Even surveys are a grind in this game...

Rittings

Nestor wrote: »

Basically, you have to move to the next cell for the Survey to respawn.

I think what is making this worse, is that the next "cell" at the moment is quite often incurring a load screen.... and the invisible enemies are making it tough to navigate the map (especially since my khajiit nightblade is built for speed and sneaking, and not combat).

Tai-Chi

Nestor wrote: »

Tai-Chi wrote: »

The real problem with Crafting Surveys (IMO) is not the number of different locations but the time it takes for a vast number of them to re-spawn. One should not have to 'ride out' for miles and back again, or re-zone to find the next batch waiting to be gathered.

Basically, you have to move to the next cell for the Survey to respawn. That is not that far away. Rule of Thumb, ride far enough that you can't see the survey location anymore, then turn back. Heck, there is one one in Wrothgar, where you only have to circle around the Wayshrine that is right next to the Survey location for it to respawn. If you find yourself riding a greater distance, try going in a different direction. The cell barrier to the North might be closer than the one to the South or East for instance.

I am well aware that one has to move to the next "Cell" and back, Nestor. I have been doing it for 4.5 years - in every direction - and probably know all the Survey locations off by heart.

Yes, it works just fine for most of them but the point I was making is that there are still too many where the next "Cell", as you call it, is either a long way away or it is inconveniently located, eg, across a stretch of water. These are the ones that need to be fixed.

The other point I made was to say it is more profitable to collect surveys in batches (from a particular location) rather than to collect just 1 from there. This was in answer to those who said they do them singly.

With a little thought and planning, one can make the task not feel like a grind but an adventure or an outing.

Clothier Survey Craglorn 1 and Woodwork Survey Craglorn 3 are conveniently placed near by. Why not do them together?

- Collect Cloth 1
- Go clockwise around the Anka-Ra's Mettle WB hill (harvesting along the way)
- Collect Wood 3 (kill or avoid Goblins)
- Continue clockwise to Cloth 1 (harvesting), by which time it has spawned.
- If the WB comes up, join in the fun if you wish.
- Rinse and repeat.

Pick up the Fighters' Guild Daylies and do a batch of Surveys located near the Dolmen(s). By the time one has finished the surveys, the Dolmen(s) will be done as well. It does not matter if one does the same Dolmen a couple of times or 3 different ones. Hand in for rewards, gain FG experience & points towards Achievements. Have lots of new mats and stuff to either decon or sell.

Nothing need be a grind in ESO, unless one makes it so.

xaraan

Maybe they will offer a pay for convenience service in the crown store soon where you can just pay to have all your surveys harvested at once to skip the grind.

TheImperfect

I think personally that they need to be made easier to collect. The maps are really hard to find, they could almost be anywhere. It takes ages to locate them and being all in different zones is very hard work to collect all of them.

Alinhbo_Tyaka

I think surveys are just fine though I would like to see higher drop rates. For me they never really get stacked up as I used those and treasure map as fillers while I await Group Finder. I will also keep them handy for when I run dailies as they frequently will take me to zones I also have a survey or map for. The key is to not let them build up.

Hotdog_23

I would say forget the surveys just send them in the mail but that would not work for non ESO people. SO I guess they are a necessary evil but since I am on console and don't have the advantage of map pins to make all the spots for me it would be nice if the location would be closer to wayshrines or all in one zone so they would stack better.

Feric51

Heck, I'd just like for them to go back to issuing only Craglorn surveys for max-tier writs like it was pre-1T.

KerinKor

Rake wrote: »

Deep_01 wrote: »

The game gives you choices. Do those surverys (grind) or destroy them. Stop asking for shortcuts

why not?
we will have shortcuts for guilds leveling, undauted leveling, alliance war leveling, skyshards gathering.

Totally not the same things at all as the OP's talking about.

Zeddoc

I think the drop rates, location and the way the surveys are distributed are just fine. What I don't understand is why you have to change cell's or log off and on, this is what a lot of people do, to spawn the next of the surveys you have for that location.

Would it not be friendlier on the server and better for our sanity if you were able to complete your stack of surveys by collecting them all in one spot?

Hotdog_23

Zeddoc wrote: »

I think the drop rates, location and the way the surveys are distributed are just fine. What I don't understand is why you have to change cell's or log off and on, this is what a lot of people do, to spawn the next of the surveys you have for that location.

Would it not be friendlier on the server and better for our sanity if you were able to complete your stack of surveys by collecting them all in one spot?

If I remember correctly the reason you have to travel a ways off or log in and out is because at one time you could open the survey to activate/spawn it and stand at the spot where they were at then deposit the survey in the bank with the banker then harvest the ideas. Take the survey back out of bank activate it to respawn the survey nodes again. Place the same survey back in your bank before collecting the survey, collect items. Rinse and repeat as many times as you wanted with the same survey over and over. ZOS fix was to make a player have to travel away before recollecting the same area again to make sure the survey was consumed.

I really wish they could have fixed it another way to make it easier to collect the same survey without have to ride off a ways and come back.

Rake

KerinKor wrote: »

Rake wrote: »

Deep_01 wrote: »

The game gives you choices. Do those surverys (grind) or destroy them. Stop asking for shortcuts

why not?
we will have shortcuts for guilds leveling, undauted leveling, alliance war leveling, skyshards gathering.

Totally not the same things at all as the OP's talking about.

So, guild leveling that last few days and is very grindy is OK to be sold and is not "P2W" but selling survey mats is for whatever reason a big no no?

SantieClaws

Hotdog_23 wrote: »

Zeddoc wrote: »

I think the drop rates, location and the way the surveys are distributed are just fine. What I don't understand is why you have to change cell's or log off and on, this is what a lot of people do, to spawn the next of the surveys you have for that location.

Would it not be friendlier on the server and better for our sanity if you were able to complete your stack of surveys by collecting them all in one spot?

If I remember correctly the reason you have to travel a ways off or log in and out is because at one time you could open the survey to activate/spawn it and stand at the spot where they were at then deposit the survey in the bank with the banker then harvest the ideas. Take the survey back out of bank activate it to respawn the survey nodes again. Place the same survey back in your bank before collecting the survey, collect items. Rinse and repeat as many times as you wanted with the same survey over and over. ZOS fix was to make a player have to travel away before recollecting the same area again to make sure the survey was consumed.

I really wish they could have fixed it another way to make it easier to collect the same survey without have to ride off a ways and come back.

Well the one other thing you can do, especially if the survey is in a difficult place, is to travel to an unowned house in the store then leave via the door. A couple of loading screens yes but sometimes easier than getting a short distance away then getting back again - thinking of that one jewellery survey in Wrothgar that it halfway up a cliff ...

Honestly we have earned the survey materials. Would not a better way be for us to dig up one chest that has all the materials presently owed from all the surveys at that location? This having to get the area to reload all the time can't be good for the servers. It is also not good for travellers to have to do something that drives them a little nuts when we can think of easier ways it could be arranged.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

Itacira

Because not having pointless grind at every turn would mean actually putting some thought and work into the quality of the content (YES I'M SALTY)

Hotdog_23

SantieClaws wrote: »

Hotdog_23 wrote: »

Zeddoc wrote: »

I think the drop rates, location and the way the surveys are distributed are just fine. What I don't understand is why you have to change cell's or log off and on, this is what a lot of people do, to spawn the next of the surveys you have for that location.

Would it not be friendlier on the server and better for our sanity if you were able to complete your stack of surveys by collecting them all in one spot?

If I remember correctly the reason you have to travel a ways off or log in and out is because at one time you could open the survey to activate/spawn it and stand at the spot where they were at then deposit the survey in the bank with the banker then harvest the ideas. Take the survey back out of bank activate it to respawn the survey nodes again. Place the same survey back in your bank before collecting the survey, collect items. Rinse and repeat as many times as you wanted with the same survey over and over. ZOS fix was to make a player have to travel away before recollecting the same area again to make sure the survey was consumed.

I really wish they could have fixed it another way to make it easier to collect the same survey without have to ride off a ways and come back.

Well the one other thing you can do, especially if the survey is in a difficult place, is to travel to an unowned house in the store then leave via the door. A couple of loading screens yes but sometimes easier than getting a short distance away then getting back again - thinking of that one jewellery survey in Wrothgar that it halfway up a cliff ...

Honestly we have earned the survey materials. Would not a better way be for us to dig up one chest that has all the materials presently owed from all the surveys at that location? This having to get the area to reload all the time can't be good for the servers. It is also not good for travellers to have to do something that drives them a little nuts when we can think of easier ways it could be arranged.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

Thanks for the tip, as I was reading it the same jewellery survey in Wrothgar was pictured in my head before you said it Not sure who's evil idea it was to put it up there but if you ever find out give them cat scratch fever for me.

redlink1979

mrsrobot wrote: »

I think personally that they need to be made easier to collect. The maps are really hard to find

In case you don't know, the majority of survey reports are located near shrines.
Hard to find?!?! Not really...
If you are on pc you got the addons.
If you are on console you got google, for instance: you just need to google for eso *zone* survey
there's a lot of guides, pics and videos of the surveys locations.

SantieClaws wrote: »

Well the one other thing you can do, especially if the survey is in a difficult place, is to travel to an unowned house in the store then leave via the door. A couple of loading screens yes but sometimes easier than getting a short distance away then getting back again - thinking of that one jewellery survey in Wrothgar that it halfway up a cliff ...

You take a lot longer to collect them if you add 2 loading screens per survey.
It's easier and quicker just to move a bit away from the survey location. Wrothgar jewelry is a lot quicker to collect if after you collect it once you jump down and go back again to the spot.

Again, many of the survey reports are near shrines so I don't really understand these issues regarding collecting surveys. Main issue with the surveys is probably that most of people are just lazy when they should pick them up... As if storing hundreds of surveys will diminish your laziness at some point...