Official Feedback Thread for the Witches Festival Event

luen79rwb17_ESO

Did the event function?
- Yes, got the crown store item and the witch appeared giving instructions for the next few steps.

Is the event content fun?
- Introductory quest is fun, memento and polymorph are fun, the instance has a very inmersive appeal.

- But, Delve bosses are taking a bit longer to spawn, which is not very fun! Went to 2 Stormhaven delves (main is DC) and bosses didn't spawn. Went to 1 Wrothgar delve and had to wait like 3 minutes for boss to spawn. Went to a Deshaan delve (gold zone) and had to wait like 3-5 minutes for boss to spawn. Waited some 3-5 minutes for boss to respawn and the plunder skull item follows the same rule as all of the loot from delve bosses (you won't get any again for a certain amount of time).

I guess this is ment to avoid people farming the skulls too fast? (like bots used to farm XP back in launch days?) but in order to get achievement you need 100 plunder skulls, investing 3-5 minutes for boss spawn + 2 minutes of travel & loadscreens gives like 7 minutes for each boss (if you decide to camp a boss can be longer) so its 700 minutes or ~ 11,6 hrs in order to get this achievement. This can be good or bad depending of how long will this event last? 1 week? 1 month?

Was it clear what you were supposed to do (kill/collect) for the quest and to get the motifs?
- For the quest, yes. For the motifs, no. Once I completed the quest I had no idea what to do next. Came here and found out in the patch notes.

Did you complete the quest?
- Yes I did complete the quest with no problem.

Did you get the achievements?
- Yes, but not all because I haven't done 100 delve bosses yet nor I have gotten all of the motifs. But those achievements are showing their progress as expected on the achievement list.

- The "pumpkin pairs well with guts" achievement is missing its icon.

Are you happy with the rewards for this event?
- Yes, this event is a fun thing to do while getting the rewards. Also is good that it is kind of straight forward unlike similar events on other MMOs where you are just overwhelmed with the ammount of stuff to do (keep that for regular content ).

- The 100% boost to all XP is awesome, also the motifs. Really like the polymorph which I hope stays around after the event is gone. Too bad achievements are not account wide or else I would gladly take advantage of the XP leveling an alt while doing this event, for example. But since this is not possible I'll have to do this event on my main character.

- It's a good thing that the polymorph and XP buff persist trough death in PVE and in Cyrodiil!

- New recipes you get from plunder skulls are also nice, would be good to know if they're only blue recipes or are there purple too? And how many in total.

Birdovic

@luen79rwb17_ESO

Heya, what kind of recipes did you receive?
I didnt have the time to do the event yet.

Abeille

By the way, am I right to assume the item we get in the Crown Store to trigger the event will be free, like the cake voucher on the birthday event?

Just checking because everything on the PTS Crown Store costs one crown.

luen79rwb17_ESO

Birdovic wrote: »

@luen79rwb17_ESO

Heya, what kind of recipes did you receive?
I didnt have the time to do the event yet.

Uploaded the picture (hope it works).

Ra'Shtar

I got a legendary recipe

Ra'Shtar

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom There is a CD on the drops of the bucket even if you run around to a new zone and kill a different boss, this shouldn't be like this it should not have a CD at all because then you just waste time waiting on the CD for the drop instead of spending that time farming the motifs and recipes.

XDark_One13

Can anyone list some specific bosses they've gotten the skulls from? Or is there something you have to do after drinking the potion and turing into a skeleton to start collecting skulls?
Running around as a cool skeleton and I've killed delve bosses, world bosses, dark anchor bosses, haven't gotten a single skull.

Mettaricana

So anyone got a full ingame pic of hallowjack and harlequinn gear?

Birdovic

@luen79rwb17_ESO
@Ra'Shtar

Thanks for the pics!
Didnt expect Vampire Food/Drink
Now, are there WW Foods/Drinks?

Elsonso

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

This is the official feedback thread for the Witches Festival Event. This event is on the PTS for testing, but it will not go live until the Witches Festival time-frame in October - it is not part of Update 11. Specific feedback that the team is looking for includes the following:

• Did the event function?
• Is the event content fun?
• Was it clear what you were supposed to do (kill/collect) for the quest and to get the motifs?
• Did you complete the quest?
• Did you get the achievements?
• Are you happy with the rewards for this event?

1. The event functioned perfectly.
2. It is fun, but pretty short.
3. It took a minute to orient myself, but after that it was OK. One thing I am unclear on is whether I needed to actually provide guts and pumpkin. I had some already, and I got the impression from the dialog that I had to provide those, but I can't actually say whether it was necessary or not. The quest was just to get the essence, which was easily obtained in a delve.
4. I completed the quest. Happily, and unexpectedly, I picked the delve in Glenumbra right next to the place to turn in the quest. That is gonna be a busy delve once word gets out.
5. I got "Reaper's Harvest", "Pumpkin Pairs Well With Guts" (no icon), and "Plunder Skull Enthusiast"

Notes:

I went back into Cryptwatch Fort to plunder the boss, but did not get anything. The boss did not drop anything. I leveled up in that delve while doing the quest to the point where I was no longer getting XP. I switched to Koeglin Mine, where I still get XP, and was able to plunder the boss in there. I am not sure if it is intended that all bosses give plunder or just the ones in the XP level range.

I am left with the thought that someone could have come up with a better name than "Hollowjack". It does not seem to tie in with the event as good as it could. Maybe name it after the witch? Witchmother set? Reaper's Harvest set?

Visually, the Crow Caller item was hard to see because it was a white item. It does not stand out in the inventory, especially if you don't open inventory right away or close it before using the item so it does not sort to the top. I did not expect it to be a white item.

A feature suggestion for the future. The "scary" polymorphs would be more cool if the people around us noticed. In particular, if some of the "peasant" NPCs and "scrub" NPC bad guys reacted. It would be really satisfying if those scrub NPC bad guys (the ones that get posted on guard duty) had a chance to have a fear effect. The peasant NPCs should run from us if they see us. Just a chance, mind you, not all the time.

As an aside, a properly placed cauldron where a stationary NPC is standing might make for an interesting screen shot.

Elsonso

Ra'Shtar wrote: »

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom There is a CD on the drops of the bucket even if you run around to a new zone and kill a different boss, this shouldn't be like this it should not have a CD at all because then you just waste time waiting on the CD for the drop instead of spending that time farming the motifs and recipes.

Oh, there definitely needs to be a cooldown. Delves are going to be stacked so thick with farmers that the only way you will even know the boss is there is because of the combat. Something has to break up the pack so that the farming is not trivial and so that new players entering the area have a chance to get at the boss.

I suppose the alternative would be to have it so that you can only farm a boss once and then you have to find a different boss.

Going back to the days of bots farming bosses, the other idea would be to not have the boss spawn in the same place each time. At least then the farmers have to move and can't just sit there pressing "1" while watching Friends on Netflix.

bebynnag

first of all EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

But secondly, i know you guys are testing this on PTS, and im just a console player, and i have no idea what bosses your referring re: motif drop,

but i do hope this isnt a specific boss that drops the motif.... because all that will happen is trading guilds will form 24 strong zergs to nuke said boss, meaning no one else can enjoy the festival because of the lag they are causing & the argumets that WILL occur over area chat. Arguments because the drop rate for anyone not in the zerg will be non existant which means prices of said motif will also be exctutiatingly high because the traders will be 'in control' of the market, which will anger the crafters & the completionists. and the people who just want to have fun & enjoy the festival will get stuck with the fallout!

Mettaricana

puffytheslayer wrote: »

first of all EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

But secondly, i know you guys are testing this on PTS, and im just a console player, and i have no idea what bosses your referring re: motif drop,

but i do hope this isnt a specific boss that drops the motif.... because all that will happen is trading guilds will form 24 strong zergs to nuke said boss, meaning no one else can enjoy the festival because of the lag they are causing & the argumets that WILL occur over area chat. Arguments because the drop rate for anyone not in the zerg will be non existant which means prices of said motif will also be exctutiatingly high because the traders will be 'in control' of the market, which will anger the crafters & the completionists. and the people who just want to have fun & enjoy the festival will get stuck with the fallout!

Hoping for a crown version for us who can't compete with trader zergs

Elsonso

puffytheslayer wrote: »

first of all EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

But secondly, i know you guys are testing this on PTS, and im just a console player, and i have no idea what bosses your referring re: motif drop,

but i do hope this isnt a specific boss that drops the motif.... because all that will happen is trading guilds will form 24 strong zergs to nuke said boss, meaning no one else can enjoy the festival because of the lag they are causing & the argumets that WILL occur over area chat. Arguments because the drop rate for anyone not in the zerg will be non existant which means prices of said motif will also be exctutiatingly high because the traders will be 'in control' of the market, which will anger the crafters & the completionists. and the people who just want to have fun & enjoy the festival will get stuck with the fallout!

The trick is that ZOS needs to make it so the farmers move on rather than sticking around to farm endlessly. In that way, there will be a steady stream of them, but no one making camp and turning the place into a second home.

Ra'Shtar

lordrichter wrote: »

Ra'Shtar wrote: »

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom There is a CD on the drops of the bucket even if you run around to a new zone and kill a different boss, this shouldn't be like this it should not have a CD at all because then you just waste time waiting on the CD for the drop instead of spending that time farming the motifs and recipes.

Oh, there definitely needs to be a cooldown. Delves are going to be stacked so thick with farmers that the only way you will even know the boss is there is because of the combat. Something has to break up the pack so that the farming is not trivial and so that new players entering the area have a chance to get at the boss.

I suppose the alternative would be to have it so that you can only farm a boss once and then you have to find a different boss.

Going back to the days of bots farming bosses, the other idea would be to not have the boss spawn in the same place each time. At least then the farmers have to move and can't just sit there pressing "1" while watching Friends on Netflix.

They drop from world bosses too which are far more easier to go around than delve bosses, you can go clear all the bosses from a silver zone before the CD is done (not that it will do anything since you wont get drops) so yes its annoying that i have to sit idle for 8 mins waiting for a loot CD.

S'yn

ZOS, please consider some sort of "farmer-proof" method of getting the skulls... Perhaps making them a chance to drop from from any non-standard mob that would normally grant xp. That would keep everyone just killing big monsters but scattered throughout the game world. X amount of skulls buys you a motif... Or better yet, just get a complete book when you finally get 100 or 200 skulls?

What do you think, guys? I put this out there because I find it really sucks to have limited time offered Motifs camped to oblivion and only available from gold digging campers!

luen79rwb17_ESO

I wouldn't worry that much for farming bosses / campers for several reasons: spawn rate is slow, you don't get another loot drop from the same boss for like the next 10 minutes or so, skulls are a garanteed drop for every boss in every delve outside Cyrodiil. And that's alot of delves.

I hardly believe there's going to be such a significant amount of players camping all delves, especially with our current system where silver and gold zones have a lower population. Now if "One Tamriel" is released before this event then it might be a different story

What's also key is the duration of this event, if its just one week then delves are gonna get camped real bad lol

Contraptions

I really like the idea of Tamriel festival events, it really makes the world a lot more dynamic. However please do not make this motif/recipe gathering time limited. Perhaps the sale of the whistle could be time limited similar to how the Jubilee Cake voucher was time limited, but once the quest is completed we should be able to access the event content at our own pace. I want to learn the motif at my own pace. Even after the event is over, we should be allowed to continue to gather the recipes/chapters/style materials freely, and we should keep our polymorphs. The only thing that should be time locked is the sale of the "entry ticket" which is the Whistle.

I mention this because the main bulk of the event is farming delve bosses, which is rather disappointing honestly. These bosses respawn slowly, have loot timers on them, and are likely to be overcamped. This is reminiscent of the early days of release where bots would camp all boss spawns and max out the boss loot table, preventing normal players from getting their hits in. I DO NOT WANT that to happen again. Camping a boss spawn and hoping to get hits in before it dies in less than a second is not fun. It is not engaging. Please don't force all of us into that playstyle.

I suggest making the polymorph the "toggle drop" item. Only when we wear that polymorph will we gather event items. Secondly, don't make them only drop from delve bosses. Make them drop from world/dungeon bosses as well. This opens more options up to us who don't want to camp delve bosses endlessly. It will also reduce overcrowding.

I hope that even when the event is officially over, we who have already entered can still continue to gather the motif/recipes/style materials. Please do not restrict these items and the polymorphs unfairly.

khele23eb17_ESO

luen79rwb17_ESO wrote: »

I wouldn't worry that much for farming bosses / campers for several reasons: spawn rate is slow, you don't get another loot drop from the same boss for like the next 10 minutes or so, skulls are a garanteed drop for every boss in every delve outside Cyrodiil. And that's alot of delves.

You do realize theres an easy way to avoid the cooldown. Have 8-12 characters parked in a different delves and log between them to kill bosses.

TerraDewBerry

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

This is the official feedback thread for the Witches Festival Event. This event is on the PTS for testing, but it will not go live until the Witches Festival time-frame in October - it is not part of Update 11. Specific feedback that the team is looking for includes the following:

• Did the event function?
• Is the event content fun?
• Was it clear what you were supposed to do (kill/collect) for the quest and to get the motifs?
• Did you complete the quest?
• Did you get the achievements?
• Are you happy with the rewards for this event?

First off, the Witchmother Olyve is absolutely awesome!!! Wonderful job on her.. she is perfect.. her look, her voice... amazing!

1. Yup, it functioned perfectly *woot*
2. So far so go!
3. I understood what to do to get the initial quest done, but apparently there is more to do, and I still have no idea what I need to do for that. There needs to be a second quest that Witchmother Olyve gives that clearly tells us what we need to do.

Also, it would be cool if she gave a daily quest that gave out some cool things in exchange for X quest items/things killed (I don't know now long this event will go, but I hope it's a few weeks). I love daily holiday events.

4. I completed the quest up to where I get the memento for the polymorph (thanks, it's awesome), and the XP boost.. but that's all.

5. I got the "Reaper's Harvest", "Pumpkin Pairs Well With Guts" achievements.. but not the third one because I'm not killing 100 bosses on the pts.. no time for that mess.. sorry.

6. I have yet to understand how to get the motifs, but I'll look into that, and will hopefully understand more of what is involved.. I think I read somewhere I need 100 skulls from Delve bosses. I won't be doing that on the pts.. no time for that.. but all in all, I would say this event will be great! *Still hoping Witchmother Olyve will give us a daily quest too..

Abeille wrote: »

Shadesofkin wrote: »

Abeille wrote: »

You guys did a pretty good job!

I have a very tiny and insignificant suggestion, though. All the pumpkins near the entrance and inside the Witchmother's lair scream "Halloween" too much. Yes, I understand that this is the idea, but on maps where having pumpkins in the middle of nowhere do not really blend in (like Auridon) it gets kinda weird. I suggest removing the pumpkins and leaving only the skulls as decoration.

The problem with that is the plethora of skulls and skeletons that can be found anywhere in Tamriel, the pumpkins do more to accent the point of the festival (I get it though it's not quite the same).

We know very little about the Witches Festival, so ZOS can do that if they think it is better to mimic Halloween. It comes down to preference. I prefer something that doesn't make such a direct connection with a real life holiday. I mean, there is already a big arrow pointing at the place where her lair is, so are all the pumpkins really necessary?

Awwww... come on.. I really love the pumpkins! Please don't try and make it so that there can't be any ties to real life holidays.. some people (myself included), love the feel and tie in to the holidays. I do get there are many who don't.. but somehow there needs to be a reasonable middle ground hopefully.

WhiteCoatSyndrome

Question: Do Dolmen bosses drop the skulls too?

And @Ra'Shtar if you don't mind saying, how many bosses did you have to kill for the recipe?

Ra'Shtar

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Question: Do Dolmen bosses drop the skulls too?

And @Ra'Shtar if you don't mind saying, how many bosses did you have to kill for the recipe?

About 36 or so, the drop rate is really good i got two golden and a bunch of motifs (many of them repeated but i still got around 20 or so motifs pieces) the issue is the crafting material which only drops from this skull buckets so once the event is finished there will be a finite amount of the crafting style stones in the game.
@WhiteCoatSyndrome

@luen79rwb17_ESO The CD is not per boss because i tried going into delves and killing different bosses in zones apart and i still got no loot so its a widespread CD, i don't know about you but i don't want to be sited in a place waiting for the CD to be back and this is specially going to hurt dungeons because you can kill two bosses in less than 3 mins apart ( they also drop from dungeon bosses so i really don't see the point of the CD because dungeons are instanced).

WhiteCoatSyndrome

Thank you for the info, @Ra'Shtar ! A pity about the style stones, but at least my completionist streak will be happy.

Mettaricana

Limited time motifs sound good gives crafters a way to live players come to is for sets they cannot get we get paid zos gets paid cuz if the style mat is event limited ill need crown mimic stones so zos gets paid also

gw2only1b14_ESO

Ra'Shtar wrote: »

I got a legendary recipe

question is the recipe specific to the event or from quest chain or is it new drop item with the DLC

Birdovic

gw2only1b14_ESO wrote: »

Ra'Shtar wrote: »

I got a legendary recipe

question is the recipe specific to the event or from quest chain or is it new drop item with the DLC

Judging from its name and the way to obtain it, its event specific and most likely gone with the event ending.

gw2only1b14_ESO

Birdovic wrote: »

gw2only1b14_ESO wrote: »

Ra'Shtar wrote: »

I got a legendary recipe

question is the recipe specific to the event or from quest chain or is it new drop item with the DLC

Judging from its name and the way to obtain it, its event specific and most likely gone with the event ending.

You see how they added a Motif item to the ingredient...Hopefully other new recipes like that

Vaoh

Hello everyone!

I have a thread I'd love to update with pictures of the Light, Medium, and Heavy armors of the Hallowjack and Harlequin motifs! If you can provide these, please post them here and tag me, so I can take them and update my thread as well. Placing the three armor weights in one picture would alao be great if possible. Thank you all in advance!

Console players like myself don't have a PTS to do this so yeah

The thread (so you can see why I want those pics): https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/260228/all-motifs-updated-list/p1

LMar

Are you happy with the rewards for this event?

The motifs and the recipes look great but i hope they don't disappear once the event ends. Due to the RNG system it might take us a while to find them all especially due to the high number of people that will be farming them. Also the style material for the motif will need to be around to be obtained in the future no?

Also, Witchmother Olyve is great and her little cave is absolutely gorgeous. Please consider NOT locking the door once we do the quest. We would love to have access to that forever , please think of all the RP we could have in there. Hermit wizards, crazy witches, wyresses, little pockets of Oblivion etc etc, please please let us have access to it!

FLuFFyxMuFFiN

Did the event function?

Yes it was pretty straight forward.

Is the event content fun?

I enjoyed the content I played. I did not do too much of it because I like to save it for the live servers but from what I did play it was enjoyable. I can't wait for it to release on the live servers

Was it clear what you were supposed to do (kill/collect) for the quest and to get the motifs?

Yes but I am curious if the plundered skulls are supposed to drop every time or if its random.

Did you complete the quest?

Yes

Did you get the achievements?

I got most of them. I didn't want to loot 100 skulls though. Ill save that for live.

Are you happy with the rewards for this event?

Very happy The new motif is awesome and I plan to get every page of it before the event ends. It's nice to see a real life holiday added to the game in a lore friendly way.