Any future updates to implement more solo areas?

SaintAemilian · January 2021

Not sure about anyone else, but I absolutely HATE when you're trying to do a quest as an assassin and be stealthy, then someone basically tramples around the area, killing your target or making you visible.

[snip] I'm not saying that the game has to be completely solo, I just wish there were areas that were solo such as when you have to save Hilde or certain quests.

Guild Wars had the right idea, where players are only seen in towns, and the whole world is yours to explore without others around. Kinda wish ESO did that too.

[Edited to remove Baiting and Naming and Shaming]

Calm_Fury · January 2021

At this point in the game, I'm not sure much will change about that.

We had the Heists and Sacraments but then absolutely not else similar to that as I remember. I guess they just abandoned the idea.

While I don't personally find that a big issue, I do understand that ESO could be a lot more immersive with more solo instanced zones for some of the current overland shared areas. The Thieves and DB guilds quest are great examples of that.

idk · January 2021

I assume this is about questing and not about a new solo arena like Zos just added to the game.

While I am glad you like GWs design, games should do their own thing. We as players decide what we prefer. The core design of the game is an open-world with an occasional private instance. I like ESO's design and think it should continue as it is.

SaintAemilian · January 2021

Both of you guys bring up great points.

However, a lot of my friends have started quitting, or not playing the game because, like me, when they're trying to, for example, sneak through that house in the introductory DB quest, some random yahoo keeps barreling in, destroys their stealth, and forces them to have to either fight their way out or run away. Needless to say, they have a bounty attached because of the actions of another player.

Trying to play a stealth-only role is not a kind idea to anyone playing this game, which is why I have to wonder why stealth is even a thing in an MMO such as this.

I believe that ESO would have greater success if they incorporated more SOLO areas or changes, or at least had the ability to change instances.

Because at this point, it's just not fun for me and for a lot of others.

VampireLordLover99 · January 2021

SaintAemilian wrote: »

Not sure about anyone else, but I absolutely HATE when you're trying to do a quest as an assassin and be stealthy, then someone basically tramples around the area, killing your target or making you visible.

[snip] I'm not saying that the game has to be completely solo, I just wish there were areas that were solo such as when you have to save Hilde or certain quests.

Guild Wars had the right idea, where players are only seen in towns, and the whole world is yours to explore without others around. Kinda wish ESO did that too.

[Edited to remove Baiting and Naming and Shaming]

The game is kind of an MMO. And in guild wars 2 you can see players in the world. Because they realized they were an MMO, not a single player game

Vevvev · January 2021

I just adapt my stealth playstyle to account for the random crazy murder hobos. Invisibility potions are your friend in these scenarios and carrying pardon edicts helps when things go bad

Thechuckage · January 2021

Part of the problem is a lack of consistency on story missions being solo instanced or a free for all. DB questline is a great example of this. Initial move to the manor, FFA. Enter the basement, instanced.

If it was consistently solo-instanced then the problem would be solved. This is something GW2 does right. Stories are solo'd / party instanced and everything else is open world.

adriant1978 · January 2021

Would love for all interior quest areas to be instanced, but group instanced not solo.

My girlfriend and I like to play duo and while it's annoying to find our quest area full of kill stealers and other people's pets, it would be even more annoying if we were locked out of each other's quest because of solo instancing.

If you're playing solo then you're a group of 1, so you'd still have the experience of being alone in such an instance.

AcadianPaladin · January 2021

There is a magical feeling when you step into a dungeon alone and feel like you are the first person to enter it for a very long time as you slowly and carefully explore every nook and cranny. *illusion shattered as a magsorc + two pets races through dragging foes with them who all eventually come jogging back to stop on your head* *illusion shattered as you finally make your way to the final boss just in time to see them perish to another player*

I confess that I enjoyed the daily TG quests because they were like solo delves. Similarly, I enjoy the (too few) 'group delves'. Above all though, I cherish the fact that I can beautifully meet my objectives in about eight basic alliance zone normal group dungeons that I am fortunate enough to be able to solo. Being able to do one solo pledge per day is the high point of my gaming day.

renne · January 2021

Play Skyrim if you want a solo only game.

AcadianPaladin · January 2021

renne wrote: »

Play Skyrim if you want a solo only game.

My character has played over 4000 hours in Oblivion and another 4000 hours in Skyrim. Quite simply, she outgrew them because, compared to ESO they are not massive at all. What I seek ideally would be a massive (not small like Skyrim) solo medieval fantasy rpg. With almost 9000 hours in ESO, it fits that bill nicely in spite of the drawback that it is multiplayer.

ESO would not survive if it did not support soloists. Any more than it would survive without PvP or group play. There is room for all of us. ESO is a pretty solo-friendly game already. A few more solo instances would be welcome for those who do not wish to go through overcrowded delves. I just did Knife Ear Grotto - a simple delve in Deeshan. No sooner did I enter the delve than another player entered and, at a sprint, proceeded to kill every mob in the delve. As I moved through the delve exploring, respawns would randomly appear on my head. When I got to the boss, it was dead. I waited for a respawn. When it happened I managed to quickly get off 1 light attack before the 4 other players waiting for the boss killed it. Would that be your idea of a fun delve experience? It is not mine. There is a place for group play. And there is a place for solo play. Plenty of room for all of us in this massive game. Cheers.

Calm_Fury · January 2021

AcadianPaladin wrote: »

renne wrote: »

Play Skyrim if you want a solo only game.

My character has played over 4000 hours in Oblivion and another 4000 hours in Skyrim. Quite simply, she outgrew them because, compared to ESO they are not massive at all. What I seek ideally would be a massive (not small like Skyrim) solo medieval fantasy rpg. With almost 9000 hours in ESO, it fits that bill nicely in spite of the drawback that it is multiplayer.

ESO would not survive if it did not support soloists. Any more than it would survive without PvP or group play. There is room for all of us. ESO is a pretty solo-friendly game already. A few more solo instances would be welcome for those who do not wish to go through overcrowded delves. I just did Knife Ear Grotto - a simple delve in Deeshan. No sooner did I enter the delve than another player entered and, at a sprint, proceeded to kill every mob in the delve. As I moved through the delve exploring, respawns would randomly appear on my head. When I got to the boss, it was dead. I waited for a respawn. When it happened I managed to quickly get off 1 light attack before the 4 other players waiting for the boss killed it. Would that be your idea of a fun delve experience? It is not mine. There is a place for group play. And there is a place for solo play. Plenty of room for all of us in this massive game. Cheers.

This is very true. ESO is far from being "just" an MMO, and the last couple of years have really reinforced this casual/solo side of the game.

While this is not my cup of tea (I basically only do group stuff), ESO would be an awesome ES "solo-like" game if they just added some mor einstances to some quets and delves and a story mode to some group content. And also added some challenge to those.

I probably wouldn't be the target audience for those, but I bet it would catapult ESO to a huge audience that now doesn't even consider playing this game because of the "MMO" category (and I have a few friends in that category)

renne · January 2021

There are tons of single player fantasy RPGs. Literally google "single player fantasy RPG" and there's a bunch of results there for very good games.

An MMO doesn't need to be forced into just single player game with everything being able to be done solo just because some folk act like seeing another person in an MMO is a terrible thing. Sure, you hate running into other people in a delve, but what about that level 3 who's just come out of the Skyrim tutorial quest and goes into the (much harder than base game) delve that's near where you come out and end up getting repeatedly whacked by the enemies and not having a good time, but then someone comes along and helps them?

Except now they can't because all delves are solo instances because a handful of people demanded they should not only be able to play an MMO solo, they shouldn't have to see anyone else at all while doing it.

Yes, it's a little inconvenience for you when there are other people in there and you have to wait for bosses to respawn, but it's an MMO. It's not solely about you.

AcadianPaladin · January 2021

I would love to find a single player game that meets my needs:

Massive in scale (Oblivion and Skyrim are not massive, ESO is).
Open world where when and how you quest is up to you - therefore the game never ends.
Not dependent upon forming a party of NPCs like the Baldur's Gate series requires.
Medieval fantasy world (no steampunk, no scifi, no gunpowder).
Allows for building your own character, unlike The Witcher, New Dawn Horizon.

Please offer specific suggested games that are superior to ESO and fit those criteria.

I'm not complaining about ESO - it is quite solo friendly. A few more solo instances when appropriate, however, would be most welcome. Even as simple as when you enter a delve or public dungeon you are given the option of 1. Public instance or 2. Group instance where only you (and your group if you have one) will be present in that instance like a group dungeon.

zaria · January 2021

Now its plenty of quests in ESO who is solo only, this works perfectly for sneak objective quests as other players can easy mess stuff up while in other content they tend to help.

Now I think Morrowind scared them a bit away from sneak in quests but that zone was idiotic crowded on launch. I was in delves who had more players than mob. Yes it was kind of funny.
Hint us the skeleton polymorph in undead delves and public dungeons for confusion, works better on an necromancer.

Now I tend to quest most in off hours then its pretty empty. Its an reason to stay away from new zones if you don't want lots of other players running around like headless chickens.