What are trials for if not to get better gear (vertical progression)?

Vanchatron · July 2023

I feel like I'm in the minority, but the MMOs I love the most are 'endless' vertical progression based. By 'endless' what I mean is, you can probably reach the gear cap and get the most powerful gear for your character, but it won't be forever. A new patch or expansion will come out which then raises the gear cap and you start the cycle again. In a nutshell, it's WoW style gear progression basically.

I'm looking to get back into ESO after having played it for a couple of years when it first released. I stopped because I got pretty much the best gear available at the time and once I heard that they'd never be releasing more powerful gear in the future, I stopped playing as the incentive for me personally wasn't there anymore.

Now that the game has trials, what exactly are they for if not to get more powerful gear? "For fun" isn't really enough of an incentive for me to be interested either, as I can get just as much fun (if not more) from playing other games. The thing that really increases the fun factor for me is getting more powerful gear, or at least stuff of value such as rare drops including mounts, etc. Basically something that shows other players I've done a hard piece of content and gotten a lucky drop.

There are 2 main things I work towards in MMOs... Getting more powerful gear, and getting rare drops. If ESO can at least provide me with one of those things to work towards then I'd be interested in playing again, so would love to hear from you guys about this. I'm okay with horizontal progression if there's at least a good reason to run things like trials with some kind of decent in game reward for doing so.

Thanks.

Braffin · July 2023

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but aside a few titles none of the things you're looking for exist in this game. And I doubt that will change anytime soon.

That said, I feel with you OP. PvE endgame (and PvP) were dried out over the years to do a kneeling before the more envious players, which can't stand, if they don't get every new shiny.

Better to move on, wasn't it for the lore (love TES since morrowind) I'd do the same. Most endgamers already did.

FantasticFreddie · July 2023

1) Usually the trials do have at least one new Super Cool Meta Set. Off the top of my head, most of the DLC trials have a set still in use, and for a good long while, 3 out of 4 were meta from Sunspire!

2) Achievements. Trial trifectas are some of the most challenging content the game offers, and SOME of them offer great titles. Dawnbringer and Godslayer remain my favorite titles in the game, unlike some other titles I could mention, looking at you Planes breaker and Swashbuckler Supreme. Who wants to sound like a taco bell order!?

3) I enjoy playing coordinated group content with my friends.

BlueRaven · July 2023

I don’t need new gear, I just participate because it’s fun with people you know.

p00tx · July 2023

Vanchatron wrote: »

I feel like I'm in the minority, but the MMOs I love the most are 'endless' vertical progression based. By 'endless' what I mean is, you can probably reach the gear cap and get the most powerful gear for your character, but it won't be forever. A new patch or expansion will come out which then raises the gear cap and you start the cycle again. In a nutshell, it's WoW style gear progression basically.

I'm looking to get back into ESO after having played it for a couple of years when it first released. I stopped because I got pretty much the best gear available at the time and once I heard that they'd never be releasing more powerful gear in the future, I stopped playing as the incentive for me personally wasn't there anymore.

Now that the game has trials, what exactly are they for if not to get more powerful gear? "For fun" isn't really enough of an incentive for me to be interested either, as I can get just as much fun (if not more) from playing other games. The thing that really increases the fun factor for me is getting more powerful gear, or at least stuff of value such as rare drops including mounts, etc. Basically something that shows other players I've done a hard piece of content and gotten a lucky drop.

There are 2 main things I work towards in MMOs... Getting more powerful gear, and getting rare drops. If ESO can at least provide me with one of those things to work towards then I'd be interested in playing again, so would love to hear from you guys about this. I'm okay with horizontal progression if there's at least a good reason to run things like trials with some kind of decent in game reward for doing so.

Thanks.

There are currently 4 trials that offer unique mounts after completing the trifecta and a handful of other achievements. There are also some dyes and body/face markings for some of the individual achievements in the trials, along with several titles at each level of difficulty.

Other than that, the only real answer is one you're not going to like. We do them for fun. That being said, this game has a LOT of stuff a player can get lost in, so if trials just aren't your flavor (which is totally fine, they're not for everyone), there are plenty of other aspects you'd potentially enjoy.

kargen27 · July 2023

The only thing raising the gear cap in ESO would do is cause players to craft the new gear just because. The combat mechanics would need a complete rework for an increase in gear level to mean anything other than just a number to chase.

Carcamongus · July 2023

Before I did trials for gear, I did them for fun. I'd select the jester personality and, since I tank, I'd have the group watch as I toggled walk and slowly did the silly walk to taunt the boss, throwing crows at it from the murderous strike memento. I ran Cloudrest many times, even though the gear there didn't quite interest me. Since I took to calling the gryphons big chickens, I once roleplayed (costume included) as Colonel Sanders from Khenarthi's Fried Chicken.

Cool gear is nice and all, but it's still not as nice as doing content with friends and laughing from beginning to end.

Vanchatron · July 2023

Thanks guys, many thanks for the replies. Hopefully I didn't come across as trying to [snip] on the game as I understand horizontal progression is something many of you enjoy and that's totally understandable. It doesn't seem like it's worth getting back into for me personally though, so thanks again for answering, much appreciated.

[Edited for profanity filter bypass]

TaSheen · July 2023

As a WoW and RIFT refugee for over a decade, I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered that ESO doesn't do the vertical prog gear chase. Absolutely the best thing about this game.

Danikat · July 2023

Did you actually stop playing in the game's first year, before any trials were introduced? If so you can get at least a bit of what you're looking for because you'll be a long way behind on Champion Points (if you've got any at all) and your gear will be very out of date. (The only reason I'm wondering if that's accurate is because you posted the exact same thing on the GW2 forum, but asking about raids, and that game got it's first raid quite a while after trials started in ESO.)

It's true that they stopped doing simple increases in maximum level (or Veteran Levels, or Champion Points) a while ago and stopped adding new tiers of equipment before that. But that doesn't mean once you've got any CP160 gear (the highest level available) you can never get anything better.

Your build and especially the item set make a big difference to how strong your character is, much more so than the required level to equip it and they add new sets all the time with many of the best ones coming from trials.

There's also some extremely difficult achievements with titles or exclusive mounts and other cosmetic rewards to show off you've got them, and motifs you can farm to sell.

If you're literally just looking for a simple, numerical increase then sooner or later you'll be down to just grinding XP for Champion Points (in theory you could max that out too, but I think it takes years), but if you're open to more varied ways to make your character better, and if you actually enjoy the process of completing challenging content to get them, I think you could have fun with this game.

Nestor · July 2023

I like doing Trials for the sake of doing Trials. Unfortunately, I dont have the time to invest in doing them.

As for Meta Gear, most of my Alts are sporting Julianos and some other zone set. The Meta is lost on me.

Amottica · July 2023

The main purpose of trials is the challenge. It is why raid guilds repeat the same trial. They attempt to improve since it is a scored activity. They attempt to get good leaderboard placement. They attempt to get achievements. As for trials on farm, well, they can be lucrative.

Essentially, most that are doing trials on a given day do trials because they like them.

BlueRaven · July 2023

kargen27 wrote: »

The only thing raising the gear cap in ESO would do is cause players to craft the new gear just because. The combat mechanics would need a complete rework for an increase in gear level to mean anything other than just a number to chase.

It would also make the current dps difference between the top and bottom even wider.

PrinceShroob · July 2023

Not entirely sure what you mean that trials aren't for getting better gear. Presently, Whorl of the Depths, Pearlescent Ward, and Pillager's Profit from Dreadsail Reef and Arms of Relequen from Cloudrest are very meta gear choices. It's not vertical progression, but frankly, the ability to reconstruct gear would make any vertical progression system mere padding.

Not all meta endgame gear comes from trials, of course; a lot comes from dungeons, particularly DLC dungeons, such as Pillar of Nirn from Falkreath Hold or Crimson Oath's Rive from The Dread Cellar.

Presently, the following trials have some meta gear:

Maw of Lorkhaj: Roar of Alkosh
Cloudrest: Arms of Relequen, Mantle of Siroria (for Templar), Vestiment of Olorime
Sunspire: Claw of Yolnahkriin (falling out of the meta since Arcanist can bring Minor Courage)
Kyne's Aegis: Roaring Opportunist, Yandir's Might
Rockgrove: Bahsei's Mania, Sul-Xan's Torment, Saxhleel Champion
Dreadsail Reef: Whorl of the Depths, Pearlescent Ward, Pillager's Profit, Coral Riptide
Sanity's Edge: Ansuul's Torment

These aren't all no-brainer tippy-top meta choices, but they get bounced around in endgame circles. You wanna shoot for the prestigious skins and titles? You need meta gear to parse big or to support your group. And you'll need to run these trials a bunch to get all the armor and weapons, since you usually either run a set only on weapons or need the freedom to run the set on body or weapons, and weapons only drop from the final boss.

Uvi_AUT · July 2023

Arent there perfect Trial Equipment things? You know, the stuff us filthy casuals will never get? Have you tried getting those Sets? Should be more than enough for you to get your adrenalinefix thinking about the rest of the playerbase cowering in awe when they see you.

I_killed_Vivec · July 2023

Uvi_AUT wrote: »

Arent there perfect Trial Equipment things? You know, the stuff us filthy casuals will never get? Have you tried getting those Sets? Should be more than enough for you to get your adrenalinefix thinking about the rest of the playerbase cowering in awe when they see you.

They are of limited value because us filthy casuals won't see them and think "Oh, I'm in the presence of a godlike warrior!".

There are some people who don't just want the achievement of completing hard content, they want the world to know just how good they are.

Little do they know that all this is lost on us filthy casuals who are happily oblivious to the rare mounts, face markings, dyes, etc. that these heroes have won - and probably think "Stormproof" means they are wearing a raincoat..

ZOS_Icy · July 2023

Greetings,

After further review we have decided to move this thread to a category we think is more appropriate for this topic.

Thank you for your understanding.

Wandering_Immigrant · July 2023

I just want to add to this that even though ESO doesn't use a vertical progress system there is typically a gear chase between patches if you want to stay up to date. Sometimes it's the newest gear that just came out; other times due to balance changes some older sets will find their way back into the spotlight.

Gear just works differently here. Rather than each update adding gear with bulkier stats than the last, ESO's set bonuses make every set somewhat unique. This also means that there'll be sets you only use for certain content.

Now, because what's "best" to wear isn't as straightforward as in a game with verticle progression, and much of it can be considered side grades, you can of course decide to gear in something that's simple and adequate enough to stick with from patch to patch and many people do just that. But at the highest levels of play those "sidegrades" make a noticeable difference so if you're the type to want to be the best there is plenty of gear farming to keep you busy until the next patch.