Greatly Disappointed In This Event

Nomadic_Atmoran · November 13

I know the community has thoroughly and completely communicated their frustrations with this event. And I am definitely showing up late to that party. But tonight really killed any sort of excitement for Phase 3 for me. I've had my own issues with this event and while I have paced myself with the grind. Issues with drop rates from rewards and quest items and extremely disruptive lag across the platform has kept me from really enjoying this event. But I have quietly waited for the pay off of going across the wall and seeing who got to do it first. Tonight has made it clearly obvious that even that little bit of hope and joy was misplaced with ZOS. I now know that I should have expected the worst with the lack luster shift from Phase 1 to 2 with no updates to quests and rewards seemingly getting worse as time went on. But here I am, a Elder Scrolls fanboy holding out hope for some epic moment at the end of the slog. Only to have that excitement ripped from me as Phase 2 hit 100% on PS5 NA.

PS5 NA is the first to hit 100% in Phase 2. Going as far as even surpassing all of the European servers that it has largely fallen behind during the course of the event because of ZOS insistence on giving the European servers a head start. Players poured into Solstice looking to be apart of that epic moment of the Wall collapsing and everyone pouring into the breach to raid the fortress. Only to realize that no, the wall wont be coming down at this moment and that players needed to wait. It is now 12:30 EST and the wall still stands with a 19 hour timer on the Writhing Wall Event tab in game. No one knows if the wall will actually come down at that time or at some other point where players that would love to be there for that moment could possibly miss it. Even if they had been there for the 100% tonight.

Congratulations ZOS. You've taken an opportunity to give a truly memorable moment shared by a hardworking community and flushed it down the proverbial toilet. Do us all a favor in the future. And dont waste our time like this again.

This is not how any company should run an event.

spartaxoxo · November 13

The only excitement I had for the event was that maybe, just maybe, all the rallying PS5NA was doing would pay off and we'd be the first and I'd get to see some cool videos since people were actually posting them. I even hoped to be there when it fell myself.

Gabriel_H · November 13

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

ESO_player123 · November 13

Did ZoS post any information about how it shoud be and why there is timer? How did the wall come down on PTS? I'm on PCNA, and we are not likely to see any of it any time soon.

Marto · November 13

ESO_player123 wrote: »

Did ZoS post any information about how it shoud be and why there is timer? How did the wall come down on PTS? I'm on PCNA, and we are not likely to see any of it any time soon.

My understanding is that now all 6 servers will jump ahead to Phase 3. The extra wait is probably so people currently sleeping have time to find out the race is over, prepare, and plan to take on the Writhing Fortress in the next 24-48h.

But don't take my word for it. I literally read this 5 weeks ago, and may have forgotten the details. I'm just as tired and frustrated as the rest of you.

I was initially pretty optimistic about the event, but damn, it taking this long really made it a thousand times worse.

DragonRacer · November 13

So should I be logging in for the scheduled wall falling at 8:00pm Eastern tonight or does it even matter? LOL

Syldras · November 13

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Gabriel_H · November 13

Syldras wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Indeed. Here's the thing:

The OP is complaining the Fortress won't be accessable until prime time - 7pm to 9pm - when the maximum number of players will be online to enjoy the moment, rather than coming immediately at 1am on weeknight when the least number are online to enjoy the moment; and saying that is bad design.

Do you agree or disagree with that premise?

SilverBride · November 13

Marto wrote: »

My understanding is that now all 6 servers will jump ahead to Phase 3.

I hope so, but don't remember seeing that anywhere.

Syldras · November 13

It truly depends on the outcome. A huge mass of people storming the dungeon at once can also lead to a huge server crash. Truth is, we just couldn't test that on PTS before, and generally I couldn't estimate how well the content will play in a very big group. 20 people would work well, sure. But what if it's 50 or even more? Maybe bosses will be dead within seconds and the player won't even be able to experience the dungeon mechanics. That would be a pity. I just wait and see.

twisttop138 · November 13

Syldras wrote: »

It truly depends on the outcome. A huge mass of people storming the dungeon at once can also lead to a huge server crash. Truth is, we just couldn't test that on PTS before, and generally I couldn't estimate how well the content will play in a very big group. 20 people would work well, sure. But what if it's 50 or even more? Maybe bosses will be dead within seconds and the player won't even be able to experience the dungeon mechanics. That would be a pity. I just wait and see.

So, again an article came out today that made it sound like you need to gather a team and go in like an instance. That there's an upstairs and downstairs like HelRa. What could've easily been a saving grace of the event will be, as you say, mobbed by people tonight and any chance of enjoying it will have to wait till later on in the week. Maybe. That's why this instance should stay. What a waste of resources to just can it 8 days from now.

Gabriel_H · November 13

twisttop138 wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

It truly depends on the outcome. A huge mass of people storming the dungeon at once can also lead to a huge server crash. Truth is, we just couldn't test that on PTS before, and generally I couldn't estimate how well the content will play in a very big group. 20 people would work well, sure. But what if it's 50 or even more? Maybe bosses will be dead within seconds and the player won't even be able to experience the dungeon mechanics. That would be a pity. I just wait and see.

So, again an article came out today that made it sound like you need to gather a team and go in like an instance. That there's an upstairs and downstairs like HelRa. What could've easily been a saving grace of the event will be, as you say, mobbed by people tonight and any chance of enjoying it will have to wait till later on in the week. Maybe. That's why this instance should stay. What a waste of resources to just can it 8 days from now.

Fortress should stay BUT only for Season Pass owners not ESOplusers in a year. Tired of paying for content and being used as a Early Access tester with nothing unique to show for it - and no cosmetics don't count.

Gabriel_H · November 13

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Indeed. Here's the thing:

The OP is complaining the Fortress won't be accessable until prime time - 7pm to 9pm - when the maximum number of players will be online to enjoy the moment, rather than coming immediately at 1am on weeknight when the least number are online to enjoy the moment; and saying that is bad design.

Do you agree or disagree with that premise?

Well damn, I was right.

23h 55m. PCEU completed phase 2 at 19:05

Brumme · November 13

funny to see so many people who are over hyped...
so many people were ready to see what happened, and even more people rode up to the wall hoping that it would be opened...

it's so funny to see people's behavior. as if there was a chance that the first one would get 100 million.
And there I stood and laughed heartily at the poor over hyped people

LuC1ll3atTh3Wh33L · November 13

Syldras · November 13

twisttop138 wrote: »

So, again an article came out today that made it sound like you need to gather a team and go in like an instance.

Nah, doesn't sound like it:

"“For the Writhing Fortress, our goal was to give players public boss fights on a scale they haven’t seen before in ESO,” shares Oliver.”"

Ingenon · November 13

(deleted) Saw the answer to my question elsewhere online.

kind_hero · November 13

Syldras wrote: »

It truly depends on the outcome. A huge mass of people storming the dungeon at once can also lead to a huge server crash. Truth is, we just couldn't test that on PTS before, and generally I couldn't estimate how well the content will play in a very big group. 20 people would work well, sure. But what if it's 50 or even more? Maybe bosses will be dead within seconds and the player won't even be able to experience the dungeon mechanics. That would be a pity. I just wait and see.

But this is not our problem. The devs designed this event, it was their job to figure out how to manage the "huge mass of people". After all, a MMO wants a "huge mass of people", otherwise you would be playing a single player like Oblivion.

I don't care, because all that I read and figured out from the game is once phase 2 is done, phase 3 starts, and you get to raid this fortress. Skordo didn't say, "hey pal, once this is over, we wait one day to raid these b*stards".

People in my guild talked about the progress, they kept updating the percent in chat. And I went there at 98.8% to watch what will happen, I have even started to record once 100% was reached... I recorded one minute of nothing!

I also planned to wait and play a little more the new content - the fortress or whatever -, people in my guild were grouping already, and we all waited for NOTHING! Really...!? What is the point of this counter, what is the point of this nonsense, if after it's done, it's not actually done???

The way this event was handled is very very poor, in my opinion. Sorry, I love the game, but can't hold what I feel about it.

Nomadic_Atmoran · November 13

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Indeed. Here's the thing:

The OP is complaining the Fortress won't be accessable until prime time - 7pm to 9pm - when the maximum number of players will be online to enjoy the moment, rather than coming immediately at 1am on weeknight when the least number are online to enjoy the moment; and saying that is bad design.

Do you agree or disagree with that premise?

Incorrect. The complaint is that many players were awaiting the wall falling at that moment and to have it pause for nearly 24 hrs was extremely disappointing. Its all right there in the OP so Im not sure why you would intentionally misrepresent my original statement or try to make it seem petty. But then again. Its the official forums soo.

twisttop138 · November 13

Gabriel_H wrote: »

twisttop138 wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

It truly depends on the outcome. A huge mass of people storming the dungeon at once can also lead to a huge server crash. Truth is, we just couldn't test that on PTS before, and generally I couldn't estimate how well the content will play in a very big group. 20 people would work well, sure. But what if it's 50 or even more? Maybe bosses will be dead within seconds and the player won't even be able to experience the dungeon mechanics. That would be a pity. I just wait and see.

So, again an article came out today that made it sound like you need to gather a team and go in like an instance. That there's an upstairs and downstairs like HelRa. What could've easily been a saving grace of the event will be, as you say, mobbed by people tonight and any chance of enjoying it will have to wait till later on in the week. Maybe. That's why this instance should stay. What a waste of resources to just can it 8 days from now.

Fortress should stay BUT only for Season Pass owners not ESOplusers in a year. Tired of paying for content and being used as a Early Access tester with nothing unique to show for it - and no cosmetics don't count.

I can get behind this.

twisttop138 · November 13

Syldras wrote: »

twisttop138 wrote: »

So, again an article came out today that made it sound like you need to gather a team and go in like an instance.

Nah, doesn't sound like it:

"“For the Writhing Fortress, our goal was to give players public boss fights on a scale they haven’t seen before in ESO,” shares Oliver.”"

Being the busy idiot I am I totally missed "public". I mean I believed you the first time but the article sounded really cool and it's a bit disappointing. I'm thinking that hopefully it won't be so full in a few days but it may be like a highway. You see a traffic jam so you have the bright idea to take the exit and take surface streets, only everyone else has this same idea so now the streets are backed up too. This 7 day thing really is weird to me.

Gabriel_H · November 13

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Indeed. Here's the thing:

The OP is complaining the Fortress won't be accessable until prime time - 7pm to 9pm - when the maximum number of players will be online to enjoy the moment, rather than coming immediately at 1am on weeknight when the least number are online to enjoy the moment; and saying that is bad design.

Do you agree or disagree with that premise?

Incorrect. The complaint is that many players were awaiting the wall falling at that moment and to have it pause for nearly 24 hrs was extremely disappointing. Its all right there in the OP so Im not sure why you would intentionally misrepresent my original statement or try to make it seem petty. But then again. Its the official forums soo.

Then you should have read the brief. The Wall falls when the Fortress is cleared. The Fortress is accessed after reaching phase 2 100% - to think that it wouldn't happen immediately was never a realistic prospect.

Nomadic_Atmoran · November 13

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Nomadic_Atmoran wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Not to nitpick but Phase 2 100% isn't when the wall comes down (if at all). Someone has to complete the PD in Phase 3 first, and then only a breach will appear would be my guess.

Which shouldn't take more than half an hour or so.

Indeed. Here's the thing:

The OP is complaining the Fortress won't be accessable until prime time - 7pm to 9pm - when the maximum number of players will be online to enjoy the moment, rather than coming immediately at 1am on weeknight when the least number are online to enjoy the moment; and saying that is bad design.

Do you agree or disagree with that premise?

Incorrect. The complaint is that many players were awaiting the wall falling at that moment and to have it pause for nearly 24 hrs was extremely disappointing. Its all right there in the OP so Im not sure why you would intentionally misrepresent my original statement or try to make it seem petty. But then again. Its the official forums soo.

Then you should have read the brief. The Wall falls when the Fortress is cleared. The Fortress is accessed after reaching phase 2 100% - to think that it wouldn't happen immediately was never a realistic prospect.

Cool man. So youre only here to argue. Ill gladly put you on ignore from here on out.

lostineternity · November 13

Can someone please explain from PS NA/XBox NA servers how the wall fell? Was it live or maybe they showed some kind of cinematic?

DragonRacer · November 14

lostineternity wrote: »

Can someone please explain from PS NA/XBox NA servers how the wall fell? Was it live or maybe they showed some kind of cinematic?

Went through the Writhing Fortress and smashed a thing at the core as part of the first 8:00pm Eastern brigade inside. Portal back to main camp. Talked to Skordo. Then talked to the Prince. Given the honor of firing off the Meridian lens. Screen went bright white with the power and faded back into sight with the wall now gone.

Neat, but no dramatic cinematic of the wall collapsing or anything. More of a fade out/fade back in transition.

majulook · November 14

This Game Pass Event will go down in gaming history.

Even if ZOS can fix Phase 3 quickly, I believe the player base, and gamer's around the world will see this event as a failure.

tomofhyrule · November 14

I just really hope we don’t have to read a whole paragraph about how great and wonderful this event was in the yearly studio director’s letter.

I get that PR will forbid saying anything negative, but what we absolutely don’t need to see is some effusive purple prose dripping with praise. That will look disingenuous at best and be blatant lies at worst.

But I’ll also agree that I hope they mean it that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, in that we’ll never have to see anything like this ever again.
(And I’ll reiterate that a lot of people are seriously reconsidering paying any money to ZOS ever again because of everything this year, so a massive reveal in January of actual things would be in everyone’s best interest if it is intended that ESO still makes a profit)

AzuraFan · November 14

tomofhyrule wrote: »

(And I’ll reiterate that a lot of people are seriously reconsidering paying any money to ZOS ever again because of everything this year, so a massive reveal in January of actual things would be in everyone’s best interest if it is intended that ESO still makes a profit)

For sure. ZOS has had its transition year. Now it's time to show us what's coming in January so we can get a sense of where the game is going, and if we want to stay around for the ride.

mdjessup4906 · November 14

]

Fortress should stay BUT only for Season Pass owners not ESOplusers in a year. Tired of paying for content and being used as a Early Access tester with nothing unique to show for it - and no cosmetics don't count.

[/quote]

As a pass owner myself i have to disagree. This whole thing has been a complete mess. They should just shelve this whole limited time [snip] and go back to chapters, in practice if not in name. Im inclined to blame this game's new overlords for this "season pass" nonsense anyway.
[edited for profanity bypass]

lostineternity · November 14

tomofhyrule wrote: »

I just really hope we don’t have to read a whole paragraph about how great and wonderful this event was in the yearly studio director’s letter.

I get that PR will forbid saying anything negative, but what we absolutely don’t need to see is some effusive purple prose dripping with praise. That will look disingenuous at best and be blatant lies at worst.

Back in 2022 Matt Firor wrote a whole paragraph about buggy mess in U36 and how they focused to fix everything but didn't mention U35 at all and the biggest exodus of the PVE end game community.

BahometZ · November 14

The beginning of every phase has been buggy, with drops not dropping, enemies phasing out, bosses appearing early or not at all. I see the list of bugs related to the event and Solstice in general growing each day. Basically I have no inclination to "be there" when it all goes down because who knows if any of it will work. First through the door is first to be disappointed.

Im just going to wait a few days and do things at my own pace. A disappointing attitude to have developed thanks to how eso is run these days.