Why does ZOS does not allow changing sets during combat？

beyondspace

This might sounds like a noob question，But I have been playing ESO since 2015，and I'm definitely not a noob. Its just that I have never asked this question in public before ，and I want to get this off my chest.

So，exactly Why does ZOS does not allow changing sets during combat？ They are afraid of people gaining an advantage in PVP and consider changing sets during combat is cheating？ But Its a double edged sword，your enemy player can change，you can change too. Its not like：He can change ，But you cant. you both can change.

How about in PVE，Why not allow changing sets during combat in PVE？ Why not allow adds-on like the dressing room to change sets during combat instead of out of combat only？

To keep this short： I just think ，things like ，modify your character stats ，ie lock your health bar So you would never die under any circumstance，things like this would definitely count as cheating coz you would be God like and is gaining a clear advantage. But I just dont consider allowing changing sets during combat as cheating. And If Its not cheating，Why not allow it？

I would like to hear you guys expert thoughts on this subject. thanks！

gamma71

Same reason you can't mount in combat. Reason unknown.

Personofsecrets

I personally prefer to not have this option.

The ability to change sets during combat would open up the doors to a gear changing metagame that would revolve around getting the most set based procs off by switching gears over and over between eachothers cooldowns. .

Major_Mangle

This got changed many years ago (think it was during or after thieves guild update) where people would use addons to swap gear mid combat to gain extra stats/damage. A common example was nightblade bombers who would pre-buff with clever alchemist and then swap to sets like spinners to increase their damage even further. This could easily be done during combat on PC since addons could be used to swap the gear for you.

TL:DR it´s for balance reasons, and it would lead to some really un-necessary power creep.

JustLovely

beyondspace wrote: »

This might sounds like a noob question，But I have been playing ESO since 2015，and I'm definitely not a noob. Its just that I have never asked this question in public before ，and I want to get this off my chest.

So，exactly Why does ZOS does not allow changing sets during combat？ They are afraid of people gaining an advantage in PVP and consider changing sets during combat is cheating？ But Its a double edged sword，your enemy player can change，you can change too. Its not like：He can change ，But you cant. you both can change.

How about in PVE，Why not allow changing sets during combat in PVE？ Why not allow adds-on like the dressing room to change sets during combat instead of out of combat only？

To keep this short： I just think ，things like ，modify your character stats ，ie lock your health bar So you would never die under any circumstance，things like this would definitely count as cheating coz you would be God like and is gaining a clear advantage. But I just dont consider allowing changing sets during combat as cheating. And If Its not cheating，Why not allow it？

I would like to hear you guys expert thoughts on this subject. thanks！

gamma71 wrote: »

Same reason you can't mount in combat. Reason unknown.

The reason is not unknown.

The reason is that it would be unfair if an opponent could mount up and run away while in combat, or, swap to sets that make that opponent an invincible block tank after being engaged in combat. If a player wants to change sets or mount up it makes total sense that these activities should not be allowed during combat.

Just_Attivi

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I personally prefer to not have this option.

The ability to change sets during combat would open up the doors to a gear changing metagame that would revolve around getting the most set based procs off by switching gears over and over between eachothers cooldowns. .

This. I see a few scenarios that would cause problems (that sure, could be coded around, but is ultimately more complicated than just locking gear in combat)

- a player could start a fight, realize its not going well, utilize a quick gear swap addon to swap into tank gear and perma block until their buddies arrive.

-a player could hotswap gear like above to open up a gank (this happened before, and is still done utilizing the sentry set in pvp to detect stealth, then swap into proc damage gear). player wears a set, opens up a gank, hot swaps to 2 more proc sets (done with 1 button) shoots a skill, hot swaps again, shoots a skill, repeat repeat repeat.

the competitive edge would go to whomever has the most gear loadouts for the most scenarios. Need a cleanse? swap on maras. need a proc? swap on tarnished. Need heals, swap on winterborn or whatever its called, you get my point im sure.

there could be cooldowns added, and in theory, if players had to open their bag and manually drag gear on to equip it, i wouldnt mind. but since there exists means to swap full inventory sets with 1 click, being able to change gear mid combat would just make the meta-game gear-swaps online.

LamiaCritter

Please no. Please, no. We already have a meta that's bad enough. I don't want to see that gear-swapping nonsense infect and poison ESO like it did in FFXI. That alone sucked all my enjoyment out of FF11.
Then again, I'm just a bit jaded, so my perspective might be soured.

WaywardArgonian

Because that way you can get multiple buffs and monster sets active at the same time, giving you an unnatural advantage. This is also why more sets these days can only be activated while already in combat; before, players would activate set-up #1 out of combat, then use an addon like Dressing Room to switch to set-up #2, and absolutely nuke whoever was in their path.

HatchetHaro

Because that would:
- unlock combat capabilities that is antithetical to the combat design that ZOS envisions for ESO
- make it meta to swap sets frequently even in short fights, heightening the already-high skill ceiling in combat, especially when it comes to APM, further widening the skill gap chasm between players.
- make gear-swapping addons mandatory

I've seen my fair share of gameplay ideas from players, even veterans, and this one just... takes the cake.

whitecrow

Because it's unrealistic to stop during a battle to change your clothes.

El_Borracho

Because it's unrealistic to stop during a battle to change your clothes.

Exactly. Not a role-play guy, but it does seem pretty silly to think you could swap armor sets in the middle of a battle.

But for the more practical aspect, that would be the equivalent of wearing 4, or even more, types of armor in combat. For PVE, that could be starting with one combination, then moving to a second in execute phase, or some sort of mechanic phase to avoid to.

For PVP, I think the answer is even more obvious. Who wouldn't swap to a full tank loadout when they are about to die? Or the converse, swap to a more damage-less defense set when you are about to finish someone off. It would be crazy and annoying

AlterBlika

Because addons would become mandatory for pve, you could literraly change builds for each skill before firing to maximize your damage. Plus it would buff everyone which is very bad

Dax_Draconis

It would be nice to do in PUGs since you never know who or what other roles you will end up with.

tsaescishoeshiner

It would be nice if in-combat state ended sooner and more reliably. Then it wouldn't really be an issue anywhere.

gamma71

JustLovely wrote: »

beyondspace wrote: »

This might sounds like a noob question，But I have been playing ESO since 2015，and I'm definitely not a noob. Its just that I have never asked this question in public before ，and I want to get this off my chest.

So，exactly Why does ZOS does not allow changing sets during combat？ They are afraid of people gaining an advantage in PVP and consider changing sets during combat is cheating？ But Its a double edged sword，your enemy player can change，you can change too. Its not like：He can change ，But you cant. you both can change.

How about in PVE，Why not allow changing sets during combat in PVE？ Why not allow adds-on like the dressing room to change sets during combat instead of out of combat only？

To keep this short： I just think ，things like ，modify your character stats ，ie lock your health bar So you would never die under any circumstance，things like this would definitely count as cheating coz you would be God like and is gaining a clear advantage. But I just dont consider allowing changing sets during combat as cheating. And If Its not cheating，Why not allow it？

I would like to hear you guys expert thoughts on this subject. thanks！

gamma71 wrote: »

Same reason you can't mount in combat. Reason unknown.

The reason is not unknown.

The reason is that it would be unfair if an opponent could mount up and run away while in combat, or, swap to sets that make that opponent an invincible block tank after being engaged in combat. If a player wants to change sets or mount up it makes total sense that these activities should not be allowed during combat.

Sets I can see, but being stuck in combat 24/7 is stupid and annoying as hell. They should just let us use skills while mounted then everything is on equal terms. Also getting thrown off your horse because you were trying to cross a tiny stream is also annoying.

yourhpgod

Players probably complained about it in forums most likely . It used to be a nice thing to have an addon and one button switch an entire set to play against someone's build. Now its just gambling and playing meta.

ssewallb14_ESO

It would be a complete mess. You would have some giga-addon that would switch builds with every possible event (put Clever Alchemist on with 3x Infused potion cooldown glyphs any time you press the potion button, Eternal Hunt any time you roll dodge, Coral Riptide whenever your stam is low, etc etc). And you would need this to be competitive.

PeacefulAnarchy

20 pairs of sets in your inventory, swapping a pair every second to get all the procs on cooldown. Can't see anything going wrong there.

thorwyn

Ohai, Macro-Keyboard!
Welcome, 200k parses.

CrashTest

This is basically god mode and would trivialize content even more than it already is because we could stack all the buffs and useful sets, and then unleash an obscene amount of damage and survivability while simultaneously melting the servers with all the calculations and effects going off.

KekwLord3000

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I personally prefer to not have this option.

The ability to change sets during combat would open up the doors to a gear changing metagame that would revolve around getting the most set based procs off by switching gears over and over between eachothers cooldowns. .

So you don't want to reward high skill? basically make everyone's build as simple as a HA sorcs?
Very selfish!
If you don't want to do it that's fine, but why shouldn't other have the ability to do so?

KekwLord3000

PeacefulAnarchy wrote: »

20 pairs of sets in your inventory, swapping a pair every second to get all the procs on cooldown. Can't see anything going wrong there.

What's the issue? if someone can micro manage 20 sets why shouldn't he parse higher than someone that does HA's exclusively?

fizl101

KekwLord3000 wrote: »

PeacefulAnarchy wrote: »

20 pairs of sets in your inventory, swapping a pair every second to get all the procs on cooldown. Can't see anything going wrong there.

What's the issue? if someone can micro manage 20 sets why shouldn't he parse higher than someone that does HA's exclusively?

Trivialising content. There is already significant power creep

alpha_synuclein

KekwLord3000 wrote: »

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I personally prefer to not have this option.

The ability to change sets during combat would open up the doors to a gear changing metagame that would revolve around getting the most set based procs off by switching gears over and over between eachothers cooldowns. .

So you don't want to reward high skill? basically make everyone's build as simple as a HA sorcs?
Very selfish!
If you don't want to do it that's fine, but why shouldn't other have the ability to do so?

Because it would be stupidly broken?
Also, coordinated prebuffing is annoying enough. Let's not add to that...

Northwold

KekwLord3000 wrote: »

Personofsecrets wrote: »

I personally prefer to not have this option.

The ability to change sets during combat would open up the doors to a gear changing metagame that would revolve around getting the most set based procs off by switching gears over and over between eachothers cooldowns. .

So you don't want to reward high skill? basically make everyone's build as simple as a HA sorcs?
Very selfish!
If you don't want to do it that's fine, but why shouldn't other have the ability to do so?

There's no skill whatever involved in piling add-ons into a subfolder.

opethmaniac

In addition to the legitimate reasons already mentioned...

The servers are already struggling with processing normal skills or bar changes without lag. Swapping equipment during combat would probably mean even more stress for the server and end in a clunky mess.

There are good addons (for the PC) for changing equipment and skills outside of a fight. I personally use Alpha Gear, which works very well.

coop500

I am glad they don't do this because this would be a balancing nightmare and hell for casual players to step foot into group content. The amount of set micromanaging expected would be absurd.

g0thiCiCecReaM

thorwyn wrote: »

Ohai, Macro-Keyboard!
Welcome, 200k parses.

You can get over 200k parses without swapping sets :-P

In all seriousness though, it's kinda like holding up your hand and saying "wait a minute" and expecting everyone to stop what they're doing while you take off all your clothes and put on new ones, then resuming the fight...kinda silly and dumb.

ApoAlaia

The devs really dislike micromanagement as a mechanic if they perceive it as conferring an advantage to the player.

However they have no issues with enforcing micromanagement in order to get an item to behave as expected (by them).

An example of the latter would be the somewhat recent change to Spectral Cloak, which forces the player to lose a GCD in order to proc the weapon's unique buff.

Personally I like power creep and I wouldn't mind if the hefty time investment demanded by ESO would result in reaching a point where a well seasoned, well coordinated group could conceivably one-shot Bahsei or Taleria in HM.

However in this particular the devs (and like minded players mind you) and yours truly will always be at odds; I'm OK with the idea of games being transient in nature, where their goal is for ESO to be a 'forever game' with an insatiable appetite for players' time and resources.

Creating an entity of infinite thirst with very much finite means requires a lot of smoke and mirrors.

N00BxV1

It makes sense that we're not allowed to change skills or gear while in combat because it would create unfair advantages. But it's very annoying when a group member engages in combat and it prevents me from changing skills or gear even though I was never in combat. It's also annoying how the in-combat state sometimes seems to bug and it makes us remain in combat for longer than we should be. So the whole in-combat mechanic is just a double-edged sword...

But we should be allowed to mount while in combat... Anyone that has ever studied History should know that charging-into and retreating-from battles has always been, and will always be, perfectly valid tactics. There's literally no reason not to allow us to mount while in combat, other than Gamers just don't like the idea of their opponents getting the jump on them or being able to get away from them.

El_Borracho

KekwLord3000 wrote: »

PeacefulAnarchy wrote: »

20 pairs of sets in your inventory, swapping a pair every second to get all the procs on cooldown. Can't see anything going wrong there.

What's the issue? if someone can micro manage 20 sets why shouldn't he parse higher than someone that does HA's exclusively?

At that point, why not just write a program that plays ESO for you while you do other things