Galeriano wrote: »

Stanx wrote: »

Galeriano wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

AlterBlika wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

And I shouldn't need to be a tank to at least clear Arc 4, which is supposed to be the equivalent to a regular, non-hardmode vet clear.

You don't need to be. I usually go up to the 5th arc with just sithis + minor aegis + master 2h + rele (really good tanking set). I have zero block mitigation and I do miss it when fighting tho'at, still I manage to get there without dying. Sometimes I don't even get a recovery vision and with this build you usually just dodge everything. I don't have much mitigation with this build but even marauders are manageable for me. So maybe you really need to adjust.

I'm definitely willing to try Sithis over Oakensoul, as that's another alternative way to build tankier without changing your entire role.

I'm willing to try minor adjustments, but I'm not going to call content balanced if you can't be a DPS at all. That's obviously ridiculous.

Edit

FYI as you can see, I can straight up eat mechs from arc 4 bosses. I don't even need to dodge them. I also survived a glass ceiling block in this build from tho'at in arc 3. I mean it's safer if I block them obviously, but I messed up in this fight but was able to recover because this build can take a lot of punishment.

https://youtu.be/ka-hiG7QApA?si=SNEmS7huE4V-0LNY

You don't even have upgrade to the amount of visions and You expect to clear EA effectively? These upgrades are essential to do well in EA since it give You better variety of visions to choose from which means higher chance of getting the strong ones.

I'd say stage 3 boss of arc 4 is clearing EA pretty effectively in my book. Very impressed @spartaxoxo has got that far without needing the additional verse.

I never said otherwise. What I am saying is that to clear later bosses or even marauders in that arc (which person I responded to expects to do) having that additional vision choice is a big improvement.

As for clearing it pretty effectively I dont know if I would't go that far. He clears it in acceptable level but 2 minutes fight on arc 4 stage 3 with a boss that doesn't have some "fly away" phases and in a setup that is not on a ultra tanky side is a bad omen for later arcs.

I suppose given that the content doesn't have an ending then "clearing it effectively" is probably quite a subjective comment on my part.

I think for me, clearing Arc 4 is the primary goal as this is the final Tho'at evolution and where the achievements for the archive end. If you're clearing Tho'at in Arc 4, you're doing an effective job in my book. Partiularly solo.

Stanx wrote: »

I think for me, clearing Arc 4 is the primary goal as this is the final Tho'at evolution and where the achievements for the archive end. If you're clearing Tho'at in Arc 4, you're doing an effective job in my book. Partiularly solo.

Yes. Like...I am pretty confident that once I have my upgrades or get a decent role of verses, I'll beat arc 4 too on that same build. As Arc 4 there is a reasonable expectation that solo players can use all the different roles and beat it there IMO.

I don't expect to go further than arc 4 without building to meta, because that's like expecting to go into vet sunspire and get Godslayer.

But, a regular vet clear is something I do expect to be able to do with a reasonable amount of smaller adjustments to that type of build.

For context, that build is good enough for Vet Vateshran Hallows, some regular Vet Trials, Vet Maelstrom, etc. It is not a beginners build and that I had few good visions and verses for it, consistent bad luck on which marauder spawned, and still managed to get that far to me means I played pretty effectively.

LouisaB75 wrote: »

So to the experts on this thread who find it all a breeze, any suggestions on Taupezu Azzida from arc 2 onwards when solo please?

This one I struggle with more than Tho'at or the marauders. I cannot seem to burn down his adds fast enough. Getting multiple aoes ramping up the damage on me. I try to focus on the lighting beam thing but he is usually spawning another before I can even get one down. Consequently I can't deal any damage to him at all after the initial few seconds.

If I go in with more damage I am too squishy to make it that far. But he seems to be more of a DPS check and ends every run I get him on.

Any tips?

this boss has a lot of aoe

the lightning conduits it spawns does a huge amount of dmg and should be killed asap (its not very strong, even my tank character can kill it rather quickly in arcs 4 and under)

the boss also leaves large lightning puddles, which actually are pretty deadly and poorly telegraphed, its hard to tell exactly where the area of effect is because there is no red circle around it

this boss hurts a lot in later arcs (like 6-7) especially with the lightning conduit

Toxic_Hemlock wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

...SNIP
FYI as you can see, I can straight up eat mechs from arc 4 bosses. I don't even need to dodge them. I also survived a glass ceiling block in this build from tho'at in arc 3. I mean it's safer if I block them obviously, but I messed up in this fight but was able to recover because this build can take a lot of punishment.

https://youtu.be/ka-hiG7QApA?si=SNEmS7huE4V-0LNY

I had to comment on this as it seems the intention of named mechanics gets lost when we talk about the bosses.

The Endling (I think that is its name) does not have what I would call mechanics. It has a couple knockbacks that can be eaten, so long as you are not on the edge of the platform, along with lightning attacks. These "red circle" events can be easily eaten if you have any kind of tanky build abilities (shields, high HP, good heals). My problem is not in having to avoid damage over time and avoiding red circles, it is in avoiding the one-hit dead mechanics in EA.

This is my major problem with EA. The only character I have done EA with was an arcanist wearing deadly, hexos and oaken, I compensate for my lack of skill with a high heal thanks to vigor, awesome shields (CP used to buff them) and great health of 35k; I have "tanked" the endling with this build too. All this means absolutely NOTHING if I am half a second late in standing behind a pillar, leave the safety circle for a few seconds due to knockdown, or do not block fast enough on a one-hit or don't take out the blobs fast enough on tho'at.

These are my problem and IMO should not be included in Arc 1. All the other red circle events they can keep as if I am standing in a circle long enough with the aforementioned build to be damaged I deserve to die.

the endling does not have any 1 shot mechanics that i know of, but it does have a lot of aoe dmg (which hurts a lot in arc 5+)

the blobs on arc 1 tho'at are so weak they should die from aoes, a single arcanist beam should be able to kill one in about 2 seconds or less

many of the other 1 shot mechanics are not even true 1 shots, like zha'jassa the forgotten, the explosion hits for about 38.8k dmg (so if your running at 40k+ max hp it will not kill you if your full health)

stuff like dmg shields does not block all mechanics, such as the explosion from zha'jassa, you have to just have raw health to counter that (because it ignores shields and resistances)

on my arcanist i can tank out most stuff usually using the sanctum of the abyssal sea ultimate because even with 24k max hp with food, i still get like a 70k shield + 60% dmg reduction for 10 sec with that ultimate

with my dps spec arcanist i can clear arc 1 in about 18-20 minutes if i end up skipping some of the bonus portals

LouisaB75 wrote: »

So to the experts on this thread who find it all a breeze, any suggestions on Taupezu Azzida from arc 2 onwards when solo please?

This one I struggle with more than Tho'at or the marauders. I cannot seem to burn down his adds fast enough. Getting multiple aoes ramping up the damage on me. I try to focus on the lighting beam thing but he is usually spawning another before I can even get one down. Consequently I can't deal any damage to him at all after the initial few seconds.

If I go in with more damage I am too squishy to make it that far. But he seems to be more of a DPS check and ends every run I get him on.

Any tips?

One tip which hasn't been mentioned much in this thread for learning/adjusting on bosses: Candy.

Sorry, I mean mystery verses. At 200 AF per pop, they're worth using and not too painful, if/when you beat the boss on Arc 1, you break even at the worst. I'm not afraid to pop candy when I see a marauder in any cycle other than 5 or when I see a boss that might take me more time than I want. Sure, often it gives you crap, but it never hurts to roll the dice if you feel the need for it. But they are once per cycle, so I usually save them for the bosses/maruaders, but I won't use it on a cycle 5 Maruader cause I save it for Tho'at in case I get a garbage tier Verse like Guild Superiority on a character who only slotted Camouflage hunter.

Rowjoh wrote: »

If you read all the the negative comments in this and other threads you'll quickly understand why it isn't for everyone

I wasn't wrong that everyone can earn EA currency. And that's the only point of going into EA value-wise.
I read how "hard" it is to beat Arc 1 for someone but even they manage to get to Tho'at, so they do earn EA currency and could purchase class sets somewhere in the future, maybe.

Rowjoh wrote: »

Trash mobs in public dungeons are sometimes difficult to beat for some delicate players. And most trial trash mobs are not difficult to beat unless you're a casual gamer, but then casual gamers would be scared stiff of going anywhere near trials and wouldn't be allowed to join a competent group anyway.

Try clearing the first trash pack in vDSR solo for example, I managed to die there almost instantly with a build I used to solo a couple of vDLC dungeons. It's doable but I wouldn't call that easy

spartaxoxo wrote: »

I am not referring to base game vet dungeons? I can solo a lot of those. I said vet trials like vhof.

Ahh my bad, read regular dungeons initially for some reason

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

...SNIP

Toxic_Hemlock wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

...SNIP
FYI as you can see, I can straight up eat mechs from arc 4 bosses. I don't even need to dodge them. I also survived a glass ceiling block in this build from tho'at in arc 3. I mean it's safer if I block them obviously, but I messed up in this fight but was able to recover because this build can take a lot of punishment.

https://youtu.be/ka-hiG7QApA?si=SNEmS7huE4V-0LNY

I had to comment on this as it seems the intention of named mechanics gets lost when we talk about the bosses.

The Endling (I think that is its name) does not have what I would call mechanics. It has a couple knockbacks that can be eaten, so long as you are not on the edge of the platform, along with lightning attacks. These "red circle" events can be easily eaten if you have any kind of tanky build abilities (shields, high HP, good heals). My problem is not in having to avoid damage over time and avoiding red circles, it is in avoiding the one-hit dead mechanics in EA.

This is my major problem with EA. The only character I have done EA with was an arcanist wearing deadly, hexos and oaken, I compensate for my lack of skill with a high heal thanks to vigor, awesome shields (CP used to buff them) and great health of 35k; I have "tanked" the endling with this build too. All this means absolutely NOTHING if I am half a second late in standing behind a pillar, leave the safety circle for a few seconds due to knockdown, or do not block fast enough on a one-hit or don't take out the blobs fast enough on tho'at.

These are my problem and IMO should not be included in Arc 1. All the other red circle events they can keep as if I am standing in a circle long enough with the aforementioned build to be damaged I deserve to die.

the endling does not have any 1 shot mechanics that i know of, but it does have a lot of aoe dmg (which hurts a lot in arc 5+)

the blobs on arc 1 tho'at are so weak they should die from aoes, a single arcanist beam should be able to kill one in about 2 seconds or less

many of the other 1 shot mechanics are not even true 1 shots, like zha'jassa the forgotten, the explosion hits for about 38.8k dmg (so if your running at 40k+ max hp it will not kill you if your full health)

stuff like dmg shields does not block all mechanics, such as the explosion from zha'jassa, you have to just have raw health to counter that (because it ignores shields and resistances)

on my arcanist i can tank out most stuff usually using the sanctum of the abyssal sea ultimate because even with 24k max hp with food, i still get like a 70k shield + 60% dmg reduction for 10 sec with that ultimate

with my dps spec arcanist i can clear arc 1 in about 18-20 minutes if i end up skipping some of the bonus portals

I agree that some mechanics are avoidable, or can be eaten, especially with the build I used. The reason I was able to complete Tho'at a few times was due to my arcanist beam. However, not including high damage hits like zha'jassa, as that too can be eaten if you keep your heals and shields up, one-hits are still a problem for me.

If you leave the safety circle on Lady Thorn or when knocked out of it, the amount of damage over time is insane to counter. Same goes with the blue pillars and the tiny platforms for one of the bosses, or a missed block from a dragon wing. There are most likely many others, but I didn't want to torture myself any longer in finding them. Your ultimate idea is good too, but I never use my ultimate as the extra 2k health recovery due to a CP star has proven life saving on far too many occasions.

My point is that I seem to have grown too old for this game as avoiding many of the deadlier mechanics is far to intensive for me. No worries though, I'll just go back to doing my daily crafting as EA is definitely not for me.

Rowjoh wrote: »

Majority of players are not playing EA for currency. The currency reward is pitiful unless you can go deep into the content, which casual gamers can't hence the flood of complaints you see all around you

No thanks, cos trials are not designed for solo play, you play in a group of 12 players!

So if it's not for the currency then let's look at the other possible options and how to/where they're located.

Furniture/Antiquities Leads: Comes from mini-games primarily, accessible before even completing Arc 1.
New Spiffy Gear Sets: Drops from the final boss of Arc 1 for armour, Marauders in Arc 2 and Arc 2 final boss for weapons or from a loot box on sale for currency.
Experience/Skill test: Available from the beginning and as far as you get is your limit/need for adjustment.
Fun: That's completely subjective.
New collectibles: Ichor is a daily and the other three are RNG drops from bosses/mini-games.

As for your currency is pitiful comment, 1.2k per Arc 1 run without mini-games adds up over time. They don't need to inundate us with currency or else we'll be "done" with this content in a month.

EdjeSwift wrote: »

Rowjoh wrote: »

Majority of players are not playing EA for currency. The currency reward is pitiful unless you can go deep into the content, which casual gamers can't hence the flood of complaints you see all around you

No thanks, cos trials are not designed for solo play, you play in a group of 12 players!

So if it's not for the currency then let's look at the other possible options and how to/where they're located.

Furniture/Antiquities Leads: Comes from mini-games primarily, accessible before even completing Arc 1.
New Spiffy Gear Sets: Drops from the final boss of Arc 1 for armour, Marauders in Arc 2 and Arc 2 final boss for weapons or from a loot box on sale for currency.
Experience/Skill test: Available from the beginning and as far as you get is your limit/need for adjustment.
Fun: That's completely subjective.
New collectibles: Ichor is a daily and the other three are RNG drops from bosses/mini-games.

As for your currency is pitiful comment, 1.2k per Arc 1 run without mini-games adds up over time. They don't need to inundate us with currency or else we'll be "done" with this content in a month.

i resemble that remark (i am technically done with all of the archive content and it has been a month lol)

in regards to the other post, i actually do primarily run the archive for more currency, mainly to buy stuff from the rotational vendor (monster style pages im missing which is a lot, or certain hard to get antiquity leads)

Rowjoh wrote: »

You're missing the point entirely.

Lets phrase it this way:

Question: How many times is a casual gamer that can't advance very far going to accumulate enough currency to be of much value?

Answer 1: Only a few times because its too frustrating for them to persist with it, before giving up.
or
Answer 2: Grind it to death over many months to accumulate enough currency to be of value.

Conclusion: Answer 1 very much seems to be what's actually happening, as clearly indicated by the torrent of complaints here and elsewhere

What point am I missing? You said the majority of players aren't playing EA for the currency, so what are they playing it for that I didn't cover?

If they're not interested in anything I listed, and I included fun on purpose, then EA doesn't interest them and they can move on, nothing wrong with that. There's a lot of content in a lot of games I enjoy that I don't participate in and that's fine. If a player doesn't want to put in the grind for the rewards they don't have to, they just shouldn't ask for the rewards they didn't work for.

If the "casual player" as you stated, is frustrated by the content, I heartily suggest they move on, I don't want anyone to be frustrated in their gaming, there's so much to do in ESO that being frustrated over some enemies you can't beat shouldn't be high on the list.

As for grinding, that's the cornerstone of nearly every successful MMO, you gotta give the players something to work towards, or else they'll stop playing.

EdjeSwift wrote: »

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

i resemble that remark (i am technically done with all of the archive content and it has been a month lol)

in regards to the other post, i actually do primarily run the archive for more currency, mainly to buy stuff from the rotational vendor (monster style pages im missing which is a lot, or certain hard to get antiquity leads)

That's why I didn't buy the Ichor last night! I still have at least 14 more days of "fun" in front of me!

i still have 3 more pc of gear to collect, and i need more currency to feed the collection from the rotation vendor lol

LouisaB75 wrote: »

Thank you for the response. I have been concentrating on the lightning conduits but am finding that as soon as I get rid of one he has spawned another. Then with the other adds on top, it is a constant mob battle with the aoe ramping up and I can't even get more than an initial hit on the boss before I am dead from the constant aoe. I know I have beaten him before, but I suspect on arc 1.

I was even wondering if he was bugged at one point with the constant conduit spawning. After all, bugs seem to be rather prolific in EA. But unlike the other bugs (below), which have happened only once, I have faced him multiple times on arc 2 now and have had the same issue each time.

I had another boss (forget her name) that I am sure was bugged out on one occasion where the she was shielded and called the "storms" who you have to kill that surround her. She was calling them over and over with my only managing to get one shot at her after killing them before she spawned them immediately again... I had 45 minutes of that before I finally got her killed. That seemed like a bug since on other occasions with her that had not happened. Also had Tho'at bug out on me where she turned into an effective training dummy while my companion was dead but not showing as such and Tho'at just stood over her for the entirety of the fight. And not forgetting the time my player companion had to finish the run while stuck as a goat.

Are you applying dots to the mantikora? It can be a battle of attrition, but you should be able to do it if you keep dots up on the boss, focus the lightning pylon, and take the atros out with aoe. Honestly, this fight is a mess and probably my least favourite not-obviously-bugged boss in there. I don't think it is bugged, but might be a bit overtuned. I find the WB version of the boss easier (probably due to the larger arena).

(The other boss you are referring to is Molag Kena. I think her shield storm adds thingy is health based? So it should definitely not be happening so often.)