not isolating them from the community.

Caroloces

First carry your own damn torch ;-)!

LOL. I will if I can wave it in the faces of mobs and set them alight!
Can you imagine a 4-person group with a torch bearer, and the torch goes out and everyone is plunged into darkness? I can picture the group chat: Uhh. Anyone bring extra torches? Damn!
Another thing that would help: Mobs that don't just wait for you to appear. Mobs that actually search for you, the intruder. Now we have torch go out, area plunged into darkness, and footsteps approaching from a distance.
Throw in the creepy music from Oblivion (Thanks, OP) and we're all set!

ShadowDisciple

Gidorick wrote: »

Yea, we all agree dungeons are cool... the first few times you do them. My problem is they don't take nearly long enough to complete! they all seem really shallow. I want a dungeon that I can literally get lost in... but this game doesn't have those.

Seriously?.. MMORPG...lost in a dungeon?...i dont know what to say anymore...

For the most part, eso is lore friendly, and considering bethesda is in charge of lore greenlighting they can do whatever they want.

But this is MMO ffs...u cant expect oblivions and morrowinds dungeons that takes 2-3 to explore fully..

Alost every dungeon has a lil story and a "neat" boss in it...which other mmo has that..

IMO this game is as single player friendly as an mmo can get..i personally couldnt think of anything more to add and to still retain the MMO playstyle..

p.s. - yes ESO breaks lore but its so nitty gritty and its mostly based on those player who seem to freaking study the TES lore xD

Tonnopesce

I do remember a dungeon in a Skyrim total revamp mod that it was long like.... 6 hours and it was awesome.
Now i'm not asking for this but a 2-3 hours dungeon will be welcome. AND not a 20 minutes exploration 3 hours of waving of mobs but actually 3 hours of dungeon.
TBH i realize that it will be nearly impossible to do it but if we make evry tot an undaunted safe camp where we can leave the carachter it will be really an awesome mechanic.

UrQuan

Tonnopesceb16_ESO wrote: »

I do remember a dungeon in a Skyrim total revamp mod that it was long like.... 6 hours and it was awesome.
Now i'm not asking for this but a 2-3 hours dungeon will be welcome. AND not a 20 minutes exploration 3 hours of waving of mobs but actually 3 hours of dungeon.
TBH i realize that it will be nearly impossible to do it but if we make evry tot an undaunted safe camp where we can leave the carachter it will be really an awesome mechanic.

It would be awesome if there was at least 1 dungeon like this in each alliance. A dungeon where you could wander around for hours, with multiple quests and things to discover. It could have exits to the surface that you would have to discover in the way that you discover wayshrines, and lots of ways to get from one place to another within the dungeon, so it's not just a linear progression.

Seraphyel

jeevin wrote: »

I think you're forgetting this isn't an Elder Scrolls game but a cash cow mmo in Elder Scrolls clothing. So no atmosphere for you!

Sad truth.

Athas24

IDK, I'd be upset running around a dungeon alone for hours. zzz. That being said, it would be nice to have caves that have side halls that could lead out to totally different areas or something farther away from where you started just because you trolled around exploring a bit. The way dungeons are now its in, look for the shard/boss, out. They are alright and I enjoy them but there is certainly some room for improvement. Not every dungeon needs to be huge and not every one small but rather a mixture of this would be interesting. Maybe make some of them way too hard to defeat on your own causing you to group, that would be interesting for a non-group finder related random side quest. The problem with stuff that gets too exploratory in MMO's is everyone just wants to be max level and then do end game grinds for max level gear, only to complain they are out of content to run haha!