Problems with solo Main Story Quest Line

Sandmanninja

I'm a fairly well geared VR1 Dragon Knight (Tank).
I'm finding myself having a challenging time completing Solo Quests (Main Story).
I've attempted them as they come up, but ultimately I've had to out-level the quest just to be able to complete it.
I know I do a fair bit of damage when I shield bash, but I'm not a damage dealer by design.
I've distributed my talents and skills to work in a group environment (i.e. dungeons - extra heals, cc, etc).
I'm stuck on the quest Valley of the Blades (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Valley_of_the_Blades).
I'm up to the final fight and just can't finish him off without dying.
I've talked to another VR1 (a Sorcerer) and he had very little difficulty... but he had 2 pets and was ranged.
If a pet dies - he just re-summons.
I'm melee and right up in the crap.
I do FINE in the wilds, questing, fighting mobs (multiple bad guys usually 2-3 levels higher than me).
While I don't have YEARS of experience in ESO, I've tanked in WoW (8 years) and Star Wars TOR (1 year).

Is it an issue of not knowing my class? Are any other Melee having issues?

ciannait

I think the important distinction here is you've specced for grouping in an MMO that really doesn't encourage grouping. It's really frustrating for me, personally, too.

theyancey

Yes, the solo boss battles need to be nerfed.

Syntse

theyancey wrote: »

Yes, the solo boss battles need to be nerfed.

I think better choice would be that these battles should be groupable.

Sandmanninja

Well! At least it isn't me! Very good to know.
I agree 100% that you should be able to run as a party with these quests.
I remember hearing negative feedback during beta about this and it was almost a deal breaker for me.
I quest with my wife and there's nothing we can't do together (figuratively speaking). She's a Sorcerer with healing spells and I'm a tank with some heals and a few dps spells. CC, heals, damage - boom, we win and have something to talk about over dinner.

I seriously hope ZOS re-thinks this. Star Wars had shared 'solo quests'. You could go in, help with heals/damage but it didn't "count" towards the Helper Person's quest (if they were on the same one). So she and I did them each twice - once for her and then once for me. It was a pain but I didn't mind. We did it together (kinda the point of an MMO, eh?)

Thanks for the quick and agreeable comments.

The_Drexill

If you mean the titan... you block his ranged attacks, bash his cast and move right away out of the aoe. The problem is people don't want to learn mechanics.

I've done it on a Sorc, a Templar, and a Dragon Knight... all with zero problems. The Sorc was dps, the temp was heals, the dk was tank.

ciannait

Sandmanninja wrote: »

Well! At least it isn't me! Very good to know.
I agree 100% that you should be able to run as a party with these quests.
I remember hearing negative feedback during beta about this and it was almost a deal breaker for me.
I quest with my wife and there's nothing we can't do together (figuratively speaking). She's a Sorcerer with healing spells and I'm a tank with some heals and a few dps spells. CC, heals, damage - boom, we win and have something to talk about over dinner.

I seriously hope ZOS re-thinks this. Star Wars had shared 'solo quests'. You could go in, help with heals/damage but it didn't "count" towards the Helper Person's quest (if they were on the same one). So she and I did them each twice - once for her and then once for me. It was a pain but I didn't mind. We did it together (kinda the point of an MMO, eh?)

Thanks for the quick and agreeable comments.

I'm completely there with you. My husband isn't an MMO player - but he loves the ES games (and "Elder Scrolls With Guns", aka Fallout). This is the only time I've gotten him to even try an MMO, and it's a royal pain in the tuchus to group with him, especially with these forced-solo quests.

ZOS really, really needs to fix grouping and make it viable and attractive.

murklor007neb18_ESO

In situations where my Nightblade met an "impossible" foe that kept summoning stuff or was surrounded by adds... I ignored them. Completely. Just focus fire on the boss, use everything on him as fast as you can. If you have a little AoE that's fine but you should always, always be looking at the boss. The differance between survival and horrible death is often a simple interrupt. If you focus on adds that just get resummoned anyway, you wont notice it in time and you promptly get killed.

Phantorang

You need a ranged weapon for damage, you will need that later in the main story quest too. I hope I dont spoil to much when I say that with The final boss fight in the quest line you MUST have a ranged weapon, then you can do it pretty easy.

Worstluck

Block, interrupt, use spell reflect, use green dragon blood...profit. I just did this other day with my DK, it shouldn't be too much of a challenge. If you are having problems completing these quests, you might want to look at how you are playing. You are going to have difficulty playing in the veteran levels if you don't.

Syntse

Phantorang wrote: »

You need a ranged weapon for damage, you will need that later in the main story quest too. I hope I dont spoil to much when I say that with The final boss fight in the quest line you MUST have a ranged weapon, then you can do it pretty easy.

Well lucky we have possibility for silver bolt. However it really should not be MUST to have ranged weapon in any encounter, I'm sure the final boss can be dealt with melee however much harder. I really do not want to start leveling some desto/resto staff or bow for my tank char just because of one boss fight.

Loco_Mofo

It's a good idea to level more than 2 weapons anyway. After all there are 300 skills points in the game to collect so why not?

Syntse

Loco_Mofo wrote: »

It's a good idea to level more than 2 weapons anyway. After all there are 300 skills points in the game to collect so why not?

Could be... however I think for the first 50 levels 2 is enough, after that maybe one might take one or two more for the variety.

mr_MAX

Sandmanninja wrote: »

I'm a fairly well geared VR1 Dragon Knight (Tank).

I'm stuck on the quest Valley of the Blades (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Valley_of_the_Blades).

I've tanked in WoW (8 years)

This Quest is Lvl 35 !!! >>> L2P its all i can say.

Phantorang

Syntse wrote: »

Phantorang wrote: »

You need a ranged weapon for damage, you will need that later in the main story quest too. I hope I dont spoil to much when I say that with The final boss fight in the quest line you MUST have a ranged weapon, then you can do it pretty easy.

Well lucky we have possibility for silver bolt. However it really should not be MUST to have ranged weapon in any encounter, I'm sure the final boss can be dealt with melee however much harder. I really do not want to start leveling some desto/resto staff or bow for my tank char just because of one boss fight.

Why the need to defy the mechanics and insist on doing it melee when no one else can, you die again and again but still insist, but you can do it with a ranged weapon?

The OP has trouble with the Valley of the Blades quest, and to do the final boss fight only in melee range is near impossible for anyone, no matter how skilled they are. That leads me to believe the OP would as everyone else, do alot better with a ranged weapon, and you dont need to level it to do damage. You need your stam for block/bash/roll, Silver Bolts isnt viable. Why gimp yourself by limiting yourself to only 5m range, when you can use a secondary ranged weapon when you know its needed.

Sandmanninja

I was almost 'afraid' to post that I was having problems with such a low-level quest. Yes, I want to L2P and that's why I was asking for (positive) comments from this awesome and amazing community.

I picked up Destruction Staff early on (it's just fun using the knockback!), so I've added it back to my 2nd bar. Also spent a few points on some additional skills in the destruction staff line.

I'll give it a go and let you cool peeps know.

Thanks again

Worstluck

It's important that you have self healing to get through the main story quests. I always had green dragon blood slotted and it saved me more times than I can count (i spammed strife/swallow soul and used siphoning strikes on my Nghtblade). With the DK I went 1-50 as 2h/destro staff and now in vr I am shield/shield or shield/destro staff, always had self healing throughout. Being an alchemist helped as well.

mr_MAX

so you have problems with your Vet1 DK on a Lvl 35 Q ?

take a look at these Posts:
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/92622/dk-solos-craglon-delve
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/98413/dk-solos-vr-group-dungeons-bogdan-hive-etc
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/97770/dk-solos-vr-dungeons-full-clears-bogdan-hive-lord-etc

.......

Aeradon

Something is terribly wrong. I did it with completely broken armours because I refuse to spend any gold unless necessary. And of course, one shouldn't be VR1 and still have that problem.

Look into your build, swap in your dragon blood, razor armour and whatever damage skills you are fond of. You will be good to go. All the classes have self heal, armour and damage, with DK skills being the most easily accessed.

Note that solo bosses do not have as much immunity, and Mannimarco left you an undead should you need the extra health.

Nitratas

I'm a templar and i haven't got any problems with any of the story quests. And i hear dragonknights are even a bit stronger at some point than templars.
If you struggle with these kinds of quests you will cry and quit them game on veteran content.

Suggestions for most quests, not only for this one:
-Grab a ranged weapon, ranged weapon is a MUST in this game. Some of the fights are plain impossible with melee no matter how good you are.
-Aoe cc/stuns/knockbacks are lifesavers. I've seen Dragonknights have many. Bow skill line has some nice skills to keep you in distance. Grab fire rune from mages guild and morph to volcanic rune. its a MUST HAVE skill for pve and pvp.
-watch bosses movement and emotions, you cna learn what they will be casting and react/block accordingly. never stay in one place, always move around boss, that will help avoiding frontal casted cones.
-learn to swap to ranged weapon and hide. most of the fights have some hills, pillars or other thingies that you can hug around and hide from the boss for a while for regeneration or heals

Pele

Syntse wrote: »

theyancey wrote: »

Yes, the solo boss battles need to be nerfed.

I think better choice would be that these battles should be groupable.

Indeed. Please, no more nerfs. I hope ESO adds a group option so anyone who wants a challenge can still solo content if they wish, and those who want to play with others can do so.

Sandmanninja

Aeradon wrote: »

Something is terribly wrong. I did it with completely broken armours because I refuse to spend any gold unless necessary. And of course, one shouldn't be VR1 and still have that problem.

Look into your build, swap in your dragon blood, razor armour and whatever damage skills you are fond of. You will be good to go. All the classes have self heal, armour and damage, with DK skills being the most easily accessed.

Note that solo bosses do not have as much immunity, and Mannimarco left you an undead should you need the extra health.

Yes, I know something is terribly wrong. That's why I'm asking for help.. I've put my destruction staff back on my 2nd bar and replaced the Fighter's Guild Ring of Protection with Green Dragon Blood. I'll let you guys know how I fair. Thanks again

Sandmanninja

Pele wrote: »

Syntse wrote: »

theyancey wrote: »

Yes, the solo boss battles need to be nerfed.

I think better choice would be that these battles should be groupable.

Indeed. Please, no more nerfs. I hope ESO adds a group option so anyone who wants a challenge can still solo content if they wish, and those who want to play with others can do so.

The option should just be as simple as not being in a group and/or no 2 ppl in the same instance (if you don't want the help).

Sandmanninja

Nitratas wrote: »

I'm a templar and i haven't got any problems with any of the story quests. And i hear dragonknights are even a bit stronger at some point than templars.
If you struggle with these kinds of quests you will cry and quit them game on veteran content.

I'm not planning on quitting the game at VR content. That's why I'm getting input here. I know Prot Pallies inside and out. I was guild Go To Guy for the Paladin-class. I know every trick, trap and tip you can do with a pally. I'm still learning my way around this Dragon Knight.

KerinKor

Nitratas wrote: »

most of the fights have some hills, pillars or other thingies that you can hug around and hide from the boss for a while for regeneration or heals

Yeah and many times the mob's ranged attack hits THROUGH the pillar!

Sure, LOS can be used to hide but it's a total fail in this game if you run out of LOS and the fireball follows you through the rock pillar!

Yankee

Syntse wrote: »

Phantorang wrote: »

You need a ranged weapon for damage, you will need that later in the main story quest too. I hope I dont spoil to much when I say that with The final boss fight in the quest line you MUST have a ranged weapon, then you can do it pretty easy.

Well lucky we have possibility for silver bolt. However it really should not be MUST to have ranged weapon in any encounter, I'm sure the final boss can be dealt with melee however much harder. I really do not want to start leveling some desto/resto staff or bow for my tank char just because of one boss fight.

For the resto staff, you really only need Regeneration IMO. That can be had at a very low weapon skill level for 1 point. Then you can put class skills for the rest of the bar. Pull it out only for those few "must do" encounters that are easier at range.

The heavy/light attacks are okay, and the heal is darn good and magicka cheap.

rusila22

No need to lie but melee in solo veteran zone are just useless i really think zeni need to up melee to be able to take more damage.

Sandmanninja

rusila22 wrote: »

No need to lie but melee in solo veteran zone are just useless i really think zeni need to up melee to be able to take more damage.

Good to hear coming from a VR10 player.
I'm just skilling up my Destruction Staff skills before tackling the quest again.
Have a week off from work and plan on hitting the Cold Harbor quests and getting stuck into VR Content during that time.

Thanks again for all of the comments.

Ecian

Sandman, you are not alone. The solo fights in the game really need a second look at by Zenimax. They either need some balancing or allowance of help from others.

I couldn't beat the titan as an Archer at a much higher level as well. In the end I had to buy a full respec and go into dual wielding. I still barely squeaked by. Oddly enough I see more complaints the later parts of the quest than the titan yet I cakewaked after the titan.

The thing that seems to help me the most on fights with the (pretty worthless) NPC warriors with you is my ability to remove myself from combat for even just a moment (invisible, teleport strike, stealthing). That little bit of breathing room makes a large difference for me. Not sure if your class has anything that can give you some relief but there are invisible potions in the game.

AngryNord

Sandmanninja wrote: »

I'm stuck on the quest Valley of the Blades (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Valley_of_the_Blades).

That quest is bugged. The three bosses go down fine, but then an invincible Titan appears, which blocks any further progress in this quest. Don't know how such a bug can suddenly appear, but Zenimax really need to fix this.

isengrimb16_ESO

I just did that this morning, with half-assed gear (lvl 36) .... barely made it by the skin of my teeth, I did die a couple of times, but I got those guys at the end.

I'm use a bow and swallow soul and I ran around and rolled a lot. (It's not that I'm stacking stamina, I've actually been keeping my stats pretty even, and choose food buffs and available potions on an as-need basis.) Been having a much easier time with that than on my first two, melee characters.