Can you Co Op on quests?

marshi1981 · June 2015

Bought the game for ps4 yesterday and im really impressed. I truly cant see whereball the complaints about the game are. However one thing is bugging me and I hope it is just me being a noob. So I went into a group with a friend yesterday and he decided to help me with a quest I was doing, only he couldnt help because he couldnt "see" the quest specific things (eg the ghost I was chasing). So can you jump into someone elses quest or do you both have to request the quest before you are both able to do it together?
I didnt think this would be an issue at first but I have other friends who are further along than me and have completed alot of quests. So does that mean they cant help me or vice versa on those particular quests?

AngryNord · June 2015

Evidently the fix so that anyone could help everyone on non-solo quests never materialised...

marshi1981 · June 2015

AngryNord wrote: »

Evidently the fix so that anyone could help everyone on non-solo quests never materialised...

Hmmm maybe not. But maybe I was doing a solo quest? It was a quest from an npc in the first area for the ebenheart pact (bleak isle I think?) So I would assume people can help with those quests???

Syntse · June 2015

Solo quests are in solo instances.

Yes both of you need to have the quest and be in the same step of the quest in order to progress it together.

Nebthet78 · June 2015

All quests (except group dungeons and sorta Craglorn) are actually solo. However, other than the Main, Fighter's and Mage's Guild quests, you can group up with your friend and do the quest together, BUT if they haven't done the quest yet and want credit for it, they need to ensure they have started it and gone through the same quest points you have.

marshi1981 · June 2015

Syntse wrote: »

Solo quests are in solo instances.

Yes both of you need to have the quest and be in the same step of the quest in order to progress it together.

Damn...that really sucks. So basically you HAVE to make sure you are not further along or behind with any of your friends or tgere is simply no point in playing the game with others?

Phaoryx · June 2015

Honestly, I'd leave most of the quests solo. Just do them with the people around you, maybe call in a buddy if you need help. But, my advice? If you wanna play with your friends, play PvP. You're all on (semi) equal footing (below 50 at least) in terms of stats, and it's just an overall blast to do with friends. Nothing better than taking your first keep with a good bud.

KerinKor · June 2015

marshi1981 wrote: »

AngryNord wrote: »

Evidently the fix so that anyone could help everyone on non-solo quests never materialised...

Hmmm maybe not. But maybe I was doing a solo quest? It was a quest from an npc in the first area for the ebenheart pact (bleak isle I think?) So I would assume people can help with those quests???

From memory the only time you enter a solo instance is during the final events as you're leaving (I won't spoil by describing this), everything else that I can remember doing on Bleakrock is open world.

One technical feature of the game that makes this more confusing than already has been explained (some parts of open world quest lines are solo instances) is the use of 'phasing' and there is a lot of phasing on Bleakrock once you've dealt with the 'skeleton problem' (again, not spoiling by saying more).

This is a feature which allows the game to make permanent changes to the world your character sees based on things they've done, this means that if you're playing with someone else even if you're not pursing the same quest right now, if you've done something that they haven't you'll both be put into different phases and thus not see each other. It also leads to you seeing someone running ahead of you and then suddenly fade away, that happens when they cross the 'phase line', it's bizarre to see it to begin with.

Phasing isn't new in this game, it's been around some time in others game such as WOW, but ZOS have used it extensively. It makes for far more realism because you can make permanent changes to the world just like in an off-line solo game, the price you pay though is a serious problem playing with others.

The 'fix' @AngryNord refers to was going to make this a lot less of a problem though it was never going to fix it because the phasing technology is DESIGNED to change what you see based on what you've done, but as Nord points out that point is moot anyway as ZOS never did what they said they'd do .. par for the course, sadly.

Nebthet78 · June 2015

Well, they will still get experience for the kills and what not, they will just have to go back and complete the quest themselves. If they don't mind repeating the things they helped you with there is issue. Quests aren't needed to take down World Bosses, Dolmens or to do the regular dungeons. Public and Group dungeons do have quests in them, but you can start those at the same time.

AngryNord · June 2015

Well, they fixed it for Craglorn, apparently, but obviously not for the rest of the game...

marshi1981 · June 2015

Phaoryx wrote: »

Honestly, I'd leave most of the quests solo. Just do them with the people around you, maybe call in a buddy if you need help. But, my advice? If you wanna play with your friends, play PvP. You're all on (semi) equal footing (below 50 at least) in terms of stats, and it's just an overall blast to do with friends. Nothing better than taking your first keep with a good bud.

Hmm this is a bit of a game breaker for me. Me and my friends are all at different lvls so basically if we play together its going to be a bore for one person. Thats just stupid. Yes when it comes to group specific dungeons it will be a blast and pvp will be fun also. But its a massive blow to more casual players who just want to run around doing easier quests and having a laugh

trinta · June 2015

When I have a friend join a game that I'm already fairly progressed in, I usually will make an alt to play with my friend until their character reaches the level of my main character. That way, they can progress and we can both have fun.

Syntse · June 2015

marshi1981 wrote: »

Syntse wrote: »

Solo quests are in solo instances.

Yes both of you need to have the quest and be in the same step of the quest in order to progress it together.

Damn...that really sucks. So basically you HAVE to make sure you are not further along or behind with any of your friends or tgere is simply no point in playing the game with others?

Most of the times yes. Of course friend can help to clear out some trash or so giving that they are still visible to him. This has been complained since the PC launch and they(ZOS) where going to do something about it but prolly forgot already.

traigusb14_ESO2 · June 2015

They did fix it up quite a bit. It is not even close to as bad as it was on PC release.

I have only had issues with "story chain" quests for zones (can't share them and often end up on different steps). Both cases today, I went and helped 2 different friends catch up to me. Both times the only issue we had was that the mobs were non-aggro to me by default, but aggro to them because they hadn't finished quests yet. At PC release we would have been phased apart.

There are still bad spots, especially if you choose different resolutions to quest hubs that alter who will own it after you do final quests... or quests with very weird scripting.... but is way better than it used to be.

Syntse · June 2015

traigusb14_ESO2 wrote: »

They did fix it up quite a bit. It is not even close to as bad as it was on PC release.

I have only had issues with "story chain" quests for zones (can't share them and often end up on different steps). Both cases today, I went and helped 2 different friends catch up to me. Both times the only issue we had was that the mobs were non-aggro to me by default, but aggro to them because they hadn't finished quests yet. At PC release we would have been phased apart.

There are still bad spots, especially if you choose different resolutions to quest hubs that alter who will own it after you do final quests... or quests with very weird scripting.... but is way better than it used to be.

Guess time goldens the memories. They may have changed some quests true. But still there are plenty of ones that you help to clear out towns of baddies where once done you are phased out of anyone that has not done it. Cannot remember how it is in other factions but AD had plenty of these and I'm quite sure they still exist.

traigusb14_ESO2 · June 2015

Syntse wrote: »

traigusb14_ESO2 wrote: »

They did fix it up quite a bit. It is not even close to as bad as it was on PC release.

I have only had issues with "story chain" quests for zones (can't share them and often end up on different steps). Both cases today, I went and helped 2 different friends catch up to me. Both times the only issue we had was that the mobs were non-aggro to me by default, but aggro to them because they hadn't finished quests yet. At PC release we would have been phased apart.

There are still bad spots, especially if you choose different resolutions to quest hubs that alter who will own it after you do final quests... or quests with very weird scripting.... but is way better than it used to be.

Guess time goldens the memories. They may have changed some quests true. But still there are plenty of ones that you help to clear out towns of baddies where once done you are phased out of anyone that has not done it. Cannot remember how it is in other factions but AD had plenty of these and I'm quite sure they still exist.

Not at all, my memory is fine. I tried to duo on early access PC and hit soooo many more phasing issues than I have today with the same quests. It may be that low level EP quests cleaned up better. It depends a lot on the original scripting. I'm sure other zones are worse (even in EP).

DLaren · June 2015

OP went from,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Bought the game for ps4 yesterday and im really impressed. I truly cant see where all the complaints about the game are.

To,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Hmm this is a bit of a game breaker for me. Thats just stupid.

...in less than a half a page; the heart-break is real.

marshi1981 · June 2015

DLaren wrote: »

OP went from,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Bought the game for ps4 yesterday and im really impressed. I truly cant see where all the complaints about the game are.

To,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Hmm this is a bit of a game breaker for me. Thats just stupid.

...in less than a half a page; the heart-break is real.

I eas hoping people would have said something along the lines of "no, your doing it wrong. THIS is how you co op." But obviously that was too much to hope. Im still very happy with the game, but I stand by my point that the way co op works is stupid. Its like they are confused as to whether they wanted to make a single player game or an mmo

Frawr · June 2015

marshi1981 wrote: »

DLaren wrote: »

OP went from,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Bought the game for ps4 yesterday and im really impressed. I truly cant see where all the complaints about the game are.

To,

marshi1981 wrote: »

Hmm this is a bit of a game breaker for me. Thats just stupid.

...in less than a half a page; the heart-break is real.

I eas hoping people would have said something along the lines of "no, your doing it wrong. THIS is how you co op." But obviously that was too much to hope. Im still very happy with the game, but I stand by my point that the way co op works is stupid. Its like they are confused as to whether they wanted to make a single player game or an mmo

There are various types of quest

Main story (solo)
Fighters Guild / Mages Guild (mostly solo, some overland bits can be done with a friend)
Zone quest hubs and side quests (solo or group)

You will enter a quest hub denoted with a black symbol on the map. When you complete the quest, you will notice that it changes to a white symbol. You might also notice that things change; mobs no longer aggro, the town is no longer sieged etc etc.

Once you complete a hub, you always see the completed 'instance'. If you have completed it and your friend has not then you will be phased into different instances as you run into the hub. This means someone who has completed it cannot do it again with someone who has not (unless something has changed!).

So basically, you can do the zone quests with your friends as long as you're all doing it for the first time.

I suggest saving the Mages/fighters guild quests for VR10 because the content dries up at that point and you have to do 4 levels of grind (the irony of this being that they nerfed Craglorn XP to stop us from grinding haha). Those Quest lines scale to your level though so they will mitigate some of that grind.

Caseyladner · July 2017

marshi1981 wrote: »

Syntse wrote: »

Solo quests are in solo instances.

"Yes both of you need to have the quest and be in the same step of the quest in order to progress it together.

Damn...that really sucks. So basically you HAVE to make sure you are not further along or behind with any of your friends or tgere is simply no point in playing the game with others?

"

I know... That is one of the only things I dislike about this game. My friend bought the game and I was hoping to play the game with him or at least help him with his quest when he gets on. The fact is I play a lot more than he does and I dont want to constantly worry that I am doing all the quest without him. It would be nice to be able to do some quest again with a friend who has not accomplished that same task. It is almost impossible to go side by side with another player through all the quests. You would have to really have someone who plays all the time or at least when you do which is not realistic. Anyways I am still loving the game besides this one set back.

Balsagna · July 2017

marshi1981 wrote: »

Bought the game for ps4 yesterday and im really impressed. I truly cant see whereball the complaints about the game are. However one thing is bugging me and I hope it is just me being a noob. So I went into a group with a friend yesterday and he decided to help me with a quest I was doing, only he couldnt help because he couldnt "see" the quest specific things (eg the ghost I was chasing). So can you jump into someone elses quest or do you both have to request the quest before you are both able to do it together?
I didnt think this would be an issue at first but I have other friends who are further along than me and have completed alot of quests. So does that mean they cant help me or vice versa on those particular quests?

You're still in that first month girlfriend phase. Call me in 6 months.

Stovahkiin · July 2017

This.. thread.... got....... Necroooooooooooo'dd

ZOS_Bill · July 2017

We are closing this discussion since it's been necro'd from all the way back in 2015. If this topic still interests anyone, feel free to start a new thread.