ZoS Regarding the Nerf of Former DLC Tutorials

KyleTheYounger

Just an observation. Why can't the original tutorial quests for previous DLC be maintained as follow on prologue quests? These would be implemented as part of the new tutorial (for new players/players who want to create a new character). Or available as free prologue quests for players who want to play with existing PCs. Also once you play these prologue quests, they're removed from the store. Since we don't have the ability to return to Balfoyen Isle to re-enter different portals/DLC with new update. So why can't these prologue quests remain indefinitely as free MQ starters in the store? This would allow players to restart the DLC as many times as they want. And also those who don't want to go through creating a new PC and wish to use their existing character.

Basically, all of these prior DLC prologue quest lines would have the tutorial fighting sections removed. Since these are now covered by Norianwe training your PC once she unlocks the cell door on Balfoyen Isle. All of these introductionary quests were so well done particularly Morrowind and Elsweyr where you got a unique introduction scene to meet several types of the 17 Khajit species in TES lore. These intro quest lines were so beautifully conceived and written. So it's a shame they're being cut completely from the updated game mechanic. They could be easily integrated with the new portal system in the existing update.

Once you step through an older DLC portal, your (newly trained by Norianwe) PC is immediately transported into one of the prologue quest instances. This would be whatever prologue quest which leads into the original DLC. For example:

For Morrowind: Broken Bonds:

After being freed by Naryu Virian, the option to do the training part is removed from her dialogue. The quest moves directly to the part where the Morag Tong undercover agent guides your PC to make their escape. And the rest of the tutorial proceeds as before. This prologue is definitely one of the best DLC prologues ZoS has designed to date. Because it fits in so well not just with the province culture and lore, but explains the ongoing strained racial dynamic between the Dunmer and Argonians. And how this strained relationship comes into play with the EB pact in the larger scope of the 3 banner war. After escaping the slaver ship, your PC wakes up and is confronted by Sgt Delms. After speaking with him, Governor Salvi, and being cleared by Naryu, your PC is free to begin the game as normal.

For Summerset. Mind Trap:

This tutorial was the (disappointinly) shortest of the DLCs. So it would be the easiest to adapt. i.e. after stepping through the Summerset Isle portal, your PC is teleported to Summerset. While in process of traveling to the island, they unwittingly fall victim to K'Tora's mind trap and is knocked unconsious. They basically wake up disoriented to meet Oriandra's projection as before. Except this time, she directs you to choose your weapons and immediately leave the ruin. Follow her through the mindtrap to jump off the precipice and proceed to the tower as normal. Basically defeat the Yaghra boss to escape the mind trap and speak with the real Oriandra NPC outside. Then exit the tutorial as before.

For Skyrim -- YES. The iconic Greymoor intro cinematic wagon ride needs to be included with the prologue quest ZoS! Probably the one prologue quest which needs to include the intro cinematic. Please consider this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK5t5RWUB5w

After entering the Skyrim portal, your PC wakes up in the back of the iconic cinematic wagon ride. They encounter the fateful checkpoint @1:19, are attacked, and knocked unconsious in the ambush by the Icereach Coven Witches. They wake up as a prisoner in the starter tutorial cell in the crypt and free Fennorian. This tutorial is already setup for a natural lead up train tutorial with Vitrus the Bloody dungeon boss. But with the Balfoyen tutorial, fighting this boss (and other enemy NPCs) isn't crucial and would be repetitous from a training perspective. So the entire training section to escape the crypt could be cut from the prologue. Basically have Fennorian lead the player directly to the exit from their cell for Deepwood Vale (with no other NPC encounters). However, the dungeon NPC encounters are still a nice and story friendly feature to have as it introduces the player to several types of enemy DLC NPCs. And the player would be able to test their Balfoyen traning skills out on these NPCs as live training dummies

Either way, your PC escapes the barrow with Fennorian as before to investigate the harrowstorm and defeat Matron Urgala.

For Elsweyr in the Bright Moons Warm Sands prologue:

Story line is same minus tutorial training with Ma'Ja-Dro (at original tutorial start at 4:20). You read Tharn's letter as before. But this time the Khajit tells you to keep or equip whatever new weapons you like before entering the Star Haven Gardens. Once your PC exits to outside, they follow the original quest thorugh the Catacombs to the Star Adeptoirium tower. Where they have to fight and survive the dragon attack in order to leave the tutorial courtyard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t8fya405Fs

Then VIP!

You get this important, unique lore encounter right after you exit the gates and are loaded into the regular map. You get to meet with several Khajit NPCs in the video below. Your PC gets a much needed intro lesson of Khajiit lore, their culture, and the Khajit province. The video was from the PTS, so uncertain if this unique encounter still exists in the released DLC?

If so, it really needs to be added back in. And if not, the it needs to be relocated to the point where the player exits the tutorial and spawns in the real world. Because this has to be one of the best intro quests to a DLC. ZoS devs clearly put a LOT of thought into how this little bit of encounter content was designed IMO.

So why waste all of this content by excluding it from the existing gameplay with the recent update ZoS ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWp0FfUITIY

TL DR

ZoS please, please, please, PLEASEeeeeeee reconsider adding all prior DLC tutorial quest content (modified by fight tutorials being cut out) back into the game. They're all crucial to how the player is introduced to the lore and quest lines in these Tamriel DLC provinces. And are very beneficial to new players, especially to new players who've never played TES single player and/or are new to ESO. Finally please consider leaving these free DLC game prologues as a permanent store feature. Because players currently DO NOT have the ability to revisit the portal room on Balfoyen to begin another DLC of their choosing (yet another game mechanic which needs to be activated). Leaving these modified prologue versions (with the training sections cut) would allow current players the flexibility to start/restart the DLC whenever they wanted to.