Faction lock is killing Solo/small scale PVP on console

React · July 2019

The title says it. In it's current form, faction lock is destroying what remains of an already decimated solo/small scale pvp experience on console. Since faction lock was introduced, the main campaign has become more consolidated than ever. The same people play the same characters on the same alliances in the same zergs, logging in each day and doing nothing other than attempting to take keeps. There aren't random groups of players to fight, fights don't happen between keeps anymore, and you have to go to the same exact keeps EVERY DAY to find good PvP. With the horrible performance on top of this, the main campaign gets pop-locked by around 4-5PM eastern each day, and at that point becomes fully unplayable if you want to actually use the combat system. The only type of cyrodiil play past this point is shooting ballistas at walls, which the "faction loyalists" don't seem to mind.

The faction lock seems to have killed the off campaigns population as well. Last patch we'd see at least 1-2 bars of pop on each alliance by 4-5pm eastern, allowing players that wanted actual PVP fights to leave the unplayable main campaign and enter the lower populated but playable off campaign. Now, you don't see ANY population in there until 7-8pm eastern, and it doesn't surpass 1-2 bars on each alliance all night long, with the occasional 3 bar being achieved if a guild enters to push/defend the emp keeps or something of that sort.

I can't play my other characters to get fights with players on every alliance, so I'm limited to fighting the same exact people everyday. It's reminiscent of what BG's have become with the MMR system that forces me to fight the same people every day. There's no variety at all and the experience, which has already become below satisfactory due to performance issues and combat bugs, is becoming more stale each day.

I don't know how much of an issue faction-swapping on PC is in terms of AVA objectives and cross - faction "cheating", but the fact is console does NOT have the population to support this iteration of the lock. It is KILLING all forms of PvP apart from zerging down keeps, and in a game where PvP is at an all time low, this is just straight up depressing.

If zenimax isn't willing to outright revert the faction lock, they must take steps to changing how it functions. Perhaps make it so that once a player has faction locked their home campaign, they are still able to enter that campaign on other alliances but CANNOT place on the leader-boards or earn end of campaign rewards (but still gain AP towards their alliance ranks).

Sandman929 · July 2019

Off peak, the 30 day is the only place there is to play, during prime time NA the 7 day usually has decent population and performance. I guess I'm a faction loyalist since I only have DC characters, but it's depressing for me as well that I can't play in the faction locked campaign because it seems like no matter what ZOS does everyone is going to pile into one campaign even when they have the option of finding fights in the 7 day (at least, during prime time).
Faction lock has changed nothing besides bumming some people out. The 30 day is still the only game in town off-peak, and unplayable during prime time. Same old, same old.

MurderMostFoul · July 2019

My OP impression:

"The title says it..."

<Types five paragraphs>

[End of post]

brandonv516 · July 2019

Hopefully faction locks, uncontrollable lag, and that stupid *** hammer will kill off Cyro one day soon.

Mr_Walker · July 2019

OP's right, your two options on xna these days are "zerg or be zerged", or PvDoor in a dead campaign.

Siohwenoeht · July 2019

Mr_Walker wrote: »

OP's right, your two options on xna these days are "zerg or be zerged", or PvDoor in a dead campaign.

I've noticed the "small scale" engagements on cp 30 day involve at least 20 players on each side... SMH

TheBonesXXX · July 2019

Factions kill small scale because theres no 4th option to not be apart of any alliance.

Dominion_Nightblade · July 2019

You feel like zerging? Go to cyrodiil.

You in the mood to small scale? BG's is the place for you.

Want some good solo play? Take a few enemy back keep resources in cyrodiil.

leepalmer95 · July 2019

It's pointless to even bother with pvp when it gets to peak hours on ps4 eu.

You either try early and usually run around for 15m before you find a fight.

Or try at peak when it's a complete laggy mess with only big zergs of the same people running at the same keeps day after day. In which you can't bar swap, skills don't work and I drop to like 10fps max. Unplayable.

On ps4 eu there is literal no pop for the other campaigns, maybe on the week peak time there will be 1 bar on the 7 day farming emp but thats it.

So either run around for hours hoping to find random fights, or play a power point presentation. It's embarrassing its just been ignored for 3 months again.

Faction lock is killing what little remains on ps4 eu.

Mr_Walker · July 2019

Siohwenoeht wrote: »

Mr_Walker wrote: »

OP's right, your two options on xna these days are "zerg or be zerged", or PvDoor in a dead campaign.

I've noticed the "small scale" engagements on cp 30 day involve at least 20 players on each side... SMH

My small scale egenrally involves those 20 players mugging me in the wilderness somewhere.

MipMip · July 2019

'Faction lock is killing Solo/small scale PVP on console' - not only on console! Faction lock is so damaging to the community and the game as it makes it difficult to group up spontaneously, and that is absolutely the same on PC.

Vapirko · July 2019

Well if people weren’t so stubborn and would play the 7 day campaign there wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

React · July 2019

Vapirko wrote: »

Well if people weren’t so stubborn and would play the 7 day campaign there wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

I would love for more people to go in there, but this faction lock has only further demotivated people from PVP'ing in general. Even in the off campaign that isn't directly affected by the lock, we have seen a MASSIVE reduction in population there. It's sad because that's the only campaign that doesn't lag & in recent patches had enough population during the evenings to enjoy some decent PVP.

SneaK · July 2019

I’m not all-in for the locks but I don’t really see the connection to them and small scale PvP.

Performance is what is killing Cyro on Xbox.

Mr_Walker · August 2019

Vapirko wrote: »

Well if people weren’t so stubborn and would play the 7 day campaign there wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

One more time for the newbies.

7 day campaign is, outside primetime on Xbox, dead. Deader than my beloved granny, who's been dead 20 years. Deader than King Tut, and he's been dead for over 2000 years.

Dead. Knackered. Lifeless. Stuffed. Buggered. Gone. Departed. Resting in Peace. Gone to Meet Its Maker.

NBrookus · August 2019

Mr_Walker wrote: »

Vapirko wrote: »

Well if people weren’t so stubborn and would play the 7 day campaign there wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

One more time for the newbies.

7 day campaign is, outside primetime on Xbox, dead. Deader than my beloved granny, who's been dead 20 years. Deader than King Tut, and he's been dead for over 2000 years.

Dead. Knackered. Lifeless. Stuffed. Buggered. Gone. Departed. Resting in Peace. Gone to Meet Its Maker.

Ditto on PC NA.

Royalthought · August 2019

30 day cp has rewards I prefer. I once was able to play on each of my alts, reach a certain level then switch for a different experience. Once a month.

At the end of campaign, reap the rewards.

I don't have the time to squeeze all my alts in 7 days for less. Only to repeat it the next week.

As it stands, once the faction locked characters reach that point, I'm done with cyrodil. Because it isn't a faction lock.

Its an alt lock. And again, its full of stupid.

Heimpai · August 2019

Vapirko wrote: »

Well if people weren’t so stubborn and would play the 7 day campaign there wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

If i wanted to pvdoor I’d go play pve or go back to AD..my primetime is off hours for NA (those campaigns are dead at that time)

dtsharples · August 2019

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is

I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

ellahellabella · August 2019

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

You know what else is artificially keeping the score balanced? The low population alliance bonus that the 3 bar ad "nightcapping" brigade keeps proccing on 1 bar ep/dc.

And no, you can't force loyalty on someone, the locks have done nothing in that regard
All they have done in my regard is have me loathe selfish people like you.

frostz417 · August 2019

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

The score system is broken. Why bother when the map gets night capped after prime time.
Faction loyalty is a meme that only zergling role players use. Funny too because almost all if not all faction loyalist role play zerglings are absolutely atrocious players.
The fact that you even think cyrodiil is competitive is a joke. There is no competition in cyrodiil. The score system is flawed and crap.
Also if anything faction hoppin helped balance campaigns. Now since lock it’s just consisting of one faction dominating the campaign. On Xbox nobody came below 10k of the winning faction. If anything faction hoppers helped since most would join the losing side.
But but MUHUUHH SPIES HAKURS AP EXPLOITERZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heimpai · August 2019

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

Sanctum74 · August 2019

Heimpai wrote: »

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

Because that's the way score based gameplay works. (Btw solo player that loves faction locks)

frostz417 · August 2019

Sanctum74 wrote: »

Heimpai wrote: »

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

Because that's the way score based gameplay works. (Btw solo player that loves faction locks)

“Solo” as in “I zerg surf but I’m not in their group, so therefore I’m solo!”

Ranger209 · August 2019

Heimpai wrote: »

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

when you play checkers with a buddy and he is beating you do you switch from your color to his so you can play with him and be on the winning side?

Heimpai · August 2019

Ranger209 wrote: »

Heimpai wrote: »

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

when you play checkers with a buddy and he is beating you do you switch from your color to his so you can play with him and be on the winning side?

I don’t play checkers and nice try saying I’d go to the winning side..seeing as we‘ve lost like every campaign since lock yet i have characters on the winning alliance..don’t confuse me with yourself

I just don’t feel like grinding the same characters over again or playing pvdoor in dead campaigns

Sanctum74 · August 2019

frostz417 wrote: »

Sanctum74 wrote: »

Heimpai wrote: »

dtsharples wrote: »

*** performance is killing pvp. Faction lock is
I have no sympathy for faction hoppers.
You were never equalising the score, you were keeping the score artificially incorrect and had too much sway over how the campaign went, as evident by the more recent scoring.
Now you're stuck into a faction, maybe it will teach you some temporary loyalty.
If you want to play with friends, plan ahead like everyone else always did. If you can't plan ahead they aren't your friends.

And i should be forced to be loyal in a GAME why?

Because that's the way score based gameplay works. (Btw solo player that loves faction locks)

“Solo” as in “I zerg surf but I’m not in their group, so therefore I’m solo!”

Yes you exposed me I'm a zergling, try harder next time

dtsharples · August 2019

I never said you were keeping the score balanced, entirely the opposite.
I said you were keeping the score artificially incorrect, meaning that your swapping sides to play with the scoring was giving an artificial result, especially since you are playing in the night cap period. (Yeah OC is night cap, get over it)
When you play on a NA server the NA primetime is primetime
When you play on a EU server the EU primetime is primetime.
Just because you don't have your own server does not mean that you have a right to trash other servers. I get it, you're under represented, but that's not other players fault and you are wasting your time spouting off on a forum for other players. You need to engage game developers and spokespersons.

ellahellabella · August 2019

dtsharples wrote: »

I never said you were keeping the score balanced, entirely the opposite.
I said you were keeping the score artificially incorrect, meaning that your swapping sides to play with the scoring was giving an artificial result, especially since you are playing in the night cap period. (Yeah OC is night cap, get over it)
When you play on a NA server the NA primetime is primetime
When you play on a EU server the EU primetime is primetime.
Just because you don't have your own server does not mean that you have a right to trash other servers. I get it, you're under represented, but that's not other players fault and you are wasting your time spouting off on a forum for other players. You need to engage game developers and spokespersons.

That's the most ridiculous argument ive ever heard. The scoreboard is STILL being artificially incorrect.
Ad: "we would be in front by 10k if it weren't for those meddling kids low population bonuses!"

This is a server open 24 hours. Stop playing that the sun shines out of your own (obligitory) just because you live in America. We oceanics are every bit as entitled to play and enjoy the game as much as you.

The fact that you continue to use condescending remarks full of ignorance about how things work off peak is just further proof that lock supporters like yourself really have no clue at all.

React · August 2019

Anyone talking about campaign scoring in this thread, didnt read the title. Campaign scoring is completley irrelevant to small scale/solo pvp players, and these players make no effort to to go after alliance objectives such as keeps, scrolls, etc.

These players switch factions BASED ON POPULATION in order to find fights. For example, on XB NA the main campaign is only playable LAG WISE from 8AM est - 2PM EST. During those hours population wise, there will only be 1-2 bars on some or all alliances between 11AM EST and 2PM eST. This means that being able to switch to the alliance with less players will allow you to find more fights, making the time you can actually PvP more productive.

If you play in the main campaign after those hours, you might as well be roleplaying. The combat doesn't work at all, so the only thing to do in there is fire siege at walls and zerg. Anyone that defends the current iteration of the faction lock likely does not actually care about the combat in this game, and treats pvp as "AvA large scall siege fight simulator".

ks888 · August 2019

#deletefactionlocksalready