My take on maelstrom arena so far

JacobyRust

Currently bashing my head against level 5. Thus far it's just been artificial difficulty (mobs one shot, or hit incredibly hard) and make whatever you're standing in or near cause insane amounts of damage. It's very poor design for difficulty. Blah, blah, blah learn mechanics, change your build, L2P, yeah I'm a demon souls, dark souls 1 and 2, and bloodborne veteran. I know bad mechanics and artificial difficulty pretty well and I know great design and actual real AI programmed difficulty. This is not it.

ShadowDisciple

omfg...you ppl..what do you consider hard but not "artificial"

just get a grip..one shot is a mechanic you need to learn to circumvent...and yes its hard, just keep at it and youll do it..

ppl are doing no death runs and there you are a special few who consider VMA *** and artifical cuz YOU cant beat it with you precious WB or whatever

JacobyRust

As I said I'm learning it, just giving my take on it. I didn't say it was impossible, just bad design. I'm fully aware it is doable. I plan on completing it. It's just not good content in my opinion.

Wild_squirtle

I believe it is great content. Do we play this game for everything to be simple? I am stuck on Ivl 4 as a new magicka sorc. (converted from stam sorc) I love the challenge and hope they make harder versions of this to continue to challenge the player base with the need to earn the rewards.

ShadowDisciple

JacobyRust wrote: »

As I said I'm learning it, just giving my take on it. I didn't say it was impossible, just bad design. I'm fully aware it is doable. I plan on completing it. It's just not good content in my opinion.

well give your opinion of what would be better and equally challenging..then we talk

Joy_Division

Level 5 is actually the most straightforward arena that does not have stupid RNG or "artificial" difficulty.

You want to talk about the dubious mechanics in other stages, I'm all ears but stage 5 actually requires skill and knowing the mechanics, not dumb luck

Magdalina

I actually kind of agree. I'll finish it eventually but it just doesn't feel fun imo. Gotten to round 6 yesterday on my second try, then gave up because 4 a.m. xD

JacobyRust

I wasn't talking about round 5 specifically, "my take on maelstrom arena" as a whole

kirk_lewis_ESO

He's talking about AI maneuverability being the biggest factor and not damage. People don't know how to express themselves so they end up posting thoughts halfway. Artificial difficulty = hit hard according to people.

Tomato

It's a waste of time and the weapons are not needed

eliisra

All stages have a tactic, for non-sorcs it tends to involve knowing when to sigil lol. But it allows you to avoid situations where you get overwhelmed and melt.

It's more about knowing where to stand, when to ulti and what to dps, than being uber skilled. You just have to read guides and die enough times and it's doable. Be humble. Raging randomly over how *** it is or all the other games you played, wont get you anywhere closer to completion.

Yes, stage 5 sucks. I dont fricken' know what moron decided to place archers, mermaids and mages out in the ticking deadly water refusing to move towards the platforms. Not everyone can magically incorporate strong ranged burst in their build.

I would also love if the Uppercut spam from boss+add and Fear would auto grant cc immunity AS INTENDED, even if you're unable or choose not to cc break. Right now stage 5 is like being Wrecking Blow spammed in PvP.

But there's also a solid tactic to this horrifying stage. It's not a dps race, so take your time with adds, play it safe until the last 30% and than you pop everything and go mental. Done.

JacobyRust

I'm not raging either, this isn't a hate fueled post and I realize it does sound like that, I was just stating my opinion on this content.
This thought on the other hand is rage filled, half way through my last attempt all animations decided to cease. Tell me that's not utter bull **** from Zos and the only thing that they've ever made with more lag than cyrodil

xboxone1Q

I cant beat it because my main is a Templar

Zyle

Took me forever to get through it but once you learn the mechanics & add spawns it is much easier to get through. Currently for me Stage 7 is the most unpredictable. Burning the ranged adds in Stage 5 quickly really helped me out.

PURPLE245

yeah took my 10+ hours on my 1st try but its gotten easyer but i still am more angry then happy when doin the content just makes me wonna pull my hair out everytime i dont think i have ever had fun doing it tbh i just force my self to do it for the wep i think it should be at least a 2 player thinkg its just boring if you ask me i mean im sure this is a mmo? massively multiplayer online so why do we have to sit here bord with no one to communicate with i mean if we wanted a solo arena im pretty sure i would have see tones of threads asking for it i play this game to play with friends dont you?i think its a pointless arena like i said the only reason i do it is for the weps

LadyNalcarya

JacobyRust wrote: »

Currently bashing my head against level 5. Thus far it's just been artificial difficulty (mobs one shot, or hit incredibly hard) and make whatever you're standing in or near cause insane amounts of damage. It's very poor design for difficulty. Blah, blah, blah learn mechanics, change your build, L2P, yeah I'm a demon souls, dark souls 1 and 2, and bloodborne veteran. I know bad mechanics and artificial difficulty pretty well and I know great design and actual real AI programmed difficulty. This is not it.

That round is like eso' version of Bed of Chaos - clearly not the best design, but at least oneshots are avoidable. Stage 6 is like Bed of Chaos with rng.

MrGigglypants

Thieves guild has been quoted as the hardest content designed so get ready of you think maelstrom is hard lol.

JacobyRust

Pretty much my thoughts on it, it's not fun, it's just frustrating content (that can be done) and it's a series of cheap mechanics designed poorly. Some of the bosses are even copy and pasted.

LadyNalcarya

MrGigglypants wrote: »

Thieves guild has been quoted as the hardest content designed so get ready of you think maelstrom is hard lol.

At least it wont be solo.

JacobyRust

If

KoshkaMurka wrote: »

JacobyRust wrote: »

Currently bashing my head against level 5. Thus far it's just been artificial difficulty (mobs one shot, or hit incredibly hard) and make whatever you're standing in or near cause insane amounts of damage. It's very poor design for difficulty. Blah, blah, blah learn mechanics, change your build, L2P, yeah I'm a demon souls, dark souls 1 and 2, and bloodborne veteran. I know bad mechanics and artificial difficulty pretty well and I know great design and actual real AI programmed difficulty. This is not it.

That round is like eso' version of Bed of Chaos - clearly not the best design, but at least oneshots are avoidable. Stage 6 is like Bed of Chaos with rng.

*** I think I'll just quit now

DDemon

I managed to complete it twice now, got unlucky with weapon drops and got none. I have to say though, I did not like doing it, for me it's not fun content and for some reason it aggravates the hell out of me when I run it.

It seems to have the same effect for the people around me who attempt it, or have completed it. Although I must say, it would probably help if you could just save your progress and do 2-3 stages per gaming session. Right now you HAVE to complete the full dungeon otherwise it will reset, adding to the annoying 'mechanics'.

Like I said, this is my personal opinion, and that of those around me. I am sure there are people who enjoy it, but among those, I am not.

JacobyRust

DDemon wrote: »

I managed to complete it twice now, got unlucky with weapon drops and got none. I have to say though, I did not like doing it, for me it's not fun content and for some reason it aggravates the hell out of me when I run it.

It seems to have the same effect for the people around me who attempt it, or have completed it. Although I must say, it would probably help if you could just save your progress and do 2-3 stages per gaming session. Right now you HAVE to complete the full dungeon otherwise it will reset, adding to the annoying 'mechanics'.

Like I said, this is my personal opinion, and that of those around me. I am sure there are people who enjoy it, but among those, I am not.

I think that might be a bit of the problem as well, Being frustrated is one thing, being frustrated and not being able to walk away is another.

Steel_Brightblade

Well admit I find vma too hard for me but rather than see a Nerf I'd like to see an intermediate level, harder than normal, not as hard as veteran and with maelstrom weapons as final reward but of a Max level of v15 so still makes vma worth doing for those that can.

Malmai

Magdalina wrote: »

I actually kind of agree. I'll finish it eventually but it just doesn't feel fun imo. Gotten to round 6 yesterday on my second try, then gave up because 4 a.m. xD

It feels like complete horse pie its totally not hard no mechanics only 1 shot mechanics and horde of mobs...

Shader_Shibes

Tomato wrote: »

It's a waste of time and the weapons are not needed

Really? The bow, 1h daggers/axes etc and 2h are very nice, just ask any stam dps dk or nb.

Alcast

xboxone1Q wrote: »

I cant beat it because my main is a Templar

It is doable on all classes and all setups

QUEZ420

Lol "bloodborne veteran" I'm done.

NativeJoe

I still can't make it past stage 6 and have been trying since pts...so don't feel to bad x.x ... I've watched videos, copy pasted builds, gone crazy trying my own different solutions. and yeah... just can't get the 1 hoarver I need to complete it before the boss goes all agro and nukes me for 69k

Stikato

If I could save progress it would be one thing. But I don't like having to devote so much time to completing it. If I was 18 again haha it wouldn't be a problem

I subbed for Wrothgar but ended up unsubbing and not buying it because of this. Saving the crowns for the next DLC.

Molag_Crow

I kinda like vMSA but I have to admit, my first clear took me over 500-700 deaths, and you can say that many of them were caused by not doing the mechanics right, but actually, a lot of them were caused by really cheesy combos. For example, a Crem Guard spitting fire all over me while clawing me at the same time for 7k+ melee hits and 30k+ fire DoTs as I'm healing through it, while the boss is casting at me, forced me to totally rely on my ultimate (nova.)

Without Nova, I couldn't get passed that stage and it was holding me back for hours upon hours until I figured it out and timed my Ultimate correctly, which sound reasonable right? but the physical damage in there is a bit too extreme for the majority of us who aren't shield-stacking Sorc's.

Zyle

CrowsDescend wrote: »

I kinda like vMSA but I have to admit, my first clear took me over 500-700 deaths, and you can say that many of them were caused by not doing the mechanics right, but actually, a lot of them were caused by really cheesy combos. For example, a Crem Guard spitting fire all over me while clawing me at the same time for 7k+ melee hits and 30k+ fire DoTs as I'm healing through it, while the boss is casting at me, forced me to totally rely on my ultimate (nova.)

Without Nova, I couldn't get passed that stage and it was holding me back for hours upon hours until I figured it out and timed my Ultimate correctly, which sound reasonable right? but the physical damage in there is a bit too extreme for the majority of us who aren't shield-stacking Sorc's.

That is the exact point where I broke down and used the healing sigil Died many times to that.