Solo play too difficult

poodlemasterb16_ESO

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Problem with mobs, is that there are only two skills that lock them down. Dark Talons and Eclipse- A dragon night skill and a sorcerer skill.

No other way to lock down mobs at all....

A couple of pets can make a difference.

Grandpappy

Problem solved. Went in and monkey stomped em !! They kicked them down a notch.

TicToc

Elmojito1000eb17_ESO wrote: »

Problem with mobs, is that there are only two skills that lock them down. Dark Talons and Eclipse- A dragon night skill and a sorcerer skill.

No other way to lock down mobs at all....

What? Eclipse is a Templar skill, not sorcerer, and not a CC ability, though Sorc's do have multiple abilities that will lock Mobs down for various lengths of time, but so do Nightblades. There are also multiple weapon abilities that CC enemies.

I think the problem that some people have is that they just run up to mobs and swing their weapon, and don't employ any tactic at all other than to try and brute force the mobs down. You have a wide range of abilities to choose from. Learn to use them. I have yet to come across a group of normal MoBs that I could not defeat. I have died to groups of 3, but then came back and used slightly different tactics and they went down easily. That tells me that the MoBs are not too strong, but that my initial tactics did not work for that situation, and needed to change things up.

Fights need to be challenging, or it gets boring. You need to figure out why you are dying and adjust your tactics accordingly. Maybe you need to look at some other abilities that you aren't currently using. It is hard to say what they overall problem is, but there are plenty of tools available to every class.

Vraneon

I thought about it and I still don't think the gameplay is hard in any way ^^. I managed to do the final lvl 43 mage and fighters guild quests with only lvl 34 and though I died at the endboss in the fighters guild quest a couple of times I still managed to finish them, even without the usage of potions.

So I would just suggest ppl who have problems with mobs or bosses simply ask other ppl, since this is a mmo theres always someone there who can tell you, how it could be done or post questions in the forums of how to use better tactics to do the mobs, etc.

If anyone has problems with the npc enemies id just suggest asking other players for help and hints, because if its even possible to kill bosses 10 lvls above without big efforts and preparation, just give it a few tries, then one cannot say the game is hard.

ESO is a game where you have to pay attention how you skill and think of your character build, if your build isn't viable or not playable, just reskill, it costs a bit but you actually shouldn't have problems with small mobs of the same lvl ^^.

jesterstear

I don't die much, but I find it really upsetting when I do, because you develop an affinity for the mmo character in a way I didn't with , say , Point Man or Sargeant Beckett playing F.E.A.R. games (spent a lot of time experimenting with new ways to gib them both).

I'd probably take a harsher death penalty in return for less frequent death. Up to and including being delevelled by it ! So long as the game plays fair, i'd be happy with it. Seeing them be killed is most of the punishment anyway. Lingering debuffs on your health bar feel like the game taunting you, reminding you what just happened.

It's weird how things change though. Level 15 up, my Templar tank/healer finally started to feel like one. It's a double edge sword, soloing becoming a real test of patience and index finger stamina, otoh I run through groups of mobs , agro a group of three, or even try my luck against elites with confidence now. Even if I start loosing, I know I can bug out safely.

Finagill

I found that silver arrows from the fighter's guild really helps in a lot of fights. I hit lvl 12 yesterday so I'm fighting slightly stronger opponents then you. I'm a dragonknight and I usually use 3 special abilities when I'm fighting.

If I'm up against 1 opponent I use a heavy attack, silver arrow, then if they are range I use the chains to pull them in and then knock them back otherwise I just knock them back. Repeat until they are dead.

For 2 opponents I alsways focus on the ranged one first. I use knockback when ever 1 of them is close and keep pulling ranged fighters to me as needed. I keep using silver arrows and regular atatcks when ever possible. I'm still getting used to all of the kiting in this game but it makes a huge difference. Stay out of the red areas and force melee fighters to follow you around while things recharge.

Chikara

I always go for the ranged and spell casters first since they can do the most damage. I've started running a Templar using a two hander and mostly ardent flame skills. one thing I like about that spec is that I have ranged (with my Ardent Javelin ) so I can do a knock back with that. I can then use my two hander charge to rush in and then switch to the ardent spear to usually finish them off - or get them close down to death. Now caveat is that my Templar is under 10, so we'll see what happens as he gets older.

I have an older nightblade where it's a tad more difficult to do solo but I still get by. That build is bow and siphon with a touch of assassination for fun. The knock back with the bow is a life saver and allows me to take on more than one mob. Two mobs attack I knock one back and concentrate on the other until mob 1 wakes up. Then I knock back the other one and rinse and repeat. Siphon helps me get a bit of health back.

I do agree that not all specs make soloing easy, but hopefully you can find the build that will work for you.

freddy_hgnrb18_ESO

I've been playing solo on my Ranger Nightblade from 1-17 (my current level)
I try to approach each combat based on what my enemies are .. if I can see one is melee and one is caster i'll usually Stealth Shoot the ranged enemy and then "Agony" (syphoning) to CC the melee enemy, and take them on individually.

I've been wanting to play as a Bow/Ranger purely, and picked complimentary skills to go with that process.
Syphoning for health recovery, Agony for CC, Silver Bolts for Magic attack (great against Daedra/Undead, Poison Arrow,

Hypersillyman

I've said it before, and many others have said it here, but the solution is really quite simple. Just make these fights doable by a group. Not public style, like the public dungeons, but a pre-made group. Form a group, go into the instance to do the quest, your group comes with you. Simple. That way, those who find it easy or who are struggling but enjoy the challenge can do the quest solo, and those who are having trouble beating the bosses can go get some help.

The problem is not that the bosses are too hard. The problem is that you are forced to solo in what is supposed to be a multiplayer game. This is not, as many have stated, a single player game. It is a MMO. Just as forced grouping is a bad idea, so is forced solo. It is the exact same thing in reverse. These quests should have NEVER been made solo only. By making them so, Zeni has created a paradox that they cannot seem to figure out how to solve. Many players want the content to stay as is to preserve the challenge and avoid "dumbing down" the game. Many others find the content too difficult and want it nerfed to make it easier. These two groups of players will never see eye to eye and there is no way to truly please both factions.

The compromise, that will satisfy the largest amount of people, is to leave the difficulty alone, and allow grouping for the quests.

Just my opinion. You mileage may vary.

Enjoy the rest of you day.

Yankee

I always solo level, only like to group for dungeons and PVP.

I like the game because it demands I have situational awareness.

Nightblade is more challenging than my DK or Templar was for me. I find the named solo bosses easier than a big group of normals, mostly because I am set up for single target DPS.

But I can't just dive into a big group of mobs and AoE them down like some classes/builds. At VR levels a 3 mob pull can kill me if I get careless but I can kill them and be at full HP if I do it perfect. That means stealthing,stunning,blocking, and healing at the right times.

And every now and then I get cocky or make a mistake and get killed. I am 56 years old and my twitch capabilities are slowing down I think. It simply cannot be caused by sipping on Crown Royal......

This game does require some thought when choosing skills because you cannot use many at a time. But the difficulty level just about perfect for me.

Come on now, if us old guys can do it........

Covyn

Contrary to what you are saying, much of this revolves around the build you use and the synergy you can create with it, rolling one skill into another for combined effects. An Example would be the DK's Dark Talons (AoE Root) coupled with say a destruction staffs Wall of Elements, Root 4-5 mobs and watch them burn as you stand safely away.

How you approach each scenario is going to be outlined in your build and you need to understand how you are setting it up. This game is not difficult for solo play...I even find myself at times looking at 10 dead bodies around me stating "I should have died". I crave difficulty, but that's a preference.

Now, beyond this if you truly do understand the game mechanics and feel you understand your build enough to claim competency then it will move into a gear/consumable conversation.

Is your gear at level? Have HP/STA/MANA regen? Raw stats a decent amount? Riding your soft caps? Did you neglect a stat? Dump Health and STA for pure magicka for leveling (not advisable unless you are very confident in what you are doing).

Never ever ever....discredit the power the crafted food. 50 - 400 (depending on level) extra hitpoints or STA or Magicka, OR ALL THREE have a very profound effect on the impact you make to an NPC.

And rolling back to your build here....are you making sure you are taking the passives? Sure that new ability is cool, and fun to look at...but the passives can make or break a build.

More than happy to help you try and figure out what is going wrong.

What level are you? What Class? What has been your approach to battle? etc. If you are not comfortable with it here, send Covyn a /whisper in game.

Best Wishes.

FYI, more often than not as you level, when you engage in combat you will be fighting 2-5 mobs at once. If you are totally built for single target engagement, you are in for a rough ride, unless you can burn them down fast one by one and survive the beating you take. This is totally manageable, but making sure you have, AoE, CC, or disengagement tactics play a large role...A good shield and a strong dose of hitpoints helps as well

MoMoOG

[snip] I have no problem taking on groups of 6-8 mobs even on my nightblade who is notoriously known as the class with the worst aoe options. Story bosses have been a joke. I can solo 90% of the open world bosses.

[edited for baiting]

reggielee

although I've been guilty of screaming at my monitor and having multiple 'pouties' with some bosses and the guild quests.... I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM NERFED.

I can say as a healer with only two (albeit awesome) damage spells I die alot. ALOT. on some of these solo quests. what do I do? learn to strafe properly and kite, save my dodges and rolls for the exact time to use them due to my limited stamina pool. try different strategies. if there are multiple mobs, pull one and concentrate on it till its dead, knowing im going to die too but at least when i rez there is one less mob to kill (only works for a limited time as they will respawn but you got a few good min to finish the rest)

when i do win.. and i do... its FLIPPING AWESOME. l learned alot of great techniques which i now apply to the rest of the game.

and yes, its class based and how you spec that matters. my DK toon has no survivability probs compared to my casters

Midas

expectation problem !!!

This is an MMO of Elder Scrolls series, wich mens you rarely should fight more than 2 enemies at a time

lichmeister

quietscribe wrote: »

This is a general comment about the difficulty level for people who are not in a group.

Basically I have found that when on my own, it is super difficult or impossible to kill some mobs if they are either:
* 2 or more at the same time
* Named quest mob

Sometimes I can -just- take on two mobs, but other times, dead, over and over and over again. It has somewhat lessened now I have the Ultimate ability, but even so, that isn't always available, and it doesn't always keep me alive. This has been happening even if I am a couple of levels (or more) over the mobs in question.

I just don't feel that the power level is right for the game right now. I am not an inexperienced mmo or general gamer by any means, and if I am struggling, (read: closing the game often in frustration at repeated deaths) then you can be sure that newer gamers are certainly going to be. It isn't because I haven't tried different build types either, as I have with different sorcerer, and templar, and still death is most frequent.

I like a challenge, but this isn't so much a challenge as an insurmountable cliff most of the time, and that just isn't fun. In an mmo especially, it is a dangerous path to go down because players will just up and leave without renewing their subscription.

This isn't just a small dismissable issue, it is a problem that I face each time I log in. It is the struggle to stay engaged in gameplay when each time I want engage more than one enemy, I end up having to wait around for another player just to be on the safe side, or avoid those mobs completely, which certainly isn't helping me level my character.

i have been having the exact opposite experience. most groups of 3 are easily crushed (healers can be a bother if i dont notice them early) i have a light armour sorc who usually destroys everything before they can reach me (pet helps cut off at least 1 of 3) and if they do, then i just backpedal and drop a couple quick blasts for the coup de gras. My heavy guys just charge in and go berserk.

i did have some issues when i first started playing but wiser game play solved those for me. replace your armours often (i use whatever comes along at low levels as long as its enchanted) and if you are dying check whether it is even working anymore! i had a couple annoying death sprees that had me raging mad at low level only to realize when i logged back in that my armour was all busted! use your quickslots. consume food while you adventure and use those healing pots. they are relatively small heals until you start crafting better ones but they will mean the difference between life and death.

watch your fellow players and see how they deal with groups. if you see a player with a similar skill set as you in a delve, follow behind and observe. you can chip in for some xp and lewt but you may find you will learn more by standing back and watching for a moment or three.

this is an mmo, however. yes you can run this game to the cap solo but you don't have to. use the group finder tools and use F to interact and invite people during delves and other quests. its a social game and you are not obligated to be social but you are paying cash to be online with all of us take advantage!

every time i see a thread like this it makes me wonder why none of these MMOs set up different servers with different rulesets. i, for one, would love to play on a Hard Mode server where all the npcs were a bit tougher/smarter/stronger. it seems like an obvious niche that no MMO that i am aware of is filling. /shrug

Vehadrah

Well I can understand trying to do the solo quests but that is just when you move on and go back to it later when you are a higher lvl. As far as soloing on an MMO? Well it is a game that revolves around grouping with other players and being social.

SivBarkuda

I've been playing Elder Scrolls since Arena and really enjoy this world.

I am primarily a solo player, it's the way I've been playing ES. Where I get ticked is when I get kicked out of my preferred play style and am forced to play the devs' way. Such as the Doshia fight. I can't call on friends for help. I can't play in 1st person if I want to see what's going on. Sneak attack, my primary ES method for 20 years, is not allowed in this game, or at least is so radically changed I'm going to need many more levels. And then, what really ganks me, is I have to solve Mechanics. If I wanted mechanics I'd go back to WoW.

So this whole "Play the Way You Want to Play" thing about ESO, seems to me like [snip].


So, yeah, I'm frustrated. I don't have the time or inclination to learn to be an uber-gamer, use all available options, have the perfect build and fighting styles. The lack of forgiveness in the system, particularly at low levels is really turning me off for this game.

[edited for profanity bypass]

paradoxorganisationb16_ESO

Midas wrote: »

expectation problem !!!

This is an MMO of Elder Scrolls series, wich mens you rarely should fight more than 2 enemies at a time

Umm you do need a good aoe/cc build or a sustain build. [snip]

Like 90% of the content after lvl 5 consist of fighting grps of 2 or more mobs. Unless you are deadset on your own ineffective build you just need to go do some research or a skillbuilder to make an effective build.

Both my chars have np soloing 10+ mobs and upto 2 dot elites.

[edited for baiting]

Ysne58

No it is not simply learn to play or learn to build issue. I'm disabled and cannot move fast enough to do everything one needs to do.

sheenajpowell

Well I've given up and cancelled my subscription. On top of problems with gameplay, the EU server being down when I want to play, and repeatedly being told to input a code they've emailed to me, because I am trying to access the game from a different PC/server, when I always use the same IP address and the same computer- leading to fears my account has been compromised- I have had enough even though I still have a couple of weeks of included game time left. I'm going to wait for the PS4 version and try that instead. This has been an immense disappointment.

SivBarkuda

stylernaku wrote: »

[snip]

Not everyone is a gamer with tons of time to perfect their playing ability. I'm a casual gamer that wants to play a build that worked in every Elder Scrolls game I've played since Arena, but doesn't seem to work here. Not everyone is just like you.

If Bethesda/Zen can't make ESO more like the Elder Scrolls I've been playing since the 90s they can kiss my subscription good bye and I'll go back to Skyrim.

[edited to remove quote]

paradoxorganisationb16_ESO

If you can't adapt to ESO playstyle and that certain builds works way better then others i would not continue if were you. It's not hard to lvl and if you think it's hard now think of VR 5+ VR dungeons and trails, you won't even get to try that.

thomas1970b16_ESO

I actually find solo play to be challenging, but not too difficult if you make sure to use your skills, and also adapt your skill bar to difficult situations.

Difficulty level is just right in my opinion.

hectorbeltran094pub19_ESO

To any night blade with this problem; If you have sword and shield it will make solo questing a lot easier, do this rotation for smooth questing: Mark target, Shadowy disguise, Surprise Attack, and Shield bash for the win or rinse and repeat

Censorious

Having to re-spec for fights is just plain silly design.

Right now at lvl 33 I'm facing a lvl 32 boss that I can't beat. I know why - his mechanic is to send out melee adds in groups. I need heavy armour and AoE to stop them.
But that's not my normal play style. It's not the spec I want for Cyrodiil. I particularly don't want to waste skill points on abilities I'll only use once in a blue moon if ever again.
The worst of it is, you get blocked by these encounters and can't progress your character until it's been cleared.

Apricot

Censorious wrote: »

Having to re-spec for fights is just plain silly design.

Right now at lvl 33 I'm facing a lvl 32 boss that I can't beat. I know why - his mechanic is to send out melee adds in groups. I need heavy armour and AoE to stop them.
But that's not my normal play style. It's not the spec I want for Cyrodiil. I particularly don't want to waste skill points on abilities I'll only use once in a blue moon if ever again.
The worst of it is, you get blocked by these encounters and can't progress your character until it's been cleared.

Agreed. If respeccing were even half-way reasonable this game design might be ok. As it is, it's over the top stupid and not something you wouldn't even consider doing more than once. It's like they had to make everything hard: inventory space, respeccing, solo content, limited action bar . . .

I beat Mannimarco after dying numerous times by stealthing, letting the NPC get aggro and taking the skeletons out one or two at a time. I beat the Orrery by running around and around and stopping to hit the boss when he paused to do his mechanic. Neither "strat" was anywhere near satisfying.

And then there is the ridiculous imbalance between classes and specs. It's NOT play as you choose. Not even close. My DK could kill frost trolls. My templer cannot. They're immune to CC and my attacks are incredibly weak against them. It's frickin' dumb.

The whole premise of the game appeals to a nitch player base. That's not going to fly for a sub based game, sorry. Most people want to feel more powerful as they progress. Most people would be playing chess instead of an MMO if they wanted to think four moves ahead.

One thing's for sure, I'll never play another F2P game. Ever. That leaves . . . WoW.

Elsonso

I don't like the term "respec" in this situation because it is misleading. It implies that you abandon whatever you have done so far and start from scratch.

Some players may be able to get away with a single "spec" for their character, but I don't think that ESO is a game designed to be played that way by everyone.

You are expected to tune your character to the obstacle you encounter, not the other way around. If that means different armor, or a different weapon, or a different skill, then take the time to do that.

In your attack on Mannimarco and at the Orrery, you did exactly as you needed to do. You adjusted your tactics to the situation at hand. You did not depend upon the uberness of the character to win the day.

As for Frost Trolls... I will have to get back to you. My templar has not encountered any yet.

Apricot

lordrichter wrote: »

You are expected to tune your character to the obstacle you encounter, not the other way around. If that means different armor, or a different weapon, or a different skill, then take the time to do that.

You're kidding right? You make it sound as if you can just run to a crafting station and craft all new armor and weapons and have all the tempers etc. and all your armor and weapon skill lines will have points in them.

What you're suggesting here isn't even possible, especially at lower levels. Not to mention spreading out your points like that results in an incredibly weak character. As if they aren't pathetic enough already.

"lordrichter wrote:

In your attack on Mannimarco and at the Orrery, you did exactly as you needed to do. You adjusted your tactics to the situation at hand. You did not depend upon the uberness of the character to win the day.

Exactly. And this is exactly why I'm not going to be around for long. I'm not playing an MMO to feel weak or mediocre. When I'm put in a solo encounter I expect to beat that encounter going toe-to-toe uber style. As I said earlier, if I wanted to play a strat-think-four-moves-ahead game I'd be playing chess, not an MMO.

These are the things that have made me dislike my character. These are the things that have put me off the game. I don't want to have to go online to study strats for a single player encounter or die several times figuring it out (especially with the repair costs being over the top like everything else in this game.)

lordrichter wrote: »

As for Frost Trolls... I will have to get back to you. My templar has not encountered any yet.

I'll share my low level templar strat regarding frost trolls: Put a point in heal. Put it on your bar. Spam it while guzzling magika pots as you run away. Get to safety. Reroll a sorc.

GhostlyEnigma

Ok normally I don't post on a games forum but after seeing all the posts here I feel I must speak up. I'm sorry but to them that are saying the game is "to hard solo" no it is NOT it is in fact just right yes you have to think about how you are going to take on a boss or group of mobs this is good its something that has been missing in MMO's for some time now. If you can't handle having to think ahead, prepare for a fight, or work up a different way to take on a fight then I'm sorry but ESO most likely is not the game for you there are plenty of MMO's out there that are made just for players like you how ever.

Apricot

GhostlyEnigma wrote: »

Ok normally I don't post on a games forum but after seeing all the posts here I feel I must speak up. I'm sorry but to them that are saying the game is "to hard solo" no it is NOT it is in fact just right yes you have to think about how you are going to take on a boss or group of mobs this is good its something that has been missing in MMO's for some time now. If you can't handle having to think ahead, prepare for a fight, or work up a different way to take on a fight then I'm sorry but ESO most likely is not the game for you there are plenty of MMO's out there that are made just for players like you how ever.

I agree it isn't the game for a lot of disappointed players. Not the game for me, anyway. And that's fine. I'll move along without too much angst. If you enjoy it that's fine too - glad you're having fun.

BTW, it's not that most people can't handle having to think ahead and so on, and in most cases MMO's do require you to do just that, but it's more of an endgame thing. Here it's the magnitude and the inconsistency. I don't want to play that game. I don't want leveling to be a freaking chore. And I don't want to feel my character is "blah."