ESO not very single player friendy

vamp_emily

I play alone all the time, never group in PvP and now AW level 37. It might take me another 5 years to get to level 50 AW because I'm beginning to play the game less.

If I was the OP I would join a few active dungeon guilds to get group content done. You will be surprised how fast you can complete all group content playing in an active dungeon guild. Also another nice thing about dungeon guilds is many will give/trade armor that you may be looking for and they help you get things you need.

If there is a group dungeon I want to do I just que for it and do other things until a group is formed. If I really want to get in a group dungeon fast I just switch over to a healer or tank.

Group finder tool isn't really that bad unless you are looking for stuff in a DLC Vet dungeon.. that can be a bit painful because you will get people leaving the group as soon as they die or get tired of dying.

mairwen85

TheShadowScout wrote: »

(...and the rest of those Solo Play comix!)

Thanks for sharing these! Having a read though them now; addicted...

Casdha

I solo 99% of the time, but that is what I want to do. I don't play meta builds and I can do several of the Group Dungeons (on Normal). There is usually at least one of the pledges I can do a day. It's funny, the one thing I can't seem to do has to be done solo and that is VMA but that is skill not gear.

Group Dungeons and Trials are the only things in this game that can't be done solo. If you go to Cyrodiil just make sure you have a fast ride for when you get killed, its not like the old days where your game was over if you died, and/or you don't loose your stuff if you do. And Battle Grounds can most definitely be done solo, that is why I like them so much.

idk

First, I am in my 50's so not sure what OP means by being an older players. MMORPGs are very much about finding a group to run with.

Search for an active social guild and that might take kissing some frogs before finding the one that is truly active. There are a lot of poorly run guilds with lazy leadership that think just because they have a large roster (or players that never do anything with them, that they are successful.

Active meaning many activities (which includes random dungeons) lead by the leadership and by rank and file. If you do see people trying to put together dungeon runs and succeeding it might be a good guild.

Also, there some single player stuff in the game, but again, this is an MMORPG, not a single player game and this drives the focus of content.

All this takes some effort. I am still in contact with people I gamed with over a decade ago. There are a lot of good people who game.

Olauron

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

Myrkgrav

Playing ESO alone is... so easy? Sure PUGs in dungeons can be irritating if you get a bad mixup or a rager, but this game is 2ez unless you're doing like the upper tier veteran content. I was breezing through everything til I hit 300CP and unlocked those dungeons. I suspect after I learn the mechanics and up my CP some more, it'll be easy once again. The bigger stuff or achievement hunting, it behooves to join a large guild. Lots of people eager to help usually.

Tan9oSuccka

Which platform are you on, brother?

I’ll help. I run friends though Skyreach often.

PS4 NA here.

idk

Olauron wrote: »

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

That does not change the fact it is an MMORPG and the advice for branching out some of us have suggested is very sound. There is a vested interest for MMORPGs to get people grouping since we get more enjoyment from running with others and developing relationships because we tend to play longer and more often.

Trinity_Is_My_Name

Well, old is relative to me. I'm really old in Earth years but the game keeps me going.

Anyway, I spend a ton of time solo for the same reasons you mentioned. Usually those I know in game are younger and working during the day and only get on at night and sometimes on weekends.

So, I get all my crafting done and exploration and Skyshard collecting and now of course do the event on as many characters as I can for all the loot.

For Undaunted dungeons I either use the Group Finder or just solo the dungeons in Normal mode until my Guildies and Friends are online.

With Elsweyr the Guilds will be able to post themselves for others to see and ask to join. I am looking forward to that. My Guild is fairly small and we look for others that want to do the tough content.

Ask in Zone Chat about joining a Guild. You will probably join quite a few and leave quite a few before settling on one or two that feel right for you. I'm only in three Guilds now after five years and we run all the dungeons in Vet. Lot of fun.

Suddwrath

Just to echo what others have said: ESO is an MMORPG. The entire genre is built around multiplayer.

However, in my experience ESO is one of the most solo player friendly MMO's. In fact, the majority of the content in the game is solo player friendly. The only things which can't be played solo are veteran dungeons and trials.

redlink1979

1st) you really need to remember that ESO is a MMO...
2nd) find an active guild and not a guild with casual players.

If you are on PS4 EU, I will send you an invite to an active guild

Olauron

idk wrote: »

Olauron wrote: »

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

That does not change the fact it is an MMORPG and the advice for branching out some of us have suggested is very sound. There is a vested interest for MMORPGs to get people grouping since we get more enjoyment from running with others and developing relationships because we tend to play longer and more often.

And it doesn't change the fact it is advertised as a single-player game (why would you want to play it? because you can do it alone) as well (as a primary reason!).

Wildberryjack

I'm 55 and play very, very casually and honestly I don't think single player quests should give as good rewards as group content. Harder content has to be more rewarding or why do it? Why bother having it in the game at all? Join a guild that does runs of various content for achieves and gear. I'm in five guilds and three do this every single week. Also, most times if you ask in guild chat you can find enough who want to run a certain dungeon for whatever reason, and guildies are not so likely to boot you for low DPS either.

DaveMoeDee

Androconium wrote: »

I'm old. Like over 40 old. I just dont do that ***.

I'm upper 40s but I enjoy dungeons and trials. And base game vet dungeons don't require much skill or dexterity at all.

Regarding OP, what do you need monster gear for anyway if you aren't doing group content? Maelstrom is the only single player content that needs good builds. And if someone can do vMA, I would imagine they wouldn't have problems with vet dungeons.

Olauron wrote: »

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

Sure, but you can't expect to do group content. The point there is that there is a ton of interesting solo content. An MMO is always going to have some group content.

kathandira

Olauron wrote: »

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

Yes, lets read it shall we?

In ESO, there are many challenges and activities you can experience with your friends or fellow players, but if you prefer to play alone, there’s a ton of amazing solo adventures waiting for you, too. As a solo adventurer in ESO, you can take on exciting and captivating quests throughout the game, and almost every zone in ESO, including the main story from the base game and each Chapter, can be explored alone, giving you the freedom to see and experience Tamriel at your own pace.

If you want to challenge yourself, the Maelstrom Arena in Orsinium is the perfect test for the single adventurer, providing nine tricky stages and extremely tough boss fights for you to battle your way through. Don’t worry, the rewards for such a challenge reflect the task, since Maelstrom Weapons are some of the best in the game! Sometimes it pays to go it alone.

So questing, and Maelstrom. That is it. Anything else, "there are many challenges and activities you can experience with your friends or fellow players"

AlnilamE

There are perfectly viable builds that can be made with crafted/dropped gear.

When looking at dropped gear, colour is not important, the trait is. You can improve the colour of items far more easily than you can change traits.

Investing into crafting research and leveling on one of your characters is a good idea.

Having a character that is a healer or a tank will make finding groups via the group finder a lot easier.

As for Monster sets, remember to check the Golden vendor in Cyrodiil every weekend. She has 2 monster pieces for sale every week, in all three weights, so you may be able to get what you need with a bit of patience without setting foot into a veteran dungeon.

Wildberryjack

DaveMoeDee wrote: »

Regarding OP, what do you need monster gear for anyway if you aren't doing group content? Maelstrom is the only single player content that needs good builds..

Speaking of, I tried Maelstrom for the first time the other night and made it to the boss with the spider adds. I got stopped cold there, the poison damage took me down every time. I am in Necro and crafted gear, nothing from dungeons, and have an unconventional build. My DPS is not all that great but still I made it through, I think 4 (5?) bosses it was, before that one. I want the weapon, so, I decided to look up guides cause I want to learn to play better to get better gear and weapons and all those sweet skins and such from Veteran content! I don't see it as a roadblock, it's a challenge!

Jeremy

twilightwarrick wrote: »

Him mm yes well I'm a bit fed up, as an older player, I don't really know many people playing and the few I do are usually offline, lately,
been trying to do a couple of undaunted missions to get some monster gear sets, well its almost impossible on my own,
and thinking about it most things in this game seen geared towards group play ,Alliance wars , Battlegrounds, dungeons undaunted.
really the only thing you can do as a single player are basic story missions, and the rewards are crap, I don't know,
I can join a group finder , but its usually not the missions I want to do, and if I post , nobody seems to do my quests, feel like its just a waste of time lately.
any advice would be welcome as how to solo some of these missions, I'm cp 290 night blade thanks

Most of this game you can easily solo.

The few things that are difficult to solo, like Veteran Group Content (which is what you are talking about here) can be accessed via the Activity Finder. So I'm not sure what is giving you problems here. Outside of trials and arenas - this is not a game that requires a large circle of friends or membership to a guild to reasonably access content.

If no one seems to be wanting to do your undaunted quest, all I can guess is maybe you have an older one active. Try abandoning your current undaunted quest and picking up the current one (they change every day). Maybe that will help.

AlnilamE

Wildberryjack wrote: »

DaveMoeDee wrote: »

Regarding OP, what do you need monster gear for anyway if you aren't doing group content? Maelstrom is the only single player content that needs good builds..

Speaking of, I tried Maelstrom for the first time the other night and made it to the boss with the spider adds. I got stopped cold there, the poison damage took me down every time. I am in Necro and crafted gear, nothing from dungeons, and have an unconventional build. My DPS is not all that great but still I made it through, I think 4 (5?) bosses it was, before that one. I want the weapon, so, I decided to look up guides cause I want to learn to play better to get better gear and weapons and all those sweet skins and such from Veteran content! I don't see it as a roadblock, it's a challenge!

If that's round 6 (Spiral of Shadows), are you using the pylons to stun the adds/boss?

idk

Olauron wrote: »

idk wrote: »

Olauron wrote: »

To all those people who say "But this is MMORPG" I'd like to remind about the recent article. "You Can Go It Alone" is number one reason to play ESO.

That does not change the fact it is an MMORPG and the advice for branching out some of us have suggested is very sound. There is a vested interest for MMORPGs to get people grouping since we get more enjoyment from running with others and developing relationships because we tend to play longer and more often.

And it doesn't change the fact it is advertised as a single-player game (why would you want to play it? because you can do it alone) as well (as a primary reason!).

You still have not said anything that makes our comments about grouping in an MMORPG wrong. Not sure what your point is unless it is just to be argumentative.

Wildberryjack

AlnilamE wrote: »

Wildberryjack wrote: »

DaveMoeDee wrote: »

Regarding OP, what do you need monster gear for anyway if you aren't doing group content? Maelstrom is the only single player content that needs good builds..

Speaking of, I tried Maelstrom for the first time the other night and made it to the boss with the spider adds. I got stopped cold there, the poison damage took me down every time. I am in Necro and crafted gear, nothing from dungeons, and have an unconventional build. My DPS is not all that great but still I made it through, I think 4 (5?) bosses it was, before that one. I want the weapon, so, I decided to look up guides cause I want to learn to play better to get better gear and weapons and all those sweet skins and such from Veteran content! I don't see it as a roadblock, it's a challenge!

If that's round 6 (Spiral of Shadows), are you using the pylons to stun the adds/boss?

Nope, I have no clue what the frack I'm doing in there LOL. I'd never been in, never looked up a guide. I hopped in on a whim to see if I could handle it. I believe I can if I just know what to do so I'm looking at guides now and will try again maybe this weekend. Editing to add: I wondered what those pylons were for LOL. Jeez me stupid, could never interact with them when I tried so I just ignored them from that point on.

I'm on an Altmer Vamp MagSorc and may need to alter my build a bit, it is as I said rather unconventional so I'm not getting the DPS I need, it's taking too long to kill things IMO. It works great for overland content and delves but not so much for MA apparently so I'm looking at skill guides now too. I'm going to beat the MA, gonna happen, determined!

Jeremy

twilightwarrick wrote: »

Tabris93 wrote: »

I play solo 99% of the time and have played on and off since launch. I have very little interest in group content like dungeons. I have to say, I don't agree with ESO not being solo-friendly as I am greatly enjoying myself.

- I create at least one char for each alliance to work through the alliance missions
- I create at least one char of each class to experience the classes (and crafting vocations)
- I do the guild questlines with appropriate characters (my mage having finished Mages Guild, my thief Thieves Guild etc)
- I explore for soul shards, discovering areas for xp and crafting mats
- I do bosses, dungeons and dolmens when I see other players are there (more or less the only time I play with other people)
- I craft, explore, quest and steal to get items to sell in guild store
- I join events when I feel like it

There are tons to do! I have just finished Thieves Guild with one char and am in the middle of DB with the same. I haven't finished Summerset with my mage yet, and haven't even started on Mirkmire nor created any char with Warden class. And soon Elsweyr is out, which my Khajiit is eagerly waiting for. Tons to do!

Yes you're correct there are heaps of things to do as a solo player, problem is the rewards are SO terrible, honestly the only way to get decent rewards seems to be in group play, I wish they would even up the drops a bit, I have managed to solo a few world bosses, not easy ,and very time consuming, , and the usual drop a green pair of boots, or gloves great,
sure back a while ago the world rewards were better, often get purple rewards, from anchors, not any more it would seem.

There is a lot of good gear you can acquire solo. Crafted sets (Twice Born Star, Hunding's Rage etc.) are respectable - as are a lot of the overland sets (Plague Doctor, Mother's Sorrow etc.). So you are incorrect to think there isn't good gear available to you solo. There is. And most of it can be purchased cheaply from guild traders for convenience.

You also seem to be too preoccupied with the color of the gear that drops. Green gloves can be upgraded to legendary via crafting, all of which can be done solo.

Malprave

I’m 53. Basically the same age as you. Our generation invented these games. Don’t act like your ninety. Get in there and do the things you want to do. There are plenty of people our age playing the game and playing it well.

StormeReigns

Not sure I would agree with the OP. Sure I'm not 40 yet, but I do have a collection of medical issues, two disabilities and a large cocktail of medications that make most 70year olds feel better and younger then how I feel on a good day.

I have little issues soloing and completing group content. Given my limited time due to work, family and doctor appointments I do.

Honestly sounds more personal versus the game. Sound ikes a lack of motivation.

Ilsabet

Do you enjoy the questing and story content in the game, or are you solely focused on farming gear? If it's the former, then it doesn't really matter what decon fodder the NPC gives you after you save the day for them. It's very easy to do story content solo, and hopefully you find the experience enjoyable and worthwhile. And there's a huuuuge amount of it to go through, so if you enjoy it then it'll be a long time before you run out of stuff to do.

If you lean more toward the acquisition side of finding gameplay rewarding, then consider what you can farm solo and what kind of gear you actually need to do the kind of content you want to do. As others have pointed out, you don't really need meta trial and dungeon gear to do easier content. There are good overland and crafted sets that will set you up for overland content and will also get you through normal group dungeons and trials if you feel like you're ready to get some experience with those. Consider hunting down treasure chests for overland gear if you have trouble with world bosses or dungeon bosses. Or find a money-making activity you enjoy and save up to buy gear from guild traders. And definitely get going on crafting if you want to be self-sufficient.

A lot depends on what you want to do and what you enjoy. But as a general statement, considering the wealth of content in the game, there's way more stuff that a player can do solo than stuff that requires a group.

Jamdarius

twilightwarrick wrote: »

Him mm yes well I'm a bit fed up, as an older player, I don't really know many people playing and the few I do are usually offline, lately,
been trying to do a couple of undaunted missions to get some monster gear sets, well its almost impossible on my own,
and thinking about it most things in this game seen geared towards group play ,Alliance wars , Battlegrounds, dungeons undaunted.
really the only thing you can do as a single player are basic story missions, and the rewards are crap, I don't know,
I can join a group finder , but its usually not the missions I want to do, and if I post , nobody seems to do my quests, feel like its just a waste of time lately.
any advice would be welcome as how to solo some of these missions, I'm cp 290 night blade thanks

Well you can always wait for the monster helmet to appear at Golden Vendor, same for shoulder.

Olauron

idk wrote: »

You still have not said anything that makes our comments about grouping in an MMORPG wrong. Not sure what your point is unless it is just to be argumentative.

My point is that simple "this is an MMORPG" is not an answer. MMO means it allows grouping, not requires grouping. It is even more so if solo play is advertised to encourage single-player gamers to play a game.

That being said, I think that ESO is pretty solid from the single-player perspective, as only dungeon and trial quests require grouping. It is not ideal, it has room for improvement, but it is already in rather good state.

Wavek

twilightwarrick wrote: »

Him mm yes well I'm a bit fed up, as an older player, I don't really know many people playing and the few I do are usually offline, lately,
been trying to do a couple of undaunted missions to get some monster gear sets, well its almost impossible on my own,
and thinking about it most things in this game seen geared towards group play ,Alliance wars , Battlegrounds, dungeons undaunted.
really the only thing you can do as a single player are basic story missions, and the rewards are crap, I don't know,
I can join a group finder , but its usually not the missions I want to do, and if I post , nobody seems to do my quests, feel like its just a waste of time lately.
any advice would be welcome as how to solo some of these missions, I'm cp 290 night blade thanks

Undaunted quests and Monster sets are not for single player, they are for groups. The vast majority of the content in ESO is for solo and you need not ever set foot in a group dungeon to do any of it.

Zacuel

I'm not against solo players. I just still don't understand why solo players prefer the MMO over something like Skyrim.

A solo game provides a better solo experience, right?

WeylandLabs

I think what the OP means is, you shouldn't have to play politics to advance at the game.