Change Drodda of Icereach

Shaloran · April 2016

Drodda of Icereach
This is the last boss in Direfrost Keep.

Now, before all of the L2P spam happens let me just say that I do not want the boss to be nerfed, but changed. Also, I don't want this change because of the difficulty of the boss; It's actually quite easy as most normal dungeons are.
My problem comes in with one attack. I'm referring to the attack in which the boss will stun a character and channel while gaining HP back.

The problem is, I play on consoles, and hardly anyone is EVER in the chat. Don't ask me why... maybe the prospect of actually having to talk to someone frightens them. The point is, I'm not able to explain the boss mechanic to them and I will be continuously doing that fight ALL day because they just simply except the attack and don't break free. All I would need do is simply explain to them that you need to break from the channel in order to keep the boss from gaining xp, but unless I message every single one of those players from their gamertag, I'm out of luck and have to keep doing the boss forever..

My fix? simply allow other players to cancel the attack as well. This way, I can interrupt the attack and not have to be dependent on my group (who I can't communicate with) to break free and I can actually continue with my life.

TL;DR- * The boss is nearly impossible to defeat without being able to communicate, so make it to where EVERY player can interrupt the channel attack.

Luigi_Vampa · April 2016

Where do you stop with that though? Do you nerf/alter all bosses that have mechanics that need explained? We don't need this stuff to be easier, you console players just need text chat or learn to use the voice chat you already have.

Shaloran · April 2016

Typhoios wrote: »

Where do you stop with that though? Do you nerf/alter all bosses that have mechanics that need explained? We don't need this stuff to be easier, you console players just need text chat or learn to use the voice chat you already have.

@Typhoios I would agree with you, but I run all of them and this is the only one that absolutely NEED to be done a certain way or you cannot complete it.

Also, it can just be similar to the Shadow Proxy boss in BC.. where anyone can disrupt it and experienced players can still carry. It's just a normal after all.

Shaloran · April 2016

If it were a Vet dungeon I expect more teamwork, but this is not.

Luigi_Vampa · April 2016

I just don't think mechanics need to be change when the fault is so completely just a result of players not communicating. I understand how frustrating it must be though.

redspecter23 · April 2016

I'd say the issue lies with a lack of communication options and not with the boss mechanics. Altering game mechanics to cater to those that choose not to use the in game communication is a bad path to start walking down.

Examine the reasons why the communication is poor and fix the core problem. Do not fix the trickle down effects of the core problem or you'll never find an end to it.

Shaloran · April 2016

redspecter23 wrote: »

I'd say the issue lies with a lack of communication options and not with the boss mechanics. Altering game mechanics to cater to those that choose not to use the in game communication is a bad path to start walking down.

Examine the reasons why the communication is poor and fix the core problem. Do not fix the trickle down effects of the core problem or you'll never find an end to it.

@redspecter23 I'm not sure what platform you're playing on, but on XBOX one, if players aren't in the group chat you have NO way to tell them anything.

The thing is, Normal dungeons don't really have bosses where you MUST be communicating to beat. They're not designed to. If it were a Vet dungeon, I wouldn't even bring it up because I would expect it. I've ran hundreds of normals and this is the only one like this. I should be able to carry this one just like the rest.

However, I do see the point in tracing the source. We DO need a way to communicate even if players aren't in the chat.

code65536 · April 2016

Um, there are mechanics in the normal dungeons. Not all of them. But a good number of them do have important mechanics.

Spindleclutch: Boss's AoE can one-shot most people if they don't get out
Banished Cells: Need to kill the feast orbs
Fungal Grotto: no special mechanics
Wayrest Sewers: no special mechanics
Elden Root: no special mechanics
Darkshade Caverns: don't kite the final boss into the green healing circles
Crypt of Hearts: no special mechanics
City of Ash: no special mechanics
Arx Corinum: don't stand in the snake's red circle, or it will heal him; hide in the bubble with the Lamia sings; the final boss will electrify the water if she's in it and will gain a damage shield if she's on land--try to position her in the water, and stack up on the shore next to her, so that she remains in the water (no damage shield), and your group is on land (not getting electrocuted)
Volenfell: yellow centurion will equalize the health of the centurions (healing others if the others are of lower health, draining health from the other centurions if it has lower health)
Tempest Island: one of the bosses will pick up and stun a player in a blue ball--that player must either break free, or if that's not possible, the other players must bash the boss to free him/her
Direfrost Keep: break free of Drodda's healing beam
Blackheart Haven: first boss has a kick that can knock you off the platform; the Wave Cutter first mate has a special attack that must be interrupted, or it can one-shot people; the Roost mother's fire spews can one-shot people who don't move out of the way; the final boss is an arse
Selene's Web: no special mechanics
Blessed Crucible: the penultimate boss and the final boss will but summon flame atronachs that will shield them and that must be killed
Vaults of Madness: the final boss will have phases where you must stand in the shield bubble near the boss or stand outside the damage area near the boss

Do you really intend to remove all of these mechanics?

Shaloran · April 2016

code65536 wrote: »

Um, there are mechanics in the normal dungeons. Not all of them. But a good number of them do have important mechanics.
Spindleclutch: Boss's AoE can one-shot most people if they don't get out

Banished Cells: Need to kill the feast orbs

Fungal Grotto: no special mechanics

Wayrest Sewers: no special mechanics

Elden Root: no special mechanics

Darkshade Caverns: don't kite the final boss into the green healing circles

Crypt of Hearts: no special mechanics

City of Ash: no special mechanics

Arx Corinum: don't stand in the snake's red circle, or it will heal him; hide in the bubble with the Lamia sings; the final boss will electrify the water if she's in it and will gain a damage shield if she's on land--try to position her in the water, and stack up on the shore next to her, so that she remains in the water (no damage shield), and your group is on land (not getting electrocuted)

Volenfell: yellow centurion will equalize the health of the centurions (healing others if the others are of lower health, draining health from the other centurions if it has lower health)

Tempest Island: one of the bosses will pick up and stun a player in a blue ball--that player must either break free, or if that's not possible, the other players must bash the boss to free him/her

Direfrost Keep: break free of Drodda's healing beam

Blackheart Haven: first boss has a kick that can knock you off the platform; the Wave Cutter first mate has a special attack that must be interrupted, or it can one-shot people; the Roost mother's fire spews can one-shot people who don't move out of the way; the final boss is an arse

Selene's Web: no special mechanics

Blessed Crucible: the penultimate boss and the final boss will but summon flame atronachs that will shield them and that must be killed

Vaults of Madness: the final boss will have phases where you must stand in the shield bubble near the boss or stand outside the damage area near the boss

Do you really intend to remove all of these mechanics?

@code65536

1. I didn't say remove the mechanic, just change it to mirror the Clanfear boss in Banished Cells so that I can do something about it in case the others don't get it. And that was just a suggestion.
2. I've never had a problem with any other one. The feast a couple times, but usually I can solo DPS the normal bosses (If my party isn't healing them). The problem is not people dying, it's them being a self-heal for the boss.

code65536 · April 2016

The normal dungeons are already way too easy. There's no need to further nerf them. The best way for someone to learn is to make a mistake. Stop trying to take away those opportunities for people to mess up.

Shaloran · April 2016

On my tank today, I actually kicked two of the members and tried to Tank it while waiting for the new party members. But guess what? They couldn't jump to the instance because we were in the boss room. I wiped and left the boss room, but the other guy did not and I couldn't tell him too because he wasn't there. Had to reform a whole new party.

I'm quickly seeing that the problem is with the console chat system. They have to do something. Meanwhile I will never run that dungeon again.

Shaloran · April 2016

code65536 wrote: »

The normal dungeons are already way too easy. There's no need to further nerf them. The best way for someone to learn is to make a mistake. Stop trying to take away those opportunities for people to mess up.

@code65536 Problem is I can't tell them the mistake. I see that now. Also it's not major.. just annoying and stupid on the part of the players. Especially when it happens over, and over, and over. You don't have to deal with it because you simply type and tell them.

code65536 · April 2016

Shaloran wrote: »

code65536 wrote: »

The normal dungeons are already way too easy. There's no need to further nerf them. The best way for someone to learn is to make a mistake. Stop trying to take away those opportunities for people to mess up.

@code65536 Problem is I can't tell them the mistake. I see that now. Also it's not major.. just annoying and stupid on the part of the players. Especially when it happens over, and over, and over. You don't have to deal with it because you simply type and tell them.

Nobody explained to me in chat that I had to break free of that. Or that it healed her. All the mechanics on all the bosses in this game are things that people, at some initial point, had to discover on their own. Some people have the luxury of bypassing that and learning it by way of being told about it.

Eventually, after enough wipes, maybe someone will start to wonder why the boss isn't dying. Maybe they'll start paying attention to the health bar and notice that it's going up when she's beaming. And maybe they'll start to think of ways to stop that from happening.

If there's anything that needs fixing, it's the communications on console. Not the mechanics. My only gripe with her is that sometimes my CC breaks don't seem to work even when I have a full stam bar, but I that's just ESO being its usual buggy self.