Overland Content Feedback Thread

Riptide

Yeah in that other thread I favor separating out the queues not because I dislike harder (DLC) dungeons but because it just creates mismatches between those two very different groups.

I really think a lot of the issue is that in order to work on the guts of the game in a way that could provide for a vet overland mode requires access of the sort that a full time employee has. Those are expensive compared to remote contractors, and a vet overland mode is hard to project ROI for.

That and someone internally seems to have sold an 11th commandment around the time of One Tamriel - Thou shalt not split the playerbase.

I suspect that it becomes an easy way to damn internal ideas to grapple with this with faint praise.

But heck we are absolutely left to guess at what could possibly be going on there to allow this to languish so long. It is just flat inexplicable that a full year of companion development it was pushed aside, and then another full year after they were released….and it is allowed to remain top sticky for 8 months with virtually no meaningful response. I just don’t understand what sort of structure they could have where it unfolds like this, but safe money is that de facto budgetary management power resides in someone focused on another IP altogether.

AlexanderDeLarge

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Caldwell Silver and Gold being used as am example by the devs makes sense. They have cultivated a casual audience, beginning with the elimination of that mode. It's not unreasonable for a game dev that has marketed towards a particular group and catered to a particular customer base to think their customers would continue to want what they are selling, when they keep buying it. People who played Demon Souls still wanted more Demon Souls when they played Elden Ring. If it hadn't been hard, they would have been upset. No reason to believe the ESO playerbase is any different and that most users who continue to avoid anything difficult would want to use these options.

I mean, there's constant discussions from people who want to remove dlc dungeons from the normal RND queue because they're too hard and long. ESO has one of the most casual playerbases I've ever encountered. And the gap between them and skilled players powerwise is jaw dropping.


All that being said, they have continued to cultivate an audience of people who enjoy difficult content too. So there's not a good reason to make it boring by not presenting us some kind of difficulty option. There should obviously be a difficulty option. Caldwell's is only a good reason why it shouldn't be mandatory. Not a good reason as to why no option should exist.

I understand using it as a reference once or twice in an open minded manner but Rich Lambert uses it as the definitive talking point to dismiss all the conversation surrounding veteran overland and increasing the difficulty overall when it is repeatedly discussed.

Zenimax Online Studios has spent the better part of a decade telling the world that The Elder Scrolls Online is a new game after One Tamriel but they're still using Cadwell Silver and Gold as a counterargument? They can't and shouldn't be able to have it both ways. Even without One Tamriel, which is arguably the biggest systemic overhaul to a live game aside from Final Fantasy XIV:A Realm Reborn and perhaps the New Game Experience in Star Wars Galaxies, this is far too old to be cited as a counterargument. Eight years ago is ancient history for an MMO. Especially one that has been receiving quarterly content releases for the past five or six years.

We've had six retail expansions, 34 major game updates and 26 content releases overall since Cadwell Silver and Gold. Why are we still hearing about Cadwell Silver and Gold in 2022? Not that Cadwell Silver and Gold were even an implementation of veteran overland in the first place. This argument is such nonsense and it falls apart with the slightest bit of scrutiny.
https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/DLC

spartaxoxo

Caldwell Silver and Gold were an implementation of a veteran overland experience. They were harder than just rerolling a new toon and defeating those zones as your own zone. They were harder because your character was stronger and meant to provide an increased challenge.

The time length doesn't make it irrelevant either. It speaks to the audience that they deliberately cultivated after their redesign. It's not likely if they were to implement one in the exact same way that it still wouldn't cause the same issues, perhaps even moreso now since many people who liked the old design have left.

But you're right, it shouldn't be a definitive argument as to why we can't even get options. I think it is relevant still to why they haven't overhauled the base game to be more difficult. Or why they can't force everyone to play a harder difficulty. I think it is still relevant in that sense. I don't see why it should mean we can't have anything at all. And that is how he keeps using it. Like "oh nobody used it" back then? Well yeah, perhaps not. Who cares? Even if it's still only like 2/3rds of the playerbase that wouldn't use it, that's not an excuse. PvP isn't played by probably just as much. Same to Housing. Same to Trials. But all of that stuff still gets content on the regular. He's basically saying because endgame players tend to be a minority of a playerbases they don't matter. And that's bullmalarkey.

Endgame players are basically never the majority of a playerbase in anygame I have played. But they are also the most hardcore and loyal fans. The ones that still spread word of mouth about the game long after billy casual big bucks stopped spending and got bored after 2 expansions. That's the reason most video game developers still make content for us anyway. I don't see why that should be any exception here.

So, I agree with him that it probably wouldn't be used by the majority of the playerbase. But he loses me at the conclusion that this means it should be disregarded. That is utter nonsense. Since when has any game had fetching endgame players be the majority, apart from dead ones? That's a terrible reason to not do anything.

Riptide

*chuckle, 50-60k dps for vet trials is typical, even low end. Be a simple matter to pull up those metrics.

And very easy indeed to do a day of open world on a 50-60k able toon and see why even that low end range makes the pacing of quests such that it leads to clicking through quests and trivializing the expensive content they have paid to create.

Theres a simple but true formula going back to UO and MUDs - if you evaporate things between quest dialogs like Dr Manhattan then it has a lot less chance of connecting and being engaging. If you genuinely fought to get there then those plot bits are cathartic and a welcome break/respite.

And so anyone, anyone capable of doing vet trials or even dungeons, much less hard modes have to seriously handicap themselves or be outliers to not have what is sold as the heart of ESO, the story, thrown off and trivialized.

I don’t see how anyone living could do quests where the NPCs say things like “You made it! I thought you would certainly die.” but you just walked as an untouchable god through no resistance in ten seconds to get there and say to themselves, wow this is quality. Or think that does justice to the voice actors, level designers and rest of the art team.

I simply don’t believe any of them are that tone deaf, and that they flat out don’t have the budget to appropriate to reworking things like this. Whoever holds the ultimate purse strings just doesn’t play the game and keeps spend focused on new areas/voices/translations and crown store while UI and infrastructure is far, far backburner.

And so the pitches from the folks we hear from must needs conform to that reality, and the weak rationalizations are because they have no true latitude to change it.

spartaxoxo

Riptide wrote: »

I don’t see how anyone living could do quests where the NPCs say things like “You made it! I thought you would certainly die.” but you just walked as an untouchable god through no resistance in ten seconds to get there and say to themselves, wow this is quality. Or think that does justice to the voice actors, level designers and rest of the art team.

I enjoy it sometimes. It depends on my mood and how I'm feeling. I also like games like Tales of the Borderlands and Life is Strange. I am quite sure I am also alive. Taste is entirely subjective.

NeeScrolls

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Taste is entirely subjective.

And therein ^ encapsulates this entire bloated discussion.

Thread done yet?
.

spartaxoxo

NeeScrolls wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Taste is entirely subjective.

And therein ^ encapsulates this entire bloated discussion.

Thread done yet?
.

As long as it's clear that this is why we should have difficulty options. Enjoying the game the way it is now doesn't make you a zombie, and likewise not enjoying the way the game the way it is now doesn't make you an elitist. People of all different types can enjoy a quest, and people of all different types may find them boring. There are new players turned off by it's ease and never make it far and also vet players that find them relaxing and still enjoy them years and years later.

Giving difficulty options increases the kinds of people who can access and enjoy the game's quests. And that is good for the game.

Edit

Shoot, giving options can also increase the SAME person's enjoyment. There are days IRL where I want to cook myself a really nice home cooked meal. And also days I just don't feel up to and want something delivered. There also days in ESO where I don't feel up to a challenge or am not in the mood, and questing is enjoyable and relaxing. Then there are days where I want something I can do solo and that's challenging, unfortunately ESO doesn't offer much in this regard.

Riptide

Eh, I rather think someone would have to focus really hard on one paragraph out of several in a special sort of way to infer that I find casual gaming unfathomable. I’ve said within just a few posts my wife plays this way, and of course as a long time gamer I do too at times.

What I am getting at is that the quest texts themselves infer that the player has just been through a ringer, and they haven’tt in many cases - at all, no matter the level of player or playstyle. And this is incongruent and diminishes the immersion and the rest of it.

But anyway, I’ve more than said my piece for a while.

Dagobertfuk

Since ZOS is about to crush PVP against the wall and punch every veteran player and especially solo player in the face with Update 35 combat changes to make it total casual, its actually not worth for me to argue here anymore. Im just happy that i didnt waste my time playing that unengaging overland content since murkmire. And im also proud that i experienced every quest until One Tamriel got released. It was awesome. Looking forward to TES 6!

Have fun in this thread and i hope everyone gets what they want for the overland content. GL

spartaxoxo

Riptide wrote: »

Eh, I rather think someone would have to focus really hard on one paragraph out of several in a special sort of way to infer that I find casual gaming unfathomable. I’ve said within just a few posts my wife plays this way, and of course as a long time gamer I do too at times.

What I am getting at is that the quest texts themselves infer that the player has just been through a ringer, and they haven’tt in many cases - at all, no matter the level of player or playstyle. And this is incongruent and diminishes the immersion and the rest of it.

But anyway, I’ve more than said my piece for a while.

I think it's most charitable interpretation I could give to "I don't get how anyone living can..." quite frankly. Anyway, I do agree that quest difficulty can be very much tied to narrative tension. Like I think it takes away from bosses in particular, I'm personally not impacted by fodder being pushovers. I don't see how someone who slapped the taste out of Molag Bal's mouth should struggle with a some lunatic cultist who trained a skeever to do help them fight. But someone like Mehrunes Dagon should absolutely be a tough fight. And it massively pulls me out of the fight to the point that I actually get more satisfaction out of NOT fighting when he dies like it's nothing.

Riptide

Yep thats what Im getting at. Easy content I can understand liking, but what I mean is points like you just described.

My lady is very chill as far as desired difficulty level - but Ive heard her snort at lines multiple that make out like there is some big challenge involved. Comments like, “oh, was that the big baddie? haha ok” are frequent. And what I meant by I don’t understand how anyone living could go through that and find that pacing awesome I’m talking about the folks internally who, presumably, strolled through it before releasing it. Since the following paragraph I was talking about the developers (or really, the creative direction team), well, shrug.

Anyway, we’re actually in the same place. I don’t at all think a more casual style is less, wrong, or any of that. In fact I’m delighted it has brought so many to the game, including my far better half.

I just very much wish the Tamriel I playtested during the alpha could still exist for me as well. One where I didn’t have to group or retread two arenas if I want a challenge, one where the wide world feels dangerous, and where the quest texts felt epic because the game holistically is. It would simply enrich the game.

And so choice is what I have been asking for for years, not in any way a blanket difficulty hike. Do it any way that works. I’d prefer an entirely new vet set of instances, because I like a quiet world where I can rarely see fellow hard mode travelers and put my back to theirs against the bad, but I’d happily live with a debuff based approach or whatever is workable.

spartaxoxo

Ah, I get you now. Yeah I agree with much of what you posted. I would personally prefer the debuff approach but at this point, I'd take anything (optional). I just want to be able to play with more difficulty.

Dagobertfuk

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Ah, I get you now. Yeah I agree with much of what you posted. I would personally prefer the debuff approach but at this point, I'd take anything (optional). I just want to be able to play with more difficulty.

Why would you prefer debuff? Other Players without debuffs coming across, will almost always attack every mob you are fighting by twoshotthing them. Atleast what i experienced so far. I doubt debuffs will satisfy you. I rather think that Debuff on yourself will make you hate questing in that game. Not in instanced mainquests, but in overland.

CP5

Riptide wrote: »

“oh, was that the big baddie? haha ok”

-Me when I first ran across the head vampire for the skyrim year long story.

Riptide wrote: »

I’d prefer an entirely new vet set of instances, because I like a quiet world where I can rarely see fellow hard mode travelers and put my back to theirs against the bad, but I’d happily live with a debuff based approach or whatever is workable.

There was a nice charm in that with the gold zones, people all coming together to do those dolmens, the named storm atronach boss wrecking people, made for memorable times.

Aardappelboom

Dagobertfuk wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

Ah, I get you now. Yeah I agree with much of what you posted. I would personally prefer the debuff approach but at this point, I'd take anything (optional). I just want to be able to play with more difficulty.

Why would you prefer debuff? Other Players without debuffs coming across, will almost always attack every mob you are fighting by twoshotthing them. Atleast what i experienced so far. I doubt debuffs will satisfy you. I rather think that Debuff on yourself will make you hate questing in that game. Not in instanced mainquests, but in overland.

I actually play this way, it's very enjoyable for me, there aren't that many players around all the time anyway and when they hit harder, they hit harder, it's fine by me.

Debuffs don't interfere with anyone else's gameplay.

Dr_Con

I've been playing on and off for years. I always viewed Craglorn as the unintentional "veteran" overland zone and feel it's in a good place with the "Group" areas and the random rifts vs the non-group areas. I don't like how the spell scar area has become an exp farming area without there being some sort of boss that gets generated after all the NPCs die- if an overland area is so farmable there should be some sort of boss that spawns to limit the amount of mob farming. The amount of nodes has always been great, it was more competitive early on and drove me into being a more riskier node farmer by going into more difficult areas and I liked it for that. At launch, it was a 50+ zone, but I guess they got rid of that because it was too exclusive? They found ways to scale the mobs better to player level and gear. I like that there's no anchors or harrowstorms, both of which I find to be broken farming mechanics that suck the fun out of the game for everyone except the ones who enjoy rote gameplay when players go after them in high numbers (otherwise, they are quite engaging). There may need to be an overhaul for these objectives when a threshold of players is reached.

Not going to really count imperial city because I don't really consider that overland.

As mentioned before I vehemently dislike rote gameplay of harrowstorms and anchors *when there's too many players.* The difficulty doesn't go up at all, specifically in The Reach and Alik'Ir Desert. The faster these things die, the harder they need to get. Droves of people from all alliances go after and farm the same content, it's not engaging- it's a race to get to the spots to get your 6.3k exp, piece jewelry, overland item, random items, and some dialogue that mocks the very core of the game when you see how easily people are beating them. If Molag Bal's voice won't even come through anymore when a swarm of players beats an anchor the game is quite literally broken. People run these for different reasons, some run it because they want EXP, others want to farm items. But when too many people get involved it sucks the fun out of the game.

Perhaps make it more difficult and engaging with more people damaging them. Everyone is a hero in their own way in this game, engagements that are like what happens in The Reach or Alik'Ir Desert rob your players of that feeling of accomplishment.

When you have events in certain zones like you have in the past, like in Summerset or Western Skyrim, these zones also become player hotspots for geysers and harrowstorms. I feel dragons were done very well but the 6 digit dps players pretty much rob others of the experience of fighting any sort of group objective, and make it more of a game of tag.

To reconcile this, I do feel there needs to be more of a drawback to glass cannon six digit dps builds as it cannot be denied that these builds damage overland gameplay for players at all levels. An invulnerability phase where the boss specifically targets outrageous dps players would probably fix this at the cost of outrage of a vocal minority of players who rely on certain builds as if they were a crutch to achieve such numbers, and may force them to rely on survivability rather than killing a boss before they can even get any damage out. You can achieve this in many ways, but the number of players and the limited number of people receiving damage when it gets to such outrageous amounts of players fighting is an issue for a kill that is considered to be so rewarding.

EozZoe1989

we will see..

Jpk0012

eKsDee wrote: »

Jpk0012 wrote: »

When overland content reach vet status bosses, you get what we have the newer zones. Dead zones after release. On Friday night, most of the bosses were empty in High Isle - this is a clear indication the people who want vet bosses in overland content exist solely on this forum and doesn't represent what is actually happening in the game. ZOS needs to stop listening to this advice. No one wants empty zones. The proof is in the Dolmens. There are more people playing in Dolmens than High Isle. That is shameful for a new expansion to be this dead(xbox).

Harrowstroms have been empty for years and will be forever. Vents will quickly follow, because they are boring with goofy twitch mechanics. The bosses are balanced for the rare people that do 100K+ dps. The rewards are not worth the effort of doing them over older, better balanced and more fun content.

They're dead not because of how difficult they are, but because of how unrewarding they are. They're pieces of side content that exist in maps where the quests and stories are the main content, so for players to go out of their way to do them, they need to be rewarding enough to be worth the time spent doing them. I'm currently playing Guild Wars 2, and you see this perfectly in its endgame zones.

GW2's overland is almost entirely gameplay-driven, with stories being told through dynamic local events and map-wide meta events, where the main content is whatever the reason the player has to be in that zone, whether it be trying to get an item for a collection, doing zone completion, or trying to do an achievement. The interesting thing with GW2's overland compared to ESO's, though, is that when players are presented with side content (typically something unrelated to the reason they have to be in that zone, like a new dynamic event or meta event), they'll generally pause their main content and start participating in that side content, and I believe it's for two reasons.

Firstly, the moment-to-moment gameplay of GW2's overland experience is highly engaging, with stuff constantly going on around you that you can just jump into and start participating in, which really drives home the fact that this is an MMO, but secondly and more importantly for my point, it's generally rewarding to do this side content. Meta events can be quite lucrative, depending on the exact event, with some endgame zones being the best gold farms in the game, rivaling instanced content; not to mention the fact that many meta events are tied to achievements and collections, which means that by doing this side content, you're constantly progressing forward on a variety of goals, including acquiring legendary gear.

On the other hand, ESO's overland experience tends to be quite unrewarding, often giving a little bit of gold, some experience (which is useless once you've hit level 50 and have earned enough CP that earning more isn't all that meaningful to you; conversely, once you hit max level in GW2 and have maxed out your masteries (GW2's post-level-cap, account-wide leveling system), earning enough XP to "level up" will give you a special currency which is quite valuable due to its use in endgame crafting, so even just the act of earning XP is rewarding in GW2), maybe an item from some set that may or may not be useful for you, and that's about it.

This lack of rewards will naturally cause players to avoid side content due to it feeling like a waste of time, unless they're bored and have nothing else to do, or need something that's locked behind that side content (though I'd argue that this is less them wanting to do the content, more them feeling like they need to do the content). You can see this whenever a new chapter or zone DLC is released: upon release, the group content in that zone is ran more or less off cooldown as players want/need something that's locked behind it (a mythic lead, a particular set piece, etc), and then once the player base has gotten what they want/need, they stop running that content and it dies.

Again, this doesn't happen in GW2, because there's always a reason to run that content. I can guarantee you that if ZOS were to improve the rewards of all group content in overland to the point where they're a serious source of gold that's worth the time spent doing them, you'd see players flocking to do that content whenever available, because there'd be an actual, tangible reason for them to do that content, beyond doing it out of boredom or necessity.

Read my last sentence, chief. Pointed out the lack of rewards... [snip]

[edited for baiting]

Hanoan

I tried to play another MMORPG few years ago, but quit after few hours due to zero challenge. Mobs were dying in 1 hit, and could not hit me. After few years that game got primitive 'difficulty slider' - damage boost for mobs (up to x5) and damage reduction from players (down to /5). Choice from multiple difficulty levels. I gave it a shot and It was like absolutely different game. Much more enjoyable. Now instead of killing 3 mobs in 1 hit with aoe I had to choose which one to stun, which one to weaken/slow/etc and on which one to go full dps. In addition had to circle around mobs and use other tricks (to break stun for example) - at last the mobs got a chance to use their skills that they had from the release of that game, but could not use them due to dying in 1 hit. Crafted gear and consumables started to be very useful too.

Even a difficulty slider makes a huge change. I think it will improve ESO for a lot of players, and it should not be a big investment for developers.

Parasaurolophus

Hanoan wrote: »

I tried to play another MMORPG few years ago, but quit after few hours due to zero challenge. Mobs were dying in 1 hit, and could not hit me. After few years that game got primitive 'difficulty slider' - damage boost for mobs (up to x5) and damage reduction from players (down to /5). Choice from multiple difficulty levels. I gave it a shot and It was like absolutely different game. Much more enjoyable. Now instead of killing 3 mobs in 1 hit with aoe I had to choose which one to stun, which one to weaken/slow/etc and on which one to go full dps. In addition had to circle around mobs and use other tricks (to break stun for example) - at last the mobs got a chance to use their skills that they had from the release of that game, but could not use them due to dying in 1 hit. Crafted gear and consumables started to be very useful too.

Even a difficulty slider makes a huge change. I think it will improve ESO for a lot of players, and it should not be a big investment for developers.

What game are you talking about?

TaSheen

LoTR maybe?

cptscotty

So I put in a bug report about Overland content being too easy. At this point it honestly felt like a bug. I stripped my character down to no gear, no weapon, no potions, no food, no CP, and still was finishing every fight with 95-100% health. Punching mini-bosses to death like it was nothing.

Thats not just easy...thats broken.

mocap

atm only Vamp stage 4 (along with no gear, no CP, no mundus, etc) and bosses with fire attacks are the threat. Some may hit for 9k.

cptscotty

mocap wrote: »

atm only Vamp stage 4 (along with no gear, no CP, no mundus, etc) and bosses with fire attacks are the threat. Some may hit for 9k.

Thats something I will have to add to my testing...being a vampire. Maybe that could finally get my health to drop while playing and provide a challenge.

Logically speaking...this is easier than playing solitaire at this point. When playing solitaire on any of its modes there is a possibility you will lose if you try. There is a zero percent chance you will lose playing ESO in overland if you try. By try...I mean press one button, dont worry about gear, positions, blocking, so trying as little as you possibly could. As long as you try, you will succeed.

So yes...ESO Overland is easier than Solitaire. Since overland content is the majority of ESO...that means you can logically say "ESO is easier than playing Solitaire" without exaggeration. How is that not a clear indication that it is broken?

TaSheen

Well, I 'lose" at ESO a lot - because with aging reflexes and 999+ ping, I find it all too easy to die in overland. I've played for years now, but without good internet it's pretty difficult to do much more than I'm doing now. I do think an option for those who want a more challenging overland needs to be developed, but it really does need to be optional - because if they increase the difficulty so you are happy, I'll have to quit playing.

And in fact, considering what seems to be coming in U35, I may not be able to continue playing because my already low damage will be even lower. In that case, they lose my 3 annual ESO+ subs. Not that they would care.

spartaxoxo

If you just exclude everything that is specifically designed to make ESO harder than Solitaire, it's easier!

Anyway, the overland is designed to be completed by a new character, so I'm not sure why a bug report was submitted the game was working as designed. It's obviously not a bug. They have been very clear that's the intended design. I feel for the CS agents who's job it is to catalog bugs that have to deal with false reports like that.

I honestly think they need to add some kind of difficulty options, but they also shouldn't change the design of the normal overland. It's challenging for some players. It not being challenging to me doesn't make it not a challenge to someone else, such as the player above me.

joerginger

cptscotty wrote: »

mocap wrote: »

atm only Vamp stage 4 (along with no gear, no CP, no mundus, etc) and bosses with fire attacks are the threat. Some may hit for 9k.

Thats something I will have to add to my testing...being a vampire. Maybe that could finally get my health to drop while playing and provide a challenge.

Logically speaking...this is easier than playing solitaire at this point. When playing solitaire on any of its modes there is a possibility you will lose if you try. There is a zero percent chance you will lose playing ESO in overland if you try. By try...I mean press one button, dont worry about gear, positions, blocking, so trying as little as you possibly could. As long as you try, you will succeed.

So yes...ESO Overland is easier than Solitaire. Since overland content is the majority of ESO...that means you can logically say "ESO is easier than playing Solitaire" without exaggeration. How is that not a clear indication that it is broken?

This is absolutely not true. When my character was younger, she died all the time to absolutely everything. Questing was intimidating because it seemed that each quest was either "interact with x things" or "klill x enemies" before you had to kill a boss, each of them quite deadly for my character.

Of course things are completely different now, after getting a basic idea of the incredibly annnoying convoluted combat system and having received lots and lots of xp and thus CP - and also proper gear. But the beginnning in this game is very rough. DLC bosses like the one in Clockwork City or Dark Brotherhood took me ages to beat. And the Northern Elsweyr one was a close call although I was teamed up with two other players for that. I definitely will never play that DLC story ever again on a different character, way too stressful.

It's definitely easy to lose in this game. Not for veteran characters, obviously, but why anyone would roam around in the overland as a veteran player and not do something else is way beyond my understanding anyway.

cptscotty

joerginger wrote: »

cptscotty wrote: »

mocap wrote: »

atm only Vamp stage 4 (along with no gear, no CP, no mundus, etc) and bosses with fire attacks are the threat. Some may hit for 9k.

Thats something I will have to add to my testing...being a vampire. Maybe that could finally get my health to drop while playing and provide a challenge.

Logically speaking...this is easier than playing solitaire at this point. When playing solitaire on any of its modes there is a possibility you will lose if you try. There is a zero percent chance you will lose playing ESO in overland if you try. By try...I mean press one button, dont worry about gear, positions, blocking, so trying as little as you possibly could. As long as you try, you will succeed.

So yes...ESO Overland is easier than Solitaire. Since overland content is the majority of ESO...that means you can logically say "ESO is easier than playing Solitaire" without exaggeration. How is that not a clear indication that it is broken?

This is absolutely not true. When my character was younger, she died all the time to absolutely everything. Questing was intimidating because it seemed that each quest was either "interact with x things" or "klill x enemies" before you had to kill a boss, each of them quite deadly for my character.

Of course things are completely different now, after getting a basic idea of the incredibly annnoying convoluted combat system and having received lots and lots of xp and thus CP - and also proper gear. But the beginnning in this game is very rough. DLC bosses like the one in Clockwork City or Dark Brotherhood took me ages to beat. And the Northern Elsweyr one was a close call although I was teamed up with two other players for that. I definitely will never play that DLC story ever again on a different character, way too stressful.

It's definitely easy to lose in this game. Not for veteran characters, obviously, but why anyone would roam around in the overland as a veteran player and not do something else is way beyond my understanding anyway.

Then you couldnt have leveled a character recently. I have a character right now with no gear on at all clearing content and ending fights at 95-100% health. Thats with standing still and not even dodging or blocking. Nothing special...I have to actively go out of my way to find a struggle. Care to explain why you would say "the beginning in this game is very rough"? This is not a personal experience issue either...this is how the game is for everyone...nothing special about my character or my setup...if anything i have stuff actively set to make it even harder (no map, no icons, no health bars, no bars of any kind). So why are you trying to say otherwise?

cptscotty

spartaxoxo wrote: »

If you just exclude everything that is specifically designed to make ESO harder than Solitaire, it's easier!

Anyway, the overland is designed to be completed by a new character, so I'm not sure why a bug report was submitted the game was working as designed. It's obviously not a bug. They have been very clear that's the intended design. I feel for the CS agents who's job it is to catalog bugs that have to deal with false reports like that.

I honestly think they need to add some kind of difficulty options, but they also shouldn't change the design of the normal overland. It's challenging for some players. It not being challenging to me doesn't make it not a challenge to someone else, such as the player above me.

It definitely feels like a bug. Feels like that to a lot of new players as well. Just go search it and see the numerous amount of forums and posts about it all over the internet.



There should be no reason I can strip my character of all gear and CP and still take on 5 npcs at a time and survive near full health to go pull another group within seconds. None. At all. Thats broken. Thats a bug.

cptscotty

Here is a video talking about it recently as well. NefasQS - ESO's Easy Overland Content Has HUGE Problems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtjuxrYjGFQ&ab_channel=NefasQS

Some top comments for this video:

"This video is spot on. ESO tells so many good stories through it's open world content, but it's marred by the lack of any challenge"

"I like questing and I like engaging with mechanics. Overland isn’t just easy, it’s easy to the point of lacking basic mechanics. I mash the same few keys and then get to read some quest dialogue. That’s the exact reason I don’t like many other MMOs. When I first came to ESO I was faced with this large and dangerous world but now I feel like a bored god who has to personally limit myself by not using skills or equipment to try to enjoy interacting with the world. I’ve since stopped playing and don’t really feel like coming back unless overland gets more difficult."

"I love how the story content hypes up these story bosses and your NPC companions are like "be careful they are really dangerous and strong", then I just go there and like ele weapon-La-Frag proc and they are f***ing dead already, so much for the hyping up, this is why I don't do story content, or read dialogue, I just spam E to get through it since half it doesn't matter at all."

"The issue is overland and base game dungeons we're designed 9 years ago for the player damage then. Now player damage is 5x what it was and none of the content has been adjusted"

"Overland content is EXTREMELY EASY to the point of me not intereated in doing or buying expansion packs because everytime I'm doing the quests i fall asleep, there is no challenge anymore like it used to be before. It's like they made the difficulty of overland for babies"


...thousands of comments like this online about this subject. Just getting worst as time goes on. No one really outside these forums defends this setup.