Elder Scrolls Online Dev Interview Goes Behind the Scenes of Boss Mechanics, Adjusting for Difficult

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Elder Scrolls Online Dev Interview Goes Behind the Scenes of Boss Mechanics, Adjusting for Difficulty Levels | MMORPG.com

Part 2 of a behind the scenes deep dive into boss design for The Elder Scrolls Online's dungeons is out, and the devs talk conceptualizing bosses, creating mechanics, adapting for difficulty levels and more.

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gelraen

Hey, while they're thinking about difficulty levels, maybe they could consider making the open world less brain dead easy, so that many of us who otherwise loved the game could play again? Would be great!

Hariken

gelraen said:

Hey, while they're thinking about difficulty levels, maybe they could consider making the open world less brain dead easy, so that many of us who otherwise loved the game could play again? Would be great!

I knew this post was coming. Sorry but overland is for the casual player not you. They would be stupid to change it since the majority of the player base like it how it is. The dungeon and vet content is for you. But everything should be for you right?

OldKingLog

Hariken said:

gelraen said:

Hey, while they're thinking about difficulty levels, maybe they could consider making the open world less brain dead easy, so that many of us who otherwise loved the game could play again? Would be great!

I knew this post was coming. Sorry but overland is for the casual player not you. They would be stupid to change it since the majority of the player base like it how it is. The dungeon and vet content is for you. But everything should be for you right?

Wow, somebody needs a hug....

Talraekk

Overland is either supremely easy or goddawful hard. I don't believe overworld needs ANY adjusting, unless they wanna bring it completely back to before One Tamriel. I mean I guess on that note its not even that, I find I stuggle on alt classes, and considering it's been years I've been on my main and haven't even accessed say the 1st expansion on him.. I'll never go on my alts again. So, good job, you've completely discouraged alts.

araxas-1

gelraen said:

Hey, while they're thinking about difficulty levels, maybe they could consider making the open world less brain dead easy, so that many of us who otherwise loved the game could play again? Would be great!

The problem is that overland is easy for people with lots of CP, and MMO vets that min/max and really know how to play an MMO. Total newbs or people who are truly casual in every game it is not that easy.
If you want a challenge, play with no CP allocated, solo some world bosses, and some dungeons. Solo vet dungeons (with or without CP). You don't really need the over land much, do one zone to get to 20 or 30, then do the story to get close to the rest, playing random dungeon and BG, then do the above. I am sure they are out there, but most people that care about the story don't care how easy the questing is they want the story, and the people that care how easy it is skip the story, especially on subsequent play thrus.

Brainy

I left this game because it was so easy.  Friends of mine also left this game because it was too easy.  I came back with another group of friends to test the game, and it was even easier than before, we all left together due to it being so easy.

Dungeons especially new ones were challenging.  But they kept bring the nerf bat to those each patch too.

So not only are people getting stronger due to CP's and gear, but they feel the need to nerf them on top of that.  Just give everyone the IWIN button and call it a day already.

Iselin

Hariken said:

Sorry but overland is for the casual player not you. They would be stupid to change it since the majority of the player base like it how it is. 

A lot of people, players and some developers alike, don't seem to get that the casual and ultra casual crowds are the ones who keep the lights on in MMOs.

Nefing overland difficulty in ESO wasn't done by accident and it's also not an accident that the MMOs with the largest populations, WOW, FFXIV and ESO have big chunks of their content that are very easy.

World Bosses, Harrowstorms, Dragons, solo arenas, vet 4-man runs, trials and PvP are there for a challenge for those who want it. There's enough of that to keep me interested.

Overland difficulty is like "story mode" in single player games that have that ultra low difficulty option, and that's neither poor design nor an accident, it's how they make their $$$.

Brainy

Iselin said:

Hariken said:

Sorry but overland is for the casual player not you. They would be stupid to change it since the majority of the player base like it how it is. 

A lot of people, players and some developers alike, don't seem to get that the casual and ultra casual crowds are the ones who keep the lights on in MMOs.

Nefing overland difficulty in ESO wasn't done by accident and it's also not an accident that the MMOs with the largest populations, WOW, FFXIV and ESO have big chunks of their content that are very easy.

World Bosses, Harrowstorms, Dragons, solo arenas, vet 4-man runs, trials and PvP are there for a challenge for those who want it. There's enough of that to keep me interested.

Overland difficulty is like "story mode" in single player games that have that ultra low difficulty option, and that's neither poor design nor an accident, it's how they make their $$$.

Maybe they need an option to flip a switch and enter harder mode option like they do dungeons.

Iselin

Brainy said:

Iselin said:

Hariken said:

Sorry but overland is for the casual player not you. They would be stupid to change it since the majority of the player base like it how it is. 

A lot of people, players and some developers alike, don't seem to get that the casual and ultra casual crowds are the ones who keep the lights on in MMOs.

Nefing overland difficulty in ESO wasn't done by accident and it's also not an accident that the MMOs with the largest populations, WOW, FFXIV and ESO have big chunks of their content that are very easy.

World Bosses, Harrowstorms, Dragons, solo arenas, vet 4-man runs, trials and PvP are there for a challenge for those who want it. There's enough of that to keep me interested.

Overland difficulty is like "story mode" in single player games that have that ultra low difficulty option, and that's neither poor design nor an accident, it's how they make their $$$.

Maybe they need an option to flip a switch and enter harder mode option like they do dungeons.

Yeah a lot of people ask for that - typically they want harder mode zone shards, but I doubt they'll put in the time to make that happen since most of their focus currently is on the "unannounced MMO project" they've been working on for several years now.

At best they'll do a self-debuff toggle since that would be fairly easy for them to do - like no CPs used or just a plain debuff of some sort. That could work solo but it'd be goofy as hell any time players with the debuff and those without it play together or even near each other.