infinite archive -- can't we buy a save point?

CoronHR · January 2024

i can't always stay for as long as needed, but starting over at arc 1 is boring. couldn't you put something in the merchant that we could buy with archival fortunes which would give us a save point?

Dagoth_Rac · January 2024

Would you start with no Visions, even at that higher Arc? That would be rough. Would you start with the Visions from your last run? Would people just wait until they got a great collection of Visions and then save, making every subsequent run much easier than other player runs? Would you get a random assortment of Visions added each time? If you didn't like Visions, how long do you have to wait to try again? It can't be instant or people would just reroll until they got a set of Visions better than the Visions they got from actually running the lower Arcs.

I agree that the slog through lower Arcs can be tedious and boring but, unfortunately, this is not Maelstrom where every run is exactly the same. There are a lot of random elements right from the start that accumulate and persist throughout a run. Arc 5 builds off Arcs 1-4 in a way Round 5 does not build off Rounds 1 - 4 in Maelstrom.

I would like to see them do something. But Maelstrom-style save points would be problematic for a number of reasons.

Sarannah · January 2024

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Would you start with no Visions, even at that higher Arc? That would be rough. Would you start with the Visions from your last run? Would people just wait until they got a great collection of Visions and then save, making every subsequent run much easier than other player runs? Would you get a random assortment of Visions added each time? If you didn't like Visions, how long do you have to wait to try again? It can't be instant or people would just reroll until they got a set of Visions better than the Visions they got from actually running the lower Arcs.

I agree that the slog through lower Arcs can be tedious and boring but, unfortunately, this is not Maelstrom where every run is exactly the same. There are a lot of random elements right from the start that accumulate and persist throughout a run. Arc 5 builds off Arcs 1-4 in a way Round 5 does not build off Rounds 1 - 4 in Maelstrom.

I would like to see them do something. But Maelstrom-style save points would be problematic for a number of reasons.

You are correct. Another problem is the gathering amount of fortunes, which is based on the arc level. If players were to start at lets say arc 5, they would gather many more fortunes per boss/unknown as someone starting at arc one. Which would be highly unfair.

Changing either of those things, the fortune amount and the visions, would fundamentally change the infinite archive and it's workings. Which could be a disaster as the infinite archive is well received right now, and messing with it could change that to a negative reception.

Edit: Not saying there shouldn't be safepoints, but ZOS needs to be very careful with what they change about the IA and how.

Trejgon · January 2024

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

I agree that the slog through lower Arcs can be tedious and boring but, unfortunately, this is not Maelstrom where every run is exactly the same.

Additionally, and that is actually one of reasons ZOS themselves have brought up, is that as opposed to Maelstrom, where it is always you and only you, in the Archive in one run you can be alone, and in another you can be with companion, then with a friend, then with different friend, and it starts to get a little bit tacky and blown up in amount of saves per person if you try to actually keep track of all the possible permutations.

TX12001rwb17_ESO · January 2024

You know that would actually be a decent idea, buy a Save Point that you can use in any area of the Archive, it wont save you if you lose your threads but if you leave the archive it will allow you to continue from where you left off.

cyberjanet · January 2024

Well I think the save point could negate your leaderboard, but sometimes you just want to see how you would do in a later arc. I do maelstrom basically one or two arenas at a time, as I don't have infinite playing time. I usually end my archive run with all threads intact. Usually after the first marauder. I have no idea if I could solo the second incarnation of Tho'at, and I will never find out.

Beilin_Balreis_Colcan · January 2024

Why should we have to pay for a feature that should have been part of the dungeon from the start? The current setup is encouraging players to spend an unhealthy length of time in front of the computer/console.

Tensar · January 2024

Changing either of those things, the fortune amount and the visions, would fundamentally change the infinite archive and it's workings. Which could be a disaster as the infinite archive is well received right now, and messing with it could change that to a negative reception.

Well received?? I saw so many players complaining because we can't save. Myself I was waiting a lot for the archives to come and then I didn't do much only because we can't have some kind of save.

Hapexamendios · January 2024

I don't think we should be forced to buy something that should have been included in the first place.

MidniteOwl1913 · January 2024

If they make a save point, it should be free. I doubt that they will because of the difficulty of the programming. After all, if it were easy they would have added it to start with because really it is an obvious QOL issue with the non-leaderboard archive.

What I do hope is that they don't make a half-assed version with no saved visions. Even by arc 3, it's obvious that you are expected to have some buffs. I'm okay with you can only save at the end of an arc and once past an arc you can't go back by using a save point.

Uvi_AUT · January 2024

Sarannah wrote: »

Changing either of those things, the fortune amount and the visions, would fundamentally change the infinite archive and it's workings. Which could be a disaster as the infinite archive is well received right now, and messing with it could change that to a negative reception.

Well received? No one plays it. Too long, no Savefunction and no useful Rewards. I played it once before realizing its content that doesnt respect my time.

XxCaLxX · January 2024

I don't really understand why this has to be so confusing or why ppl are over thinking it. If you run to 3-2-1 and save then start up 4 hours later and run to 5-3-2 and save then do it again hows that any different than just standing in one spot for 4 hours making sure you're not kicked? I play Xbox mostly and you can just lay your controller on your keyboard and as long as it's pressing a button you can not be kicked for ever how long you're away. So that's no different than saving and returning later. It should be able to save progress from the point your stop. I think ppl are thinking save points as old games were where you can keep reloading a save point if you die or don't get good visions. That would never be the case anyway.

CoronHR · January 2024

well, some interesting points here. i hadn't thought it through, but i'd say that your save point would save the visions you had acquired and you'd just start your run again from where you left off.

i'd say you shouldn't be able to use the save point if you change from solo to duo with a partner or duo with a companion. but then would your save point that you purchased become invalid and disappear from your inventory?

given that the archive does change every go, that does make starting from scratch not soo bad, so that was a good point to bring up.

it does get a bit complicated though, this idea of save points.

but i'm really enjoying the archive in general. i thought it was boring at first, but it's growing on me. i really like the randomness of it, i like the side events/portals to the unknown, i like learning the specific ia mechanics of bosses i've seen in other content (dragons annoy me, as well as the MoL final boss, but i'm learning them). so i'm giving it high marks.

Snamyap · January 2024

Hapexamendios wrote: »

I don't think we should be forced to buy something that should have been included in the first place.

The whole implementation of the EA is like giving someone the The Lord of the Rings trilogy (in book form) and then telling him he has to start over at page one after every time they put it down.

Trejgon · January 2024

cyberjanet wrote: »

Well I think the save point could negate your leaderboard, but sometimes you just want to see how you would do in a later arc.

To be perfectly fair, the primary thing leaderboard measures right now, is for how long you can manage to have ESO running and not trigger afk-logout.