Well I just closed my account because of this.
I have been playing MMO’s since Acheron’s Call beta and I play a: nuke mage, 10 sec mage, or whatever you want to call but basically I run around in a pajama killing mobs.
It is the way I want to play ("play the way YOU want") it works well for me and this game was promoted as such.
I don’t like to keep track of a lot of stats and be concerned about other player’s health and I’m not very fast with a lot of moving around and getting out of the way so I nuke or die. That does not mean I don’t make an attempt at using strategy BTW I’m not a dim just too slow to make a lot of fancy moves( I can write code that would pwn Molag bal and most players on a regular basis but they, understandably, frown upon that).
On the rare occasion where my lack of ability does not work I will ask one of you Uber players to help me. It will feed one ego and satisfy another but we both keep playing and more importantly paying.
If that option does not exist then level 50 is the end of the game and I got my money’s worth but I don’t like re-roll though so… “So long and thanks for all the fish”.
Not all players are elite or choose to be. Some of us just like to play once in a while and join our kids and grandkids to do more than just lie on the phone about how our day went but whatever your motivation for playing is it keeps you subscribed and paying or discouraged and quitting.
I have no doubt that a lot of players will come here and tell you they can’t understand why you can’t get it done and go on to explain how easy it was for them and how you should speck your toon or to watch a u-tube video and learn to play like them or just quit. In other words completely miss the point.
By now you may have noted how many times I mentioned the “Paying” thing and I will explain why:
Like it or not this game exists to make money. That does not mean it is their only motivation but I assure you it plays a big role. If enough players stop paying(just because unlike you we supper suck) the effect on all the players will be far more impacting than tweaking game play so that you can help us not suck.
An added observations for everyone’s consideration:
I have had many occasions where I barely get one shot in on a boss to get the achievement because a large group is running the dungy while I was there or it is being camped by farmers (bots or RP). I wait and try alone a 2nd time if the group leaves but usually that is not the case they just sit there and “Achieve” it for me again but the game moves on.
I have lost connection on a couple of quest and been stuck to the point of having to delete it and start it or just skip it and go on to the next big thing but the game moves on.
Suppose that anyone of those events got you stuck on your current level and you could not move on.
How long would you continue to pay for the game?

I made game choices that work because they got me to me to 50 the way I LIKE to play and am willing to pay for the benefit of doing so. If my only choices are to change the way I play going forward or quit then I quit.
ZeniMax Media has a choice too and I’ll bet ALL the opinions here will have less influence on the outcome than the next financial report. I hope I’m not the only one and they change it cus I like the game and will come back if I can keep My Toon the way I made him.

DaLord wrote: »

Well I just closed my account because of this.
I have been playing MMO’s since Acheron’s Call beta and I play a: nuke mage, 10 sec mage, or whatever you want to call but basically I run around in a pajama killing mobs.

Sorry to see you go. The work-around (and it is no doubt a work-around for something broken) to this for me and my wife is to ignore the main storyline and just work side-quests together, so we're not forced into solo-only instances.

I still hold out hope that they'll un-screw this.

Well, we've actually been playing more SWTOR together (having recently re-subscribed to it), and we'd forgotten just how streamlined grouping was there.

We can afford to stay subscribed to both ... for now, but that's $60 a month total, and we may well reach the point of diminishing returns and cut sling on ESO.

Vunter wrote: »

Yeah, nerf Molag Bal I want to faceroll a god with my healer char!

The OP's point sailed cleanly over your head.

bigjeff wrote: »

My wife and I came from wow, but have played many mmos for years , my wife pretty much plays a healer class , I'm a hybrid healing/dps, .......so I get to the end of the story line and I have to take down the big man, and its a very hard fight , one I've not yet finished and I was saying to the wife how hard it is, she replies then how is she going to do it? being a totally healer class she has no idea how to dps , has never had a interest in being a dps or a tank , we also find out we cannot progress in the game until bol is taken down? So ESO what do the healers and the non combat player's do?
I thought a mmo was about being what ever I want to be, and yet here we have a mmo that you can but you will have to repec and re learn all new skills so you can do what you want your way, I can understand you want everyone to finish the story but what if we cannot??? we just get stuck at rank one and do nothing? we cannot even group up and do it , it seems really freaking silly
my 2 cents
the little guy and his wife

[snip]

I wished to play the game as a dedicated Craft person because I do not really like fighting at all. However, with uber solo boss-fights...this is impossible.

Everyone is forced to fight. Everyone is forced into the same scheme and even into similar builds so as to be successful. Unless one rolls a Vampire, veteran level is PAIN. Unless one creates the most efficient build there is, the game becomes utter frustration. Unless one does what almost everyone does the game comes to a grinding hold.

One can not even avoid the silly main quest if one wanted to do so. One must finish this thing so as to progress in the game. And with Crag it gets even worse. Don't you think for a moment you will be invited as a V1 into a group. What will happen is this: unless you got the best build and the best outfit you will be left hanging high and dry.

my conclusion: this game is not for the average player who seeks a relaxing time after a day of (real life) work so as to wind down and have some fun.

[edited for bashing]

Actually, you can have quite fun playing the solo quests "together" by doing them at the same time. Might not be exactly what you want, and you still have to do all the work by yourself, but you can have the conversation and similar that you are used to from questing together. If one of you get stuck the other could come with suggestions etc.

Solo missions is here to stay, I am afraid. They don't take very long, they are not very hard, and by doing them you unlock the real interesting content for a duo group: veteran rank mobs.

I don't know, wouldn't that depend on the manner in which you put it? I don't think anyone is suggesting that you mock her and tell her to "L2P" but surely pointing out important flaws in her build and strategy and coming up with helpful suggestions (in a friendly, non-judgmental manner) wouldn't be out of the question?

Cogo wrote: »

Solo quests are an exellent way to test your own skills.
ESO appeals to players who want to get rid of restrictions, get a good story, a vast open environment and not the standard set today with tank/dps/healer.

What you do is up to you. And you are dead wrong among TES fans. We love solo stuff. There has even, sadly, been TES fans who written on several forums (not ESO), that they feel bad that ESO can not be played without a lot of other people around. Google it if you do not believe me.

ESO is providing a world that has been needed for years. Challenges!
I am sorry if you can not do something specific, no matter how many times you try. Maybe that challenge simply is to hard for YOU, as a player.

Everything is not meant to be doable easy for everyone.

I have been able to do everything myself. I am EP at VR7 and just finished that annoying Wood Elf Zone with the Giant Tree.

What I am suggesting is that there is no harm in allowing invites to these forced Solo missions for players who find it difficult.
They do not need to lower the difficulty, just allow to invite one friend, perhaps tie it to the Rings of Mara.

I love a challenge as I solo 90% of the time. I just want everyone to be involved and do not want to see friends, wives, casuals, left out and leave and the game full of hardcore players.

In my opinion that one sided sort of community is dull and I like and MMO to be an MMO not a close knit crew of hardcore haflwits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1akPFNW1c6c

My thoughts on Forced Solo Quests in an MMO:

getty.adam_ESO wrote: »

I don't remember being forced into any quests.

what level are you ?
the main story has to be completed before you advance passed level 50.

The 1st part Mannimarco was hard but you could just leave, level up and come back a few levels and improved gear later. The problem I have here is you are literally stuck you can’t advice a few levels and gear then come back. Even leaving to repair is a pain because you have to start over. It is just FUBARed plain and simple. I play with my 2 sons, my nephew and my nice we all started with prerelease and they are all roughly in in the 20 levels the only reason I have made 50 already is because I have had time off work and had literally nothing else to do but play. I assume that as the casual players reach this portion of the story line there will be far more reaction to this ( or a mass exodus LOL). The game WILL change or wither but either way I’m gone now I removed it from my box and made room for the next one. Best of luck to the rest of you

epoling wrote: »

getty.adam_ESO wrote: »

I don't remember being forced into any quests.

You just don't get to progress to other areas of the game if you don't finish certain quests.

Which is fine.

See, the difference here is, I'm understanding that I'm exercising a choice by doing or not doing these quests. Other folks are acting like they've got a gun to their head.

I appreciate the solo quests, so perhaps I'm biased. But I've also walked away from numerous quests just because I didn't feel like doing them.

Also, level cap is 50... Vet Ranks are like lateral moves. You get better stuff for completing more content; but the level cap is 50.

Honestly, I think you guys a really under estimating your fellow player. Sure there will be those who have a really hard time, but I can't recall the last time anyone I know walked away from a game because it was too hard.

theyancey wrote: »

I have to agree with the OP. On the survey forms following each beta test weekend the primary question we were asked was if we had FUN playing the game. It was fun then. Now it is work. I do not pay to work. I get paid for it. I pay to play and have fun. This degree of difficulty, particularly for a senior citizen, replaces fun and excitement with drudgery and death. I am close enough to RL death as it is. This many solo boss fight deaths is just too close a reminder of that.

See... I can't agree with the OP because he's lying.
Or at least exaggerating, stupendously.

There's all kinds of solo quests before you reach the last one. There's no way his wife has made it as far as she has without having any means of doing damage. As far as I can tell, she hasn't even -tried- it yet and he's already upset that she won't be able to do it just because he's having a hard time with it.

getty.adam_ESO wrote: »

epoling wrote: »

getty.adam_ESO wrote: »

I don't remember being forced into any quests.

You just don't get to progress to other areas of the game if you don't finish certain quests.

Which is fine.

See, the difference here is, I'm understanding that I'm exercising a choice by doing or not doing these quests. Other folks are acting like they've got a gun to their head.

I appreciate the solo quests, so perhaps I'm biased. But I've also walked away from numerous quests just because I didn't feel like doing them.

Also, level cap is 50... Vet Ranks are like lateral moves. You get better stuff for completing more content; but the level cap is 50.

Honestly, I think you guys a really under estimating your fellow player. Sure there will be those who have a really hard time, but I can't recall the last time anyone I know walked away from a game because it was too hard.

yes but the main story line should not be forced solo. side quests on the other hand if they wanted to make some of them forced solo for people that would be fine. so long as its not some major impact on the game. like not being able to get to vet ranks.

also by all means stop at 50 and get creamed by v10 people if you pvp or not be able to do top end dungeons that require v5+ to do them if you pve. but that would be your choice In limiting yourself, not bad game mechanics.

some are not as good at games as others. I finished it perfectly fine. but I also know there are people who might struggle. this is an MMO not a single player game. you should always be allowed to adventure with friends/family. that's generally the point of an MMO, play with and/or against others.

I also feel solo players should also be allowed to get things without having to rely on groups to do it. so high end gear should be able to be gotten by solo adventurers as well as the groupers. I don't care if you make it a bit longer/ harder to grind it so long as its possible. cause not everyone likes to group up or they may only want to group up with one or two friends. and not have to deal with a bunch of random people.

See, I like the main storyline set to solo, mainly because it's really the only place in the game where they really put their foot down on keeping it lore-friendly.

You're the Vestige. It's you're job. Not Vestige +1.
(I'm of course excluding the obligatory NPCs which accompany you at various points.)