I think I'm officially done with VMA. Although I've only cleared it 3 times that was enough. I really do like the place as its good for teaching you how to use your build more effectively and become more situationally aware.

However on the negative side its expensive to keep running in terms of gear repairs and potions, there are still far too many bugs, lag, fps drops, shields only going off after I resurrect instead of when I actually need them, and despite knowing the mechanics and what to do when I still get my backside handed to me at times and its really just not worth the aggravation and stress only to be rewarded with a crap armour piece only worthy of deconstruction.

On top of that there are far more fun things that I could be doing like being sociable with guild mates, running trials, doing quests, group dungeons etc. Banging my head against a brick wall of a useless RNG system designed only to frustrate rather than reward just isn't worth more of my time.

For me the last boss is a pain. Everything up to that is relatively easy by comparison but that last fight can be a nightmare. The number of times I've been behind the floating wall when smashing crystals and still been knocked into the lava is a joke, then you get stuck on a rock trying to get out of the lava only to have your face melted by a crem guard lol.

How you guys can do 100+ runs is beyond me. I think I'd have lost my mind by now if I hadn't already lol

After my first complete I started to appreciate the design of the place. I actually quite enjoy vMA now...for the first hour or so. As the time gets close to ~1:20ish (a safe target to stay on leaderboards) the pressure mounts and the worry that the whole run is for naught. Because there's a helm of hunt waiting in the final chest for me, and leaderboards are the only way to get any rewards out of running the trial.

Well I officially gave up and started playing a new mmo had the staff but there were other things I wanted that never dropped, that and the stam dk buffs just indicate how little interest they have in endgame things.

It's called Random Number Generator for a reason, some people just get screwed royally. They could change the drop rate on the last boss to 100% up from the current 50% and it would still happen to people.

Currently the chance of getting a specific maelstrom weapon is about 1/24 = 4,167%, meaning with the current droprates if you had perfect luck you should have 3 of every weapon, but I'm sure you have a lot of duplicates. A friend of mine is currently on a 5 S&B drop streak. Randomness is really annoying, no doubt about it, but unless ZOS changes the entire way drops work then it won't ever change.

NateAssassin wrote: »

Why would you even do vMA once? It's pointless to even try to finish it.

The maelstrom weapons are seriously good. the Maelstrom fire staff boosted my DPS by a lot.

I understand your pain OP. by the looks of it, i'm working on decking out entire ESO community with Maelstrom maces and shields at this point.

Shader_Shibes wrote: »

@Ch4mpTW

Pretty sure you need precise on Resto, not sharpened. Not trying to burst your bubble here.

It depends on class. if he's a nightblade or templar he can easily put that trait to use.

This thread for Live

This thread for PTS (DB) - 12 pages of frustration, ZOS not giving a ***

Not sure if it'll help but I saw someone mention that one of the champion point passives gives you better loot from chests. They said after using that passive they started receiving more weapons from VMSA... Maybe a coincidence or maybe not?

It was on a thread I saw a while ago.

RNG Alice and well.

Only managed to compete it six times for following rewards:
1) Maelstrom mace can't remember trait cos enchant so rubbish I will never use it anyway
2) Maelstrom ice staff defending
3) Maelstrom fire staff sharpened.

So I have been really lucky with number 3 but still on the ones where I got a hat of succession or glory I feel your pain. All that effort for such a rubbish reward.

Just glad I got the sharpened stick before patch.

Ch4mpTW wrote: »

SlayerTheDragon wrote: »

I can think of 93 better things to have done with your time...

Ugh... Tell me about it... I feel like the biggest fool... Not to mention it takes me on average an hour to an hour and forty-five minutes per run. . .

It takes me two days and total of about 6-7 hours. I recon lots of people are like me. Spend tons of time on there for defending blow etc. Next Week can't wait to get v16 training fire staff.

P.S. For the record, there is no evidence that Einstein ever said this.

Ch4mpTW wrote: »

I've run VMSA now 93 times. My 93rd being the one I did before deciding to make this post, and I've gotten not a single staff. Not a single: Restoration staff, ice staff, lightning staff, or inferno staff. None. So besides having to put-up this lag fest and buggy mechanics, as well as this annoyingly-long content, I have to say that I've been rewarded with not a single damn staff. Not one.

So thank you, developers of Elder Scrolls One: Tamriel Unlimited. Seriously. Thank you. Thank you for rewarding me with not a damn thing for my: Endurance, patience, and persistence. Thank you. Thank you for showing how a person who has dedicated weeks of their time that they can never get back for clearing one of two hardest forms of PVE content, and not feel rewarded by it. Thank you. Thank you for adding insult to injury for not testing the arena either, and forcing us (the player base) to put up with the crap, if we want to receive what you've made best-in-slot gear behind a paywall. Thank you. I really feel appreciated as a: Beta tester, person who've bought this game on two platforms, and overall consumer to your franchise. I really feel valued, and feel as though I'm being rewarded for my hard work. So here's a nice and warm thank you to everyone who's involved with drop-rates. Thank you. I really mean it. =\

Welcome to the club. Probably over 200 runs (lost count 130 or 140) and been on at least 70 weeklies and I have never once received an inferno staff or an ice staff of any trait. Have every other weapon in every type it can drop and every trait. It's sad that the best weapon in the game for my build and most magicka builds is locked behind an rng fest.