Very frustrating issue with IA class set loot system

Ardriel · June 15

I have a problem with the loot system in Infinite Archive: I've been farming the Arcanist dungeon set for a week now. Since there are two sets, it's already very tedious. So far, I have 49 out of 72 pieces. So it's far from complete. Nevertheless, I’m now getting jewelry from other class sets: 1x Pyre Brand Ring, 1x Corpse Buster Ring, and 1x Aeries Cry Amulet so far.
I have collected all the jewelry for both Arcanist sets, and now the game is giving me jewelry from other class sets instead of an item I’m still missing for the Arcanist. Is that the intention? If so, that's extremely unfair. As I said, it's already incredibly tedious to get these sets. It may have gone relatively quickly at the beginning, when there was only one set for each class. Now, however, it’s very unfair for players who haven’t played all classes in IA yet, and especially for new players.
I’ve only completed the sets for two classes so far. If I want to farm the remaining class sets, I’ll be tied up with that for the next few months and will barely have any time left for other things in the game. Players’ time is limited. You don’t want to pay for the game and then just have to waste precious time for endless grinding set pieces. I don't even want to keep going anymore because I'm afraid I'll never get the rest of the set pieces—all I keep getting is jewelry for other class sets. The only thing I can do is keep grinding until I've collected enough Archival Fortunes to buy the remaining 11 set pieces for Spattering Disjunction. But what if jewelry for other class sets drops then, too? That can't be right. I really don't know what to do now...
I don't have a problem with the difficulty level or the set grinding itself. But there should be a slightly better chance of getting loot—that would be just fair. You buffed the class sets, so you could have improved the loot system as well. And even if it's just a minor improvement, it would still be a relief. And please check the curated loot table for Jewelry in IA.

SirBanana1992 · June 15

That's because gear drops depend on which arc you are on. Odd arcs will only drop armor pieces, so 1-3-5-7-9 so on and so forth. While even arcs will only drop weapons and jewellry, so 2-4-6-8-10 and so on. If all you need is armor now and you're not interested in pushing a run you might consider only rushing arc 1 then resetting it and repeating for collection.

Ardriel · June 15

SirBanana1992 wrote: »

That's because gear drops depend on which arc you are on. Odd arcs will only drop armor pieces, so 1-3-5-7-9 so on and so forth. While even arcs will only drop weapons and jewellry, so 2-4-6-8-10 and so on. If all you need is armor now and you're not interested in pushing a run you might consider only rushing arc 1 then resetting it and repeating for collection.

Ok, good to know thank you! Only armor left. I've collected weapons and jewelry for both sets. So this is why I only get Jewelry in Arc 2. But what about the containers you can buy for 10k Archival Fortunes? I hope they drop the missing class set items?

Alosis · June 15

The curated (purple) containers should always drop a piece that you haven't acquired yet. The blue ones for like 2K are the random ones.

DenverRalphy · June 15

Depending on your speed, and if Marauders aren't an issue for you, I recommend striving for the Arc 3 Marauder for a 2nd Armor piece. And if Arc 3 Marauder doesn't pop until cycle 4 or 5, might as well go for Tho'at as well.

wolfie1.0. · June 15

Sorry op, but i gotta laugh (just a small one) because normally when collecting gear, weapons and jewelry are the more tedious when collecting, not the other way round...

But I will be honest, collecting IA sets is annoyingly tedious.

Imo if yoi have completed a set that a boss drops you should at least have a chance at a curated piece

SaffronCitrusflower · June 15

#NoMoreForeverGrinds

DenverRalphy · June 15

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Sorry op, but i gotta laugh (just a small one) because normally when collecting gear, weapons and jewelry are the more tedious when collecting, not the other way round...

It's pretty common in IA as it's not entirely obvious about the Armor/Weapon drops being tied to Odd/Even Arcs. And since the IA class set stickerbook contains all three weights (tripling the number of armor pieces to collect), weapons/jewelry typically fill first because Arc 1 only drops one armor piece whereas Arc 2 drops two weapon/jewelry pieces. Arc 3 is where the first noticeable slowdown threshold kicks in, so players farming gear tend to farm to Arc 2 Tho'at then reset in favor of speed. Only to discover that Arc 2 is now only exacerbating the problem for other class sets to be farmed in the future.

SirBanana1992 · June 15

To be honest could be nice for Infinite Archive to become bunched with the undaunted event for boosted rewards, That might motivate a few more people to fill out their sets if drops were doubled during an event and pump some activity into it. Especially since this might be among the longest grinds to fill out a stickybook only behind something like Dragonstar Arena just because of how padded out the dang thing is.

AScarlato · June 15

I wish IA had a group matcher / bonus of the day for maybe doing 2 legs of it.

It's so incredibly boring with a companion after so many runs, I'd enjoy it more if I could be paired for it.

Gabriel_H · June 15

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Imo if yoi have completed a set that a boss drops you should at least have a chance at a curated piece

If you finish all the collectibles from fragments, the daily quest gives you a curated gear piece.

Soarora · June 16

AScarlato wrote: »

I wish IA had a group matcher / bonus of the day for maybe doing 2 legs of it.

It's so incredibly boring with a companion after so many runs, I'd enjoy it more if I could be paired for it.

Group finder. I’ve done that a few times, no issues.

Edit: if you try it, be sure to specify if you’re doing sides. I avoid doing two of them but do the others so I made that clear in the description.

AScarlato · June 16

Soarora wrote: »

AScarlato wrote: »

I wish IA had a group matcher / bonus of the day for maybe doing 2 legs of it.

It's so incredibly boring with a companion after so many runs, I'd enjoy it more if I could be paired for it.

Group finder. I’ve done that a few times, no issues.

Edit: if you try it, be sure to specify if you’re doing sides. I avoid doing two of them but do the others so I made that clear in the description.

I did try that a few times, but had bad luck.

I only got someone to join once after an hour, and they did one round and left without saying anything. I think it was a very new player as they took a ton of damage on the first floor.

Soarora · June 16

AScarlato wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

AScarlato wrote: »

I wish IA had a group matcher / bonus of the day for maybe doing 2 legs of it.

It's so incredibly boring with a companion after so many runs, I'd enjoy it more if I could be paired for it.

Group finder. I’ve done that a few times, no issues.

Edit: if you try it, be sure to specify if you’re doing sides. I avoid doing two of them but do the others so I made that clear in the description.

I did try that a few times, but had bad luck.

I only got someone to join once after an hour, and they did one round and left without saying anything. I think it was a very new player as they took a ton of damage on the first floor.

Ah, a shame. A queue would be basically the same thing, though. Actually worse because you can’t set requirements. I think ZOS should consider tying IA instances to the group lead so that when the lead exits the group the instance closes rather than it shutting down when a 2-person group becomes one. Or just using solo rules and kicking the person who left group but not shutting down the instance until its empty for 15 minutes.

DenverRalphy · June 16

I prefer to run it solo w/companion when I'm just farming the first few arcs.

I always know what Azandar will be doing, I know what visions he has, and I clear the arcs faster than if I was there with another human player. The only side portals I skip are Filer's Wing (significant dislike for that one) and Theater of War (depends on my mood). I typically kill Arc 2 Tho'at just under the 30 minute mark. Treacherous Crossing is significantly easier solo too.

But for some reason, whenever I run with another player, it takes 45-ish minutes. Even when they seem to know what they're doing.

Ardriel · June 16

The system is extremely unfair to players who don't have all the sets yet and especially to new players.
At least I already have all the other items from trials and dungeons, the most important sets, monster sets and of course the antiquities and everything else. Still I will be spending the next weeks with grinding in IA.
But how on earth is a new player supposed to manage that? They don't even know where to start. It's completely impossible to do in a reasonable amount of time. Many people don't have so much time for the game. They have jobs and family and don't want to spend the few hours in the game only with grinding. So it's no surprise that so many players end up quitting the game after just a short while.
ZOS needs to do something urgently. Spending too much time grinding kills the fun of the game.
There are various ways to improve the loot in IA: maybe 2 set pieces that drop, or more Archival Fortunes, or lower costs for curated containers.
No one wants anything for free. But the way it is now, it’s an endlessly annoying ordeal.
I know ZOS has already done a lot: the transmutation system and the sticker book. That was definitely necessary and we all appreciate that.
But: New content is constantly being added. That means players have to spend more and more time just to keep up. For veteran players, that’s not such a big deal—if they regularly collect everything that’s available. But for new players, it’s very difficult, if not impossible.
You have to remember that when IA was introduced, there was only one class set. Then another one was added. But the loot system wasn’t adjusted. That’s unfair. What if, after all the class updates, a third class set is added? Then it’ll be impossible.
Please, ZOS, you have to change this. Soon. Very soon.

Gabriel_H · June 16

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

Frayton · June 16

IA is a horrendously long tedious grind. It is one of the worst in all the games I've played. It's made worse by the content itself. It's simply unfun. It feels like a punishment.

Gabriel_H · June 16

Frayton wrote: »

IA is a horrendously long tedious grind. It is one of the worst in all the games I've played. It's made worse by the content itself. It's simply unfun. It feels like a punishment.

As a grind it's paradise compared to Runescape, BDO, and FFXI not to mention pre-stickerbook/transmutes ESO.

Ardriel · June 16

Gabriel_H wrote: »

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

That's pure theory. You're assuming every player can do that with ease. And even 125 days in the best-case scenario is still an unbearable amount of time. Who wants to do the same boring grinding day after day?
There are many players who can barely even complete Arc 1. What about these players? Don't they deserve those sets? The Arcanist set, for example, is particularly appealing to weaker players. Are these players supposed to be punished by having to grind twice as long? That would be very unfair. Also there are players who can hardly find teammates because of the playtimes. What about them? Just because some players are able to get very far very quickly with their companions in IA doesn't mean it's that easy for others. Many players need a team-mate to help them.

You also have to consider loot luck. I've done 5 runs of 1+2 with my warden so far and have only gotten one set piece for the DD set. Many times you get exactly what you don’t need. I would never buy the cheap random containers. I have such bad luck—I always end up with duplicates.
Do you already have all the sets there? Then it's easy to talk about.

The loot system for dungeons and trials is somewhat okay. But not in the Infinite Archive. That’s a fact. There's way too much grinding in the game—there's no sugarcoating it.

Lokiator · June 16

I'm in a race to see which I'll finish first, the IA stickerbook or the IA antiquity codex entries.

I did a lot of single arc runs when I first started playing IA, just to get the mount. I wasn't thinking about the stickerbook at that time.

Then I moved onto trying to go as far as possible about once or twice a week. My focus then was more on collecting archival fortunes for the weekly shop selections. Those sessions were just far too long. IA really needs a save feature if you plan to try and play anything more than 2 arcs.

Nowadays I just do 2 arc runs every other day when the Fabled daily is active (because every now and then Isobel loses taunt on the Marauder and that usually leads to death and an incomplete daily). It's just too repetitive to do every day anyhow.

Orbital78 · June 16

I bet there are werewolf builds good for mowing through arc 1-2 runs quickly. I used my arcanist but they had issues with some of the mauraders.

My book has been completed for a long time now. If they do some sort of IA double fortunes event, I'd return.

Gabriel_H · June 16

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

That's pure theory. You're assuming every player can do that with ease. And even 125 days in the best-case scenario is still an unbearable amount of time. Who wants to do the same boring grinding day after day?
There are many players who can barely even complete Arc 1. What about these players? Don't they deserve those sets? The Arcanist set, for example, is particularly appealing to weaker players. Are these players supposed to be punished by having to grind twice as long? That would be very unfair. Also there are players who can hardly find teammates because of the playtimes. What about them? Just because some players are able to get very far very quickly with their companions in IA doesn't mean it's that easy for others. Many players need a team-mate to help them.

You also have to consider loot luck. I've done 5 runs of 1+2 with my warden so far and have only gotten one set piece for the DD set. Many times you get exactly what you don’t need. I would never buy the cheap random containers. I have such bad luck—I always end up with duplicates.
Do you already have all the sets there? Then it's easy to talk about.

The loot system for dungeons and trials is somewhat okay. But not in the Infinite Archive. That’s a fact. There's way too much grinding in the game—there's no sugarcoating it.

OK, lets break that down.

Firstly, I've been very conservative on the estimates.

Secondly, if players cannot clear Arc 1 they have bigger problems than getting IA sets.

Thirdly, if there are that many players struggling it should be easy to find a teammate.

Fourthly, my calculations don't care about loot luck, it's based on guaranteed curated drops as a whole.

Fifthly, yes I have all the sets. Took me doing 2 arcs every day for about 200 days. Took me twice that long to get all leads.

Lastly, that's an opinion, not a fact. ESO is one of the least grindy MMOs out there. They've taken many steps over the years to reduce the grind. There are still some things that need addressing, but gear? No. MMOs require grind to keep people playing. They cannot churn out new content every week. Gear is easily obtainable with a little effort.

IA was designed to be the last Arena mode for a while. It was part of a chapter release that not only was made available to base game, but was intended to occupy people for a year.

Gabriel_H · June 16

Lokiator wrote: »

I'm in a race to see which I'll finish first, the IA stickerbook or the IA antiquity codex entries.

Stickerbook took me ~200 runs. Codex entries took me ~400 runs.

Ardriel · June 16

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

That's pure theory. You're assuming every player can do that with ease. And even 125 days in the best-case scenario is still an unbearable amount of time. Who wants to do the same boring grinding day after day?
There are many players who can barely even complete Arc 1. What about these players? Don't they deserve those sets? The Arcanist set, for example, is particularly appealing to weaker players. Are these players supposed to be punished by having to grind twice as long? That would be very unfair. Also there are players who can hardly find teammates because of the playtimes. What about them? Just because some players are able to get very far very quickly with their companions in IA doesn't mean it's that easy for others. Many players need a team-mate to help them.

You also have to consider loot luck. I've done 5 runs of 1+2 with my warden so far and have only gotten one set piece for the DD set. Many times you get exactly what you don’t need. I would never buy the cheap random containers. I have such bad luck—I always end up with duplicates.
Do you already have all the sets there? Then it's easy to talk about.

The loot system for dungeons and trials is somewhat okay. But not in the Infinite Archive. That’s a fact. There's way too much grinding in the game—there's no sugarcoating it.

OK, lets break that down.

Firstly, I've been very conservative on the estimates.

Secondly, if players cannot clear Arc 1 they have bigger problems than getting IA sets.

Thirdly, if there are that many players struggling it should be easy to find a teammate.

Fourthly, my calculations don't care about loot luck, it's based on guaranteed curated drops as a whole.

Fifthly, yes I have all the sets. Took me doing 2 arcs every day for about 200 days. Took me twice that long to get all leads.

Lastly, that's an opinion, not a fact. ESO is one of the least grindy MMOs out there. They've taken many steps over the years to reduce the grind. There are still some things that need addressing, but gear? No. MMOs require grind to keep people playing. They cannot churn out new content every week. Gear is easily obtainable with a little effort.

IA was designed to be the last Arena mode for a while. It was part of a chapter release that not only was made available to base game, but was intended to occupy people for a year.

Playing a game shouldn't mainly consist of grinding. A game should be fun and not turn into a tedious, daily chore. That's what real-life work is for.
Please don't forget my point about new players. For them, it's nearly impossible to collect everything in a reasonable amount of time. Many give up and quit the game. Endless grinding won't keep them playing.
Don't forget that trials and dungeons have normal versions that even beginners and less experienced players can easily handle. And you can trade loot. Loot from chests is not curated and so there's always a good chance that someone can trade something they've already collected.

I can’t imagine that I’m the only player who’s annoyed by all this endless grinding.

The loot system in Infinite Archive definitely needs to be improved. My request is logical and reasonable. Improving the IA loot system would help all players. Except, of course, those who’ve already collected everything...
Why does there always have to be someone who argues against it? Is it envy when others have it easier than you did?"I had to do 200 runs, so others should have to do the same... " But of course I don't want to accuse you of having such a negative attitude.
And don't give me that “there are more important things” nonsense. There are so many QoL changes that make the game more enjoyable, which could be considered as not important. Importance is subjective.
But we all want to have fun. Don't we?

I really hope ZOS reads this thread and takes my arguments to heart.

AScarlato · June 16

Even if playing with others is less efficient, I'd still like more accessible matching because soloing this repetitive, depressing and dreary place is mind-numbing alone.

Maybe they could create a 4-man version then which could be more fun with others.

The thought of returning for more sets fills me with dread, given how boring it is to go there. It's a shame, as I love class-themactic sets for their unique mechanics and RP.

This to me would make the current gearing system there more bearable. Or do what another thread suggested which is add IA class sets to ALL bosses and not just the end ones.

Lucasl402 · June 16

I won't touch IA simply because the loot table is so disrespectful of my time. That and IA is just recycled content with nothing new. So no reason to go there unless I want to be annoyed and frustrated.

Gabriel_H · June 16

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

That's pure theory. You're assuming every player can do that with ease. And even 125 days in the best-case scenario is still an unbearable amount of time. Who wants to do the same boring grinding day after day?
There are many players who can barely even complete Arc 1. What about these players? Don't they deserve those sets? The Arcanist set, for example, is particularly appealing to weaker players. Are these players supposed to be punished by having to grind twice as long? That would be very unfair. Also there are players who can hardly find teammates because of the playtimes. What about them? Just because some players are able to get very far very quickly with their companions in IA doesn't mean it's that easy for others. Many players need a team-mate to help them.

You also have to consider loot luck. I've done 5 runs of 1+2 with my warden so far and have only gotten one set piece for the DD set. Many times you get exactly what you don’t need. I would never buy the cheap random containers. I have such bad luck—I always end up with duplicates.
Do you already have all the sets there? Then it's easy to talk about.

The loot system for dungeons and trials is somewhat okay. But not in the Infinite Archive. That’s a fact. There's way too much grinding in the game—there's no sugarcoating it.

OK, lets break that down.

Firstly, I've been very conservative on the estimates.

Secondly, if players cannot clear Arc 1 they have bigger problems than getting IA sets.

Thirdly, if there are that many players struggling it should be easy to find a teammate.

Fourthly, my calculations don't care about loot luck, it's based on guaranteed curated drops as a whole.

Fifthly, yes I have all the sets. Took me doing 2 arcs every day for about 200 days. Took me twice that long to get all leads.

Lastly, that's an opinion, not a fact. ESO is one of the least grindy MMOs out there. They've taken many steps over the years to reduce the grind. There are still some things that need addressing, but gear? No. MMOs require grind to keep people playing. They cannot churn out new content every week. Gear is easily obtainable with a little effort.

IA was designed to be the last Arena mode for a while. It was part of a chapter release that not only was made available to base game, but was intended to occupy people for a year.

Playing a game shouldn't mainly consist of grinding. A game should be fun and not turn into a tedious, daily chore. That's what real-life work is for.
Please don't forget my point about new players. For them, it's nearly impossible to collect everything in a reasonable amount of time. Many give up and quit the game. Endless grinding won't keep them playing.
Don't forget that trials and dungeons have normal versions that even beginners and less experienced players can easily handle. And you can trade loot. Loot from chests is not curated and so there's always a good chance that someone can trade something they've already collected.

I can’t imagine that I’m the only player who’s annoyed by all this endless grinding.

The loot system in Infinite Archive definitely needs to be improved. My request is logical and reasonable. Improving the IA loot system would help all players. Except, of course, those who’ve already collected everything...
Why does there always have to be someone who argues against it? Is it envy when others have it easier than you did?"I had to do 200 runs, so others should have to do the same... " But of course I don't want to accuse you of having such a negative attitude.
And don't give me that “there are more important things” nonsense. There are so many QoL changes that make the game more enjoyable, which could be considered as not important. Importance is subjective.
But we all want to have fun. Don't we?

I really hope ZOS reads this thread and takes my arguments to heart.

It depends on the type of game. An MMO has to have some type of grind or people won't keep playing it. Go see what happened to New World when it doesn't have that. Player number spikes at new content release dropping to low levels in-between is not a stable financial model.

I'm not arguing against anything, I'm pointing out the system is designed to be played over years not weeks. MMOs are not an instant gratification game-type. They take effort.

AScarlato · June 16

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Ardriel wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

If we take a reasonable speed, ignoring the sides. To get the first 2 class sets:

Arc 1: 15 minutes
Arc 2: 20 minutes
Arc 3: 30 minutes

Arc 1: 1 Armour
Arc 2: 2 Weapons
Arc 3: 2 Armour

Arc 3 Total time = 65 minutes, 3 Armour. 58 / 3 * 65 / 60 * 2 = 42 Hours (40 runs)

Arc 2 Total time = 35 minutes, 1 Armour, 2 Weapons = 14 / 2 * 35 / 60 * 2 = 8 Hours (7 runs)
Arc 1 Total time = 15 minutes, 1 Armour = (58 - 7) * 15 / 60 * 2 = 26 Hours (51 runs)
Total: 8 + 26 = 34 Hours

If you get lucky with the marauder spawn and get it early in Arc 3 you could shave off some, but that's at the mercy of the RNG.

Completing al the collectible fragments would add an additional armour piece from the daily quest. That won't help on the initial class set or two but will on the rest.

If you are doing one run a day, then instead of 51 arc 1 runs you'd be doing 26. Saving ~13 hours per class. All told, it's about:

34 Hours + (6 * 21 Hours) = 160 Hours. Being 51 runs for class 1, then 6 * 25 runs for the rest. Being a total, at one run a day of around 200 days.

That isn't an unreasonable grind at release, back when chapters covered a year, and most of that is one 15 minute run. Whether it is still reasonable is subjective. IA also has additional benefits in terms of the AFs. Which you can use to buy either random gear or a curated one. I'd suggest buying 20 of the random boxes for each as yet undropped class sets. That should maximise gains, while not hitting too hard on duplicates.After that stick to buying curated sets.

The total time to collect all sets could be shaved down from 200 daily runs to less than 125 daily runs. It's also worth noting, the meta changes, and it will change a lot in the next year to two years. Is it really worth it?!

That's pure theory. You're assuming every player can do that with ease. And even 125 days in the best-case scenario is still an unbearable amount of time. Who wants to do the same boring grinding day after day?
There are many players who can barely even complete Arc 1. What about these players? Don't they deserve those sets? The Arcanist set, for example, is particularly appealing to weaker players. Are these players supposed to be punished by having to grind twice as long? That would be very unfair. Also there are players who can hardly find teammates because of the playtimes. What about them? Just because some players are able to get very far very quickly with their companions in IA doesn't mean it's that easy for others. Many players need a team-mate to help them.

You also have to consider loot luck. I've done 5 runs of 1+2 with my warden so far and have only gotten one set piece for the DD set. Many times you get exactly what you don’t need. I would never buy the cheap random containers. I have such bad luck—I always end up with duplicates.
Do you already have all the sets there? Then it's easy to talk about.

The loot system for dungeons and trials is somewhat okay. But not in the Infinite Archive. That’s a fact. There's way too much grinding in the game—there's no sugarcoating it.

OK, lets break that down.

Firstly, I've been very conservative on the estimates.

Secondly, if players cannot clear Arc 1 they have bigger problems than getting IA sets.

Thirdly, if there are that many players struggling it should be easy to find a teammate.

Fourthly, my calculations don't care about loot luck, it's based on guaranteed curated drops as a whole.

Fifthly, yes I have all the sets. Took me doing 2 arcs every day for about 200 days. Took me twice that long to get all leads.

Lastly, that's an opinion, not a fact. ESO is one of the least grindy MMOs out there. They've taken many steps over the years to reduce the grind. There are still some things that need addressing, but gear? No. MMOs require grind to keep people playing. They cannot churn out new content every week. Gear is easily obtainable with a little effort.

IA was designed to be the last Arena mode for a while. It was part of a chapter release that not only was made available to base game, but was intended to occupy people for a year.

Playing a game shouldn't mainly consist of grinding. A game should be fun and not turn into a tedious, daily chore. That's what real-life work is for.
Please don't forget my point about new players. For them, it's nearly impossible to collect everything in a reasonable amount of time. Many give up and quit the game. Endless grinding won't keep them playing.
Don't forget that trials and dungeons have normal versions that even beginners and less experienced players can easily handle. And you can trade loot. Loot from chests is not curated and so there's always a good chance that someone can trade something they've already collected.

I can’t imagine that I’m the only player who’s annoyed by all this endless grinding.

The loot system in Infinite Archive definitely needs to be improved. My request is logical and reasonable. Improving the IA loot system would help all players. Except, of course, those who’ve already collected everything...
Why does there always have to be someone who argues against it? Is it envy when others have it easier than you did?"I had to do 200 runs, so others should have to do the same... " But of course I don't want to accuse you of having such a negative attitude.
And don't give me that “there are more important things” nonsense. There are so many QoL changes that make the game more enjoyable, which could be considered as not important. Importance is subjective.
But we all want to have fun. Don't we?

I really hope ZOS reads this thread and takes my arguments to heart.

It depends on the type of game. An MMO has to have some type of grind or people won't keep playing it. Go see what happened to New World when it doesn't have that. Player number spikes at new content release dropping to low levels in-between is not a stable financial model.

I'm not arguing against anything, I'm pointing out the system is designed to be played over years not weeks. MMOs are not an instant gratification game-type. They take effort.

I'm fine with Grind, I played the original EQ after all. But I prefer that grind fun and mostly needing to solo IA is not it.

Frayton · June 16

Ardriel wrote: »

Why does there always have to be someone who argues against it? Is it envy when others have it easier than you did?"I had to do 200 runs, so others should have to do the same... "

Yes, some of the antagonists will actually admit to that toxic attitude. If they had to do it, then everyone else has to, and they view anyone who can see IA for the gross grind that it is as wanting everything easy or handed to them. I've just made good use of the forum block function for them because it's futile to talk to someone who takes everything said as some sort of personal attack then always responds aggressively.

Gabriel_H · June 16

AScarlato wrote: »

I'm fine with Grind, I played the original EQ after all. But I prefer that grind fun and mostly needing to solo IA is not it.

None of the Arenas are fun for me. Not IA, VH, MA, BRP or dear god the granddaddy of boring - DSA. What is fun is what I can then do once I've got the gear.

Edit: Typos