This will offend some people morally (their sense of how things *ought* to be or what others *should* do). That is, "X was good enough for me...", "If a noob can't/won't do Y...", "People now are so entitled that they Z..." and the like. But I don't care.
I've played PvP on and off four four years, sometimes intensely for months at a time, and once upon a time I used to take people in a guild to get their feet wet for an hour each week In Cyro. Many people think they will hate AvA but then they love it. Great. But many have a hard time getting into it with a "sink or swim" approach. Under-50 is a great idea but there are soooo many experienced players on twink builds. Dueling is a good way to learn, unless you get killed in 0.5-2.5 seconds because you don't have enough impen and the right morphs.
The end result is that many players who *might* learn to enjoy or even "git gud" at AvA and BGs either say "#&$% this!" or go to Cyro and clump in zergs for safety. When they actually do go for the gear it's often the most broken sets. Then gudplayoors moan about no decent small-group play and how no one can really fight and that the AvA pop is too small. So, if you think that only players who google pvp builds, spend lots of time farming the right gear, and are willing endure awful beat-downs for a long time, etc. are worth recruiting, you are ignoring many fence-sitters and people who gave up or who are too intimidated to try. Players who want to see that something is fun before investing in prepping for a commitment to it are out there.
So, to lure more people in, get them hooked, and give them a chance to have meaningful practice, I'm proposing beginner modes. If you have other ideas for beginner modes (sans snark) great. If you think there are other ways to help, great. Or how to improve my suggestions. Love to hear it.
Beginner Mode: Dueling
Equalized stats -- power, regen, resistance... the same for both players. In Beginner Mode, you earn nothing, not even for the dueling achievement. A veteran player with smarter skill bars and practiced combos still has an advantage, but it is reduced. This lets noobs practice in a more productive way versus other noobs as well as friends, guildies, or strangers. Noobs live longer, hit harder, and get more of a chance to actually see the combos, realize their mistakes, and so on with the slower pace. This could be something you toggle or a location -- go inside and all duels are Beginner Mode. Players who have fun and improve will get bored, but now have more reason to actually farm/craft PvP gear and more confidence to drop the training wheels. And it's not like this is a giant coding/dev investment.
Beginner Mode: Battle Ground
Same as above, just a simple death match. Everything else above applies in terms of mechanics, reasoning, etc. No big girl achievements or rewards. Maybe some heavily reduced prize when you first try it but that's all.
I am not saying this is the best way, the only way, etc., but it's a small investment by the devs with a potential to get and keep more people doing PvP. Thanks for taking the time to read, even if you hate the idea.
edit for les typos
Edited by tinythinker on May 10, 2018 4:37AM ❤Experienced, new, returner?
❤ Help keep ESO's community strong
ᕙ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ᕗ -- share what you love about the game, offer constructive feedback, and make friends.
ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Who are you in Tamriel (whether it's just your character's attitude & style or a full backstory)? -
Share your Character's Story! ◔ ⌣ ◔
(And let us know
🔷What Kind of Roleplayer You Are🔷 - even if that only extends to choosing your race)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Support Mudcrab Mode for ESO (\/)!_!(\/) - part joke, part serious, all glorious! You butter be ready for this