Suggesting a form of content lock to aid chronological storytelling

Inaya · May 2019

Locking content is an awful idea! I'm a relativey new player and I agree it was a bit confusing but I found out where my starting zone was and began questing there, moving on as the story progressed.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that I can go anywhere at any time! The world truly feels immense and while it's a bit overwhelming at first, it's still exciting to see how much waits for you.

Enodoc · May 2019

Wildbloom wrote: »

It's not a terrible idea, but I don't think it should be mandatory at all. An in-game guide that shows you where to start any of the main stories that the game has told through multiple content-releases that suggests where to start the different ones would be amazing.

Strictly locking content simply to guide players towards the proper story goes against what this game encourages, but I see no reason not to guide them in the right order instead. There's a difference between "enforce" and "suggest".

I agree that this is the way to do it. Supplement the new Zone Guide with a "Story Guide", which would list all the zone stories relevant to a larger overarching story in one place - currently, those would be the Planemeld (covering the Alliance Zones, the Main Quest, and the Imperial City), the Daedric War (covering Vvardenfell, Clockwork City, and Summerset), the new Season of the Dragon, and "Other" (Craglorn, Wrothgar, Hew's Bane, Gold Coast, Murkmire). The Prologue Quests could be added in here too, as they are by definition relevant to the story of the zone that they precede, but don't fit anywhere else.

tinythinker · May 2019

Wildbloom wrote: »

It's not a terrible idea, but I don't think it should be mandatory at all. An in-game guide that shows you where to start any of the main stories that the game has told through multiple content-releases that suggests where to start the different ones would be amazing.

Strictly locking content simply to guide players towards the proper story goes against what this game encourages, but I see no reason not to guide them in the right order instead. There's a difference between "enforce" and "suggest".

Yeah, I've suggested this kind of thing repeatedly since 1T. Bascially, in the quest journal there would be a symbol/color for each Alliance storyline that would be mirrored the game world marker. They kind of did this recently but the "main markers" all look the same. But if they went further and had a "Main Story (Base-Game) marker in the journal/game world, an EP marker, an AD marker, and an AD marker, you would be able to keep it straight and pick back up any time you want. Now you could also ignore going in order, but the "next one" in each sequence would always stand out in the journal and in the world.

Also, still a fan of the idea of:

giving people a choice of which tutorial to start with
having a cut-scene or extremely short quests in a tiny instance where you get captured by the Worm Cult if you start in a Chapter and leave that zone, which then triggers the original Soul Shriven in Coldharbour quest so that all of the references to being "soulless" make sense.

Anyway, the complete version is here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/475476/choice-and-guidance-character-creation-starting-zones-tutorials-guided-storylines-etc

Riejael · May 2019

I'd never play ESO if they did this.

I don't play ESO for its story, its characters, nor its quests. Its an action RPG with dungeons and defined roles. I'll make a counter suggestion:

Add in an option to skip all cutscenes and dialogues. When you get a quest you don't have to click through dialogues, you just get the objective and when you complete that and turn it in, you get your reward without clicking through dialogue.

In addition when you do dungeons (group leader setting takes precedence and it is on in group finder), you don't have to wait for NPCs to run through and do their thing, the mobs and bosses are up to have just their encounters dealt with. Completing the dungeon completes its quest.

If I want dialogue and interactions, I'll play a Singleplayer RPG. I want my interactions to be with players. You know, the MM (Massive Multiplayer) in MMOROPG. Not with scripts.

DeadlyRecluse · May 2019

I'm a "no" on any kind of content lock. I tend to run new content on fresh alts--should I have to level them through all content first? Or be forced to run new content on my main?

However, a truly new player doesn't really have any way to know how to play though the story in a way that makes sense without consulting resources outside the game--I think a "story guide" akin to the "level up guide" would make sense, maybe using the same UI but on the Journal screen?

FilteredRiddle · May 2019

Wildbloom wrote: »

It's not a terrible idea, but I don't think it should be mandatory at all. An in-game guide that shows you where to start any of the main stories that the game has told through multiple content-releases that suggests where to start the different ones would be amazing.

Strictly locking content simply to guide players towards the proper story goes against what this game encourages, but I see no reason not to guide them in the right order instead. There's a difference between "enforce" and "suggest".

This.

What ZOS should do is include something in-game which explains the linear storyline in explicit terms: A before B before C and D before E. They could easily include it as a part of their new Zone Guide.

It would be even more helpful if quests gave you a warning when you were doing something out of order, without giving you spoilers. For example, if you began the questline in The Gold Coast which eventually leads to the Naryu encounters, but had not yet completed the Naryu quests in Deshaan it would simply say something like, “This quest comes chronologically after content in the Deshaan zone. Completing this quest will complete story content out of linear order.”

This would be helpful for new, returning, or slower players to complete content in chronological order without inadvertently spoiling something for themselves or confusing their storylines. For players who (1) have already completed the content on another character, or (2) don’t care, it could simply be ignored. Perhaps, similar to the Tutorial toggle, there could be somewhere in Gameplay settings to turn the warnings off on 2nd/3rd/4th+ toons.

russelmmendoza · May 2019

Is it so bad to force chronological order of quest to new players?
Just to weave the lore and story to them.
Maybe only let them leave alliance story quest after coldharbor, then they can go anywhere and do any quest they want.

Riejael · May 2019

russelmmendoza wrote: »

Is it so bad to force chronological order of quest to new players?
Just to weave the lore and story to them.
Maybe only let them leave alliance story quest after coldharbor, then they can go anywhere and do any quest they want.

Its bad to force any quest on anyone. The tutorial should even be optional.

yRaven · May 2019

Only if CP160+ could do what they want, because i couldn't care less for game story by now, really, i even abandon Skyshards or Lorebooks if they're quest locked

Taleof2Cities · May 2019

As many have said, @ArchMikem, your idea has a lot of merit ... provided players are given the option to turn this feature off.

idk · May 2019

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

As many have said, @ArchMikem, your idea has a lot of merit ... provided players are given the option to turn this feature off.

Wildbloom had the good idea. A story guide which would be easy to implement since they did add zone guide. Players can choose to follow it or not.

karekiz · May 2019

Open map:

Start/continue Main Story button
Start/continue "Faction" Story button. Once finished it moves to the next faction.

Basically zone quest finder but globally for the main/faction stories.

Conduit0 · May 2019

While I can appreciate the desire to preserve the game's story line the simple fact is there is a reason that the MMO genre has been slowly moving away from the on rails theme park content design and towards a more open sandbox design. It is also not a coincidence the game has grown immensely more popular since One Tamriel.

ArchMikem · May 2019

I shouldve realized writing OP that locking entire zones would be much more controversial than maybe locking just the quests, or just putting the order in the zone guide so players can be informed.

FierceSam · May 2019

While I share the frustration of having characters approach me to get me to do the Elsweyr prologue long after I have entered Elsweyr and begun to fight, ‘forcing’ players to play through the entire game in chronological order is not the way to resolve this.

From a new player’s perspective what would be helpful would be some kind of in game indication of the chronology of game events, so that those who are truly bothered by this can opt to play the game in chronological order. And some way of easily getting to the ‘original’ start point. I suspect the rest of us will just shrug and go “it’s just a game”.

As players (rather than as our characters), it’s helpful to have the majority of key questgivers appear in specific main areas (eg Daggerfall), so some element of time confusion will be inevitable.

From ZOS’s point of view, however, it makes sense to allow all players, however new to the game, to get straight into the new content, irrespective of any timey-wimey weirdness that may occur further down the line.

Uviryth · May 2019

I honestly thought the same thing yesterday.

I made a new character and he was forced to do Elsweyr, with not even an Option.
Then I port to Davons Watch to get Undauntend skilline and all around me NPCs spawned, screaming in my ear.
MainQuest, Orzimmar (or whatever the Orc-Thing is called), Murmire, Summerst, Morrowind, Craglorn, Thievesguild, MurderousPsychoguild.....

Are you kidding me? Can we at least have some kind of continuity, if only optional?
Plus, why do I still need an Addon to distinguish Mainquests (as in Chains that advance a Sotryline) from Sidequests?

MikaHR · May 2019

Locks no, story guide that makes player aware of chronological story order . BIG yes.

ESO in online RPG and not a MMO after all.

Uviryth wrote: »

I honestly thought the same thing yesterday.

I made a new character and he was forced to do Elsweyr, with not even an Option.
Then I port to Davons Watch to get Undauntend skilline and all around me NPCs spawned, screaming in my ear.
MainQuest, Orzimmar (or whatever the Orc-Thing is called), Murmire, Summerst, Morrowind, Craglorn, Thievesguild, MurderousPsychoguild.....

Are you kidding me? Can we at least have some kind of continuity, if only optional?
Plus, why do I still need an Addon to distinguish Mainquests (as in Chains that advance a Sotryline) from Sidequests?

Dont really know what youre talking about, but in Quest Journal main story quests are placed under "Main Story" and sidequests under zone.

Sanctuary_Reaper · May 2019

People who care about the story will do it in order, just as i am, i have been to other area's but only because events have forced me there, otherwise i have stayed away from the main story quests in the area's i am forced to go to, i will pick them as i move through the story.

The way the game is layed out now i think is ok, players who want to experience from the base game onwards can, and players who couldnt care about story, can also go forward how they want.

Maybe a "This is where you should start" sort of pointer should be put in place to indeed point new players in the right direction, would suffice.

Uviryth · May 2019

MikaHR wrote: »

Dont really know what youre talking about, but in Quest Journal main story quests are placed under "Main Story" and sidequests under zone.

I didnt say "Main Story", I said "Main Quests". I even explained what I ment.
Thats some serious selective reading-skills.

MikaHR · May 2019

Put yourself into completely new player starting in Elsweyr.

He might even not be aware of original story for a long long time, and if he wanders into random starting aliiance zone he is bombarded with zone main quest as well as all DLC quests as well as main story...and then guild storylines... .... ...

I that have played from launch (with breaks of course),and you, would know where to go and start....new player....yeah, no clue whatsoever.

RogueShark · May 2019

Final Fantasy Reborn has something similar with their 'main story quest'... you are literally locked behind zones/content (including dungeons/trials...) until you do appropriate quests. I. Frickin. Abhor it. Sometimes I'm not in the mood to watch cutscene after cut scene and have story exposition shoved down my throat just to do fetch quests so that I can play catch-up to actually do the content with my friends. In fact, I usually end up having to ESC-mash through the cutscenes because I want to just get to the content already. (They do at least have a system where you can go back through and watch all the old cutscenes though, which is nice.)

The only saving grace FF has is that you can do all classes/roles on a single character, so in theory, you only have to suffer through that nonsense once, and I do feel like that because you can literally do everything on a single character, they get a pass for this type of gameplay. It would be miserable on ESO.

mague · May 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

Another less restrictive idea.

Put something like the maps zone guide into the quest window of the game. So people my follow the story or not.

idk · May 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

I shouldve realized writing OP that locking entire zones would be much more controversial than maybe locking just the quests, or just putting the order in the zone guide so players can be informed.

It is not about locking the zones vs the quests. It is that locking things is not a good idea. Forcing and restricting players is not a wise path to take.

As has been suggested, Zos could implement a guild similar to the zone guide, but this would provide an outline of the story from base game on. It is then a choice for the player to follow that guide or not.

I do not understand OPs fixation on forcing other players to pay the way OP wants them to play. The suggestions of a guide take care of providing guidance to new ( and existing players) without forcing them to play as AM here wants them to. It should be left to their choice. Sure as hell not going to tell me how to play.

mann9753b16_ESO · May 2019

As an optional mechanic: Yes. I would love it.

As a mandatory mechanic: No.

logarifmik · May 2019

This whole situation with the story in TESO needs a good explanation. For example, player should be told why some NPCs can be found in different locations and situations at the same time from the player's perspective. For now we only have unobvious hints regarding the issue. I don't know about others, but I prefer the narrative to be logical and consistent. Saying hi to D. Benioff and D.B. Weiss with their recent portion of disgusting writing.

Pardon my language, but for now the ESO narrative is "fractured but whole".

Monte_Cristo · May 2019

ArchMikem wrote: »

If not an addon to the Zone Guide then how about just a Main Quest lock? The zones themselves can be available to explore and quests associated with delves, and the world are open but the main questlines would have prerequisites.

Agree. I did Auridon once starting in the middle, discovering the identity of the Veiled Queen, killing the Veiled Queen, then going back to the start and meeting the Veiled Queen, alive and well and no one knowing that they're the Veiled Queen.
Same thing in Eastmarch with Filagor.

Zephiran23 · May 2019

Make it an optional thing that clearly gets explained before you turn it on and it has my support. There's plenty of players on reddit etc asking where to go after completing the Morrowwind or Summerset. Even that would be a good start.

With the way writ drops are currently set up, you'd still need to be able to access areas for surveys and treasure maps. Just no new quest icons popping up.

As was mentioned above the quest spam when you arrive in your factions 1st proper town eg Davon's Watch, after the starter island is also overwhelming. You just ends up with a log full of quests you don't need to start yet. I don't need my new characters being told zone X urgently needs your attention right now every time I enter it.

Current zone, prologue quests, guild quests, zone dailies etc can all add up to more than 18 before you've tried fitting in your daily writ quests. Making that easier to manage for new players couldn't hurt.

Mik195 · May 2019

I think the Harborage questline could stand to ne gated. One of my alts who hadn't even been murdered yet by the shadowed figure met the Groundskeeper and Vanus' projection in Coldharbour. (I like crafting on EU in Coldharbour since it's empty NA primetime). Seems like that's the one questline you should have to do in order.

Riejael · May 2019

logarifmik wrote: »

This whole situation with the story in TESO needs a good explanation.

Why? You all don't realize that not every player is here for the story. I've already made the argument that there needs to be a way to avoid the story more than we can already can. Not every new player is a clueless newbie that gets 'overwhelmed'. Veteran MMO players can and do handle playing ESO just fine (I'd dare say some of them handle it better than most 'vets' who have been playing for years).

There should be NOTHING stopping a player who comes to ESO and just wants to do endgame content with friends or for those who simply want to do the challenging stuff right off the bat. Not have to sit through hundreds of lines of voiced dialogue just because some writer for the game feels slighted. They've got to go from 1-50, that's more than a big enough tutorial for anyone.

Hell my group I run with has completed most of Elsewyr and none of us could tell you any lore about it other than there's dragons killing cats supposedly.

Nightowl_74 · May 2019

To me that would be off-putting because linear progression isn't what I want out of an Elder Scrolls game. I expect differences in the online world of any franchise but what made me set this one aside for several years after my initial short-lived enthusiasm was that it didn't feel like Tamriel to me then, so as option I think it would be great but it's not something I would choose.