Exploring possible future systems updates, Class Passives

ESO_Nightingale · June 23

Hey everyone i was just thinking to myself recently how interesting it would be to make new passives for all of our favourite class lines, but instead of simply gaining these passives at all times, perhaps it would be much more interesting to need to slot them using the 4 existing class passive slots! it could potentially use the morph system as a basis.

Using Winter's Embrace (my favourite class line) i decided to explore possible ideas.

For reference, these are Winter's Embrace's current passives:

what if we added new ones into the pool to mix and match? (images are placeholder)

I know the obvious concern is that of powercreep, and i get that, but the game's powercreep does need to be sorted out in some form anyway, likely through scaling increases to enemies etc.

I think the point is moreso, would it be fun to optimise the line for the role you want to play, rather than being like "oh damn, i don't think i should use X skill line even though i think it's awesome and has some cool skills, because it passively doesn't offer me anything. that sucks."

Pixiepumpkin · June 23

Too cool!

LunaFlora · June 23

that would be pretty awesome

HedgeHugger · June 23

I was just looking through the Race passives and realised that the Orc racial skills are only of benefit until they max their crafting lines, all the other races have something of benefit further on in the game, even if it is only something like swim faster, it is something that is always available. Will never not be available.
Orc has inspiration gain and armour skill gain. Both maxed out around level 50 usually. It has a definite end, no further use once completed.

ESO_Nightingale · June 23

HedgeHugger wrote: »

I was just looking through the Race passives and realised that the Orc racial skills are only of benefit until they max their crafting lines, all the other races have something of benefit further on in the game, even if it is only something like swim faster, it is something that is always available. Will never not be available.
Orc has inspiration gain and armour skill gain. Both maxed out around level 50 usually. It has a definite end, no further use once completed.

I see. I wasn't talking about racials here but i personally think that they should remove all racials but the base flavour ones so you can play whatever race you want.

wolfie1.0. · June 23

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

HedgeHugger wrote: »

I was just looking through the Race passives and realised that the Orc racial skills are only of benefit until they max their crafting lines, all the other races have something of benefit further on in the game, even if it is only something like swim faster, it is something that is always available. Will never not be available.
Orc has inspiration gain and armour skill gain. Both maxed out around level 50 usually. It has a definite end, no further use once completed.

I see. I wasn't talking about racials here but i personally think that they should remove all racials but the base flavour ones so you can play whatever race you want.

They have been nerfed enough that you already can and have been that way for ages.

Anyway, the problem comes down to balance. And honestly, with subclassing balance is going to be harder to achieve, not easier.

One suspicion that I have regarding game direction and how new classes will be added is that they wont add new classes. They will add in new class skill lines thst you can subclass into.

ESO_Nightingale · June 23

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

HedgeHugger wrote: »

I was just looking through the Race passives and realised that the Orc racial skills are only of benefit until they max their crafting lines, all the other races have something of benefit further on in the game, even if it is only something like swim faster, it is something that is always available. Will never not be available.
Orc has inspiration gain and armour skill gain. Both maxed out around level 50 usually. It has a definite end, no further use once completed.

I see. I wasn't talking about racials here but i personally think that they should remove all racials but the base flavour ones so you can play whatever race you want.

They have been nerfed enough that you already can and have been that way for ages.

Anyway, the problem comes down to balance. And honestly, with subclassing balance is going to be harder to achieve, not easier.

One suspicion that I have regarding game direction and how new classes will be added is that they wont add new classes. They will add in new class skill lines thst you can subclass into.

Honestly they still make a difference which is enough for me to feel like they should be flat out removed.

ESO_Nightingale · June 23

LunaFlora wrote: »

that would be pretty awesome

I think that dark magic is one of the lines that could heavily benefit from this kind of system update. Crystal frags is awesome but you sacrifice passives just to pick it up.

ESO_Nightingale · June 25

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

Too cool!

Thanks

LunaFlora · June 25

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

that would be pretty awesome

I think that dark magic is one of the lines that could heavily benefit from this kind of system update. Crystal frags is awesome but you sacrifice passives just to pick it up.

i agree with that.
i really wanna use Crystal Fragments for a Mirrormoor themed build, but the rest of the line isn't as useful for damage.

wolfie1.0. · June 25

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

ESO_Nightingale wrote: »

HedgeHugger wrote: »

I was just looking through the Race passives and realised that the Orc racial skills are only of benefit until they max their crafting lines, all the other races have something of benefit further on in the game, even if it is only something like swim faster, it is something that is always available. Will never not be available.
Orc has inspiration gain and armour skill gain. Both maxed out around level 50 usually. It has a definite end, no further use once completed.

I see. I wasn't talking about racials here but i personally think that they should remove all racials but the base flavour ones so you can play whatever race you want.

They have been nerfed enough that you already can and have been that way for ages.

Anyway, the problem comes down to balance. And honestly, with subclassing balance is going to be harder to achieve, not easier.

One suspicion that I have regarding game direction and how new classes will be added is that they wont add new classes. They will add in new class skill lines thst you can subclass into.

Honestly they still make a difference which is enough for me to feel like they should be flat out removed.

Racial based passives have always been a factor lore wise. I would hate to see them go, so I would oppose you on doing so.

If there were a way to transfer more unique benefits to racial passives that were not combat related but still highly beneficial then maybe we can come to an agreement on it. But I would prefer that some uniqueness persist within the game, now that base classes are basically marginalized into hybrid builds.

Personally, I find it ridiculous that swinging a weapon harder or channeling a weapon in a heavy attack restores resources instead of costing it. Or that a simple merchant can repair enchanted armored for gold but can't do the same for weapons... there's a lot of things in game that dont make sense either lore wise or logically, but have to deal with because its an MMO.