Idea for skill styles and POTENTIALLY saving class identity

Tariq9898 · May 2

An interesting idea I have is the skill styles could extend beyond just colors and into theme based abilities. For example, maybe the clannfear summon could be a flaming dragon if your parent class is DK.

Or if you’re a NB, using the Warden bear summon invites a small cloaked assassin instead. Maybe the Streak on the Templar will look like a player thrusting a spear of light.

The gameplay and ability mechanic will still be the same. It’s just the aesthetic that’s changing.

So that way, it’s not just the colors that change, but also the physical/magical properties and shapes.

This idea could potentially save class identities whilst keeping subclassing. Players who want to subclass can have all of their abilities themed around their parent class.

I don’t know if this will ever happen, but it doesn’t hurt to let ZOS know and discuss ideas.

What do y’all think? @ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_RichLambert

ragnarok6644b14_ESO · May 2

This is a great idea. A sorc-warden hybrid where the sorc is a genuine Daedric summoner would be cool. You could have the bear be a Spider Daedra.

Make Arcanist tendril look like the Void Mage tendrils pls. Lol.

Erickson9610 · May 2

As long as Skill Styles don't impact the functionality of the skill, they're fine — for instance, the New Life Styles: Winter pack makes three abilities look like ice attacks, but their actual damage type is unchanged.

Model swaps for things like pets might be tricky, if the swap entails changing the creature type. In order to not affect the functionality, such Skill Styles would need to have the new creature attack exactly like the original creature; so a Feral Guardian Skill Style that isn't a bear would still need to function exactly like Feral Guardian would, which might be tricky to get working if the animations don't line up or look right.

Tariq9898 · May 2

Erickson9610 wrote: »

As long as Skill Styles don't impact the functionality of the skill, they're fine — for instance, the New Life Styles: Winter pack makes three abilities look like ice attacks, but their actual damage type is unchanged.

Model swaps for things like pets might be tricky, if the swap entails changing the creature type. In order to not affect the functionality, such Skill Styles would need to have the new creature attack exactly like the original creature; so a Feral Guardian Skill Style that isn't a bear would still need to function exactly like Feral Guardian would, which might be tricky to get working if the animations don't line up or look right.

Yes, the actual mechanic and functionality would stay the same.

The animations for the pets could look different so long as the attack length is the same and the damage doesn’t change.

For instance, the bear stands on its hind legs and claws down on the target. A DKs version of that could be a flaming dragon that swipes its right claw from top to bottom. The animation will be different but the length and damage wouldn’t change. If you get what I mean.

TX12001rwb17_ESO · May 2

The thing is giving summons skill styles that change it into a different creature would require new sounds and combat animations for said creature which is very unlikely.

For the Warden Bear to be a Daedric Summon to match Sorcerer Daedric Summon Skills the most you could hope for is turning your Bear into a Storm Atronach Bear.

Tariq9898 · May 2

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

The thing is giving summons skill styles that change it into a different creature would require new sounds and combat animations for said creature which is very unlikely.

For the Warden Bear to be a Daedric Summon to match Sorcerer Daedric Summon Skills the most you could hope for is turning your Bear into a Storm Atronach Bear.

I know, I’m aware that the sound would also have to be changed. Which is why I’m not sure if this’ll ever happen unfortunately.

That said, I’m also not sure what the limitations are. I was told that Sea Elf Grand Healing added not just a color change, but also completely changing the sound effects.

I do sincerely hope this happens. The community is torn on subclasssing. But with this change in skill styling, players can at least have some degree of class identity by making the aesthetics their own.

So two players running the exact same DPS skill sets will look drastically different due to their parent class aesthetics. It’ll be optional of course.

Stx · May 2

These are great ideas. If they started working on this now we should see some of these new styles by 2030!

Heren · May 2

The release of simple recolors of skills is already down to a mere trickle, so I wouldn't expect anything on the scale of what you're proposing. But these are great ideas. Hell just the possibility to have a coherent color scheme between all of your abilities would be insane, and most likely won't happen before another 10 years or so I guess.

Stx wrote: »

These are great ideas. If they started working on this now we should see some of these new styles by 2030!

I see you beat me there. You're also quite more optimistic than I am.

Anumaril · May 2

Great idea. Would love if the Daedric Clannfear could be re-skinned as an undead skeleton or something so my necro can finally have a melee minion.

Erickson9610 · May 3

I think Skill Styles should not be tied to your class. I don't want the appearance of subclassed skill lines to automatically change to match the theme of my base class.

It should be optional — and I'd like to be able to use some of these themed Skill Styles (like the Nightblade-themed Feral Guardian in your example) on completely different classes, like Templar.

People were already very upset that Class Set motifs are bound to your class, and I don't think we should make more cosmetics bound like that. The first batch of class ability Skill Styles are simple recolors, but some of them fit the color palette of other classes rather well — that is the direction that should be taken.

Cooperharley · May 3

Erickson9610 wrote: »

I think Skill Styles should not be tied to your class. I don't want the appearance of subclassed skill lines to automatically change to match the theme of my base class.

It should be optional — and I'd like to be able to use some of these themed Skill Styles (like the Nightblade-themed Feral Guardian in your example) on completely different classes, like Templar.

People were already very upset that Class Set motifs are bound to your class, and I don't think we should make more cosmetics bound like that. The first batch of class ability Skill Styles are simple recolors, but some of them fit the color palette of other classes rather well — that is the direction that should be taken.

Skill styles are always optional.. just like they are now.

OP is proposing that they become available optional skill styles that you can only use with certain classes as mentioned above. You're not going to be able to use a "shadowy figure" bear ulti on a sorc for instance, just a NB and if you adopt the animal summoning skill line.

I do not agree that we should stick to RGB. That's completely unimaginative. The system should expand to add new warden ultimates - different animals for instance (eg, wolf, elk, kagouti) and other more expansive and class-thematic skill styles as mentioned. It's 2025, let's move away from little-effort-RGB styles.

RGB skill styles (and yes I know this will not happen) in reality should just be made free and given to the players as a pack for each skill rather than sold. They should put more effort into them like the molten puncture morph for instance and tie them to earnable gameplay rewards.

Tariq9898 · May 3

Cooperharley wrote: »

Erickson9610 wrote: »

I think Skill Styles should not be tied to your class. I don't want the appearance of subclassed skill lines to automatically change to match the theme of my base class.

It should be optional — and I'd like to be able to use some of these themed Skill Styles (like the Nightblade-themed Feral Guardian in your example) on completely different classes, like Templar.

People were already very upset that Class Set motifs are bound to your class, and I don't think we should make more cosmetics bound like that. The first batch of class ability Skill Styles are simple recolors, but some of them fit the color palette of other classes rather well — that is the direction that should be taken.

Skill styles are always optional.. just like they are now.

OP is proposing that they become available optional skill styles that you can only use with certain classes as mentioned above. You're not going to be able to use a "shadowy figure" bear ulti on a sorc for instance, just a NB and if you adopt the animal summoning skill line.

I do not agree that we should stick to RGB. That's completely unimaginative. The system should expand to add new warden ultimates - different animals for instance (eg, wolf, elk, kagouti) and other more expansive and class-thematic skill styles as mentioned. It's 2025, let's move away from little-effort-RGB styles.

RGB skill styles (and yes I know this will not happen) in reality should just be made free and given to the players as a pack for each skill rather than sold. They should put more effort into them like the molten puncture morph for instance and tie them to earnable gameplay rewards.

What’s RGB??

Erickson9610 · May 3

Cooperharley wrote: »

OP is proposing that they become available optional skill styles that you can only use with certain classes as mentioned above. You're not going to be able to use a "shadowy figure" bear ulti on a sorc for instance, just a NB and if you adopt the animal summoning skill line.

Just like the backlash regarding Class Set motifs, I don't think any cosmetics should be locked to your class.

If we're going to get these Skill Styles which are more than just color swaps, then it makes the most sense to sell them (or make them available in content) to players of any class.

I mean, I didn't buy Summon Winged Twilight, Warrior because I thought I'd never have the chance to use that skill on my main character. Now that Subclassing makes that possible, I'd be more likely to buy that Skill Style if it ever returns.

It's not a matter of making sure your subclass skills look thematic your base class, but rather of making something that more people would want to have.

katanagirl1 · May 3

The door to class identity is pretty much closed now but I think this is still a good idea.