Take the Ironman Challenge!

Neizir

Some people think leveling alts is the same old repetitive stuff. Some people think that ESO needs to be harder. Some people also want a real, hard challenge in ESO.
Well, this is why I have devised the Ironman Challenge for ESO! Now, I didn't specifically come up with the concept of the Ironman Challenge - It's done in quite a few other MMOs as well - but it's a great thing to do if you want a real challenge and it would be great for ESO to join that list of MMOs who participate in the Ironman Challenge.
In the Ironman Challenge, you must level any character all the way from 1-VR14, but with a few twists.

Here are the rules of the Ironman Challenge:

1) No items are to be equipped other than white-quality items, but you can have all items just in your inventory, but do NOT equip. You may sell the non-white items.
2) No Rings of Mara buffs.
3) No passive buffs - but you may unlock class abilities and temporary self-buffing abilities.
4) No crafting allowed.
5) No food or drink above NPC-Sold white-quality items.
6) No groups- no PvP groups, no dungeon groups, no raid groups, no quest groups. You have to do this all on your own.
7) No set enchants, potions, or glyphs.
8) Do not accept Rewards for the Worthy mail if you are in PvP.
9) No outside financial or equipment assistance (no gold or loot from other players or even your bank, unless the stuff in your bank was deposited by your Ironman character. No guild banks allowed either, nor buying from a guild store.)
10) No wayshrine fast-travel allowed.
11) THE BIG ONE - If you die, ever, you delete that character and start over at level 1. Cause of death doesn't matter, whether it be fall damage, you got ganked in PvP, or whether Jason Leavey's magical hair zapped your face off with fabulousness. The ONLY, ONLY exception to this rule is if you get stuck in or fall beneath the world and can't get out. Same with the Wayshrine rule.

The following ARE allowed:

• Mounts, except for the Imperial White Horse.
• Selling an item in the guild store.
• Self-buffs and heals, but only in ability form.
• PvPing, but not grouped.
• Delves
• Going into Group Instances or Trials, but not grouped.

Once you reach VR14, the character is allowed to become a normal one, with no special restrictions on it.

Any takers? Post below if you're going to take the challenge!

AshySamurai

And you recive last goal, VR14 and... death! Delete characeter and begin from the start. lol!
It isn't imposoble if you will avoid any danger like group dung, dolmens and world bosses.

Neizir

AshySamurai wrote: »

And you recive last goal, VR14 and... death! Delete characeter and begin from the start. lol!

Once you reach VR14 you're allowed to make that character normal

Syntse

Idea itself seems pretty interesting... maybe someday when I cannot think anything better to do I'll try this one. Still loads to do and levels to make before starting to run out of things to do.

dan958

I really like this idea, but way too much work for me to do! I'm still trying to get my main to V14 (currently V3)

Wing

started doing perma death but not to this extent, got a friend of mine into it but they kept liking the characters and didn't want to delete em

dan958

Knowing my luck I would do it all, get to V13 and then get major lag and get killed.

Gyudan

12) Play naked and hit with your fists. No armor, weapons or class abilities.

bellanca6561n

It's a good and a proven idea with many variations over the years such as playing a beggar.

As an aside, one guy I know from opening day onward played naked. Not as a stunt, as it never has *quite* the impact in the digital world as the analog one. He did it because he felt it would force him to learn the game faster.

It did...

Rosveen

What do you know, I got 8 out of 11 with one of my characters almost all the way to VR1. I wasn't doing any kind of challenge, I was just lazy and asocial with that one.

I never do permadeath, so I'm out. But I might do the rest with my (almost) naked Nord. I'm not sure about wayshrines, this rule is a huge time-eater because the game isn't designed for playing without them with its miniscule starting inventory size and unclimbable cliffs everywhere.

Merlin13KAGL

bellanca6561n wrote: »

It's a good and a proven idea with many variations over the years such as playing a beggar.

As an aside, one guy I know from opening day onward played naked. Not as a stunt, as it never has *quite* the impact in the digital world as the analog one. He did it because he felt it would force him to learn the game faster.

It did...

Did a couple dungeon runs that way on greyed out quests (didn't seem fair otherwise). Purposely put on the wrong gear/removed gear when assisting someone the other day to even it out also.

(Makes you really appreciate the effect your gear has on you a lot more.)

@Neizir , one more:

13) No repairs - ever. If you wear it, you wear out. You may drop or sell them item, but you have to find a replacement or go without.

MonkeyD00

I did this a lot in Skyrim. to varying degrees of success and frustration . In the beginning I thought about trying it in ESO, but so many random deaths I couldn't predict (or run away from) I never fully tried it. But now that I've got a lot more playtime in ESO, might not be a bad time to give it a shot. (though there's no way I'd make it to Vet 1, let alone 14)

AlexDougherty

Neizir wrote: »

Any takers? Post below if you're going to take the challenge!

Probably!

Not me though!

Lord_Draevan

Imagine doing every single PvE quest, getting to V14, heading into PvP only to get run over by a 30+ impulse zerg? Or getting killed by 2-3 NB's all using Lethal Arrow with sneak bonus? If you have to delete the character when you die, no one would PvP with this challenge :disagree:
It's a great challenge for PvE, though.

Hamfast

It would seem to me that the Ironman Character would only be able to use items that they themselves pick up, regardless of color.

driosketch

Since all the decorative items are leveled to you on pick up, you can fully outfit youself at all times without violating 1 or 4. 8 isn't really needed since going into PvP with a permadeath restriction is the same as deciding to start over.

I'm running an unarmed challenge myself. Only rule is no weapons or skills with a weapon animation such as silverbolts. I have added a slight additional restriction, no spell use out of melee range.

Tigeracer

Are you allowed to wear white items with a trait (such as training) if you picked it up?

AlexDougherty

Tigeracer wrote: »

Are you allowed to wear white items with a trait (such as training) if you picked it up?

Nothing in the rules against it, but it does seem to violate the spirit a touch.

Tigeracer

Hmm... The reason I ask is that I just started this challenge earlier today. I picked up a piece of gear with a trait and didn't want to equip it just to find out later that it's against the rules and have to start again.

Neizir

@Tigeracer Would be good to give us updates on your progress!
Btw you can equip white items with traits.

Tigeracer

Thanks @Neizir‌

I will keep you updated on my progress. So far I am only level 7. I am a Khajiit DK called Claw of the Tiger. I am from DC on the NA server.

MonkeyD00

Tigeracer wrote: »

I will keep you updated on my progress. So far I am only level 7. I am a Khajiit DK called Claw of the Tiger. I am from DC on the NA server.

good luck! and stay safe!

I'll be starting a new character as soon as 1.5 drops, so I'll be taking the challenge then.

ZOS_AmeliaR

This sounds like great (and challenging) fun! We hope you guys will come back to this thread to report on your progress!

Neizir wrote: »

Cause of death doesn't matter, whether it be fall damage, you got ganked in PvP, or whether Jason Leavey's magical hair zapped your face off with fabulousness.

P.S. Yes, beware the hair. #WWJLHD

Garbrac

I will accept this challenge. I will also stream the entire event. I will start once 1.5 launched (next week)

Welka

Garbrac wrote: »

I will accept this challenge. I will also stream the entire event. I will start once 1.5 launched (next week)

Link for twitch / YouTube channel?

Garbrac

Welka wrote: »

Garbrac wrote: »

I will accept this challenge. I will also stream the entire event. I will start once 1.5 launched (next week)

Link for twitch / YouTube channel?

Twitch.tv/Garbrac

Stroggnonimus

@Neizir I'll do it, but until VR1, VR14 is a bit too much... Will try to record my struggles and post it on youtube.

DaniAngione

Sounds a lot of fun.

Though not "that hardcore", I've played two characters with a few twists myself..

Skaldjorn
I wanted my nord DK to be a Werewolf... So I also wanted him to have this "savage"/barbarian look to him. I've levelled him up to VR1 without using ANY chest armor, shoulder armor and belt. It was a lil' bit rough but I even managed to complete the WW quest at 20 and run instances this way :disagree:

Templar
My templar fights with a one-handed weapon without shield. Not really a big twist, but it's nice to see there are animations implemented for that even not being 'valued' by any skill line (most 1h+shield skills require a shield to be equipped).
It's a lot of fun, though, especially when using magic, I feel like a 1h+magic Skyrim character

PBpsy

I like to do this type of ironman/hardcore thing in some games (Diablo,PoE...) but in this it doesn't really work.The problem is that leveling is almost entirely quest XP based instead of kill millions of mobs which makes replaying a character again just because I died very obnoxious and boring. Without the permadeath it wouldn't be much of a challenge since the content was nerfed so hard since launch . The hardcore mode is really fun in a game with minimalist story like the generic hack&slash action rpgs and whatever roguelike they sell on steam this month.

leeux

I have a L7 alt-character that haven't died yet... still in Khenarti's Roost ATM, but nearing the end of that quest-line.

Of course, group dungeons are excluded from this self-challenge, since you're own life depends on others while in there...

I intended for her to see how far I could go without dying... all the extra restrictions seems a bit superfluous to me

But hey, good challenge, I hope someone takes on it!

Tigeracer

Just a quick update guys. I am now level 9 and just finished in Betnihk. So far, the combat isn't too difficult, which may be a result of being a DK (my VR14 character is a NB), but I am finding it hard to keep resources up.
I am using two handed weapons at the moment and my Armour is a mix of heavy and medium, though it really doesn't matter since there are no passive allowed.