Help With Avoid Imperial City PVP?

Quietmeadow · August 2020

I mostly just like to do PVE a vast majority of the time, and I just recently started doing the Imperial City, mainly because I'm just interested in completing the story quests for it. But since the Imperial City is a PVP zone, I'm always running into enemy players and dying pretty quickly since I'm not that good at PVP

I was wondering if there was any certain way to (mostly) avoid PVP and do the quests without much interruption from other players? I know fighting other players is the main part of the Imperial City, but it's kind of a hassle to try and complete the quests and everyone is trying to kill you

MinnesotaKid · August 2020

Full stealth NB build is the way to go here. Most of the time your death is one of opportunity and most IC players don't bother camping any of the quests so it's basically them stumbling upon you and doing what they do. If they can't see you then they can't kill you.

I would also go to a low pop IC instance to increase your chances of success.

VaranisArano · August 2020

I had some success going at a low pop time for my server during the middle of the day.

Major_Lag · August 2020

Go to IC during low population times.
Anything more than 1/1/1 bar population and you will be running into quite a few enemy players in there.
In "prime time" for your server, you might as well forget about it.

Check the district map often for flag status.
Frequently it is fairly obvious when your current district is about to become captured by enemies (ie. the enemies are capturing districts clockwise or CCW). Expect no mercy and no quarter, for none will be granted.

Absolutely slot some ability which gives you snare and root removal+immunity.
On magicka builds, that would be either RAT, or the equivalent class ability (if your class has one).

Do not waste time engaging every enemy NPC you encounter along the way.
Ignore (run past) any NPCs that you don't absolutely have to fight - which is to say, every NPC that isn't preventing you from interacting with a quest objective, or who must be killed as part of the quest itself.

Bring invisibility potions if your character is not a nightblade.

If playing a nightblade, slot the invisibility morph of cloak and use it as much as possible.
Cloak has many hard counters, but most enemy players will never use them unless they suspect (or know) of your presence there. Just watch out for enemy AoEs, which will take you out of stealth.

Avoid carrying much telvar on you. Bank it often.
As a rule of thumb, more than 1k is too much, and more than 10k is definitely way too much.

If you get repeatedly killed by the same player in the same general area (ie. quest objective) - leave and come back later, or go to the other IC instance (noCP vs CP), because it means they have realized that you are questing and are now farming you for easy telvar and AP.
This is especially true with the Arena district quest, as there's an achievement for killing players inside the Arena walls.

Last but not least, remember than you can always quickly leave IC at no cost, without having to go back through the sewers, by queueing for a Cyrodiil campaign.

UrbanMonk · August 2020

Get invisibility pots if not a night blade. Pop one and run like malog is coming for your balls.

fred4 · August 2020

If you're not a nightblade or a sorc, invis potions can help, but they are tricky. The only class I see using them frequently are sorcs, after they've streaked a couple of times. If you are still close to the enemy, something is bound to happen that knocks you out of stealth again and then you're on cooldown.

You might simply stand still, hold block and hope for mercy. That should work about half the time, as will being a low level character. Do not attack. If you engage, you will be killed. As a PvPer, this is highly situational for me. If you are near a zerg of your own faction and I'm not sure what kind of a threat you are, then I will probably take you out. If you are alone and a lowbie or I see that you're having trouble combatting the NPCs, then I will leave you be. If you are full CP and you look reasonably competent, then I consider you fair game.

ks888 · September 2020

It's a PvP zone. Those of us who primarily PvP have to go to the other side to get items from PvE events and we don't ask for those items to drop in Cyro or IC. We PvPers get 2 events: this and Midyear. Get some PvP gear with some impen traits and a few friends. Learn a new aspect of the game and challenge yourself.

Fawn4287 · September 2020

Run a 65 k health necro tank with 40k resists and troll king, most people won’t be bothered to attack you