Infinite Archive improvements?

Romilly · March 9

I know I'm not alone but a couple of points having ground it out (and finding myself keeping playing in the off chance I get Aylied Torc leads or enough currency to buy some improvements).

1) running this solo feels just too slow.
2) The first arc is BORING. It's a faceroll half hour of tedium to get to the sweet, sweet spot of Arc 2, where its a fun challenge, you die if you make a mistake, but you can learn.
3) The third arc is borderline impossible solo (or solo + companion). The mobs won't die, and even the trashiest of them is close to a one shot.

Could you maybe use some kind of adaptive intelligence to keep one permamently in the sweet spot of sweaty, but not too sweaty? As you get power-ups, you should be able to ramp it up slightly, and if you die, just dial it back a notch? Failing that, could you just save us all 30 mins and let us skip straight to Arc 2 with a random sample of verses and visions.

SilverBride · March 9

I'd like to see a save added. I will never complete Arc 5 because by the time I get there I'm too tired to keep going. We only have so many threads and we should be able to save and continue until they have all been used.

I'd also like to see them remove the Dragon cycle bosses until at least Arc 3.

MidniteOwl1913 · March 9

IA is really boring. Fewer trash mobs waves 2 instead of 3 would help. But no matter what, it's a terrible time sink with pitiful rewards.

Some people like it, and not all content is for everyone. This particular content is definitely not for me.

VoxAdActa · March 9

It would be way more fun if it was just bosses. The trash waves are pointless; they're boring and annoying in the lower arcs, and boring and unnecessarily punishing in the later arcs. Traditional dungeons have interesting setups and balanced combinations of critters to go from "showing you what things are here" to "now deal with them in THIS combination!". IA has none of that, or, when it does, it's totally by accident.

I guess it's just to try to make it like a solo arena or a dungeon crawl from other games? But in a dungeon crawl, the point of the trash monsters is to get the players to use up resources before getting to the boss. That element is nonexistent here, so it really feels like the trash waves serve no purpose except to artificially pad out the time required to complete an arc (which is already a pain point).

Sarannah · March 9

I love the IA as is, but we need many more earnable upgrades to make the lower arcs go faster.

Maitsukas · March 9

VoxAdActa wrote: »

It would be way more fun if it was just bosses. The trash waves are pointless; they're boring and annoying in the lower arcs, and boring and unnecessarily punishing in the later arcs.

They reduced a regular run from three Stages of adds to two Stages for week 4 of IA PTS testing in 2023.

If it were only Cycle bosses, then how would you get Verses outside of the Mystery Scrolls (since Unknowns can only be accessed from Stages)?

Dragonnord · March 9

Romilly wrote: »

3) The third arc is borderline impossible solo (or solo + companion). The mobs won't die, and even the trashiest of them is close to a one shot.

With all due respect, thousands of players complete Arc 3 and beyond playing solo and even more players complete it if playing with a tank Companion.

A lot of players even complete Arc 4 (solo or with a Companion) and so reset Infinite Archive to Arc 1.

Solo record is Arc 33 and duo record is Arc 46.

Please don't respond "Good for them, I can't". I understand, it's OK if you can't, I just mean Arc 3 is not impossible, and enemies die there too.

Julia_Nix · March 9

For every build I tried on different classes the only way you can get to later arcs (after 3) is if you have at least 2 Focused Efforts. Without this vision there is no point moving forward and you better just reset your run. At times I did 4 different runs on 4 different characters and I got to see Focused Efforts maybe 2 times with all runs combined. With each arc enemies become stronger yet you may get really bad visions and in the end under leveled. I think The quality of vision should at least increase with each arc. Sure the effectiveness of visions depends on your build but there are some that are good to all builds and if they don't show up and all you get Lesson's Learned and Full Coffers type of visions all the time then your entire run ruined and time wasted.

Sarannah · March 9

Julia_Nix wrote: »

For every build I tried on different classes the only way you can get to later arcs (after 3) is if you have at least 2 Focused Efforts.

Not really, easily getting to arc 4 on multiple classes without that vision. On most builds that vision does make it a lot easier though!

And I'm not even the best type of player, I do not barswap, do not animation cancel, do not light attack weave, and do not use potions. Sometimes you have to create a build that fits your personal playstyle, that will often get you further than copying a build from someone else and not being able to play it well.

PS: My best solo+companion IA run is arc 7.4.3(tough boss).

DenverRalphy · March 9

I'd like to see the Weapon/Armor drops not be tied to Even/Odd Arcs.

As it is now, I have 79 pieces left to farm and they're all armor pieces. And with no Marauder in Arc 1, it's gonna take a while unless I farm to Arc 6. As it is, farming to Arc 4 (to get 3 pieces) takes a while. Even if I spent every archival fortune on boxes, it's gonna a minute before I'm done.

If there are no more weapons/jewelry to get, then the even arcs should curate to armor pieces as well.

Madarc · March 9

“Only after the last tree has been cut down / Only after the last river has been poisoned / Only after the last fish has been caught / Then will you find that money cannot be eaten.”

I would really like to know how many Cree play here.

and,..... what they think of the game

Icy_Waffles · March 9

You can literally get through arc 5 with a heavy attack build. The complaints of difficulty and more of a skill issue.

Beyond arc 5 does present challenges for a basic heavy attack build, but there are PLENTY of builds online where people show how to gear and build for higher arc runs-

Personofsecrets · March 9

The "difficulty" aspect comes in where it isn't fun to be in the archive with the builds that make the archive easy.

Hapexamendios · March 9

The biggest improvement for me would be a save feature to allow us to continue runs when time is lacking.

Djennku · March 10

Madarc wrote: »

“Only after the last tree has been cut down / Only after the last river has been poisoned / Only after the last fish has been caught / Then will you find that money cannot be eaten.”

I would really like to know how many Cree play here.

and,..... what they think of the game

Completely irrelevant to the topic and derailing the thread. Not sure the intention either.

mattaeus01b16_ESO · March 10

1) running this solo feels just too slow.
I run IA when I have nothing to do...to kill time.

2) The first arc is BORING. It's a faceroll half hour of tedium to get to the sweet, sweet spot of Arc 2, where its a fun challenge, you die if you make a mistake, but you can learn.
Using a Sorc or Necro heavy attack build, I usually clear the first arc in 15 mins

3) The third arc is borderline impossible solo (or solo + companion). The mobs won't die, and even the trashiest of them is close to a one shot.
Solo, and with just a heavy attack build set up (and before I learnt how to run this place) I could clear Arc 3. Only issues were the Marauders.
With a companion, and once I got use to the place, I have cleared Arc 9 on my Necro.

But! I would love to see a save progression in this place. I don't always have 4 hours to kill in a row or longer. I don't know if it was an oversight or if they really thought this was the way to go with "Commit yourself or lose out". But considering they put in a AFK killer... I suspect the latter.

shezof · March 10

put all the features that made Hades a good rogue like game.

shezof · March 10

also buff class sets, make different modes of archives. it could be a grinding paradise

Romilly · March 11

Curious, maybe its just a Sorc thing. I'm playing on a NB, which I'm not super bad at, and its true a HA Sorc is face roll easy to run.

I got the flawless conquerer achievement from vMA around 5 years ago, and I know more or less how to pilot the NB, and have even been building for IA. Maybe the answer is a tank companion - I've been running with Sharp as a shield healer.

I can also see how if I got a couple of decent offensive visions in 12 kills I'd get further - which suggests grinding for the third vision is the way to go. This last run I just did I got better poisons and 6% mag crit I think. A couple of time I've gotten the status one its felt much easier (although I still died in Arc 3 as soon as something hit me).

I'm not saying I'm a great player, just that I feel that there's a weird step function between Arc 2 and Arc 3 that doesn't feel fun (and that Arc 1 is is the opposite, its too easy). I'd be happily still trying to progress 3 rather than just tapping out at 2.

Wuduwasa13 · March 11

Improve drop rate of structural furnishing plans

xylena_lazarow · March 11

I don't understand the design of the arc progression. The first 2 are basically a normal mode dungeon, very easy and casual, then suddenly the difficulty spikes to vet dlc level at arc 3. Tryhards pushing the hard stuff get bored having to waste so much time on the 2 easy arcs, casuals wanting to push longer than 2 get brick walled out of nowhere.

Why isn't this split into normal and vet like the rest of the game? Zero interest from me until it does.

Romilly · March 12

I can't find anything about how to build a tank that won't die and will be able to taunt enough mobs to keep them off your back. The only thing I have found is that people like Pearlescent Ward and a dead companion for a 33% dmg mitigation passive? Can someone drop a link or a recommended build for pushing 3 and higher please?

ESO_player123 · March 12

Romilly wrote: »

I can't find anything about how to build a tank that won't die and will be able to taunt enough mobs to keep them off your back. The only thing I have found is that people like Pearlescent Ward and a dead companion for a 33% dmg mitigation passive? Can someone drop a link or a recommended build for pushing 3 and higher please?

Are you talking about building a tank companion? (You said "taunt enough mobs to keep them off you back"). Tank companions do not easily die in the first 3-4 arcs unless to select few bosses (like Rakhhat when a companion insist on standing in the middle of the platform inside the AoE or the last iteration of Tho'at ). As for tanking multiple trash mobs, to my knowledge, companions cannot really do that.

DenverRalphy · March 12

ESO_player123 wrote: »

Romilly wrote: »

I can't find anything about how to build a tank that won't die and will be able to taunt enough mobs to keep them off your back. The only thing I have found is that people like Pearlescent Ward and a dead companion for a 33% dmg mitigation passive? Can someone drop a link or a recommended build for pushing 3 and higher please?

Are you talking about building a tank companion? (You said "taunt enough mobs to keep them off you back"). Tank companions do not easily die in the first 3-4 arcs unless to select few bosses (like Rakhhat when a companion insist on standing in the middle of the platform inside the AoE or the last iteration of Tho'at ). As for tanking multiple trash mobs, to my knowledge, companions cannot really do that.

Zerith var can as he has an aoe taunt. Granted it's limited to taunting ranged attackers. I know Azandar will taunt multiple targets if he has more than one taunt slotted, but that's usually a waste.

Munkfist · March 12

Romilly wrote: »

I know I'm not alone but a couple of points having ground it out (and finding myself keeping playing in the off chance I get Aylied Torc leads or enough currency to buy some improvements).

1) running this solo feels just too slow.

You can run any cookie-cut PVE build for anything below Arc 3 if you know boss mechanics and have some situational awareness.

2) The first arc is BORING. It's a faceroll half hour of tedium to get to the sweet, sweet spot of Arc 2, where its a fun challenge, you die if you make a mistake, but you can learn.

Arc 1 really only takes 15 minutes, being generous, if you're going for speed. I aim for 10-11 minutes, with side portals. It's a nice relaxing lead in.

3) The third arc is borderline impossible solo (or solo + companion). The mobs won't die, and even the trashiest of them is close to a one shot.

This seems more like a build issue. If Arc 3 is killing you, you may need to invest in a build more suited to the content, or rethink which verses/visions are being chosen.

Could you maybe use some kind of adaptive intelligence to keep one permamently in the sweet spot of sweaty, but not too sweaty? As you get power-ups, you should be able to ramp it up slightly, and if you die, just dial it back a notch? Failing that, could you just save us all 30 mins and let us skip straight to Arc 2 with a random sample of verses and visions.

I run a LOT of IA, it's some of my favorite content in the game. The pace feels fine, though it does get slower in the late teen arcs if your rng hasn't been great. I personally think IA is in a great place, and would be sad to have it eased up on.

Romilly · March 12

No one's actually answering the question lol, how do you build an IA tank companion?

As I said, I've tried Sharp as a Heavy Armor healer, with quickened armor, but that makes zero difference once I hit Arc 3.

allochthons · March 12

I think some people (certainly not all people) who say "IA is easy," aren't taking into consideration CP.
I have two accounts. My main (PS/NA) is CP2750, and has all the gear in the game farmed. I can solo (tank companion) into Arc 4 without too much difficulty, if I don't hit a really bad boss. On that account, I have all the IA achievements (If you don't count the ToT achievements LOL), and all the IA gear farmed. I've spent a LOT of time in the IA.

My PS/EU account is CP800. I can barely make it to Tho'at 2 most of the time, and haven't yet made it half-way into Arc 3.

I'm running an identical build on both accounts. But on EU I'm 2000 CP behind, and my tank companion is only level 18. It is much, much harder without the CP.

(To be fair, my ping to EU is bad, and so I have more lag problems there. But other than that, the only difference is the CP and the companion level. My skill (good or bad) doesn't change.

The build, fwiw, is an Arc in Briarheart/Hexos/Oakensoul. For me, a nice mix of damage and survivability.)

Romilly · March 13

Well I tried Isobel as she was already sort of set up as a tank, and she helped - I got to 3 3 1 this time, further than ever before. I suspect some of this failure is due to using a Nightblade - who's main superpower seems to be being able to reset an entire fight if I stay invisible for longer than 5 seconds .... People seem much happier with Sorcs/Arcs.

Definitely would be nice to know how to build Isobel optimally for IA. I used 2 CC's, 1 taunt, 1 DR, and bone shield. I think she'd be even better with more quickened gear.

DenverRalphy · March 13

Romilly wrote: »

No one's actually answering the question lol, how do you build an IA tank companion?

As I said, I've tried Sharp as a Heavy Armor healer, with quickened armor, but that makes zero difference once I hit Arc 3.

Azandar half Quickened, Half Vigorous, all heavy w/ sword-n-board. With all blue gear, he does just fine into arc 5, Past that I haven't attempted to go further with just a companion, because if I'm just soloing, I usually stop after arc 3 Marauder or Tho'at because I get really bored and I'm likely only there to farm.

Also, while in IA keep in mind that all the visions you take apply to your companion as well. As if they were another player grabbing the exact same visions. So tossing them some survivability along the way is always a good thing.

allochthons · March 13

I use Azander or Zerith-Var. I tend to go Vigorous as much as I can, and bolstered or quickened to fill in if I don't have vig in a slot.

My Azander's skills:
Provoke | On Guard | Ritual of Salvation | Scathing Rune (class taunt) | Crimson Font
I use two taunts in the IA because this decreases the number of times he loses taunt on a maurader nearly to zero. Using quickened might help with that, but this is working for me.

My Zerith-Var skills:
Provoke | Crescent Scythe | Perigean Armor | Savage Instinct | Sepulchral Chill
Again, two taunts. I used to have Chill closer to the front for the Major Breach, but the boss tends to move out of the circle too often. I moved it to the last skill recently, and it works much better, even if I have to wait a bit to throw down my ult.

Why these two? Azander because for whatever reason, he seems to lose marauder taunt the least of all the companions.

Zerith for the major breach.

Big caveat, though. I rarely take them past Arc 2.

wolfie1.0. · March 13

My solution, make arc 1 as easy and fast to clear as overland, make arc2 as easy as normal dungeon, make arc3 as easy as normal dlc dungeon. At arc4 leave unchanged.