Absolutely agree. I had exactly the same thoughts.
They should divide quests to main quests and side quests, and main quests must be available only if you've completed previous quests in a sequence.
Though, it would cause issues with chapters quests (e.g., you shouldn't start Morrowind chapter before you've met Naryu in Deshaan), and some players here will say that they don't want to play Vanilla quests but I believe it should be done this way so things could make sense. Otherwise, the story just doesn't work.
ZOS are trying to make it look like the game is designed as true TES game, i.e. "go wherever you want to go", but, come on, this game design pattern doesn't mean that you can mess up everything and let it go as it is without any order.
Poor thought game design. Very poor.

Enemoriana wrote: »

Ingame guide is needed, not blocking possibility to do not in right order.

Sometimes people want to break order. Especially for 2, 5, 15 character...

I can't finish AD even with my main character... and I'm ok with doing another things before I'll finally do it. If I'll make AD character - do it all again before I'll be able to, for example, take Clockwork dailies? Especially during some events? I'd hate it. I already know story behind all this, why should I spend a lot of time for quests I don't want to repeat?
Or if I'll make AD character for pvp reasons (well... for AD banners...), but want to remember some Pact quests I did in 2014?
And if some character, that was made only for dungeons and trials, or pure pvp, just need some psijic skill for build?
Or imagine new player. "Wow, Elsweyr/Summerset/Morrowind! I always wanted to see it! Wait... I will be able to go there only after several months? WHAT? Give my money back, liars!"

Show players how it is right, warn that taking this quest can break logic of story, but don't force them to do things they don't want.

Fair enough. Except the bold part. For real, I couldn't imagine a new player who would say that. Unless they buy the game specifically for the jewelry crafting, for example, which is still hard to imagine.

Enemoriana wrote: »

Ingame guide is needed, not blocking possibility to do not in right order.

Sometimes people want to break order. Especially for 2, 5, 15 character...

{...}

Show players how it is right, warn that taking this quest can break logic of story, but don't force them to do things they don't want.

This^
There absolutely must be a guide. Absolutely every single new player has the same questions and confusion when starting the game. Hell, it takes people weeks to realize they can teleport to a different zone other than the one they started in.

I think there should a choice should be given of where you want to start with your new character. At the same time a notice for new playes that in order to experience the game and story in the best way they should start with the default ( coldharbour) tutorial.

A guide similiar to cadwell's silver/gold should be added that advices on which zones to do in which order for full story experience and which side quests are recommended besides the main ones ( for morrowind this would be the Naryu quest line which sort of continues in Summerset)

Ermiq wrote: »

Enemoriana wrote: »

Ingame guide is needed, not blocking possibility to do not in right order.

Sometimes people want to break order. Especially for 2, 5, 15 character...

I can't finish AD even with my main character... and I'm ok with doing another things before I'll finally do it. If I'll make AD character - do it all again before I'll be able to, for example, take Clockwork dailies? Especially during some events? I'd hate it. I already know story behind all this, why should I spend a lot of time for quests I don't want to repeat?
Or if I'll make AD character for pvp reasons (well... for AD banners...), but want to remember some Pact quests I did in 2014?
And if some character, that was made only for dungeons and trials, or pure pvp, just need some psijic skill for build?
Or imagine new player. "Wow, Elsweyr/Summerset/Morrowind! I always wanted to see it! Wait... I will be able to go there only after several months? WHAT? Give my money back, liars!"

Show players how it is right, warn that taking this quest can break logic of story, but don't force them to do things they don't want.

Fair enough. Except the bold part. For real, I couldn't imagine a new player who would say that. Unless they buy the game specifically for the jewelry crafting, for example, which is still hard to imagine.

I can. I know people (new or returning) who wanted exactly Morrowind or Summerset to see. They wouldn't do all long and boring (especially AD!) alliance quests before it.
Also I know player who may return to play new class. And I'm sure he wouldn't be happy to do alliances again instead of new content.

I actually like the way it is since you have the option to skip the intro after you have done it once.

Now, I pop into summerset, jog over and pick up the close skyshard, teleport to the free account apartment in vulkel guard.

Ignore the hooded figure for now, go out, hit the bank for gold/xp scroll/lockpicks/basic useful stuff, and get skyshard in vulkel guard, go open all crafting skill lines by making 1st level armor/weaps/jewlery and access enchant station (note here - since I picked up gold from the bank, I make an outfit I like while I am in the enchanting house) and fireplace, make a basic potion for alchemy so I can get keen eye later on. With the armor, make 3 pieces of each type and try them on to open the skill lines. Then use all combat skill options on mudcrabs just to have them open, PUT ON weapon you will use (thats where you want the xp to go) and then join mage and fighter guild WITHOUT taking first quests, join undaunted, open a chest to get ledgerdemain or go to lighthouse and steal and then fence items (same result), go pick up mage books, go to mundus stone for defense bonus.

by this time, with exploration and possibly chest opening, goal is to reach level 4, might have to go to shore to whack a few maumer. Switch to crafter to make basic white level 4 stuff to start with that have basic enchantments. (making white sets here is perfectly useable) Put items in bank, have new character get the actual equipment they are going to be using to start with.

So when I go to see the hooded figure I am level 4, I am fully prepared, all skill lines are accessed, and I have the basic armor/weaps that I want to progress in as I start the main quest, and as a bonus, when I get the skyshard from leaving coldharbor I have that bonus skill point.

Added note - I do NOT do my crafting certification nor do I do a dolmen yet because I want to enter coldharbor at level 4, not higher.

It works for me

logarifmik wrote: »

Enemoriana wrote: »

Ingame guide is needed, not blocking possibility to do not in right order.

Sometimes people want to break order. Especially for 2, 5, 15 character...

Show players how it is right, warn that taking this quest can break logic of story, but don't force them to do things they don't want.

I miss the times, when developers got guts to create their game how they see it, and not how averaged player want it to be, but, well, in the current situation even such solution will do. Damn marketing, though.

So much ^^this^^.

@Michae

Michae wrote: »

I guarantee you there are players like that. Some just don't care about the order of the story and for some prospect of visiting a chapter land was the incentive to buy the game in the first place.

@Enemoriana

Enemoriana wrote: »

I can. I know people (new or returning) who wanted exactly Morrowind or Summerset to see. They wouldn't do all long and boring (especially AD!) alliance quests before it.
Also I know player who may return to play new class. And I'm sure he wouldn't be happy to do alliances again instead of new content.

I think I have to clarify the OP's suggestion. See, no one said you shouldn't be able to go to a chapter/DLC zone before you've completed Vanilla zones. As OP said, you still CAN do that if you wish so:

GabiAlex wrote: »

- you start like before in Cold Harbor
- you can still visit every area after you escape from Cold Harbor, but only the sidequests that don't involve the Alliance War are available.
- you can freely play the Planemeld story until you have to travel to Cold Harbor again.
- before going to Cold Harbor you must finish your alliance questline and have a bit of progression through the Mages Guild and the Fighters Guild.
- You beat Molag Bal, recover your soul and unlock Cadwell's Silver then Gold as before so you can do the other alliances quests.

What OP suggests is not just to simply block off chapters/DLCs (nobody wants ZOS to do such rough changes), but to implement well-thought quest sequences system which has to manage quests available to your character.
There're quests and quests in the game. Formers are side quests which don't involve any NPCs you should've met earlier nor events you should've seen before the current chapter/DLC. Latters are those involving characters and events which you should've met and seen earlier in previous questlines in older chapters/DLCs before you encounter them in the newer zone.
For example, if you want to go to Vvardenfell, then just go. You can find the "Looking for heroes" poster and do WB daylies, you can explore the island and do Ashlanders questlines, the wannabe-Telvanni Argonian girl questline, and any other questlines except the questlines which involve Naryu (unless you have completed her Deshaan quests) and maybe Vivec (though I'm not sure if you have to stop Planemeld first, so this statement is debatable).

Ermiq wrote: »

@Michae

Michae wrote: »

I guarantee you there are players like that. Some just don't care about the order of the story and for some prospect of visiting a chapter land was the incentive to buy the game in the first place.

@Enemoriana

Enemoriana wrote: »

I can. I know people (new or returning) who wanted exactly Morrowind or Summerset to see. They wouldn't do all long and boring (especially AD!) alliance quests before it.
Also I know player who may return to play new class. And I'm sure he wouldn't be happy to do alliances again instead of new content.

I think I have to clarify the OP's suggestion. See, no one said you shouldn't be able to go to a chapter/DLC zone before you've completed Vanilla zones. As OP said, you still CAN do that if you wish so:

GabiAlex wrote: »

- you start like before in Cold Harbor
- you can still visit every area after you escape from Cold Harbor, but only the sidequests that don't involve the Alliance War are available.
- you can freely play the Planemeld story until you have to travel to Cold Harbor again.
- before going to Cold Harbor you must finish your alliance questline and have a bit of progression through the Mages Guild and the Fighters Guild.
- You beat Molag Bal, recover your soul and unlock Cadwell's Silver then Gold as before so you can do the other alliances quests.

What OP suggests is not just to simply block off chapters/DLCs (nobody wants ZOS to do such rough changes), but to implement well-thought quest sequences system which has to manage quests available to your character.
There're quests and quests in the game. Formers are side quests which don't involve any NPCs you should've met earlier nor events you should've seen before the current chapter/DLC. Latters are those involving characters and events which you should've met and seen earlier in previous questlines in older chapters/DLCs before you encounter them in the newer zone.
For example, if you want to go to Vvardenfell, then just go. You can find the "Looking for heroes" poster and do WB daylies, you can explore the island and do Ashlanders questlines, the wannabe-Telvanni Argonian girl questline, and any other questlines except the questlines which involve Naryu (unless you have completed her Deshaan quests) and maybe Vivec (though I'm not sure if you have to stop Planemeld first, so this statement is debatable).

Doesn't Vvardenfell daily quests need some main quest done? Clockwork raven dailies does, and main story there is connected with others. Psijic quests becomes available only after first Summerset quest, and there's Raz in it.
Also there are many side quests that are not part of main storyline of zone, but makes sense only in context.
Idea of blocking quests that are related to something else - will make some dailies unavailable (and we have events with tickets now!) and will left many zones nearly empty.
So what new player will see? Empty zones and a lot of event activities he can't do. Will you play game where you can't do what you paid for? Wait months until you'll be able to participate in half of events? I don't think so.

Yes, how it works now - is not the best way. I explained right order quite a lot of times. But what is suggested is much worse.
That's why I say about guide. Let those who want just get dailies, skillpoints or whatever else, get it, but show those who want story how to go through it. And everybody will be happy. Someone's 15th character will not be forced to go through all AD to get psijic skill, but new "story" player will know where to go.