Combat Intelligence - Thoughts on basic combat efficiency

Aeradon

We are offered the following options at our disposal.

1. Light Attack
2. Heavy Attack
3. Active Skill
4. Passive Skill
5. Moving
6. Roll Dodge
7. Block
8. Interrupt
9. Break Out

These are all evolved throughout the years from classic combat genres such as the good old Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Did you know you can block a punch in street fighter if you time yours in the correct direction? That is where Interrupt comes in. People wished for it to make more sense that a fire character should be immune to fire, passive skills came into place. Its too tough for cast an energy bolt out of your fists and your thumb hurts, they made a button for Active Skills. And the list goes on.

We all could remember that one friend or our moron sibling, whom crouches and spams his leg extension. That one person that kept jumping and give you an energy bolt whenever he does so. You lose, you cry, but does that victory of his/her last long? Somehow it wasn't that effective anymore once you figure out a counter that is a effective combination of all options offered.

Use the skills like it is intended to be used. Attack when necessary, interrupt when necessary, move out the way when you see it coming, dodge if you think your legs are too short, block it if you have no other options. Cast some skills when you have the opportunity.

We all know what 1-5 is supposed to do. I assume we can achieve consensus on that. Let me dwell into 6-8.

Roll Dodge
Grants you the ability to move with a burst of speed at the expense of Stamina.
Gives you temporary immunity just to make it slightly easy and rewarding.
Breaks you out of immobilisation just to be fair.
Some games allow some damage to the direction you dodge into, but it's still leans to a defensive ability and you should still attack when you want to deal decent DPS.

Block
Grants you extra resistance to incoming damage at the expense of Stamina.
Provide you a panic button if you do not know what to do.
Some games allow reflection of damage, but it's still leans to a defensive ability and you should attack when you want to deal decent DPS.

Interrupt
Grants you the ability to stop what the opponent planned to do at the expense of Stamina.
Some games make you stop what you do as well, but ESO made it so that you will complete what skill or attack you were doing when you interrupt.
Some games only allow interrupt whenever necessary, ESO allows interruption any time.
Some games provide interrupt at immense cost of resources to provide damage as well making it hardly spam-able, ESO offered interrupt with decent resources to be viable at all times with a decent damage as compensation of resources.

Break Out
Grants you ability to break out of crowd control and gain immunity for a short period of time at the expense of high amount of Stamina.

Look at it this way, ratio of damage/advantage:resources/disadvantage should always be balanced. Jack of all trades, master of some; the saying goes vice versa. If I only do attack, and never bothered to block, I'm vulnerable. If I only do blocks, and never attack, I'm bound to be taken out. If I only block and interrupt, I don't expect Molag Bal to be dying anytime soon.

We are given all these skill points, skill lines, weapons, armours, and these combat options for a reason. We do the necessary. Playing how we want doesn't mean I can run around with my fists and expect it to hit 50 miles away. Nor does it mean bumping my shield against a foe will make him receive as much pain as piercing/slashing him with a poisoned dagger.

TL;DR: I've said it before and I will say it again. Spamming that Low Kick will not win your Street Fighter match all the time. Same goes for holding acceleration forever in Need for Speed won't guarantee you a win.

Balance yourself before you want the game to balance itself.

P.S. I didn't want to make any thing to be seen as OP and eventually get nerf-ed because of whining. Those who read through will know what I'm talking about, I hope it's working as intended to reward fast players.