Most fun Alliance story to play through?

HailSanta28

Balancing story, location, quests, etc., which faction is the most fun to play through?

MLGProPlayer

DC

DC, by far. It actually has some political intrigue. You also go through a nice variety of environments.

This is coming from an AD main.

Grandma

DC

While i prefer the aesthetics of the EP zones, DC has better character/storylines, with a decently wide arrange of biomes- from my favorite, the alik'r desert, to the mountainy crags, to [my least favorite] the drolls of glenumbra, to the depressing landscapes of rivenspire, etc. The stories really match.

EP is a close contender but the character and story falls short a little bit. having all the morrowind and skyrim aesthetics didn't hurt at all, and shadowfen was actually cool despite the pain of riding horses.

TiZzA93

DC

I really liked DC especially how there are a good variety of biomes i loved rivenspires vampire storyline hit u in the feels lol.

Vlad9425

AD

Nearly fell asleep doing DC quests. AD has the best characters and the best landscapes to adventure in. EP was pretty decent too.

Darkdex

AD

AD has the most cohesive and meaningful lore, lovely recurring characters and if you play the zones in the order they are supposed to it's a very good experience.

Deathlord92

I really love Dc quests and areas rivenspire being my favourite. Ep comes very close to dc for quests and zones.

Hippie4927

EP

EP has my favorite landscapes and storyline although, I really liked the vampire storyline in Rivenspire. And how could I not like anything that involves Dunmers.

TelvanniWizard

EP

Ep. Wonderful stories. Dc was also nice. Ad was tedious. Too many jungles, too many poor characters.

Wolfpaw

DC

If your new & questing is your thing Cadwell's Almanac runs you through the three faction's stories.

https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Cadwell's_Almanac

bluebird

DC

It depends on what you personally like - if you love a certain race then surely their Alliance will be the most fun for you.

AD zones are one big family soap opera, really. Just a lot of drama and relationships. Almost all of them take place in green forests too, so it's not particularly varied. Queen Ayrenn features heavily in the story but her voicelines are so disinterested and emotionless (sorry Kate B, it's not your best work) that it makes the whole thing uninspiring.

EP zones feel like a theme park with some very different looks. They aren't all centered around one person or one theme which is nice for variety but it also makes them more disconnected. The zones have very distinct culturally relevant stories, but they work better as individual stories than as a cohesive region.

DC zones were a good balance of things in my opinion. The story experience is cohesive enough but still doesn't have too many zones that look and feel nearly the same. And while there are recurring characters, the story is more focused on bigger intrigues and politics than on their personal life with their family members.

VaranisArano

Ebonheart Pact was my first and will always hold a special place in my heart because its my Vestige's story.

But AD tells a much more coherent story with characters I cared about as we moved from zone to zone to the climax in Reaper's March.

crjs1

AD

AD. It has by far the most coherent overall story and love how you get to know the main characters so well. Plus Queen is by far the most compelling faction leader.

Bouldercleave

DC

Overall I enjoy DC more than any with the exception that the Orcs got VERY little representation in the original story line. With the exception of Betnikh (sp) isle starting zone and just a touch in Stormhaven, they had almost no tie to the alliance at all.

I guess that's why Wrothgar is such a huge zone and exclusively tied to the Orc culture.

LanteanPegasus

DC

First of all: I loved the Reaper's March part of the AD faction quest. The Khajiit and their stories were just great !!
BUT: Anything to do with the Bosmer (Silvenar/Green Lady/Yffre/stuff) was soooo boring and repetitive. So their part seemed endless ! The High Elf part of the story was quite good, but aside from Ayrenn and her general/advisor (forgot his name atm) nearly all Altmer ranged from mildly annoying to plain racist snobs (not talking about the bad guys only).

EP: "Boohooo, the o-so-evil other factions are doing oh-so-evil things to us, but we are too incompetent/lazy/busy mistrusting each other to do something effective against them ! Please help ! And while you're at it - we want really bloody vengeance because they are sooo mean !"
That was my main impression of Dunmer and Argonian part. Nords I just started, but haven't met anyone very likable so far, only helping because the bad guys are, well, bad.

DC I really enjoyed. I had lots of people I liked who wanted to achieve constructive things, a very interesting variation of problems and enemies, and a cohesive storyline. In every zone. (Actually, the Redguards were the weakest part for me, but they made up for it by being the "exotic" part of the alliance.)

Edit: Forgot the location aspect. Interestingly, most locations I don't fancy very much host the people that don' t sit well with me. Grahtwood and Greenshade seem too dark, convoluted and bland to me. Not a fan of the respective tristesse of Morrowind and Shadowfen, either. (Murkmire and its far less passive-agressive Argonians may be a completely different story.)
I actually like Auridon, much more pleasant than most of the inhabitants. Similar with The Rift.
Reaper's March is beautiful - have my main house there.
DC wins this one by having best average. Some really nice landscapes and nothing I don't like.

almightyalfo

DC

DC by far, especially Rivenspire questline.

darkblue5

AD

AD has by far the best self contained quests. The main story lines are ok to good. Reaper's March has the best main quest IMO and Greenshade has the weakest. The general focus on the alien to us aspects of the cultures and zones was IMO the best part.
Overall AD has the best side quests particularly Pact Advocate in Karthdar, the best recurring character in Razum-dar, and the least boring Alliance Leader in Ayrenn.

EP has probably the best starting islands but honestly focuses too much on the war and not enough on what make say Shadowfen interesting, the Argonians in Shadowfen interesting, and the non-Argonians in Shadowfen interesting. It has better average main quests than AD but none are as good as the one in Reaper's March.
Jorunn's sister Nurnhilde would've likely made a more interesting ruler than Jorunn, and instead was fridged for his man pain.

DC IMO was by far the worst. Fine starting islands and then Breton whining forever. I cared not one bit about the boring Emeric and he was always involved. The politics bit has been done better by third rate GoT knock-offs. Every story beat was obvious. The Bretons were so dull the writers tried to spice things up with Vampires and nightmares (spicy sleeping). Barely got a couple interesting side quests in the Alik'r with way to much about the inability to slay the ancestors. I was constantly rooting for the Reachmen to end the boring Breton bull hocky in 4/5 zones.
Overall most boring ruler and he was always being boring all the time. Even came back from the dead to keep being boring. Needed any Orcs at all.

You can see IMO that the AD style quests are generally the blueprint for the most recent DLCs. A dive into what makes the zone and the people in it interesting.

FrancisCrawford

DC

DC by far.

AD has two important, great characters in Razum-dar and Ayrenn, and the overall story hangs together for long stretches, but it's really thin otherwise. And the plot for much of Grahtwood, Greenshade and Malabal Tor is tedious and repetitive.

DC has many of the game's best characters -- not just Darien and Gabriele, but also the whole original pirate crews (Jakarn, Lerisa, Kaleen et al.), Emeric, Verandis (and his team), and more. Rivenspire is a gem, in main story and side quests alike. Three of the four parts of the main Glenumbra story are good (it's the only zone with a bonus fourth skill point quest), and the fourth is inoffensive and short. And the Glenumba stories wind up hanging together. The first skill point quest in Stormhaven is brilliant. The others are weak, but at least you're around Emeric, who Bill Nighy did a great job of voicing. The Alik'r Desert is ... OK. Bangorkai throws the creative kitchen sink at you; most people will like some of it and feel meh about the others. And the average DC side quest of "set this town to rights" is better-done that the typical AD "drive the invading daedra from this town" or the typical EP "gather 12 wine barrels or kill 10 bats".

Jeremy

DC

HailSanta28 wrote: »

Balancing story, location, quests, etc., which faction is the most fun to play through?

Going to side with the majority here and go for the Daggerfall Covenant. It had the coolest characters.

gepe87

AD

Although Almalexia should be Pact Leader,or to be more active. It would be more interesting. Deshaan story is boring as hell.

DC is decent (Emeric's dream quests are a bit non sense). I enjoyed Glenumbra and Rivenspire quests. Good political intrigue.

AD with the most coherent story and fits well in lore, but I have to agree that

bluebird wrote: »

Queen Ayrenn features heavily in the story but her voicelines are so disinterested and emotionless.

WildRaptorX

EP

AD - Eleven control
DC - Human control
EP - The people control themselves and come together when needed.

I started PvPing for EP because I enjoy the bridge fights with AD

BlueRaven

DC

I had Caldwell's gold on four characters before CP was introduced.

What I like about the DC story line is that so many of the people you meet reappear in Coldharbor. It really makes Coldharbor feel like an extra zone for the DC faction.

In a strong second place is AD.

EP is not very good at all, but meeting Amalexia was pretty cool.

Bekkael

DC

My main character is EP, but I like DC quests and characters best: Darien and Emeric, and especially Rivenspire with my favorite vampire, Count Ravenwatch. Actually just finished Rivenspire main quest again today on the very last character I am busy leveling. It makes me sad that there was never a follow-up story after the Count took the relic to Coldharbour. It would have been great to be able to free him from Molag Bal, or even just to have a little cameo quest where we see him again.

My least favorite are the quests in Greenshade and Malabar Tor. Actually, I don't love Grahtwood quests either. I adore Auridon though, and Summerset is my favorite of the DLC/Chapter expansions (Golden Knight ♥).

I find the dark elf quests in Deshaan and Stonefalls just okay, along with The Rift, and I detest Shadowfen because swamps are not my thing. I do love Eastmarch area and quests though, but I wish the Nords were not all characterized as laughably stupid as a people/race, but that's just my own personal peeve.

Clockwork City and Vvardenfell are also wonderful zones and questlines.

Every quest in the game is worth doing at least once, and if you take time to listen to all the dialogue and read the books, it makes it all that much richer and more enjoyable.

InvictusApollo

AD

In my opinion AD has by far the most rememberable characters and definitely the most beautifull locations.

TheShadowScout

EP

I suppose its matters of taste again...

For me, EP had the most enjoyable story. But then, I often think about the motivation of my characters... and EP delivers there, in spades. Not only get you thrown into a story where you are quickly getting personally involved with the threat from the DC invasion underway, you follow that unbroken theme throughout the starter isles and the first region, without any break where you might wonder "why would my character even help these snotty high elves / arrogant breton nobles"; no matter who you are, it generates a "we are all in this -together-" feel that beautifully reflects the EP backstory.
And then...
...comes Deshaan, and Shadowfen, and Eastmarch, and you get to see the cracks in the pact. Still follow the general theme, but you see its not all flowers and smiles, you get a hint as to just how much hidden trouble there is within the dunmer ranks, how much resentment still lingers between the slavers and the argonians, how unstable the nord side of the alliance really is... and even as your heroic actions draw them closer together again, you know its just a temporary measure, know the cracks are just plastered over for now and will break open again in due time...
...and then the rift, and the inevitable introduction of the work cult threat to set the stage for them agreeing to the stirk meeting to carry the storyline forward.
All in all, a truly enjoyable story for me, with some really neat landscapes, ice and snow, volcanic plains, wierd mushrooms, swamp and nordic woodlands...

On the other hand, DC often made me wonder why my characters even bother. And they really don't seem to... seen a prophecy on bethnik about the duchess murder, but convinently forget it by the time they get to the quest? What was that for? Deal with stupid nobles and ditzy mages? I dunno, for me it all seemed so... common. As in, settings I have seen so many times already. Medieval fantasy classics with werewolves, cultists, vampires... the usual court intrigue and quarrelling nobles mixed in, and a really annoying high king who seems almost comic relief, especiually at the end when he wants to charge an enemy stronghold with a handful of men, and is promptly reduced to playing damsel in distress... I admit, I really liked the alik'r storyline, that one was neat! The rest were... okay, but had way too few surprises as it was all so... classic cliché fantasy? At least in my eyes.

And AD... made me want to sabotage them myself at times, because I always ended up questioning if they really deserve to survive. The racist altmer, the cannibalisitic bosmer, the thieving khajiit... yeah, Ayrenn is a good ruler and tries to change the worst, but... all too often I kept struggling to really have my heart in the storyline. Like even my altmer character would be wondering if its really worth it, if the dominion even deserves to rule, if those morons should darn well clean up their own messes for a change instead of making her do it all the time... add to that some questings with unsatisfactory conclusions (choose between your pregnant wife and your job as treekeeper? Fool! Why not take her with you as you tend the tree and raise your kid that way?) also, in the landscape department, one kinda gets a little sick of woodlands, you know?

There is a reaosn I only go into cyrodil on my DC and AD characters to do dailies, and keep the PvP on my EP characters...

But hey, that's -my- opinions. Other people will see things differently, and that's the fun of it!

UGotBenched

DC

I’m shocked AD is beating EP. I personally found ADs quest line to start out good and go down hill fast. And the lands all looked identical.

And everyone takes about how hardcore the queen is. She doesn’t do anything. Ever.

EdoKeledus

DC

Rivenspire is so good !

max_only

AD

AD has a battle at sea with siege. Then it has Bosmer zones whom I love, and it ends with a boring Khajiit plot line.

EP is clearly the story they wanted to tell. That last zone is a pita, you have to gather the shards or whatever because the quest will bug out, you can’t just burst the boss.

DC is so boring man.... even the quests are about going to sleep. You literally go to sleep several times in the story. DC is a snooze fest. Can’t stand how sleepy I get. People hype up Rivenspire and Veranis Ravenwatch but he’s not all that.

Maybe DC and EP get better when you do the side quests, Idk.

Bexy

AD

AD by far, I enjoy the story through every zone. DC and EP has some snoozefest moments, sorry.

FrancisCrawford

DC

TheShadowScout wrote: »

...comes Deshaan, and Shadowfen, and Eastmarch, and you get to see the cracks in the pact. Still follow the general theme, but you see its not all flowers and smiles, you get a hint as to just how much hidden trouble there is within the dunmer ranks, how much resentment still lingers between the slavers and the argonians,

That seemed obvious halfway through Stonefalls.

luen79rwb17_ESO

DC

DC has overall the best quest writting, voice acting and creativity with deep characters, and many whacky ones! DC is the most true to our human nature and I think that's the main reason it seems to be the most liked.