VR Players Farming Low Level Dolmens - The Incentive?

bellanca6561n

Firstly, this is a question, not a complaint.

I'm starting over on the EU server, meaning there are folks online when I am. Thus I am able to do more of the group content EARLY in the development of my characters. This has been a real pleasure - having folks on my level to do Dark Anchors with especially.

Then I enter Deshaan, playing for the Pact. Suddenly it becomes difficult to get to the Dark Anchors before they're finished. They appear to be camped but not by folks in the high teens or low 20s, but by Veteran Ranked players.

I asked over zone chat why this was. And....well....that didn't go well

So, what's in it for them? There must be something as they're not getting loot from it. And, yes, it does make it easy for a low level player to ride their coattails and coast through these. This is what folks advised me to, along with shutting the hell up. But, honestly, I don't want them to be easy. Plus I just don't get it.

What am I missing here?

ers101284b14_ESO

Probably for the Achievement. You have to farm dolmens to get Molag Bals generals to show up and killing then gets you the achieve.

Soriana

Two reasons mainly; they are either farming for the bosses for the achievement or farming them for the 250/anchor demolisher achieve. Can't see any other reasons they'd be doing it.

bellanca6561n

Yes, someone said something about bosses. Where things became less than cordial is when I asked why they weren't doing it at Dark Anchors on their own level.

Dumb question, granted. Obviously they're getting credit for these low level ones, and they're not doing it for a sporting challenge but as a grind.

Darlgon

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh. Wish they scaled the spawns to the weighted level of the characters waiting for the dolman spawns to pop... that would be kinda fun.

ers101284b14_ESO

Darlgon wrote: »

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh. Wish they scaled the spawns to the weighted level of the characters waiting for the dolman spawns to pop... that would be kinda fun.

Then a level 13 rolls up gets a hit, gets credit, then goes up 6 levels

bellanca6561n

Darlgon wrote: »

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh.

Actually that was my initial reaction. But if the game is giving them an incentive for it, then I'm as annoyed at the design oversight as I am at the these mighty, mighty digital warriors who'd rather not take on someone their own size

yiasemi

Soloing anchors is easy. Run away after each kill. Been doing it for months. Is there anyone playing this game who doesn't?

TehMagnus

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Darlgon wrote: »

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh. Wish they scaled the spawns to the weighted level of the characters waiting for the dolman spawns to pop... that would be kinda fun.

Then a level 13 rolls up gets a hit, gets credit, then goes up 6 levels

I think EXP gain doesn't work like that, I think if the level difference is too big or too low you don't get anything from it.

And yeah the guys are prolly just trying to get the achievement and being [snip]s about it... I usually wait for the lowbies around to get a few hits on the boss before 2shoting it..

bellanca6561n

yiasemi wrote: »

Soloing anchors is easy. Run away after each kill. Been doing it for months. Is there anyone playing this game who doesn't?

Just those of us obviously far less cunning and intelligent than you

ers101284b14_ESO

magnusnet wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Darlgon wrote: »

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh. Wish they scaled the spawns to the weighted level of the characters waiting for the dolman spawns to pop... that would be kinda fun.

Then a level 13 rolls up gets a hit, gets credit, then goes up 6 levels

I think EXP gain doesn't work like that, I think if the level difference is too big or too low you don't get anything from it.

And yeah the guys are prolly just trying to get the achievement and being [snip]s about it... I usually wait for the lowbies around to get a few hits on the boss before 2shoting it..

It probably doesn't, I've never had to worry about it. Whenever I help low level people I always make sure they get the first couple hits before I kill shot.

yiasemi

I've been a dw med armor stamina NB since day minus something. Until recently "I have a cunning plan..." was all I had. It wasn't boasting, I just wondered out loud how anyone would claim anyone would be motivated by dolmen soloing. Except as irony. I got the same reaction then. Sigh, there's always a critic. (That's a 3000 year old reference btw, Trolls been trolling that long).

Rosveen

I do dolmens in pre-vet zones for the Generals achievement, but when I see lowbies around, I hold back and let them fight, close pinions etc. (just keep an eye on them so they don't get overwhelmed and die )

MornaBaine

I missed a ton of stuff on my main before I knew what the heck I was doing in this game. So now I'm going back and trying to get all the stuff I missed...like Anchors and World Bosses. Before I go in I always put a shout out in zone to see if anyone needs that boss or anchor so they can join me. I wish there were another way to get the Achievements but there just isn't.

bellanca6561n

yiasemi wrote: »

I've been a dw med armor stamina NB since day minus something. Until recently "I have a cunning plan..." was all I had. It wasn't boasting, I just wondered out loud how anyone would claim anyone would be motivated by dolmen soloing. Except as irony. I got the same reaction then. Sigh, there's always a critic. (That's a 3000 year old reference btw, Trolls been trolling that long).

I hope you realize it was a friendly poke. Meant no offense....sincerely.

I hated soloing this game which is why I started all over from scratch on the EU server. And usually it has worked out just fine. Sometimes I get to do these with folks at my level, we watch each others backs, and have much more fun than having to game the game.

And, yes, I did the sort of thing you describe when I was on the NA server and had nobody around. More a job than an adventure.

nenekotanb16_ESO

Indeed most people do it for the Generals achievement. The problem is they're highly incentivised by the way achievement works to do in the lower level areas.
A low level area has a set amount of 5 generals that can appear, while any veteran dolmen can have all 25(?) generals appear, meaning that if you miss one or two, it's a REALLY inefficient way to farm (because even when a general appears, which is low chance, it has a chance of 1/25 instead of 1/5).

yiasemi

I'm on EU. But Hong Kong time. Apart from a few Aussies and insomniacs I get no choice. On the internet I assume and ask questions later. Accept my apology pls..

zaria

Soriana wrote: »

Two reasons mainly; they are either farming for the bosses for the achievement or farming them for the 250/anchor demolisher achieve. Can't see any other reasons they'd be doing it.

Yes, the benefit of doing low level dolmens over low level veteran one is still easy to solo and gives loot and xp is that the named bosses for the achievement are random in veteran. while grouped for low level so if you want to kill the first in list you have to go to the level 5-15 zone.
Then you are low level you mainly want to get the achievement and xp of destroying it once.

bellanca6561n

Many thanks, folks. I didn't know about these achievements much less Generals or half this stuff. Just figured there was a reason....and clearly there is.

It all strikes me as player lifecycle design oversights - the sorts you only discover *after* you make your game and spend months and months fixing afterward.

Rune_Relic

yiasemi wrote: »

Soloing anchors is easy. Run away after each kill. Been doing it for months. Is there anyone playing this game who doesn't?

Damnit!

Ourorboros

nenekotanb16_ESO wrote: »

Indeed most people do it for the Generals achievement. The problem is they're highly incentivised by the way achievement works to do in the lower level areas.
A low level area has a set amount of 5 generals that can appear, while any veteran dolmen can have all 25(?) generals appear, meaning that if you miss one or two, it's a REALLY inefficient way to farm (because even when a general appears, which is low chance, it has a chance of 1/25 instead of 1/5).

Yes, OP, here is the answer you are looking for. Much easier to find specific generals in home alliance non-vet zones (May the odds be ever in your favor). This is not new, the topic appears from time to time on the forum. I can't blame the vets, did it myself to get the achievement. As mentioned above, some vets will stand back and only assist if low level players are present. Try asking vets nicely to do this. I didn't really think about the impact I was having on low levels til I saw complaints in a thread, then changed my behavior. But remember, vets pay same sub fee as you and have as much right to the dolmens as anyone else. This is another ZOS induced situation. However, rude behavior reflects only rude players, and Aholes will be Aholes .

yiasemi

Rune_Relic wrote: »

yiasemi wrote: »

Soloing anchors is easy. Run away after each kill. Been doing it for months. Is there anyone playing this game who doesn't?

Damnit!

I know and I must reply again to another who cannot read. I seem to have not seen the sub-sub text. Thankfully at my age I don't care. I can blame it on senility. Awesome! Put the sign on my back after my hearing aid starts feedbacking.

bellanca6561n

Agreed that this is a design issue. And, when players behave badly, it's design induced bad player behavior.

I'm not inclined to ask nicely, however, if I may participate in content created for a character at my level. But bad behavior - those guys in dresses pumping out nukes with sticks ad nauseum - are very rare.

Folks on the EU server are generally very polite.

yiasemi

I just take the achievement and carry on. These nukers save a lot of silly fuss and bother as my mum would say. Although she did warn me about men in dresses. I didn't listen to that either.

AlnilamE

nenekotanb16_ESO wrote: »

Indeed most people do it for the Generals achievement. The problem is they're highly incentivised by the way achievement works to do in the lower level areas.
A low level area has a set amount of 5 generals that can appear, while any veteran dolmen can have all 25(?) generals appear, meaning that if you miss one or two, it's a REALLY inefficient way to farm (because even when a general appears, which is low chance, it has a chance of 1/25 instead of 1/5).

This is the answer you are looking for. I just want to correct it to a total of 16 Generals, 4 of which can spawn in each zone starting at the second zone in each alliance. You can find the list in your achievements under Dark Anchors --> General Executioner.

If you are at an anchor when a general spawns, you will get an achievement for killing him/her the first time.

It would be nice if the ratio was the same in the Vet zones. I'm ok with it being random in Cyrodiil, since that's its own zone (there are 10 anchors there, in case you didn't know).

As others said, if at level players are around, I try to stay back and heal. As long as one gets a hit in during the boss wave, one will get credit for the general. I'm just missing two, and they spawn in the Rift, so the level disparity isn't that great.

kewl

Achievements.

I do my Dolmen grinding in Cyrodiil or silver and gold zones. Grinding in low lvl zones is about convenience. They don't care how it may effect your experience. Not against ToS or an exploit. So we have to learn to live with it.

bellanca6561n

kewl wrote: »

Achievements.

I do my Dolmen grinding in Cyrodiil or silver and gold zones. Grinding in low lvl zones is about convenience. They don't care how it may effect your experience. Not against ToS or an exploit. So we have to learn to live with it.

A surprising number do care, actually. It's just that the ones who don't - and clearly don't - are disproportionately....memorable

Beesting

yiasemi wrote: »

Soloing anchors is easy. Run away after each kill. Been doing it for months. Is there anyone playing this game who doesn't?

This really made me laugh, it is clearly a nightblade way of thinking haha

As a dk i always stay and drop a standard or two, even solo at a vet 10 dolmen, if it not enough i just die

Running away never even came to mind before i read this

Merlin13KAGL

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

magnusnet wrote: »

ers101284b14_ESO wrote: »

Darlgon wrote: »

"I.. Aaaammm.. HEEEEE - MAAAAANNN!!" I soloed a level 15 anchor at VR14.


Sigh. Wish they scaled the spawns to the weighted level of the characters waiting for the dolman spawns to pop... that would be kinda fun.

Then a level 13 rolls up gets a hit, gets credit, then goes up 6 levels

I think EXP gain doesn't work like that, I think if the level difference is too big or too low you don't get anything from it.

And yeah the guys are prolly just trying to get the achievement and being [snip]s about it... I usually wait for the lowbies around to get a few hits on the boss before 2shoting it..

It probably doesn't, I've never had to worry about it. Whenever I help low level people I always make sure they get the first couple hits before I kill shot.

It definitely doesn't. Since last patch or three, if you're more than 5 Vet levels below, you have to contribute 'sufficient damage' to get kill credit/drop/XP's.

I helped a couple new Vets with a world boss the other day and actually had to ease off a bit. So long as they get some good hits/heals in, it's usually sufficient.

As many have said, they should be farming Generals, which are announced before arrival. If they're farming low levels dolmens just to close dolmens, then they need to warrior up a little and at least earn it.

If it is the General thing, it's not that difficult to let the at-levels clear the mobs and get the credit and get a hit or two themselves on the General if it arrises.

I realize they're clearing the dolmen as fast as possible for max spawn times, but if it does start to impede on the rest of the people there, and you're being polite in your conversation/requests, then it can become borderline griefing.

It's definitely that way if someone's getting unnecessarily irate with you in zone chat.

Personally, I usually tend to go all big-brother in situations such as this, and let them have the meat of it, only jumping in if necessary. It's not like they're getting XP's for the mobs in the meantime, just keeping the at-levels from doing so.

Reverb

There were some anchors that I couldn't get others to help with when I was in that zone level. Like others I'm now chasing those achievements. I Also don't like seeing these darkened in the map, everything needs to be white

So I'm working my way back and soloing them. I always give a holler in zone 1st so anybody can come get the ach and loot though.

AlnilamE

Reverb wrote: »

There were some anchors that I couldn't get others to help with when I was in that zone level. Like others I'm now chasing those achievements. I Also don't like seeing these darkened in the map, everything needs to be white
So I'm working my way back and soloing them. I always give a holler in zone 1st so anybody can come get the ach and loot though.

Yes!