Please fix Endless Archive difficulty

Jaimeh · November 2023

Quethrosar wrote: »

i am a pure dps player, my point of playing is to do the most damage while having a tank handle the hits.

i refuse to spend a fight rolling around all the time which seems what they want you to do here. very rarely do i know when to block or to roll.

my focus is on the mob i am trying to kill, not other stuff. this is why i would be a crap tank.

Part of being a dps is environmental awareness and optimal positioning, which includes the best spots to drop your AoEs as well as moving around to avoid damage and also to do mechanics. Even if you have a tank around, you still need to block or roll during a fight, the only time you don't need to do this is in front of a parse dummy, but that's not actual content.

evymyu233 · November 2023

code65536 wrote: »

Jaraal wrote: »

There absolutely should be a non-scoring, lower rewards normal mode

There is. It's called Arc 1.

They nerfed the Arc 1 difficulty significantly since PTS, and there are plenty of people who will just do Arc 1 and stop.

Now, you can choose to continue, for more challenge--and more rewards. But "just do Arc 1 again instead of proceeding to Arc 2" is basically that "lower rewards normal mode".

can we get antiquity leads in arc 1?i farmed 2 hours,no lead no recipe..

Giraffon · November 2023

I'm not the most up to date on modern gaming terms, but with something called "Endless Archives" I was expecting more of a dungeon crawler experience not another Maelstrom Arena. And then to be only allowed three lives on top of that. It's nice they added new content to the game, but much like last year's card game, it's just not for me.

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun. Not an anger inducing grind.

So thanks, but no thanks.

AzuraFan · November 2023

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

Soarora · November 2023

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

That is also what I thought it would be when I heard endless dungeon. I don't mind the difficulty ramping but I'd rather just fight the bosses or be able to pull all the trash at once.

IZZEFlameLash · November 2023

Once figuring out Thoat mechanic, it isn't that bad. But Marauders with one shot attacks mixed in with crowd of mobs preventing you from reacting properly is a different story. Also, certain mob comp will chain cc you because you don't immediately gain cc immunity during animation of getting flung about.

Pelanora · November 2023

Arc 1 solo is easier than skyreach solo, so I'd say it's plenty easy. If craglorn is still harder.

Lugaldu · November 2023

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

Unfortunately, I've only seen arc 1 so far, but I'm also wondering if anything changes to the environment in the following arcs? Yes, the environment and monsters vary with each new start, but it seems pretty repetitive to me after just 2 days.

Jaraal · November 2023

evymyu233 wrote: »

code65536 wrote: »

Jaraal wrote: »

There absolutely should be a non-scoring, lower rewards normal mode

There is. It's called Arc 1.

They nerfed the Arc 1 difficulty significantly since PTS, and there are plenty of people who will just do Arc 1 and stop.

Now, you can choose to continue, for more challenge--and more rewards. But "just do Arc 1 again instead of proceeding to Arc 2" is basically that "lower rewards normal mode".

can we get antiquity leads in arc 1?i farmed 2 hours,no lead no recipe..

I got a gold lead from the reward chest in one of the optional areas (click all the pylons and run like hell across the ichor).

Lugaldu · November 2023

Galeriano wrote: »

Lugaldu wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

What do You mean by saying "not everyone can play this thing"? Everyone can enter and play there solo which is what was promised. It was never promised that everyone will be able to venture far into it. Initial stages were designed for players with lesser skill but there is also a limit to how low You can set difficulty without making it so easy it becomes boring even for less experienced people.

Not offering different difficulty levels is an absolutely ridiculous design decision. This means that players are bound to become frustrated - vet players find it boring because it's too easy, and inexperienced players can't get through any of the gameplay at all.

What would be the point to offer different difficulty levels in a content that by design have progressive difficulty? It's not the same type of content like dungeons , trials or even preexisting arenas so stop treating it as such.

I mean, in any good old strategy game the difficulty increases with each level, but you still have the option to change the general difficulty...

Lucinator · November 2023

Lugaldu wrote: »

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

Unfortunately, I've only seen arc 1 so far, but I'm also wondering if anything changes to the environment in the following arcs? Yes, the environment and monsters vary with each new start, but it seems pretty repetitive to me after just 2 days.

The bosses change every arc and play through, and there are a lot of them so there is a lot of variety in the boss fights.

notyuu · November 2023

The only "diffcuility" other than the arc scaling that I'd say needs addressing in EA is the fact that for whatever damn reason the visions you're offered are CONSISTANTLY ones I can only make very little use of, or can't use what so ever...for example offering ones that increase pet damage, on a class with no pets, or ones that increase martial crit chance on a mag damage build, and my personal "fave" the fact that I keep getting offered max mag increases on a build that exclusivly uses stamina...like wth is up with that?

Toanis · November 2023

Pelanora wrote: »

Arc 1 solo is easier than skyreach solo, so I'd say it's plenty easy. If craglorn is still harder.

The difficulty of the bosses isn't the problem per se, it's the limited attempts to learn the insta-kill mechanics. (e.g. Lord Warden Tusk, ignore the portals, then use them back to back, down to 1 life if you've never done ICP before.)

Maelstrom Arena prepares players for mechanics-heavy content without having to be "that newb" in a group. EA is the opposite: your experience will be vastly better if you already learned the boss mechanics in the actual dungeon.

At least there's plenty of stuff for content creators to make tutorials.

Tandor · November 2023

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

That's how I envisaged it too, not least as it was first announced on ESO Live as "an endless dungeon". I certainly didn't anticipate (or remotely want) an arena with only trial mode and limited lives.

Jaraal · November 2023

Tandor wrote: »

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

That's how I envisaged it too, not least as it was first announced on ESO Live as "an endless dungeon". I certainly didn't anticipate (or remotely want) an arena with only trial mode and limited lives.

I had a run tonight that went pretty smoothly, until I got knocked off to my death three times by a dragon that took up most of the platform I had to fight him on. Had to run around the edge, staying out of the red ring and dodging shouts, bites, tail swipes, electric fields, and storm atronachs. Not much fun as a solo melee. Going to have to practice that one some more. And that was in the very first arc!

AlterBlika · November 2023

FantasticFreddie wrote: »

Bringing a companion is ridiculous. They are dead most of the time LOL

companions are only useful to be sacrificed for pearlescent buff. So they should be dead all the time

KlauthWarthog · November 2023

Balancing everything towards a duo instead of solo makes this dead on arrival for a good portion of the game's population. At this point, they really should have known better.

As for myself, I do not particularly care about how "hard" the bosses are, I can build around that. The problem for me is the overabundance of trash fights between boss fights. I am going to continue to ignore this thing unless the amount of trash gets significantly reduced.

TaintedKurse · November 2023

Luke_Flamesword wrote: »

Just make normal mode and vet with HM on bossess and everyone will be happy.

Personally I don't think it's that bad. Me and a friend cleared the first Arc easy. Only stopped on the second because we were short on time. But, we are very geared and deal like 80-100k single target dps. But, what flame sword said just add normal and hard.

notyuu · November 2023

Luke_Flamesword wrote: »

Just make normal mode and vet with HM on bossess and everyone will be happy.

We already have "Normal Mode" it's called Arc 1, the bosses are even power scaled down during it so all you gotta do is pay attention to the mechanics and by default you win

Sirona_Starr · November 2023

notyuu wrote: »

Luke_Flamesword wrote: »

Just make normal mode and vet with HM on bossess and everyone will be happy.

We already have "Normal Mode" it's called Arc 1, the bosses are even power scaled down during it so all you gotta do is pay attention to the mechanics and by default you win

Unless you end up with the dragon on that platform as mentioned a couple of comments above yours. Pretty hard not to lose your threads there. There is nothing normal about that fight. I made it past him once. Just once, to then face Th'oat. There is nothing normal about this kind of thing in the first arc.

Luke_Flamesword · November 2023

We already have "Normal Mode" it's called Arc 1, the bosses are even power scaled down during it so all you gotta do is pay attention to the mechanics and by default you win

Yeah, I know - yesterday I was in middle of 3rd arc (solo) when I give up still having one more life, because after more than 2 hours I was exhausted as hell.

Difficulty is not main problem of EA. Exhaustion is problem. And don't tell me I can just do first arc only. I want achievments - not for free of course. Difficulty is not a problem, when you can practice. How I can practice 3rd arc difficulty, when I need to go through 2h for two first arcs when only real difficulty are marauders and final arc bosses? I'm bored and exhasuted during second arc, in third when things get harder, I'm too tired to pay enough attention.

I don't have friend to play duo, a making 2-3hours session with complete strangers? Yeah, that's sound like fun. You have enough of crazy, toxic or stupid situations with PUGs when it's only 20-30 minutes, good luck when second player will rage quit after 2h in middle of arc.

Whole design which forces extremaly long play sessions is just main problem of EA. Devs can repair it easily - saving progress, possiblity to start over for first arcs (these tied with achievments, so until final form of arc boss)

ZOS_Volpe · November 2023

Greetings,

We have recently removed some unnecessary back and forth from this thread. This is a reminder to keep the discussion civil and constructive. Please keep our Community Rules in mind moving forward.

Thanks for your understanding.

Inaya1 · November 2023

I liked the endless archive, but there are some problems with complexity here. Arc 1, 2 are very simple, it’s the same as going through a normal dungeon. Arc 3 is also easy, but the main boss (mirror knight) of the arc begins to arrange a specific Vietnam. A lot of spam and damage. On Arc 5 everything is generally bad, you have to kite for 20-30 minutes until you manage to kill the mirror knight. And when Arc 6 starts, I start to suffer on the tank, because each mob on trashpacks has 800k HP and crazy damage, my friend on dd dying everytime (oneshot damage). If you make a specific build purely for survival, for example with a crimson and a leeching, then it will actually be possible, but this is already a game of tanks, and not a balanced passage in the desired role. And to get to arc 10 (I only got to arc 7), it will probably take 10 hours. Progress is naturally not saved. Something needs to be done about this.

On ARC 6-7 mini-boss on trashpacks stages stronger then last mirror knight. Meh.

Btw, bosses at intermediate stages arc very well balanced.

boi_anachronism_ · November 2023

AzuraFan wrote: »

Giraffon wrote: »

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun.

Me too. I thought every time a player entered, the dungeon would be randomly generated, and then the player would keep going as long as they wanted to go. You want to go in for 30 minutes, fine. You want to play it for hours at a time, fine. I didn't expect the difficulty to ramp up at all. I thought the fun would be that the dungeon would be different every time and you'd see how far you could get in the time you wanted to play.

For example, you enter the dungeon, which is a layout you've never seen before, and you have to fight your way to the exit for that level. The next level would be a random layout again. There could be puzzles, portals, secret areas, and other goodies thrown in for fun. The rewards would increase for each level you completed. Keep going and see how many levels you can do in your play session.

I did not think it would be the same thing every time (albeit with random bosses) and only three lives.

I do agree on this. I expected more of a proceedurally generated experience where you don't have the same experience twice for the most part. Kinda like starfield ish. I mean there would always be some duplicates after a while but still. Something less idk samey.

Quethrosar · November 2023

Jaimeh wrote: »

Quethrosar wrote: »

i am a pure dps player, my point of playing is to do the most damage while having a tank handle the hits.

i refuse to spend a fight rolling around all the time which seems what they want you to do here. very rarely do i know when to block or to roll.

my focus is on the mob i am trying to kill, not other stuff. this is why i would be a crap tank.

Part of being a dps is environmental awareness and optimal positioning, which includes the best spots to drop your AoEs as well as moving around to avoid damage and also to do mechanics. Even if you have a tank around, you still need to block or roll during a fight, the only time you don't need to do this is in front of a parse dummy, but that's not actual content.

i have done every vet trial , and some hard modes, it is rare i need to worry about dodge and block. Most of the only times i need to worry about it is the stupid meteors that are more annoying than anything. I do not even remember a dodge mech you MUST do for the 2 toughest vet trials. Sure you CAN, but you don't have to. Usually just walk out of the red.

Galeriano · November 2023

Lugaldu wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

Lugaldu wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

What do You mean by saying "not everyone can play this thing"? Everyone can enter and play there solo which is what was promised. It was never promised that everyone will be able to venture far into it. Initial stages were designed for players with lesser skill but there is also a limit to how low You can set difficulty without making it so easy it becomes boring even for less experienced people.

Not offering different difficulty levels is an absolutely ridiculous design decision. This means that players are bound to become frustrated - vet players find it boring because it's too easy, and inexperienced players can't get through any of the gameplay at all.

What would be the point to offer different difficulty levels in a content that by design have progressive difficulty? It's not the same type of content like dungeons , trials or even preexisting arenas so stop treating it as such.

I mean, in any good old strategy game the difficulty increases with each level, but you still have the option to change the general difficulty...

News flash, ESO is not some "good old strategy game". It's an MMO RPG.

Necrotech_Master · November 2023

evymyu233 wrote: »

code65536 wrote: »

Jaraal wrote: »

There absolutely should be a non-scoring, lower rewards normal mode

There is. It's called Arc 1.

They nerfed the Arc 1 difficulty significantly since PTS, and there are plenty of people who will just do Arc 1 and stop.

Now, you can choose to continue, for more challenge--and more rewards. But "just do Arc 1 again instead of proceeding to Arc 2" is basically that "lower rewards normal mode".

can we get antiquity leads in arc 1?i farmed 2 hours,no lead no recipe..

antiquity leads have been dropping like candy for me, but its random, one run i had 2 leads by end of arc 1, sometimes i dont get a lead until arc 2

a bunch of the leads have come from bonus areas, and the furnishing blueprints ive only gotten in the bonus areas

Lugaldu · November 2023

Galeriano wrote: »

Lugaldu wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

Lugaldu wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

What do You mean by saying "not everyone can play this thing"? Everyone can enter and play there solo which is what was promised. It was never promised that everyone will be able to venture far into it. Initial stages were designed for players with lesser skill but there is also a limit to how low You can set difficulty without making it so easy it becomes boring even for less experienced people.

Not offering different difficulty levels is an absolutely ridiculous design decision. This means that players are bound to become frustrated - vet players find it boring because it's too easy, and inexperienced players can't get through any of the gameplay at all.

What would be the point to offer different difficulty levels in a content that by design have progressive difficulty? It's not the same type of content like dungeons , trials or even preexisting arenas so stop treating it as such.

I mean, in any good old strategy game the difficulty increases with each level, but you still have the option to change the general difficulty...

News flash, ESO is not some "good old strategy game". It's an MMO RPG.

Yes and...? In ESO too, the difficulty increases in every dungeon and the player has the choice between different difficulties... so, I have no idea what you want to tell me here.

Toxic_Hemlock · November 2023

Giraffon wrote: »

I'm not the most up to date on modern gaming terms, but with something called "Endless Archives" I was expecting more of a dungeon crawler experience not another Maelstrom Arena. And then to be only allowed three lives on top of that. It's nice they added new content to the game, but much like last year's card game, it's just not for me.

In my mind, I was expecting something more like a public dungeon, only ever changing and fun. Not an anger inducing grind.

So thanks, but no thanks.

Read my mind here. As soon as it was announced I had visions of an actual rogue like game complete with randomly generated environments taken from all the dungeons in the game world. It would have been ambitious I admit, but as the areas were already in the game I thought it could be done, even if in pieces.

Imagine my disappointment when they did the live reveal to see yet another arena...

I gave it a go anyways but even though the trash is easy enough (in arc 1 anyways), trial bosses are not even close to my comfort level. Did the daily one only in five attempts simply because the only RNG I have is bad and always seem to pull the aforementioned dragon or the serpent. One hit kills are not fun!

Just gonna give up on it too, as I can now see it was made not for casuals like myself.

Edit: I'm old

Jaraal · November 2023

Sirona_Starr wrote: »

notyuu wrote: »

Luke_Flamesword wrote: »

Just make normal mode and vet with HM on bossess and everyone will be happy.

We already have "Normal Mode" it's called Arc 1, the bosses are even power scaled down during it so all you gotta do is pay attention to the mechanics and by default you win

Unless you end up with the dragon on that platform as mentioned a couple of comments above yours. Pretty hard not to lose your threads there. There is nothing normal about that fight. I made it past him once. Just once, to then face Th'oat. There is nothing normal about this kind of thing in the first arc.

It would be a lot more doable if they made him a mini-dragon, so you had a little more room to work with. Or scale the platform up so you have more space. Trying to fight on a narrow strip of real estate without falling or getting knocked off is the toughest part of that fight.