I Hate Maelstrom Arena

Mashille

Small Disclaimer - As so many people are clearly not reading the post and assuming this is complaining about difficulty. It's not. This is not a post talking about how VMA is too hard.

I've farmed VMA quite a bit since it's release. And here's some reasons why I hate it.

It's Not Fun... At All: Very few people may find VMA 'fun' and that's all well and good but for most of us it's a painful and spiteful chore that we must do that always ends up with me either punching my desk because I got killed some some bull**** (**** You toxic mushrooms) or because I got useless loot... again



The RnG is Rage inducing: I have yet to get the Maelstrom Weapon I desire after a lot of runs, I did 4 Run's today alone and got 3 1H Maces and Shields. To go along with all my other 1H Maces and Shields. All the regular item sets from VMA are trash so you are only doing it for the Maelstrom weapon, and after all that hard work and usually frustration at something or other you get literally nothing as it's a weapon you really don't want as you already have 5 million of them. (Seriously I swear that 1H and Shield drop rates are like 80% higher than all other weapons)This is the point where I'd just ask them to be sold at the Golden Vendor for 800,000 Gold or something, I know a lot of people would hate that but holy moly I'm so sick of grinding for nothing but disappointment.


BiS Gear: Maelstrom weapons are far superior to any other weapons in the game in most cases (I know many builds can be made with other sets and not need them but in a lot of competitive builds they are needed) meaning you are practically forced to Grind for them. There should be different ways and viable options to get different BiS gear types. Like there is DSA atm, but Master Weapons normally aren't as good as Maelstrom Weapons but there should be more ways to get there. For example an ultimate Crafted weapon where, I dunno, if a crafter has unlocked every trait in the game they can Combine 5 Legendary Quality Weapons together is a Forge and get something of similar Strength to Maelstrom Weapons. Or another type of 'Master' weapon that is earned through something not like VMA. Maybe earned through PvP, or scaling Group content depending how big the group is.

Well, that was a bit of a rant. I know, I know there have been tonnes of VMA threads since it came out to add token systems and stuff (Which I 100% agree with) but I wanted to write something cross because I farmed VMA all day today and pretty much got nothing.

Integral1900

VMA is so that masochists can get their pain fix, I did it once and no way this side of hell am I going back

Balsagna

Integral1900 wrote: »

VMA is so that masochists can get their pain fix, I did it once and no way this side of hell am I going back

It gets a lot easier after the first completion, like most end game content.

GDOFWR420

Integral1900 wrote: »

VMA is so that masochists can get their pain fix, I did it once and no way this side of hell am I going back

The rage factor is insane, almost broke my tv. Needless to say I won't be going back in there.

Megabear

I'll wait until max CP before I even attempt it.

Jeremy

Mashille wrote: »

I've farmed VMA quite a bit since it's release. And here's some reasons why I hate it.

It's Not Fun... At All: Very few people may find VMA 'fun' and that's all well and good but for most of us it's a painful and spiteful chore that we must do that always ends up with me either punching my desk because I got killed some some bull**** (**** You toxic mushrooms) or because I got useless loot... again



The RnG is Rage inducing: I have yet to get the Maelstrom Weapon I desire after a lot of runs, I did 4 Run's today alone and got 3 1H Maces and Shields. To go along with all my other 1H Maces and Shields. All the regular item sets from VMA are trash so you are only doing it for the Maelstrom weapon, and after all that hard work and usually frustration at something or other you get literally nothing as it's a weapon you really don't want as you already have 5 million of them. (Seriously I swear that 1H and Shield drop rates are like 80% higher than all other weapons)This is the point where I'd just ask them to be sold at the Golden Vendor for 800,000 Gold or something, I know a lot of people would hate that but holy moly I'm so sick of grinding for nothing but disappointment.


BiS Gear: Maelstrom weapons are far superior to any other weapons in the game in most cases (I know many builds can be made with other sets and not need them but in a lot of competitive builds they are needed) meaning you are practically forced to Grind for them. There should be different ways and viable options to get different BiS gear types. Like there is DSA atm, but Master Weapons normally aren't as good as Maelstrom Weapons but there should be more ways to get there. For example an ultimate Crafted weapon where, I dunno, if a crafter has unlocked every trait in the game they can Combine 5 Legendary Quality Weapons together is a Forge and get something of similar Strength to Maelstrom Weapons. Or another type of 'Master' weapon that is earned through something not like VMA. Maybe earned through PvP, or scaling Group content depending how big the group is.

Well, that was a bit of a rant. I know, I know there have been tonnes of VMA threads since it came out to add token systems and stuff (Which I 100% agree with) but I wanted to write something cross because I farmed VMA all day today and pretty much got nothing.

I didn't read your entire post - but you had my support after the first paragraph.

That's my main issue with VMA as well. it simply is not fun.

Ch4mpTW

As a person who has completed Maelstrom Arena numerous times, and has the titles and weapons to prove it — I can honestly say that it isn't for everyone. In fact, it isn't for most people. The only reason why I have indulged in it as much as I have, is because I really badly needed the weapons. Especially being that I tend to do the vast majority of content solo. Granted of course that a lot of the content in the game does not require the use of those weapons. But, I still personally wanted them to make my experiences in ESO easier. The destruction staves and restoration staff especially. They really makes things dramatically easier. Throw in some DW weapons and bow for stamina builds, and you have yourself a genuine treat on your hands.

Although, it does make me sad that this is yet another piece of content which frustrates the majority of the player base. Video games are something which should be enjoyed. Something which should provide entertainment. Not something that should stress you out, to the point where you want to break household objects in a fit of rage. Mind you, this is coming from someone who plays both Dark Souls and Bloodbourne. And is a huge Mega Man fan. Yet none of those games has ever made me as angry as Maelstrom Arena has.

Chadak

I'm normally someone that actively enjoys a stiff solo challenge, and for the most part, vMA provides that adequately.

After the Morrowind sustain nerfs in particular, however...I'm just not feeling it anymore. My ability to clear content on my magsorc has been diminished somewhat, but not erased. I can play now just as well as I did before, at least.

What I can't do is feel the same enjoyment I used to feel, to go through all the combat choreography in order to both get jacked around on the craptacular weapons that would drop at the end as well as to enjoy the fights themselves.

Morrowing nerfs made the game less fun to use the combat system at all, and I'm not at all impressed by it.

And vMA really needs a token system, because the amount of persistent effort it takes to clear it is in no way, shape or form comensurate with the rewards given at this time.

It is much too easy to walk away from a successful vMA run with exactly nothing you want at all.

That ain't good.

acw37162

It is currently and has never been "fun".

Mashille

Ch4mpTW wrote: »

The only reason why I have indulged in it as much as I have, is because I really badly needed the weapons.

^^

Balsagna

The feeling of that first vMA clear...somewhat makes it worth it. Then the grind starts and the child inside you that loves the game dies.

Mashille

@Balsagna

I remember when I first cleared VMA a long time ago and thought 'F**k the weapons I'm never doing that again, I was just proving to myself that I can do it'

*A few months later - "I NEED THOSE GOD DANG WEAPONS!"

Ch4mpTW

Mashille wrote: »

@Balsagna

I remember when I first cleared VMA a long time ago and thought 'F**k the weapons I'm never doing that again, I was just proving to myself that I can do it'

*A few months later - "I NEED THOSE GOD DANG WEAPONS!"

Same thing here. For me, it was getting staves (destruction and restoration). All I ever wanted from Maelstrom Arena were staves. That was it. I never wanted the stamina weapons, but received mostly them (and still do). After 90+ runs, I received my first staff. A sharpened restoration staff. A few clears after that, and I received my second staff. A precise restoration staff. I didn't receive my first actual destruction staff, until way into the hundreds. And even then, it was ice. And if memory serves me correctly, it was an infused ice staff.

The grind in VMA is obnoxious...

Banana

Welcome. There are a few of us

Trinity_Is_My_Name

Chadak wrote: »

I'm normally someone that actively enjoys a stiff solo challenge, and for the most part, vMA provides that adequately.

After the Morrowind sustain nerfs in particular, however...I'm just not feeling it anymore. My ability to clear content on my magsorc has been diminished somewhat, but not erased. I can play now just as well as I did before, at least.

What I can't do is feel the same enjoyment I used to feel, to go through all the combat choreography in order to both get jacked around on the craptacular weapons that would drop at the end as well as to enjoy the fights themselves.

Morrowing nerfs made the game less fun to use the combat system at all, and I'm not at all impressed by it.

And vMA really needs a token system, because the amount of persistent effort it takes to clear it is in no way, shape or form comensurate with the rewards given at this time.

It is much too easy to walk away from a successful vMA run with exactly nothing you want at all.

That ain't good.

Agree...but there is hope with the upcoming DLC....look at the changes on the PTS at the moment. Our toons are getting some serious buffs if ZOS goes to the Live server. I sure hope so!

Vapirko

I'm on my way trough my first clear as a stam DK, so I'm by no means an expert but honestly? So far I'm enjoying it. I did PvE exclusively and then pretty much PvP only for a long time. And vMA feels like trying to 1vX some good players, and so I guess I'm kinda used to that frustration of being totally outnumbered and expecting some random *** to come rocking your way for a 1 shot. I had a lot of rage inducing deaths on the last boss of round 5, but I think because of pvp I just looked at my recap and what happened, figured it out and pushed through. I can already tell I'm gonna want some sort of token system though, and it would be cool if the hardest content in the game at least gave you a choice of which weapon you wanted on your first account wide clear or something. Because not everyone is going to get through it and a lot of people aren't gonna take the time to farm it. So if you make it through once there should be some kind of guaranteed calauable reward.

Oakmontowls_ESO

As someone who has completed it 6 or 7 times, I feel like the difficulty is pretty good but like most people, the rng of the reward system is stupid and not fun. At the very least they should allow you to pick between stamina weapons and magika weapons for the final reward. This would keep the level of rng of getting the right type of weapon and trait but would severely help the rng by giving a good chance of a usable weapon because nothing is worse than getting a sharpened 1 handed axe as a magika build.

Mettaricana

I tore a ps4 controller in half when i finally cleared it

Rataroto

vma is easy and fast, not to say a small profit if you take chests. Plenty of gems for free as well as purple mats, final chest may tilt you (if you're that easly tilted), but its rng.

for a 40 minutes run and getting 9 gems + 9 purple mats at least, I'm ok with it, tho wouldnt mind adding Plunder to it.

(Before you ask, first complete was on orsinium day 2, got a necklace, second complete on the next day, got a sharp bow. and yeah I have everything that drops there)

I do vma for the fun and distraction of boredom

AbysmalGhul

Mettaricana wrote: »

I tore a ps4 controller in half when i finally cleared it

That's the spirit! A job well done my soccer hooligan friend.

I haven't even finished it on normal yet, because I don't feel the need to punish myself with RNG on vet for the weapons I want. I value things like lower blood pressure, a full head of hair, and sanity.

NotNormanBates

I'm one of the few who thinks vMA is just about the best content they've made for this game. If you go into it only for the weapons of coarse it wont be fun. The fun, for me, is in trying to better and better times/scores.

And that is the same for all content in the game. If you into vMoL only to get your gold moondancer rings, what happens when you get them? You dont run the content and you get bored. I've run vMA maybe 100 times and i have all the sharpened weapons i need and i still run it all multiple times a week. Personally i was hoping for a new solo arena with morrowind but a man can only dream

Lylith

i still hate it.

RizzlyBear

What you mean shields? I don't think you can get shields.


Anyway I left the game when Wrothgar came out and wanted to try it so bad, at CP300ish,

Came back 2 months ago and now almost CP600 and finally today I beat vMA for the first time, and honestly it wasn't that annoying.

Died a few times at the poison stage and another few times at that stupid Stage 9 final boss because I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings.

After each death I was not making the same mistake until I beat the bosses respectively Argonian behemoth and Sorin Volkyn whatever is called.

So I'm pretty sure once you memorized everything it'll be easier, you will not do the same mistakes again. Until you can do smooth runs and then "farm" it.

I'm pretty sure anyone here who's says "I did 100 runs", their first few runs of vMA weren't a walk in the park, you tell me if I'm wrong.

Dracofyre

just wondering if devs want players to raise pitchforks and torches

if they do, they must be nuts!

ArchMikem

My last vMA attempt one run i got the last boss down to just 6k health. One more ability would have won me the arena and given my first weapon. But i wiped. And after that no matter what i did, i couldnt get him past 50%.

That was when i decided never again. Theres an obvious need for SOME kind of change there cause youre right, its not fun in the slightest. But whenever someone wants a change to Maelstrom the woodwork bursts with people bashing on you, calling you a carebear, to git gud and l2p.

Mattock_Romulus

I've run Maelstrom Arena once on normal. Not going to grind for rare sharpened weapons that will get nerfed anyway.

Bobby_V_Rockit

Megabear wrote: »

I'll wait until max CP before I even attempt it.

It doesnt help...

Cage_Lizardman

Can't you add that for every 100 times you die, you get a weapon... fine, make it white quality and with the text "You suck" on it.

Only thing I felt when I cleared it was relief it was finally over. It is definitely not fun.

Olupajmibanan

You know why I love Maelstrom Arena?
It's leaderboard system. If you are a solo player, MSA leaderboards are all you have in the entire game if you are looking for competition. Emperor leaderboard is grinding BS and so are BG leaderboards which reflect only time played and not player performance.

Chufu

There should really be tokens for vMA. I know how big your frustration is, when you're running through that pain and get 1h and shield in traits for deconstruction... better would be, you could get 1 Token after every run and after x runs you can buy the weapon that you want. Even when the staff would costs 20 tokens, you know: "okay, after 20 runs I will get my weapon". I know people who done it 100+ times and still don't get their weapon.

As I still asked at RPC 2015 and in London 2017 I ask again now "Will you implement a token system?"

Btw Rich told me in London (February 2017 face to face that he knows how painful the arena is and that RNG is very hard when you have no luck. So they're "thinking about another system".

Artis

They are no longer far superior. After the light attack damage increase, flat damage increase provided by vMA staff gives you much smaller percent increase of dps. And rapids-dot is no longer the best rotation for stam builds as well.

Even before these changes you absolutely didn't need vMA weapons to complete anything. Now you need them even less.