PTS Update 18 - Feedback Thread for Summerset

Enodoc · April 2018

Tutorial Feedback
To start with, nice and short, which is good. I feel it's lacking some important things that previous tutorials have covered, however:

I was never instructed to find any armour, so I don't have any
There was no lockpicking tutorial (this could be put on the Tower door)
There was no sneaking tutorial (this could perhaps be put in just after dropping off the cliff)

The blurry screen edges were disorienting, and I think they're unnecessary. If a visual effect is needed, I would suggest using a colour instead of a blur.

gmap516 · April 2018

I have not taken a look at much yet, but I do want to leave my biggest piece of feedback so far: The Ceporah Tower looks TINY from the outside. It looks like my character can occupy one of its spires in volume by himself. I'm not sure if this is fixable this late into development but it looks pretty bad and breaks immersion. Really doesn't fit with how well-done the rest of the Summerset landscape is

Cynnalia · April 2018

I would like to echo others' points about the tutorial. Overall I liked it, but it was a little short and it was not clear I could pick up other weapon types just lying around a few screens after I got the 2-handed sword. It was also disconcerting to have your guide run off still talking while I was in the menu because of the level-up. Can she please wait for me? lol

On the plus side, I really like the environment and I liked our guide. Can't wait to continue the story!

deleted008293 · April 2018

Do you have any other general feedback?

I want to express my disappointing regarding housing feature that this new addition is bringing or not and some good feedback as well.

+ The new Furnishing Theme looks really awesome it fit well with the other themes already introduced and I can't wait to check it out later when it will be fully released on live. Really good job here.

- No item increase at all... come on ZOS

- We need more flowers and trees variety (I still cant find anywhere some red trees like those from Auridon or Summerset) we can buy for Gold as well...It is really sad to see so many beautiful flowers in the crown store yet barely anything for gold!!! Ths alone severely limit our creativity options.
- Only 2 gold Homesteads and 1 crown is a bit too few.

Ilsabet · April 2018

I made a new character to run through the new tutorial. Some of this has already been stated but I wrote it out as I went along so you're going to get to read it.

Once again the newbie gets a greatsword handed to them without it being very clear that there are other options. There are a number of weapons on the ground when the player leaves the ruins, but I didn't see any staves. Magicka users would appreciate having an appropriate weapon available to pick up. Upon running around the entire tutorial area, I did finally find one resto staff, but no other staves.

This becomes especially head-scratching when the NPC later explains that the gear you come out of the tutorial with is the gear you already had before you got captured. Um, I think my Altmer magsorc would have been toting a destro staff, actually.

Also, like in the Morrowind tutorial, the resto staff required a confirmation to pick it up, unlike all of the other weapons and armor pieces.

The level 2 level-up reward process interrupted the flow of the action as the player is supposed to run after Oriandra. I would have completely missed her dialogue telling me what to do if I didn't have subtitles on. Especially for new players who have a bunch of things to figure out at that moment, give them more of a breather before the action continues.

The clapping and whooping upon receiving leveling rewards also seems really out of place in the middle of a nightmare realm fighting things that want to kill you.

Overall I thought the story of the tutorial was lacking in substance and urgency. You start out with this woman shouting at you about moving and doing stuff and you have no idea why you're there or what you're trying to get out of. I understand that there's supposed to be some mystery to it, but the premise seems very thin, especially when you compare it to the relative infodump (and immediate setup of one of the central premises of the game) of the Coldharbour tutorial.

Enodoc · April 2018

Ilsabet wrote: »

I understand that there's supposed to be some mystery to it, but the premise seems very thin, especially when you compare it to the relative infodump (and immediate setup of one of the central premises of the game) of the Coldharbour tutorial.

I noticed that as well. The journal mentions something about a cave collapse, but there's no info anywhere about what that is referring to. Both the Morrowind tutorial and the Coldharbour tutorial showed how you ended up in that situation; the note on the table for Morrowind, and the cutscene of your death at the hands of Mannimarco, both set the scene sufficiently. I wonder if there is an intro sequence that is missing from the current PTS build.

cyberjanet · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?

Yes, I created a new character and played through the new tutorial. I created a Nord character after playing through the first quest with an existing (high elf) character, because I wanted to see if new characters tied into the story of the first quest. Ie, would they be "welcomed" to have their suitability for residence checked. Instead I found myself in this mind trap, which seems to be a completely different story. And I assume that it will be the same tutorial for a high elf character.
Was it clear how to get to Summerset?
Well Summerset was exactly where I expected it to be, so it was very clear how to get there. I just went to the wayshrine. I did check the guild store to see if there was a free quest to get there.
Were you able to find things to do consistently?
I don't understand this question. The existing character played through the first quest without problems.
Was there any point where it was unclear what you should do next, or where you should be going?
Finding the portal to Artaeum the first time needed a bit of a think and map check, especially as I had a fight between being told about it and needing to use it. But the quest marker made it clear where to go.
Did you find an Abyssal Geyser? If so, what did you think about the experience?
I have not yet found one. I will not go looking for one either, now that it's mentioned, I will see if can just come across it.
Do you have any other general feedback?
I would really expect high elves to have a different opening story to other races.

Edit: Just did the housing quest and found an Abyssal Geyser. It was not active though. I thought the housing quest was a great improvement on Morrowind, as it took you to a house in Summerset and didn't send you back to your faction starter town. I really struggled to find the apartment in Morrowind, and ended up with the tiny place in Vulkhel Guard.

Mix · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?
The new tutorial was beautiful and a new "take" on the prisoner starting point! I really liked that there were multiple weapon types and gear types laying around to pick up so you could swap the 2H sword out for something else right away if you wanted to. I think you need to add a few 'exercises' to the tutorial though as there was no Lockpick, Break Free or Dodge lesson. I think a synergy lesson would be nice as well but that isn't covered in the others (I think - been awhile lol)
Do you have any other general feedback?
Summerset and Artaeum are gorgeous!

Edit: One thing I frequently see players ask in Morrowind (new players) is how to get to their alliance starting areas. Perhaps a notice board near the first wayshrine where players could take a quest to take the boat to their alliance (and start the base game Main Quest from Shadowy person when they get there) would help with directions. As a new player who wanted to do the Summerset stuff first everything seemed quite nice - loved the mage and fighter guild join quests in Shimmerene just to unlock the skill lines (didn't see any Undaunted one but I didn't look too hard either). I do know that some new players though want to do the base game Main Quest first and then go through all the DLCs/Chapters in order and since I've seen the question in Morrowind zone chat so many times....a simple bulletin board with a breadcrumb quest to direct each player to their alliance capital (or 1st city, doesn't matter) would be a great addition.

Ilsabet · April 2018

cyberjanet wrote: »

Instead I found myself in this mind trap, which seems to be a completely different story. And I assume that it will be the same tutorial for a high elf character.

Yes, it was the same for my Altmer noob. In fact the NPC still gave me the line about "even some High Elves were captured" as if that should be a surprise.

DiNanna63 · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?
I wanted to experience the new tutorial so I created a new character. I found it to be short and easy to get through. i think it needs to be a bit more in depth. The blur around the edging was a minor distraction. As a sorcerer, I never found a staff, only a bow after picking up the great sword. I didn't do a lot of exploring off the path which I should have done.

Did you find an Abyssal Geyser? If so, what did you think about the experience?
I came upon an abysmal geyser with other players already engaged in the fight. My level 3 character died rather quickly. I found it to be a lot more challenging than the dolemns and it seems to me it takes longer to finish. Although with more people participating, that would cut the time. Overall, I liked the challenge.

Do you have any other general feedback?
Others have brought up good points for improvement. I love Summerset and Arteum - they are beautiful! The scenery and architecture are gorgeous. The water portals in Aretum are amazing. Well done! I like my character so much I wish I could take her over to the live server

Dresses/gowns in the crown store
I hope these make it into the game. I've seen NPC's with dresses I would love to have as well. Please bring them into the game in the crown store and not crown crates.

Housing
I love the townhouse - it is huge! The location is perfect - right near the crafting area. The inn room seems a bit smaller than the penthouse in Vivec City. Since I plan on making Summerset my home base, I would love to see a small or medium house on Summerset preferably near Alinor. From my explorations, there are plenty of places to put one.

Enodoc · April 2018

Would it be possible to change the name of the zone in-game to Summerset Isle? A lot of people refer to it as that already anyway (both in-game and IRL), and it would make it easier for issues to be tracked and collated (as well as for guides to be written) if Summerset always meant the Chapter and Summerset Isle always meant the zone.

Aliyavana · April 2018

Enodoc wrote: »

Would it be possible to change the name of the zone in-game to Summerset Isle? A lot of people refer to it as that already anyway (both in-game and IRL), and it would make it easier for issues to be tracked and collated (as well as for guides to be written) if Summerset always meant the Chapter and Summerset Isle always meant the zone.

Agreed

LickingHistSap · April 2018

Was it clear how to get to Summerset?

For Vvardenfell and other DLCs, I could easily find the quest starters that would lead me to the new zone, but for Summerset, I couldn't find any way over but Wayshrining, which breaks immersion a little bit.

Were you able to find things to do consistently?

It took me upwards of 10 minutes just to find Razum Dar and start the main quest, which might need to be tweaked a little for him to be better placed.

VicRedguard · April 2018

The tutorials before taught about crouching/stealthing, picking locks, stealing/bounty instructions, mana/stamina bars etc., Finally, there was some "plus" to do the tutorial, a certain item, something. The new tutorial has nothing like this.

NotSoSilentWolf · April 2018

Not sure if this is where the feedback for this would go...but I just played through the beginning tutorial. I created a new Altmer character for the beta, but it doesn't seem as though there are different conversation options when you are playing as a High Elf. With High Elves being such a big part of this area, it would be more immersive if NPCs could recognize that you are a High Elf, and the conversation adjusts accordingly, at least a little. Similar to the Wrothgar quests if you play as an Orc, you are usually recognized as such and dialogue changes a bit. Just a thought of mine...

DiNanna63 · April 2018

I'm not sure where to post this. I don't know if this time breach in Stonefalls should be where it is. I had no issues riding to the top to get it even though it was steep and at the very top.

DirkRavenclaw · April 2018

Ok, did a big review yesterday, just another thing i noticed, my new toon is now undert NDA, meaning advanced in the Main quest, she loots a lot, Im a Hoarder and i didnt find any potions yet, not for Heahlt, stam or magica and she is on Lvl5, nearly lvl6, new players, without any Cp allocation or the cheap ´PTS Crownstore will struggle

Benemime · April 2018

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Do you have any other general feedback?

Yes, I would still like a restyle tab on crafting stations (using half of the mats + style gem, keeping the quality of the gear), because I still like to wear my own crafted (or dropped) gear instead of putting make up on my current armor. I have this willpower staff that I plan to use when Summerset arrives, but the style of every willpower staff are always basic racial styles (argonian, dark elf, nord, etc).

VicRedguard · April 2018

I kind of expected Aerteum to not be an exact copy of Summerset Isles. While the Tower is awesome, the land could have been simply another region of Summerset rather than just floating somewhere. The Wayshrines are the same, the decor (plants, etc.) is the same... If you look at all other "detached lands" (Coldharbour, CwC), they have a very unique flavour that explains their detachment to the world. You really feel like you are transported to something "outside this world". I kinda expected Aerteum to be very magical, time shifting... For now, we only see ripples and reflections from the ceiling and that's it. I would recommend different wayshrines, maybe a different glow, something that emphasizes the "wow factor".

IMHO the target was missed in the design there.

Enodoc · April 2018

VicRedguard wrote: »

I kind of expected Aerteum to not be an exact copy of Summerset Isles. While the Tower is awesome, the land could have been simply another region of Summerset rather than just floating somewhere.

That's because Artaeum is was just another region of Summerset. Before they removed it from Nirn, Artaeum was the third largest of the Summerset Isles. So it makes sense that the architecture and landscape is the same.

VicRedguard wrote: »

I kinda expected Aerteum to be very magical, time shifting... For now, we only see ripples and reflections from the ceiling and that's it. I would recommend [...] something that emphasizes the "wow factor".

Have to agree with that though. It is missing some of the mystic feel.

zassasaurus · April 2018

I liked the tutorial, fast but still covers all the basics.
For one of my existing characters, I accepted the quest from my collections UI then traveled via wayshrine to summerset. Doing it this way, the quest did not update properly, once i was in Summerset (ported to the wayshrine that we are given, outside Shimmerene) the quest still says travel to summerset and there are no markers on the map to tell you where to go. Because I had already done the tutorial, I knew where raz was supposed to be so I rode there and once I was in sight of him, the quest updated and a quest marker appeared. This needs to be fixed so people can find the quest without already knowing where it is. I tried travelling to summerset on another character before accepting the quest, and this is fine as the quest giver runs up to you near the wayshrine, like he does after the tutorial.

adriablack · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?
Yes, I made a new High Elf DK to do the tutorial on. The tutorial was fast, and in a gorgeous scene. The blurring effect was a bit disorienting, and it also made it difficult to scour the landscape for the gear that I actually wanted for the char (more on that in a second).

There was no blocking tutorial (or I may have killed the second enemy too quickly to get one). Oriandra runs ahead at the jump point, just as you are leveling. I immediately went to the leveling screen and missed out on what she was saying.
Once you jump down into the ruins area, there are very few weapons/armor options available on the main path. I searched for a destro staff for a good 5 minutes. Even after searching the whole area for a few minutes, I didn't find a single piece of medium armor, although I found lots of heavy pieces, lots of swords, shields, and bows. I also found one resto staff and one destro staff.
The blocking prompt did not show up when an enemy heavy attacked (it only showed up once the whole time I was playing through the tutorial). Since there was no real tutorial on this, I think it would be very important to at least have the prompt on a regular basis for new players.
There was no detail/instruction provided about the red AOEs that the mini boss attacked with - would be a very helpful part of the tutorial, since many current players seem to struggle with staying out of the red AOE circles. This would also be a good place to do a dodge roll tutorial or something along those lines.
No lock picking/stealing tutorial
No sneak/dodging tutorial
No break free tutorial

Was it clear how to get to Summerset?
Since this was on a newly created character, yes, it was pretty clear. I will test out how it works on older characters later.

shaieofebonheart · April 2018

I was able to do most of those things, however, my feedback is not exactly about Summerset content, despite it being included. Will it be a serious consideration that we be able to choose where our characters rez in, as in chapter selecting their beginning? Once I purchased Morrowind, I didn't have the choice to take my characters straight to Auridon, Bleakrock Isle, etc. Everyone HAD to be on that ship to start with, and it ruins the immersive aspect for many of us. Personally, I'd be excited to have a high elf rez into Auridon or Summerset, as I choose to do so, or a Dark Elf into Morrowind if I wish, etc. Being forced into the same place repeatedly is boring, with all due respect. Please do not misunderstand me ... I am very grateful for all you do! I am asking for additional options on where we start our characters so we have the variance your game can readily provide. Thank you for reading this far!

Lunachik · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?
Yes, and it was a nice change. I like that it was more streamlined than others have been. I would like to see more time spent showing ppl how to use the compass and journal however. I LOVE not being made to use the longsword to do the tutorial content, tho unclear why equipping it is necessary at all. I have not tried picking up a different weapon to see if it unlocks the info on weapon skill, but abandoned the long sword as soon a I was able to pick up other weapons.
Was it clear how to get to Summerset? Yes, no issues.
Were you able to find things to do consistently? I was, but I think if someone is new to the game or not the type to really try interacting w/the items, that the weapons and armor lying around during the tutorial will likely go unnoticed.
Was there any point where it was unclear what you should do next, or where you should be going? No, the tutorial NPC made it easy to follow , and I felt the intro by Raz was enough to get things rolling.
Did you find an Abyssal Geyser? If so, what did you think about the experience? Yes, it was not unlike the rifts in Craglorn, and was a fun challenge.
Do you have any other general feedback? I will admit that High Elves and their lands are not as interesting to me as the other races, but I do look forward to the stories and quests, which are always a big part of what makes any TES game enjoyable. I am very intrigued by the story involving immigration and bias at the opening to this zone , a great topic to explore, and one that is very much true to the game world, and relevant in the real one.
I would say that the distortion, or fish eye effect during the tutorial was a bit of a distraction, and not being able to focus gave me some eye strain, and headache, maybe could be done away with.

Looking forward to seeing the zone when it goes live.

MLGProPlayer · April 2018

Some general feedback on the environemnt:

- Great job on the cities, they feel like actual cities with proper building density.
- The overland in general is very sparsely populated with assets though (Vvardenfell, for example, had far more trees, rocks, etc. and more varied environments); Summerset is mostly open plains.
- Most NPCs are still using base game Altmer and Mages Guild styles, which contrasts with the much more detailed environmental textures

JimBobMcKrakken · April 2018

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?
Started a new character, played the tutorial. The visual blur was disorienting, otherwise it was good (better than Morrowind, but not as storied as the wailing prison).

Was it clear how to get to Summerset?
n/a

Were you able to find things to do consistently?
Well balanced, found things quickly, but no so fast that I could not look around.

Was there any point where it was unclear what you should do next, or where you should be going?
No, all clear. However, I avoided the quest lines (want it to be new).

Did you find an Abyssal Geyser? If so, what did you think about the experience?
AG was easy to find, and fun to play. Good setup, having a replacement for the anchors was missing in Vvardenfell.

Do you have any other general feedback?
Visually stunning. The island seems a bit small, like it's scale does not match the map of Tamriel.

Had one game crash while traveling by wayshrine.

Diggles_MacSkree · April 2018

Regarding the tutorial, it might not be immediately apparent to a brand new player that urns and such are a source of goodies. Perhaps there could be a line of dialogue encouraging the player to look inside the pretty pottery.

I didn't notice... is there a pop-up tip for recipes and blueprints that drop in the tutorial?

There seems to be a hurry hurry rush rush tempo to this tutorial that suits an experienced player plowing through for the free skill point, but doesn't exactly encourage practicing, experimenting and learning the systems for the complete newbie.

WIZZARD2K · April 2018

Ilsabet wrote: »

The level 2 level-up reward process interrupted the flow of the action as the player is supposed to run after Oriandra. I would have completely missed her dialogue telling me what to do if I didn't have subtitles on. Especially for new players who have a bunch of things to figure out at that moment, give them more of a breather before the action continues.

The clapping and whooping upon receiving leveling rewards also seems really out of place in the middle of a nightmare realm fighting things that want to kill you.

I too stopped to receive my reward as I assume anyone would for the first time when it says "claim now" and she just kept running away and talking. Missed a good portion of that dialog.

Like others, I found the visual blur a little too much for a first impression. Maybe have it come in and out, so the player gets to see that the game can look good too. Good first impressions go a long way.

Also I echo the need to encourage a diversity of appropriate weapons. I found what I desired, but I'm not sure what new players wouldn't heed the urgency of the quest and just end up with the greatsword.

Might want to check the size of the pool, as the sprint tip appeared right before the leap, which might cause as player to overshoot. I almost did, and I slowed down before jumping.

Marisana · April 2018

Here comes my first bit of feedback after finishing the tutorial with a new character. I'll post more feedback once I've seen more of the beta.

Did you play through the new tutorial? If so, what did you think overall?

I will make bullet points to keep this short.

PROS
- love the general design of that place, it looks beautiful and eerie at the same time
- rather short and to-the-point
- almost all weapon types can be found inside the tutorial. The only one I didn't find was a resto staff, which should better be added
- I like it that there is lots of loot to find

CONS
- tutorial never teaches you to search containers and pick up items for new loot, though.
- no sneaking or lockpicking tutorial is kinda baffling, seeing as it was part of the original tutorial as well as the Morrowind one
- some loot items are really hard to spot when they are just lying on the ground because of the ground texture used
- exploration of the whole cavern is not rewarded with any cool loot or hidden chests. This could not only serve as a good place to incorporate a lockpick tutorial but could also teach new players that exploration is being rewarded in this game and worth their time
- way too many of the armour pieces in the tutorial area are heavy armour. I was unable to find enough medium armour to unlock the skill line and just barely found enough light armour to unlock that one. Please adjust that so that all armour types can be found equally!
- THE FISH EYE/DREAM EFFECT IS THE WORST! I got a headache from looking at the screen, and it made exploring all of the place a terrible experience. I feel it doesn't really add much to the atmosphere of the place either, since it's eerie and otherworldly enough simply because of the set pieces and colour scheme, so I hope you'll consider to just remove it.

Was there any point where it was unclear what you should do next, or where you should be going?

After I finished my tutorial, I ended up with no quest entry and only some vague indications of what might come next. Even though there is only one door to leave that room and someone immediately runs up to you with a quest icon over their head, talking to that person is completely optional and so I wonder if it might not be a good thing to add a log entry along the lines of "Explore the island and speak to the locals" as a way to nudge new players in the right direction, and encourage them to talk to NPCs on their own.

General Feedback so far
-The island itself looks absolutely beautiful, and I got good frame rates while running around in the countryside and a city
- the new creatures I encountered in the starter area have great new combat moves
- many tutorial pop ups spring to life whenever I moused over or stepped close to something they wanted to teach me about. I think that's great, but sneaking and lockpicking should better be part of the initial tutorial since they are such a big and important part of the game
- encountered no bugs or broken features so far

schattenkind · April 2018

Did you find an Abyssal Geyser? If so, what did you think about the experience?

Personally I think its very nicely done. I wish that wasnt unique to summerset island but in all different map parts would be another "type of dolmen".

Found out tho, that endboss Sheefar of the Depths is probably bugged, not dealing any damage, you can sit in a chair and watch it run around. It is attacking, but not dealing damage.