Something to Do?

mbeetley_ESO

Hi kids,

I would like to have something to do in this game. But what do I get? Now I'm limited to one bit of new content a year, plus a bunch of exhausting events. I don't know, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I feel like I have about 20 hours of gameplay in this game every year. I get that there's no subscription cost so perhaps that's all I can expect, but still. Could you please give me a reason to play your game? And no, events are not a reason to play. They're a reason to hate repetitive gameplay.

I subscribed to ESO+ in part to get extra content. Biut you decided last year that "extra content" means "making the game work." FAIL. That is absolutely inappropriate. Making the game work is base content, not an add-on. I don't mind rethinking the whole Chapter/DLC thing, especially when CHAPTERS BECOME DLC AFTER ONE YEAR. So they're not even extra content, are they? It's all just DLC. So how about you stop trying to convince ESO+ subscribers that we're doing anything other than paying you to make your game work?

Let's face it. ESO+ is two things: Crafting Bag and Extra Slots in Housing. That's it. There is nothing more to ESO+. "Free" Crowns" Seriously? That's like Verizon saying they give you an iPhone for free. WRONG. We're paying for content. We get so little for the ESO+ subscription that any crowns we get are negligible. If somebody just wants to play the DLC dungeons, they're not going to waste their money on ESO+. And while I have no plans to unsubscribe at the moment, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SIGNED ON FOR. I signed on for access to content. Which has been essentially stripped from the subscription. It was 2 Dungeon DLCs plus a DLC mini-chapter. Now it's nothing more than one Dungeon DLC. So THANK YOU ZOS for stripping the content from my "subscription."

Oh, and to those who want the crafting bag to be free? PAY FOR IT. See above for an explanation if you don't get it.

Hapexamendios

I'd let you do my surveys if I could.

DreamyLu

That's OP's personal opinion. I have a different approach.

Events are exhausting? Don't do them. Personally, I don't take part in events. I just happily and lazily benefit of the extra XPs or/and of the extra resources.
There is not enough content in the game? Find another game aside ESO, to complete your playing time. Personally, ESO is a game to chill solo aside of my main and I enjoy it a lot this way.

Re ESO+:
A game needs incoming money to survive. ESO has two sources for cash: the store and the ESO+ subscription. Both of are optional. It's logic that they use ESO+ in a way that secure a true benefit, meaning to put the most attractive into it to motivate players to pay, but with a minimum content to reduce their costs. Fair enough since nobody is forced to it.
Personally, I pay for the crafting bags and the gems. Nothing else of it is interesting me.

Re Chapters vs. DLC:
Here too, I see it differently. For me, it's normal and logic that at time a chapter is new and comes out, it's a new product and all have to pay for it. After a year, it's no more a new product. It can be integrated as "standard" part of the game content. It's normal process in all the games I play. In most cases, it's integrated into the base game content. In ESO too, plus the fact that they add it to the DLC list.

All in all, I would recommend that OP tries other games, to see that there is a reality that can't be avoided: They need money to survive and they follow the same basic rules to secure a good enough benefit: put attractive products behind paying, minimize what they give for free. It's market rules to survive. It's illusory to hope for something different.

As for the game content, there are so many other games, that if we're not happy with what we get in ESO, we can just complete by playing other games aside it.

Sorry guys, am not used to write so long. Must take my dog out now, but later, will review my post and try to optimize it.

SeaGtGruff

Only 20 hours of gameplay a year? I have about 20 hours of gameplay in this game every 3 days, or an average of 6 to 7 hours each day split between 2 servers. I never run out of things to do, although my level of interest can vary from day to day. There are days when I rush to finish my daily must-dos so I can log off and do something else, and days when I end up playing ESO for several hours past my bedtime because I'm having too much fun to stop.

Nerouyn

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

Only 20 hours of gameplay a year?

Yeah that's not even close to right.

I've just played through Necrom myself, and then Greymoor and Markarth to get its green dye, skipping (will come back to) nearly all side quests in the latter two. And a month or so ago Wrothgar (again skipping side quests) on an alt account for that event.

All slogs, not for being at all boring but just good old lengthy.

This game isn't flawless but it certainly doesn't lack content.

LunaFlora

eso plus gives you access to all dlc except the current chapter. i don't get how you only have 20 hours a year?
you can do whatever you want in the game!

do a few daily quests from multiple zones?
as an example.

i agree with DreamyLu that you should try out other games, because 20 hours a year does not sound like you enjoy the game a lot.

and q3 updates not having dungeons anymore to instead focus on quality of life changes and bug fixes is really good for the game, in my opinion at least.
just as it is your opinion that it's "FAIL. That is absolutely inappropriate." somehow.

zos cannot do everything in an update so it makes sense to me that they did this. When else could they have done it?

colossalvoids

20h is a length of how long it takes the person to finish all quests/zones a year, it's pretty apparent here. It sounds actually about right for someone who isn't new and completed everything released before. Sure people tend to include their dailies or slogs as a play time here, but raw content completion time isn't the same in a slightest. Especially if person isn't interested in progging trifectas or dungeons seems completely legit time wise.

alternatelder

If you can't find anything to do in a content heavy game like this mmo, then you need to find a different game to turn your attention to. Burnout happens from time to time.

benzenexz

Perhaps the very first question you have to ask yourself would be: what do you want to do?

If you don't have any your own idea on that question, regardless of before playing or after checking into the game, then end of the story.

dcam86b14_ESO

As someone who has been playing and sub'd since BETA, I have never ran out of things to do in ESO.
Your play experience is your own, how you manage your time is yours.
What I find entertaining as from your post isn't for you.

I have limited time to play due to work and IRL responsibilities but I squeeze every bit of time out of ESO.
dailies, writs, dungeons, pvp, housing, random screen shots, RP..etc

Find what you like doing , do it, log off, redo it again some other time.
If you're finding that you'r in a slump, I would suggest just finding another game to play on the side.

Durham

Join a PVP guild, PVP in this game is more AVA not PVP give it a chance, I would always recommend joining a PVP guild first and tell them you are new they will help you. DO NOT GO OUT THERE WITHOUT JOINING A GUILD. PVP is always in flux and changing. Join a Trade Guild, and finally a PVE guild.

Make sure that all three types of Guilds have an active discord channel.

This game is an MMO first. If you make friends then the content never gets old.

Ishtarknows

Nerouyn wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

Only 20 hours of gameplay a year?

Yeah that's not even close to right.

I've just played through Necrom myself, and then Greymoor and Markarth to get its green dye, skipping (will come back to) nearly all side quests in the latter two. And a month or so ago Wrothgar (again skipping side quests) on an alt account for that event.

All slogs, not for being at all boring but just good old lengthy.

This game isn't flawless but it certainly doesn't lack content.

I'm kinda with OP on this one and can absolutely see where they're coming from.

All the content you talk about, I've already completed. On more than one character. If you're new to the game I agree with you, there's loads of content to do, but I'm waiting on Gold Road for new content.

When Gold Road comes out I'll complete the questline, shouldn't even take 20 hours, grind for scribing and then hopefully one of my teams will prog the hard mode and trifecta of the new trial. Then we'll have to wait for new content til March (ish) 2025 and the new dungeons.
In previous years we'd also have a summer duo of dungeons and an autumn area DLC to look forward to, which were also included in ESO+

freespirit

I've been around since beta and still have loads of stuff to do, I have questing content never done, I've never fully explored thieving or black sacraments, I have dungeons by the ton I've never done on vet, the list is very long.

However I do see the op's point of view too, if you have done all the content, the recent removal of the addition of new content later in the year, as an ESO+ member must be very disappointing.

I still sub for other benefits but if I was subbing just for access to new DLC's I would be seriously reconsidering that sub!

belial5221_ESO

Extra content is something other than basegame,so with eso+ you get alot more content, previous chapters, dungeons, trials, arenas, gear, free crown store items and discounts through the month, etc.Also you get more crowns than the normal 15$ pack,and you get all the other stuff unlocked while subbed,so you get alot extra free.If you speedrun through all main content to get it all done,of course you'll have nothing to do.Take time,explore,do other quests,read what people say,etc.

fred4

To the OP: I guess you're not an MMO player then.

I welcome ZOS working on game systems and fixing bugs. I've played continuously for almost 9 years, but haven't seriously quested for the past 8. Only the desire for an item or a difficult arena, dungeon or trial leads me to new DLC areas. I'm interested in the combat, in solving problems with friends on Discord. The Infinite Archive kept me busy for a while. I also PvP. IMO those are the activities you stay in the game for long term. The (DLC) zones, the lore, the NPCs, they merely form a backdrop to the important stuff: Engaging with other players.

I get that ZOS try to cover many bases and that ESO fills a bridge to when, if ever, Elder Scrolls 6 gets released. However, it's still an MMO. It caters to you, it caters to questing and role-playing, but also to (if neglected) PvP and to endgame PvE, e.g. to players who are here for the combat. The trials, the arenas, the new game modes, such as Infinite Archive.

If anything there has been a shift towards questers, towards players coming from Bethesda's single-player franchise, since the inception of ESO. While I get the feeling that ZOS don't particulary need or care about the PvP community anymore, perhaps update 35 was the misstep that made them reevaluate their strategy for the PvE endgame community, leading to their current focus on game systems rather than pumping out story content with every patch.

I don't really engage with festivals, by the way. What you do is entirely up to you and your friends. IMO the game is a sandbox. You don't do everything. You don't have to do events nor achievements. You choose. If that includes only story content, you're going to run out between patches, but honestly that's the same for trials, for the Infinite Archive, and so on. In the meantime I personally work on getting better at the competitive aspects of the game. I progressed to doing veteran trials and some of their hard modes. I filled out my stickerbook. I started playing all roles, e.g. tanks, healers and DDs, for the variety.

You don't have to do that, though. Some people farm. Some people play the market. Some are into housing or ToT or PvP. Some help other players. Some create trading guilds, social guilds, training guilds. And so on. If none of that works for you, then I believe Matt Firor has stated he's perfectly content with players being seasonal, returning only when content interests them. I'm not saying I agree or disagree, only that he recognises that fact and you'll find it hard to shift someone's attitude who is either realistic or complacent about this, depending on your point of view.

My PvP friends also come and go. If you do just one thing, then you run out or you burn out. For me it's being an all-rounder that has kept me going (even if it excludes questing and ToT). It sounds to me like you haven't scratched the surface on the competitive side of the game at all, but I could be wrong.

SeaGtGruff

I still haven't completed High Isle's questline on my primary server, so I've still got that to finish up before I start on Firesong, Necrom, and Gold Road. I used to race around everywhere, trying to complete every quest as soon as possible, but one day I just switched gears when I settled into a daily routine of doing crafting writs and repeatable quests. On my secondary server I've been questing through the zones in strict order at a leisurely pace so I can enjoy the stories more, and my main on that server still has some loose ends to tidy up in Craglorn before moving on to the pre-Morrowind DLCs.

So my advice to anyone who feels like there's only X hours of new content each year is to slow down and pace yourself. How long it takes to play through the content is very much dependent on whether you're just clicking through everything without reading anything, or whether you're actually listening to and reading the NPCs' dialog. You can't enjoy a movie very much if you're watching it on fast forward, so why do you think you can enjoy a game if you're just speeding through it like you're in a race with everyone else to see who can finish it in the shortest amount of time?

Durham

I have played this game for years. I will never complete all the quests or all the zones. As I said in the post above.
You need to join active guilds with discords.

The PVP in this game is not PVP. Its GVG or AVA, its very entertaining and will keep your interest during the down periods in PVE. For me I PVP 90% and PVE 10%. If you give PVP a chance I think you will like it. Please do not go PVP straight out of PVE join a guild first and play in groups at first. There is a learning curve for PVP just like high-end PVE.

PVE if you have friends you can always try to make the leaderboards in PVE this game has 2 end games. There is plenty to do!

EdjeSwift

I completely understand where the OP is coming from and in some ways agree with them.

This game is both deep and shallow, pulling off that feat rather well in my humble opinion. This game and every MMO is highly dependent on your enjoyment level/enagagement level. If one enjoys fresh content, that pool has gotten more shallow over the years, but that's expected as the game ages and priorities at studios/companies shift. The issue the OP is bringing up here is the lack of "new" content which has, rightfully observed, been cut significantly from the old system/release schedule. As has been noted there are reasons for this shift, and whether this is good or bad is not up to us for judge, it's happened and we accept or move on.

OP seems like a seasoned veteran and the post calling them "not an MMO player then" seems rather harsh, given that as a seasoned and veteran MMO player this is par for the course, MMOs eventually run out of content for someone to enjoy. Just recently someone posted they completed EVERY achievement possible, thus closing off that door of content. Zone quests/stories don't take too long to finish these days; the other day in a fit of pique I knocked out Southern Elsweyr's story quest twice in six hours, including a handful of side-quests.

That said, back to the OP's request of something to do, there's nothing I can suggest because, as has been noted here multiple times, motivation comes from within and while we may light a momentary spark of inspiration to do something, it's up to the OP to find enjoyment in it. Recently someone tried to convince me that completing the sticker book was something to do, and I tried it for a time. Unfortunately, I realized I couldn't care less about collecting sets from dungeons I don't enjoy much less gear I will never use so I've stopped. Interests ebbs and flows, these days I'm in maintenance mode, log in, do my writs, endeavours, housekeeping and call it a day so I understand the OP's issue.

And yes, I've knocked out every zone/story quest already on at least one character, collected every skillpoint/skyshard outside of PvP, which I abhor, and leveled all guilds/skills to max at least once, so yes, when Gold Road releases, I will be in that 20 hour boat in terms of content. Sure, there will be things to farm, but that's not content in terms of what the OP is looking for.

LaintalAy

I'm not sure that I understand the question.

belial5221_ESO

I tihnk OP misunderstood "extra content" .Extra content like I descrbed above is only stuff not included with basegame content (example DLCs not owned,craftbag,etc). It is not special exclusive explanded quests,zones,gear only for plus members.No point in subbing for so long,and complaining about getting what they told you you were getting.It's all outlined in benefits of subbing.

Desiato

There's an endless amount of activities in ESO. There's so much to do, it's not really possible for most players to do everything -- at least not while getting the most out of everything.

But that doesn't mean there's anything for you. Maybe it's just not your cup of tea. ESO can't be all things for all people. I tend to think one of the problems with the game is they try so hard to make it that.

It wasn't my cup of tea for years, so I just didn't play.

In regards to ESO+, not only does it allow players to play previous chapters and dungeon DLCs they do not own, but also the story DLC zones like Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Clockwork City, Galen and The Reach.. Most players I know who sub buy chapters, but not necessarily DLCs, so the value is decent enough.

It's unrealistic to expect ongoing high quality content without additional charges based on a single purchase when playing ESO through the B2P model.

ESO can easily be played like a single player game without ESO+ because a lot of storage isn't necessary if one is only playing for the quests. Questing is so easy, it can be done with dropped armor sets that don't even need to be upgraded.

But if one wants to play it like an MMO and get the most out of the game, the craft bag is definitely a requirement, at least to fill it up.

I've played without ESO+ during periods when I hardly login just to PVP, and it was np at all because my craft bag was already full and I just sold or destroyed rewards as I received them because I didn't care about them.

To each their own. I hope you find a game you enjoy more!

ArchMikem

Fashion, Housing, Achievements, just plain old Questing.

fred4

EdjeSwift wrote: »

... and the post calling them "not an MMO player then" seems rather harsh

That wasn't meant to be a value judgement, just a reflection on my own path. I played Oblivion and Skyrim. ESO was my first MMO. I started out as a quester, but the realities of the MMO kicked in soon enough. First in how other questers were ruining my immersion by being an extraneous presence. With a vengeance when I did my first random dungeon and everyone was rushing. That shattered the immersion completely.

Basically this changed my outlook. First I was aghast, but eventually game mechanics and other players became the focus, while storyline and questing fell into the background. In it's purest form that meant PvP, although difficult PvE group content has probably been the most rewarding. ZOS have a big role in setting up that environment, but at the end of the day it's the players and interpersonal dynamics who make or break your enjoyment, and who sustain you long term. in my case, I moved away from storylines and questing altogether. That's what I mean by being an MMO player as opposed to, say, an RPG player. You could be both, of course.

ikzaa

you can survey, steal, farm gold, farm craglorn, farm tel vars.

and all that gold/items you can send to my NPO.

The Ikzaa FOUNDATION for Cyrodiil War Veterans, Orphans, Dogs, Cats and stray Camels.

you will be able to sleep peacefully knowing that your effort makes a difference.

tincanman

I agree with OP that eso+ has lost value since the change in pace in dlc releases meant 1 less dlc per year. However, I think zos should/should have increased the monthly crown stipend by 125 crowns per month (1500c for dlc / 12 months) to compensate; the +10% archival fortunes should be a feature of eso+ anyway.

tincanman

Regarding things to do, that depends on your gaming preferences: play eso 1/year when the new chapter releases and play other stuff otherwise or play eso all year and maybe develop other characters although, admittedly, the latter is pretty much fubared post-awa except as class variants for pvp/end-game pve, extra craft daily mat/master writ generators for trading or just mules.

FlopsyPrince

I am an altoholic, so I don't ever see having too little to do.

But getting annoyed by the tedium and needlessly tedious things that many on the forum support makes that time more frustrating than it should be.

Focusing on "casual players" is also not a bad thing. I have never done Trials in ESO yet, in my 6-8 years playing, but I still have plenty to do. All of us do not want harder stuff. We just want to have fun building something (even if it is ultimately meaningless) over time. (Our characters.)

One thing that might be cool would be finding a way to generate 3D printable models of our characters. Those might not be worth ZOS making, but it might not be too costly to have someone make an automated script to generate a 3D printable figure of our toons!

opalcity

Just stop playing. Go play something else. It really is that simple. If you're not enjoying it, stop.

Sunk cost fallacy at work.

N00BxV1

As someone who has played this game for a long time, I also find myself running out of meaningful things to do in game.

I've completed every quest in every zone on my main, but there is not any reason nor do I care to do it again on my alts. And when a new dlc releases I'm done with it in just two days or less. I don't particularly care for the quests in this game because they bore me to death with all of the "1) Talk to NPC. 2) Run to one side of the map. 3) Do something. 4) Run to opposite side of the map. 5) Tell NPC you did something"... It really doesn't help that the overland combat is so easy and not engaging at all. It's a snooze-fest the entire time and I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible...

I've tried PVP, Housing, Trading, Crafting, Companions, Tales of Tribute, Role Play, mini-games etc. I just don't care about those things. I really only like to play group dungeons, and that's about all that I do these days. But ever since they started releasing only two dungeons per year, now I'm waiting eleven months out of the year for the next two dungeons to release, just so that I have something new and interesting to do. And usually when I login I'm just doing the same dungeons again and again all year long...

So yeah, I play alot of other games these days just to fill in the gaps...

PS:
I always purchase all content in this game so that I can play freely without depending on a subscription. And I subscribe to ESO+ just for the Craft Bag whenever I plan on playing for an extended period of time. Because let's be real. It's tedious as hell to play this game without the Craft Bag...

AnduinTryggva

mbeetley_ESO wrote: »

Hi kids,

I would like to have something to do in this game. But what do I get? Now I'm limited to one bit of new content a year, plus a bunch of exhausting events. I don't know, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I feel like I have about 20 hours of gameplay in this game every year. I get that there's no subscription cost so perhaps that's all I can expect, but still. Could you please give me a reason to play your game? And no, events are not a reason to play. They're a reason to hate repetitive gameplay.

I subscribed to ESO+ in part to get extra content. Biut you decided last year that "extra content" means "making the game work." FAIL. That is absolutely inappropriate. Making the game work is base content, not an add-on. I don't mind rethinking the whole Chapter/DLC thing, especially when CHAPTERS BECOME DLC AFTER ONE YEAR. So they're not even extra content, are they? It's all just DLC. So how about you stop trying to convince ESO+ subscribers that we're doing anything other than paying you to make your game work?

Let's face it. ESO+ is two things: Crafting Bag and Extra Slots in Housing. That's it. There is nothing more to ESO+. "Free" Crowns" Seriously? That's like Verizon saying they give you an iPhone for free. WRONG. We're paying for content. We get so little for the ESO+ subscription that any crowns we get are negligible. If somebody just wants to play the DLC dungeons, they're not going to waste their money on ESO+. And while I have no plans to unsubscribe at the moment, THAT'S NOT WHAT I SIGNED ON FOR. I signed on for access to content. Which has been essentially stripped from the subscription. It was 2 Dungeon DLCs plus a DLC mini-chapter. Now it's nothing more than one Dungeon DLC. So THANK YOU ZOS for stripping the content from my "subscription."

Oh, and to those who want the crafting bag to be free? PAY FOR IT. See above for an explanation if you don't get it.

We get extra content for free because ESO+ does not only extent to the dungeon DLCs but also the zone DLCs...

Of course you may think that one zone per year is too little. I can understand that. I am a bit split on this. Overall I am happy with one zone done well per year instead of two zones done less well. So overall I am ok as is. Also because I do the zone once and then only return for events, farming styles or trials/dungeons...

Vonnegut2506

20 hours of gameplay?! I call that the weekend. [snip]

[edited for baiting]