Maelstrom Vet way too Hard : (

Thunderknuckles

You guys are giving me hope, too. ha ha I'm leveling a magSorc (pet) as I'm told it's a little easier on that class. I hope so.

LiquidSchwartz

The arena is basically a great way for you to learn the games mechanics, and how to deal with them by yourself. Once you beat it your survivabikity will skyrocket. It took me 20 hours to beat it first time. Now I beat it in 49 minutes (:

Gprime31

Zos threw in disconnects to make it more challenging

DeadlyRecluse

shiningforce wrote: »

It needs a Nerf big time is the consensus.

It doesn't, and it's not.

The first clear is super difficult. The second clear, you won't understand why it was so hard. By the 10th clear you can do it while watching TV, except for a few tricky sequences/bosses.

Put in the work, get it done, and you'll see. It really is fine.

SilverWF

Well, vMA is hard, yes, but doable if you becomes better.
But they are really need to address stage 7 (Umbrage), because now it has nothing related to skill - this stage is pure 100% random.

Princess_Ciri

vMA is really easy. The first clear is hard but after that it's just easy and keeps getting easier until you can do it without dying even once.

Giving weapons away on normal would be really lame, if you're not good enough to clear vMA then you don't deserve the weapons, sorrynotsorry.

Cêltic421

Just keep at it. After your first completion it seems to get easier.

ATomiX96

If you have > 600 CP and cant clear vma you're pretty bad. Change my mind. I cleared it back in the days (pre one tamriel) with a stamdk at 300cp in purple pvp gear and it only got nerfed ever since ...

If you just want to learn the arena to reclear with alts go with magblade or magsorc shoudnt give you any trouble clearing it due to ranged + passive healing + shields + mobility

Rair.Kitani

When Maelstrom came out I couldn't beat it as well, stuck in the final stage. When I returned to ESO I finally beat it in an manic approach which took me 8 hours non-stop. After that it got better from time to time and now my personal best is at 53min.
I feel your frustration though, I'm working on the flawless conquerer achivment now. So basically, you die - you reset. On my closest try I died in the last stage, second-to-last mob group before the boss. Oh I was so mad...

boombazookajd

Princess_Ciri wrote: »

vMA is really easy.

This makes me laugh.

Smitch_59

Nerf away, ZOS!!!

NordSwordnBoard

They ought to buff normal, and leave vet as is.

AndyMac

vMA gets nerfed with each CP cap increase and often with skill and set additions and changes.

Imo it got nerfed hard in Summerset. So there's no need to nerf the arena per se.

Much harder instances of vMA have been cleared by every class, stam and mag, countless times.

I think most people who cleared it have experienced the same frustration with it.

When you've run it enough, it's pretty clear that , apart from the occasional WTH lag death, the real problem was that you were doing it wrong.

So, yeah , reading build and mechanics guides plus being honestly critical about your own gameplay is key to clearing vMA for the first time.

boombazookajd

NordSwordnBoard wrote: »

They ought to buff normal, and leave vet as is.

normal maelstrom definitely needs a good buff. It's silly how easy it is and it should prepare you for vet maelstrom, which in its current guise, does not

Eso101rus

Vma is in a good place, bearing in mind with each update the extra cp can make it even easier fractionally. Don’t nerf. Ps if you are getting stuck on boss round 6, it might be a mechanics thing going on....

Merlin13KAGL

vMA has always been a fine mix of masochism and determination.

The more you do it, the better you'll get. If you're having trouble with something specific, ask and you'll get half a dozen methods to help you see how to change your strategy.

As you get better, it will get easier, because you will have improved, not because a nerf is required.

i would like to see it be more responsive and less buggy at times, but that's the entirety of the game, as well.

The major issue is the same here as it is everywhere else in the game. Normal is practically handed to you on a silver platter, then Vet (usually) actually requires you to understand, improve, and earn it.

If you're determined to clear it, take it a bite at a time, ask for help and suggestions, and you will get the title in time.

TheNightflame

vma is like a right of passage, if you care to be a top tier dps (which is only necessary in the hardest content), you should care to practice and overcome vma. You're not locked out of anything by not running it (you can still pull 35k+ without those weapons), but to have the best numbers you're required to be a player that can improve with practice. vma is just like a solo progression the first time

generalmyrick

spiral shadows cracks me up...

i have the fight on lock down...

full health, full shields, watching the mechanics...

like 5 times in row --- 40k spit or lightning damage. boom.

WHAT'S THE SECRET!? :-)

Emma_Overload

I despise VMA. Not because it's "too hard", but because it's the wrong kind of hard.

People mention that it's a "DPS race" but that's not really true. Anyone can copy an Alcast build and do more than enough DPS for VMA. If DPS was the the key to making VMA a cake walk, I would love it because then I could spend my time theorycrafting a really great VMA Build.

I have bad news for you - there is NO SUCH THING as a VMA build! You could literally do VMA NAKED with no armor at all if you wanted. These so called VMA builds don't do anything to help you solve the biggest problem of VMA:

ROTE MEMORIZATION OF MECHANICS!

These aren't just mechanics you can learn in a couple minutes watching YouTube, either. You MUST learn to do them yourself by practicing (and dying) over and over. It SUCKS! It's like being forced to learn the choreography to Swan Lake or something in your spare time, its f'ing RIDICULOUS. It is the least fun thing I've ever had to do in this game.... I refuse to do it anymore.

Contrary to the comments in this thread, VMA has NEVER been nerfed in any kind of significant way. Thanks to power creep from new gear and ever increasing CP, all content including VMA is easier, but that's not the same thing as a true nerf, in my opinion. There have been a few bug fixes to address some frustrating stages, but those don't qualify as nerfs, in my opinion.

I only have one piece of good news: nobody really cares about VMA weapons anymore, partially because they got nerfed when they lost their one piece stat bonuses. There is no content in the game that really requires a VMA weapon in my opinion, but your mileage may vary from mine.

Don't bother asking for ZOS to nerf VMA - they don't care and don't have time. What you MIGHT be able to do is campaign for ZOS to make Normal MA harder... and then add a blue or "imperfect" version of the Maelstrom weapons to the boss drop for NMA. Good luck, anyway, because I'm done caring about this poorly designed content.

Hopefully they'll build a new solo arena some day that is more fun!

boombazookajd

generalmyrick wrote: »

spiral shadows cracks me up...

i have the fight on lock down...

full health, full shields, watching the mechanics...

like 5 times in row --- 40k spit or lightning damage. boom.

WHAT'S THE SECRET!? :-)

DPS.

Emma_Overload wrote: »

I despise VMA. Not because it's "too hard", but because it's the wrong kind of hard.

People mention that it's a "DPS race" but that's not really true. Anyone can copy an Alcast build and do more than enough DPS for VMA. If DPS was the the key to making VMA a cake walk, I would love it because then I could spend my time theorycrafting a really great VMA Build.

I have bad news for you - there is NO SUCH THING as a VMA build! You could literally do VMA NAKED with no armor at all if you wanted. These so called VMA builds don't do anything to help you solve the biggest problem of VMA:

ROTE MEMORIZATION OF MECHANICS!

These aren't just mechanics you can learn in a couple minutes watching YouTube, either. You MUST learn to do them yourself by practicing (and dying) over and over. It SUCKS! It's like being forced to learn the choreography to Swan Lake or something in your spare time, its f'ing RIDICULOUS. It is the least fun thing I've ever had to do in this game.... I refuse to do it anymore.

Contrary to the comments in this thread, VMA has NEVER been nerfed in any kind of significant way. Thanks to power creep from new gear and ever increasing CP, all content including VMA is easier, but that's not the same thing as a true nerf, in my opinion. There have been a few bug fixes to address some frustrating stages, but those don't qualify as nerfs, in my opinion.

I only have one piece of good news: nobody really cares about VMA weapons anymore, partially because they got nerfed when they lost their one piece stat bonuses. There is no content in the game that really requires a VMA weapon in my opinion, but your mileage may vary from mine.

Don't bother asking for ZOS to nerf VMA - they don't care and don't have time. What you MIGHT be able to do is campaign for ZOS to make Normal MA harder... and then add a blue or "imperfect" version of the Maelstrom weapons to the boss drop for NMA. Good luck, anyway, because I'm done caring about this poorly designed content.

Hopefully they'll build a new solo arena some day that is more fun!

Agreed. It isn't "hard", it's tedious and unforgiving. Joy's magDK run proves you don't need shiny gear but I have to say that having a proper gear setup, most importantly for stamina toons, does exist. It won't however, get you through a level.

I started vMA as a curious attempt to see how "good" I was at the game, solo. I got to 6 and have been stuck on my magDK. I know the round damn near like the back of my hand but I still can't get that stupid spider down at the end. Quite frankly, my magDK just doesn't have the punch needed to burst her down (you know, because magDK's STILL DONT HAVE AN EXECUTE, ZOS!) Now I want to beat vMA not so much for the weapons, but for the fact I refuse to be bested by a silly video game.

But vMA has pushed me to do other content; mostly as a break/training method. I was surprised to find that I can solo Skyreach, which may or may not be a big deal for a CP450. I'm now going to try to solo some world bosses and maybe a few of the early dungeons. In hopes that it helps me get better at killing things with lots of hp. That stupid spider IS GOING TO DIE.

SaucyMcSauceface

Supernatural wrote: »

bongtokin420insd16 wrote: »

just outa curiosity, if you leave the Arena and come back does it save your spot or do you have to start the whole thing over?

The reset timer is 5 minutes.

If you leave the Arena but have picked up the quest and come back after 5 minutes, you will resume your run from round 1 of the stage you are on, and if you haven't picked up the quest and come back after 5 minutes, you start from scratch.

This is not true. I was on the 8th arena and had to leave. Couldn't come back for a couple of weeks. I cam back expecting it to have reset, and it just put me straight back into 8. I am not sure if something changed on that. I know it used to be that if you left for a while it totally reset, but now it just starts you at the start of the arena you were on, no matter how long it takes between tries.

C0L0SSUS

vMA like Alcast builds is not for every1

Mister_DMC

@Alcast Since your name is being tossed around here bud can you link these nice people your old VMA video with you dying hundreds of times with the circus music in the background? That's always a favorite of mine.

coplannb16_ESO

generalmyrick wrote: »

spiral shadows cracks me up...

i have the fight on lock down...

full health, full shields, watching the mechanics...

like 5 times in row --- 40k spit or lightning damage. boom.

WHAT'S THE SECRET!? :-)

secret is to unweb 3 pillars regularly, it resets the enrage timer of the boss thus prevents the one-shot spit

Bevik

Defo don't need a nerf. I thought the same as it is too hard. I have completed it like 10 times, yesterday managed to do it in less than 1.5 hours died 11 times, most of them were my fault and 1-2 RNG deaths. Got 2x bow so I'm happy. Gonna farm more because I like to have the weapons for all my toons.
Try 2 pets build. It is just so easy after you know all the mechanics.

K1NGPALM3R1

I Struggled and struggled on this then a guild member helped me with rotation etc. Couldn't beat ice boss then the poison boss! Its been covered above but its about knowing when shield and getting the mechanics right. Without them its pointless. Since that I run it once a week and have since got my Flawless title

weg0

No nerf needed, but... why not take out the first round or two of each stage. Cut the clear time down to under half an hour. I mean, is it necessary to have 5 or 6 rounds on every stage?

frostz417

Learn to play and stop crying for a nerf at everything

Alcast

Maelstrom is a patience game. If you are going in there the first time do not expect to get through it easily. You need to learn the mechanics to succeed. Also, if you get stuck somewhere, take a break and retry the next day, usually helps a lot.
You can also find tons of maelstrom gameplay on my website/youtube: https://alcasthq.com/maelstrom-arena-gameplay/
And I do have a beginners guide for it as well with setups: https://alcasthq.com/eso-maelstrom-arena-introduction-pve/

Mister_DMC wrote: »

@Alcast Since your name is being tossed around here bud can you link these nice people your old VMA video with you dying hundreds of times with the circus music in the background? That's always a favorite of mine.

https://youtu.be/RrxgprPugpE
That video is from before we figured out that you can avoid the fire damage from the daedroth

ATomiX96

if you spent more time in vMA rather than crying on forums you actually might clear it