Solo Arena are fun, we need more of these !

Fhritz · July 2021

They are the only hard "solo" content in this game, the only challenging content outside of group activities ! Since there's no "veteran" overland content, the only two solo arenas available are our only choice if we want challenging content ! MA is old but actually "fun" because it's challenging, and VH look like a real dungeon and is really fun to explore and run !

ZoS proved to us that they actually know how to make challenging and fun content, and even if the two available solo arena are great, I think we need more arena like these ! Maybe some smaller one, maybe without custom weapon if it actually limits the possibilities, but please ZoS don't stop making solo arena !

Also i think arena should have custom icons on map, but that's a minor point.

alberichtano · July 2021

Oh god no... Vateshran was a feppin' torment, at least the end boss, even on normal (in fact I have never even tried it on vet). Spent months trying to get that end boss down.

OK, so maybe I am unfair, so let me be more generous - sure, more solo arenas - but ONLY if they are doable as tank or healer as well.

The feeling that tanks are being utterly unloved, and ZOS rather wishing they would just go away, got a lot more defined with Vateshran. You had to be a DD to finish it, if you are a long time tank, it was just pure hell. Being tanky didn't even help. :-(

Fhritz · July 2021

alberichtano wrote: »

Oh god no... Vateshran was a feppin' torment, at least the end boss, even on normal (in fact I have never even tried it on vet). Spent months trying to get that end boss down.

OK, so maybe I am unfair, so let me be more generous - sure, more solo arenas - but ONLY if they are doable as tank or healer as well.

The feeling that tanks are being utterly unloved, and ZOS rather wishing they would just go away, got a lot more defined with Vateshran. You had to be a DD to finish it, if you are a long time tank, it was just pure hell. Being tanky didn't even help. :-(

Yes, of courses, but I think the challenge make them "funnier", even if i can understand that healer and tank may have hard times in these arenas

hundergrn · July 2021

alberichtano wrote: »

Oh god no... Vateshran was a feppin' torment, at least the end boss, even on normal (in fact I have never even tried it on vet). Spent months trying to get that end boss down.

OK, so maybe I am unfair, so let me be more generous - sure, more solo arenas - but ONLY if they are doable as tank or healer as well.

The feeling that tanks are being utterly unloved, and ZOS rather wishing they would just go away, got a lot more defined with Vateshran. You had to be a DD to finish it, if you are a long time tank, it was just pure hell. Being tanky didn't even help. :-(

Vateshran seems quite doable on a tank or healer.... most of it is prioritization and placement much like Malestrom and twice as forgiving (looking at you Ice Arena and Archers). Worst part of the last boss in VH is the circle of death dps check but even on vet you have 27ish seconds to focus 9k dps which isn't much unless you go in full tank/healer with very little offensive to a bar. Time consuming drawn out slug fest but doable.

Love the solo arenas tho, they are fun and challenging while giving no room to blame someone else for your short comings. I think one of the zones has a mini solo arena in it (forget which one, a vanilla zone maybe). More are welcome!

oterWitz · July 2021

I am also a solo PvE person. I think our numbers are the smallest of any community in ESO, though I can never be sure. I was glad to see they gave us Vateshran, but also sad to know that would be it for the next several years. I have come to be of the opinion that if they made all new DLC dungeons soloable (ie no levers etc, but still quite challenging) they could never release another solo arena but keep focusing on new interesting dungeons. As it is now, I only get to see a fraction of the new ones and feel like I'm missing out big time as a solo player stuck playing in content that is mostly years old.

Sorry for caveman speak. Coffee good.

Grandchamp1989 · July 2021

I really want one for supports.

We got 2 now for DPS..

Supports needs some love and learn to improve their game in a solo environment.

Critical heal
Escort missions
Bodyguard
Chaining
mass taunting
etc.

Make them fun and interesting in different scenarios.

Marillea · July 2021

I'd be down for more arenas, I also kinda hope for 2 players arenas where you need a DD and a tank/healer, or even doable as 2 DDs. Don't know how something like that could be implemented, but I would love it.

I just enjoy collecting all the weapons, so gimme more please.

Pevey · July 2021

Tharaya (or whatever the NPC name was) in Depths of Malatar was interesting, where you really need to heal her to keep her alive during the fight. That concept could be used for a whole solo experience where you have to keep an NPC, the primary damage dealer, alive to complete a difficult arena. To do this, you would have to learn how to heal, how to help the DD sustain to keep pumping out damage, and how to buff/debuff. In other words, how to be a healer. This would also address a comment people have made for years, which is that the game doesn't teach ppl how to do support roles.

Also, I would love a solo arena somewhat in the style of cloudrest, in that it can be short once you get all the mechanics down solid.

ck37090 · July 2021

Actually, in lieu of another solo dungeon, it might be nice to do a 2 person dungeon. Something geared towards the use of companions. Might make it somewhat viable to play a tank or healer.

zvavi · July 2021

Pevey wrote: »

Tharaya (or whatever the NPC name was) in Depths of Malatar was interesting, where you really need to heal her to keep her alive during the fight.

Or you could not waste mag on healing her and just slot purge, pressing it on dds when she fails to protect herself.

FlamingMeat · July 2021

Just give me an arena that doesn't have breaks between waves. I'm on run 42 of Maelstrom and 9/10ths of my time is taken up by just sitting there doing nothing. Arenas shouldn't be a DPS race but they also shouldn't be so bloated with garbage, there is no reason to have so many trash waves of slow spawning garbage before the final wave. I understand having a 'soft' boss fight wave where it hints at the mechanics, but jesus.

SilverBride · July 2021

I absolutely hate arenas. I've started Maelstrom Arena a few times but end up stopping, not because it's hard, but because it's so tedious. And I've never figured out how to get it to start where I left off. It seems to always start at the beginning again.

Sephyr · July 2021

Grandchamp1989 wrote: »

I really want one for supports.

We got 2 now for DPS..

Supports needs some love and learn to improve their game in a solo environment.

Critical heal
Escort missions
Bodyguard
Chaining
mass taunting
etc.

Make them fun and interesting in different scenarios.

I'd be down for these as well. They could even throw in tag-team gimmicks.

Pevey · July 2021

zvavi wrote: »

Pevey wrote: »

Tharaya (or whatever the NPC name was) in Depths of Malatar was interesting, where you really need to heal her to keep her alive during the fight.

Or you could not waste mag on healing her and just slot purge, pressing it on dds when she fails to protect herself.

I did not know this, ty.

FlamingMeat wrote: »

Just give me an arena that doesn't have breaks between waves. I'm on run 42 of Maelstrom and 9/10ths of my time is taken up by just sitting there doing nothing. Arenas shouldn't be a DPS race but they also shouldn't be so bloated with garbage, there is no reason to have so many trash waves of slow spawning garbage before the final wave. I understand having a 'soft' boss fight wave where it hints at the mechanics, but jesus.

I totally agree with this. A slightly different format (like cloudrest) would be awesome. VMA is bad, but DSA is the absolute worst for standing there and doing nothing a large percentage of the time. So boring.

essi2 · July 2021

Solo arenas are fun, though I'd like some duo-arenas

essi2 · July 2021

SilverBride wrote: »

I absolutely hate arenas. I've started Maelstrom Arena a few times but end up stopping, not because it's hard, but because it's so tedious. And I've never figured out how to get it to start where I left off. It seems to always start at the beginning again.

Take the repeatable quest and don't abandon it. The quest does the checkpointing.

Lugaldu · July 2021

I don´t need arenas, when I wish for a challenge as PvE player then I go to solo a 4-p-dungeon.

SilverBride · July 2021

essi2 wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I absolutely hate arenas. I've started Maelstrom Arena a few times but end up stopping, not because it's hard, but because it's so tedious. And I've never figured out how to get it to start where I left off. It seems to always start at the beginning again.

Take the repeatable quest and don't abandon it. The quest does the checkpointing.

I dropped the quest. I'm not sure If I can pick it up again but I'll check.

Vevvev · July 2021

Agreed, give me more!!! And the purpose of a solo build is to heal, tank, and do damage much like a PvP build. You can't go pure healer, pure tank, or even pure DPS and expect to survive, especially on veteran. These arenas are meant to challenge your ability to make a well rounded build as well as your skill in using it.

Vevvev · July 2021

SilverBride wrote: »

essi2 wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I absolutely hate arenas. I've started Maelstrom Arena a few times but end up stopping, not because it's hard, but because it's so tedious. And I've never figured out how to get it to start where I left off. It seems to always start at the beginning again.

Take the repeatable quest and don't abandon it. The quest does the checkpointing.

I dropped the quest. I'm not sure If I can pick it up again but I'll check.

Start of the arena has the quest. Once you complete an area it'll update the quest so when you come back it'll start at the first wave of that area in the arena.

Bigmatt2 · July 2021

Grandchamp1989 wrote: »

I really want one for supports.

We got 2 now for DPS..

Supports needs some love and learn to improve their game in a solo environment.

Critical heal
Escort missions
Bodyguard
Chaining
mass taunting
etc.

Make them fun and interesting in different scenarios.

I think this is a great idea. How cool would it be to have a healer based solo arena and your role of course is to be a healer to a bunch of really bad NPC's

SidraWillowsky · July 2021

Fhritz wrote: »

alberichtano wrote: »

Oh god no... Vateshran was a feppin' torment, at least the end boss, even on normal (in fact I have never even tried it on vet). Spent months trying to get that end boss down.

OK, so maybe I am unfair, so let me be more generous - sure, more solo arenas - but ONLY if they are doable as tank or healer as well.

The feeling that tanks are being utterly unloved, and ZOS rather wishing they would just go away, got a lot more defined with Vateshran. You had to be a DD to finish it, if you are a long time tank, it was just pure hell. Being tanky didn't even help. :-(

Yes, of courses, but I think the challenge make them "funnier", even if i can understand that healer and tank may have hard times in these arenas

The thing is that it's not a fun challenge. It's stressful and clunky and was an all-around miserable experience for me personally. I completed it once and the thought of going back in there makes me feel sick. I'm usually a meta-chasing lemming, but I've passed on the stam meta that involves the vVH daggers.

This is coming from someone who has run vMA dozens of times for fun... well, going for Flawless, but I'd say that counts as "for fun" since I had all of the weaps by then. My first few runs of vMA were rough, but I don't remember not ever wanting to step foot in that place ever again after even the worst of runs.

The largest issue I have with vVH is the chained add mechanic on the last boss. It's a total crapshoot when it comes to being able to hit one with a single-target attack (I play with a controller, so I don't think there's a way to tab target), so I throw down as many AoEs and I can and pray that they do enough damage while I deal with the other adds that are swarming me. It just seems like a terribly thought out mechanic if I know that I can easily get an add down quickly but that things have to line up perfectly for me to be able to hit it.

SilverBride · July 2021

Vevvev wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

essi2 wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

I absolutely hate arenas. I've started Maelstrom Arena a few times but end up stopping, not because it's hard, but because it's so tedious. And I've never figured out how to get it to start where I left off. It seems to always start at the beginning again.

Take the repeatable quest and don't abandon it. The quest does the checkpointing.

I dropped the quest. I'm not sure If I can pick it up again but I'll check.

Start of the arena has the quest. Once you complete an area it'll update the quest so when you come back it'll start at the first wave of that area in the arena.

Thanks I'll try that.

Diminish · July 2021

Vevvev wrote: »

Agreed, give me more!!! And the purpose of a solo build is to heal, tank, and do damage much like a PvP build. You can't go pure healer, pure tank, or even pure DPS and expect to survive, especially on veteran. These arenas are meant to challenge your ability to make a well rounded build as well as your skill in using it.

You can definitely do both solo arenas on vet with a pure DPS build. I did vMA at CP300 with non-optimal gear, and vVH at cp400 with the same gear. They are also very doable on healer and tank builds, but will require a few CP and gear changes. What you wont do is complete vet walking in wearing Hircine’s, Sanctuary, Worm, Ebon, etc. etc. I think the biggest issue with the tether mechanic in vVH is how hard it can be to target an ad to kill with all the other ads getting in your way.

If you want to complete these, and have a magplar, I am pretty sure Deltia actually just posted a video of a Templar build that he beat both solo arenas on vet just spamming jabs and a shield; literally 2 skills/1 bar... it doesn't get any easier than that. There have also been tanky 1 bar builds for most classes around for years for these arenas. Those who cannot beat these, even on just normal, simply need to practice.

Diminish · July 2021

SidraWillowsky wrote: »

The largest issue I have with vVH is the chained add mechanic on the last boss. It's a total crapshoot when it comes to being able to hit one with a single-target attack (I play with a controller, so I don't think there's a way to tab target), so I throw down as many AoEs and I can and pray that they do enough damage while I deal with the other adds that are swarming me. It just seems like a terribly thought out mechanic if I know that I can easily get an add down quickly but that things have to line up perfectly for me to be able to hit it.

You can tab target with RS on and Xbox controller and R3 on a DualShock 4/DualSense (PS4/PS5) controller. Also, depending on your class, you can completely skip that mechanic by streaking through it on a sorc, or using shadow image on a nightblade. Even with tab targeting though, it can be a nightmare to be able to reliably hit the correct enemy at times. The real boss are the ads, keep them managed, and the fight is much easier. You should kill EVERYTHING before going into a portal, and kill everything when you come out... then focus the boss until more spawn.

oterWitz · July 2021

SidraWillowsky wrote: »

The largest issue I have with vVH is the chained add mechanic on the last boss. It's a total crapshoot when it comes to being able to hit one with a single-target attack (I play with a controller, so I don't think there's a way to tab target), so I throw down as many AoEs and I can and pray that they do enough damage while I deal with the other adds that are swarming me. It just seems like a terribly thought out mechanic if I know that I can easily get an add down quickly but that things have to line up perfectly for me to be able to hit it.

To add to the above, I use m+k but usually don't have tab target bound. I rebound it to my jump key (space) since that is easily accessible and I'm not doing any jumping in the last round

The other main advice that goes around is to use a ton of aoe abilities. That helps both with the poor targeting and all the adds.

oterWitz · July 2021

Diminish wrote: »

If you want to complete these, and have a magplar, I am pretty sure Deltia actually just posted a video of a Templar build that he beat both solo arenas on vet just spamming jabs and a shield; literally 2 skills/1 bar... it doesn't get any easier than that. There have also been tanky 1 bar builds for most classes around for years for these arenas. Those who cannot beat these, even on just normal, simply need to practice.

Also, I see all these arena builds that have been created over the years, whether advertised as "beginner friendly" or "ez clear" or whatever, as well as all the challenge builds (like naked runs) as a sign that we do need more new content. I'm guessing some or perhaps most of the builds are the product of trying to keep the same years-old content fun to run.

But I am also biased, as I said above, I would love to see more content for solo endgame, whether it's arenas or the ability to run more dungeons solo. (Though this thread does make me wonder if rather than 2x dungeon dlcs per year, more people might prefer 1x dungeon 1x arena, be it solo, duo, 4-man, or an interesting support-themed arena).