Are battlegrounds good?

Mattoxx96 · November 2017

I've been playing a lot more pvp recently on my magdk, quite enjoying it.

Cyrodiil can get a bit tedious having to run for ages just to be nuked by a group of 10 and there's only so much of dueling I can do.

So I was wondering if I should buy morrowind so I have access to BG the 4 player group battles seem kinda fun?

What are other peoples thoughts on BGs, what are they queue times like? Do the battle take long?

DeadlyRecluse · November 2017

Sometimes they are very, very fun. Sometimes they are not.

Battlegrounds bring out the cheese and accentuate the core issues with PvP design--but when you get a match where that doesn't crop up they are a ton of fun.

I think Morrowwind is half off right now? Personally I'd pick it up and play around with it--I doubt it'll get cheaper than half off for a while.

Sixty5 · November 2017

Battlegrounds are probably the form of PVP I enjoy most in this game.

Basically it's small scale PVP without downtime or zerging. And while that does bring out some issues with PVP, for the most part it is an enjoyable experience.

Sotha_Sil · November 2017

No.

- You can't choose the battleground mode you want to play. You are forced to randomly play the one they tell you to.
- Game starts even if your team is not complete which will most of the time conclude in you losing the game
- All CPs are allowed. When you see a low cp (10 to 600) coming in your group, you will probably lose the game
- 4vs4vs4 : fun at the beginning but boring in the end -> 2 teams versus one happens a lot.
- poor game modes and no arenas ?? Imperial city arena anyone?
- poor alliance points compared to cyrodiil unless you win all the games or it's 3 am and everyone is sleeping in cyro.
- people just don't understand the purpose of capturing the flag (domination / crazy king) games => they just don't play the game and try to kill everybody which results in you losing the game.
- no spectator mode?
- you can't create your own closed games
- power sigil in deathmatch mode ? why the need to put this buff?
the list goes on and on...

It is fun once in a while or with a pvp team but it becomes boring really quickly because of the above. It is a shame and a wasted opportunity.

Thogard · November 2017

If you have a good group of friends that you play consistently with, yes.

If you solo queue a lot, especially on non-peak hours, no.

Waffennacht · November 2017

I enjoy them a lot. I almost always PuG.

Remember even if you're getting destroyed, your points matter, not your wins. There's always a reason to get some points

ak_pvp · November 2017

No horse sim, quick fights. No zergs, and no running from fights. A pretty solid arcade style minigames to kill time, but as stated above, due to forcing contact and use of objectives, the imbalances in the game show more.

Crazy king is pretty decent, generally just a better domination.

Deathmatch is good until the sigil comes, which is always sniped by a premade. Sigil should be constant spot, and for EVERYONE in the area, or removed.

Domination is trash since its just run in a circle as a group, no way to defend since flags flip due to numbers. Make contested flags not flip beyond white, and increase point gain and you might have a solid tactics based gameplay.

CTF is was good, but this update made it worse, its just tanky turrets interrupting you. Instead of the fast paced flag game before. Old CTF everyone could play and it incentivised fighting since someone could easily grab your flag, whilst you go for theirs, generally one sided.

Chaos ball is tank haven and so one sided, the most healers win.

Toast_STS · November 2017

It's kinda fun. I just treat every game like deathmatch so I do ok like 1/4 of the games.

I would suggest you wait till they make deathmatch only queues but that's just my preference.

WillhelmBlack · November 2017

Sotha_Sil wrote: »

No.

- You can't choose the battleground mode you want to play. You are forced to randomly play the one they tell you to.
- Game starts even if your team is not complete which will most of the time conclude in you losing the game
- All CPs are allowed. When you see a low cp (10 to 600) coming in your group, you will probably lose the game
- 4vs4vs4 : fun at the beginning but boring in the end -> 2 teams versus one happens a lot.
- poor game modes and no arenas ?? Imperial city arena anyone?
- poor alliance points compared to cyrodiil unless you win all the games or it's 3 am and everyone is sleeping in cyro.
- people just don't understand the purpose of capturing the flag (domination / crazy king) games => they just don't play the game and try to kill everybody which results in you losing the game.
- no spectator mode?
- you can't create your own closed games
- power sigil in deathmatch mode ? why the need to put this buff?
the list goes on and on...

It is fun once in a while or with a pvp team but it becomes boring really quickly because of the above. It is a shame and a wasted opportunity.

^ All you need to know

Waffennacht · November 2017

Toast_STS wrote: »

It's kinda fun. I just treat every game like deathmatch so I do ok like 1/4 of the games.

I would suggest you wait till they make deathmatch only queues but that's just my preference.

With more and more pre mades I prefer the other modes.

Crazy King is one the best examples where one player can make all the difference.

Most pre mades stick together, this limits their ability to attack multiple objectives, 4 PuGs with no sense of cooperation actually end performing very well as they each attack different flags.

In death match, if you're PuG vs Pre vs Pre there's nothing you can do

DosPanchos · November 2017

I solo que all the time. BGs has its issues but, like you mentioned, it's instant battles that can be very satisfying once you get good.

Each game lasts about 15 minutes. Sometimes you get groups that work well together but usually not; but hey, it's instant battles!

Beardimus · November 2017

Mattoxx96 wrote: »

I've been playing a lot more pvp recently on my magdk, quite enjoying it.

Cyrodiil can get a bit tedious having to run for ages just to be nuked by a group of 10 and there's only so much of dueling I can do.

So I was wondering if I should buy morrowind so I have access to BG the 4 player group battles seem kinda fun?

What are other peoples thoughts on BGs, what are they queue times like? Do the battle take long?

BattleGrounds were brilliant, untill they introduced CP. They were exactly what you and I and many others were looking for. Small scale and tactics. Now its a dull slug fest compared to how it was before

Barbaran · November 2017

yes and no.
full game of solo ques is fun, full game of group ques is fun.
if you solo que in and face a full group or 2 then it is the least fun pvp experience.
its like stumbling across a small organized group in cyro, a super tank with guard, a tank pocket healer or 2, and 1-2 super dps that dont have to worry about healing or mitigation thanks to the cancer heals and guard.
these groups will NOT be kited and will NOT leave each others side, and most BG maps are open for the majority with little terrain to break LoS. at least in cyro you have a tree or a rock.
easily the most fusterating pvp experience.

Tyrion87 · November 2017

Only if you have max CP or have max CP friends to queue with them and provided that you enjoy playing in Vivec.

In other cases: no.

BGs had been good and fun before Zenimax ruined them with CPs.

Malibulove · November 2017

If there was even rudimentary matchmaking I think Battlegrounds would be more fun.

It wouldn't even have to be a complicated MMR/Elo system; simply let winners advance and losers disband. Eventually all the multi-win teams would be facing off vs each other while the randoms get continually reformed with a chance to have a stacked RNG team that could make a huge run. ZOS could even try to incentivize winning with an AP modifier or something.

Since most of the reasons BGs kind of suck atm is the majority of matches is premades stomping on randoms, or people doing whatever because game types and rewards are beyond meaningless.

Mattoxx96 · November 2017

People keep mentioning non CP is a lot better, why is that?

Thogard · November 2017

Whether or not BGs are good, the fact is they’re better than the alternative.

I just wish more people played them. Especially the top tier vivec people. It’s always a treat to fight a really talented group.

del9 · November 2017

They are the best option for consistent PVP action imo. And if you are one who tires of the incessant salt, faction drama, and ego-wars, BGs is the place for you. Very little toxicity, no horse rides.

Shout out to PC NA BG community for having an overall friendly attitude. I've made many more friends in BGs than I ever would in faction wars.

Metemsycosis · November 2017

If you like pvp it's very fun. Solo play is a bit more challenging too since you have fewer places to run or hide. they added a couple of more modes. Death match is the most boring now. Only gripe is CP changes. I have no doubt there are good players with low CP. Yet my swallow soul hits them for 8k or something like that.

CavalryPK · November 2017

they are all right. although non of the rewards are worth anything I guess.

raasdal · November 2017

They are lag-free, compared to Cyrodiil. So that takes the win for me right there.

But besides from that, it is alot of fun, if you do not get too involved in winning as a PUG. At least every other match will be dominated by a premade group, or set you up with potatoes. So you need to go in with a mindset to just have fun with some smallscale battle. Focus on getting fun PvP, and try to work on the objective, if you can.

Before this patch, it was always working hard for the objective, ignoring fights that would not help towards winning etc. etc. All the "smart moves". But i realized that more often than not, a game of BG had given me more frustration than joy. So as someone else put it; I am now just doing each one as a deathmatch. I do not care about the score. I try to get fun matches and kill all the opponents.

Beardimus · November 2017

To your question @Mattoxx96 I hadn't played any real No-CP prior to BG launching. I like the idea that previous effort is rewarded.

Then BG dropped and the action was fast and furious. Total pace change to Cyrodiil and enjoyable. A real blast and tactics mattered on each match.

Then they said CP would drop. And I feared the change. I feared the unkillable builds etc butlittle did I know the entire pace & playstyle would change over night. Now rounds are 15 minute zerh slugfests. The kill counts are way down and people just zerg up and ball around fighting.

Feeling that difference with CP makes me realise what I've been missing, so Sotha Sil gunna be the way for me if I can get a group together to come.

Strider__Roshin · November 2017

Sotha_Sil wrote: »

No.

- You can't choose the battleground mode you want to play. You are forced to randomly play the one they tell you to.
- Game starts even if your team is not complete which will most of the time conclude in you losing the game
- All CPs are allowed. When you see a low cp (10 to 600) coming in your group, you will probably lose the game
- 4vs4vs4 : fun at the beginning but boring in the end -> 2 teams versus one happens a lot.
- poor game modes and no arenas ?? Imperial city arena anyone?
- poor alliance points compared to cyrodiil unless you win all the games or it's 3 am and everyone is sleeping in cyro.
- people just don't understand the purpose of capturing the flag (domination / crazy king) games => they just don't play the game and try to kill everybody which results in you losing the game.
- no spectator mode?
- you can't create your own closed games
- power sigil in deathmatch mode ? why the need to put this buff?
the list goes on and on...

It is fun once in a while or with a pvp team but it becomes boring really quickly because of the above. It is a shame and a wasted opportunity.

What he said. And I whole heatedly agree, it is a shame that they ruined such a great concept.

exeeter702 · November 2017

Conceptually..... small scale more intimate pvp interactions, where your individual performance carries more weight and thus your skill has a larger impact on the win condition. Where you are naturally under more scrutiny from your team and cant sit around in a large group "feeling" but not really actually playing against others. Yes BGs are traditionally great in most mmos.

Executed in ESO.....

A steaming pile of ***.

Imo ofc.

VirtualElizabeth · November 2017

I don't like them...I feel claustrophobic there and you can't choose the instance. But this is more a personal preference then a criticism. I can say the few times I ran with a decent group it was much more tolerable.