Maintenance for the week of October 5:
• [COMPLETE] ESO Store and Account System for maintenance – October 8, 8:00AM EDT (12:00 UTC) – 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
The Markarth DLC and Update 28 base game patch are now available to test on the PTS! Read the full patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/categories/pts/

Undaunted Pledge Difficulty

bellanca6561n
bellanca6561n
✭✭✭✭✭
I posted something on this but in some off in the woods topic that got maybe 5 views and no replies.

I simply want to ask if I got it wrong.

My understanding of the new scaling dungeon system and the Undaunted pledges was:

1. Silver - Veteran Rank, meant for a range of VR players who are moderately skilled and haven't necessarily worked together before.

2. Gold - Meant as a true challenge to accomplished Veteran Rank players, yet also featuring a range of ranks.

At first it seemed that way. I was actually surprised that I was able on day one to handle both types and found fun, intelligent people to play with.

However, the following three nights in a row felt like I'd hit a wood chipper, "Your friend over there in the....wood....chipper." Lowest rank player as lead, level range from 2 to 11 on Silver pledges. Fungal Grotto and Spindleclutch - both of them beginner group dungeons in two faction story lines, now set to Veteran Level.

These were not dumb or foolish people. There was no acrimony over this....we enjoyed each other's company...swapped around friend invites afterwards...paused to research our situation on the web and via video when we'd hit situations that stopped us.

Still, I think all us too a break from dungeons after these experiences. We say hi and all when we logon but don't bring up the D word.

Sorry to digress. Simply tell me:
1. Are these meant primarily to challenge top players only.
2. Second, is the scaling working as designed.

Thank you :)
  • Elder_III
    Elder_III
    ✭✭✭✭
    Are you saying that it was too hard and your party could not finish or it was too easy and no challenge?
    Semi retired from the trading aspects of the game.
  • manny254
    manny254
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    The silver and gold don't really mean anything consistently. If you are doing the vet pledge you will get the silver for completing it, and gold for doing the hard mode of the last boss. This can be as simple as killing zombies in wayrest during the boss fight, or something that requires a bit more experience like keeping 3 deadroth alive on BC without getting overrun.
    - Mojican

    -Ádamant
    -Viva la Venatus
    -Rip RÁGE
  • rophez_ESO
    rophez_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some of the vet dungeons scaled up to 12 are quite difficult. Er.. not the dungeons, but some of the bosses. They aren't impossible, but I can definitely see some pugs really hitting a brick wall. It might be a good idea to go through and hand balance a few bosses like the guy in banished cells that summons lightning balls and keeps disappearing and groups of daedra spawn; I forget his name. In Fungal grotto, there are a couple bosses that could use some tuning too.

    Overall, there are some really nice challenges, and finally some items to lust after. Cheers!
  • bellanca6561n
    bellanca6561n
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Elder_III wrote: »
    Are you saying that it was too hard and your party could not finish or it was too easy and no challenge?

    Sorry I wasn't clear.

    Hard, Elder....impossibly hard. Comically hard in one case...well...that party had a sense of humor.

  • bellanca6561n
    bellanca6561n
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    manny254 wrote: »
    The silver and gold don't really mean anything consistently. If you are doing the vet pledge you will get the silver for completing it, and gold for doing the hard mode of the last boss. This can be as simple as killing zombies in wayrest during the boss fight, or something that requires a bit more experience like keeping 3 deadroth alive on BC without getting overrun.

    Perhaps it's set up differently in different factions. Outside Mournhold there are two quest givers. One gives the basic version yielding a silver key, the other gives one with a gold key reward. Both give stretch goals.

    Right from the start, when you turn in your little note the Redguard gal tells you, get one quest from me and a tougher one from the Bosmer guy.

    And, yeah, this is how it seemed at first. Perhaps, however, the veteran version of dungeons like Fungal Grotto and Spindleclutch simply don't belong is the lower difficulty scheme of things, new feature and all that.
  • Valymer
    Valymer
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    The Vet dungeons are still easily done as well. While not as forgiving as their non-vet counterparts most could be duoed with a tank and healer combo (certain hard-modes excluded.)

    Informative post, but I am curious. Which vet dungeons can be duoed at VR12 scaling? I've seen one or two three-manned, but duo...
  • manny254
    manny254
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    manny254 wrote: »
    The silver and gold don't really mean anything consistently. If you are doing the vet pledge you will get the silver for completing it, and gold for doing the hard mode of the last boss. This can be as simple as killing zombies in wayrest during the boss fight, or something that requires a bit more experience like keeping 3 deadroth alive on BC without getting overrun.

    Perhaps it's set up differently in different factions. Outside Mournhold there are two quest givers. One gives the basic version yielding a silver key, the other gives one with a gold key reward. Both give stretch goals.

    Right from the start, when you turn in your little note the Redguard gal tells you, get one quest from me and a tougher one from the Bosmer guy.

    And, yeah, this is how it seemed at first. Perhaps, however, the veteran version of dungeons like Fungal Grotto and Spindleclutch simply don't belong is the lower difficulty scheme of things, new feature and all that.

    The quests them selves give a bronze or a silver key, and are upped 1 tier if you do the optional steps. I was only talking in regards to the vet pledge.
    - Mojican

    -Ádamant
    -Viva la Venatus
    -Rip RÁGE
  • infraction2008b16_ESO
    infraction2008b16_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭
    Funny thing happened the other day, group leader for our cells group forgot to switch vet off. When we realized it was vet by the pledge not progressing we reset back to normal and there was a huge ramp up in difficulty.

    We cleared the normal mode but it made me laugh on how much nastier the easy mode is.
  • neueregel
    neueregel
    ✭✭✭
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.
    Are you not entertained?
    On my command, unleash hell!
    What we do in life echoes in eternity
  • bellanca6561n
    bellanca6561n
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well, I'm not going to argue with Yoda.

    Your points make sense and you really know this content. And I'm sure you're right. In fact I know it.

    Yet, as I was quitting one of my guilds for insisting they run Crypt of Hearts with one VR10 and four VR14s on the Pledge, regardless of the fact I was IN THEIR GUILD and VR10 as well, I made it clear I did not think they were bad people. I just didn't belong there.

    And, you're right, I need to find one that better suits because the pick up content is not accomplishing that for me.

    Nonetheless I believe it could if it were actually separated by difficulty.
  • bellanca6561n
    bellanca6561n
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    neueregel wrote: »
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.

    Same....so we went around him and hit another wood chipper down the tunnel while an Argonian NPC grabbed her head with both hands, screamed, and said, "Why is it never easy?"

    I would have settled for doable :)

    Sure you weren't in my group? I was on Andala, a Dunmer gal, VR10 DK set up for dual wield and sword and shield.

    Andala_BattleGear_zps1738a9bb.png
    Edited by bellanca6561n on November 17, 2014 5:03PM
  • Dunkmeister
    Dunkmeister
    ✭✭✭
    neueregel wrote: »
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.

    Did you stack, dps and heal through the stomps or try and back out of the aoe's? The first is the best route for winning. Constant dps and if your healer can keep up with the damage, you should get it.

    Dunkmeister - DK Firemage AD NA Server
    PVE Achievement Collector
  • Argusus
    Argusus
    Has anyone seen the bug where if you have the Darkshade Caverns quest along with the "undaunted daily" quest, you cannot complete both quest simultaneously? I reproduced this bug about twice on different toons and had to get everyone in my group to drop the dungeon quest, complete the pledge, then go back and complete the Darkshade Caverns quest separately.
  • bellanca6561n
    bellanca6561n
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sorry for the multiple posts but I forgot to add to Yoda's very, very good and well written summary of challenging group play:

    1. We followed most of those steps. These were intelligent, calm, and rather fun folks who paid attention, learned from mistakes, and even took a break to research parts we were stuck on.

    2. That said, none of us would have been there - and few will return anytime soon - had we not been the under the impression that the lower level pledge was meant to be PUGed (yeah, as if that's a word).

    If you've played contemporary level and raid post WoW style games you know there are places you simply don't go unless you're among the top players.

    And if I can summarize this thread, this falls into that category much of the time.
  • Drasn
    Drasn
    ✭✭✭✭
    neueregel wrote: »
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.

    No words....

    Actually yes I have words... we use that gargoyle as a DPS measuring stick. Tank goes in and holds agro...nothing more. Healer heals...nothing more. Extra DPS grabs some popcorn and watches the show. The DPS testing their DPS either beats the gargoyles enrage timer or doesn't. Not really hard to beat it unless you are a magicka Sorc.

    If you are in a group that is having trouble with that particular boss, take note of the three people you probably should avoid grouping with again.

  • Aeratus
    Aeratus
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    yodased wrote: »
    The Blood Spawn has 99315 and enrages at 120 seconds. That is a total DPS Check of 827.62 Damage Per Second on the boss.

    Thats only 206.9 DPS per character. Now remove heals from that and you are left with 275.88 DPS on Tank and DD.

    Remove tank and say they only get 100DPS so thats an extra 87.9 DPS needed from each DPS to carry the tanks 100DPS so each DD needs to provide 363.81 DPS on the boss.

    If the tank complete blows it and does 0 DPS then the two DD are going to have to be UBER L33T and get 413.81 Single Target DPS against a heavily armored gargoyle elite boss.

    When you look at the numbers then it can make sense, if you just look at the play style and character selection it may seem impossible, but you can build your party around those numbers and you will be fine.

    That unfortunately is the 2nd easiest fight in the dungeon, the next one will really make you pull your hair out.
    I think your stats on blood spawn are old (pre-1.5) stats. In any case, they are certainly not the stats for the current v12 version. Also, don't forget that vet SC scaled to v1 is still harder than the pre-1.5 SC.

    You need a lot more than 413 dps for sure. I had a run with my sorc in which I was doing 850 dps and the pre-enrage phase occurred before the gargoyle was dead.
    Edited by Aeratus on November 17, 2014 5:07PM
  • yodased
    yodased
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    yeah they are from my old database, I have not checked the new numbers, but the ratio is the same no matter the numbers really.
    Tl;dr really weigh the fun you have in game vs the business practices you are supporting.
  • Aeratus
    Aeratus
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ratio of what? HP has increased since 1.5, but the timer on boss mechanics has generally decreased (that is, you have to do more in a shorter amount of time).

    Most of the bosses have had their HP doubled from previous versions to the current v12 version. Even the COH bosses have had their HP doubled from old v12 to patch-1.5 v12 (even though the "v12" hasn't changed).

    So I'm guessing that the gargoyle has 200k HP at v12 scale, which you need to take down in a period of time that could have been reduced. Maybe someone can confirm how many HP the v12 gargoyle really has.
    Edited by Aeratus on November 17, 2014 5:16PM
  • neueregel
    neueregel
    ✭✭✭
    neueregel wrote: »
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.

    Did you stack, dps and heal through the stomps or try and back out of the aoe's? The first is the best route for winning. Constant dps and if your healer can keep up with the damage, you should get it.

    Yes, we tried over and over this way. Never got close. I tried with about 4 different groups.
    Are you not entertained?
    On my command, unleash hell!
    What we do in life echoes in eternity
  • Aeratus
    Aeratus
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    neueregel wrote: »
    neueregel wrote: »
    I have yet to beat a vet pledge. I have tried with several different groups, some better than others... I am VR14 NB and we just never seem to have enough dps to take down that gargoyle. I think I have tried about 15 or more times and spent hours. Waste of time.

    Did you stack, dps and heal through the stomps or try and back out of the aoe's? The first is the best route for winning. Constant dps and if your healer can keep up with the damage, you should get it.

    Yes, we tried over and over this way. Never got close. I tried with about 4 different groups.
    How much dps were the dps-members doing? Your answer can probably be explained in just two numbers: the respective dps of the two damage dealers in the group.

    You cannot heal your way out of the rage phase, because when it enrages, you are dead no matter what. The only way to win is to dps him down.

    A decent v14 dps should be able to do 800+ dps on non-daedric targets. Two of such and you should have no problems with the gargoyle even scaled to v12.
  • yodased
    yodased
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    The ratio of damage needed from the DPS vs the Tank and heals will always stay the same no matter the number.

    If the boss has 100 hp or 1,000,000 the DPS will still have to pick up 40-45% needed each.

    If you have one DPS that can burn it down 100% then great, if you have one DPS that can do 60% and one DPS that can do 20-25% awesome. You just have to build your groups around that premise, that you know there needs to be a certain amount of damage done and that most likely is going to be carried by one person in a PUG.
    Tl;dr really weigh the fun you have in game vs the business practices you are supporting.
  • Koga
    Koga
    ✭✭
    Our guild GreyWolves is a PVE Dungeon guild. Our Alpha pack runs the pledges every night. We all have multiple vet 14 Characters and all 4 of us can fulfill any role, Tank, Heal, DPS. We each get 4 Gold keys per night. We play together ALL the time and we know each other play styles well.

    That said:

    We often take other guild members through to get their keys or achievements. 3 alpha pack members and 1 other. This is where you see the Difference 1 player not knowing the mechanics or not moving out of !@#$% makes.

    Most members we have no problems with but if one person is not carrying their weight you will not get past certain bosses.

    The other day the pink ring boss (the same one we have cleared with no problems before and after) was wiping us on the very first wave of spiders even.
    after some adjusting of our normal tactics to compensate we made it to the actual Boss but we still had 3 other the previous 1 pips either hitting the tank or running around wacking on ppl. After 2+ hours failing on this boss we had to call it and left the dungeon with the unfamiliar stench of defeat. The experience almost broke our main healers will.

    After a long Brk we ran it again with another Non Alpha pack member and got a gold key in 20 min no problem whatsoever. We went on and got our 3 other gold keys with our regular 4 man.

    The moral of the story is...

    Don't Pug, Join a guild, make friends and play with people you trust often.


    PS. And Don't stand in stupid !

    Koga
    Greywolves
    V14 Sorc dps • V14 Templar Heals• V14 DK Tank• V14 NB dps
Sign In or Register to comment.