Gameplay experience after v10

AtheWunder · October 2014

This is an issue that has been bugging me for quite some time. I dont want this to be negative, but I do want to voice my opinion.

I love the game and have played every single day since 3/30. I have several vet chars and have 1 of those that I consider my "main" that has all the acheivments, 50 in all crafting, etc. I took that character through all of the main story, cadwell's silver and cadwell's gold. As already stated, I then focused in on acheivements and aside from the timesink of collectibles and fishing, i've done them all.

There is nothing left for me to do with this character other than pvp and craglorn i.e. grouping. I do not want this post to be a flame about solo vs. grouping and this is an mmo blah blah. What this post is about is how much the game changes from lvl 1 to v14. It is an almost entirely solo effort all the way up to v10. You may group for the occasional dungeon, for dolmens and world bosses, but you are not obligated to and there is plenty of other content to look forward to if you do not want and come back later at a higher lvl and solo that stuff.

But once you hit v10 (assuming that is the lvl you finish cadwell's gold) there are no choices but pvp and craglorn. And when I goto craglorn most people are grinding. So for me to reach v14, I have to do an extremely boring grind of killing the same stuff over and over and over. There is some zone chat about needing help with quests, but most of the quests are tiered and if I am not on the same step of the quest or do not have the quest it doesnt help me much.

I would like to see more options after cadwell gold, that will continue the same gameplay experience i was used to from lvl 1 to v10. I have started lvl'ing alts and am still having fun with doing that, but would like more choices at higher levels that reflect the earlier game play as well.

Chufu · October 2014

Mh, I leveled since Vet 10 in the Aetherian Archive (our guild makes 1x per week for the lower Vets a farmrun for the first two bosses) and in dungeons and pvp.

I think it's very funny to do something with the guild AND get experience too.

I know there are a few other ways to get faster to vet 14 (lol @ scorpion-grinders and hircines henge grinders in craglorn), but that's veeeery boring that grinding.

In my opinion you should do something together with your guildmates, that's the funniest thing to get a higher level and have some fun!

Magdalina · October 2014

I'm not much of a grouping person myself, but I suggest you try to do something with guildies/friends, it can actually be really fun. Some of Upper Crag delves are really cool, vet dungeons are fun(especially COH), DSA gives great experience, too. I never grinded on my vet 14 main and I had no problem getting to max level. I was vet 12 before I even started Craglorn(too many vet dungeons and anchors farming for that daedric generals achievement, lol), and when vet 14 came out I got to about 13.5 just by doing Upper Crag. Then I just ran COH til vet 14 trying to get no death XD I got it eventually, too, but I actually reached vet 14 way before that.

Far as grouping in Crag goes, a lot of quest are dailies which can be done with anyone, it's only main story you'd have problems with. Which they promised to fix but still haven't, unfortunately. It's not impossible to find a group though, I see players looking for group for certain quests a lot. Besides, you don't actually need 4 people for most quests(except the couple where you need them to press 4 buttons or something), you can perfectly 2-3 man most of Lower Crag, even solo some of it if you're good.

Audigy · October 2014

The game sadly has a very poor design choice in that matter, same like WOW. WS and many more of the recent MMOs.

Players don't learn anything about the MMO aspects until max level but then suddenly they must be able to know and feel like an MMO player.

There is simply put not the slightest chance to group and make online buddies until you hit max level - its a shame that it is like that.

AlnilamE · October 2014

The dungeons in Craglorn are pretty nice. I haven't tried upper yet, but I got all but one in lower Craglorn.

KingRebz · October 2014

Thats why we need housing, duel arenas, farming skill as well as construction to last us for ages..oh and an auction house? Auction houses are like a pragmatical skill that you level up through getting bargains and selling items ripped off..lol if only

AhPook_Is_Here · October 2014

I have 2 vr 14 characters, and have done the gold and sliver on both. Feels. I have done very little grinding on both but have done a few hours worth total. Doing repeatable AVA quests gets you there if you like ava. A lot of people have some natural aversion to ava, but if you haven't given it a few hours time to try it out you should as Zeni has spent a lot of resources making that aspect of the game.

Grouping in Craglorn for all the group quests is a fast way to level if you have a small group of friends that can play regularly. You can get from 10 to 13 just doing those quests and the delves. Many people don't bother with them and prefer to grind so I think Zeni seems to be reducing their focus on quests beyond 10 in favor of what the players want which seems to be, grinding.

The whole VR system is supposedly going away soon anyway, and the incremental difference between VR12 and VR14 gear is less than 5% so if you choose to neither grind nor ava you won't be missing out on much beyond the content itself.

They do need more single player content, but most mmos don't release much beyond the main story. I hope this game breaks that trend to extend something beyond the current offering.

bellanca6561n · October 2014

Audigy wrote: »

The game sadly has a very poor design choice in that matter, same like WOW. WS and many more of the recent MMOs.

Players don't learn anything about the MMO aspects until max level but then suddenly they must be able to know and feel like an MMO player.

There is simply put not the slightest chance to group and make online buddies until you hit max level - its a shame that it is like that.

Precisely and it is widespread. The skills that work in leveling your character work against you in group play.

I recall reaching maximum level in Lord of the Rings Online and my first group leader told me, in a pleasing cockney accent, that he'd never encountered anyone reach so high knowing so little as I had. He was right of course but it was a memorable way to begin what became an online game friendship.

Actually I think he was a wood elf, but I digress....