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Why Play Battlegrounds in ESO

Deltia
Deltia
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I wanted to share my thoughts on Battlegrounds for ESO here on the official forums. I look forward to your comments :smile:

Ever since I fired up Ultima Online back when Moses parted the Red Sea, I’ve loved Player vs. Player (PvP) in video games. My enjoyment has morphed over the years since I played Warhammer Online and found arenas or instanced based PvP. Having equal numbers, a leader board and a match making systems gives you that sense of climbing the endless ladder all the way to the top of your server. I’ve only reached that ladder one time in Star Wars the Old Republic and it was worth it.

https://youtu.be/__ad_WxMlWU

Originally released in the Morrowind Expansion (2017), The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) has finally fleshed out a robust instanced based PvP system called Battlegrounds (BGs). Is this system perfect? No. Are there limitations, cheesy meta builds and frustrating problems? Sure. Overall it’s came a long way and a far cry from Cyrodiil only PvP. In this article I’m going to explain why I think now is the best time ever to jump into ESO PvP and play BGs!
Population

For any multiplayer game to succeed you need a dedicated and thriving community. Say what you want about ESO, it has community. BGs initial launch was less than spectacular partly because you needed the Morrowind Expansion in addition to the base game. I thought to myself “well everyone will buy the expansion and play BGs day and night!” Sadly this wasn’t the case and even on day one, I fought the exact same teams, running the exact same builds day and night.

I literally wondered if at 5 PM central time there were only 12 people on Earth playing BGs on my server? Now BGs are a part of the base game in the Summerset Expansion giving new or returning players access to the with just a couple of clicks. Upon my return I saw countless different players that I’ve never seen in Cyrodiil, PvE or anywhere else. The player base is stable, the community robust and now everyone can enjoy Battlegrounds or hate them J.
Improved Match Making Rating (MMR)

Now this is a controversial system that hasn’t been fully realized but has promise. Flashback to the launch of BGs in 2017, you’d rarely be paired with players at your skill level. We’d have a four man pre-made super team full of 1,000+ Champion Point (CP), all gold gear, 1,000+ hours in Cyrodiil players vs a random group of CP 100s. You can guess what happened. While this was fun initially, it became boring and a toxic experience for those not on dream teams.

To counter this I would queue solo and get a very similar experience. I would be either on a powerhouse three player PvP Team or play the opposing teams god’s gift to PvP four man pre-made. Running around with the name Deltia over my head made this even less enjoyable so naturally I moved on.

Upon my return I saw the positives of the improved MMR system (though not perfect). The first few hours or so playing Battlegrounds, I completely dominated each match. Now this wasn’t because of my skill level, mainly I was facing less experienced and equipped players. By about hour five things got difficult. I began facing off against the same players which were highly skilled, experienced and as well-equipped as me. I swear one player named Storm saved every Dawnbreaker just for my face.

I loved every second of this competition even if I was getting smashed constantly. Why? Because this is how I could improve. This is how I could really see if my build holds up against similarly equipped and skilled players. “Who’s who in the zoo?” I understand not everyone wants this type of environment and that’s okay, but it gives players like me an avenue for progress. I realize I'm not the best player, but now I’m no longer running to a resource at Alessia to kill three CP 100s in order to satisfy my ego. This system has a long way to go especially sorting solo players vs pre-mades or super high players waiting for ages, but it’s an improvement for game as a whole.
Play Your Way

Another problem with the launch of BGs was not having control over the game types. As with all new massive systems, it’s going to take a while for developers to add more maps and modes so you had no choice in what you wanted to play (land grabs, death match, etc.). Most players ended up death matching every map. Full disclosure here, I’m that guy too.

Now death match guy/gal can play whatever they want until blue in the face. Is this a perfect system? No. Your death recap will constantly say Endless Fury or Executioner on it, but at least you have the choice. This further adds to variety of builds that players can use specifically specializing in something like speed demon ball carrier, indomitable tank that can hold a chaos ball forever or full on damage dealing juggernaut Sorcerer.
It’s Quick

With two clicks, I can now PvP within minutes rather than queuing for Cyrodiil, experiencing lag, riding my horse for 20 minutes only be zerged down and tbagged by 20 Aldmeri Dominion (I do love AD). In all seriousness, even if things go bad in my BG match, it’s over in 10 minutes. If my son is down for a nap, I can play a game or two and move on. I simply love that I can queue up, fight and move on.

Don’t get me wrong, Cyrodiil has its purpose and is a blast. But after you’ve gotten Emperor a few times or Grand Overlord (not there yet) it simply loses its appeal. I do still enjoy fighting outnumber in order to improve my builds but often find inexperienced players being destroyed or getting ran over by 20 AD (yeah I know another AD bash).
Are Battlegrounds Perfect?

Absolutely not, but I’m not going to be ZOS hater here. The improved MMR system has some flaws especially the higher you get. The leader board highly incentives players to limiting roles like damage but the medal system is getting reworked. If you have 20 hours a day to play, you’re much more likely to get #1 than the person with a full time job, family, etc. (similar to Emperor). But the main point of concern for me is seasonal rewards.

At some point in time, just like Cyrodiil things are going to get old. Developers can only crank out new maps and modes every so often. What I think ZOS can do to improve the longevity of this system is seasonal rewards like other competitive PvP games. Break the year down in four seasons, give one uber badass reward for the top 1% or top player. I don’t know a fancy Guar, cool housing thing or a skin. While I’ll probably never be #1 in a season, it would give me a reason to try.

Zenimax has steadily invested in improvements of BGs and after a year of me complaining about it not being in the base game, they finally shut me up. I have faith they’ll continue this trend and constant improvement because let’s keep 100% real, the game has gotten tremendously better over time. I cannot wait to see what ZOS comes up with to keep players like me on the endless hamster wheel of MMOs and I've been having a blast in game once again!
Battleground Bully Series

Now that I’ve expressed my love and admiration for BGs, I have a new weekly series I’m going to launch called Battleground Bully. The purpose of this series is to provide useful tips, builds and strategies to the average player looking for PvP/BG specific information. I plan on streaming my BG runs, creating build videos and weekly videos on improving ones game play. I hope to see you in BGs and please leave me a comment if there’s something specific you’d like covered or any useful tips I may have missed in future post.
In-game @deltiasgaming | deltiasgaming.com for Elder Scrolls Online [ESO / TESO] Guides
"It's a good day to be alive"
  • Beardimus
    Beardimus
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    I think you capture a few thoughts we've all had in the last year from BG's well.

    Fun is sucked from newer players getting steam rolled by Pro-Pre-Mades, likewise most (not all, some love the big fish small pond ego stroke) Pre-Mades get bored blitzing newer guys. The danger is for new players - first time in if they get steamrolled a few times in a row, then maybe try again another night and get the same - that might be it for players that have dabbled not to come back. Its not 'fun' persay, and 'fun' brings you back.

    Hate for Pre-Mades vs Pug is a hot topic here, but many BG players know that decent players, in a PUG, can look like a pre-made. If you know the map, spawns, objectives and run as a blob you are step ahead of 4 players that dont.

    One issue I have with map selection option post U18 is, well on Xbox EU Pop levels anyway, is clearly alot of folks in the 'pool' are queing for DM only. I always use the random as I prefer all other modes, however more often than not (i'd say 70-80% of the time) since Summerset it pops as a DM mode. Again - this is particularly dull for healers / tank players as they have less use in DM compared to other modes.

    Personally I love BG, and prefer them noCP as action is faster paced. the CP experiment was a horrible tanky phase and pop dwindled. But I would like to see more brought in for BG in general to help it stay fun, relevant and just have meaning for folks.

    - Guild only private BG's - so you can train your mates. Hell even just use them as a 1v1v1 fight to teach PvP etc or to setup a 3v1 to test your tank / healers build with multiple attackers in a controller environment
    - Team leaderboard. I know we dont even have this in trials, folks names go up as indivudals, but registering teams for a league etc might be cool
    - Show who's a pre-made. If you BG alot you recognise the names that congregate, but for the less experienced it might actually help rule out when they are just facing a decent PUG - BUT likewise if you getting lit up by teams the whole time it might encourage you to get more organised and bring a squad
    - keep tanks / healers interested (I know U19 brings healing to the scoreboards)

    Im sure ill think of more!
    Xbox One | EU | EP
    Beardimus : VR16 Dunmer MagSorc [RIP MagDW 2015-2018]
    Emperor of Sotha Sil 02-2018 & Sheogorath 05-2019
    1st Emperor of Ravenwatch
    Alts - - for the Lolz
    Archimus : Bosmer Thief / Archer / Werewolf
    Orcimus : Fat drunk Orc battlefield 1st aider
    Scalimus - Argonian Sorc Healer / Pet master

    Fighting small scale with : The SAXON Guild
    Fighting with [PvP] : The Undaunted Wolves
    Trading Guilds : TradersOfNirn | FourSquareTraders

    Xbox One | NA | EP
    Bëardimus : L43 Dunmer Magsorc / BG
    Heals-With-Pets : VR16 Argonian Sorc PvP / BG Healer
    Nordimus : VR16 Stamsorc
    Beardimus le 13iem : L30 Dunmer Magsorc Icereach
  • Mureel
    Mureel
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    I think BG is massively FUN! Even when I lose, I learn things!

    BG has made me a happier player as well as a far better PVPer than I was.

    I adore BG.
  • The_Protagonist
    The_Protagonist
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    BGs are the reason I started PvPing, Cyrodiil is just too much for me, however with the changes there for AP earnings, I go there too once in a while.

    BGs are fun when we get balanced teams and toxic when we get Pre-Made Uber Soldatens.

    But even that has made me make a few specs for different matches.

    1. Capture the Relic - Hyper Fast Sneaky Thief / Uber Ganker that kills enemy thiefs
    2. Domination / Crazy King - Damage and Sustain Build
    3. Chaos Ball - Sneaky Guard / HealBot (WiP)

    Out of the 4 my favorite is Capture the Relic, waiting for that moment when the enemy is not focusing on home base to steal their relic is really a rewarding experience, if found, running away and LoS to misguide the enemy and then back to their relic to steal is hilarious.

    Death Match is a mixed bag, premade or solo, for me if the opposing teams are good and my team can't stay together then the sooner it's over the better.

    Crazy King and Chaos Ball is not my cup of tea, I find it a bit daunting as my Bosmer Stamblade is not that tanky no matter how I build it. But I have had fun there too.

    My Two Cents

    @Deltia good to see you back on, please update your builds on your website, it's an inspiration to many.
  • Deltia
    Deltia
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    Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.
    In-game @deltiasgaming | deltiasgaming.com for Elder Scrolls Online [ESO / TESO] Guides
    "It's a good day to be alive"
  • SHADOW2KK
    SHADOW2KK
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    I like killing people in BG ;)
    Once I was a lamb, playing in a green field. Then the wolves came. Now I am an eagle and I fly in a different universe.

    Been taking heads since TeS 3 Morrowind..

    Been enjoying PvP tears since 2014

    LvL 50 - Dragon Knight EP [PC-EU] = Illuvutar = Ex The Wabbajack = (Stam DK)
    LvL 50 - Night Blade DC [PC-EU] = Legendary Blades = Evil Ninja/Dueller = (StamBlade)
    LvL 50 - Sorcerer DC [PC-EU] = Daemon Lord = (Mag Sorc)
    LvL 50 - Dragon Knight DC [PC-EU] = Khal-Bladez = (Mag DK)
    LvL 50 - Dragon Knight DC [PC-EU] = Tenakha Khan = (Stam DK)
    LvL 50 - Templar DC [PC-EU]] = Blades The Disgruntled = (Stamplar)
    LvL 50 - Night Blade DC [PC-EU] = Ghost Blades = (Assassin)
    LvL 50 - Night Blade DC [PC-EU] = Malekith The Shadow = (Mag NB)
    LvL 50 - Warden DC [PC-EU] = Crimson Blades = (Stamden)

    Guild Master of The Bringers Of The Storm.
    Harrods


    Member Of The Old Guard
    PC Closed Betas 2013

    PC Mastah Race

    Anook Page anook.com/shadow2kk

    Been playing since Beta and Early Access

  • MisterBigglesworth
    MisterBigglesworth
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    giphy.gif
    Really we do it without like, the musical instruments. This is the only musical: the mouth. And hopefully the brain attached to the mouth. Right? The brain, more important than the mouth, is the brain. The brain is much more important.
  • vamp_emily
    vamp_emily
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    Deltia where have you been?! We miss you.

    I don't know too much about battle grounds, I just started playing them recently ( after it became part of the base game ).

    Is there really some kind of high tech algorithm in their match making system? If so I don't see it. I've played many BGs since summerset and sometimes I am fighting against new players that are easy to kill and some times I am playing against groups that nobody can kill.

    I really think they need to have some type of point system. That way new players, not so good players and great players can match up with other players with the same skill level.

    Edited by vamp_emily on August 6, 2018 11:48PM

    If you want a friend, get a dog.
    AW Rank: Grand Warlord 1 ( level 49)

  • heng14rwb17_ESO
    heng14rwb17_ESO
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    TLDR.
    KILL ALL SPARE NONE
  • Merlin13KAGL
    Merlin13KAGL
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    "match making system" is a bit of a stretch. If they had tiered ranks, placing people in combat with other people of similar tier +/- 1 rank, it would improve things tremendously. It would also have to take into account premades vs 4 x solo's.
    Upon my return I saw the positives of the improved MMR system (though not perfect). The first few hours or so playing Battlegrounds, I completely dominated each match. Now this wasn’t because of my skill level, mainly I was facing less experienced and equipped players. By about hour five things got difficult. I began facing off against the same players which were highly skilled, experienced and as well-equipped as me. I swear one player named Storm saved every Dawnbreaker just for my face.

    Roughly translates to "I happened to be on at the same time other experienced players happened to be on, so we ended up getting in the same queues by default." It's the same reason you'd see familiar names of people doing 4-man and various other stuff in zone chat.

    It's more a side effect of schedules and playtimes than any mass improvement in the MMR.

    TL;DR; It's just coincidence and repeated queuing.
    Edited by Merlin13KAGL on August 9, 2018 11:52AM
    Just because you don't like the way something is doesn't necessarily make it wrong...

    Earn it.

    IRL'ing for a while for assorted reasons, in forum, and in game.
    I am neither warm, nor fuzzy...
    Probably has checkbox on Customer Service profile that say High Aggro, 99% immunity to BS
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