Scribing is a Major Let-Down

harvey07 · July 6

i really dislike it because i can not mix and match the skills the way i want to. whenever i get a new affix and go to see if i can use it on the spell i like....nope. is always a melee/physical type of thing only. every single time.

divnyi · July 6

It is unnecessary grindy. Say, there is a very specific signature I need on 2 characters.

How many days I am supposed to just log in, do the boss daily and log out, without playing the game as I would like to play it?

SeaGtGruff · July 6

.

divnyi wrote: »

It is unnecessary grindy. Say, there is a very specific signature I need on 2 characters.

How many days I am supposed to just log in, do the boss daily and log out, without playing the game as I would like to play it?

How long does the boss daily take? If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Also, there are 3 different daily sources for each type of script, and each source has a guaranteed drop for the first time, with some types of daily sources being repeatable several times a day (not necessarily in the same zone) and with a possible drop for the additional times. In other words, you can increase your chances of getting a specific script that you desire.

There is also a strategy that others have suggested for getting specific scripts that you desire, which is to have one character be the designated script earner, and have that character pass the desired scripts to your other characters so those scripts are still unused on the script earner and can be obtained more easily through the curation process.

divnyi · July 6

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Skills are the centerpiece part of the build. Not having a skill means the build is incomplete.
Which forces me to play less characters as they are in incomplete state.
But playing the same characters over and over is boring and it doesn't bring me joy.
I open the game to have some fun, game doesn't want to provide it to me.

Thysbe · July 6

I was really looking forward to scribing, especially trying out different combinations and having fun on different alt RPG builds

poison archer, blood mage, .... and so on and so on

In the end I crafted every grimoire once to get the achievements - and since then didnt touch it, because the ink grind and the need to get the scriptures on alts too, totally ruins any experimental, playful approach.

I even have the ink and probably the scriptures too (dont really care - read them on the next best char) but I won´t experiment for 75k a try

I could use PTS for that ofc - but to be honest - too much of a bother and not the point for a system that should make fun

SeaGtGruff · July 7

divnyi wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Skills are the centerpiece part of the build. Not having a skill means the build is incomplete.
Which forces me to play less characters as they are in incomplete state.
But playing the same characters over and over is boring and it doesn't bring me joy.
I open the game to have some fun, game doesn't want to provide it to me.

Which skills are the centerpiece of the build-- do you mean the ones you haven't even scribed yet? How can those skills be the centerpiece of your builds if you never had them before Gold Road, and still don't have them because you haven't been able to scribe them yet since-- as you said before-- you haven't collected the necessary scripts on those characters yet? Sorry, but I'm having trouble following your line of thinking on this.

As for having fun, if Scribing is such an unfun pain for you, couldn't you just ignore its existence and have fun in the game the same way you did before Gold Road came out?

MidniteOwl1913 · July 7

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

divnyi wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Skills are the centerpiece part of the build. Not having a skill means the build is incomplete.
Which forces me to play less characters as they are in incomplete state.
But playing the same characters over and over is boring and it doesn't bring me joy.
I open the game to have some fun, game doesn't want to provide it to me.

Which skills are the centerpiece of the build-- do you mean the ones you haven't even scribed yet? How can those skills be the centerpiece of your builds if you never had them before Gold Road, and still don't have them because you haven't been able to scribe them yet since-- as you said before-- you haven't collected the necessary scripts on those characters yet? Sorry, but I'm having trouble following your line of thinking on this.

As for having fun, if Scribing is such an unfun pain for you, couldn't you just ignore its existence and have fun in the game the same way you did before Gold Road came out?

I am still much too worried about wasting precious ink to say I'm having fun with it, but it is interesting and I do think that I will find skills I want to use.

I need more ink.

Ink I don't have to spend hours farming.

divnyi · July 7

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

divnyi wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Skills are the centerpiece part of the build. Not having a skill means the build is incomplete.
Which forces me to play less characters as they are in incomplete state.
But playing the same characters over and over is boring and it doesn't bring me joy.
I open the game to have some fun, game doesn't want to provide it to me.

Which skills are the centerpiece of the build-- do you mean the ones you haven't even scribed yet? How can those skills be the centerpiece of your builds if you never had them before Gold Road, and still don't have them because you haven't been able to scribe them yet since-- as you said before-- you haven't collected the necessary scripts on those characters yet? Sorry, but I'm having trouble following your line of thinking on this.

As for having fun, if Scribing is such an unfun pain for you, couldn't you just ignore its existence and have fun in the game the same way you did before Gold Road came out?

You can't just ignore existence of some powerful tools in PvP. You either use them, or you are handicapped.
How did I play without them before Gold Road? Everyone around also played without them.

nihonseanb14_ESO · July 8

I like the scribing system but sweet baby Jesus are the quests to unlock it just mind numbingly bad. [snip]

Seriously who thought that repeating the SAME basic quest FIVE times would be fun, or interesting? And who actually tested it? The final quest where you follow the trail across the sky is janky as hell.

Just bad writing, bad development, bad testing. [snip]

[edited for bashing]

Veinblood1965 · July 8

DigiAngel wrote: »

RomanRex wrote: »

3. **Unenjoyable Grinding**: Obtaining components (e.g., ink) to use the system is an unenjoyable time waste. It's another quasi-currency in a game that already has too many, including gold, Archival Fortunes, AP, Tel Var, Event Tickets, Seals of Endeavors, Transmutes, Undaunted Keys, Writ Vouchers, Crowns, Crown Gems, and so on. Couldn't ZoS have integrated it into an existing currency system? For example, converting 50 or 100 Transmute Stones into ink would have been a great option.

Big time this....honestly I've barely touched ESO since Gold Road and grind it requires. Seems like ZOS is big on selling grind, but scant on actual content.

Honestly initially I liked Gold Road, loved the design of the zone and the initial scribing quest although long. HOWEVER after finishing up most of the achievements and working on the actual scribing the obviously deliberate grind that has been part of it has gotten me to where i am hardly even logging in the last week and considering cancelling my subscription for the first time and not buying any more expansions. Mostly due to the stupid World Incursions and unless you are a healer or a tank the actual usefulness of the scripts for DPS left me disheartened. The invulnerable phases of so many of the boss mobs here and there is getting annoying also. Here's an Incursion...

Kill three side bosses that spawn around the area
Damage the main boss
Main boss goes invulnerable
Damage three side bosses around the main boss
Damage the main boss
Main boss goes invulnerable
Damage three side bosses around the main boss
[Main boss goes invulnerable
Damage three side bosses around the main boss
Kill the main boss

It takes so freaking long. I came upon a new incursion the other day and didn't have the heart to start so I went and did a delve daily. I finished that and the same incursion was still up and only about halfway done with LOTS of people around so it was not a matter of few people.

Seriously? Same applies to the world boss the Oak one for instance. Damage boss, invulnerable, kill mini bosses, damage main boss, back and forth.

It's just getting annoying. While understanding having bosses that everyone just nukes to death is boring the invulnerable part has gotten me more and more annoyed since Deadlands.

Necrotech_Master · July 9

MidniteOwl1913 wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

divnyi wrote: »

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

If you're going to just log in, do the boss daily, and log out, why wouldn't you go ahead and play the game as you'd like after doing the boss daily?

Skills are the centerpiece part of the build. Not having a skill means the build is incomplete.
Which forces me to play less characters as they are in incomplete state.
But playing the same characters over and over is boring and it doesn't bring me joy.
I open the game to have some fun, game doesn't want to provide it to me.

Which skills are the centerpiece of the build-- do you mean the ones you haven't even scribed yet? How can those skills be the centerpiece of your builds if you never had them before Gold Road, and still don't have them because you haven't been able to scribe them yet since-- as you said before-- you haven't collected the necessary scripts on those characters yet? Sorry, but I'm having trouble following your line of thinking on this.

As for having fun, if Scribing is such an unfun pain for you, couldn't you just ignore its existence and have fun in the game the same way you did before Gold Road came out?

I am still much too worried about wasting precious ink to say I'm having fun with it, but it is interesting and I do think that I will find skills I want to use.

I need more ink.

Ink I don't have to spend hours farming.

this here, my ink gain rate is so bad, ill likely have all of my toons maxed on all scripts by the time i get enough ink for the system to fell useable

since any scribe feels like a huge waste of ink if the skill doesnt work out the way you want it

darvaria · July 9

Scribing is a let down because in my one bar builds, NONE of the scribes can be useful. I wish some of them were passive and didn't have to use up a space on our skill bars.

Should have a 3rd skill bar (like sorcs used to have) for scripted skills.

divnyi · July 10

darvaria wrote: »

I wish some of them were passive and didn't have to use up a space on our skill bars.

Pls no. Passive skill bonuses from having skills in the bars is horrible feature as is and forces to play less active skills, resulting in lesser diversity of gameplay. I wish they all gone away completely so we can play active abilities we actually want to play without feeling that we losing some stats.

agelonestar · July 10

I thought the Scribing system was well implemented and well constructed, to be honest.

I recently realised that you only have to do all the "unlock" quests on a single character per account - from there, each new character only needs to complete the intro quest (a minute or two of time). That's waaaaaay better than any other skill line.

I have several accounts and I play both EU and NA, so I have now completed the unlock quests three times in total (so far). They're really not so terrible. First time around I thought they were pretty decent, actually, and I liked the tie-in to an old friend

(no spoilers!)

I agree that the Ink drop rate is too low, but prices are already coming down in Guild Stores so that's not so much of an issue.

I've even found a couple of skill options that I'm finding really genuinely useful in my day-to-day

Casdha · August 10

I discovered today that alts can pick up ink that have never set foot outside of the alliance territories. I was in a delve in Greenshade today doing Cadwell's Silver line and I had four different trash mobs drop an ink, it was crazy. I've only ever gotten three other inks from trash mobs and I have the 500 ink achievement (on my Main). I don't know if the RNG was stuck or that particular delve had a bug in it.

edit: added a screen shot for proof

Vahndamme · August 10

Add Ink to Crown store /s