Veteran Maelstrom Arena Feedback

nalimoleb14_ESO

So, I finally beat Vet Maelstrom Arena for the first time. I did this on a melee magicka DK and had absolute rough time, and probably would have saved myself some headache by rolling a force-pulsing magicka Sorc specifically for the arena. I was hoping to acquire an Inferno staff, but something told me I wouldn't have that much beginner's luck. Sure enough, hours and hours and hundreds of deaths later, I walked away with a crummy Maelstrom axe - a nice, giant "F**** YOU for your participation".

The idea of being entirely reliant on crappy RNG to acquire the Maelstrom weapon that you need for your build is such a massive flaw. Now, certain people can grind Vet Maelstrom Arena in record timing and that is fine, very impressive even, but Vet Maelstrom Arena is not grind-able content. It's not meant to be grind-able content. Players should not have to grind through this arena tens or hundreds of times in order to have a chance at acquiring the one Maelstrom weapon they can actually make use of. It's not rewarding content to grind, it's not fun, and there are enough players who have either a) started Vet Maelstrom and have given up completely on beating it, b) beat Vet Maelstrom once and never went back, c) Won't even go near it at all, to realize that RNG just does not for this arena.

If you're able to make it through this arena then there is no reason why you should not have your pick at which Maelstrom weapon you want from the chest, after all the hours and potions you've burned getting through it. Content that you need to grind is not "new", and it's not "refreshing", it's more of the same tedious crap, and in Vet Maelstrom's case it's just plain torture to expect people to grind through the hardest single-player content in the game for a chance at the weapon they want.

Having completed Vet Maelstrom for a crappy axe I can honestly say that I will not be setting foot in this arena again until Zenimax rethinks the Maelstrom weapon drop system, and it blows my mind that it has been this way for years despite constant feedback from the ESO community year after year that it's not acceptable as is. I can guarantee that if players who clear Maelstrom can choose their weapon at the end, it would incentivize players to actually give Vet Maelstrom a go, or complete it, knowing that at the end of the torturous content, they're at least getting a reward that they can sink their teeth into.

In anticipation of the "LTP"s, I'm not here to listen to how easy it is to /faceroll Vet Maelstrom if you're breezing through the arena with your already-acquired Maelstrom weapons, or OP Sorc builds. None of that changes the fact that Vet Maelstrom arena is not content that's meant for grinding. In its current state Vet Maelstrom is good for one thing: title bragging rights.

MilwaukeeScott

Congrats on your 1st clear!

VMA use to take me weeks,

Then it took me days.

Now it takes me about 1 1/2 hours.

Welcome to the Jungle [grind].

Again, congrats on your clear Stormproof!!

Dymence

Far easier now than ever to get your weapon fast with the transmute system.

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

nalimoleb14_ESO

MilwaukeeScott wrote: »

Congrats on your 1st clear!

VMA use to take me weeks,

Then it took me days.

Now it takes me about 1 1/2 hours.

Welcome to the Jungle [grind].

Again, congrats on your clear Stormproof!!

Hehe, thank you

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

At least you can now sport your new Stormproof title. Congrats!

nalimoleb14_ESO

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

At least you can now sport your new Stormproof title. Congrats!

Thanks!! Yeah, that helped to stave off the disappointment, it's definitely nice to have the title!

GrigorijMalahevich

You are couple of years late with your whine, mate.

Now vMA is easier than ever with transmute system. You know, there are people that did more than 500 runs for their inferno sharp staff and still had no luck. Tell them that vMA is not grindable

If today was 2016 - I could’ve agreed with you, but it is not, so git gud.

spencer2361

Just wait for the events where it’s double reward drops, makes it much more worth it

emilyhyoyeon

What I've noticed from watching videos of players who can complete vMA in record times, they just avoid the mechanics of the stages by killing the mobs before they can perform any ability (by knowing the spawns and having the damage for AOEs placed at the spawns to kill the mobs). That's weird to me, idk

A huge issue I think of is how for ex. the maelstrom bow is SUCH a huge DPS increase - by JUST easily placing an endless hail - that it's such a huge/weapon gear jump which feels awkward.

Bevik

Gratz mate. I had also hundreds of death even on my pet sorc damn I'm bad on my pet sorc don't even like it. I got an ice staff for the first. My 2nd vMA was on my magicka nightblade. Was so much easier. First of all i knew what to do and I think magNB is the easiest char for vMA. Got Nirn Inferno staff for my 2nd run. Then I went crazy and did vMA on my StamSorc. Was tricky at 1st but ok. Got vMA bow. Then did 2 times more on my magNB and 1 more time on StamSorc until I got the Lightning staff. So in 6 runs I got all the best vMA weapons I needed.
Luck? Yeah. Big time.

My advices. Use the sigils. Learn when to use them. You will slowly learn the spawn points also. Obviously I don't know them all but I learnt to react fast. Which enemies I should kill first etc. Boss mechanics. Honestly who beat vMA knows how to play this game. Respect for console players.

Mister_DMC

This is exactly the point, the secret of this content is that it made you a better player whether you knew it or not. Try the arena again, I bet it takes you a manner of hours. You don't really need the staff, the arena already worked it's magic on you.

Lynx7386

I hope to never see a solo arena in this game again. Solo content does not belong in multiplayer games.

ccfeeling

Congrats, congrats ! Well done bro!

I am 300+ ping player, Vma took me thousand of lifes lol . Believe me, u will getting better and better later.

In Vma, dmg is everything, try to modify your gears and cp, think about the sigil timing.

Not much to say but practices, it starts to easy once u remenber everything, spawn spot and the killing priority.

RNG sucks, but u have to overcome, we all experience the same.

U right, pet sorc build is easier but i think all mag build is pretty similar, minor difference.
Stam is harder a lot...

I run at least 1 time a day. Not for score and loots, its more challenging than the typical vet dungeons I feel

thedude33

Dymence wrote: »

Far easier now than ever to get your weapon fast with the transmute system.

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

Neither me or my granny have completed it. ...or ever will. Although she does get further than I do. Wiry old gal.

Bobby_V_Rockit

thedude33 wrote: »

Dymence wrote: »

Far easier now than ever to get your weapon fast with the transmute system.

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

Neither me or my granny have completed it. ...or ever will. Although she does get further than I do. Wiry old gal.

Me either, I gave up about a while ago after being stuck on stage 5 and dying to those *** archers every single time (maybe 20-30 times?) lol.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Stormproof is for scrubs, only title worth anything is the Flawless Conqueror.
But even that is obsolete on a mag sorcerer (imo).

Re grind - transmutation system is out so I feel that's enough for now.

akl77

Yea but when you met flawless conquer in vet dungeons and they don’t know dungeon mechanics or stand in red and suck at times, the title means nothing, they are just useless.

LadyLethalla

Dymence wrote: »

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

I think I'll probably BE a granny before I manage to clear it. If ever. Thank you lag. And thank you, age-worsening reflexes. Thank you very much.

LadyLethalla

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

Me either, I gave up about a while ago after being stuck on stage 5 and dying to those *** archers every single time (maybe 20-30 times?) lol.

Only 20-30...? Sorry. Have died hundreds of times already... though I did make it to the final boss.

Wreuntzylla

Valera Progib wrote: »

You are couple of years late with your whine, mate.

Now vMA is easier than ever with transmute system. You know, there are people that did more than 500 runs for their inferno sharp staff and still had no luck. Tell them that vMA is not grindable

If today was 2016 - I could’ve agreed with you, but it is not, so git gud.

Exactly why I am a slow adopter, quick follower.

wolfxspice

i got a hat the first time i beat it.

Mister_DMC

Lynx7386 wrote: »

I hope to never see a solo arena in this game again. Solo content does not belong in multiplayer games.

That's your opinion, I throughly enjoy the Maelstrom Arena. So do many other players, though definitely a minority. Recently got Flawless Conquerer on my main Stam DK and it felt great.

SupremeRissole

The best wespons in the game should be the hardest to get. It took me over 80 clears to get the bow in any trait which is nearly 100 hours of grinding. Yes I hated it, yes I still hate it.

One thing both of us cant complain about, years ago you were NOT guarenteed a vma weapon drop on completion AND you couldn't transmute.

I worked hard for my weapons (not nearly as hard as some people) and so should you.

If the devs made it even less grindy there would be less gameplay time for consumers, everyone would be bored.

Just you wait, someone will start a thread saying that vma/perfected vas weapons should be crown purchasable.

Kinnahz

Firstly, Congrats. First time is a punish.

However, there is many benefits to doing Maelstrom outside of the weapon.

A few from the top of my head would be, Learning patience with difficult situations ingame (You'll come across quite a few of these in progression teams with some of the trials), It'll teach you how to identify mechanics and ways to overcome them again, something you'll need to know for some of the harder content) It actually makes you a better well rounded player having to learn when to heal, do damage, focus specific target etc.

The grind is real, yes. It was much much worse prior to the Transmute system.

Not too mention, in all honesty the second time is much easier, then the third is even easier so on and so forth.

I would petition ZoS to add more content like this in the future as it drives someone like myself, a team oriented player to do something in my spare time ~ i don't like questing and all that jazz ~

Keep at it, you'll get your staff.

Kinnahz

ANNNNNNNND initially it wasn't even a 100% drop... i remember my first three times i didn't even get a weapon

kadar

So, I finally beat Vet Maelstrom Arena for the first time.

@nalimoleb14_ESO Grats, dude!

The thing with vMA is that whether is fun or not is subjective. I think it's a blast.

Agreed, the RNG sucks. But let me say this: if you stick with it, it will get easier, you will get the weapons you need, and it will make you a better player. Take the word of this random internet person. There are plenty of people here and in game that can help you put it on farm.

Anyway, GL doing or not doing vMA.

Tannus15

Mister_DMC wrote: »

This is exactly the point, the secret of this content is that it made you a better player whether you knew it or not. Try the arena again, I bet it takes you a manner of hours. You don't really need the staff, the arena already worked it's magic on you.

This here.

The vma staff will give you between 1k and 2k dps.

you will have gained more than that just by running vMA for the first time. To finish the arena you have to step up, you have to nail your rotations, keep up your buffs and use all the tools available.
I highly recommend it to every dps who wants to really understand their build.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

akl77 wrote: »

Yea but when you met flawless conquer in vet dungeons and they don’t know dungeon mechanics or stand in red and suck at times, the title means nothing, they are just useless.

Some have paid for their flawless titles, some account shared on ps4, any half decent player doesn't do the things you describe.

disintegr8

Dymence wrote: »

Far easier now than ever to get your weapon fast with the transmute system.

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

Nothing less than we expect. I'm closing in on 1000 CP and have never set foot in vMA.

I've watched videos and to me it's like everything else in this game, a DPS race. Sure, there are mechanics you have to avoid but the sooner you kill the enemies, the less time you have to spend avoiding the mechanics and the less chance you have of running out of resources.

Anotherone773

Valera Progib wrote: »

You are couple of years late with your whine, mate.

Now vMA is easier than ever with transmute system. You know, there are people that did more than 500 runs for their inferno sharp staff and still had no luck. Tell them that vMA is not grindable

If today was 2016 - I could’ve agreed with you, but it is not, so git gud.

How is it up there on your divine pedestal? Not everyone started 4 years ago. In fact, i bet there are even fewer people that were playing 3-4 years ago in game now than there are people that think "git gud" is cool. It's not mate, it just makes the person saying it sound like a male donkey.

Mister_DMC

disintegr8 wrote: »

Dymence wrote: »

Far easier now than ever to get your weapon fast with the transmute system.

And you're wrong about it being good for title bragging rights. Everyone and his granny can clear it by now.

Nothing less than we expect. I'm closing in on 1000 CP and have never set foot in vMA.

I've watched videos and to me it's like everything else in this game, a DPS race. Sure, there are mechanics you have to avoid but the sooner you kill the enemies, the less time you have to spend avoiding the mechanics and the less chance you have of running out of resources.

So try it, what's holding you back?