The Elder Scroll Online - Damage Front Loading and Diminishing Returns

I recently just started a new character, Stamblade Sniper PVP build. And I was shocked when at Level 6 I was able to Hit with a Bow for 35k critical damage using two Skills; Snipe followed by Shadow Cloak. I was one-shot killing most NPCs and by the time I morphed them to Focused Aim and Shadowy Disguise by level 10, I was able to critically hit world bosses for 40k damange. I thought to myself that this was definitely going to be a over-powered build; and it was and remains so at level 30.

But soon I noticed that with each level I gain, I lose damage. So what was once an OP build, is now slowly falling into the range of normalcy and my expectations slowly sank to their normal low. I tested my damage with a similar MAX CP character and I found that I should expect my damage with those two skills and some buffs should be about 19k. Disappointing if you ask me.

In most games we have ever played, as you level up your character the character became stronger; dealing more damage and not dying so fast. But in this game it is quite the opposite... I really have to try to die with a low level character, but can easily be one-shot killed in a vet dungeon or trial with my Max CP Stam-Sorc and my damage, while at about 25k DPS, has never reached 38k like it has with my new Stamblade Sniper. So this confuses me.

What is the point of leveling a character up if you just see the character's damage output drop with each level? When did this happen and why?

The Problem:

When Zenimax decided in its infinite wisdom to release One Tamriel on the community it tried to find a balance between low level players and Max Champion Point (CP) players. But what it did was it created an imbalance and their decision to later front-load damage pushed the new character over the scales balance.

One day I was roaming around my farming location, one of many farming locales I have in Tamriel, and I noticed a Max CP player running around killing enemy NPCs. It would take two or three swings for the player to kill one and would take a fair bit of time for the player to kill two of them.

So then, as a level 20, I followed my new Max CP stalker victim, I mean Unknowing Friend, and would do my one/two combo (Focused Aim and Shadowy Disguise) on whatever my new friend was fighting, and I was ravaging the NPCs with one shots, while he would need time to kill them. This must really feels like a let down, to see a level 20 literally dropping NPCs with one shot while you, 730 levels higher, not able to do so.

My question to Zenimax is this; Sure you get a new players attention with huge damage, assuming they know how to build for maximum damage output, and then you let them watch as their damage drops with every level the achiev. Here is this very powerful character and you get to watch it diminish to half the damage by the time it reaches Level 50. Have fun!

The higher I level the less powerful I become. From the perspective of a new player, how is that supposed to keep motivating a player to keep playing the game?

Before One Tamriel, I always looked a Champ (and dare I date myself by saying Vet) level character as what I wanted to be when I grew up. Strong, powerful... a source of inspiration.... motivation to grind. And now there is no role model because if at Level 10 I can out perform a Max CP in dealing damage in normal dungeons or even against world bosses, why would anyone really want to level up?

The Zenimax Fix:
Zenimax needs to give power back to those that have earned it. And I mean truly "earned" it. Low levels should be knocked back to the stone age in strength and power. Take away their participation ribbons. PVE and PVP; neither should be balanced. A Max CP player should never run the risk of losing a duel to a low level.

My first character could not defeat the first quest boss I came across. I died four times trying to kill it before someone else came in and helped. That's what an MMO is supposed to be about. Community helping. Now I can actually level a new character to 20 using dolmens (formerly known as anchors; another phrase dating my gaming origins) without any help what-so-ever.

That's right take away their extra damage and boosted defenses; they haven't earned it. Take away their access to CP until they hit level 50. Make them earn there Tam-Cred, if they don't earn it we just end up with a community of snot-nosed-entitlement-brats.

Their damage should be proportionate to the level they are playing. They should struggle to fight a delve boss alone or take on a mob of zombies. They should look at Max CP players as the demi-Gods that they should be in the game... feared (so that a low level requesting a duel is foolish, not someone who actually might have a chance) and respected (thank you for helping me with that world boss, dungeon boss or quest boss).

Maybe Zenimax can create some new items (weapons, armor, glyphs, etc.), powerful items, for characters that are Max CP. Could you image a two handed sword that does 3700 damage, call it the Champions Blessing Set, Chest pieces that have 3000 armor, rune stones that that are 800+ tri-glyphs (800 Health, 800 Stam, 800 Magicka)? Make it craftable... and can only be made at whatever Max CP is at the time.

This type of armament would truly keep scrubs out of main Cyrodiil campaigns (Vivec), as it should be; leave that to the big kids, you go play in Sotha Sil and Kyne and earn your stripes there.

People don't get to join the Army as a General right out of High School. They have to earn that shit. Zenimax needs to let scrubs and pugs earn theirs as well. Hey Zenimax... why don't you quit handing everyone the world on a silver platter and then complain when the community gets board with the game because they can complete most of it in a month or two without hitting max CP... and grinding is boring with no real reward for hitting max. 

As a new player, it is a long grind from start to max CP, and there needs to be a reward worthy of the grind for first time players to reach the max. Today's culture, particularly in the culture of Tamriel, a culture of participation ribbons doesn't create devotion to the game, just a devotion to how low-level of a character can you use to defeat a Max CP character.... it's a shame really.