Introducing the Polearm

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Lynx7386
Lynx7386
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The Polearm Skill Line
(NOTE: This is an updated/edited version based on replies)

Polearm Weapon Types (Crafted via Woodworking):

Spears:
-Includes all weapons with a spike or straight blade affixed to the pole.

Polearms:
-Includes all weapons with a hammer, axe, or curved blade affixed to the pole.

Note: Spears and Polearms are akin to swords/maces/axes being used in the 2h or dual wield weapon lines. They share identical stats, but have different appearances and effects based on passives in the polearm skill tree.



Combat Mechanics:
-Light and Heavy attacks with polearms have a base attack range of 10, which gives them slightly longer range than attacks with 2handed weapons currently.
-Light and Heavy attacks with polearms suffer a base 20% miss chance when attacking opponents at 5 range or less (5 range is what 1handed and dual wield skills/attacks are set at).





Active Skills

1. Spinning Slash
Spoiler
Cast Time: 1 second
Range: 10
Target Style: Point Blank Area of Effect

Description:
Strike at all nearby targets, dealing moderate damage.

Morph 1: Sweep
New Effect: Knocks down all damaged targets for 1 second.

Morph 2: Reap
New Effect: Causes all damaged targets to bleed for additional damage over 6 seconds. Targets that are already bleeding instead take additional damage when struck by Reap.

2. Thrust
Spoiler
Cast Time: Instant
Range: 10
Target Style: Single Target

Description:
Stab your target, dealing moderate damage. Thrust ignores 50% of your target's armor rating.

Morph 1: Gore
New Effect: Target bleeds for additional damage over 6 seconds. If the target is already bleeding, the target will instead take additional damage when struck by Gore.

Morph 2: Skewer
New Effect: Ability now ignores 100% of target's armor rating.

3. Overhead Strike
Spoiler
Cast Time: 1 second
Range: 10
Target Style: Single Target

Description:
Bring your weapon down on your target, dealing heavy damage.

Morph 1: Pulverize
New Effect: Gains up to 100% increased critical strike damage, based on your target's health loss.

Morph 2: Smash
New Effect: Deals 50% splash damage to all enemies within 5 range of your target.

4. Overpower
Spoiler
Cast Time: Instant
Range: 10
Target Style: Frontal Cone Area of Effect

Description:
A quick slash that deals light damage to enemies in front of you. All damaged targets are kncoked back 5 range.

Morph 1: Overwhelm
New Effect: For 4 seconds after using Overwhelm, your weapon damage and critical strike chance are increased by 15%.

Morph 2: Zeal
New Effect: Activating zeal a second time allows a follow up attack that knocks down all enemies in front of you.

5. Fend
Spoiler
Cast Time: Instant
Range: N/A
Target: Self Buff

Description:
While Slotted - you may equip a shield in your off hand while wielding a spear or polearm.
When Activated - For 15 seconds, reduce blocking cost by 50% and increase blocking mitigation by 50%.

Morph 1: Counterattack
New Effect: While blocking, return 30% damage to melee attackers.

Morph 2: Ward
New Effect: While blocking, take 50% less damage from projectiles and spells.




Passive Skills

1. Deadly Reach:
(With a Polearm or Spear equipped)
Polearm abilities, light attacks, and heavy attacks deal 10% / 20% additional damage to enemies further than 8 range.

2. Polearm Mastery:
(With a Polearm or Spear equipped)
Reduces the stamina cost of polearm abilities by 10% / 20%.

3. Close Combat Training:
(With a Polearm or Spear equipped)
Reduces the accuracy penalty when using Light and Heavy attacks on targets closer than 5 range by 25% / 50%.
Additionally, provides a benefit based on the type of polearm you are wielding:
Spears gain 3% / 6% increased weapon critical strike chance.
Polearms gain 5% / 10% increased critical strike damage bonus.

4. Defensive Fighting:
(with a Polearm or Spear equipped)
Increases your armor and spell resistance by 5% / 10%.

5. Phalanx:
(with a Polearm or Spear equipped)
You gain 10% / 20% increased weapon damage when attacking mounted or large enemies.
Note: Large enemies include, but may not be limited to:
Spoiler
-Frost atronachs
-Storm atronachs
-Daedroth
-Spider Daedra
-Watchers
-Gargoyles
-Giants
-Bears
-Ogrim
-Dwemer Centurions





List of Changes from the original post:

-Base range of polearms adjusted to 10 for all attacks
-Reduced weapon types to Polearms and Spears (from Spears, Longhamers, and Poleaxes)
-Added 20% accuracy penalty to heavy attacks when opponent is at 5 range or less
-This accuracy penalty can be reduced to 10% with passives

Active Ability Changes:

-Thrust range increased to 10 (from 7)
-Thrust damage changed from 'heavy' to 'moderate'
-Thrust now ignores 50% of target's armor rating
-Impale (thrust morph) changed to Skewer: Now increases armor ignore to 100%

-Fend changed to Overpower
-Zeal (fend/overpower morph) changed from a double-attack to a followup style attack

-Parry changed to Fend
-Parry/Fend now allows the use of a shield in the offhand slot while using a polearm or spear (while slotted)
-Counterattack (parry/fend morph) now returns 30% damage to melee attackers while blocking with ability active
-Ward (parry/fend morph) now reduces damage taken from projectiles and spells by 50% while blocking with ability active

Passive Skill Changes:

-Removed Polearms to Plowshares
-Replaced Polearms to Plowshares with Deadly Reach
-Deadly reach increases light, heavy, and ability damage by 10/20% against targets further than 8 meters from you.

-Removed Martial Prowess
-Moved Polearm Mastery passive to slot 2, in place of martial prowess

-Added 'Close combat training'
-close combat training reduces the accuracy penalty against close targets
-close combat training provides 3/6% extra critical strike chance for spears, and 5/10% extra critical strike damage for polearms

-Removed Formation fighting
-Phalanx to fifth slot
-Added Defensive fighting to fourth slot
-Defensive fighting increases armor and spell resistance by 5/10% with a spear or polearm equipped

-Changed phalanx: now gives 10/20% increased weapon damage when attacking mounted targets or large targets



Old Post, with original abilities:
Spoiler
Welcome to this week's polearm post, including a host of new ideas scoured from the depths of these forums (and a few from zone chat, too!). As always, the preface:

Zenimax, we're tired of modern game developers having no idea what polearms are. They've been conveniently left out of just about every modern MMO or RPG for no apparent reason (other than the arguably apparent worldwide conspiracy against polearms, backed by the descendants of people who were killed by polearms and, thus, really really hate them. Boy some people can hold a grudge).

And, as always, the reasoning:

Polearms have been the most commonly used weapon in the history of warfare, ranging from the simplest sharpened stick wielded by an angry caveman to the intricate and ornate lances and glaives held by equally angry medieval nobles. Yes, that's right, even nobles and knights were known to, occasionally, favor a good pole weapon over a sword. Why, you ask? Because it's a more effective implement of death.

Swords have been romanticized heavily since the late medieval period and the advent of the arthurian mythos. Excalibur was the first of many infamous swords thrust into the minds of american viewers by holywood. Still, your typical sword is an officer's weapon: useful in close combat, but, aside from some specialized swords, they're really not designed for battlefield action. Take a trip back in time to any medieval or pre-medieval battlefield and you'll find all manner of longweapons, hammers, picks, axes, and crude farming implements turned into head-splattering weapons of mass mutilation, but you're unlikely to find a proper sword outside of the generals or kings directing the battle, and the chances of those swords ever being used to kill were incredibly low.

A pole weapon is, at it's simplest, a blade affixed to a long stick. This amazingly simple concept does a few very important things for the wielder:
1. The stick extends the reach of the blade. If you can hit your enemy and he cant hit you, that's a win for you. Gut the other fellow first.
2. The length of the weapon multiplies momentum and velocity when swung in an arc, creating vastly higher impact force than you would achieve with a shorter weapon. Even a fairly lightweight and dull polearm could pierce, smash, and slice open the steel armor of the era because of that force multiplier, whereas a sword or similar weapon would probably bounce off of your assailant and deal little to no real damage.
3. The haft of the weapon allows it to be used in a defensive manner more effectively than a smaller weapon. The balance point of a polearm also allows it to be maneuvered very quickly, despite its size, potentially allowing a skilled user to fend off multiple attackers at once.
4. Polearms, compared to swords or other "weapons of nobility", are simple to use. They're straightforward, dont require a lot of training to be deadly, and they can be easily maintained by troops (whereas swords take quite a lot of care and maintenance).

Even taking into account the vastly overwhelming focus arthurian mythos puts on swords as the "weapons of gods and kings", pre-medieval eras placed far simpler weapons in the hands of their deities. The most common weapons wielded by the greek, roman, and egyptian gods? Scepters, Spears (tridents, pikes, lances, etc.), and Bows. Swords didnt even come into the equation.

All that said, why do we have so many game developers that consider this weapon class an afterthought, something to be put on the back burner indefinitely? Surely it isnt the difficulty of animations for the weapon type, they're hardly more difficult than those used by swords or mauls. Different, perhaps, but not more difficult. Yet here we are, the players who long only to cleave and stab our way to victory with a mighty halberd, playing another game lacking our favorite weapons. I have, on occasion, been called masochistic for that.




Humor and ranting aside, on to the actual topic at hand, the polearm skill line. Introduced as an entirely seperate melee weapon skill line alongside the two handed, one handed and shield, and dual wield lines, polearms focus on doing what polearms do best: Area clearing and control and powerful, crushing, leverage-multiplying strikes.

To start off, the polearm weapon would come in three basic types, similar to the sword/mace/axe setup that the two handed and one handed weapon styles use. Overall these three polearm types are the same, but through passives they gain slightly different benefits.

All three types of polearms would be added under woodworking for crafting purposes, as currently woodworking only crafts 5 weapon types (compared to the 7 weapon types accessible to blacksmithing). I think we can all agree woodworking could use some love there.

The Three types of polearms:

1. The Spear While in the past the elder scrolls series has made spears 1-handed weapons, and I know a lot of us would love to use them in conjunction with our shields, the fact is that all weapons in a skill tree have to use the same animations and the same number of weapon slots. I hope to remedy this through passives, however.
The spear is the most straightforward pole weapon (get it, straight and pointy?). It's a shaft with a sharpened spike or blade at the dangerous end. Aesthetically, the spear weapon type in ESO would also incorporate polearms which use a straight or curved sword blade (i.e. glaives).
As far as spear models for this game, I imagine most would use the 1h sword blade model and affix the pole to it. Swervy blades for dunmer, flat-tipped blades for khajiit, scimitar-like blades for redguards, so on and so forth.

2. The Longhammer Probably the least well known of the polearm types, this was primarily a germanic weapon. A longhammer (also called a streithammer) is a polearm shaft with a hammer or sledge at the end, usually with a spike on top so that the weapon can still be used for stabbing. Longhammers take all the mind-crushing destructiveness of a mace or maul and multiply the impact force a dozen times over to mangle and pulverize armor and bones alike.
Longhammer models in this game would be pretty easy to work in - just take the head off of any two handed maul weapon and put it on a longer shaft.

3. The Poleaxe (or halberd) This type of polearm affixes a single or double axe blade to the end of the weapon, allowing for more powerful slices as opposed to stabbing or crushing attacks. That said, most halberds had a single axe head on one side, a sledge/hammer tip on the opposing side, and a spike on top of the weapon to allow versatility in attacks against opponents with varying armor types.
Poleaxe models in this game would, in most cases, use the blade of a battleaxe affixed to the shaft.




Before we get to the skills, there are a few details about polearm weapon types that set them aside from two handed weapons, or other weapon types in this game:

1. Attack Range
Polearms shall have a 7 meter light and heavy attack range, and a 10 meter range on most abilities unless otherwise specified. This capitalizes on one of the polearm's greatest strengths: reach, being able to out-range another melee opponent.

2. Cast Times
Because of their size, polearms inevitably move slower than smaller weapons. To represent this, most active attacks will have a psuedo cast time of about one second (similar to uppercut from the 2handed line). However, this is not an actual cast time - it cannot be bashed to interrupt, or blocked like a heavy attack to stun the user. It's simply a delay for the ability to take effect (and match up with the animation). The real downside here will be that you cannot block while attacking.



Now on to the active skills for the polearm weapon skill line:

1. Spinning Slash
Cast: 1 second
Range: 10 meters
Target Style: Point blank AoE
The most simple attack, and the first one you get your bloody polearm-loving hands on, spinning slash is literally that: A 360 degree spin attack that damages all enemies within a 10 meter circle around your character.
Morph 1: Sweep
New Effect: Knocks down all affected targets for 1 second. This adds some control to the ability, increasing survivability in AoE damage situations.
Morph 2: Reap
New Effect: Applies a bleed damage-over-time effect to all enemies within range. If enemies are already bleeding, deals additional damage instead. That second part is important: you cant spam DoTs in this game, and that's one thing that makes abilities like cleave very sub-par for damage dealing. So, instead of simply overwriting itself constantly, Reap will simply deal additional damage to enemies that are already effected by bleed, making it a little more spam-friendly.

2. Thrust
Cast: Instant
Range: 7 meters
Target Style: Single target
Thrust is your basic one on one go-to damage ability. Stab your target, dealing heavy damage. Simple, yea?
Morph 1: Impale
New Effect: Gains increased damage against low-health targets, up to 300% vs targets at 25% or lower health. This gives you access to an execute, if your class doesnt offer something to use as an alternative.
Morph 2: Gore
New Effect: Causes your target to bleed for additional damage over time. If the target is already bleeding, deals increased damage instead. Similar to reap, this is lets you stick a DoT to your target and then keep using the same ability - but instead of constantly overwriting your own DoT, you'll simply do extra damage as long as the DoT lasts.

3. Overhead Strike
Cast: 1 second
Range: 7 meters
Target Style: Single Target
An arcing overhead slash down onto your opponent's brainpan, dealing massive burst damage.
Morph 1: Smash
New Effect: Deals 50% splash damage to two additional enemies within 5 meters of the target. This gives you a fairly decent bit of splash AoE while you're beating the boss' skull in.
Morph 2: Pulverize
New Effect: Gains up to 100% increased critical strike damage, based on your target's health loss. Essentially if the target is at 90% health, you gain 10% crit damage bonus. If the target is at 10% health, you gain 90% crit damage bonus. Note that this ability still has to crit in order to get that bonus, so you're relying on outside factors there, but this would provide absolutely massive single target damage when attacking a low health target and using high weapon crit gear. Essentially an alternate execute option to impale.

4. Fend
Cast: Instant
Range: 10 meters
Target style: Frontal Cone AoE
Fend off your enemies with a quick, horizontal forward slash. This ability deals light damage but knocks back enemies 5 meters, allowing you to gain some breathing room against close quarters combatants like dual wielders.
Morph 1: Overwhelm
New Effect: Gain increased weapon power and critical chance for 4 seconds after using the ability. Knock your opponents back and then slam into them with something else for high damage.
Morph 2: Zeal
New Effect: Slash twice instead of once, knocking enemies back with the first attack and knocking them down with the second. Deals additional damage due to the extra slash, and provides some extra control with the knockdown.

5. Parry
Cast: Instant
Range: N/A
Target Style: Self, Buff
For 15 seconds, reduces blocking cost by 50% and increases block mitigation by 50%. This incorporates the defensive nature of the polearm, a weapon which can practically be used to block and attack simultaneously due to it's length.
Morph 1: Counterattack
New Effect: Blocking a heavy attack while the ability is active marks the target for a counterattack for 5 seconds, increasing the damage of your next attack against that target.
Morph 2: Ward
New Effect: While the ability is active, you take reduced damage from all attacks.


So, through active abilities we cover:
-AoE Damage
-Executes
-Single Target Burst damage
-Control/Knockdowns
-Defense

Now we get on to the new and interesting passives that the skill line offers:


Passive 1: Polearms to Plowshares
Representing the fact that a majority of polearms were actually crude weapons converted from farming implements, this ability increases your out of combat health, stamina, and magicka regeneration while wielding a polearm weapon.

Passive 2: Martial Prowess
Provides an effect based on the type of polearm you are using:
--While wielding a Spear, you gain the ability to equip a shield in your off hand. While doing so, your polearm abilities, light attacks, and heavy attacks deal 40/20% less damage. This is to appease those crowds that want to wield a spear and shield.
--While wielding a Longhammer, your polearm abilities bypass 15/30% of the target's armor rating. This follows the armor-crushing nature of hammer weapons.
--While wielding a Poleaxe/Halberd, the bleed effect of gore and reap deal 10/20% additional damage, and the additional damage against already bleeding targets is increased by 10/20%.

With the above passive set, obviously you'd be pushed towards spears if you want to be more tanky/survivable, longhammers if you're fighting heavily armored opponents (and hopefully they get armor ratings fixed for npcs), and poleaxes/halberds for straight damage dealing.

Passive 3: Polearm Mastery
Reduces the stamina cost of polearm abilities by 10/20%. No difference here from the same passives in other melee weapon trees.

Passive 4: Phalanx
You gain 1/2% increased critical strike chance, critical strike damage, and weapon power for each ally within 15 meters that is also wielding a polearm type weapon, up to 10% maximum.

Passive 5: Formation Fighting
You gain 2/4% increased armor and spell resistance for each ally within 15 meters that is also wielding a polearm type weapon, up to 20% maximum.

These last two passives encourage the formation combat that polearms are well known for throughout history by providing stat boosts for each other polearm-wielder within a fair distance. Of course, this might cause groups to start all wielding polearms, but that'd be great yea? For those of us that love polearms, at least =P
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  • nicholaspingasb16_ESO
    nicholaspingasb16_ESO
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    Why not?
    Sanguine's Beta Tester

  • jpsmithub17_ESO1
    I agree completely. Polearms, especially spears, simply belong in at least some game that fantasizes a somewhat SciFi medieval genre. Likewise, at its simplest, the staff embodies this in its simplest form. I don't have a staff wielding build. For those that do, a melee attack which is perhaps restricted in someway to keep balance, but absolutely top of the melee weapon group damage "deadly", is really appropriate. Staff wielders should have a really great default melee of some sort, even if it is not their primary mode of attack.
  • Aeratus
    Aeratus
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    Lynx7386 wrote: »
    Passive 2: Martial Prowess
    Provides an effect based on the type of polearm you are using:
    --While wielding a Spear, you gain the ability to equip a shield in your off hand. While doing so, your polearm abilities, light attacks, and heavy attacks deal 40/20% less damage. This is to appease those crowds that want to wield a spear and shield.
    --While wielding a Longhammer, your polearm abilities bypass 15/30% of the target's armor rating. This follows the armor-crushing nature of hammer weapons.
    --While wielding a Poleaxe/Halberd, the bleed effect of gore and reap deal 10/20% additional damage, and the additional damage against already bleeding targets is increased by 10/20%.
    Perfect!

    I think an Akaviri-motif polearm should look like this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata

    Would this be considered a spear or halberd?
    Edited by Aeratus on July 31, 2014 12:25AM
  • Katkon
    Katkon
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    I approve of this idea!
  • PBpsy
    PBpsy
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    A spear and shield option would make me change to Templar as a main.
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  • Dekkameron
    Dekkameron
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  • ShedsHisTail
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    Historically, polearms were intended primarily for one of two uses, attacking mounted opponents or attacking from a mount.

    Yeah, there were a few designs which were used for hand to hand combat (short spears, tridents, etc.), but most polearms were far to long and ungainly for anything other than unseating a mounted opponent, or charging an opponent whilst mounted.

    Therefore, I say polearms would be wasted if we didn't also get mounted combat.
    "As an online discussion of Tamrielic Lore grows longer, the probability of someone blaming a Dragon Break approaches 1." -- Sheds' Law
    Have you seen the Twin Lamps?
  • PBpsy
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    Historically, polearms were intended primarily for one of two uses, attacking mounted opponents or attacking from a mount.

    Yeah, there were a few designs which were used for hand to hand combat (short spears, tridents, etc.), but most polearms were far to long and ungainly for anything other than unseating a mounted opponent, or charging an opponent whilst mounted.

    Therefore, I say polearms would be wasted if we didn't also get mounted combat.

    Historically magic was used for mainly nothing since it doesn't exists.
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  • Lynx7386
    Lynx7386
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    Historically, polearms were intended primarily for one of two uses, attacking mounted opponents or attacking from a mount.

    Yeah, there were a few designs which were used for hand to hand combat (short spears, tridents, etc.), but most polearms were far to long and ungainly for anything other than unseating a mounted opponent, or charging an opponent whilst mounted.

    Therefore, I say polearms would be wasted if we didn't also get mounted combat.

    I'm all for mounted combat, but those were not the only role polearms served in battle. The greek phalanx was an entirely anti-infantry polearm combat formation; and, again, look at any medieval battle and you'll see legions of soldiers carrying pole weapons - not swords.
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    Raksha - Khajiit Sorcerer - Stamina DPS
    Bastet - Khajiit Templar - Healer
    Leonin - Khajiit Warden - Tank
  • ShedsHisTail
    ShedsHisTail
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    PBpsy wrote: »

    Historically magic was used for mainly nothing since it doesn't exists.

    I think you're missing the point.
    "As an online discussion of Tamrielic Lore grows longer, the probability of someone blaming a Dragon Break approaches 1." -- Sheds' Law
    Have you seen the Twin Lamps?
  • Ser Lobo
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    Historically, polearms were intended primarily for one of two uses, attacking mounted opponents or attacking from a mount.

    Yeah, there were a few designs which were used for hand to hand combat (short spears, tridents, etc.), but most polearms were far to long and ungainly for anything other than unseating a mounted opponent, or charging an opponent whilst mounted.

    Therefore, I say polearms would be wasted if we didn't also get mounted combat.

    Skipping the 'this is fantasy' point, lets address another:

    In the world of Tamriel, there exist creatures which are far larger and more capable than we have in reality. Trolls, as an example. Deadra as another.

    While your point on why WE, humans, of the planet EARTH have developed these weapons is quite clear and accurate, it does not cover why Mer or Man on the world of Nirn developed those weapons. As far as we can tell, cavalry isn't much of a thing, probably due to the rather restrictive landscapes that would hamper it in many areas.

    This does not mean, however, that the Men of Nirn (or Mer, or various beast races, all of which do not exist in our reality) did not develop polearms for an entirely different purpose, reason, or with a different design in mind.

    If the Sword and Shield and troop formations didn't become the predominant form of martial conflict as it did with Greeks and Romans in our timeline, it's entirely possible that some other form did.

    It's just possible that keeping an enemy at range, fighting enemies far larger and with longer reaches than humans, or engaging a mage beyond the effect of most defensive spells, would be the reason for it's development.
    Ruze Aulus. Mayor of Dhalmora. Archer, hunter, assassin. Nightblade.
    Gral. Mountain Terror. Barbarian, marauder, murderer. Nightblade.
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    Ruze is a veteran of the PC Beta, lived through the year one drought, survived the buy-to-play conversion, and has stepped foot in the hells known as Craglorn. He mained a nightlbade when nightblades weren't good, and has never worn a robe. He converted from PC during the console betas, and hasn't regretted it a moment since.

    He'd rank ESO:TU (in it's current state) a 4.8 out of 5, loving the game almost entirely.

    This is an multiplayer game. I should be able to log in, join a dungeon, join a battleground, queue for a dolmen or world boss or delve, teleport in, play for 20 minutes, and not worry about getting kicked, failing to join, having perfect voice coms, or being unable to complete content because someone's lagging behind. Group Finder and matchmaking is broken. Take a note from Destiny and build a system that allows from drop-in/drop-out functionality and quick play.
  • Ser Lobo
    Ser Lobo
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    Double Post. Forms messed up.
    Edited by Ser Lobo on July 31, 2014 1:17AM
    Ruze Aulus. Mayor of Dhalmora. Archer, hunter, assassin. Nightblade.
    Gral. Mountain Terror. Barbarian, marauder, murderer. Nightblade.
    Na'Djin. Knight-Blade. Knight, vanguard, defender. Nightblade.

    XBOX NA
    Ruze is a veteran of the PC Beta, lived through the year one drought, survived the buy-to-play conversion, and has stepped foot in the hells known as Craglorn. He mained a nightlbade when nightblades weren't good, and has never worn a robe. He converted from PC during the console betas, and hasn't regretted it a moment since.

    He'd rank ESO:TU (in it's current state) a 4.8 out of 5, loving the game almost entirely.

    This is an multiplayer game. I should be able to log in, join a dungeon, join a battleground, queue for a dolmen or world boss or delve, teleport in, play for 20 minutes, and not worry about getting kicked, failing to join, having perfect voice coms, or being unable to complete content because someone's lagging behind. Group Finder and matchmaking is broken. Take a note from Destiny and build a system that allows from drop-in/drop-out functionality and quick play.
  • ShedsHisTail
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    I'm not poo-pooing the idea of polearms... I'm trying to use it as leverage to get mounted combat as well.

    I'm saying the potential of polearms is wasted if we're all just foot-soldiers.
    "As an online discussion of Tamrielic Lore grows longer, the probability of someone blaming a Dragon Break approaches 1." -- Sheds' Law
    Have you seen the Twin Lamps?
  • Ser Lobo
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    Mounted combat, hopefully with more depth and design than Skyrim, *would* be more interesting.

    I don't know how many times I just wanted to run something over with my horse when crossing a map.
    Ruze Aulus. Mayor of Dhalmora. Archer, hunter, assassin. Nightblade.
    Gral. Mountain Terror. Barbarian, marauder, murderer. Nightblade.
    Na'Djin. Knight-Blade. Knight, vanguard, defender. Nightblade.

    XBOX NA
    Ruze is a veteran of the PC Beta, lived through the year one drought, survived the buy-to-play conversion, and has stepped foot in the hells known as Craglorn. He mained a nightlbade when nightblades weren't good, and has never worn a robe. He converted from PC during the console betas, and hasn't regretted it a moment since.

    He'd rank ESO:TU (in it's current state) a 4.8 out of 5, loving the game almost entirely.

    This is an multiplayer game. I should be able to log in, join a dungeon, join a battleground, queue for a dolmen or world boss or delve, teleport in, play for 20 minutes, and not worry about getting kicked, failing to join, having perfect voice coms, or being unable to complete content because someone's lagging behind. Group Finder and matchmaking is broken. Take a note from Destiny and build a system that allows from drop-in/drop-out functionality and quick play.
  • LordEcks
    LordEcks
    ✭✭✭
    Aeratus wrote: »
    Perfect!

    I think an Akaviri-motif polearm should look like this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata

    Would this be considered a spear or halberd?

    Naginata is technically neither but in function they work as both.

    Its basically an un-curved sword on a stick. Typically used in a slicing arc similar to a halberd but also able to stab like a spear (or tipped Halberd) albeit slightly less effectively.

    If it were implemented in game it could share animations with any Halberd weapon with no issues.

    Coincidentally there happens to be one on the wall behind me as I write this.
  • Logan9a
    Logan9a
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    Surprised you didn't put in the Bill.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_(weapon)

    Hooked pole arms are a great way to get someone off their horse quickly.

    This would be great in PVP to keep someone from riding off.

  • Arsenic_Touch
    Arsenic_Touch
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    Since they already have the animation for the fighter's guild skill, they need to do 1h and 2h crosbows next. The reason games always leave polearms out is because it requires extra animations, if you notice, 2h weapons pretty much function the same, 1handers function the same as well.

    Unless they plan of putting time into the animations, I'm fine with them leaving them out because we don't need a copy and paste weapon with a new skin like that,.
    Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?

    ╔═════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╗
    "Hope can drown lost in thunderous sound."
    "Fear can claim what little faith remains."
    "Death will take those who fight alone."
    "But united we can break a fate once set in stone."

    ╚═════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╝

    NA // Ebonheart Pact // Leader of CORE Legion // Namira Beta Tester // VR11 NB
  • Lynx7386
    Lynx7386
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    It takes less than a day to create an animation set with motion capture technology, I doubt that's the reason behind it.
    PS4 / NA
    M'asad - Khajiit Nightblade - Healer
    Pakhet - Khajiit Dragonknight - Tank
    Raksha - Khajiit Sorcerer - Stamina DPS
    Bastet - Khajiit Templar - Healer
    Leonin - Khajiit Warden - Tank
  • The_Sadist
    The_Sadist
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    What a well thought out concept, good work!

    I'd like to see something similar to your idea being implemented, I was quite fond of certain spears in Morrowind. That being said I'm also waiting for thrown weapons to be a thing, the Black Dark Gang was intense!
    "Each event is preceded by Prophecy. But without the hero, there is no Event." ― Zurin Arctus, the Underking.
    Tragrim - How do I work this thing?
    Casually stalking the forums
  • Arsenic_Touch
    Arsenic_Touch
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    Lynx7386 wrote: »
    It takes less than a day to create an animation set with motion capture technology, I doubt that's the reason behind it.

    Haha.... oh dear.
    Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?

    ╔═════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╗
    "Hope can drown lost in thunderous sound."
    "Fear can claim what little faith remains."
    "Death will take those who fight alone."
    "But united we can break a fate once set in stone."

    ╚═════════════ ೋღ☃ღೋ ══════════════╝

    NA // Ebonheart Pact // Leader of CORE Legion // Namira Beta Tester // VR11 NB
  • BigM
    BigM
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    Couldn't agree more, great post and hope they listen.
    “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
    ― Stephen Hawking
  • Lynx7386
    Lynx7386
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭

    Haha.... oh dear.

    Five abilities, slight alterations for morphs in a few cases, two animations each for light and heavy attacks. That's a total of, at most, 19 individual animations. More realistically, only 9 animations, since morphs tend to be simple color or particle effect changes rather than animation changes.

    It'd take longer to code the abilities than it would to create an animation set for them.
    PS4 / NA
    M'asad - Khajiit Nightblade - Healer
    Pakhet - Khajiit Dragonknight - Tank
    Raksha - Khajiit Sorcerer - Stamina DPS
    Bastet - Khajiit Templar - Healer
    Leonin - Khajiit Warden - Tank
  • AreoHotah
    AreoHotah
    ✭✭✭✭
    You can tell how brave the user is by the lenght of the polearm. Gimme a katana anytime.
    Hota'h, Dual-wield/bow full medium armor NB Khajiit from day 1.

    https://imageshack.com/i/p2rF313Qj/b]
  • Lynx7386
    Lynx7386
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    I'd rather be the living victor than the dead brave guy =p
    PS4 / NA
    M'asad - Khajiit Nightblade - Healer
    Pakhet - Khajiit Dragonknight - Tank
    Raksha - Khajiit Sorcerer - Stamina DPS
    Bastet - Khajiit Templar - Healer
    Leonin - Khajiit Warden - Tank
  • AreoHotah
    AreoHotah
    ✭✭✭✭
    Lynx7386 wrote: »
    I'd rather be the living victor than the dead brave guy =p

    Oh dont worry, il have my bow ready for the ''hero'' pointing that thing towards me. Gonna need some pretty strong arrows thou. I bet he is wearing double heavy armor.
    Hota'h, Dual-wield/bow full medium armor NB Khajiit from day 1.

    https://imageshack.com/i/p2rF313Qj/b]
  • Anvos
    Anvos
    ✭✭✭
    Went of the why real stuff doesn't accurately apply to this before, so the simple answer I have is that if/when we do get a polearm its likely to be a singular skill line for a 2h one like a halberd.
  • Reiterpallasch
    Reiterpallasch
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    Lynx7386 wrote: »
    They've been conveniently left out of just about every modern MMO or RPG for no apparent reason

    09f1acd53dd66c5986d06639401a15b3.png
  • j_hobergb16_ESO
    j_hobergb16_ESO
    Soul Shriven
    Great post. I agree.
  • Zebug
    Zebug
    ✭✭✭
    Well written post, you could have been asking for purple bunnies to be added and I'd agree just because you took the time to write a well thought out post....good job.

    and by the way, yes to polearms....would be awesome
  • bertenburnyb16_ESO
    bertenburnyb16_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    yes plz
    the actives and passives could use some tweaking here and there but otherwise nice write up
    Haze Ramoran Dunmer Dragonknight Tank/Dps – Smoked-Da-Herb Saxheel Templar Tank/Healer

    Red Diamond, Protect us 'til the end (EU EP Thorn)
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