Skills won't cast

Mansquito · September 2023

Hi,

Since the Xbox EU server 'upgrades' my game has run as you'd expect, really well. However since the latest maintenance I cannot cast skills, it only works intermittently, maybe 1 every 3 attempts when in combat. I have tried everything, including;
Using a different controller
Wiring my controller to console
Updating my controller
Using an old gen Xbox
Putting the game on performance mode
Checking ping
Calling ISP to check line
Checking inside Cyrodiil and outside

I've only just bought a new Xbox Series X and was hoping to see an improvement in gameplay but I'm now pretty devastated to see that the game is now unplayable again.

If anyone does actually look at this, I think it might be related to the stamina bug where you don't get regen and skills stop firing. I say this because sometimes skills won't work for extended periods of time, not even a heavy attack and this is accompanied with no stamina regen. I have seen a marked upturn in this happening since the update. Other times I have to press it just three or four times, sonas you can see it's not consistent but it is making combat unplayable.

I don't know what else to do, uninstall?

Please respond, thanks.

Rikkadir · September 2023

Happens to me as well on PS4 since update 2.48..
Especially in Battlegrounds and Dungeons, my Arcanists Ultimate will not work, and occasionally other abilities as well. Even lightning heavy attacks won't fire sometimes. I have to swap bars then back again.
Best for me not to do dungeons, but I need to level up Undaunted.

Thanks.

Mansquito · September 2023

I'm bumping this because the game or at least combat is genuinely unplayable!

I've tried;
Multiple controllers
Wired and wireless controller
Using an ethernet cable
Reinstalling the game
Resetting router
Ping tests
Contacting my ISP
Putting performance mode on (and off)
Adjusting TV settings
Switching back to my OG Xbox!
Combat in and out of Cyrodiil
Clearing my cache

Nothing works, I still have issues casting skills in combat. I get the bug out of combat but maybe 1 in 10 skills don't cast. When in combat it's more like 1 in 2 or 1 in 3 skills do not go off.

With my checks it seems like it's a game related issue, however nobody else I know has it. Is it an account issue? Can there be account issues?

I'll keep bumping every week until I get a response as I have logged bug reports and tickets to no avail.

HedgeHugger · September 2023

Seems to be a problem with targeting.
I've been having problems with heavy shots not connecting, you just stand there with a bit of a twitch, especially after using overload.
Trying to get a lock on to get shots off is getting worse.

xilfxlegion · September 2023

ive noticed it with lightning staves and with the templar jesus beam --- i even slotted it to a different place on my controller and still the same thing.

Mansquito · September 2023

It's not just offensive skills targeting other players, I get it with the bubble, my runes, Honour the Dead, every single skill I have slotted is susceptible

katanagirl1 · September 2023

Targeting for me has been bad for many patches, your cursor has to actually be directly on the enemy, if it is just slightly off the edge of their outline skills won’t fire. It’s like there is no hitbox. That is why my skills won’t fire.

AOE skills don’t have this problem.

Mansquito · September 2023

Mine has nothing to do with targeting, it happens with Living Dark, all my runes, literally every skill.

BahometZ · September 2023

I've had multiple people complain about this issue in game. Hopefully zos can remedy it. Game is in rough shape right now.

wilykcat · September 2023

I was in a dungeon group two days ago and noticed ability 2, and sometimes ability 4 didn't cast. I tried spam hitting those keys and it didn't work. Group was wondering why my dps was off. I told them. They said it's a bug.

Forgot to mention. PC NA

Mansquito · September 2023

Interesting, I haven't looked to see which number ability it is on the bar (I'm on Xbox) but if I reinstall the game I'll be sure to check ✅

virtus753 · September 2023

Lots of us in our recent gs prog experienced this daily. Not the one where you literally can’t cast at all, but the one where your client says you cast but the server thinks you didn’t and you have to do it again. And again. And again.

In those cases, to me, it feels like a bit better version of Cyrodiil, where you often see the client send commands (the skill icon “depresses” on the screen) but the server doesn’t seem to process them correctly. ZOS did acknowledge that the performance issues being observed were making their way into PvE. They said their code rewrite didn’t make much progress but claimed the hardware replacement did, except we’re back to communication between client and server degrading. When blockcasting on trash pulls, as much as 25-50% of my dot casts were not being processed: caltrops, spear, orb, solar barrage, hail, cloak. It isn’t class specific. It isn’t specific to dots that have to be placed on the ground vs sticky dots on self vs dots that can be cast anywhere. They all have trouble.

It does feel like certain skills are particularly problematic: Spear frequently won’t cast properly, for example, which supposedly got a fix for controller a while ago, but then they had to revert some unspecified changes because they broke Break Free on controller, and I think we lost the Spear fix because of that. Beam also frequently just doesn’t cast, so I have to make sure to put myself in a position where I can see whether it’s gone off. I can’t rely on my skill bar, since the icon visually depresses on my screen but the game doesn’t get the message. I sometimes even get the audio and see a cast bar from Combat Metronome, so I know the message was sent on my client’s end. For some reason the server is either not getting it or rejecting it.

My ping is typically between 60-80, including during these situations, and there’s no issue with packet loss when I test it.

Mansquito · September 2023

Very interesting. I've also checked ping and packet loss and they're absolutely fine, as are the rest of my internet metrics.

mdjessup4906 · September 2023

I just had this problem not 10 min ago. Xbox one controller on PC. Could fire my ult and 1 skill. The rest were stuck. Had to leave a dungeon because of it.

Mansquito · September 2023

I'm not sure all of us have the same issue though. Mine is constantly intermittent, i.e. it happens to me once every 2 or 3 skill cast attempts but I endure this constantly when in combat and it is present, but less often out of combat.

It's hard to explain but massively detrimental to combat, especially PvP and would probably massively impact trials as well.

blktauna · September 2023

I have this on Pc and its been there in cyro since about 35 but is now bad in overland since 39

mdjessup4906 · September 2023

Mf I just had to drop out of a craglorn pug because of this ***. As tank. Why does this game hate tanks???
I wonder if it has anything to do with that stupid ass custom keybind limit. There should BE NO LIMIT. I use every one of those ***.

mdjessup4906 · September 2023

Not keybind, at least on my oakensorc. Still have 3 left but still can't fire 3 skills

Mansquito · September 2023

Just reinstalled and also tried on NA server as well as EU (XBOX) and still the same, unplayable =( so disappointed ☹️

boi_anachronism_ · September 2023

What else is new lol this is an issue for me a lot of times on ps/na. Im on a 5 and i still encounter this even with a good internet connection attached to lan.

Mansquito · September 2023

It happens in every single combat scenario tho, not just occasionally and I've had lag issues before but other people were getting them. This time it is just me but is not my connection, so it has to be their side but potentially account or class specific.

Mansquito · September 2023

Basically any medium or high level combat situation is impossible when one in two skills won't cast

Displaced_Salad · October 2023

I've also experience this using lightning staves for the most part, but at some point with most classes/skills. Rough shape is an understatement.