Please fix the soul shriven quest. Please! Please!

cyberjanet · May 10

This quest intro has just never been thought through. It makes sense when you start the game in the Coldharbour prison. But if you're getting the quest when you've never been to Coldharbour, how did you die and wake in Oblivion. What are you doing walking around Tamriel with full body and soul? Though starting in Coldharbour, you won't have any hooded figure approaching you.

The hooded figure will send you to Coldharbour, and then you will wake up in Oblivion with your soul torn from your body. Ideally, the hooded figure should be a precursor quest to soul shriven in Coldharbour. But if that's too much, at least start the quest with the information that a hooded figure approached and you should find out what he wants. Leave out all the stuff about dying and waking up in Oblivion until after you've been to the Hooded Figure.

With the new update building on the original story, this seems like an excellent time to fix this thorn in the flesh.

Grizzbeorn · May 10

When did they change it to what you're describing?

It used to be that you'd encounter the Hooded Figure the first time you landed in a base-game zone on a character.
When you spoke to the Hooded Figure, they beseeched you to find "the Benefactor," and find out what the Benefactor wants with you.
Speaking to the Benefactor triggered the events which caused you to wake up in Coldharbour.

Does it not work like that anymore?
(it has been a few months since I last started the Main Quest with a character [I have a few who haven't started it yet].)

Maitsukas · May 10

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

When did they change it to what you're describing?

It used to be that you'd encounter the Hooded Figure the first time you landed in a base-game zone on a character.
When you spoke to the Hooded Figure, they beseeched you to find "the Benefactor," and find out what the Benefactor wants with you.
Speaking to the Benefactor triggered the events which caused you to wake up in Coldharbour.

Does it not work like that anymore?
(it has been a few months since I last started the Main Quest with a character [I have a few who haven't started it yet].)

It is mainly an issue for those that choose to skip the tutorial now.

Grizzbeorn · May 10

Maitsukas wrote: »

It is mainly an issue for those that choose to skip the tutorial now.

Ok, that makes sense.
To check for myself, I just started the Main Quest this morning on a certain character I had created years ago, but with whom I had skipped the tutorial at the time. And, I had spoken to the Hooded Figure back then, but had never gone to talk to the Benefactor.
So that character had not experienced Coldharbour yet. But speaking to the Benefactor this morning triggered the same events that it always had for me on other characters. (i.e., the Hooded Figure and The Benefactor were still "precursors" to waking up in Coldharbour in the first chapter of the Main Quest.)

That quest text in the OP was active for me when I logged-in on that character this morning and prior to me speaking to the Benefactor, but, as the OP describes and to which you allude, that first paragraph will not make any sense now (in light of the recent change that reverted the first chapter of the Main Quest to being the tutorial), if you had skipped the tutorial and had not started the MQ yet.

cyberjanet · May 11

The screenshot shows the text you get when you take the quest from the Hooded Figure to get rid of his nagging, but never actually do it. Yes, when you speak to the Benefactor you will end up in Coldharbour, but not before. The quest should be urging you to contact the Benefactor and not speak about Coldharbour at all.

It is sloppy design and it drives me nuts every time I see it.

redlink1979 · May 11

It has been kept due to the new chars created before U44, I think.

"Soul Shriven in Coldharbour
The first chapter of the original Main Quest now serves as the tutorial and starting point for all new characters. The previous tutorial quest, “Gates of Adamant,” is retired, but you can still finish the quest if your character is still in progress.
Those who are in the state of having completed “Gates of Adamant” but not having completed “Soul Shriven in Coldharbour” will still engage that story as before; the Hooded Figure will appear to you when entering a major city, and you will be brought to the Wailing Prison as normal if you acquire the quest this way.
You may skip the character tutorial after your first time, if you prefer. You'll automatically complete the quest and be eligible for subsequent quests in the storyline, starting with "The Harborage" upon reaching the first major city of your alliance."

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8210979/#Comment_8210979

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

When did they change it to what you're describing?(...)

Update 44

Maitsukas · May 11

redlink1979 wrote: »

It has been kept due to the new chars created before U44, I think.

"Soul Shriven in Coldharbour
The first chapter of the original Main Quest now serves as the tutorial and starting point for all new characters. The previous tutorial quest, “Gates of Adamant,” is retired, but you can still finish the quest if your character is still in progress.
Those who are in the state of having completed “Gates of Adamant” but not having completed “Soul Shriven in Coldharbour” will still engage that story as before; the Hooded Figure will appear to you when entering a major city, and you will be brought to the Wailing Prison as normal if you acquire the quest this way.
You may skip the character tutorial after your first time, if you prefer. You'll automatically complete the quest and be eligible for subsequent quests in the storyline, starting with "The Harborage" upon reaching the first major city of your alliance."

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8210979/#Comment_8210979

Grizzbeorn wrote: »

When did they change it to what you're describing?(...)

Update 44

With U46, all characters that were left on Balfiera get moved to the Wailing Prison (including one of my characters I've left there for years).

zaria · May 11

So back to the old coldharbor start, good it was always my favorite. The Morrowind start was an bit cool and had been cool if the could do that quest.

Also this clip nails it

d7deuw2-e5a8739e-a2b1-4501-9a2a-8e6803b407e4.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2Y1YWVmZjJmLTVjNGEtNDYyNC1hMWNmLTFlZWIxMTNhOTBiNlwvZDdkZXV3Mi1lNWE4NzM5ZS1hMmIxLTQ1MDEtOWEyYS04ZTY4MDNiNDA3ZTQuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.4KvFp-AQdGjP5lKnbekSn4Ph8aKQo5fx-2DQOgJ6ynM

https://www.deviantart.com/isriana/art/TESO-Keeps-Getting-Worse-445791458