Crystal Shard issues...make this ability stationary or shorten cast time

Korereactor

Due to animation issues, lag, etc., it seems to me the best answer to fix issues with Crystal Shard would be one of the following:

1. Make it stationary only. Once you move, the ability cancels itself. This would solve having to cancel by blocking every time someone accidentally button mashes one too many times because the ability queue is odd, maybe it's set too long, I don't know. I know you can block to cancel, but that also slows you down and is very odd. Part of the problem is it's cast time/animation is crazy long as well.

This may solve all of the animation issues associated with this, including the odd noise that keeps going and going and going...

2. Shorten the cast time. The animation is cool but if it's causing issues then do away with it and make something else, or shorten it.

3. Have dodge cancel the cast. (added in recent edit)

I'm mentioning this because the more I level, the more this ability that I depend on for boss fights becomes more bugged and frustrating to use.

I'm not a programmer so I'm just guessing here. If someone has a better idea I'm, all ears, but this ability is starting to annoy me (level 40).

AlexDougherty

It helps if you have summoned an unstable familiar (scamp or better), then they attack the enemy, leaving you to hit them with staff blasts, lightning blast and crystal shards. The major problem for me is that with bosses you have to quickly build up MP in case they destroy your familiar, but after that I easily fit in Crystal shard attacks.

limeli8

messing with one of the main sorc skill mechanics because you have butter fingers seems excessive.

stryderzz

lol i lvl straight past it every time and morph it into an instant cast proc, never noticed any issues haven't actually had to cast it since beta :"P

P.S. you depend on it for bosses? do you mean mini elite mobs?
because real bosses (instanced group dungeons) can't be cc'd in any way, so i'm unclear on how you mean you depend on it unless you mean for damage and its bugging out and not casting lol

Korereactor

stryderzz wrote: »

lol i lvl straight past it every time and morph it into an instant cast proc, never noticed any issues haven't actually had to cast it since beta :"P

P.S. you depend on it for bosses? do you mean mini elite mobs?
because real bosses (instanced group dungeons) can't be cc'd in any way, so i'm unclear on how you mean you depend on it unless you mean for damage and its bugging out and not casting lol

The instant cast is only 35% chance to proc? Are you saying it procs for you every time you use it? Wow, wish I had that luck lol.

Not sure what you mean about CC, the skill doesn't have it. Yes I mean damage.

What's annoying me most is the long ability queue and having to block to cancel the skill (which slows you down). Even dodge would be better. It makes it rather clunky during a boss fight. You should only be able to queue one other cast off, and in this case you can queue multiple it seems. I've played casters in several MMOs (with raiding experience), this is the first where it's starting to annoy me in battle at times. I'm rather surprised it's not bothering others? Especially the lagged sound effect? I realize I can use a different skill, but this one does a hell of a lot of damage, and if it worked well it would be great (including while moving, which may be where the issues show more).

If I'm doing this wrong let me know, but for a Dark Magic Sorcerer this skill seems to do the most single target damage, no?

Note: I'm not saying this is game-breaking, just that it needs to be worked on.

Korereactor

For those people who hate having to block to cancel a cast (which still makes no sense to me in a boss fight, especially for clothies), I'll direct you to this add-on that works great:
CancelCast
Hopefully ZeniMax will allow roll (dodge) to cancel a cast in the future. We are not tanks, don't make us block bosses so we can "slowly" get out of the way!

Droxx

can we just give me a screen indication when the instant cast procs. I run an orc Tankmage and i have no idea when i get an instant cast. this game could really use wow style buff indicators or something other than just the character screen.

bekayel724b14_ESO

The crystal shards instant cast proc can be triggered when using any ability that costs magicka. Also, your hands glow purple when it procs.

gimmethecreepsb14_ESO

Droxx wrote: »

can we just give me a screen indication when the instant cast procs. I run an orc Tankmage and i have no idea when i get an instant cast. this game could really use wow style buff indicators or something other than just the character screen.

It does give an indication. You're hands glow an eerie blueish-purple when it's procced. The reason why they dont give you a button indicator is because in wow, you can easily spend 50-75% of a raid looking at your buttons instead of the game. In ESO, they want you to look at the game, not the buttons.

gimmethecreepsb14_ESO

Korereactor wrote: »

For those people who hate having to block to cancel a cast (which still makes no sense to me in a boss fight, especially for clothies), I'll direct you to this add-on that works great:
CancelCast
Hopefully ZeniMax will allow roll (dodge) to cancel a cast in the future. We are not tanks, don't make us block bosses so we can "slowly" get out of the way!

I actually agree with this. There have been a few times I've been mowed down trying to cast a crystal frag because i was in slow-mo. Nothing worse than that first boss in spindleclutch, you cast c-frags, she starts doing the aoe, you watch your character leisurely walk away and get killed lol...

dw0011nrb19_ESO

Cancelling it with a simply right click is so SUPER easy?

Korereactor

dw0011nrb19_ESO wrote: »

Cancelling it with a simply right click is so SUPER easy?

It's not about whether or not its easy. It's the mechanics. It's clunky.

See here:
1. Start casting, boss takes large amount of damage. You aggro boss. He fires back at you.
2. Right Click to Cancel - You take damage because your standing there like a moron with a staff raised horizontally at a boss. Sure, all Sorcerers do this.
3. Dodge out of the way. At this point you've taken a lot of damage.

It should be:
1. Start casting, boss takes large amount of damage. You aggro boss. He fires back at you.
2. Dodge out of the way (it cancels the cast automatically). You avoid damage completely.

Not to mention I still have issues where I can't cast anything...yet I can move around. No idea why (yes I have stamina and magika).

Look, I'm making do, and I still love this game. I'd just like to see some mechanics changed a bit to make combat more fun and fluid.