Veteran System Changes Preview

ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Hi everyone,

One of the topics we frequently get feedback on is ESO’s Veteran content. Some of you may have seen our recent comments about changes we have in store for ESO’s post-50 experience. We want you to know we’ve been listening to your suggestions and concerns, but more importantly, we want to tell you what we’re doing about them. Today, we have an update from the ESO Dev Team to share with you.

Some of the concerns you’ve called out are: Veteran content is too much of a departure from the level 1 to 50 experience, playing and leveling through it is too much of a grind, and that the rewards you get don’t match the effort you have to put in to progress.

One of the guiding principles of our Veteran gameplay was to encourage you (not force you) to group. We wanted you to be able to reach max level by playing solo if you wished, but still encourage you to group with others along the way. This principle was the reason we made our post-50 zones more difficult; we wanted you to get together with others to take on tougher challenges and form social bonds while you did so. But we understand that, despite our vision, this is not how all our players want to experience the game beyond level 50.

We recognize that many of you love the game you played while leveling up, and that you feel the post-50 zones are too much of a departure from that experience. We hear your requests to continue participating in solo content as you progress through Veteran Ranks, and we’re acting on that feedback.

Starting next week on Monday, July 7th, you’ll see the first significant change we’re making to the Veteran System. We’re implementing some balance changes to content in post-50 zones that will make it much more like the content from levels 1-50. Our goal is to remove the feeling of “I have just hit a wall of difficulty” that many of you have expressed—you’ll be able to solo much more easily. This is just the first of many large-scale changes coming to ESO’s Veteran System, and we encourage you to watch our QuakeCon panel on Friday, July 17th, where we’ll go into much more detail about the other parts.

Thank you for sticking with us, sharing your concerns, and supporting a game we all love.

Anastasia

Appreciate your presenting this new information Jessica.
Thanks.

jonpaul

Good to hear, I am very interested now as to what will be changed.

Also, now we will be racing through the last of our quests in the Rift to get done with Cadwell's Gold before the changes!

vyndral13preub18_ESO

Are there any plans to change the amount of veteran experience needed to level? This really needs to come down quite a bit if the veterans are going to be as easy a 1-50. Talk about boredom.

Denaia

Thanks for the changes. I just wonder one thing

How hard will this nerfing be? I did not enjoy the difficulty of 1-50 much as it was way too easy for my liking, while vr 1-12 could certainly be a bit easier. But I wonder, will it be the same difficulty as 1-50 or will it be a middleground of what's its now? As I wonder if I will enjoy ploughing through vr 1-12 if it's extremely easy and I fall asleep playing.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom

vyndral13preub18_ESO wrote: »

Are there any plans to change the amount of veteran experience needed to level? This really needs to come down quite a bit if the veterans are going to be as easy a 1-50. Talk about boredom.

We do have some changes planned to address that, yes. We'll be going into more detail about them in the July Road Ahead letter, and the QuakeCon panel.

Goibot

One suggestion I would like to add to this is to make it easier to find the quest starters for Cadwell's. Maybe give an initial quest to talk to each of the starter people for them when you enter the zone???? When I hit a new zone I just search those out and complete this as well as all delvs, skyshards, anchors and world bosses. I have no desire to complete every quest in the other alliances. If I do those I will do it with an alt of that faction. I will finish leveling to 12 in Craglorn.

I know it would be too much to ask but it would be really cool the change the vet quests so the fit our alliance, like assassination type quests. That would help build the excitement from lvl 1 -49 and make it not like we are heroes doing boot licking jobs.

Sharee

I must say i liked the challenge. But then, i can understand why some might not.

Doesn't matter much to me tho, i guess i will have Cadwell's gold completed before the changes go live anyway(last 3 zones to go).

rich_nicholsonb16_ESO

So will there still be that quest grind?

Imo just triple the xp for the mobs so ppl can grind away or for those that like to quest they can quest. I might be able to persuade a few ppl who left because of the quest grind to come back if xp was made easier.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Denaia wrote: »

Thanks for the changes. I just wonder one thing

How hard will this nerfing be? I did not enjoy the difficulty of 1-50 much as it was way too easy for my liking, while vr 1-12 could certainly be a bit easier. But I wonder, will it be the same difficulty as 1-50 or will it be a middleground of what's its now? As I wonder if I will enjoy ploughing through vr 1-12 if it's extremely easy and I fall asleep playing.

Level 50+ and 50++ content will still be more difficult than normal level 50 content, but easier to solo than it is now. So, yes, a middle ground.

Denaia

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Denaia wrote: »

Thanks for the changes. I just wonder one thing

How hard will this nerfing be? I did not enjoy the difficulty of 1-50 much as it was way too easy for my liking, while vr 1-12 could certainly be a bit easier. But I wonder, will it be the same difficulty as 1-50 or will it be a middleground of what's its now? As I wonder if I will enjoy ploughing through vr 1-12 if it's extremely easy and I fall asleep playing.

Level 50+ and 50++ content will still be more difficult than normal level 50 content, but easier to solo than it is now. So, yes, a middle ground.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Denaia wrote: »

Thanks for the changes. I just wonder one thing

How hard will this nerfing be? I did not enjoy the difficulty of 1-50 much as it was way too easy for my liking, while vr 1-12 could certainly be a bit easier. But I wonder, will it be the same difficulty as 1-50 or will it be a middleground of what's its now? As I wonder if I will enjoy ploughing through vr 1-12 if it's extremely easy and I fall asleep playing.

Level 50+ and 50++ content will still be more difficult than normal level 50 content, but easier to solo than it is now. So, yes, a middle ground.

Absolutely lovely, happy with this answer. I do have one request : any chance that we could get a percentage of how 'hard' vet was leveled? Or if that is not possible some numbers? I would like to see the change not only while playing but also beforehand so I know what to expect.

It would also help out on getting feedback as we are currently grasping thin air every time how much something was nerfed or buffed.

Jermu73

I'm so happy to hear this

thesilverball_ESO

Awesome!!! Thanks!!! ^^

Esha76

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Denaia wrote: »

Thanks for the changes. I just wonder one thing

How hard will this nerfing be? I did not enjoy the difficulty of 1-50 much as it was way too easy for my liking, while vr 1-12 could certainly be a bit easier. But I wonder, will it be the same difficulty as 1-50 or will it be a middleground of what's its now? As I wonder if I will enjoy ploughing through vr 1-12 if it's extremely easy and I fall asleep playing.

Level 50+ and 50++ content will still be more difficult than normal level 50 content, but easier to solo than it is now. So, yes, a middle ground.

Excellent. Perfect. Thank you for listening, acting, and communicating!

But Jessica, you forgot to add a re-sub button on your signature for convenience.

"Shut up and take my money!" - Fry

Skwor

Sad face I liked the difficulty but I do understand the change. I hope it is a middle ground as stated. We do not need the easy-mode 1-50 content repeated in VR zones.

Mujuro

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Starting next week on Monday, July 7th, you’ll see the first significant change we’re making to the Veteran System.

Have these changes been tested properly ? Given the lack of adequate testing (unit, system/integration, regression) for the previous 2 content updates, I'd very concerned that this new content will, again, break more stuff than it adds/fixes.

As an aside, PTS was running an EARLIER version than what we have live ... *sigh*

Natjur

I know a lot of people complained that the vet levels are hard, but do we really want to go down the path of 'dummy' down the game? I know a few encounters need to be edited has they force you to group, but there is only a few of those quest 'bosses'

The Craglorn allowing people to still fast exp by grinding one or two bosses, so those who do not want to do the 50+ and 50++ can still bypass it and get to V12. I did all the normal quests and got to V10 without the need to 'grind'.

I agrees with some 'twinks' but are you really making it 'easy' mode due to players complains?

AelyinESO

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

We do have some changes planned to address that, yes. We'll be going into more detail about them in the July Road Ahead letter, and the QuakeCon panel.

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom, since you ignore me all times! Thank you for the FeedBack, We're exciting to see what's going on.

About: July Road Ahead letter Can you give us a preview when?

Thank you!

Lord_Draevan

I just hope the XP isn't nerfed too hard. I completed all EP, DC and AD quests and reached Vet 10 just before finishing the last AD zone, which was a Vet 10 zone since I'm EP. Will this still be possible with the new zones? Or will I be lower level before finishing all the zones?

Mujuro

Natjur wrote: »

I know a lot of people complained that the vet levels are hard, but do we really want to go down the path of 'dummy' down the game? I know a few encounters need to be edited has they force you to group, but there is only a few of those quest 'bosses'

The Craglorn allowing people to still fast exp by grinding one or two bosses, so those who do not want to do the 50+ and 50++ can still bypass it and get to V12. I did all the normal quests and got to V10 without the need to 'grind'.

I agrees with some 'twinks' but are you really making it 'easy' mode due to players complains?

And the answer is ...

ers101284b14_ESO

Saw it coming.

Ragnar_Lodbrok

Hallelujah. You have restored some of my faith in you. I knew you guys would see the light, and I am proud to have helped you.

BBSooner

It's going to be disappointing to see the difficulty go, hopefully you decide to find another place for it for a solo player to find difficult content. Please don't make this game more 'hand holdy' with blanket difficulty nerfs!

Maverick827

The difficulty of leveling content shouldn't be a concern. Dungeons should be where you go for difficult PvE content.

isengrimb16_ESO

Holy crap, thank you!

Syntse

Glad to hear some changes done, we'll see what those are. Hoping it goes somewhat in line with the things said in the first videos of ESO. "We want to bring the people who loved ES and people who like MMO together". So people who loved ES can play and quest. And for those MMO people that much needed difficulty and challenge those would be all kinds of dungeons and trials etc. So something for both.

If I want to have "easy" relaxed gaming session questing and admiring the scenery I can do that. Then if I want to group with few friends and handle some difficult challenge I'm also able to do that or even try to do that alone.

Hoamaii

Thanks for the feedback, I wouldn't mind soloing VR levels but somehow I think what would really help us too would be to make grouping easier, give us more options, better facilitate players' interactions - I don't mind if I have to group with players who are 5 or more levels below me (or above ), what is fun is to play with other people, just don't restrict it that much and that should make a big difference for many of us. Cheers!

david.haypreub18_ESO

Sounds pretty good to me.

Orchish

This is welcome news as far as im concerned. I enjoyed my 1-50 experience. Yet i find VR zones incredibly tedious and quickly become bored of grinding through the quests and mobs there.

I would also like to see experience gained in PvP increased more. It takes so long to level up in Cyrodiil that i feel forced to go back to the vet zones in order to level. To be honest, i just want to play some PvP for a while yet at the same time i would also like to keep levelling my character at a decent pace. I cannot do this in PvP alone.

Nazon_Katts

As long as the phasing issues persist, this probably is the next best option to get people into the VR zones again. Otherwise a considerable raise in group xp gains in VR could have done the trick to convince people to group up more often.

Will this have an effect on VR dungeons as well or will they remain as they currently are? And any news on xp gains in 1-50 dungeons?

Catches_the_Sun

I'm not one bit happy about these changes. You've gotta be kidding me. I guess the WoW crowd has won another round (big surprise, their numbers will always exceed everybody else). If I wanted a Singleplayer game, Skyrim is far superior to ESO in every way.