IcyDeadPeople wrote: »

When I started playing the game, I enjoyed the experience of dying multiple times and finally clearing PVE dungeons where all the mobs were several levels above character level. This was on the PTS, so if you entered a dungeon by yourself or with a friend, you would rarely find other players inside.

When the game launched, suddenly there were many other players everywhere and it seemed a bit ridiculous. You could do level 30-40 quests at level 5-10 because there were other players killing all the mobs.

Currently, if you really want a challenging PVE experience, the 4-man "group" dungeons are the only ones that you can do solo or with a partner. They are instanced, so you won't have lots of other players inside.

At this point, I'm no longer interested in any PVE content, so if I need to do anything in PVE, I'd prefer it to be as easy and fast as possible so I can quickly get a skyshard/skill point and return to Cyrodiil. I try to avoid doing any of the lowbie public or group dungeons until I'm max veteran level and can blow through them quickly.

Thanks for the tip, but I personally prefer to play as a lone wolf. I'd at least like a difficulty slider for solo dungeons. This'd make me a little happier, and wouldn't ruin it for guys like yourself who want it stay how it is.

Your poll betrays your arrogant, disdainful narrow-mindedness, and I refuse to play your little game by answering it.

I'm running three characters through Cadwell's, keeping them roughly neck-and-neck. In the VR2 zones, I decided to train up my Casters in Tank armor/weapons and my Tank in caster gear/weapons. The game, which provided a moderate challenge when I played my casters became a breeze as soon as I put them in HA and gave them DW/1HS setups. On the other hand, for my tank, the character for whom the game had already been a breeze, the game became a holy living nightmare once I put him in LA/DS/RS--at least until I had leveled up enough to unlock Force Pulse and some passives.

I'm sorry if the adrenaline-and-testosterone-addicted boys with the attention spans of puppies who think "It's a bad game if I'm not dying every five minutes" get bored when they fight trash mobs, but this game panders to them plenty. People need to be able to try out different builds without getting slaughtered. People need to be able to level up new skills. People need to be able to try new strategies and learn what works better without being unable to progress at all if they didn't pick exactly the loadout that more experienced, more skilled players would pick.

We need trash mobs to be TRASH. This way, we'll have practiced on them so when we're ready for a challenge, we can try the content that's supposed to be challenging.

Seriously, stop trying to take the learning-experience mobs away from those learning the game, the practice mobs away from those who need the practice. If Veteran Zones are too easy for you, then you are playing in the wrong zone. Go the the places aimed at you.

I don't find the enemies dumb at all. Oil + fire combos, melee keeping me busy while ranged does a AoE/cone attack ...

What part of the game is the enemies dumb? 1-50? Vet levels? Cyrodiil? Dungeons? Etc ...

Have to be WAY more specific.

Willyoke wrote: »

I'm not only asking for my enemies to have a damage boost, I'm also asking for them to be smarter. I've been testing the DPS of my enemy, and I can confirm that all enemies will attack within 2-5 seconds (this excludes when an enemy is charging an attack). FIVE SECONDS can go and you won't even be attacked. This is downright diabolical. I think enemies should be able to spam their attacks, or at least SOME enemies should be able to; like higher ranked enemies being smarter and more confident kinda thing. The generic guards can spam their skills and show no hesitation in kicking our arses, why can't our usual world enemies be like this? Or at least just a little more spammy, so that I won't feel like I'm just kicking a puppy every time I'm in a battle.

Also, I've found none of this to be true. If I use one of the charge abilities to get into a fight, the enemy has routinely fired off an ability before I've gotten in my second attack. Also, melee consistently consists of either three enemies flanking you each spamming CCs, knockbacks, and specials or (as of 1.6) everyone scattering and attacking you at range, making AoEs nearly useless, and often scattering far enough to pull another group of mobs into the fight.

I swear, it's like we're playing two different games here.

MasterSpatula wrote: »

Your poll betrays your arrogant, disdainful narrow-mindedness, and I refuse to play your little game by answering it. Get over yourself.

I'm running three characters through Cadwell's, keeping them roughly neck-and-neck. In the VR2 zones, I decided to train up my Casters in Tank armor/weapons and my Tank in caster gear/weapons. The game, which provided a moderate challenge when I played my casters became a breeze as soon as I put them in HA and gave them DW/1HS setups. On the other hand, for my tank, the character for whom the game had already been a breeze, the game became a holy living nightmare once I put him in LA/DS/RS--at least until I had leveled up enough to unlock Force Pulse and some passives.

I'm sorry if the adrenaline-and-testosterone-addicted boys with the attention spans of puppies who think "It's a bad game if I'm not dying every five minutes" get bored when they fight trash mobs, but this game panders to them plenty. People need to be able to try out different builds without getting slaughtered. People need to be able to level up new skills. People need to be able to try new strategies and learn what works better without being unable to progress at all if they didn't pick exactly the loadout that more experienced, more skilled players would pick.

We need trash mobs to be TRASH. This way, we'll have practiced on them so when we're ready for a challenge, we can try the content that's supposed to be challenging.

Seriously, stop trying to take the learning-experience mobs away from those learning the game, the practice mobs away from those who need the practice. If Veteran Zones are too easy for you, then you are playing in the wrong zone. Go the the places aimed at you.

I think the OP was talking more about making the mobs being smarter. So many of the fights are exactly the same. It would be as simple as having the AI select a different script package, or even randomizing it a little. It just gets a little boring with all the fights being one or two or maybe three different things. Before Cadwell's I made the mistake of leveling characters on every alliance. I think it couldn't hurt to have some the fights change it up just a little to keep things interesting my next around.

GreySix wrote: »

No.

I like to play the game as a nice escape into a virtual world, after a hard-day of work.

Couldn't say it better!
I get my challenges at work; gaming is leasure time. I love the exploration and quests of TESO, however I'm not looking for a game that kills me again and again.

Another reason is that the current difficulty level makes much more builds viable. If the difficulty would really be pushed towards Demon Souls level I would very quickly quit the game.

Haqikah wrote: »

GreySix wrote: »

No.

I like to play the game as a nice escape into a virtual world, after a hard-day of work.

Couldn't say it better!
I get my challenges at work; gaming is leasure time. I love the exploration and quests of TESO, however I'm not looking for a game that kills me again and again.

Another reason is that the current difficulty level makes much more builds viable. If the difficulty would really be pushed towards Demon Souls level I would very quickly quit the game.

This I can understand. But damn it, we need a way to balance this.

YourNameHere wrote: »

I don't find the enemies dumb at all. Oil + fire combos, melee keeping me busy while ranged does a AoE/cone attack ...

What part of the game is the enemies dumb? 1-50? Vet levels? Cyrodiil? Dungeons? Etc ...

Have to be WAY more specific.

I was. I said that enemies attack too inconsistently. Why would you just stand there smacking someone with your pathetic normal hits every, let's say, 2-3 seconds on average. They rarely even use any skills/spells. This is what I mean. It's like they're not fighting for their lives I do understand your point, but what they do is just not enough. And this combo you mentioned, is all scripted. It always happens in the exact same manner.

The VR 1-10 zones for Cadwell's Silver and Gold were a lot more difficult at launch, in April 2014, than they are now.
Many people complained about it on the forums, found the VR content to be too difficult for them and thought it was simply frustrating. Many even claimed that this was the main reason for them to quit the game when they had reached the veteran rank content. A few months later, those zones were made a lot easier (were given the difficulty level they still have now).

So I think, it would be unwise to make the majority of "mandatory" PvE content very difficult. Many people would find that a less enjoyable gaming experience.

My suggestion - which I have posted here before - was to add an optional hard mode to all new PvE DLC zones for those that like challenging solo content designed as solo content (it can be challening, of course, to solo content that was designed for groups, but that's a different experience). A hard mode that just offers a greater challenge and has some achievements linked to it, but doesn't offer better loot or XP would be a good solution for everyone I think.

Hocofaisan wrote: »

Well now. I love the Voting options!

The one the OP obviously disagrees with, come off as a slight.
Who would have thought.

Let me be the voice of the Majority of the Playerbase who doesn't frequent the forums or go to
Theorycraft sites for builds:

The game is just fine for them, and lets them "Play how they want to play..."
You know that little sentenced that was on the game's promotional materials?

You should be ashamed for your sad attempt at baiting people.

Agreed. The game is mostly fine the way it is. Some things may be a little UP, and some things may be a little OP. But overall, sub-vet, the game is fine.

Per the above quote, the probable majority just wants to play a game, as whatever character they want to create to express themselves, and have fun. The game achieves that objective. Like most overland, story-driven content, it's meant to appeal to the casual player who wants to experience the story and setting as much as they may want to 'win' the game. End-game and dungeons are meant to provide for a deeper challenge. I only wish the group finder worked. I have not been able to group for a dungeon with it for some time. And it's become increasingly difficult to get groups for dungeons sub-vet

And yes, this poll was somewhat biased by the very choice of language that was used to state the parameters of the poll

Psychobunni wrote: »

No, because harder enemies would likely completely negate the crazy random builds solo players come up with just to play for fun or whatever, pigeon holing builds even more and run some players off.

This is a solid point. However im not opposed to smarter enemies in the "harder" content such as craglorn trials n such.

I think pledges should be left alone otherwise they'll be unbearable when you need to find a 4th wheel to fill a role out of zone chat or something. Not to say random PUGs are bad, because some just arent social people, but it would ruin the experience for casuals if mobs got to strong or "smart".

You also make it sound like the game only ever has you fighting one NPC at a time which is almost never the case (unless boss)

yake82 wrote: »

Well, difficulty needs balancing in some areas

I dont think solo questing needs to be difficult. You do it for the story, roleplay and sightseeing.

Open world group pve is way too easy.
Dolmens for example, sometimes its feels like the mobs die to fall dmg when they arrive.

For instanced pve dungeons, it might be ok workaround to do them undermanned. You dont always have to be 4man group.

By your own damage or by vet 14 players clearing up low level maps?

Brandalf wrote: »

Yes, I miss the days of beta and doshia or even the VR zones before ZOS nerfed their difficulty into the ground. Bring back the challenge ZOS!

Vr zones werent nerfed. they were changed form group content to solo content.

They weren't hard. people always make this mistake. you got pigeon holed into a cheese build so you either 1) couldnt be touched or 2) played a game of attrition so you didnt die.

There was no challenge, fun, or difficulty about it. For most of the content all you needed was bombard light attacks and maybe magnum/draining shot. YEA so hard to cast 3 abilities......

unless you were a templar and it was blazing shield reflective light and breath.

People acting like the original vet zones were hard make me laugh.

Zhoyzu wrote: »

Brandalf wrote: »

Yes, I miss the days of beta and doshia or even the VR zones before ZOS nerfed their difficulty into the ground. Bring back the challenge ZOS!

Vr zones werent nerfed. they were changed form group content to solo content.

They weren't hard. people always make this mistake. you got pigeon holed into a cheese build so you either 1) couldnt be touched or 2) played a game of attrition so you didnt die.

There was no challenge, fun, or difficulty about it. For most of the content all you needed was bombard light attacks and maybe magnum/draining shot. YEA so hard to cast 3 abilities......

unless you were a templar and it was blazing shield reflective light and breath.

People acting like the original vet zones were hard make me laugh.

VR used to be a wall, it forced players to properly optimize their builds or fail. Compare the size of groups of mobs in Craglorn to groups of mobs in VR zones then tell me they were for group play. They weren't, period. That's just something ZOS told people to make them feel good. You didn't need a "cheesy" build, just an effective one. You had to optimize. Nowadays combat in VR zones is as simple as holding down the heavy attack button until the enemies are dead. No need for self healing, high DPS or high survivability.

VR used to force you to become a better player, no matter how you look at it what we have currently is a massive downgrade. Players don't have to learn mechanics or build optimization to be effective in any questing zones now. It honestly does players a disservice because they are usually in for a rude awakening once they get to endgame group content and figure out their build is terrible. All ZOS did was delay the difficulty wall, nothing more.