***** Allow light/heavy attacks + block to hit !!! *****
So one night a few months ago I woke up suddenly with an "Eurêka !"
I would change the shortcut of interrupt (Light+Block) to something else and I would be able to battle with block on while light/heavy attacking.
As a melee player in heavy armor who has despite a LOT of optimizations (all stamina enchants, redguard, cost reduction jewelry, Champion Points, stamina-giving abilities...),
I have far from enough stamina to sustain a long fight or a zerg with heavy cc mechanics.
Heavy Armor is still the "starvation armor" if you play melee in the Front Line.
Being able to light & heavy attack while blocking (currently we can cast any ability while blocking) would allow that precise resource mechanism to actually alleviate the lack of stamina
BUT it is not possible... putting the heavy armor melee "juggernaut/berzerker" playstyle even more in the "not in PVP design category.
As a consequence, all range buddies can heavy attack quite safely to regain resource while, as melee, it is often suicidal to release block while in AVA zerg combats, resulting in even more
resource unfairness to full melee PVP (SB/DW/2H)
- range has therefore easy access to resource-back mechanism but is very risky (suicidal) to melee (heavy attack)
- range has easy ultimate generation ability (just light attacking someone from afar), something melee cannot do (expecting to be hit while blocking to compensate)
As melee you have to break much more soft and hard CCs and rely heavily on stamina resource management to survive, stamina that Heavy Armor starve you on. To play in the Front Line you should have thought that heavy armor was the way to go... but Heavy Armor has the worst Resource Management Mechanic by far. You try to heavy attack to compensate but die if you try to...
Additionally Heavy attacks in melee suffers from "sticking to target" issue due to higher angular speed with the soft targeting system (targeting system is great though) which results in added difficulties to land those slow heavy attacks without previous CC on the target while removing your owns (slows, roots...)
One perfect example of how Melee PVP is NOT working in TESO is the Werewolf !
The WW,
the rightfully least use ultimate in Cyrodiil directly cumulates those flaws :
- no built in slow (angular speed soft targeting)
- low armor mitigation in the game => block required to survive in First Line PVP (but there is no true "first line" in TESO, the reign of range)
- blocking = no DPS for the WW since it cannot attack (WW DPS relies mainly on light and heavy attacks)
- additional sub-par survivability with no active mitigation mechanism (in TESO active mitigation >> passive mitigation)
- Bleeds are a huge part of WW dps but they do not work on shields
Am I right when I say there are still close to no (true) melee PVPers in Cyrodiil ? Why ? Melee PVP in HA is still ignored : the HA design supports heals but not anti CC mechanisms (break free cost reduction is the only one but...), poor/nightmare-ish stamina management (
We need a "Rage" system for Heavy Armor where additional hits mean additional resources), and unsufficient DPS means perma loose to Sorcerers Shield Stacking (against similar skilled player of course).
***** Werewelf and Melee berzerkers/juggernauts styles have to stop being left behind in Cyrodiil !!! *****
Many mechanics are PVE-designed in this game (heavy giving resources being one) and almost every time do not take into account the hard constraints of melee PVP. Although I previously mained a destruction warlock in WOW PVP, I had an extensive experience with Warrior (all flavors) and Feral Druid melee PVP and Blackguard in Warhammer Online. Three characters that was able to hold the front line, lead the charge and fight toe to toe with anyone. I just can't say enough how Melee PVP in TESO feels bad in comparison in that precise field. This is another attempt to try to make TESO enjoyable
and fair for competitive Melee PVPers.
- ultimate generation for melee (since you have to be cautious when engaging, you do not generate ultimate contrary to the range pokers while fighting ZvZ)
- heavy attack resource management
- light+heavy attack while blocking
- Heavy Armor and resource management (end of the starving armor, especially melee stamina heavy), we need rage-like resource system to fill our role !
- Heavy Armor and +7% juggernaut need to be back
- All Melee DPS need to be superior to Range because of much inferior "uptime" in AVA (otherwise what's the point, ex Bow snipe vs 2H uppercut ?!!!)
- Bleeds against shields (melee skill lines are the main "bleeders")
- Heavy Armor + shields inefficiency (mitigation not transmitted to spell shields - understandable but double hurting)
- Werewolf PVP viability (cost, mechanics, slow, mitigation (through passives perhaps)
- Berzerker / Juggernaut playstyle PVP viability