Instead of just simple and repetitive daily crafting quests, I would really like to see something from WoW's ancient past brought into ESO...

And that would be a quest line to acquire or assemble a truly epic weapon, one of your choice or one that is particularly well suited to your class/build.

Back in the bad old very early days of WoW you could pursue a quest to build an epic bow, Rok'delar or somesuch it was called. Each class had their own unique weapon quest, and it was an absolute bloody ordeal to complete, but I recall that the quest was largely a solo endeavour. There were parts where you might need some help from maybe one other player, but it was mostly something the soloist could take on with enough time and determination. I recall it took a very long time to complete all the pieces and assemble the weapon, but it was a really great quest with a heck of a reward. Yes, of course, later expansions eventually rendered it obsolete, such is the nature of power creep in any MMO, but there's no reason you couldn't have replacement quests for better ones in the future. Maybe they did, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Casual players want good gear too, the best if they can get it, and they're certainly willing to work for it, but they just can't do it on a raiding guild's timetable, with 4-5 hour straight play sessions, and I don't think they should be punished for that. How about an option to progress your character in difficult but solo/duo bite sized chunks? As others in this thread have mentioned, being excellent at playing one's class isn't exclusive to the raiding/trials crowd. Some casual soloists are also very very good at this, playing without any kind of support, and I think it would be fun to give them (myself included) something really epic to chase down or build over time. There are so very many ways this could be tied into the crafting system or weapon skill lines or other achievements that don't require a group.

TL;DR for most comments

All i can tell you is, that if you watch some of ZOS' streams or podcasts, you should realized that there are currently two new solo conent zones in preparation, both for V10 or higher (rather higher I assume, or as a gap-closer for those who don't like Craglorn).

The first one is Orsinium and the second one is located somewhere in the EP but I unfortunately forgot its name.

Note: These zones are still in rather early development so I would'nt expect them this year and probably also not too early in 2015, March/April would sound realistic to me, could also be completely wrong, just my own assumption on the current Information given by ZOS.

Nebthet78 wrote: »

Unfortunately, it is more common to come across these "idiots" in the game than a lot of people realize. Once you have come across three or more of them, you don't bother trying any more. They have worked to ruin the fun for other people.

I've worked out criteria for myself to seperate the wheed from the chaff, which are quite simple, yet effective to remain sanity:
- no involvement with people standing around naked in towns
- no involvement with anonymous invitations
- no interaction with people that jump around you to get your attention
- no involvement with people who strike quest-npcs with their weapons to express whatever they want to express this way
- I excuse myself and exit groups if people tell me what skills I have to use
- no involvement with node-ninjas

That eliminated a huge amount of people I otherwise had to endure.
If I don't find anyone at a specific moment because of the list of "death-criteria", I do something else, because the NPC most likely will be there when I come back.

I'm playing MMOs way too long to bother with people I wouldn't invite for a barbecue.

I haven't had that happen to me yet, it's just plain rude.

Also, I need like 8 more insightfuls... hahahahahaa

hutchinsonhatch wrote: »

Nebthet78 wrote: »

Unfortunately, it is more common to come across these "idiots" in the game than a lot of people realize. Once you have come across three or more of them, you don't bother trying any more. They have worked to ruin the fun for other people.

I've worked out criteria for myself to seperate the wheed from the chaff, which are quite simple, yet effective to remain sanity:
- no involvement with people standing around naked in towns
- no involvement with anonymous invitations
- no interaction with people that jump around you to get your attention
- no involvement with people who strike quest-npcs with their weapons to express whatever they want to express this way
- I excuse myself and exit groups if people tell me what skills I have to use
- no involvement with node-ninjas

That eliminated a huge amount of people I otherwise had to endure.
If I don't find anyone at a specific moment because of the list of "death-criteria", I do something else, because the NPC most likely will be there when I come back.

I'm playing MMOs way too long to bother with people I wouldn't invite for a barbecue.

Quoted for absolute agreement!

hutchinsonhatch wrote: »

Lord_Kreegan wrote: »

These are MMO's, not MGO's. Forced grouping is as stupid as forced solo content. Let players cooperate or not as they wish, suffering the consequences if they don't when they should, and having the freedom to choose when they want to.

I agree with the cut out parts, but the quoted paragraph strikes me as odd.
There are no consequences for not assisting as far as I have played. I stepped into the public dungeon in Greenshade today and thought I could try for the "group-challenge"-achievement as well. There is a huge Daedroth that provides the achievement.

Around were two other players who at least struck the other bosses when I fought them, so I took it for a no-brainer that there is a kind of mutual interest to kill the Daedroth as well.
Oh, how wrong I was. I engaged, had the beast to around 50% and begged for those two to step out of the shadows to assist, because I was out of magicka and could neither heal or dodge any more. There stood my two heroes, watching. I got killed, no resurrection whatsoever, they engaged again, killed him and I got a tell, saying "See, noob, that's how it's done."

My take is that just about nobody would even care to "assist", if a succesful strike didn't guarantee EP and/or loot, so even the assistance is bought at a steep price already.

And those are precisely the sort of players I would hunt down just to add to my ignore list! That's seriously dysfunctional! Sorry you had to run into that sort.

Cherryblossom wrote: »

that would PsVE ie. Players Vs Enviroment.

I would agree that half the fun at end game is grouping up to do these things, but in this game currently you have to group up to reach end game!

Considering that originally the endgame started when you finished off Coldharbor, everything beyond that was endgame stuff... I remember when VR1 was THE threshhold you had to meet. You couldn't even level from 50 to VR1 until you beat the main questline.

Lord_Kreegan wrote: »

...
These are MMO's, not MGO's. Forced grouping is as stupid as forced solo content. Let players cooperate or not as they wish, suffering the consequences if they don't when they should, and having the freedom to choose when they want to.
...

This!

Zenimax should make grouping as easy as in SWTOR: Every solo or group dungeon (instance) may be entered by a single char (perhaps with a pet) or by a group (again perhaps with pets filling up the group to 4 members). No forced solo, no forced group. On the other side the loot, gold and items (and perhaps achievements or titles) should be calculated properly and fair, high risc high price, low risc low price.
We casuals will be enjoyed, the pros cant complain, if the loot is fair.

SteveCampsOut wrote: »

kijima wrote: »

Yes you could level past 50 before finishing the main questline, I was VR2 before I killed Molag.

I was busy in PvP from late 40's till VR2 as I was progressing for a while there, however I needed more skill points and shards etc so I needed to get to other PvE zones and had to defeat Molag to do so.

What most people mean by can't get past 50 to the VR levels is they couldn't access the VR zones til they kill old Moldy Baldguy..... just sayin'....

Hahaha you can access craglorn once you reach v1... My alt toon is a v10 sorc and I haven't killed the big bad boss yet... Probably won't ever hahaha I dislike the class lol.

SteveCampsOut wrote: »

hutchinsonhatch wrote: »

Nebthet78 wrote: »

Unfortunately, it is more common to come across these "idiots" in the game than a lot of people realize. Once you have come across three or more of them, you don't bother trying any more. They have worked to ruin the fun for other people.

I've worked out criteria for myself to seperate the wheed from the chaff, which are quite simple, yet effective to remain sanity:
- no involvement with people standing around naked in towns
- no involvement with anonymous invitations
- no interaction with people that jump around you to get your attention
- no involvement with people who strike quest-npcs with their weapons to express whatever they want to express this way
- I excuse myself and exit groups if people tell me what skills I have to use
- no involvement with node-ninjas

That eliminated a huge amount of people I otherwise had to endure.
If I don't find anyone at a specific moment because of the list of "death-criteria", I do something else, because the NPC most likely will be there when I come back.

I'm playing MMOs way too long to bother with people I wouldn't invite for a barbecue.

Quoted for absolute agreement!

hutchinsonhatch wrote: »

Lord_Kreegan wrote: »

These are MMO's, not MGO's. Forced grouping is as stupid as forced solo content. Let players cooperate or not as they wish, suffering the consequences if they don't when they should, and having the freedom to choose when they want to.

I agree with the cut out parts, but the quoted paragraph strikes me as odd.
There are no consequences for not assisting as far as I have played. I stepped into the public dungeon in Greenshade today and thought I could try for the "group-challenge"-achievement as well. There is a huge Daedroth that provides the achievement.

Around were two other players who at least struck the other bosses when I fought them, so I took it for a no-brainer that there is a kind of mutual interest to kill the Daedroth as well.
Oh, how wrong I was. I engaged, had the beast to around 50% and begged for those two to step out of the shadows to assist, because I was out of magicka and could neither heal or dodge any more. There stood my two heroes, watching. I got killed, no resurrection whatsoever, they engaged again, killed him and I got a tell, saying "See, noob, that's how it's done."

My take is that just about nobody would even care to "assist", if a succesful strike didn't guarantee EP and/or loot, so even the assistance is bought at a steep price already.

And those are precisely the sort of players I would hunt down just to add to my ignore list! That's seriously dysfunctional! Sorry you had to run into that sort.

Very weird, I have never run into people not helping on bosses except the ones who run for chests and heavy sacks.
Just hitting it a few times to get boss loot.

Generally people are nice, common courtesy is to delay killing an world boss if you see someone come running.

Holy wow some people sure have a different opinion here about solo play.

Just so that you all know, WoW is very good at catering to solo play. Old raids and dungeons are great for soloing when farming old achieves and mounts. Even pets these days.

Naturally Zos screwed that up by scaling dungeons.

Ill be waiting for more solo play.