Difficulty scaling in veteran content

Ambrosis · May 2014

So yesterday I hit VR3 and it wasn't long before I went to Greenshade. It was all fun and games until I got my ass handed to me. Hard. And often.

I like to think that I am at least an okay player and that I shouldn't be having all this trouble soloing three regular mobs, or one named mob with a regular one. Up until VR2, I never had any trouble with this. Yet, at VR3, I find myself wiping three times just to get one named mob down (twice to get rid of the adds and once on the "boss" because it manages to kill me in two seconds with an unavoidable ability).

Let me be clear: I don't mind a challenge, I don't mind that it's taking ages to level up and I can even live with the absence of a reward for persevering. But it almost seems like VR3 content was deliberately designed to make progression disproportionately difficult.

So, am I alone in this, or do others feel the same way? Or am I doing something wrong?

Ulvich · May 2014

The reason you are having problems is because you no longer gain attribute points. You can't add to your health, magicka or stamina pools at all unless to change your gear or add better enchants. Your pools at VR3 are almost the same as they were at level 49.
VR content is a rough road to travel. The best thing I can suggest is to keep a stock pile of potions, keep your ultimate ability charged (if you can), and try to avoid large groups of mobs.

Ambrosis · May 2014

I suppose I have little choice. Thank you for your advice, Ulvich.

CerberusCRW · May 2014

Every new veteran zone seems to get more and more difficult than the last. I thought VR3 was a bumpy ride but ever since hitting VR4, I find myself dying even more. Those storm atronarchs I had to solo really had me seething with rage x.x

This post kinda cheers me up though, I was beginning to think I just sucked at questing in this game.

Ambrosis · May 2014

Your post is terrifying me, CerberusCRW.

Morduil · May 2014

Seems to me that they haven't completely got the balance right with Veteran difficulty levels. As the OP said, a level of challenge is a good thing, and facerolling through content is - to my mind at least - not fun. But I'm now VR5 and finding it pretty boring to be continually dying: two things in particular seem to be ratched up - mob crit frequency and force (and when fighting three mobs it is exponentially harder to interrupt and dps), and the general strength of named mobs. I'm not saying a big nerf is required or desirable, just that a slight tweak might be called for.

Now I know that many will say that I am a noob and should learn to play. That's anyone's right to say, although I think the retort would be undeserved: many of the self-perceived l33t forum critics won't in any case care before decrying such opinions. But I'd suggest that if relatively experienced players are finding it uphill going, then more casual ones will find it prohibitively difficult and (despite the inevitable cries of 'good riddance don't spoil our game' from the aforesaid critics) without them, there isn't going to be a game. Or at least there will only be a F2P game, and I would rather that were prevented.

Lupinemw · May 2014

Yeah consider taking something to give you an immunity to shock damage. trust me no matter what jewelry your wearing and the amazing bonus it gives, being able to drop that storm damage is a real handy survival moment.

CerberusCRW · May 2014

Heheh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you ^.^ It can get a little tedious, and sometimes even frustrating to solo but it's certainly doable. Everything becomes quite easy with a questing buddy though. I try to follow and stick with people I bump into as I quest. Things go down much faster and I can keep the both of us alive with heals, everyone wins! Well, except the monsters, but eff those guys.

kristiannyman88b16_ESO · May 2014

It'll just continue to get harder and harder.
Gear becomes more and more important. Potions and food helps alot too.

Just wait til you meet V10 Storm Atronaches.
I got facerolled without my ulti on those.

tylarthb16_ESO · May 2014

Veteran content does eliminate any use of weak powers + abilities, melee unless blocking is perilous. Essentially is all about not letting the mobs hit you much via blocks and chained hard cc.

TreacleNips · May 2014

When I was VR3 I was running from a single zombie to turn in a quest. No biggie, I popped a HoT and kept running. Next thing I know I'm dead and I check my damage counter. What a surprise when I see a 1400 in there among a couple of 300s! That is some crit multiplier at work. Later that day I got hit by a tiger summon for 620x2 on a regular hit. A part of me wants to think it's just bad gear and I should craft my own. but when even dropped gear that 3/7's blue and the rest green can't help me out with normal mobs ..

Just gotta up my game I guess, which as a VR6 means avoiding every possible mob.

Rev Rielle · May 2014

Most VR content is meant to be done in a group, the developers have said as much. That's why so many are finding it very difficult alone. It's just the way it should be.

Ruwyn21 · May 2014

Rev Rielle wrote: »

Most VR content is meant to be done in a group, the developers have said as much. That's why so many are finding it very difficult alone. It's just the way it should be.

LOL...except that if someone has already done most of the content they are then unable to help you with it. I primarily play with a group of 4. Two of which were 3-4 VRs ahead and when we would sign on together we could do nothing more than dolmens/world bosses. Add in the CD on loot and it makes for a very bad experience.

This game is terrible for group play. It is NOT a friend/guild friendly MMO. Throw in the fact that you have at most 2500 people you can trade effectively with (under a painfully awful process lacking a basic search feature) and you have a company that has failed to learn a damn thing from15yrs of MMOs.

I could give a rats ass about the other 2 story lines, but we are forced to do it to push to VR10. Very poor dungeon loot destroys any hope I have of actually having a guild survive to even attempt Craglorn.

Nox_Aeterna · May 2014

Nah , you get used to it.

It is all about picking the fights , some mobs will destroy you , some wont be much of a problem , check before hand what you will face and think ahead.

Usually 2 mobs i dont ever need to ult , on 3/4 , i need to consider how many mages...

Sometimes i do have to go hunt groups of 2 to build up my ult to take down a group of 3/4 in the quests path. :P

Im 50% to vr8 ... need to keep going ...

LonePirate · May 2014

Rev Rielle wrote: »

Most VR content is meant to be done in a group, the developers have said as much. That's why so many are finding it very difficult alone. It's just the way it should be.

This is very poor game design as questing is largely a solo endeavor, even if some moments can be completed simultaneously as another player, such as clearing mobs. The final quest bosses that must be completed alone also destroy the idea of group questing.

That being said, if I need to stock up on potions and food buffs, not to mention being over leveled in order to stand a chance agains some of these VR mobs and bosses, then the game is broken. It is as simple as that. ZOS and ESO can still present challenges without the content being stupidly and absurdly difficult for no reason. Veteran content needs a nerf, possibly even a big one, to make the content enjoyable and accessible for the vast majority of players.

crislevin · May 2014

I only finished half of the first zone in V1, it feels okay. Im sure high V zones will be exponentially more difficult. So far, my basic philosophy is, try not to get hit, in this regard, playing a kiting sorc helps, since I have been practicing not-get-hit for a loooooong time.

I don't have the urge to rush to V10, and my alt finished all factions and classes (except NB). I am gonna take my time, and won't have regret if I won't ever get there.