Holiday Events are Awful

jrgray93

The game has enough grinds, chores, and RNG mechanics before having a holiday event active for what seems like half the time. Most of the events are as boring as crafting dailies. Worse, even, as they take more attention to complete. New Life festival is awful.

• Jump in water, applying a snare to yourself. Then stand still for a few seconds.
• Fish. You lost me at fish.
• Compete with other players for one of three wasp spawns while dozens of players are out to get them first.
• Sit through an obnoxious dance animation in several locations around Stonefalls.

Nobody wants to repeat the same few menial fetch tasks four thousand times in hopes of getting lucky enough to get a reward worth their time. I have plenty of content left to get to without spending all of my free time just trying to keep up with the events.

The better of the events even have problems. Dungeon finder not working, unplayable cyrodiil during mid-year, etc etc.

Grinds and RNG are expected in MMOs, but it would be nice to not be beaten over the head with them all the time.

Twenty quests or so without a single charity writ drop. Guess it's time to just buy them.

Kiralyn2000

Ok



(actually, can someone tell me an MMO holiday event that isn't "some repetitive activities/dailes"? I know that the ones I've done in WoW, STO, SWTOR, and Secret World Legends, were all like that. Either grind to get a currency to buy a prize, or grind to get random prize drops, or some combination.)

jrgray93

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Ok



(actually, can someone tell me an MMO holiday event that isn't "some repetitive activities/dailes"? I know that the ones I've done in WoW, STO, SWTOR, and Secret World Legends, were all like that. Either grind to get a currency to buy a prize, or grind to get random prize drops, or some combination.)

Everyone phoning in events doesn't mean ZOS has to. They could design something interesting if they put their minds to it.

Wolf_Watching

Yea it’s a l2Rp issue.

Kiralyn2000

jrgray93 wrote: »

Everyone phoning in events doesn't mean ZOS has to. They could design something interesting if they put their minds to it.

No, I'm really curious if there is someone out there doing something that doesn't end up being "repeat this activity lots"? I certainly haven't played all games, so I've no idea.

MartiniDaniels

jrgray93 wrote: »

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Ok



(actually, can someone tell me an MMO holiday event that isn't "some repetitive activities/dailes"? I know that the ones I've done in WoW, STO, SWTOR, and Secret World Legends, were all like that. Either grind to get a currency to buy a prize, or grind to get random prize drops, or some combination.)

Everyone phoning in events doesn't mean ZOS has to. They could design something interesting if they put their minds to it.

From other MMO games, vast majority of players only cares about event rewards, if there are a lot of free stuff devs are praised. If way to that stuff is obscured with some narrative quest line, devs are bashed for leading people to "store". So they only do what majority wants.

AcadianPaladin

Gosh there is ever so much to do in ESO that I only do the bits that I enjoy. I do enjoy the special events but only in moderation. Doing one or a few of Breda's quests most days is fun. More than that can feel grindy because repeating the same thing beyond where it is fun is sort of what grinding is. It does help to not care too much about rewards/achievements and, thankfully, most of them are not of great import to me.

tactx

Don't like it? Don't participate.

jrgray93

tactx wrote: »

Don't like it? Don't participate.

Yes, that argument applies to literally everything ever in video games. That doesn't mean we can't be like, "hey, I wish this was fun."

Osteos

I like the new life festival and quests. I also like the anniversary event. I did the Witch's festival this year, skipped clockwork city completely and did 3 dungeons during the undaunted event. If you have been going non stop through the events maybe you're just fatigued and need a break. Nice thing about these events is that you really do not need any of the items from it so it is up to you how much or little you want to participate.

I do agree that everything doesn't have to be rng based.

jwjackson5674

jrgray93 wrote: »

[*] Compete with other players for one of three wasp spawns while dozens of players are out to get them first.

You do realize that any wasp or wolf on the entire Island will give you the drops not just the ones in the circles

Bouldercleave

jwjackson5674 wrote: »

jrgray93 wrote: »

[*] Compete with other players for one of three wasp spawns while dozens of players are out to get them first.

You do realize that any wasp or wolf on the entire Island will give you the drops not just the ones in the circles

Agreed. Just run to the south / south west coast line and you can get both within about 30 seconds.

VaranisArano

Anything is going to feel boring and tedious after a couple years of doing the same things.

Delsanab14_ESO

I'd enjoy something like a story quest or something for the holidays or a new encouragement each day to return to old content or older dlcs or dungeons because of rewards and such, good ones. Or maybe a mount or some such would be the thing like get 12 rare skyshards that have dropped and if you're lucky you can get the moving skyshard which you sit on and glows as your butt hurts from all the sitting on a point crystal.

Alinhbo_Tyaka

jrgray93 wrote: »

The game has enough grinds, chores, and RNG mechanics before having a holiday event active for what seems like half the time. Most of the events are as boring as crafting dailies. Worse, even, as they take more attention to complete. New Life festival is awful.

• Jump in water, applying a snare to yourself. Then stand still for a few seconds.
• Fish. You lost me at fish.
• Compete with other players for one of three wasp spawns while dozens of players are out to get them first.
• Sit through an obnoxious dance animation in several locations around Stonefalls.

Nobody wants to repeat the same few menial fetch tasks four thousand times in hopes of getting lucky enough to get a reward worth their time. I have plenty of content left to get to without spending all of my free time just trying to keep up with the events.

The better of the events even have problems. Dungeon finder not working, unplayable cyrodiil during mid-year, etc etc.

Grinds and RNG are expected in MMOs, but it would be nice to not be beaten over the head with them all the time.

Twenty quests or so without a single charity writ drop. Guess it's time to just buy them.

Sounds like regular old MMO stuff to me. I mean let's face it pretty much everything is a menial fetch task, complete a task before a timer runs out or "Please kill something for me" tasks.

As to the wasps I have no problem killing one. I just don't hunt in the marked area of the map where everybody else is. The same goes for wolves. Both are spread out across the island and will reward quest items when killed.

Dr3sden

It's just different types of events appeal to different people. I love witch festival because it felt so active. Now I think new life has cool light rewards, even a daily mystery box along with nice story quests but I found it boring after a year.

Taleof2Cities

jrgray93 wrote: »

tactx wrote: »

Don't like it? Don't participate.

Yes, that argument applies to literally everything ever in video games. That doesn't mean we can't be like, "hey, I wish this was fun."

My sixth sense isn't detecting a lack of fun ... it's smelling entitlement in heaping quantities.

SantieClaws

Khajiit recalls a time long ago when there were no events and most especially no holiday events.

Thus this one came into Tamriel to bring you the gift of Fishmas.

There was happiness and salmon and drunken dancing across the land and also a little bit on the sea.

Then the gods decided we could all celebrate New Life and gave us tasks and gifts and an eternal hatred of wasps. Fishmas is still Fishmas though and always will be.

So Merry Fishmas travellers. Do what you enjoy. Then when you do not enjoy go off and train up a little apprentice and just sit thoughtfully by your Fishmas fireside waiting for a nice piece of smoked trout and some booze.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

lagrue

I described the quests to my friend earlier and he couldn't believe I would even waste time on something like this:

1. You go to a spot and open three chests
2. You jump in water and stand beside fire
3. You kill a wasp and a wolve and then you eat them and throw a napkin on the ground.
4. You go to like 4 different inns in one zone to dance (use emote 4 times)
5. You go to like 4 places in one city and perform (use emote 4 times)
6. You run to 4 spots in under a minute
7. You deal with RNG fishing and have the hole constantly fished dry before you can pull a single fish
8. You throw mudballs at NPCs and other players stupidly throw them at you locking you into an animation for 5 seconds
9. You kill 5 bugs and compete with other players for spawns

yeah when you write them all out, in their simplest, you realize how crap these quests are... but of course I'm forced to repeat these day in and day out if I want a skin. Tbh they should have just let us buy the skin with Event Tickets. This whole RNG aspect of it makes it that much worse because you have to play these drivel quests over and over.

Bam_Bam

Still no idea how to get those damn writs. haven't found one yet!!!

bellatrixed

My only complaint is that I wish the quests actually felt holiday related. Throwing mud at people and fishing and a foot race don't really make me feel festive.

I like dailies, but the aesthetic is lacking.

Oh--and I'm disappointed we don't get any holiday related decorations. Witches festival dropped more, all I've gotten are a few lights already in the game, nothing new...

myskyrim26

I do New Life quests just for... fun. All I get in my boxes goes to my guildmates for free, or to anyone in zone chat who needs my loot. I enjoy the atmosphere and I'm glad to help new players to get achievements and open wayshrines. Anyway, there's nothing to grind, you know. All runeboxes are cheap in guildstores, Skinchanger motif is cheap. Recipes? Not sure at this point, I only got 2 green (same type) and 2 blue (same type). But there will be a lot in guildstores, I think. A new skin? Well... I'm not going to put all my effrots in it... I can do it next year, right?

Juju_beans

I find the events fun.

Then again...Christmas does need a Scrooge to "bah humbug" everything.

Tigerseye

Yeah, the first time was OK.

The second time really wasn't; partly, because it is now the weekend.

So, lag, endless loading screens, even more competition over stuff etc..

Also, I was helping someone port his new character to new areas and for some reason, his quests were in a different order.

So, I had to sit through even more loading screens.

Probably sat through about 90 mins of them today and you never know how long they're going to be, so you don't even know if you have time to wander off and do something else, or not.

I was losing the plot, in the end...

The festival is one of those things that, if you did it often enough and so, could virtually go on auto-pilot, it wouldn't be too bad.

The problem is that awkward, terminally boring, phase between it being new (and so, relatively enjoyable) and it being so familiar you can just switch off and think of something else entirely.

What I find odd is the way this game seems to want to waste your time, in general

If anything, there is too much repeatable content available in this game (not that I am complaining about that, exactly).

So, there is really no need to (further) waste people's time, at all.

The concern should be more about trying to make sure that sufficient people are doing all of it; as some of it isn't easily soloable.

Sylvermynx

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

Gosh there is ever so much to do in ESO that I only do the bits that I enjoy. I do enjoy the special events but only in moderation. Doing one or a few of Breda's quests most days is fun. More than that can feel grindy because repeating the same thing beyond where it is fun is sort of what grinding is. It does help to not care too much about rewards/achievements and, thankfully, most of them are not of great import to me.

Agreed! I decided today get the scroll on everyone, and get a level on everyone. And I'll still do maybe three quests daily on my main, at least until I have the 10 tickets for the last feather (5 more days). And then, I'm probably done.

kip_silverwolf

jwjackson5674 wrote: »

jrgray93 wrote: »

[*] Compete with other players for one of three wasp spawns while dozens of players are out to get them first.

You do realize that any wasp or wolf on the entire Island will give you the drops not just the ones in the circles

Mudcrabs as well will drop the meat. Head to Carved Hills Wayshrine & run down to the beach. Plenty of wasps, wolves & mudcrabs there. I've never had an issue finding them, even during prime time for NA.

Juhasow

lagrue wrote: »

I described the quests to my friend earlier and he couldn't believe I would even waste time on something like this:

1. You go to a spot and open three chests
2. You jump in water and stand beside fire
3. You kill a wasp and a wolve and then you eat them and throw a napkin on the ground.
4. You go to like 4 different inns in one zone to dance (use emote 4 times)
5. You go to like 4 places in one city and perform (use emote 4 times)
6. You run to 4 spots in under a minute
7. You deal with RNG fishing and have the hole constantly fished dry before you can pull a single fish
8. You throw mudballs at NPCs and other players stupidly throw them at you locking you into an animation for 5 seconds
9. You kill 5 bugs and compete with other players for spawns

yeah when you write them all out, in their simplest, you realize how crap these quests are... but of course I'm forced to repeat these day in and day out if I want a skin. Tbh they should have just let us buy the skin with Event Tickets. This whole RNG aspect of it makes it that much worse because you have to play these drivel quests over and over.

Umm..You are forced to do these quests ? You do realize those writs will cost under 20k each around event end so it will be ~200k to buy them from people and get the skin ? Getting 200k in ESO takes like 30 minutes so yeah You are definietly forced...

Lake

This is their best event so far.

tactx

They could've just sold the skin for gems. Obvious how well that would've went over.

driosketch

I don't know what it is. Yes, on a certain level the repetitiveness is dull and boring. But part of me enjoys doing things with other players. I make small games of it here or there, trying to see if I can trigger my animation at the same time as the player next to me. Checking out what kind of costumes players have put together while I stand there fishing, and showing off my own. (Seriously, all 15 characters this year.) And Skywatch wayshrine has become the new NPC line at the gate. I'll have an all out Mudball fight with everyone, all in good fun. I've also roll dodged through it and made it into the city without getting hit.

Maybe it's because I'm more solo type player, or because finding players available when you are for group content can be hard. During Witches' Festival I restarted guild normal trial runs to farm the new motif. DLC world bosses are tuff to solo. During Clockwork there was always people doing that content. (BTW, I got loot from the boss only healing, I've missed loot as a dps, and am honestly fine either way.) Undanted, helped me earn a bunch of new skill points.

So to each there own. I make gold farming events, but when it gets boring even I stop. (Only did MA like 4 times during Witches'.) Make your own entertainment, or do other stuff. The event will be there for those still getting something from it.

Maryal

I like it, and this is my 3rd New Life festival. The very first New Life Festival events were more fun, but that's because it was new. It was entertaining last year and it is still entertaining this year. That being said, I do think there are ways it could be tweeked that could bump-up the entertainment value for those who have previously participated in it.

Example:
One of the fun things about these types of events is getting motif pages ... but only if you don't already have that motif.
Do something 'different' for people who already have that event's motif. For those people, offer those folks a 'special item' to hold in their inventory ... when they have collected a complete set of the event motif pages, they click on their 'special item' which converts the motif pages (in their inventory) into an alternate version of the original motif. This alternate version would also count toward 'motif related' crafting achievements.