Solanums mix of random rants.
Solanum
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There is a few things that have been bothering me for ages now, and I'm curious if anyone else is running into these problems.
Many probably won't agree with all the points, though these points are things I'd love to discuss and personally hope to see improved in the future.
-Weapondamage and spells.
Perhaps it's because I'm a nightblade, but it's not always obvious to me when something is helping me as a caster, and when something is actually helping me as a melee combatant. I may be mistaken but it seems like a high weapondamage sword would actually improve my ability to cast better.
I am really in favor of the whole concept of "play how you want to play" which puzzles me, why would there be a need for separate spellpower/weapondamage in the first place. We have our cloth and leather armors if we want to be good in one or the other, (or plate if we want to be kind of bad at them)
-lackluster stats
So stamina allows us to dodgeroll for ages, for everything else, (if counting absorptionshields) magicka. These two compliment the basic health stat.
It would be amazing in my opinion if the stats also added regeneration of the matching bar, in addition to perhaps another ability. High stamina would allow for a %chance to hit twice when hitting something, extra magicka would perhaps grant extra crit chance, or potential for more potent crits. High health might eventually add additional regeneration to magicka and stamina.
-Passive are not really a choice.
You want them, as long as there is a remote chance they might do something useful you will invest points. And I think it's good and necessary to have some basic passives to make certain skills have some synergy and cool interaction, but there is nearly no choice involved. (none once you are out of the lower levels)
What if we could choose a set of passive skills, or empower existing ones for new effects or new synergies?
-Boring skills/skills not adding anything
I notice several skills hardly adding anything, and even attempts at improvement ended up questionable, for example grim focus.
One needs to cast it, make seven light attacks, and then can do a single shot, which depending on what stats you went for is disappointing to say the least.
After some thought, I think we ought to be able to come up with something better, perhaps when one toggles it, they get a shadowy bow, allowing for heavy and light attacks as if wielding a bow, but keeping the attacks of the equipped weapon, and once wielding the weapon, having a shadowy version as placeholder for the effects. Very cool, and adding some nifty due to gaining range.
When cast on someones bow bar it could enhance the bow, giving it a few buffs.
I also notice that certain passives or actives that apply certain effects have been severely limited to that specific weapon/skill line, which is disappointing.
For balance reasons I understand this, but it does remove a lot of cool synergy and interaction between skills which we already are lacking so badly.
-Duels/arena's
Where are they? Seriously, I'm tired of having to be a ganker from stealth/zerging along, or having my ass handed because I get outnumbered.
-Stealth and it's counters.
Stealth is a great tool, unfortunately in Cyrodiil it's been made too powerful.
In addition it's counters have been made equally potent to deal with this problem, however, this doesn't counter the stealth it's power, it simply obligates us to zerg or put the counters on our bar and amongst our potions.
200 people can easily hide without being noticed in an open field during noon.
Or, a full leather clad Nightblade whom leveled up all relevant skills for improved stealth, can spam his or her dark cloak in the middle of the night and can still be easily spotted by a random person having cast Magelight. (Ironically, the dude with the flashy light circling around him, will be better at stealth then our rogue now.)
I'd like stealth to be less effective, as well as it's counters, and reward people whom focus on it a bit more.
-Vampires
It's a shame that this skill line feels like a handicap at the moment, while not quite yet adding as much flavor as some of us (well, me mostly, but there are others) would like.
Can we get a few different bloodlines perhaps? (Rogue warrior mage styled mayhaps?) How about a cool alternative to mounting, I'd love to fly about in batswarm form. Maybe you could tweak the timers on stages a bit so we don't have to feed at least 48 times a day to look a little less bloodstarved. Or perhaps the ability to drain a recently defeated opponent from it's blood?
-Low magic characters
Any chance we might get a shot at this? Even if we take all the stamina based skills there is still shadow and fire flying about together with humming shields and reflective skin. I understand this is an MMO, and that there need to be visual queues to an extend, but it would be awesome if they could be made somewhat slightly less magicky for the stamina skills?
-Roleplay skills
I remember plenty of games where pets would collect loot. Or where people could polymorph in different cool forms with their own effects. Mages casting portals left and right (you know, like the lass from the fighters guild and pretty much every NPC seemingly can)
Such things are not overpowered (who actually -needs- portals with the wayshrine system, right?) but they can be rather cool to have.
-Cooldowns, just wee tiny ones.
Nobody likes having to wait 3 minutes to use a skill, let alone an hour. This especially is true when you can only pick five skills and an ultimate a bar.
However, having an ability that does 100 damage for 100 magicka, and an ability that does 70 damage for 50 magicka probably means that I will stack silly on magicka, perhaps put both skills on my bar, and spam the 100 magicka ability till the end of days. You will not see any interesting synergy with the 50 magicka one unless it's a skill I have for when I'm out of stamina.
It becomes more interesting if the skills affect eachothers damage, but chances are with only 5 slots available I'll still go for which of the two is most effective.
Cooldowns might mean an ability would become more potent (you can't spam it, you have to wait, a whole 6 seconds, oh no!) without becoming too strong. Ever considered this for the bash we all have? Because, let's be honest, flapping your shield about looks silly, yet increasing the cost of the bash would make it even less attractive.
Not only would this allow for more powerful and interesting skills, having a cooldown on some of the skills would also make it far more appealing to use light and heavy attacks in combat.
All these suggestions aside, so far the game looks amazing, the quests can be simply inspiring, the lore rocks. This game has a lot going for it. If these topics mentioned could be addressed and when we finally get some new content, my social life would be doomed.
Many probably won't agree with all the points, though these points are things I'd love to discuss and personally hope to see improved in the future.
-Weapondamage and spells.
Perhaps it's because I'm a nightblade, but it's not always obvious to me when something is helping me as a caster, and when something is actually helping me as a melee combatant. I may be mistaken but it seems like a high weapondamage sword would actually improve my ability to cast better.
I am really in favor of the whole concept of "play how you want to play" which puzzles me, why would there be a need for separate spellpower/weapondamage in the first place. We have our cloth and leather armors if we want to be good in one or the other, (or plate if we want to be kind of bad at them)
-lackluster stats
So stamina allows us to dodgeroll for ages, for everything else, (if counting absorptionshields) magicka. These two compliment the basic health stat.
It would be amazing in my opinion if the stats also added regeneration of the matching bar, in addition to perhaps another ability. High stamina would allow for a %chance to hit twice when hitting something, extra magicka would perhaps grant extra crit chance, or potential for more potent crits. High health might eventually add additional regeneration to magicka and stamina.
-Passive are not really a choice.
You want them, as long as there is a remote chance they might do something useful you will invest points. And I think it's good and necessary to have some basic passives to make certain skills have some synergy and cool interaction, but there is nearly no choice involved. (none once you are out of the lower levels)
What if we could choose a set of passive skills, or empower existing ones for new effects or new synergies?
-Boring skills/skills not adding anything
I notice several skills hardly adding anything, and even attempts at improvement ended up questionable, for example grim focus.
One needs to cast it, make seven light attacks, and then can do a single shot, which depending on what stats you went for is disappointing to say the least.
After some thought, I think we ought to be able to come up with something better, perhaps when one toggles it, they get a shadowy bow, allowing for heavy and light attacks as if wielding a bow, but keeping the attacks of the equipped weapon, and once wielding the weapon, having a shadowy version as placeholder for the effects. Very cool, and adding some nifty due to gaining range.
When cast on someones bow bar it could enhance the bow, giving it a few buffs.
I also notice that certain passives or actives that apply certain effects have been severely limited to that specific weapon/skill line, which is disappointing.
For balance reasons I understand this, but it does remove a lot of cool synergy and interaction between skills which we already are lacking so badly.
-Duels/arena's
Where are they? Seriously, I'm tired of having to be a ganker from stealth/zerging along, or having my ass handed because I get outnumbered.
-Stealth and it's counters.
Stealth is a great tool, unfortunately in Cyrodiil it's been made too powerful.
In addition it's counters have been made equally potent to deal with this problem, however, this doesn't counter the stealth it's power, it simply obligates us to zerg or put the counters on our bar and amongst our potions.
200 people can easily hide without being noticed in an open field during noon.
Or, a full leather clad Nightblade whom leveled up all relevant skills for improved stealth, can spam his or her dark cloak in the middle of the night and can still be easily spotted by a random person having cast Magelight. (Ironically, the dude with the flashy light circling around him, will be better at stealth then our rogue now.)
I'd like stealth to be less effective, as well as it's counters, and reward people whom focus on it a bit more.
-Vampires
It's a shame that this skill line feels like a handicap at the moment, while not quite yet adding as much flavor as some of us (well, me mostly, but there are others) would like.
Can we get a few different bloodlines perhaps? (Rogue warrior mage styled mayhaps?) How about a cool alternative to mounting, I'd love to fly about in batswarm form. Maybe you could tweak the timers on stages a bit so we don't have to feed at least 48 times a day to look a little less bloodstarved. Or perhaps the ability to drain a recently defeated opponent from it's blood?
-Low magic characters
Any chance we might get a shot at this? Even if we take all the stamina based skills there is still shadow and fire flying about together with humming shields and reflective skin. I understand this is an MMO, and that there need to be visual queues to an extend, but it would be awesome if they could be made somewhat slightly less magicky for the stamina skills?
-Roleplay skills
I remember plenty of games where pets would collect loot. Or where people could polymorph in different cool forms with their own effects. Mages casting portals left and right (you know, like the lass from the fighters guild and pretty much every NPC seemingly can)
Such things are not overpowered (who actually -needs- portals with the wayshrine system, right?) but they can be rather cool to have.
-Cooldowns, just wee tiny ones.
Nobody likes having to wait 3 minutes to use a skill, let alone an hour. This especially is true when you can only pick five skills and an ultimate a bar.
However, having an ability that does 100 damage for 100 magicka, and an ability that does 70 damage for 50 magicka probably means that I will stack silly on magicka, perhaps put both skills on my bar, and spam the 100 magicka ability till the end of days. You will not see any interesting synergy with the 50 magicka one unless it's a skill I have for when I'm out of stamina.
It becomes more interesting if the skills affect eachothers damage, but chances are with only 5 slots available I'll still go for which of the two is most effective.
Cooldowns might mean an ability would become more potent (you can't spam it, you have to wait, a whole 6 seconds, oh no!) without becoming too strong. Ever considered this for the bash we all have? Because, let's be honest, flapping your shield about looks silly, yet increasing the cost of the bash would make it even less attractive.
Not only would this allow for more powerful and interesting skills, having a cooldown on some of the skills would also make it far more appealing to use light and heavy attacks in combat.
All these suggestions aside, so far the game looks amazing, the quests can be simply inspiring, the lore rocks. This game has a lot going for it. If these topics mentioned could be addressed and when we finally get some new content, my social life would be doomed.
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