I finished Cadwell's Gold and my thoughts on the factions stories

Legendzerox

I am an Ebonheart Pact player and I have recently finished Cadwell's Gold. I ran through all their faction stories and my thoughts are as follows:

Ebonheart Pact:
While I did enjoy this one, the story itself didn't really pull me in to the point to where I felt completely invested into it. I love the characters of the story, but the setting and execution in some parts felt lacking.

Daggerfell Covenant:
Clearly Zenimax didn't really feel like writing a good story for this faction. It was pretty bad and I felt no investment in it whatsoever.

Aldmeri Dominion:
Hands down the best story of the three factions in Elder Scrolls Online. I loved this story so much I wish Bethseda would create its own Elder Scrolls game for it and focus wholeheartedly a game to tell this story.

So in ranking order, my favorites are:
1. Aldmeri Dominion
2. Ebonheart Pact
3. Daggerfell Covenant

I really wish Zenimax would also finish the Coldharbor main quest as its stuck in pre siege mode and really offered no closure whatsoever.

It would also be awesome if in some form we got a continuation of some sort for the AD questline. Just my two cents.

Prof_Bawbag

If I'm being honest, I found the Ebonheart Pact quest line the dullest by a country mile. The only reason I can think up why people prefer opting for that one is because you get to go to both Morrowind and Skyrim. Nostalgia. I found Shadowfen a real chore. It was ugly, uninspiring and whatever other negatives I can think up. Nearly stopped playing the game in that region.

Jura23

Emeric is terrible king. In the public he pretends to be great leader, but in private *** moans like a puppy.

I like King Faharajad much more among the DC leaders.

Cadelay

AD for lyfe.

Morimizo

Agree with the Aldmeri Dominion being the most entertaining of the stories.

Razum-Dar. Nuff said.

DaveTheMinion

I still think once you have finished Cadwell's Gold, you should be given an option to select which pact you would like to support, foir example, you created a character in the Ebonheart Pact but at the end of gold you would like to have been in the Aldmeri Dominion, so Cadwell gives you a choice to swap alligence.

sagitter

DC has the best ambient\territory design for me

Sharee

Strange how different tastes can be. The AD story literally put me to sleep. This guy is a traitor. Kill traitor. And this guy is also a traitor. Kill him too. And surprise surprise, this girl is a traitor too. Deal with her. The only saving grace was Razum-Dar.
...

The DC (my home) was best, even if not particularly good. EP was somewhere in-between.

Shad0wfire99

It almost feels like ZOS had enough good material for EP and AD, but the DC storylines were just what was left over, jumbled together, and thrown in to fill a third faction.

DaveMoeDee

DC is great. Rivenspire is good stuff. Stibbons is the man. I can't even remember EP.

NativeJoe

DC-zones are the best
AD-story line is the best
EP- Nostalgia is the only thing going for it.

But if I have to be honest. all of it feels incomplete, like the cut off at the end of a season.

Shadesofkin

DC NPC's are sorta cool. I dislike the quests but I really really enjoyed the look of nearly all the zones.

EP is my home faction and I was heavily invested in it, but I get why some people weren't

AD ZOMG Ayrenn, just leave, go back to adventuring and get gone.

Acrolas

They're all ostensibly the same story arc. You have the Phantom Menace zone, the Royalty zone, the Artifact zone, the Spiritual zone, and then the Take Back What's Ours zone.

Greenshade's the only map that really drags for me. Shadow Wood. Memories of the Past. Gag me, I just want to be done already.

ThePonzzz

I found the majority NPCs in DC and AD far more likable than EP. I enjoyed EP's story progression a lot more, but the story fell flat in a lot of areas. Having started in EP at launch, I enjoyed the difficulty in EP more (beat Doshia before nerf). Bummed I blew the goblin costume thinking I was suppose to use it. I find EP towns to have a better layout in general, but Rawl'kha wins, hands down.

Tough to put them in order though, they all have their ups and downs.

Jura23

DaveMoeDee wrote: »

DC is great. Rivenspire is good stuff. Stibbons is the man. I can't even remember EP.

Rivenspire has that female Khajiit vampire which takes you through side quests. Seriously one of my favourite NPC chars in the game. And Stibbons and his Lady are truly funny couple, I like them more than Razum Dar, which seems to be everyones favourite.

Uberkull

I would bet that the development and design of these faction stories was written in this order:

1. Aldmeri Dominion
2. Daggerfell Covenant
3. Ebonheart Pact

It's clear there were some great ideas, details, and quest lines in AD....then it felt like DC was copied and modified some, with some original ideas...then once they got to EP...it was like 'whatever, just get it done'.

Shadesofkin

EP would probably still be number one for because I can flirt with Naryu.

Lokryn

I have been playing Wildstar for the first time and I hate to say that the quests are a lot more fun than ESO's.

Tylersoh

DaveMoeDee wrote: »

DC is great. Rivenspire is good stuff. Stibbons is the man. I can't even remember EP.

Darien Gautier was pretty cool too.

fastolfv_ESO

I felt i was on the wrong side with Ad's storyline, you literally kill the entire court for a woman who decides she wanted the throne after all when it was clearly too late lol. Hands down the worst storyline ever

wolfydog

For me

EP
AD
DC

I thought EP had the best quests overall. Not just main story quests for the zone, but even side quests.

One thing I did like about AD was how the Queen was involved for pretty much the entire main story. In EP you don't even meet the leader of your faction till you head to Eastmarch.

Every faction had a zone I didn't really care for at all.

Looking forward to more Morrowind, Skyrim and Elsweyr in the future.

DC is the least interesting to me, just don't like any of the races that much.

Orisieum is cool, but also a disappointment. I could care less about Orc stuff and their lore, but in an MMO I think the zone itself is pretty important, and it looks like it'll be cool to explore and enjoy that kind of environment.

wolfydog

Lokryn wrote: »

I have been playing Wildstar for the first time and I hate to say that the quests are a lot more fun than ESO's.

lol, its not the quest that are fun, you just have the new game blinders on. I did enjoy the true main quests of wildstar, but most of the quests is just typical mmo busywork to level you up. Go here kill mobs till the bar reaches 100%, go here and pick stuff up till the bar reachs 100%,

NewBlacksmurf

Even tho my main is on DC right now.
AD#1
DC#2
EP#3

Rex-Umbra

Disagree

1) DC: Good story but the zones and scenery are far superior
2) EP: Eastmarch is cool but the rest is meh.
3)AD: Drags on and all the zones look the same but Reapers March was cool mostly because Imperial influence so sick of Wood elfs by the end.

SleepyTroll

DaveTheMinion wrote: »

I still think once you have finished Cadwell's Gold, you should be given an option to select which pact you would like to support, foir example, you created a character in the Ebonheart Pact but at the end of gold you would like to have been in the Aldmeri Dominion, so Cadwell gives you a choice to swap alligence.

Holy *** I think you just came up with the best idea ever!

eNumbra

Everything in AD was crap, what game was OP playing?

Lokryn

wolfydog wrote: »

Lokryn wrote: »

I have been playing Wildstar for the first time and I hate to say that the quests are a lot more fun than ESO's.

lol, its not the quest that are fun, you just have the new game blinders on. I did enjoy the true main quests of wildstar, but most of the quests is just typical mmo busywork to level you up. Go here kill mobs till the bar reaches 100%, go here and pick stuff up till the bar reachs 100%,

Perhaps so, but the range of different activities the quest givers have you do seems more fun to me. *shrug*

TheShadowScout

I liked the EP stories best... but I certainly am a bit biased in this regard.
Still, eye of the beholder and all that...

But what I did like greatly in EP compared to the others... the EP stories make me feel good going to Cyrodil to PvP, while on the other alliances I feel like there is no real reason to go there except being a jerk.
I mean, EP stories have a lot of invasion/incursion attempts from the other alliances, complete with atrocities to defend the homeland from, while the other alliances storyline have minor raids by outlaws at best, and give pretty much no reason for the three banners war except "come on, lets conquer the world!".

Jennifur_Vultee

The AD zones and quests are the best. Queen Ayrren and Raz, I liked them both and I enjoyed the quests.

The EP zones and quests are good. King Jorunn was ok and Naryu was entertaining. I didn't really like Shadowfen...the swamp was a chore to go through.

The DC sucks, the quests are boring and repetitive and that King Emeric was a horrible king, what a whiny sack of crap. On a world like Nirn I'd have killed him with my bare hands and declared myself queen. The Alik'r Desert was the only bright spot in the entire steaming pile of dog crap that is the DC. The Redguards should first just conquer all the Orcs and Bretons then try to take on the AD and EP with a strong Redguard leader after separating Emeric's head from his body.

Robo_Hobo

DC actually had my favorite quests and storylines, AD was second in that regard (although as a big khajiit fan I really enjoyed Reaper's March quests), but unfortunately Ebonheart Pacts quests are in last place for me. To be fair I've only done the main storyline quests for EP though, haven't done side ones yet.

My favorite cultures explored goes to AD however, the Bosmer and Khajiit in particular.

Favorite areas goes straight to EP.

Enodoc

Rivenspire was my favourite zone storyline, closely followed by Reaper's March and the first half of Greenshade. Bangkorai's DC vs Reachmen vs Imperials was quite good, and Alik'r's Ansei Wards storyline was memorable as well. The fact that I can only remember The Rift's storyline from EP I think speaks volumes about that alliance's story.