PvP.. What is the appeal?

GreenhaloX

I would just like to know from you all longtime PvPers on what is it that keeps you guys going and staying in PvP in Cyrodiil; what is it so appealing about PvP to you all? (and nevermind discussing about all the crapshoots that have been plaguing PvP for years now with no sense of PvP bugs ever getting fixed or patch anytime soon; and dammit, why the hell loading screen keeps popping up while we're in the middle of combat.. goodness) To me, I have been struggling to enjoy PvP going on 4 years now into this game. Hell, my one toon that I use for PvP has been stuck on the rank of Colonel for 3 years; which, I only go into PvP sporadically. Well, I'm going to take it into this Midyear Mayhem thing and probably make the next rank; but, that's probably it. I took a new stam toon in this current Mayhem and after getting the 6th rank of Assault and unlocking Caltrops, that is it for me for awhile; probably won't take another toon into it for another few days. I still need Vigor and Caltrops for another new stam toon.

I'm not hating on PvP. Apparently, it is appealing to a lot of peeps. There are plenty of peeps in the higher ranks General and above to Grand Overlord rolling around. However, it doesn't matter what ranks or title you are, everybody dies the same in one way, shape, or form in PvP. Ok, to each their own, I rarely drink alcoholic beverages, and I have tried wine several times, and to me wine and any other alcoholic beverages are an acquired taste. To me, it is just bitter and doesn't taste good. Thus, I have never acquired the taste for wine or whatnot. Comparatively, I view PvP as an acquired taste as wine and so on. Going on four years now into ESO, and I still haven't acquire the taste for PvP. To me, it is just too damn repetitive, going sacking keeps, outposts, whatever and losing same and having to re-attack over and over again. All the while, you're killing other players and getting killed, smashing zergs and getting trampled by zergs all the same over and over again. Ok, sure, PvE is repetitive as well, but not as much as PvP. PvP is just so repetitive consecutively and continuously; this is what is not so enjoyable or appealing to me.

I'm not looking for a "maybe you should do this, do that.." No, the several years I have been in this game, I already known what I should do and shouldn't do. This is also not a rant or hating on PvP. This is me still trying to understand what the heck is so appealing about PvP for many peeps who enjoy it. Maybe you all can somehow influence me or change my view of PvP; maybe not.. Anyways, keep this civil, please..

Neoauspex

Winning.

Katahdin

I find playing the map and fighting other players over keeps to be fun.

It's fun to do it in a well coordinated guild group.

technohic

Well; the paths and where the fights will wind up are repetitive, but the fighting can be dynamic at least where in PvE, the NPCs tend to do the same abilities. Running in a small to mid group is also fun for the conversation between. Full raids can get boring as there winds up being too many voices and weirdness.

Brrrofski

What else is there to do after like 3 years of playing?

I've done all the content, get more gear than I'll ever need and have millions in the bank. There's nothing left to do. So when I do hop on ESO, I just PvP with my guild.

Reverb

Because unlike the scripted encounters and predictable AI in pve, you never know what will happen.

Defilted

Winning against a person is different than winning against a learned mechanic. One is not better than the other IMO. I just find the former more enjoyable once I do win. The latter is fun as well but it is not the same when I win.

Beating VMA for the first time was cool
Winning against the first grand master in PVP(1 on 1) was way better. Took me way longer to develop those skills as well.

hope that is slightly helpful..

Turelus

Katahdin wrote: »

I find playing the map and fighting other players over keeps to be fun.

It's fun to do it in a well coordinated guild group.

This is what mostly kept me in it for years.

TequilaFire

Have more fun with guild mates in PvP than anywhere else.

randomkeyhits

Teamwork (usually guild group), being able to make a difference by strategic actions, plus I always find using siege weapons fun.

Then there is that evergreen aspect of PvP, the uncertainty. Each and every conflict is potentially very different making it new every time.

Demra

The unpredictability. In pve you learn the mechanics and can expect the exact same fight from mobs every single time because they are coded this way. In pvp you fight people who can always surprise you even after 4 years. Thus winning against such a chaotic force feels much more satisfying. Also killing a mob feels like stopping an object from moving. Killing a person on the other hand...

O_LYKOS

The community and zone chat.

Kagukan

Smash button...Kill stuff

Veuth

PvP would be a lot better if there was less lag, quicker loading screens and some class/ability adjustments. Some of the siege battles can be quite fun though, especially when grouped up with people. Sadly PvP isn't really worth (atleast for me) investing lots of time in because of how frustratingly poorly designed it can be and the fact that if you're not CP-900+ then you'll only tickle your enemies rather than do actual damage.

xxthir13enxx

Masochism

GreenhaloX

Brrrofski wrote: »

What else is there to do after like 3 years of playing?

I've done all the content, get more gear than I'll ever need and have millions in the bank. There's nothing left to do. So when I do hop on ESO, I just PvP with my guild.

Yeah, I hear ya. PvE does get repetitive as well. Yeah, aside from the periodic scheduled releases of new DLCs and chapters, you've pretty much tapped out on trials, dailies and dungeons if you've been at the game for a year and more. For me, it's just having to delete toons over and over again to make rooms for new ones to be created. Creating new toons and leveling it up and trying out different skillsets and builds have kept me with ESO all the years so far. Having 15 toons on each server do help a bit. However, I'm still trying to find an enjoyable experience with PvP (while ignoring all the banters that are brewing about. Ha ha)

Mayrael

Fighting is pleasant. But fights in Cyro are unpredictable, you never know how many enemies you will encounter, how good they will be etc. This is what makes them so fun, you never know what you will have to do. Using surroundings, LoS and other tricks takes fighting to the next level, where it's not only your build vs theirs, but also your situational awareness, your cunning and sense of fighting.

TLDR;
Each day in Cyro is different and teaches you something new, even after playing ESO for over 4 years there are still things I can improve.

zaria

Katahdin wrote: »

I find playing the map and fighting other players over keeps to be fun.

It's fun to do it in a well coordinated guild group.

Yes, its also fun because its so unpredictable.

Has had some very weird stuff happening like solo defending an dominion keep while DC and EP fought each other on the outer wall and inside. Some repaired the other walls so one side tried to break the door from inside.
no you don't see stuff like that often

Groups can do even weirder stuff

yodased

There is something inherently exciting about fighting another player.

I think its more about knowing that their is another brain making choices to counter you that increases the conflict. It isnt just ESO though, playing chess or poker or blackjack against a computer is fine and good practice, but the adrenaline and cortisol isnt anywhere near the same.

That increased heart rate, pulse quickening, pupils dialating experience doesnt really happen while you are in the middle of a difficult pve battle. The enjoyment of extreme pve comes from the completion, not the activity itself.

Against another player, the randomness and unpredictability brings all the things you feel after pve and brings it to the fight itself.

People also find repedative activites boring, but i like them and getting better at them

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

I think it's an epeen thing for a lot of players.

Robo_Hobo

Never been much one for PvP, especially in Cyrodiil, but I do find some of the non-deathmatch battleground modes to be a bit fun when I'm leveling up a new stamina character to get Caltrops. Feels like I have an actual impact on the outcome. Sometimes lose, sometimes win, but I guess it is under level 50 battlegrounds though so I'm probably up against a lot of newer players - I guess that's the appropriate opponents for an evenly matched battle with me when it comes to PvP though

Aurielle

Reverb wrote: »

Because unlike the scripted encounters and predictable AI in pve, you never know what will happen.

This. PVE becomes boring when you’re doing the same thing over and over again. Everything is predictable, except when new content drops. PVP is generally unpredictable. It’s only becoming predictable in BGs, thanks to the inane MMR and premades (dear ZOS: please eliminate the MMR and separate solo/premade queues).

LonePirate

Players are tougher to kill than a typical PVE mob so there is a challenge there. Plus, you never know what to expect whereas PVE mobs are highly predictable given how they are scripted.

BaylorCorvette

Demra wrote: »

The unpredictability. In pve you learn the mechanics and can expect the exact same fight from mobs every single time because they are coded this way. In pvp you fight people who can always surprise you even after 4 years. Thus winning against such a chaotic force feels much more satisfying. Also killing a mob feels like stopping an object from moving. Killing a person on the other hand...

This. Sure PvE may have some unpredictability, but in comparison to PvP its nothing. For me, I play online games for the PvP element, if I didn't want the unpredictable combat and strategy implementation of PvP I'd play single player games.

ezio45

honestly I think its a unique and fun type of pvp. I dont really see cyro as about killing other players. Its about the map, fighting for your alliance. siege keeps and defending them.

I like battlefield for a similar reason. It feels like your participating is a war, fighting for your cause/country/kingdom but cyro takes that to a new lvl. Makes pvp more than just how many players you can kill. Dont get me wrong, the large battles are a big draw but even that goes into the idea and feel that your in a medieval fantasy war zone with large armies fighting for control. Being great on your siege game is just as important as being able to slaughter a zerg. Coordinating with other zergs and playing the map smart is a great feeling too

Pink_E_808

I was terrible at PvP when I first went in, didn't even have zone text chat enabled. I died a whole lot. But it was some of the most fun I'd had in the game, so I stuck with it, learned a lot of new things and have improved greatly. It's been about a year and a half since I started going to Cyro pretty regularly as a mostly solo player and I just made Prefect a few days ago on my main, which I'm super proud of because she wasn't built with PvP in mind (I had zero clue about builds when I first started as this is the first MMO I've ever played, so she's a High Elf DK). I don't really have the time to learn mechanics for group dungeons and other PvE aspects of the game, so going to Cyrodiil keeps it fun for me, even despite some of the issues like lag and long load screens.

CompM4s

Basically comes down to the excitement from strategy and competing against other players.

validifyedneb18_ESO

Content that is always hard and always interesting because you're playing against players who have access to the exact same tools as you and can react intelligently to what you're doing.

Edit: ok hard was a stretch considering... lets call it "interesting"

jircris11

Pvp can be loads odd fun. But it also breeds TONS of nerf threads. Over the life of mmos players stopped trying to figure out counter builds and opted for the more cookie cutter pre made ones (not that the is much wrong with our) but having a bunch of ppl run the same build causes others to feel it's over powered. If players would simply go from "nerf this because it killed me" to "how can I beat this? Let me find out" then games in general would be better off. I mean look at destiny 1 it was almost ruined due to pvp nerfs to the point the weapons and skills did little in pve. It's been this way for as years, gw2,wow,lotro and eso just to name a few. As gamers we need to start thinking out side the box, and stop caring so much about this unobtainable "balance" in classes. One will always outshine another at certain ranges.

Rain_Greyraven

Being able to whine that you lag and disconnect all the time.....

Never mind that your'e playing on a PS4, using a 2G wireless connection, which is sorta like asking your Volkswagen Golf to break orbit.

Bruccius

When I PvP, I PvP for the group enviroment. Working together with friends to take over forts and such is really refreshing from just talking to NPCs.

It would appear too many PvP players play it just to show ''How good they are at PvP'', while ganking everyone on the road. A pity, but a reality nonetheless.