Itemization for the Imperial City DLC & Base-Game Patch

WhiskeyJac · July 2015

So now AP is useless ? so why would we even PVP outside IC if AP useless

Drazhar14 · July 2015

Kronosphere wrote: »

Drazhar14 wrote: »

Reading through this actually made me less interested in this next update. Trying to think of something positive to say, but all I can be is honest. If this trend continues with each content update, I don't think I can remain interested in the game More player levels and long gear grinds just turn me off from sticking to a game. I hope the imperial city will at least be fun enough to stick around there for a bit, even though I rarely PvP.

what do you have in mind? I mean, what did you hope dlc/updates would be like? other tes games didnt have level caps like this but even fallout games add new area + new gear + few more levels and perks with them. how is this any different?

your post kinda reads as "I dont want them to ever add anything i just want the current content and nothing more" so if you could explain to me your thinking that would be good.

To me, content isn't leveling up and constantly upgrading gear. I don't really care about player progression if I know my progression will be worthless in a few months. What I care about is player experiences. It's about the journey, not the end result, if that makes sense to you. I'm all for new content so long as that content has substance. I'm not really that into PvP, so all this update says for me is "now you have to regrind all your gear". I'll try out the Imperial City on the PTS and hopefully it's not just more grinding mobs in a fancy new environment. I just finished a certain other RPG that just came out (the best RPG I've ever played) and I'm having a really tough time getting back into ESO as well. It reminded me of all the little details ESO is lacking. I know it's pointless to compare single player games to MMO's though. My point is, substance is greater than progression.

dbrand001 · July 2015

What about the prismatic enchants? How do we get those or make them? What mats are used?

kadar · July 2015

r.jan_emailb16_ESO wrote: »

TheBull wrote: »

"Will the elite PVP vendors be getting new items with the release of the Imperial City base-game patch?
No, but we did significantly reduce the AP cost of Grand Soul Gems."

Will the vendors have v16 gear and bags though?

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom
@ZOS_BrianWheeler

Would like to know this as well. Can I buy v16 gear with AP, be it from vendors or through boxes?

WhiskeyJac wrote: »

So now AP is useless ? so why would we even PVP outside IC if AP useless

King Bozo wrote: »

So there really is no point for ap when buying pvp bags with ap.

I am wondering this as well...What should I do with my 856,000 AP? Buy Oils? Or with there be V16 "Unfathomable Large Medium Armor" for me to spend it on? Or should I blow it all now and try to sell pieces of Morag Tong for Gold???

lolo_01b16_ESO · July 2015

The_Outsider wrote: »

r.jan_emailb16_ESO wrote: »

TheBull wrote: »

"Will the elite PVP vendors be getting new items with the release of the Imperial City base-game patch?
No, but we did significantly reduce the AP cost of Grand Soul Gems."

Will the vendors have v16 gear and bags though?

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom
@ZOS_BrianWheeler

Would like to know this as well. Can I buy v16 gear with AP, be it from vendors or through boxes?

WhiskeyJac wrote: »

So now AP is useless ? so why would we even PVP outside IC if AP useless

King Bozo wrote: »

So there really is no point for ap when buying pvp bags with ap.

I am wondering this as well...What should I do with my 856,000 AP? Buy Oils? Or with there be V16 "Unfathomable Large Medium Armor" for me to spend it on? Or should I blow it all now and try to sell pieces of Morag Tong for Gold???

Buy endless amounts of repair stones to get combat frenzy on your alt on the non vet campaign

PsychoKRATOS1 · July 2015

Bit naive of me, what's a "trophy vault" ?

ZOS_JessicaFolsom · July 2015

Hi everyone,

We gathered a bunch of questions from this thread yesterday, and have answers to share. Thanks for all the great questions.

Is the Soul Shriven skin classified as a costume or polymorph?
It’s neither, actually. Or both! It’s a “Skin,” which is something new. Skins are a hybrid of the current Polymorphs and Costumes – they change your character’s actual skin, but do not change their outfit or model. (In short, if you wear the Soul-Shriven Skin, you will still see your character’s facial features, equipped armor and weapons, etc. They will just be modified by the Skin.)

Will the currently existing PVP vendor sets we have in our inventory upgrade to the revamped PVP sets with the Imperial City update?
The items that the PVP vendors sell are not being updated at this time (no new item sets, and the items they sell will still be VR14.) We didn’t want to trivialize the new Imperial City content by making it possible to simply buy the best new gear with a stockpile of AP. That said, we recognize the need to provide more meaningful and rewarding things to spend AP on. We’re working on adding more offerings to the PVP vendors that will be valuable to both individual players and the economy at large (just not for the Imperial City launch.)

Will PVP bags / elite vendor items be scaled to v16? Or can you only get them from Rewards for the Worthy bags?
Rewards for the Worthy and Leaderboard rewards will scale to VR16, based on your character’s level and Veteran Rank. The PVP vendor items are not changing at this time.

Are the new sets 7 armor slots only? No jewelry or weapons? I know there are some "mini-jewelry sets" mentioned, but those sound like jewelry only. What about weapons?
The new item sets for the Imperial City, its dungeons, and the updated PVP rewards all consist of only armor. The three new “mini-sets” available in the Imperial City and all the existing dungeons, on the other hand, are a combination of weapons and jewelry (no armor.)

What about DSA/VDSA? Can we scale this up to VR15/16 and get VR15/16 drops from this now?
Dragonstar Arena is not being scaled to VR 15/16 at this time, but we are considering doing so in the future.

So with the new crafted armor sets do you need all traits including Nirnhoned to craft them? Also just to clarify VR15 and VR16 gear is made with something higher than Voidstones/Voidcloth/Shadowhide? Or is it just a different motif material?
There are three new craftable item sets in the Imperial City. One of them requires 5 traits, one requires 7 traits, and the last one requires 9 traits. We wanted crafters of many skill levels (not just top-end crafters!) to have at least one new item set they could craft in the Imperial City.

Does this mean we will still get trash green items from random PVP mails and the chance at this stuff, or are we finally getting rid of the trash stuff from the Rewards of the Worthy bags? Even gold and a Soul Gem would be better than vendor trash.
Rewards for the Worthy bags will generally yield non-set items, though they do have a good chance of containing items for one of the newly updated PVP sets. We’ve also significantly boosted the amount of gold in each of the mails, and they have a chance to contain a Grand Soul Gem.

There has been speculation in, and a lot of us were hoping for, an update of the (since 1.6) obsolete trials sets. Sets like the Wise Mage e.g. But I take it that no other sets than the mentioned 11 PVP reward sets gets an update in the Imperial City patch. Can you confirm this?
We are not updating the Trials item sets for the Imperial City patch, but we will consider doing so for a future update. Regarding Cyrodiil, in addition to the 11 updated item sets you can obtain via the Rewards for the Worthy and the Leaderboard rewards, we have also improved the item sets you can currently buy from PVP vendors (though they do not scale up to VR15/VR16.)

Will the old dungeon-based item sets like Ebon, Wormcult etc. be added as VR15/16 drops as well?
The current dungeon-based item sets, including the ones mentioned in this question, are not being update to VR15/VR16 for the Imperial City patch. We are considering updating them in the future.

In this patch or a future one, will we see updated Veteran Rank versions of item sets which currently max out at low levels (like 28, 40 etc.) so every set can be used at end-game?
We’re aware that there many sets that people may enjoy in theory, but the fact that they only drop at certain levels makes them onerous to actually find and use. We’ll be watching which item sets are and are not being widely used by the community, and we may revamp and re-release underused sets.

Will drops such as Trials and Veteran Dungeon sets such as Stygian and Thorn come in VR16 form after the new patch? Or are only the primary sets like monster helmets being updated? Currently, VR12 is the maximum for ones like Relics of the Physician, Ansur... VR14 would have been nice, but VR16 would be a sizable change from VR12 so I'm hoping it got updated?
The existing Trials and Veteran Dungeon sets you mentioned are not being scaled up to VR15/VR16 at this time, but it is something we’ll consider for the future.

Can VR16 master weapons be obtained in this patch? If so, where/how?
Since Dragonstar Arena and the Trials are not being brought up to VR15/VR16 at this time, neither are the existing Master Weapons. This is something we will consider for future updates.

timidobserver · July 2015

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

What about DSA/VDSA? Can we scale this up to VR15/16 and get VR15/16 drops from this now?
Dragonstar Arena is not being scaled to VR 15/16 at this time, but we are considering doing so in the future.

Seriously. With regard to PVE, Vet DSA is the best thing you guys have done to this game since it launched. Why would you leave the crowning achievement of PVE progression out to dry and obsolete?

First you reduce to difficulty to the point that it is trival and then you don't even scale it.

Dagoth_Rac · July 2015

timidobserver wrote: »

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

What about DSA/VDSA? Can we scale this up to VR15/16 and get VR15/16 drops from this now?
Dragonstar Arena is not being scaled to VR 15/16 at this time, but we are considering doing so in the future.

Seriously. With regard to PVE, Vet DSA is the best thing you guys have done to this game since it launched. Why would you leave the crowning achievement of PVE progression out to dry and obsolete?

First you reduce to difficulty to the point that it is trival and then you don't even scale it.

Also, VDSA and Trials are the only things in PvE that are timed/scored. Having *none* of them be endgame content is a bizarre decision. "My MMO has no competitive endgame PvE," is really something ZOS wants to go live with again? It was bad enough when the game launched with no competitive endgame PvE, but you added it about a month later and hardly anyone was at endgame, anyway. But going back down that path, when the vast majority of your player base is now at endgame? And it is likely 3 or 4 months before the next update? Yikes.

evedgebah · July 2015

I am EXTREMELY displeased with how the Trophy Room collectibles work. It's simply too many items to carry. I already have lost 10 slots to them, and I was already strapped for space before this DLC launched. Even with the new bag upgrades, it's simply too much. They should be "quest" items, and not count towards bag space.

Desimator · July 2015

I find it bizarre that the undaunted pledge and IC dungeons are the only endgame PVE now why would you expand the game content to include new environments for endgame users only to effectively shrink it by making some activities obsolete.

Here have two shiny new dungeons but wait we'll make 4 existing dungeons a waste of time.
.

Ipsius · July 2015

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom , thanks for all the answers!

In addition to the sets you mentioned, I have a related question:

There are some currently extremely rare and valuable sets that drop only from Dolmen generals, such as the " Shroud of the Lich" and "First Titan" sets. They only drop from specific generals (a very low chance to get the right one), and even if you encounter the correct general multiple times, the chance to actually get an item is extremely low; they are among the hardest to complete sets in the game.

Even after the Cyrodiil Dolmens were scaled up in the last update, these items still only drop at level 50 while in Cyrodiil. The highest level versions can only be obtained from Dolmens in the final area of the final alliance (at V10).

Given their extreme rarity, is there any plan to increase their max level? I already feel at a disadvantage running around in V10 armor against people in V14, but I love the set bonus, and I worked so hard to get it, I can't NOT wear it! But, giving up the option of using V16 armor with all the awesome new bonuses in order to keep using my V10 set is even harder to justify...

Ideally, I would like to have some method of increasing the Veteran level of the pieces I already have (it took me MONTHS to complete my First Titan set!), but any information you might have regarding potentially increasing their max level would be greatly appreciated!!

lolo_01b16_ESO · July 2015

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Hi everyone,
Will PVP bags / elite vendor items be scaled to v16? Or can you only get them from Rewards for the Worthy bags?
Rewards for the Worthy and Leaderboard rewards will scale to VR16, based on your character’s level and Veteran Rank. The PVP vendor items are not changing at this time.

Can VR16 master weapons be obtained in this patch? If so, where/how?
Since Dragonstar Arena and the Trials are not being brought up to VR15/VR16 at this time, neither are the existing Master Weapons. This is something we will consider for future updates.

Does this mean we won't get master's weapons from the end of campaign reward anymore? I really liked the fact, that you could get them for doing PvP and not just DSA.

QuadroTony · July 2015

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom

hi i have one question and i cannot found info in the topic

if i deliver a crafting writ today, but after this i will keep the reward box closed until patch, i will get glass armor style pieces from this boxes i keep? or they will drop only from new reward boxes

Ipsius · July 2015

Ipsius wrote: »

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom , thanks for all the answers!

In addition to the sets you mentioned, I have a related question:

There are some currently extremely rare and valuable sets that drop only from Dolmen generals, such as the " Shroud of the Lich" and "First Titan" sets. They only drop from specific generals (a very low chance to get the right one), and even if you encounter the correct general multiple times, the chance to actually get an item is extremely low; they are among the hardest to complete sets in the game.

Even after the Cyrodiil Dolmens were scaled up in the last update, these items still only drop at level 50 while in Cyrodiil. The highest level versions can only be obtained from Dolmens in the final area of the final alliance (at V10).

Given their extreme rarity, is there any plan to increase their max level? I already feel at a disadvantage running around in V10 armor against people in V14, but I love the set bonus, and I worked so hard to get it, I can't NOT wear it! But, giving up the option of using V16 armor with all the awesome new bonuses in order to keep using my V10 set is even harder to justify...

Ideally, I would like to have some method of increasing the Veteran level of the pieces I already have (it took me MONTHS to complete my First Titan set!), but any information you might have regarding potentially increasing their max level would be greatly appreciated!!

Sorry to quote myself, but I remembered another question:

A lot of work from the designers went into designing low level armor and weapons for all the different motifs. I love the way some of the equipment looks, but unfortunately for me (and everyone else who has reached max level), you have no option to use anything but voidstone/void cloth/nightwood to determine the appearance of your crafted armor and weapons.

By the time anyone gets dwarven/daedric/primal/barbaric motifs, they'll likely never even get to see the lower level, visually unique versions of these weapon and armor styles. Even if they create a low level character, they'll likely only use the items for a few hours before it's back to the same old voidstone/void cloth/nightwood.

My point is, in order to preserve all the work put into the low level equipment designs as well as to give higher level players more variety in the appearance of crafted items, will there be a way to choose what "level" appearance you want to make crafted items? If there are no such plans, I highly recommend implementing the change as it simply gives players more of a chance to enjoy the design work ZOS has already done!

Thanks!

ThornJagger · July 2015

A suggestion; How about on Argonians race change swim speed to something like hardened scales (damage reduction) and also up the spell reduction passive on Bretens to stay in par with Altmer.

Asrien · July 2015

I read something in the Developer Discussion forums about V16 set crafting costing in excess of 100 ingots per item. Was that just an error or do you really want to punish people who want to make their V16 gear?

Turelus · July 2015

Two days late as I somehow missed your post in the Dev Tracker Jessica.

Thank you for answering my questions, I just wanted to give a little more feedback on my feelings regarding them.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

Will the old dungeon-based item sets like Ebon, Wormcult etc. be added as VR15/16 drops as well?
The current dungeon-based item sets, including the ones mentioned in this question, are not being update to VR15/VR16 for the Imperial City patch. We are considering updating them in the future.

I've always felt getting complete sets of these is a lot of repeated and boring work whilst never having the advantage of the sets dropping at player level cap. These sets to my knowledge only drop from bosses in 4 player dungeons.
There was an idea posted in this thread from @HeroOfNone about adding these items to the Undaunted Silver chests making them more desirable as daily content.

HeroOfNone wrote: »

A simple fix:

Dungeon bind on pick up armor sets like Worm cult, ebony armor, savior armor, various dungeon rings and weapon sets should have a chance to drop in silver chests.

It shouldn't be a high percentage, but it would give better rewards without having to add a lot, give a chance to get some gear that seems to have a very small dungeon drop rate but still requires you run through a dungeon to do it. For a scaled up version it may be better than others.

If this isn't enough, start dropping various leveled and quality runes (green, blue, purple, even gold) to give folks something to use, collect, or break down.

It could be possible to add a VR15/16 version of these sets via these chests for players scaled to that level.
I understand the want to limit the incoming VR15/16 items toe help limit deconstruction materials and players gaining higher level gear with too much ease, however it's always bugged me in the game that many of the choices about armours are limited by the lack of max level variants. There should be challenge involved in finding/building these higher level items but they shouldn't be non-existent.

Which brings me to the second of my questions you answered.

ZOS_JessicaFolsom wrote: »

In this patch or a future one, will we see updated Veteran Rank versions of item sets which currently max out at low levels (like 28, 40 etc.) so every set can be used at end-game?
We’re aware that there many sets that people may enjoy in theory, but the fact that they only drop at certain levels makes them onerous to actually find and use. We’ll be watching which item sets are and are not being widely used by the community, and we may revamp and re-release underused sets.

There are so many sets in the game which are right now not being widely used because their caps are so low. I don't think they will ever see wide use because of this, added to that should a player want to find one it's a horrible shopping game to do so.
The example I can give as I have actively used it is the Night Mothers Embrace Set this set is fantastic for sneaking around towns stealing things and could be an interesting PVP choice for characters looking to be extra sneaky. However the item caps at level 28.
Due to this the armour/enchantment values on the items are far too weak to be viable at end game. Making this even worse is the fact you can't loot these items with a VR character without hunting for level 28 chests and getting lucky, the entire supply of items relies on new players or alt going through those level zones and not vender trashing the items.

I'm aware some sets main bonuses may not be able to scale realistically to VR16 and sets like the Night Mothers Embrace would remain at very low sneak bonus, however the increase in armour and enchantments alone might make these sets more interesting to players.

I know it's an overused argument at this point as well but I really thought the idea of ESO was choices in your characters build, there are so many choices already in the game which could be considered if these items were only updated to full level spectrum.

As for placement of the items I would say throw them into regular and treasure map chests with every other set, let Cyrodiil chests and/or any new content you release give the highest level versions. This also brings back some value and excitement to the chests in the game which have for a long time suffered for having little of worth outside of Cyrodiil/Dungeons.

If someone could point Eric and any others in charge of itemization towards this post I would be grateful, I'll even leave them cookies!

Rinmaethodain · July 2015

Asrien wrote: »

I read something in the Developer Discussion forums about V16 set crafting costing in excess of 100 ingots per item. Was that just an error or do you really want to punish people who want to make their V16 gear?

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/201189/110-150-raw-materials-to-craft-one-vr16-item/p1

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/201272/ridicolous-amount-of-materials-needed-for-vr15-and-vr16-sets/p1

So far we didnt have any reply from ZOS that would clarify what is the reason behind 150 items needed for single piece of equipment or is it just a typo bug.

Rioht · July 2015

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Please pass on the general displeasure you are adding in this thread towards the decisions made by ZoS regarding the non-scaling of current item sets.

No higher tier VR sets from trials.
Who's idea was this? Trials and VDSA were so well done and should have been a huuuuge draw for console players. Do you honestly think that players will want to engage in these activities is there is no viable reason too? You are literally cutting out viable content and possible gear variations that would add huge amounts of depth to your game post IC.

No masters weapons.
Please explain the logic behind this. So by not offering higher VR VDSA your fix is to remove higher tiered masters weapons entirely? No reason to push for top 2% in PvP anymore, when I could spent that time collecting gold mats and come out way farther ahead than if I spent my time grinding AP.

No higher tiered items available from AP.
Okay. I get it you don't want us to have immediate access to VR 15/16 items via saved AP. Why not just say that it's a new PVP season and wipe everyones AP. You could send a message all like, "hey spend your AP" were gonna add new item tiers and refresh everyones AP balance. I'm sure people would be much happier with that than just saying. Oh, no were just gonna not name any of the currently available AP sets useful anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say is... Try something, anything besides just cutting these items out.

Old dungeon bases sets not scaled to VR15/16.
Again. Cutting out a huge portion of your available item sets to force us into using a few new item sets. Yay customization right?

Overall, I am severely disappointed in these decisions and hope HOPE you guys change your mind. This is not good game design and this is not the way to encourage your players to play the game the way they want. Forcing us into one piece of content is just sad and makes 99% of the game irrelevant. Please reconsider these designs.

Rioht · July 2015

MaximusDargus wrote: »

Asrien wrote: »

I read something in the Developer Discussion forums about V16 set crafting costing in excess of 100 ingots per item. Was that just an error or do you really want to punish people who want to make their V16 gear?

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/201189/110-150-raw-materials-to-craft-one-vr16-item/p1

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/201272/ridicolous-amount-of-materials-needed-for-vr15-and-vr16-sets/p1

So far we didnt have any reply from ZOS that would clarify what is the reason behind 150 items needed for single piece of equipment or is it just a typo bug.

It seems pretty clear that this was intentional, and with good reason.

Having the VR15 items available for relatively small amounts of material.makes access to the new sets quite easy. For players looking for that next step, they can work.towards getting the VR16 sets which offer only a small (roughly 1%) increase in power.

daemonios · July 2015

Now I understand why they put in OVER 20 NEW FREAKING SETS. They're basically deprecating everything else.

Ipsius · July 2015

I love the idea of new sets, but there's so much variety now (in the form of sets with low max levels), there are some really, really interesting builds possible. But, these sets are so inferior to max-level sets in terms of stats, they may as well not exist. Even if it's not in this update, I really hope they incorporate some way to increase the level of any item.

The idea I thought *could* work would be some kind of consumable that would raise the level of an item by 5 if it's not Veteran, and 1 Veteran level if it is. This way, it would still be a task to raise a whole set to v14, but you'd essentially have any level set available for end-game. Also, low level players getting level 27 Staff of the Sun could actually sell it for a good price if a high level player wants to raise it to v14.

Theoretically you could make any set max at V14 so the new v16 armor still is the best, but all the sets that max out at level 50, v1, v10, etc. won't have such miserable defense and set bonuses compared to high-tier sets.

In my mind, this idea accomplishes the following:

1 ) Utilizes the work Zeni has already done in designing lower level sets by making them all potentially valuable at end game

2 ) Reduces the reliance on certain, specific sets at end game that have a clear, mathematical advantage over any alternative

3) Allows much, much more diversity in builds by allowing players to essentially choose any set in the game to use at end-game, with enough work on their part to level-up the item

4 )Opens the possibility to implement new quests/tasks/rewards/Crown Store options to obtain the consumable that levels-up items

5 ) Preserves the superiority of the most difficult to obtain new sets as they will always be the highest level available with unique set bonuses

6 ) I can finally raise my V10 set to V14 and not feel like I'm undergeared! (maybe that's just me...)

What do you guys think?

HeroOfNone · July 2015

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Woah, wait, we're updating the dungeons to v15-v16, but the dungeon sets aren't? Does this include unique ones like sunderflame, spell weave, and embershield? If they aren't leveled, is it going to still drop as v12 or not at all unless you down scale the dungeon to v12?

I'd really suggest revisiting and adding in certain level locked sets. Klyne's flight, soulshinr, night shade. A lot of interesting sets are ignored because they are way too low. When you revisit the dungeon armor sets please consider these as well.

@Turelus thanks for echoing the thought, need more use for the silver keys

Septimus_Magna · August 2015

I find it strange that some end game sets are still dropping at max vr12 when the level cap is vr16. I understand they dont want to make the new sets useless but at least update the old sets to vr14.

QuadroTony · August 2015

they told already

only regular undaunted sets+monster sets+11 useless pvp sets from reward for worthy will be updated to vr16

all other sets remains the same

Rinmaethodain · August 2015

Septimus_Magna wrote: »

I find it strange that some end game sets are still dropping at max vr12 when the level cap is vr16. I understand they dont want to make the new sets useless but at least update the old sets to vr14.

I think they want to make sure you wont be able to get VR15/VR16 gear from any old content.

They didnt scale old dungeon sets to VR15/16

They wont allow any monster to drop crap white/green decon gear in VR15/VR16

Only bosses and minibosses will drop VR15/VR16 gear in old dungeons (chance for drop, equial to chance of getting nothing, 1 gold, worm or empty gem and of course a VR12 piece of old dungeon set)

It all points they dont want to give out VR15/VR16 gear materials (decon gear and craft own VR16 gear). They want to make sure it stays behind forcedPVP in ic and DLC paywall.

QuadroTony · August 2015

need to test drop in WW quest zone when you was bitten

Cuyler · August 2015

Sooo is the only place to get v16 ravager gear from the "rewards of the worthy" mails from the top 10% of the pvp boards or 1st place in you alliance at the campaign end?

Garwulf · August 2015

Nifty2g wrote: »

Drazhar14 wrote: »

Reading through this actually made me less interested in this next update. Trying to think of something positive to say, but all I can be is honest. If this trend continues with each content update, I don't think I can remain interested in the game More player levels and long gear grinds just turn me off from sticking to a game. I hope the imperial city will at least be fun enough to stick around there for a bit, even though I rarely PvP.

huh? Isn't that the point of an MMO? character progression ... more things to do?

Would have thought the point of any game is "having fun'. So technically adding more things to do has the possibility of increasing fun. But fun is very subjectiver. Some people are happy spending their time grinding Champion points in the same dungeon . Others grinding Undaunted. e.t.c.
I personally do not like grinding or repetitively killing the same things over and over again to get the best gear in the game. Makes me think of 'work' in a lowly paid repetitive job. Makes even being a Burger flipper sound like fun.
This game currently rewards "Grinding' You can adventure all over the map looking in every 'crack or crevice' and you get only dross. Sit in the same dungeon banging your head aginst the wall and you are rewarded handsomely.