If they didn't raise cap they would of simply added better gear. End game level progression or end game gear progression we would of arrived in the same place.

Mighty_oakk wrote: »

If they didn't raise cap they would of simply added better gear. End game level progression or end game gear progression we would of arrived in the same place.

Or they could have retained the old cap but introduced gear that presented new options, rather than new power levels.

It didn't have to end up this way.

As a single PvE player I can say that raising the cap was a bad thing, really. Although 4 of 5 characters of mine that were VR14 before the update hit VR15 with the update (one was a few % away, so I could grind it out), but another VR14 was at about 40% progress to VR15 and was at 47% after the update.
I cannot level up in ANY way since I don't get any significant XP that would be worth to continue with. Outside-mobs give 0,02-0,03% XP, public dungeon mobs give 0,01% XP (even with XP pots!), really, I could swear this was a LOT higher before the update! Trying to grind it out at the Oger camp in Reaper's March caused another player to send me away since it was "his" grinding spot. So.. uhm, yeah. These high VR characters of mine are all Tamriel Heroes, so there are no quests to do anymore (except for a few single ones which I've missed to do).

Another character which I'm currently dragging through all zones just hit VR13 in Greenshade yesterday which is a VR8 Gold zone for me. I almost got no XP anymore until I entered Malabal Tor when Greenshade was completed.
The cool thing is that, due to the decreased amount of XP we need for a rank, it's the first time I made it to 5 ranks above zone rank (previously up to 4 maximum), so I thought I'll try to hit VR16 during questing in PvE land. The bad thing is, the 5-rank/level barrier still exists, so I will definitely not be able to level up to max level in the end, as I stated above in the first paragraph. I guess if I'm lucky I can hit VR15 during quests, but not any higher than that. This sucks!!

Another thing: why the hell can we only obtain VR10 water in Craglorn? Why not in VR10 zones (Reaper's March, The Rift, Bangkorai)??? Wouldn't have putting it in these zones the normal thing to do?

Farorin wrote: »

I agree that they didn't need to raise the cap, but I don't think it was to "force" anyone to do anything, I think it was just a bit of hasty development, and rather than creating some real lateral progression which takes more time, energy and thought, they just added some more vertical progression, seeing as how it is quicker and easier to do that.

I think that taking all of the things together (new currency, new materials, no overland harvesting, increase in cap, new sets and crafting stations, increased importance of dropped vs. crafting) I would say that it was precisely to make players feel pressured to get into the PvP morass in IC.

I would say that "forced" is always going to be strong word, but I think the intention was always to draw players towards this new grind. I actually feel that I want to give ZOS credit in this, I don't think this was hasty or rushed development. I think it was planned with the mechanical aspects of this DLC working together to pressure players to buy it and join in.

I think it is an evil that we would have been spared if they had stayed true to their vision, and their customers, and retained the sub.... but when they abandoned that, they abandoned all pretense towards having any other factor driving the production of content. This isn't about making the best MMO ever, this isn't about artistry in content, this isn't about enjoyable mechanics and true replayability (rather than just grinding). This is about selling as many copies of the DLC as is humanly possible. And in creating content that supports that goal through exclusivity of materials and new grinds? I think they did quite well.

[EDIT: Minor spelling changes]

Arato wrote: »

ZOS should be ashamed.

Why? The people who won't pay for it are playing a free game.

If you want to play for free, then there are downsides.

Iluvrien wrote: »

Farorin wrote: »

I agree that they didn't need to raise the cap, but I don't think it was to "force" anyone to do anything, I think it was just a bit of hasty development, and rather than creating some real lateral progression which takes more time, energy and thought, they just added some more vertical progression, seeing as how it is quicker and easier to do that.

I think that taking all of the things together (new currency, new materials, no overland harvesting, increase in cap, new sets and crafting stations, increased importance of dropped vs. crafting) I would say that it was precisely to make players feel pressured to get into the PvP morass in IC.

I would say that "forced" is always going to be strong word, but I think the intention was always to draw players towards this new grind. I actually feel that I want to give ZOS credit in this, I don't think this was hasty or rushed development. I think it was planned with the mechanical aspects of this DLC working together to pressure players to buy it and join in.

I think it is an evil that we would have been spared if they had stayed true to their vision, and their customers, and retained the sub.... but when they abandoned that, they abandoned all pretense towards having any other factor driving the production of content. This isn't about making the best MMO ever, this isn't about artistry in content, this isn't about enjoyable mechanics and true replayability (rather than just grinding). This is about selling as many copies of the DLC as is humanly possible. And in creating content that supports that goal through exclusivity of materials and new grinds? I think they did quite well.

[EDIT: Minor spelling changes]

Very good points. I hereby reward you with an "Insightful"