Levelled Content: Public Dungeons

rbfrgsp · August 2021

The "buff overland content" debate will never be resolved. So what about a compromise?

Many people see scaling overland baddies as a great on-ramp for new players. And they're right. You can safely travel the world without feeling like the prey of every living thing.

At the same time, this same mechanism is a steep off-ramp for long-term gamers who realise that endgame challenges in ESO really amount to: PvP, achievement chasing; housing editor.

Areas of self-contained levelled content could improve both camps' experiences, and potentially create new focus for the otherwise sandboxy PvE game we have right now.

Levelled content also provides fresh incentive for older players to roll a new character and start over. I came to ESO from Anarchy Online which is built around leveled dungeons. Playing through the three starter areas (Subway, Temple, Foreman's) gave you an immediate feel of every new character you created. You could tell when you had improved or hit upon a good build, because you breezed areas that previously you'd wiped in. You could solo bosses where previously you'd needed to hang around for a group. And best of all: you we're collecting all of the levelled loot which you'd missed last time you played through.

Overall, I like that ESO has chosen NOT to use levelled content. However, it is useful if used in the right context (contained environments like public dungeons). Introducing a handful of levelled dungeons might provide a new community focal point for the game, and would provide longtime players with a completely new set of challenges. Who was the first to solo the lvl10 dungeon final boss? Who managed it at lvl7...6...5....? Stuff like that.

Lady_Galadhiel · August 2021

Oh new week started

ADarklore · August 2021

It's fine the way it is... at least it isn't like FFXIV where the 'end game' focus is acquiring mounts and glamours.

Kiralyn2000 · August 2021

rbfrgsp wrote: »

At the same time, this same mechanism is a steep off-ramp for long-term gamers who realise that endgame challenges in ESO really amount to: PvP, achievement chasing; housing editor....

...and dungeons, and trials, and dlc dungeons, and dlc trials, and dlc hardmore dungeons/trials, etc.

oterWitz · August 2021

rbfrgsp wrote: »

Levelled content also provides fresh incentive for older players to roll a new character and start over. I came to ESO from Anarchy Online which is built around leveled dungeons. Playing through the three starter areas (Subway, Temple, Foreman's) gave you an immediate feel of every new character you created. You could tell when you had improved or hit upon a good build, because you breezed areas that previously you'd wiped in. You could solo bosses where previously you'd needed to hang around for a group. And best of all: you we're collecting all of the levelled loot which you'd missed last time you played through.

Overall, I like that ESO has chosen NOT to use levelled content. However, it is useful if used in the right context (contained environments like public dungeons). Introducing a handful of levelled dungeons might provide a new community focal point for the game, and would provide longtime players with a completely new set of challenges. Who was the first to solo the lvl10 dungeon final boss? Who managed it at lvl7...6...5....? Stuff like that.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding because I don't have experience in the MMO you reference, but I do this now with group dungeons and solo arenas when I'm raising up an alt. In particular, progressing through group dungeons solo is very close to what you suggest as these originally matched the pre-One Tamriel zone levels, and even now are still level gated for new players.

And as for the challenges like you say in the last part, people have done that in MA: naked runs, level three, one bar, one button. There are plenty of other fun/rp trials runs that people have done too. Then at the other end there's the small hand full of players who can solo vet HMs and single trial bosses, but the population who creates and completes challenges in this way is quite small and suffers the most from balance changes that have only group PvE or PvP in mind. There's also zero incentive besides the desire for fun or a challenge or a fun challenge, and nothing to show for it besides a victorious guild/discord/forums/reddit post. I can't think how ZoS would add an incentive to this, and if they did people would surely complain about being "forced" or that it's too difficult.

Still, it's good thinking and perhaps I am not understanding your post fully. But I would say if you're looking for fun challenges as an endgame player, it's best done by a group or guild or even solo just being creative with what's out there now.

ZOS_Volpe · August 2021

Greetings,

As we've removed a few comments that were baiting and bashing, this is a friendly reminder that comments need to adhere to our Community Rules to avoid thread derailment.

Thank you for your understanding.

redlink1979 · August 2021

Game is fine as it is. We don't to go back to Tamriel Unlimited.
But if you really need a challenge just play without gear, without CP and without food/drink buffs.

rbfrgsp · August 2021

Let me explain what a "levelled public dungeon" would be, because I think several replies read the first two sentences of the OP and then wrote a response to the thread they thought this was, rather than the thread it actually is.

A levelled public dungeon would be additional content. It would sit apart from the rest of the world, but it would not be instanced.

Importantly, the zones would be levelled for certain players. A 0-10 dungeon would not be available to players above level 10. You simply would not be allowed to enter.

The zone mobs would be very strong if entering at the lowest possible level. But by the time you reach the max level for that dungeon, you can probably solo most mobs just fine. You'd still likely require a group to finish boss fights, however.

Levelled dungeons would act as a kind of starter zone for each new stage of levelling. They would not be a necessity to play. They would only be significant lvls 1-50 anyway, because after that your cp are account-wide anyway. And typically they offer a heavily incentivised type of play in the form of faster xp. If you're level 12, you "should" be trying to fight through the lvl 10-20 mobs over repeated group runs, because that is the area you would acquire xp fastest.

None of this impacts the outside world, but it does provide a novel, structured challenge for old and returning players. "Everyone remove your pants for this run of fungal grotto" is not a real equivalence.

newtinmpls · August 2021

rbfrgsp wrote: »

"Everyone remove your pants for this run of fungal grotto" .

Just struck me as funny....wasn't there a group doing naked dolmens a while back?

Pauwin · August 2021

I'd rather have a normal/veteran delve or public dungeon system, giving players choice is better than to only listen to "half" of the community who thinks the current is difficulty is ok and ignoring the other "half" who wants more challenge in story content.

And I don't see how this would split the community in anyway since those are already instanced

TwoPercentMD · August 2021

Just as Craglorn has group delves, and areas, what's wrong with a few public dungeons that are the same? Why do they all have to be the same? If that's the case then why hasn't Craglorn been reduced to all single player PVE? I think the OP has a valid point.

zvavi · August 2021

TwoPercentMD wrote: »

Just as Craglorn has group delves, and areas, what's wrong with a few public dungeons that are the same? Why do they all have to be the same? If that's the case then why hasn't Craglorn been reduced to all single player PVE? I think the OP has a valid point.

Wait, it hasn't?!?!

DarcyMardin · August 2021

We had leveled dungeons, leveled zones, a leveled main quest, etc. when the game began. That changed after One Tamriel. Among other things, people didn’t like not being able to play with their friends who were at a different level or from a different alliance (for example, AD couldn’t enter DC areas until we finished the level 45 main Prophet quest). Overland content was, in general, quite a bit harder. But that was also before the CP system came into being.

Now most people level to 50 so quickly, especially on alts with CP that having leveled content doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.

SilverBride · August 2021

Overland is fine just as it is.

rbfrgsp · August 2021

SilverBride wrote: »

Overland is fine just as it is.

So you agree with the OP. It's just you don't know that, because you didn't read it.

Oznog666 · August 2021

rbfrgsp wrote: »

Importantly, the zones would be levelled for certain players. A 0-10 dungeon would not be available to players above level 10. You simply would not be allowed to enter.
.

But what if you didn't do that dungeon in the beginning and decide later to do it?

What I would like are more regions like Craglorn - when I months ago came to Craglorn the first time I was dead more or less immediately. Meanwhile I did every dwelve and every quest there solo, just missing four or five world bosses. And I enjoyed it, some quests and tasks where a lot of fun, I spent many many hours in this region.

Herr_Flocke · August 2021

no, what you suggest is in part going back to before one tamriel. Levelled zones, levelled bosses, alliance and level locked zones and more. I don't think we need that anymore, since I think bunny bashing in low level dungeons doesn't add anything to the player experience.

If you want challenging content while levelling, others have already pointed out ways of achieving it. And tbh, levelling chars in this game is a none issue anyway. Might take a few days on your first char, on char #18 it is a matter of hours if you really push it.