Challenge difficulty needs to be launched with the ability to replay quests.

Flustershy · June 1

If this post is in the wrong place I apologize since this is my first time posting due to the... ''Unique'' way of access to these forums, even though I have been playing for 8 years, and since the topic at hand involves multiple forum categories, I thought it fitting to post it here.

Onto topic at hand, I will refer challenge difficulty as Hardmode from now on simply to keep this as compact and straight to the point as possible. (which I will most likely fail to do)

Hardmode for overland is a feature I and many others have asked for years now, and now that its almost here, and pretty much everything about it has been shown, one crucial part of it is missing...
Quest Replayability. The fact that many players such as myself who want to partake in Hardmode for overland content, have done most of the overland content in the game.

Hardmode will not cause people to start doing daily delve quests in Gold Coast because the trash mobs there do more damage and you get extra gold and XP, Hardmode also will most likely not cause people to go farm daily boss quests if they have gotten every single piece of loot that boss drops, especially since Hardmode does not increase motif drop chances as an example.

Other group centric content also will feature the problem of players playing on ''Normal mode'' will just clear the events.
Turning the difficulty on Vestige does nothing on a dolmen gate at Alik'r when the other people there will clear it in 60 seconds, unless you specifically join a private overland content group where everyone is on one of the harder difficulties, other people will invalidate your hardmode experience on any group content, unless you go do something like Galen Volcanic vents at 4am.

So the fact that over 1000 quests that fall under Hardmode difficulties are inaccessible to vast majority of playerbase lessens the impact of Hardmode significantly, and before anyone even tries to suggest the band aid fix of ''make a new character'' no I will not, not only is a brand new character not equipped for things like Vestige mode, I do not want to make a exact replica of my main character to which I need to collect every fashion piece I want again etc etc, just so I can replay story quests.

ESO has the framework for quest replayability, that has been since launch I think, nothing separates a daily quest from a story quest, except the rare skill point reward, and maybe some of the funky quest dependent instances like Bleackrock village being under attack or not, not counting those 2 issues 90%+ of ESO's quests should have no issues being replayable.

The quest replay option also would help older players join newer ones in said questing, currently if you want to quest with a friend that's new to ESO, or just help a new player around in general with questing, it boils down to, ''yeah I can tag along and kill enemies'' which is a damn shame.
(Not to mention Dungeon quests out of which 95% have been ruined by rushers doing it for the 500th time trying to get the Pillar of Nirn daggers or smth)

So yeah, not only would quest replay option be a massive QoL feature the game should have had YEARS ago, it also would immediately make Hardmode a much more appealing option, since players like me who have snoozed trough 99% of ESO's story content due it being stand still press M1 easy, would get much more content to enjoy in ESO.

SkaiFaith · June 1

You earned your first "awesome". Couldn't agree more.
Welcome to the true ESO Cyrodiil; prepare yourself and enjoy your stay

Maitsukas · June 1

I'm afraid replaying questlines on characters that have already completed them would be rather buggy, especially the ones with branching choices that can affect the fates of NPCs and dialogue when encountering familiar faces. I'd personally make a new character for that.

LunaFlora · June 1

would be awesome, but that is certainly not in the update that releases next Monday

Flustershy · June 1

Maitsukas wrote: »

I'm afraid replaying questlines on characters that have already completed them would be rather buggy, especially the ones with branching choices that can affect the fates of NPCs and dialogue when encountering familiar faces. I'd personally make a new character for that.

You talk as if that is something that could not be fixed, putting aside the fact that many ''choices'' in story quests are just flavor text, Many MANY quests have no choices to begin with and should have 0 problems, and the quest replay system wouldn't be there to alter your choices.

Even if less than 30% of quests could be replayed, that would still be over 300 quests to do, which I take over 0 any day of the year.

Zenimax said we couldn't get new classes because old gen console limits, lo and behold we still managed to get Arcanist, so don't think inside the box you put yourself in friend, making new characters (which is not infinitely possible due to character slots) is a band aid fix, and a bad one at that.

Multi rider mounts weren't possible before, yet now are.
Mount Combat wasn't possible before, and soon is in the new Trial.
Companion's weren't possible before, now they are.

Like I said, ESO already has a framework for quest replaying, even if not every quest can be replayed, many can and should be able to.

If Zenimax really is dedicated with player QoL improvements like they say have (and have done alright job in past year or so) quest replaying, which is a basic MMO feature, and one of the biggest hurdles between Vet & Newbie crossplay, should be in their top 3 things to work at currently.

The technology is there, the framework is already proven to work, the amount of gameplay that can be unlocked for the players to the effort needed with quest replaying is tremendous, and after each class rework, quest replay becomes more and more important.

What do you think is going to happen when all the classes get their refreshes ?
That ESO combat is fixed and everything is fine ?

Difficulty, and Combat feel are 2 parts, but the 3rd is content, and as ESO is now, its has a tremendous amount of 1 & Done content, and Zenimax cant obviously be pumping out new content every week, especially if they are going to do more sequel content like with the Thieves Guild Part 2, the option for people to go replay the original thieves guild storyline (now with more challenge) is smart to do.

Only thing the players need to do is ask, and show Zenimax there is demand for it, though they should realize this on their own.

Flustershy · June 1

Maitsukas wrote: »

I'm afraid replaying questlines on characters that have already completed them would be rather buggy, especially the ones with branching choices that can affect the fates of NPCs and dialogue when encountering familiar faces. I'd personally make a new character for that.

Also I completely forgot, but in Blackwood there is a daily quest with a choice in the end called Conflict of Interest, you can do that daily quest 1000 times, and there is no issues, that quest is no different than any story quest with an option to do X or Y at the end. And the next time you do the quest, there is 0 issues no matter how you did the daily last time, so the game 100% can choose to ''save'' your quest choices or not, and this option would be turned off on replay quests.

So yeah, I repeat myself in saying, the only 2 issues I see with quest replay at large is 1 skill point rewards which need to be disabled somehow on 2nd time and after.

And the other problem is instance areas where the quest changes the overworld locations, like Bleakrock, Eyevea and others like that.

But choices in quests clearly have no bearing in quest replayability.

Emeratis · June 1

Replayable quests is in my top three requested features. It would be amazing to redo quests with the new challenge difficulty, see story locked locations/worldstates so I can get screenshots on my main or characters who did the quests years ago, and other things. There are things to think about but if they're tackling more challenging things like crossplay they can definitely think about how to implement replayable quests in a way that is fun and rewarding and gives those who really want it the option without being intrusive to those who don't. Like even just thinking about it and requesting it a lot, a toggleable shrine could deal with it being avoidable for those who want to ignore it and for quest choices and flavor they could similar to skillpoints "remove all, remove some" give us different checkpoints to choose from and add/subtract back or toggle on/off. There are many ways they can do this that make it fun and interesting. I'm sure others could spitball/suggest other cool options too.

Almost every other mmo has some form of quest replay/new game+ now so it's kinda shocking that eso being so lore/story heavy is behind on this front. And for flavor behind the system we already have Ithelia/Akatosh/Hermaus Mora story beats that could be expanded upon here.

SkaiFaith · June 1

Reason I agree with OP:

When I propose to friends to play ESO together, being it an MMO they ask: "ok, but can we really play together?" And I have to respond "kinda..."

We got "One Tamriel", and finally we are getting Crossplay, good, but if I introduce new players to the game and I can only tag along while not being able to enter some zones (see Auridon first zone quest or Bleackrock village instance) and I can't read dialogues... Then it becomes frustrating both for me and them, not the ideal experience.

"Just create a new character" is not a valid argument by any stratch and everyone knows this. I'm tired of explaining this.

Flustershy · June 1

SkaiFaith wrote: »

Reason I agree with OP:

When I propose to friends to play ESO together, being it an MMO they ask: "ok, but can we really play together?" And I have to respond "kinda..."

We got "One Tamriel", and finally we are getting Crossplay, good, but if I introduce new players to the game and I can only tag along while not being able to enter some zones (see Auridon first zone quest or Bleackrock village instance) and I can't read dialogues... Then it becomes frustrating both for me and them, not the ideal experience.

"Just create a new character" is not a valid argument by any stratch and everyone knows this. I'm tired of explaining this.

Preach

Not to mention the benefits for Zenimax as a whole, if all the sudden you give players access to do over 1000 quests with their friends, on difficulties they want to do, you now just increased your Active User metrics, and active players subscribe to ESO+

And Zenimax wants people on ESO+, but if there is no content to keep players in the game, they cancel their ESO+
Sure you will have your ultra tryhards who sub 1 year at a time, but most people are not like that, so giving them stuff to do, will increase the likelihood of them keeping their ESO+ active.

Not to mention, if Zenimax does minimal and I do mean MINIMAL extra work, and adds cosmetic hardmode versions of quests cosmetics, skill styles for mages/fighters guild quests, couple achievements with cool dyes, maybe a mount and title, the demand for quest replaying would skyrocket even more.

DoofusMax · June 1

Flustershy wrote: »

Also I completely forgot, but in Blackwood there is a daily quest with a choice in the end called Conflict of Interest, you can do that daily quest 1000 times, and there is no issues, that quest is no different than any story quest with an option to do X or Y at the end. And the next time you do the quest, there is 0 issues no matter how you did the daily last time, so the game 100% can choose to ''save'' your quest choices or not, and this option would be turned off on replay quests.

That particular quest has zero difference in how it ends. Both NPCs are only active while the quest is and the choice of who gets the eggs only results in different dialogue at the end. In order for those eggs to be back every day, one supposes that these crows lay eggs at a rate which would make a poultry farmer green with envy, but neither choice produces any persistent difference after clicking "Goodbye." The quest could just as easily have ended with "come back tomorrow" and would produce the same result (which Shalug in Hew's Bane does say, but never has anything again; I think the devs changed their mind on that quest being repeatable and neglected to fix that final bit of dialogue).

Story quests, OTOH, often result in a mildly tangible consequence, but it's mostly who appears at the zone "wrap party" and who doesn't.

Flustershy · June 1

DoofusMax wrote: »

Flustershy wrote: »

Also I completely forgot, but in Blackwood there is a daily quest with a choice in the end called Conflict of Interest, you can do that daily quest 1000 times, and there is no issues, that quest is no different than any story quest with an option to do X or Y at the end. And the next time you do the quest, there is 0 issues no matter how you did the daily last time, so the game 100% can choose to ''save'' your quest choices or not, and this option would be turned off on replay quests.

That particular quest has zero difference in how it ends. Both NPCs are only active while the quest is and the choice of who gets the eggs only results in different dialogue at the end. In order for those eggs to be back every day, one supposes that these crows lay eggs at a rate which would make a poultry farmer green with envy, but neither choice produces any persistent difference after clicking "Goodbye." The quest could just as easily have ended with "come back tomorrow" and would produce the same result (which Shalug in Hew's Bane does say, but never has anything again; I think the devs changed their mind on that quest being repeatable and neglected to fix that final bit of dialogue).

Story quests, OTOH, often result in a mildly tangible consequence, but it's mostly who appears at the zone "wrap party" and who doesn't.

Same can be said about many of the quests in the zones, my point was that Conflict of Interest shows it's possible to have choices in a repeatable quest, and that the game can choose to save your choice so its reflected or not, and with the case of that quest, its not, when you get it again, there is no consequences of who'm you gave those eggs last time around.

So clearly its possible for the game to ''ignore'' the actions of the player character, meaning that it's fair to assume same tech could be used in replaying quests, so they don't alter your actual choices.

And once again, even if quests with choices somehow would be a no go, plenty of quests in the game with not choices, or better yet, even if I am locked into the same choice, I still would take that over not being able to replay the quest at all.

Just because because we cant go from 0 to a 100% does not mean 75% is bad score

Ezhh · June 2

I've raised it at least once previously, but this is the main reason I don't think I'll engage with higher difficulty even though I'd like to. The content I want it for is now inaccessible to the character I would want to do that content on.

CatalinaWineMixer2 · June 2

I am certainly not against replayable quests. Provided they offer the option to hide them/their markers if we so choose. If this were to come about, Id like to see the repeatables have their own unique markings. I think originally the idea was to entice us to create more characters and re explore the story. It might be fun to later on allow the story quests to be completed in a group as we now have overland difficulty. Some people might find the idea of playing the overland again not appealing and I understand their point of view. If a repeatable system can be achieved, what would be the harm though.

Soarora · June 2

CatalinaWineMixer2 wrote: »

I am certainly not against replayable quests. Provided they offer the option to hide them/their markers if we so choose. If this were to come about, Id like to see the repeatables have their own unique markings. I think originally the idea was to entice us to create more characters and re explore the story. It might be fun to later on allow the story quests to be completed in a group as we now have overland difficulty. Some people might find the idea of playing the overland again not appealing and I understand their point of view. If a repeatable system can be achieved, what would be the harm though.

In my opinion, it should be a new tab in the zone guide where you can see a list of the quests you have completed and have not yet completed. For the ones you have completed, you should be able to click on them and reset the quest there. Doing so would give you the first stage of that quest as if you had picked it up from an NPC. I wouldn’t want to see markings over peoples heads and the npcs walking about as if they were never helped. If its tucked away in a menu, it’s out of the way until someone wants to use it AND they get control over which quest exactly they want to redo!

Gabriel_H · June 2

Just leaving this here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/685529/suggestion-make-all-quests-repeatable/p1

Emeratis · June 2

Soarora wrote: »

CatalinaWineMixer2 wrote: »

I am certainly not against replayable quests. Provided they offer the option to hide them/their markers if we so choose. If this were to come about, Id like to see the repeatables have their own unique markings. I think originally the idea was to entice us to create more characters and re explore the story. It might be fun to later on allow the story quests to be completed in a group as we now have overland difficulty. Some people might find the idea of playing the overland again not appealing and I understand their point of view. If a repeatable system can be achieved, what would be the harm though.

In my opinion, it should be a new tab in the zone guide where you can see a list of the quests you have completed and have not yet completed. For the ones you have completed, you should be able to click on them and reset the quest there. Doing so would give you the first stage of that quest as if you had picked it up from an NPC. I wouldn’t want to see markings over peoples heads and the npcs walking about as if they were never helped. If its tucked away in a menu, it’s out of the way until someone wants to use it AND they get control over which quest exactly they want to redo!

I would like to still have the option to pick the quests up in world like originally because a lot of questgivers give intro dialogue but I agree I don't want the floating quest marker spam which is why I suggested a shrine/toggle. Again, copy the skills system and make a list of quests done maybe and you can +/- (or on/off) the ones you want to set as done/unfinished if you've completed them with an option similar to the skill point system to clear all or clear a zone would be perfect imo and solve a lot of problems. I do think most of us are on the same page about making this system we're requesting as unobtrusive as possible to those who don't want to engage or when we don't want to engage with it ourselves.

Muizer · June 2

Flustershy wrote: »

and before anyone even tries to suggest the band aid fix of ''make a new character'' no I will not, not only is a brand new character not equipped for things like Vestige mode, I do not want to make a exact replica of my main character to which I need to collect every fashion piece I want again etc etc, just so I can replay story quests.

I suppose that's a valid way to look at it. Personally I very much consider creating a new character as part of the new experience when Challenge Difficulty is introduced. I'm quite ok with the idea that I will have to adjust the difficulty as I go along.

spartaxoxo · June 2

Not really the point but fashion is account wide. While you can't craft with motifs learned on a different character, every motif also unlocks the corresponding outfit style page. And outfit style pages are account wide. Similarly, any costumes you unlocked and titles will also be account wide. Dyes and their corresponding achievements are also account wide.

You'd have to get level your skills and get more skyshards and skill points but you wouldn't need to unlock all the fashion and the like again.

Athometodd · June 2

Totally agree with this request. Particularly solo instanced quests which would be great to get achievements with rewards associated with them as they can't be cheesed by having lower challenge level players nuke things like in Overland. Seems like a great compromise for how the system is created.

spartaxoxo · June 2

Soarora wrote: »

I wouldn’t want to see markings over peoples heads and the npcs walking about as if they were never helped. If its tucked away in a menu, it’s out of the way until someone wants to use it AND they get control over which quest exactly they want to redo!

This is my main concern with having everything repeatable. Stuff like that is immersion breaking big time, even if you have the option to not repeat it. And it also makes the quest less memorable because there's no stakes at all.

SugaComa · June 2

Been asking for this my self and I even thought of a fun way to do it

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/685015/cadwell-s-campfire-stories

Flustershy · June 2

Muizer wrote: »

Flustershy wrote: »

and before anyone even tries to suggest the band aid fix of ''make a new character'' no I will not, not only is a brand new character not equipped for things like Vestige mode, I do not want to make a exact replica of my main character to which I need to collect every fashion piece I want again etc etc, just so I can replay story quests.

I suppose that's a valid way to look at it. Personally I very much consider creating a new character as part of the new experience when Challenge Difficulty is introduced. I'm quite ok with the idea that I will have to adjust the difficulty as I go along.

Since you quote me, don't forget the most important part.

You have limited character space

So even if you engage in one of the worst band aid fixes in gaming.
(Which you shouldn't since too many times game devs take compliance as acceptance)

There is a character limit in this game, so not only is the ''fix'' of making a new character bad since minute 1, some people would have to delete their previous characters, or WORSE make a brand new ESO account, and that in turn would lead to needing to invest even more money just so they can replay the quests ONCE, which would not even fix the issue of wanting to quest with a friend unless one of you completely ties their character progression to your brand new character.

Otherwise enjoy making yet another new character, with which you will have the same issue of ''I can stick around and kill trash mobs while you quest''

Just because people like you have gotten used to this horrible way of handling things, does not mean we shouldn't ask for improvements, or to tolerate the sad state questing in ESO is.

Continuing to drink poison because it tastes less bad during the 5th time does not make the poison less deadly.

Flustershy · June 2

CatalinaWineMixer2 wrote: »

I am certainly not against replayable quests. Provided they offer the option to hide them/their markers if we so choose. If this were to come about, Id like to see the repeatables have their own unique markings. I think originally the idea was to entice us to create more characters and re explore the story. It might be fun to later on allow the story quests to be completed in a group as we now have overland difficulty. Some people might find the idea of playing the overland again not appealing and I understand their point of view. If a repeatable system can be achieved, what would be the harm though.

Obviously, I am not just asking them to flip 1 switch and quests are now replayable, obviously there would be either a physical location like Infinite Archive where you go to start the replays, or there is a page in your journal section where you can see the list of quests in the region and you can select to replay them.

Last thing I want is the 2021 days where you had 10 prologue, 2 guild quests, main quest, region main & side quests, waiting for you when you get out of the starter islands, turning your compass into a black sea of quest markers, but now just replaced with a compass full of replay quest markers.

But discussing hypothetical UI elements on a system the devs haven't said a single word about, is like worry about gas for your car when you don't even have a job to get money to buy a car in the first place.

Muizer · June 3

Flustershy wrote: »

Just because people like you have gotten used to this horrible way of handling things, does not mean we shouldn't ask for improvements, or to tolerate the sad state questing in ESO is.

People like me have been advocating optional difficulty in overland literally for years. It just got here. To immediately start complaining about it is just not reasonable. Replayable quests, with all its ins and outs, is not a triviality. That would be a feature in itself. Good grief, you sound as if you're somehow wronged by it not being available. Unbelievable. But maybe not. There's so many complaints in this forum expressing incredible levels of entitlement...

heimdall14_9 · June 3

i think ALL quest should be repeatable after 24 hr cool down , if it gave a skill point for 1st give an 2% XP add for 2nd-10000000th but by no means should they not add 24hr cool down

i see a lot of others talk about quest markers and eso could add UI to hide repeatable quest markers (blue) while keeping 1st time clear markers ( black ) so to keep track of quest youve done and quest you could do

Elvenheart · June 4

I want to be able to replay quests so I can first let Uncle Sheo take Valaste and get the two skill points, then go back and replay the quest and save her.

heimdall14_9 · June 4

Elvenheart wrote: »

I want to be able to replay quests so I can first let Uncle Sheo take Valaste and get the two skill points, then go back and replay the quest and save her.

why not they have added back in NPCs we killed lmfao

Izanagi.Xiiib16_ESO · June 4

They already have a replay method, you just create a new character.