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Western Skyrim: Now a dead zone?
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Ratinira✭✭✭✭Very similar with other dlc zones.
I was farming chests in Elsweyr. It is easy to make a circle around the location and meet like 2-3 people or even none. Yes, it is good for farming, but zone looks dead. The same as Summerset or Cl.city. The
same as Skyrim. Crowd came when it was new/event, did everything and left.
There are little reasons to return to such zones (unless you play alts). No special resources (like nirncrux in Craglorn), no high-on-demand overland sets (like mother sorrow or briarheart) to be grinded, no exp. grind places (like Craglorn or Alikr).was little fixed with antiquities, but not much.
It is good for feeling like playing in single-player, but sometimes it doesn't look very healthy for mmo.3 -
Ratinira✭✭✭✭
They should be easy. Having them hard is only working when enought players are in the zone to do them. Like with Dragons or the pearl stuff from Summerset the number of players drop and the hard version becomes unplayable.
And *that* can be fixed with loot. Put there something valuable and people will be there. Because even if it if hard the effort is properly rewarded.
Like when I come to Gold Coast there are always people asking for daily sharing and it is usually at least 2-3 waiting at boss/arena (at least in evening). The same time no one is asking for boss sharing in Summerset. Because it is a pain to find a group even for one.2 -
Lord-Otto✭✭✭✭✭
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Well, that's what we have now. They're definitely hard and no one's bothering.
Because not much people like doing something hard just for the pure process of doing something hard.
More would like to have a proper reward for the time/effort/nurves they spent.
And with current rewards doing HS is more for the process, nor the result.
And well, yes, like most of zones after you do all quest there is little to do. Only dailies, but after the event many fed up with them already
Yup, this is exactly what I meant. There are challenging activities in this game for those who want them. But in the end, people only do stuff if they get something out of it. That's why making overland content, especially the events, hard as hell is pointless.1 -
Tandor✭✭✭✭✭
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Well, that's what we have now. They're definitely hard and no one's bothering.
That's what some were predicting every time players complained about the lack of challenge in overland content. It isn't the challenge they wanted, it's decent rewards. They kept denying that and saying it was the challenge they wanted, but now they have that challenge but no decent rewards and they're nowhere to be seen.25 -
Grianasteri✭✭✭✭✭
✭PS4 NA,
It’s sad to see. Since the event has ended, Western Skyrim has become even more of a ghost town than Murkmire or Clockwork City. Can’t even complete the dailies because there just aren’t enough players in the zone to help. The harrowstorms wouldn’t be so bad to solo if the crows weren’t so OP. Are the other platforms experiencing a similar situation in Skyrim? Just curious.
I disagree. I have been in each day to do dailies and explore, its naturally quieter but its far from dead. Ive done WB and storms without too much issue. Of course, it can depend on the time of day/night you are playing.
If we keep adding more and more zones, statistically speaking zone populations are going to fall on average. Just something to bare in mind.2 -
Lord-Otto✭✭✭✭✭
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Well, that's what we have now. They're definitely hard and no one's bothering.
That's what some were predicting every time players complained about the lack of challenge in overland content. It isn't the challenge they wanted, it's decent rewards. They kept denying that and saying it was the challenge they wanted, but now they have that challenge but no decent rewards and they're nowhere to be seen.
Yes.0 -
TequilaFire✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Could it simply be players are burnt out on the zone after spending so much time in the zone and are back to their normal routine?3 -
laurajf✭✭✭✭I didn't spend as much time in this DLC as I have in others.
I really dislike the Blackreach underground section. It's a dark, gloomy maze with high and low areas that are difficult to maneuver. The map isn't very useful in showing clear paths. The only time I spent down there was to complete the parts of the main quest that happened there. For the first time in a DLC, I did not complete all the quests and just avoided the side quests down there because the area is so unpleasant to me. This is also the first time I didn't even bother to unlock all of the wayshires or find all the points of interest in the underground section. I just wanted to spend as little time down there as possible.
Top side was okay, pretty in some areas, but I dislike the harrowstorms and will probably never do another one. If there is another event there next year with the same rewards as this year, I may just skip that daily for the event and just do the other two dailies.
This DLC was rather disappointing for me personally and the one I've spent the least amount of time in and will probably not run any alts through. Hopefully I'll find future DLCs more enjoyable.Edited by laurajf on October 8, 2020 1:20PM5 -
Sarannah✭✭✭✭✭
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I feel Blackreach is one of the best zones in the game. Amazing atmosphere, and lots of huge caves with tunnels. I do agree the map and questpointers should be alot clearer though. When I ever happen to have time, I'm going to hang out there! Which doesn't ever really happen, sadly.I really dislike the Blackreach underground section. It's a dark, gloomy maze with high and low areas that are difficult to maneuver. The map isn't very useful in showing clear paths. The only time I spent down there was to complete the parts of the main quest that happened there.6 -
CaffeinatedMayhem✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Harrowstorms should be hard and the loot should be more commensurate with the effort.
But where are all the players who said dragons were too easy in groups and soloing them was their only challenge???
I’m actually serious. Where are all the people who ripped me apart for asking that dragons scale even a little bit as Elsweyr is now dead. Shouldn’t they be in W Skyrim enjoy soloing or small groups at Harrowstorms?
This isn’t bashing, I’m pointing out a forum fallacy that “players want insanely difficult overland challenge.” Harrowstorms are the very definition of insanely difficult overland challenge. Why do I ride up to so many harrowstorms with no players, but several bosses already waiting for someone to engage?
And please don’t try to solo a HS then ride away without calling it in zone. That just leaves multiple bosses to spawn at once for the next group.Edited by CaffeinatedMayhem on October 8, 2020 2:45PM13 -
CaffeinatedMayhem✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭I feel Blackreach is one of the best zones in the game. Amazing atmosphere, and lots of huge caves with tunnels. I do agree the map and questpointers should be alot clearer though. When I ever happen to have time, I'm going to hang out there! Which doesn't ever really happen, sadly.
I love Blackreach as well, but it's confusing that the other cavern compass markers show into your current location. I know that there are several wayshrines by doors, so that seems reasonable, but when harrowstorm markers in other caverns show as if they are nearby.. it's confusing until you memorize or just look at your map all the time.2 -
craybest✭✭✭✭✭didn't the event just end? people are probably burned out of the zone for a while, but i still see people everywhere in it. give it a few days.3 -
LeeNordTank✭✭✭I feel harrowstorm mechanics and rewards aren't worth it.PS4 NA,
It’s sad to see. Since the event has ended, Western Skyrim has become even more of a ghost town than Murkmire or Clockwork City. Can’t even complete the dailies because there just aren’t enough players in the zone to help. The harrowstorms wouldn’t be so bad to solo if the crows weren’t so OP. Are the other platforms experiencing a similar situation in Skyrim? Just curious.
I feel harrowstorm mechanics and rewards aren't worth it. Technically infinite minibosses if not swarmed with players. Spammy one-shots from shrikes.
I could tank at least 4 bosses at once, but the instant a shrike comes up I instantly die to 45k damage under a second. It's not fun having to tank and then switch to running away because they spam unblockable instant death that's homing constantly. Even if I try my hardest to dodge everything, a different boss using snares or stuns and then I'm eating soul gems.
Tldr I hate shrikes. Theyre just unfair.
I agree 100%
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Destai✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭PS4 player here.
It's expected that people need a breather from a zone after a big event. I was even like that with Summerset, which is my favorite zone.
After getting Savior of Western Skyrim twice, I really don't see myself going back there on any alts. Something about the whole zone just feels blah to me.- There's some *ok* locales but nothing really wows me, aside from a few spots in Blackreach. I don't know if it's the lack of vegetation or the greyscale quality of the environment - but something's missing. Most zones have some cool places that I like to revisit, but not this one.
- The weird door between the wayshrine and the horse trainer is an odd choice. Compared to Summerset or Vvardenfel, it's just not a good place to park a character for the night.
- The zone achievement collectibles are forgettable. Compared to the other Nord zones, there's not much there I'd want to throw in the Antiquarian's house or my other Nord house.
- Harrowstorms are just not enjoyable for me.
- With it being essentially two zones, it's clunky to navigate between everything. I'm grateful they gave us so much content, but it's just cumbersome to get around.
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Destai✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭It’s interesting how some new zones hold people’s interest and others don’t. Vvardenfell and Summerset are both still busy all the time. Partially for crafting convenience sure, but that’s not the only factor. Rimmen is pretty dead despite having great crafting layout, and Wrothgar is always busy despite having an abysmal crafting layout. Surely not everyone there is farming Briarheart all the time, so what’s the draw?
And dlc zones, Gold Coast and Hews Bane both have a good number of players every time I’m there. Both in the cities and in the Thieves Den and Sanctuary. Why do those zones still draw people but murkmire, cwc, and southern elsweyr don’t?
Skyrim is probably a little dead right now because people are burnt out after the event. But it’s also not somewhere I see many people spending much time in long term.
Just my perspective - but Summerset and Vvardenfell are really well laid out for crafters and alts. If I need to cycle through my characters, it's really easy to park them there to grab my dailies and horse upgrades. In general, those zones have great music, scenery, and memories.
I've always found Rimmen's crafting station hard to navigate, sure it's all in one place but there's so much clutter around them. Elsweyr is still a good zone though, with loads of character and an almost Indiana Jones feel to it.
Wrothgar is fun too - the feel of it is so epic but it's not hard to get around. They nailed the cold, northern vibe really well on this. It's fun to don some cold weather outfits and head up there for some hunting.
It looks like the least popular zones are the small zone DLCs.- Hew's Bane and Gold Coast support good motif farming and dailies for the outlaws of ESO. They'll never be dead because of that.
- Murkmire I learned to love, that zone surprised me. The flora is unique, there's some cool achievement collectibles too.
- CWC is cool but feels very sterile in general. The motifs and dailies are cool though, but nothing long-term there for a larger number of players.
I think there's a few things a zone needs to be lively long term- Fun, repeatable content unique to that zone. Dolmens and Geysers are a good example.
- Being tied to a specific playstyle - ie thievery, assassination, vampires, werewolves.
- Exciting achievement collectibles. Look at Rivenspire, Summerset, Riften, Morrowind, and Orsinium. Having just banners, a doll, and some twigs isn't really worth the effort.
- Easy crafting layout with few obstructions. Players are looking to do their dailies quickly and each expansion should support that.
- Smartly placed wayshrines. Keep em near the main attractions or give us something to offset difficult terrain, like Siltstriders.
I just think in general WS and BR weren't something a lot of people wanted, at least not in the way they gave us. It wasn't the best launch at the best time. If they had somehow made the zone the Hew's Bane for Vampires and Werewolves, that might have cemented it more.Edited by Destai on October 8, 2020 3:58PM4 -
Elvenheart✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Personally, I have so many loot boxes from the event that all of my inventory space is full and I can only do things that don’t drop loot until November 2 - oh, happy day when Collections goes live!!!2 -
Lord-Otto✭✭✭✭✭
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CaffeinatedMayhem✭✭✭✭✭
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I know you're trolling but now that the zone is dead, no, it won't be dead, even if you're on a low level horse without rapids.1 -
Morwaenna✭✭✭CaffeinatedMayhem wrote: »
which works well when there is an event on and everyone's objective in the zone is the same but when there isn't an event on? Dead zone chat and by the time you strike lucky and teleport to the nearest wayshrine the HS is already done and dusted. It's a no from me.2 -
CaffeinatedMayhem✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭CaffeinatedMayhem wrote: »
which works well when there is an event on and everyone's objective in the zone is the same but when there isn't an event on? Dead zone chat and by the time you strike lucky and teleport to the nearest wayshrine the HS is already done and dusted. It's a no from me.
No no, did you actually as in zone? Because most of the time I don't get a response I find the Harrowstorm dead. I'm the one that calls it and waits and people never show up.
Honestly, I think ZOS is trying to encourage players to DO things. Ride to locations, do more than spew hate and sell in zone.
Obviously, it's not working.
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Mindcr0w✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭That's what some were predicting every time players complained about the lack of challenge in overland content. It isn't the challenge they wanted, it's decent rewards. They kept denying that and saying it was the challenge they wanted, but now they have that challenge but no decent rewards and they're nowhere to be seen.
It is almost like most MMO players would like both a decent challenge and a worthwhile reward. And that providing a balance of both has been the hallmark of every gameplay feature that has ever been successful in any MMO ever.
But that can't be right. It must be that players exclusively care only about one or the other.3 -
Odovacar✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Really? PS4 NA seems to be super packed almost everywhere I go including Skyrim (ofc some areas more than others).1 -
Jaraal✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭CaffeinatedMayhem wrote: »
I've had plenty of cases where I've asked multiple times in zone chat where the active storm is, only to be met with silence. So while I'm porting around trying to find it myself, I'll spot it in the distance and start riding (or running, on my alts that had Rapids taken away from them by ZOS) in that direction only to see the sky clear and a group of players riding towards me at the wayshrine.
So I wait 15 - 20 seconds after they have all ported away, and ask again in zone chat where the storm is. Surely they're still en route and not too busy to answer, right? Wrong. I'll start porting around again, find the storm, and get there to find the same folks have almost finished off the current storm. If I'm lucky, I can get in a couple hits and get credit, but often times I arrive too late.
While contemplating all this, it occurred to me why a coordinated group has no interest in telling folks where the storm is. It's quite likely that they might think that I (or any other random person in the zone) would be the guy who doesn't know the mechanics, and they don't want some clueless person running packs of trash around, training shrikes to their location, whacking on the wrong pike and spawning extra bosses, killing their stunned ghosts, or what have you.
In the same way that some PUG dungeon groups are hampered by the play of certain individuals, the overland version of a mechanic-ized dungeon (the harrowstorm) can also be made more difficult than it has to be. The only difference is that there's no vote kick available at these public events, so you're stuck with whoever shows up.1 -
markulrich1966✭✭✭✭✭
✭CaffeinatedMayhem wrote: »
I've had plenty of cases where I've asked multiple times in zone chat where the active storm is, only to be met with silence. So while I'm porting around trying to find it myself, I'll spot it in the distance and start riding (or running, on my alts that had Rapids taken away from them by ZOS) in that direction only to see the sky clear and a group of players riding towards me at the wayshrine.
So I wait 15 - 20 seconds after they have all ported away, and ask again in zone chat where the storm is. Surely they're still en route and not too busy to answer, right? Wrong. I'll start porting around again, find the storm, and get there to find the same folks have almost finished off the current storm. If I'm lucky, I can get in a couple hits and get credit, but often times I arrive too late.
While contemplating all this, it occurred to me why a coordinated group has no interest in telling folks where the storm is. It's quite likely that they might think that I (or any other random person in the zone) would be the guy who doesn't know the mechanics, and they don't want some clueless person running packs of trash around, training shrikes to their location, whacking on the wrong pike and spawning extra bosses, killing their stunned ghosts, or what have you.
In the same way that some PUG dungeon groups are hampered by the play of certain individuals, the overland version of a mechanic-ized dungeon (the harrowstorm) can also be made more difficult than it has to be. The only difference is that there's no vote kick available at these public events, so you're stuck with whoever shows up.
Like this it works:
travel between these 3 shrines:
giants coast
northern watch
southern watch (from here you see chillblain, old karth and black morass)
If you see no storm from one of these, it is currently hailstone valley, so travel to the Morthal wayshrine.
Now, if you just started, do NOT ride yet to the current storm, as it might end already in some seconds.
Instead, wait until it collapses, then do the 3 wayshrine tour again. And NOW ride to the currently active storm, as this time it just started so you can reach it even without rapids.
From this point on, repeat the tour, you now are in sync with the respawns and should no longer miss one.Edited by markulrich1966 on October 8, 2020 6:39PM3 -
Túrin_Vidsmidr✭✭✭PC EU
the whole zone is a ghost town both above and underground.
The best techniques are passed on by the survivors.4 -
volkeswagon✭✭✭✭✭
✭Yeah, they should remove the doors from the clothing and enchanting stations so there is no load screen. Just have swaying doors like they had in saloons4
