An idea for 'Bound weapons' and Arena weapons

richo262 · May 2019

With the up coming Wrothgar event I am left scratching my head as to why I'd want to go back into vMA. I have all I need, double drops is really just double decon. Style pages is all it is. It got me thinking that if it was possible to collect all vMA weapons (and Arena weapons generally) in an armory like system, I'd be back in there in a flash.

Elderscrolls games have always had the ability to Summon Bound Weapons. Bound to what?

What if, the Maelstrom, Dragonstar, Assylum and Blackrose all had a Bound armory, where, when you get a weapon you can put it in the bound armory. To be summoned later.

How it would work is, when you collect a weapon, you have the option to keep it on your character (just like how it operates today) or alternative, if you want to farm them all, place it in the armory (you lose it) but it unlocks it account wide to be summoned by anybody. It essentially becomes a collectible, but you wont want to do this unless you have a few of them. There is a timer on the weapon, so if one character on your account summons it, it will take 24 hours before another character can summon it.

The goal isn't to collect 5 Infused vMA bows, it is to collect the vMA bow in all traits.

1 trait - 1 Character on your account can summon the bow (with that trait) without invoking the 24 hour timer.
2 traits - 1 Character on your account can summon the bow (with either trait) without invoking the 24 hour timer.
3 traits - 2 Characters on your account can summon the bow (with any of the 3 traits) without invoking the 24 hour timer.
4 traits - 2 Characters, any 4 traits
5 traits - 2 characters, any 5 traits
6 traits - 3 characters, any 6 traits
7 traits - 3 characters, any 7 traits
8 traits - 3 characters, any 8 traits
9 traits - Timer is removed, any character can summon the bow at any time with no penalty, can choose any trait.

As it stands, my vMA farming is done, my Mag dps's all have vMA Destro staves, my Stamdps all have vMA bows, cept my WW. I did it all in about 15 runs. Never went back. Anything else looted in there is just storage space I don't have. If I could rack them up, I'd be back in there in a flash, might even go into vMA just to unlock traits. That is 9 traits, per item that drops, there is a great deal more farming to do if they implemented this.

After all, at least vMA and vDSA, they are daedric weapons, it makes sense to summon them given that is what the spell is all about.

Could also have it so that if all 9 traits are unlocked, it doesnt drop again improving the drop rates of the other items.

If you collect EVERYTHING and you run it, instead of dropping a weapon, it drops 3 nirn traits, the three could be either pot, fort, or a mixture. 30 minute run of vMA / 30 minutes of farming craglorn.

david_m_18b16_ESO · May 2019

Nop

richo262 · May 2019

I doubt you have a vMA weapon at cp250.

However, it does not effect those that have a weapon they can keep it on their character as is, it is for those that want to keep running vMA and actually want to do more than just decon their findings, providing incentives to go back there.

TheShadowScout · May 2019

richo262 wrote: »

Elderscrolls games have always had the ability to Summon Bound Weapons...

...and so does ESO.
You can summon a bound lava whip as DK, or bound red daggers and bow as nightblade, bound armor as sorceror or bound spears as templar... for one blow only, or course. Clearly the spells need some more refinement before we get to the stage of the other elder scrolls games set eight centuries in the future from an ESO perspective...

Also, remember how that works back there? Those "bound weapons" in the elder scrolls series are... magicked up melee weapons that have no enchantments, no set bonus and are of white quality (though usually of decent material).
Would you-really- want to fight with that???

What I -would- like to see is the option of using a "magicked up weapon" as an -outfit- cosmetic feature!
Like: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/443041/bound-weapons-motif

richo262 · May 2019

They are more spells than 'bound weapons' under EScrolls standards.

Bound Armaments was the closest thing to summoning a daedric weapon until it was changed a while back.

Bound weapons were not 'white grade' they were bound to your skill line and the spell and until late game did quite well. Bound weapons, the lore, from my understanding is you are summoning a weapon that is bound to a daedric realm. Given vMA and vDSA (who knows, but it organised by daedra) weapons are found in daedric realms, it would be really cool if you earn those weapons in the daedric realm to be summoned in the nirn realm.

It also means, people storing vMA weapons on mules / chests / banks actually have somewhere to store them. It also means, those that have acquired everything they require from vMA have a reason to go back in. It also means that those that have no desire to run vBRP because the problem of the weapons not being particularly enticing vs the bank space to store it is no longer present.

I know of many, myself included, that don't run vDSA, vMA and vBRP because they are either not greatly interested in the drops, or they have what they need and thats that. I'd run that content much more if there was an armory in each Arena.

Artim_X · May 2019

You do realize you can enchant these now? I rather ZOS not waste time on unnecessary coding.

Did you unlock all the storage chests and do a bit of spring cleaning with your bank inventory? If you didn't you still have plenty of space for items. Also transmutation gives us the freedom to not have to collect every trait.

The first two arenas mentioned are specifically associated with daedra, but the weapons aren't.

richo262 · May 2019

Artim_X wrote: »

You do realize you can enchant these now? I rather ZOS not waste time on unnecessary coding.

Did you unlock all the storage chests and do a bit of spring cleaning with your bank inventory? If you didn't you still have plenty of space for items. Also transmutation gives us the freedom to not have to collect every trait.

The first two arenas mentioned are specifically associated with daedra, but the weapons aren't.

Yes, I'm aware you can enchant them. Yes I am aware of transmuting. Yes, I have every chest. Yes, I have every weapon I need. I fail to see what that has to do with anything I've raised.

I don't have any weapons in the bank, I either use them or decon them. What I'm lacking is any incentive whatsoever to do vMA ever again. I used to hold onto the ones not in use in the hopes ZOS would actually give me somewhere to put them. I just don't run the content unless there is an item I actually want. Which for all the Arenas now, that is nothing. I have actually never run BRP, not even on normal. I'll also have no desire to run the next Arena unless the weapons are better than vMA weapons. Even then, they'd have to be alot better to inspire me to decon my vMA weapons in favor of them.

starkerealm · May 2019

Well, this is the worst idea I've read today.

EDIT: To be clear, the idea of binding items into your account, sort of like Destiny 2's armory isn't terrible on its face. But that progression scheme? Especially when you can already move the bow between characters and retrait it with gems anyway. No thanks.

"You know what's better than having to farm vMA for a certain weapon? Needing to farm for it nine times with sharply diminishing odds with each success? On top of the Nirnhoned drop being a unicorn which may not exist in the first place?" Yikes.

richo262 · May 2019

The progression scheme of this is far greater than the one that is presented today.

Todays progression - Do 10 - 15 runs, get what you need, never see the place ever again.

If this was implemented, you can either do it just how it is today, OR keep farming and racking up vMA weapons. I'd do 100 runs if that was the case. The progression system is about reducing the cool down timer by getting all 9 traits. I would expect many would transmute to fill the illusive nirnhoned (I have one of them, vMA lightning staff and vMA bow and vMA sword) slot.

Edit: Protip, if you were playing smart, you wouldn't actually cash in your weapons if you need them. If you had 4 stamdps, you'd put 4 bows on them, then cash in the next 5 bows you find, then cash in the 4 you have on your stamdps, boom, all 9 traits unlocked. The system I am proposing is designed for players that are farming beyond their needs that are in it for the collectibles, this would have no negative consequence on those that just want to farm, in and out. It would provide an incentive for those that want to run vMA beyond what their present characters require. It is also for those that might farming a certain item but are finding other items that they don't necessarily want but can't bring themselves to decon it.

I'm not advocating changing how it operates today, people would still be able to do that. Those that can barely complete it can still physically take the weapon out with them. I'm saying, having a 'collectible' or 'unlocking' system would be something that would draw in many to keep tackling vMA.

ZOS is happy to dump 1000's of Prophet motifs as collectibles, they know people will chase after them.

I think if the Arenas had a collectible system, that would result in more vMA playtime. Eventually people will collect them all, that is true, but they'd get more vMA playtime collecting than they presently do by getting what they want and then shutting the door on the place.

Furthermore, if a player collects everything there is to collect, they should get some nirn traits (whether pot or fort is up to RNG, also it should be paired to average run time vs farm time in crag, ie if the average run is 40 minutes, and the average 40 minute crag farm drops 3 nirn traits, that should be it). So there is always a reward for going there.

Forget the whole 'bound' thing if that is over complicating it. Just a simple armory system. I just chose the bound item concept given the weapon isn't being drawn from a bank, but your collectibles tab.

richo262 · May 2019

@starkerealm "You know what's better than having to farm vMA for a certain weapon? Needing to farm for it nine times with sharply diminishing odds with each success? On top of the Nirnhoned drop being a unicorn which may not exist in the first place?" Yikes.

You wouldn't NEED to do anything, you can, if you have the weapon you want, just leave it as is. The present system stays intact. Nothing changes. Re-read what I have said, I am saying, an additionally layer, should you choose, to give incentive to those that wish, to keep farming vMA, and actually get rewarded for it, that they can rack up their weapons, and collect the traits should they wish.