Well this thread has turned into a dialogue between two people (@Haki_7 & @Artisian0001) , with the occasional unrelated comment from someone else, but I think we've reached its end here @ZOS_Kevin

Does anyone really rely on that 6-second buff from Frost Pulsar? I’m pretty sure most players are just using the skill for Minor Mangle, since there are much better ways to obtain minor protection, like Circle of Protection or scribing.

If it comes down to choosing a skill for Minor Mangle, there is one issue I’ve noticed: the only real advantage Frost Pulsar has over Trample is that it has no cast time. Trample costs less, has a better range over all and applies the debuff for a longer duration.

My suggestion would be to remove the Protection buff and instead give Frost Pulsar a higher chance to apply Chilled.

Tariq9898 wrote: »

This. It’s all very subjective at the end of the day. I’ve seen a huge lore person who writes on the Imperial Library website stating that the main villain from the Greymoor chapter is one of her most favorite characters, up there with Dagoth-Ur. If I recall correctly, she hated Morrowind DLC though, but loved CWC. This was all on the Imperial Library Discord.
Conversely, I’ve seen other Elder Scrolls lore geeks hating on Greymoor but loved Morrowind.
I’ve come to realize that one of the main causes for huge differences in opinion on how ESO tackles lore is simply put: interpretation.
Elder Scrolls lore is very much like reading real history. As such, the accounts are biased, dramatized and/or exaggerated. Much of the cities in ESO have never appeared in any other game (except Arena/Daggerfall, but those are old) but were described in lore books from the mainline games. This can lead people to think ESO cities will or should be a literal illustration and design that adheres to past descriptions. Especially, but not limited to, Alinor.
Fun fact: the natives in Central America actually called Conquistador galleons “moving mountains” upon first sighting. But that was not literally the case. Same goes with Elder Scrolls.
So when people say ESO’s writing or lore has “fallen off,” I think a lot of that reaction comes not just from uneven writing quality, but from wildly different expectations about how literally Elder Scrolls lore should be portrayed.

As a real-life historian, I'm aware of this. I read lorebooks as nothing else but unreliable sources, subjective accounts and sometimes metaphoric or symbolistic descriptions. What bothers me are lore inconsistencies about things our player character sees with their own eyes - often even within the same story. And when it comes to that, things have gotten worse since High Isle - where we got ToT, the both "brand-new" and "ages-old, traditional" card game. The same year also introduced the Zenithar event where the player character had to congratulate Naryu on saving the Tribunal. This year both lorebooks as well as npcs' accounts (from Regent Carinwe, for example) that told us that no one from West Solstice has set foot into East Solstice since about 40 years - then, with the second part of the story, we suddenly find the College of Sea and Sword there, which is a branch of the Collegium Praxis, whose students regularly and casually walk over to Sunport in West Solstice (or at least they did before the accursed Wall appeared, they say). Also, the island is so unknown it's not found on any map (based on people's supersticious beliefs that it was cursed), which is also given as a reasoning for why the Stirk Fellowship needs months to locate the place, but still its inhabitants have friends on mainland Tamriel. And don't get me started on Mannimarco's sarcaphagus randomly showing up where ever it is needed for the story.

I found Rada al-Saran to be a well-written antagonist, by the way. Definitely one of the more interesting ones.

I'm a big fan of hireling letters, I used to sub to them on multiple alts. I know they are in eidetic memory, but I still love the format of small daily bits in the mail box. Ccan you, please, reset the hireling cycle once it reaches the last letter of the last hireling back to the first hirelings instead of spamming our mailbox with the same last letter for years? And also, can you, please, add a number on each letter? Don't ask me why, Destozuno would understand.

Happy holidays everyone!

My only request is a Banker and/or Merchant assistant. (Any are fine. Cats are preferred!)
This may be hard to believe, but I have been playing ESO (on-and-off) since June 11, 2014.
(Yes, I logged into my ESO account-management page and checked the exact date. Lmao.)

Shoutout to @Darkmage1337 for recruiting me to ESO all those years ago.
Our many battles for Fort Dragonclaw in Cyrodiil were absolutely legendary.

@Dragonclaw1337 (PC/NA)

lDaede wrote: »

@Metheglyn
I know it is kind of crazy to say but in many ways you feel like family, each year you have reached out right at the moment I needed it the most and our interactions, though brief, have seen me through some pretty rough times. Thank you for being there.

I don't think it's crazy to say; I think it's sweet and the feeling is mutual. Talking to you has helped me in some rough times, too, and I'm glad we met through this lovely yearly tradition of the gift exchange thread.

lDaede wrote: »

Ygraine (@LDaede on the left) and Cydhi (@Oskaloid on the right) wish you a holiday season so grand it's embarrassing and hope the new year brings nothing but the best to everyone!

That is a great picture!

I just wanted to post a quick reminder for anyone who hasn't posted a wish list yet, and may be feeling that they missed their chance to join in the festivities, that for some of us this wonderful community event continues all the way until the end of the New Life festival. I for one have plenty more of my humble gift packages ready to send out, I just need some more people to send them too!

Everyone on PC/NA who has posted their details in this thread should have received my little gift by now but it has been a chaotic time so if you haven't please let me know.

Now if you will all forgive a little indulgence I would like to add a couple of public thank you's to some specific folk who have brought me a great deal of Joy this year.

@heaven13
The incredible timing of your gift led to a truly hilarious mad panic, I barely had a half breath to write a quick thank you and start enjoying the moment before I received the same gift from @ShadyJane62 and I am suddenly in a scramble trying to figure out what happens when gifted something you just received and racing to call up my friend Osk and make sure they jump on-line. The whole thing was a wild, terrifying and beautiful crisis I won't soon forget.
@M1Shaan
There is a kind of disconnect for me with the really big gifts; as incredible as they are to receive I am just not in the position to give those kind of things myself and because of that there is always an awkwardness to receiving them as well. Your gift was something I could really relate to. Something deeply thoughtful and meaningful that will be cherished.
@Metheglyn
I know it is kind of crazy to say but in many ways you feel like family, each year you have reached out right at the moment I needed it the most and our interactions, though brief, have seen me through some pretty rough times. Thank you for being there.
@ShadyJane62
As much as I love my piggy and am incredibly grateful for you gifting Osk the DLC bundle (less so for you giving him the hair pack ;P) the mail you sent before I posted my wishlist and the accompanying "not a gift", that really meant the world to me, bless you!
@Trylien
Way back when I started my ESO journey and discovered this community event I dared to make a crazy wish and boy did you ever come through. Everything I have done for this community is and always will be in your honour, you have shaped my time in ESO more than you will ever know.
@WolfStark1
When I post my wishlist I spend a good deal of time thinking about what to add, what I will really make use of and enjoy and what I could make use of to help others but I always let one thing sneak onto that list that I just really want for myself. Giladil was just for me in ways I cannot explain in the few lines I am allowing myself here, Thank You.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who has responded to my humble little gifts with such wonderful words, thoughts and well wishes. When I am out there fishing and harvesting and brewing and as I carefully sort and stack everything to put together the stocking stuffers I send out I take that time to think on each and every person on my list for the year. I like to hope that this little bit of extra effort adds weight to the words I send out to all of you and though no response is ever expected any received are held in a similar regard and all are cherished.

@Aliyavana, @anadandy, @ArkadiaReaper, @ashlee17, @celest.lavie, @Dreshel, @ElvenOverlord21, @Erinia, @G1Countdown, @gch_tamriel, @heaven13, @IsharaMeradin, @JalenaSaige, @JimFord047, @johnicus, @KaiKai1313, @Kallykat, @kip_silverwolf, @kjolak, @Kristalynn, @LilithTristitia, @LucieMorningstar666, @M1shaan, @Marronsuisse, @Metheglyn, @PangTong, @Personofsecrets, @Prism_ADC, @robbybobby, @shadyjane62, @Simver, @Skipdog777, @Taryn57, @ThundariansBirthday, @ValeriaValentina, @VoreshMal, @WolfStark1

Haki_7 wrote: »

Artisian0001 wrote: »

Are you really that desperate to keep it alive? 2 team BGs are more competitive than 3 team ones

What I'm desperate for is solving all seven flaws that plague Battlegrounds. So far, we've only been able to find solutions to three of them. The three that ruined 4v4v4.

Chaosball 1 & 2, no way to lose. The usual pointless staring contest with ball carriers.

Relic 1, no way to win.

Relic 2, no way to lose. Only four opponents remained.

Deathmatch 1 & 2, no way to lose.

Crazy King, no way to lose.

Destruction of Battlegrounds Chapter 124: Waiting 20 minutes for a lopsided match (Solo 8v8 PC/NA)

https://youtu.be/no0EQh7M-fs

2 team BGs are more competitive. 3 team BGs are casual. You want to farm random people while you 3rd party on a sorc, you are the reason 2 team BGs are better. The sooner you accept that, the better.

AScarlato wrote: »

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

AScarlato wrote: »

Vonnegut2506 wrote: »

licenturion wrote: »

Yeah classes can be a big thing for player retention.

Just look at Diablo 4. The excitement for the new season was super low everywhere. Then they shadowdropped Palladin, and now this season has peaked in player numbers since release and everyone is hyped.

It helps that Paladin is so overpowered that everyone wants to play it for this season.

It's also the addition of a popular fantasy archetype, and extremely well done themactically. Templar can't beat diving into enemies with my spear as an Angel, with my righteous auras burning everything around me due to my mere prescence.

I'm not sure what types of classic classes ESO is missing at this point - if anything various schools of mages they could play around with that aren't well represented here.

I wish ESO had something like a Paladin. Templar is, I think, supposed to be that archetype, but it falls short in so many ways.

Same. I gravitated towards the Templar in ESO (I have had more Templars than any other class at this point) since I love holy/paladin themes.

There are some things I like, like Jabs (moreso pre-animation nerf), the Sun ultimate, Ritual which is the closest thing to feeling like an Aura to me. Really hope they step up and modernize the Templar when they re-balance the job.

honestly the class implementation of eso falls short in many of the themes...they are doing something different thats fine but there is a reason these class archetypes are so established and often used

I wished the warden/druid had a bear transform (as even the druids have in eso) and be built around lightning and earth magic rather than frost

I wished the necro was based around frost and had persistent pets - even 1 ultimate like the warden

I wished the templar was more like a paladin with auras

etc. etc.

Of course you can interpret class themes differently but then they need to be good/better...

NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

Is it really millenial writers doing this? Always feel like millenials are blamed for everything, especially since many I see complain about writing like this are millenials. Myself included. Like they can't have more bad writers than other generations. All must have good and bad writers.

I find it both funny and sad how many people my age and even younger are all "back in my day...". Or "xyz gen" whatever. Why does humanity have such short memories.