Yes, an invasion is taking place, but...

Lugaldu · November 15

...Eastern Solstice feels so empty and lifeless, like a deserted—albeit visually stunning—movie set where the extras haven't arrived yet. I explored the entire eastern half and didn't encounter a single NPC on the streets; nobody is walking around. And when you do reach a location with a few NPCs, like Xor-Hist, they're all static. Every single house is locked, nothing to explore—which further reinforces the feeling of a mere set.

Syldras · November 15

Have you found any lorebooks?

kind_hero · November 15

I got this feeling yesterday. I have fully explored the points of interest and each location. Except for a random encounter, I haven't found anything but mobs. It feels more deserted than the Deadlands. I was expecting to see more Fellowship NPCs, tribes trying to move back.

AzuraFan · November 15

Syldras wrote: »

Have you found any lorebooks?

I have. In bookcases, and as part of the first story quest on the other side.

I've only done the first story quest there, but it does feel empty, not only of NPCs, but of other players. Usually the first day of release, there are tons of players clustered around quest-related NPCs, and a lot of times, there aren't any mobs because other players have already cleared them. Not so this time. I almost felt like I was in my own instance when I was inside the first stronghold (I did see one other player).

Lugaldu · November 15

AzuraFan wrote: »

I almost felt like I was in my own instance when I was inside the first stronghold (I did see one other player).

Yes, exactly. I also thought at one point that it felt like I was in a single-player game...

And I also found this Mor Naril Camp extremely strange. Presumably, NPCs appear there when you do a quest, but without a quest – there isn't a single NPC there, everything is completely dead!

Syldras wrote: »

Have you found any lorebooks?

Regarding the lore books - I found a dialogue between Manni and Vanni.

UrQuan · November 15

AzuraFan wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

Have you found any lorebooks?

I have. In bookcases, and as part of the first story quest on the other side.

I've only done the first story quest there, but it does feel empty, not only of NPCs, but of other players. Usually the first day of release, there are tons of players clustered around quest-related NPCs, and a lot of times, there aren't any mobs because other players have already cleared them. Not so this time. I almost felt like I was in my own instance when I was inside the first stronghold (I did see one other player).

I think most people with Solstice are spending their time trying to find an instance of the writhing fortress that isn't bugged rather than exploring the east yet.

AzuraFan · November 15

UrQuan wrote: »

I think most people with Solstice are spending their time trying to find an instance of the writhing fortress that isn't bugged rather than exploring the east yet.

That could be. From the sounds of it, I was extremely fortunate that I entered a non-bugged instance the first time and everything worked as it was supposed to.

majulook · November 15

AzuraFan wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

I think most people with Solstice are spending their time trying to find an instance of the writhing fortress that isn't bugged rather than exploring the east yet.

That could be. From the sounds of it, I was extremely fortunate that I entered a non-bugged instance the first time and everything worked as it was supposed to.

Same, I feel very lucky that it all worked for me.

UrQuan · November 15

majulook wrote: »

AzuraFan wrote: »

UrQuan wrote: »

I think most people with Solstice are spending their time trying to find an instance of the writhing fortress that isn't bugged rather than exploring the east yet.

That could be. From the sounds of it, I was extremely fortunate that I entered a non-bugged instance the first time and everything worked as it was supposed to.

Same, I feel very lucky that it all worked for me.

Yeah, same here. I was in the first wave of players that went in on PC/NA, so that might be why I got a non-bugged instance on the first try.

katanagirl1 · November 17

One of the first things I try to do is get the world bosses done. Usually in the first few days there are so many players that the boss melts in seconds. The boss locations in east Solstice are empty. I waited, I came back many times, even on Saturday night, when it should have been the most busy. A group was sharing the daily quest for one in zone text chat, so I got that easily, I think just me and one other player got another boss, but the boss that was in west Solstice (can’t remember how to spell his name) was a hard fail for me and another player. That was the last one I got, finally after another visit a player came by and did something that made me think he had been farming this boss for a lead, the two of us finished him but it took quite a while.

So if the fortress disappears and the bosses and zone are still empty, that will tell us something.

Also, I don’t normally do the quest this early because of crowds, but I saw only one or two other players at some of the quest locations. Many times it was just me. Personally I like to get immersed in the story and it didn’t bother me, but it seems odd that the whole zone is so empty this early.

Sturmfaenger · November 17

I think it's event fatigue and bug fatigue. As well as dissappointment about a promised great event that was more "meh" than anything. The first 2 phases were incredibly long (and boring) (and buggy is everything). I was in the fortress with the first rush when it started, and everything worked out - but with all those bugs I won't set a foot in there with more chars.
Those who have have the writhing fortress now need an ESO break at least until the daedric war event starts this week.
Plus, I tried to get boss and delve dailies for the east with four characters, and only got those for western solstice. So - one reason less to go there.

AzuraFan · November 17

katanagirl1 wrote: »

One of the first things I try to do is get the world bosses done. Usually in the first few days there are so many players that the boss melts in seconds. The boss locations in east Solstice are empty. I waited, I came back many times, even on Saturday night, when it should have been the most busy.

I had the same experience. Still haven't done the boss that's on both sides of the island on the eastern side, because there's never anybody there. I don't need him (except I think maybe he has a lead), but I can't get him, anyway. Same for the other two bosses. I did manage to get them both, but the 9M boss was just me and someone else, until a few others joined in right near the end. The 6M boss had maybe 7 people there. And yeah, there's not many people around the quest givers or riding around. It's shocking, but also worrisome.

Sturmfaenger wrote: »

I think it's event fatigue and bug fatigue. As well as dissappointment about a promised great event that was more "meh" than anything. The first 2 phases were incredibly long (and boring) (and buggy is everything). I was in the fortress with the first rush when it started, and everything worked out - but with all those bugs I won't set a foot in there with more chars.
Those who have have the writhing fortress now need an ESO break at least until the daedric war event starts this week.
Plus, I tried to get boss and delve dailies for the east with four characters, and only got those for western solstice. So - one reason less to go there.

Another reason might be that people are waiting for them to fix all the bugs. I'm not doing any delves (because of the skyshard problem) or progressing the main story (because of the bugs with one of the quests) until things are worked out. I've done the WBs, PD, one side quest, and will fish later. Otherwise I'm not in eastern Solstice much right now, even though I'd like to play the content.

Veinblood1965 · November 17

This will go down in online gaming history as what NOT to advertise upcoming releases. DO not name say Once in a Lifetime in your add pushes.

Koshka · November 17

Another reason might be that people are waiting for them to fix all the bugs. I'm not doing any delves (because of the skyshard problem) or progressing the main story (because of the bugs with one of the quests) until things are worked out. I've done the WBs, PD, one side quest, and will fish later. Otherwise I'm not in eastern Solstice much right now, even though I'd like to play the content.

That's definitely the case for me. I am waiting for a patch because other people keep complaining about skyshards and quests being bugged, characters getting stuck etc.

DoofusMax · 6:56AM

Lugaldu wrote: »

...Eastern Solstice feels so empty and lifeless, like a deserted—albeit visually stunning—movie set where the extras haven't arrived yet. I explored the entire eastern half and didn't encounter a single NPC on the streets; nobody is walking around. And when you do reach a location with a few NPCs, like Xor-Hist, they're all static. Every single house is locked, nothing to explore—which further reinforces the feeling of a mere set.

My initial take is "not working as intended." My only goal when I entered Eastern Solstice was just to get the two craftable sets into my Grand Master stations, with the idea that I'd come back and do my more thorough explorations later. Only one character is in a position to advance the zone story from Western to Eastern Solstice (the one attuning the stations, btw), so I didn't do any more exploring than was necessary to take care of that. But yes, the zone was pretty empty of NPCs, aside from a few t-posed ones. For the moment (and because that one character will very likely have the skyshards problem until that gets fixed), I'm content to have them keep on with what they were doing before and we'll just get to Eastern Solstice when we get to it.The event and the Writhing Fortress took a few tries, but we got 'er done, so there's no pressing need to mess with much other than the couple or three Antiquities leads that we couldn't do (because repeated attempts still produced excavation sites in Eastern Solstice).

Suggestion for the devs going forward: if you're going to split a zone like this, leads need to keep pointing to the accessible parts until the inaccessible parts can actually be accessed. Justathot.