Puzzles should be just that.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

A plea to the developers for a change that is doable, has nothing to do with the PvP complaints, and is not negative:

Please make the puzzles in the game, or at least some of the puzzles, require some actual reading or thinking. I have pretty much solved every puzzle in this game by trial and error (pushing buttons in all possible combinations) until it's solved. Usually takes under 60 seconds. The few puzzles that require you "read" something are so simple that you only need to skim for a few words (Tower, then Mage, then Warrior...got it).

It would seem that the puzzles would eventually become a little more difficult, but they never are. Is this because ZoS has to cater to "everyone" (larger market), and the "everyone" population is particularly dense?

I just don't understand. The game is having trouble with PvP, but the questing is still really entertaining. So why not concentrate on what you are good at by adding more complexity and depth to the content. It doesn't have to be Myst or anything, but does it have to cater to the absolute lowest common denominator?

Just a thought.

waterfairy · April 2016

I've actually sat and watched someone struggle with the moon phase puzzle for a painfully long time (sat back with my coffee before helping them) and it's for those players that they don't make the puzzles too puzzling.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Vigarr wrote: »

I've actually sat and watched someone struggle with the moon phase puzzle for a painfully long time (sat back with my coffee before helping them) and it's for those players that they don't make the puzzles too puzzling.

The Lightless Oubliette is the only one that was challenging. If you look closely at the crytals, you can see which side expends the light. You just turn them all to the proper settings and you only have to hit it once. But once I figured that out, it felt like an accomplishment. None of the other puzzles feel that way.

I guess if they were too hard, people would ask that the puzzles be nerfed. lol.

Nestor · April 2016

I am personally not a fan of puzzles in a game like this. I don't mind a few, but I can do without them.

Now, optional dungeons that have some tough puzzles, that would be cool, as I don't have to do them to advance a quest so I can choose to do them or not.

Brrrofski · April 2016

I dunno, I just want to get it done and get the xp.

waterfairy · April 2016

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

The Lightless Oubliette is the only one that was challenging. If you look closely at the crytals, you can see which side expends the light. You just turn them all to the proper settings and you only have to hit it once. But once I figured that out, it felt like an accomplishment. None of the other puzzles feel that way.

I guess if they were too hard, people would ask that the puzzles be nerfed. lol.

The only challenging thing about that crap was that it challenged my patience...I hated how slowly the light moved and how long it took to turn it again, every second of that was agony.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Brrrofski wrote: »

I dunno, I just want to get it done and get the xp.

But that makes the game so boring, doesn't it? Always wanting to get "there"? I don't know, it made for boring gaming when I was playing just for the XP. But to each his/her own.

rotaugen454 · April 2016

How about a puzzle room like in the Saw movie series?

RAGUNAnoOne · April 2016

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

Vigarr wrote: »

I've actually sat and watched someone struggle with the moon phase puzzle for a painfully long time (sat back with my coffee before helping them) and it's for those players that they don't make the puzzles too puzzling.

The Lightless Oubliette is the only one that was challenging. If you look closely at the crytals, you can see which side expends the light. You just turn them all to the proper settings and you only have to hit it once. But once I figured that out, it felt like an accomplishment. None of the other puzzles feel that way.

I guess if they were too hard, people would ask that the puzzles be nerfed. lol.

I did that one easily with the beam bug of IC most of them are too easy when I am awake that is...

Eshelmen · April 2016

The thing in Wrothgar got me annoyed. The three rings with light beams and you had to line them up. Had to YouTube it...lol

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Eshelmen wrote: »

The thing in Wrothgar got me annoyed. The three rings with light beams and you had to line them up. Had to YouTube it...lol

That one I (unfortunately) got lucky and it just worked. I really wish they weren't so easy that you can just press buttons until it works, but that seems to happen a lot.

Eryas · April 2016

I've only had one puzzle in the game that required me to think about it, which is the Graystone Quarry puzzle, I've done all the other ones either with either a trial and error strat or by simply skimming for words. I think it's a shame they don't implement more challenging ones, as I see most of them ATM as more of an annoyance than something interesting.(like the GQ one)

Brrrofski · April 2016

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

Brrrofski wrote: »

I dunno, I just want to get it done and get the xp.

But that makes the game so boring, doesn't it? Always wanting to get "there"? I don't know, it made for boring gaming when I was playing just for the XP. But to each his/her own.

The first time around it's fun. I enjoyed questing. Doing it 5/6/7/8 times is boring.

Bossdonut · April 2016

Puzzles are dumb.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Bossdonut wrote: »

Puzzles are dumb.

Thanks for participating, Bossnumbnut. But the problem with your irrelevant comment is...

FireCowCommando · April 2016

There are players who hate puzzles in this game as they are today, and need to google to solution in order to proceed.

I've met them, tried to understand how, but in the end its just not something they are able to figure out. Id love if ZoS was in a position to make them harder but they cant without forcing even more players to google search the solution.

stewhead2ub17_ESO · April 2016

hehe just as an aside, if you're looking for some hard "puzzles" fire up TSW! As far as the OP topic goes, it's a tough call, because there are those that detest that kind of thing and those that obviously love it. What's challenging and rewarding for one person can be painfully frustrating and a buzzkill for another.

Miszou · April 2016

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

LadyNalcarya · April 2016

Miszou wrote: »

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

I agree.

Imo its not fun when quests are dumbed down to running from one quest marker to another... And I really liked that tricky Skyshard and dwemer machine puzzle in Orsinium.

Maybe main questlines and other stuff like this might be easy, so no one will get stuck and unable to progress because of puzzle, but optional challenges are great. Just like veteran MA and MoL, but for questers.

CJohnson81 · April 2016

Miszou wrote: »

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

I agree too. I turn off quest markers for the extra challenge. Btw, have any of you tried Sherlock Holmes Crime and punishment? It's pretty awesome if you love really digging through tough puzzles.

Egonieser · April 2016

Miszou wrote: »

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

Yeah, fun for the first time, not fun when you have an account full of chars, not in my book. If they did that - I would just do what I always do - go to cracked wood cave and not leave until I was v16.. Not everyone wants or even likes doing quests just for the sake of doing quests, yeah maybe they did when they first started, but different people play for different reasons and enforcing one common mindset to everyone is just wrong.

Maybe If ZoS added it as a toggle option for those that want "MAXIMUM IMERSHUNZ" - fine by me, but please do not speak for everyone as if it's something everyone wants or needs.

I do PvP - for me doing quests is a way to get additional XP. I already know the story 5 times over so I couldn't really be arsed if it was anything more complicated at this point, I just wouldn't bother full stop. My goal is to get my levels, get my gear and go do PvP on the char I decide to level next not skim through the same dialogue for the 5th time, I lost interest a long time ago, same applies to many others.

Moonscythe · April 2016

I like puzzles myself and though I do like the clues to be somewhere close they don't have to be gimmes. However, I am always for options because not everyone is good at everything. I suck at platforming and racing. It took forever to get past the foot race in the veiled heritance so an extended timer or a hint that glows gently after x number of fails, something like that for the less abled or impatient would make having more varied experiences in the quests doable. And variety is always to be applauded.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Miszou wrote: »

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

THANK YOU^^

I used to take down the entire HUD on PC just so I would have to look for things, talk to the people, listen to the NPC, etc. in order to complete the quest. That was nice. Very challenging.

But you can't turn off the compass on PS4, so that's unfortunately not an option. I play on PS4 now, but it's clear that PS4's target market is a little on the...slower side.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Egonieser wrote: »

Miszou wrote: »

It took me ages to figure out how to get the skyshard in Bahrahas Gloom, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, the game needs tougher puzzles. Heck you could make 90% of most quests more difficult just by removing the quest pointer off of the basket of fruit or NPC or whatever you're supposed to click on next.

Having a quest to "search" a barn for something, but there's a great big arrow on the crate you need to look in, well....

Yeah, fun for the first time, not fun when you have an account full of chars, not in my book. If they did that - I would just do what I always do - go to cracked wood cave and not leave until I was v16.. Not everyone wants or even likes doing quests just for the sake of doing quests, yeah maybe they did when they first started, but different people play for different reasons and enforcing one common mindset to everyone is just wrong.

Maybe If ZoS added it as a toggle option for those that want "MAXIMUM IMERSHUNZ" - fine by me, but please do not speak for everyone as if it's something everyone wants or needs.

I do PvP - for me doing quests is a way to get additional XP. I already know the story 5 times over so I couldn't really be arsed if it was anything more complicated at this point, I just wouldn't bother full stop. My goal is to get my levels, get my gear and go do PvP on the char I decide to level next not skim through the same dialogue for the 5th time, I lost interest a long time ago, same applies to many others.

Chill. I was not speaking for anyone else. I was speaking for myself and others like myself. I f you want to go grind your life away in a corner until you are V16, that's your choice. But it's true that the game is intellectually dumbed down.

Why would having the option of doing harder quests effect you anyways if you just grind your way into Oblivion?

dodgehopper_ESO · April 2016

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

A plea to the developers for a change that is doable, has nothing to do with the PvP complaints, and is not negative:

Please make the puzzles in the game, or at least some of the puzzles, require some actual reading or thinking. I have pretty much solved every puzzle in this game by trial and error (pushing buttons in all possible combinations) until it's solved. Usually takes under 60 seconds. The few puzzles that require you "read" something are so simple that you only need to skim for a few words (Tower, then Mage, then Warrior...got it).

It would seem that the puzzles would eventually become a little more difficult, but they never are. Is this because ZoS has to cater to "everyone" (larger market), and the "everyone" population is particularly dense?

I just don't understand. The game is having trouble with PvP, but the questing is still really entertaining. So why not concentrate on what you are good at by adding more complexity and depth to the content. It doesn't have to be Myst or anything, but does it have to cater to the absolute lowest common denominator?

Just a thought.

I was just going to mention if you really love Puzzles in an MMO setting you'd love the ones in TSW. Their style really wouldn't work here, but they are perhaps a good inspiration for what you'd like to see in this game, and how the devs could potentially bring it about. In TSW your character also lives/dies a lot like the Vestige in ESO and there are a lot of puzzles built around that alone.

FortheloveofKrist · April 2016

Sorry for the ignorance....TSW stands for?

magnusthorek · April 2016

Apparently they are learning, slowly, but they are.

The first puzzle of Thieves Guild DLC (to open the secret passage for the skull) is not so obvious. You have to look around and me aware of the environmental elements.

The second I remember, during The Flawless Plan quest (to open door to the inner tomb) is a bit hard. The clues are not jumping on your face and even though you got it you still have to think about a bit.

The third I remember from my first run is not exactly a puzzle by itself (get info from the Redguard relative in the - beautiful, I have to say - palace) I didn't figure right away do I took the thievery alternative. The right answers to convince the guy are nowhere to be found (as far as I've looked)

stewhead2ub17_ESO · April 2016

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

Sorry for the ignorance....TSW stands for?

The Secret World.

Vangy · April 2016

They could always make absurdly difficult ones with a "hint" option that just gives you the answer. That way all those puzzle junkies can have their hard puzzles and the rest can just use hint to steam roll through content?

Volkodav · April 2016

Actually,I kinda like those Puzzle quests.I didnt at first,but then I began thinking outside the box for solutions,and they work.
I wish there could be an achievement for doing every puzzle in the game.

menedhyn · April 2016

I think most of my favourite quests in this game (and others) involve some sort of puzzle in order to progress. Anything that involves a bit of thought, a bit of work, even frustration through many failed attempts, is a positive experience for me and sometimes far better than just killing mobs or bosses or whatever to get past an obstacle. I would be happy to see incredibly hard puzzles, and the fewer clues or suggestions on how to crack it, the better.

FortheloveofKrist wrote: »

'...you can't turn off the compass on PS4, so that's unfortunately not an option. I play on PS4 now, but it's clear that PS4's target market is a little on the...slower side.'

Pity that, isn't it? I can't remember whether you can adjust the transparency to make it less annoying visible.