I got the hints early on that this game would be a train wreck in the end game.

Huge amount of hours required to level to VR10/12 (and which soon looks to be 14), put me off investing the amount of hours required to gain max level.

Looks like I made the right decision and the more I read the forums the more I don't want to go back to this game. Still I'll remain hopeful, not gonna completely quit just yet.

@banhammers‌

korkibucek wrote: »

I got the hints early on that this game would be a train wreck in the end game.

Huge amount of hours required to level to VR10/12 (and which soon looks to be 14), put me off investing the amount of hours required to gain max level.

Looks like I made the right decision and the more I read the forums the more I don't want to go back to this game. Still I'll remain hopeful, not gonna completely quit just yet.

@banhammers‌

I am the same way. I actually really like the gameplay in this game, and am hoping that Zeni fixes things, such as those mentioned by the OP.

Unlike the OP, my 1-50 wasn't that enjoyable, since i'm still stuck in my 20s. I like leveling in dungeons doing group content (playing heals/tanks), thus my stuckness. Or PvP, but there xp gain is so slow as to be marginally better than doing dungeons.

On a side note, is this thread going to get sunk as negative? I hope not.

@xMovingTarget‌

That makes sense, I suppose. I've yet to see anyone talking about leaving their old guilds for one of mine.

..I was thinking maybe it's just that everyone finally realized that they should be in a guild with Lynnessa!

With what i said i am listing this as a person who is continuing to play. It also comes with years of MMO gaming knowing that an MMO is not complete and balanced until the 4 to 6 month even marginally longer if the game does not have money.
I do like the game even though i am frustrated. I am also saddened that many of my friends i enjoy gaming with old and new are leaving and chosing not to gut out the initial rough road ahead.
I cannot blame them though. I am curious @Lynnessa have you done trials, VR dungeons . If so do you enjoy the limited res and zerg type mechaincs of trials . If you have cleared any of this content do you think they are itemized correctly for a rewarding system. And do you feel the VR content is wisely designed not having any VR 12 dungeons and Craglorn being so exploitable and lacking challenge aside from trials? End game from my perspective is not enjoyable.

I have to agree with the OP on most points. While I cant comment on guilds losing people (though, I have noticed that my guild has far fewer people playing at any given time), I can comment on what has made me start to lose confidence in the game.

All the points above I agree with. Huge class balance problems, the Craglorn grind is destroying both vet PvE (by leaving it a ghost town), and PvP by creating a series of V12 zergs because it takes no skill and very little time to get to V12 now.

Though, one of my largest problems is OP's #3. Grouping/phasing. It is horrible! That I cant join friends that started playing the game later than I did is just bad. You know what happens? I don't recommend the game to them. We decide to put our time elsewhere (different game) so that we can all play together. I am not sure what Zeni thinks they are protecting by not allowing us to join another person's phase, and it does not appear to add much value, but it does detract heavily from the game. I know that there are hard core RP folks who will say... " but but but, how can you be playing a quest again against a person you already killed". To that I say that if going back and re-living the past is so game-breaking to you, then don't do it. Some of us find playing with our friends to be much more important and I think more folks will stay/join the game if this gets fixed. I honestly cant imagine what they were thinking when they put this system in to place. The ENTIRE reason I came to ESO and left behind the fantastic graphics and storytelling of Skyrim is for playing in the group of friends I want to play with (not just the random people that happen to be in the same phase). I am just about done waiting for this to be fixed.

Bottom line: ZOS needs to stop nerfing things and start buffing things in order to make the game more fun. The answer to the overabundance of casters and light armor is not to nerf them so that there are no fun builds anymore but instead to buff up the other play styles so that players have enjoyable choices.

Indeed, the group phasing is IMO the biggest reason for the interest in guilds fading.

Its real simple - you cant reliable help your friends!

Now, how on earth can they get invested in the game? Imagine if I as a VR12 wanted to help a new friend at level 15. He's gone that far by himself, but now he encountered a troublesome area and simply want some assistance. Cant be done. Not only would I slaughter everything in one hit, but I cant even redo the quests and see what he see. So many in the guild are at this stage, one way or another. I'm lucky if I can help those at similar level, but often I cant even do that.

IMO ZOS need to sit down and do some serious thinking about the priority of things.

Simplest solution to the problem - allow players to hire another player as a mercenary. Literally a "bring an experienced friend" function. If a level 25 character wants assistance, he can ask anyone that's already completed the quest to come along. That someone get downscaled to the same level in terms of stats but keep abilities otherwise and recieve a share in the reward for each quest completed (say, 20%, if the reward is 300g, the player get 230g while the merc get 60g). Since the merc always have the same worldstate as the player (the only thing locked would be interaction), they would never end up out of phase.

Or even simpler, allow a player to literally take over a purchased NPC. Player A buy "Warrior NPC" (detracts 20% from each completed quests). Player B is invited to "posses" that NPC while his player char is parked somewhere else. Ha! Like a player pet, lol. Could even make it a pet troll or something. Let the AI handle it like a minion if a player doesnt control it.

But what am I saying, its a dream.

The whole guild system is flawed. Friends/family's that want use the guild option are completely shut out. Players get no options to build their guild other than spam ads in the only chat channel and spam blind invites. Abusers of the current system lock everyone out of access forcing yet more player turnover and msg spam. Players need options and to be given choices on what they want or need.

Lynnessa wrote: »

@Wifeaggro13‌

No, the end game content is something I haven't tried yet. I just reached level 30 last night. How is everyone so far ahead of me? I started playing two weeks after launch, and I log in every day. I got a sorceror up to level 16, but then deleted her and rolled my nightblade, which I think is fun as hell. I don't dilly-dally when I'm online either, I quest and run dungeons the whole time....but it is taking me forever to level up! I've done all zones completely from Stros M'Kay through Stormhaven, and I'm more than halfway done with Rivenspire.

I really enjoy group content, especially now that I'm a healer. I'm keeping a positive outlook--I'm hoping that I can still heal as a VR. If groups won't take me because I'm a Nightblade I'll start my own group for trials!!! I will not be grinding anomalies--I will be doing quests, dungeons, and Craglorn delves/trials.

I'm happy with my crafted gear, and hoping it stays that way so I don't have to worry about rewards dropping in trials.

My guilds don't have trial groups yet. Northern Wardens is a PvP guild and they spend most of their time in Wabbajack. Guardians of the Covenant seem to spend a lot of time in Volendrung, but really it's a social guild without any particular focus. Dragon Tears is an RP guild, and basically waiting on me to get to VR so we can start PvEing together. All three of those guilds grow daily, and most of the active members are VR level.

....sometimes it seems like I'm the only one who isn't VR yet... hopefully I won't be disappointed when I finally make it.

This is why i ask. Honestly the game is great fun it falls apart at end game . its primarily where all the problems are . VR content , though i disagree with your happiness that crafted is best it completley destroy any end game gear progression where many players enjoy that game play. You will continue to have fun as you level enjoy ! hopefully they will have the majority of problems straightend out by the time you get there! PVP seems to be in a bit better shape i enjoy cyrodil though i am not a PVP guy. But class imbalances are very much an issue there as well.

Short awnser: The devs haven't got a *** clue what the hell they're doing. I mean one of the most popular dps weapons at endgame is the healing staff...

serenity_painted wrote: »

Short awnser: The devs haven't got a *** clue what the hell they're doing. I mean one of the most popular dps weapons at endgame is the healing staff...

this is the limitations of a closed small testing group of friends and family. And obviously there was not much MMO expierence there

Most of the problems recited by people are post-VR things, like class imbalances, no end game, boring end game, too hard end game, etc...

I have had most of my friends leave game however pre-50 because - as they said - it's a single player RPG with a lot of folks running around in the background.

Yes, grouping with friends with the phasing mechanics is unfun, but worse still for us is that real group play for actual instanced group content - dungeons (which are a helluva a lot of fun) - are XP-CAPPED at about 3 bars of XP (out of the 50 bars to attain max pre-VR level). Seriously? Is this even an MMO anymore?

Reason for exodus? Because today I have plenty of time to do something fun... I had the choice of sitting down and playing the game or surfing the forums. I chose the forums.

Evergnar wrote: »

Unfortunately there seems to be no single vision from the creators of ESO. No dynamic gameplay with friends along the ESO journey. There are a lot of great quests and elements but in a staged, connect the dots, linear style.

The way leveling and questing currently are creates a massive amount of roadblocks to group related aspects. There should not just be "group content", the whole game should be group content. If you want the option to do it by yourself you should be able to do that too (ex: hired NPC mercenary).

I really think if they had focused on grouping as their #1 priority the game would have been drastically different at lauch. Much more fluid and immersive with a single vision.

Still have hope though that Zos will see the importance of having this single vision towards everything being group content. It would take some serious tweaking to change at this point but the foundation is already laid and it's definitely possible.

Summary: They have No idea what an MMO is about.

Except PVP, but no one wants to grind out 1000s of Quests to be pvping.
But before they buff leveling in Cyro they rather nerf every workaround (mob grinding).