Sorcerer abilities feedback post TG

ToRelax · February 2016

So before the Update goes live, I thought I should at least try to give some feedback on how to balance the Sorcerer class again and make it more fun to play with. Based on experience a very unlikely thing to happen, but... let's get started.

Since I am mainly a PvP player, that's what I'll mostly give feedback on. I'll try to do my best not to affect the PvE Sorc negatively / state wich things I propose would likely do so.This will probably become a pretty large wall of text.
I'll go through the skill lines and comment on any active skill I'd like to see changed.

Dark Magic

Crystal Blast (morph of Crystal Shard)
Even with the increased AoE damage component, this ability is pretty useless, to put it lightly. Reasons are two: Firstly a casttime is a highly negative factor when choosing a morph because of the fast paced combat and enemies who are only too happy to interrupt you for a free cc, lost time and increased damage for them. Secondly, the projectile of Crystal Blast is flying in a curve, unlike the base ability and other morph, drastically increasing it's travel time. This gives opponents time to react to a skill that is already easy to counter.
Now I don't want to make it instant cast or just copy the other morph, that would kind of take away it's whole point. Instead, I would respond to a comment, @Wrobel recently made on ESO Live. If this skill is intended to be used against multiple enemies coming at you, then make it work accordingly. To make large scale PvP fights more strategic, we need ranged AoE and mass CC, and like Crystal Blast, iterations currently in game aren't living up to that purpose.
To make this morph worth picking over Crystal Fragments, it has to be reliable for it's purpose. It is splash damage, originating from an enemy player's position, so it is harder to target an enemy group than if you could freely choose a ground target (like for example Lightning Flood). That's why the radius needs to be increased. Further, when the goal is to harm multiple enemies, it needs to cc (knock down) more than one. The casttime is still more than enough time to either spread out or block the projectile, in both cases countering this morph. Lastly, I would not even consider using this morph without the projectile flying in a direct line like Crystal Fragments. It really does make a huge difference.
Shattering Prison (morph of Encase)
The damage this morph rarely ever happens and certainly not when needed, because it can be avoided by rolling out of or purging the root. Therefore the damage (wich isn't even very high) should also happen if the enemy rolls out of or purges the root. This way there is a choice for the enemy, because the root can be reapplied right away, again causing damage. If an enemy decides to stay rooted, the damage will be negligable.
Restraining Prison (morph of Encase)
Like Shattering Prison, this morph's snare should apply even when the enemy rolls out of the root. I am against applying the snare when the root is purged though, because that would force another Purge to move freely. Especially in the case of Shuffle used as a Purge for only roots and snares, it would not be balanced. Making it apply to enemies rolling out of the root would still make the morph effect apply against the most common counter that is accessible to everyone, thus increasing build variety. Currently, it is completely irrelevant wich morph of Encase a Sorcerer is using, that should change.
Rune Prison
All ranks and morphs of this ability should not prevent an enemy affected by it to be affected by another hard cc. It is a huge drawback to using this ability, that enemies in the Rune Prison can not, for example, be knocked down by Crystal Fragments, but instead are freed from their cc and granted cc immunity when hit with another hard cc.
Dark Exchange
This ability and it's morphs should scale with your resources again. It was a fun and diversifying concept that builds could be build around. Deciding wich amount of regen and maximum stats benefits one's playstyle the most when using this ability could be a tough choice, because with the threat of being interrupted, the ability could not be used in every situation. But now everyone gains and loses the same amount of stats with this ability, taking out the fun.
Deadric Minefield (morph of Deadric Mines)
I would like this ability to have more use in large scale battles. Unlike the other morph, it can not be used as a ranged damage skill and root. I believe, the mines should be able to hit several targets, very much like Fire Rune from the Mage's guild skill line. That way even a large group of enemies would have to think twice before simply running over the minefield as if it was nothing, much to the benefit of strategic group play. Also, if Deadric Mines still do not take the caster's spell penetration into account, that should be changed.
Negate Magic
All of us who played this game before update 6 know that this ultimate is a mere shadow of it's former self. It was then argued what let the developer's to nerfing it that badly and how it should be made more viable again ever since. So I will admit that the morph Absorption field was over the top when used by many Sorcerers one after another in a coordinated manner. It would mean that a certain area is controlled by one faction simply because their group had slightly more Sorcerers than the opposing one. With that in mind, the Ultimate had two powerful aspects: On one hand it removed suppressed any ground AoE, wich was covered by the base ability. On the other hand the more popular morph at the time, Absorption Field, restored a percentage of magicka and health to all friendly players inside the area for every removed effect, effectively making them unkillable if only their enemies were unknowing enough to spam ground AoEs inside the Negate.
Starting off, I would increase the cost of this ultimate, when following the other changes I will suggest, back to 250 ultimate. Also, if this skill currently removes stamina based effects, it should stop doing that.
- Suppression Field (Negate magic morph)
  I would restore the ability to remove ground effects even after the inital cast to this morph. If it would be slightly over the top, one or both minor buffs attached could be removed to balance it out. This ability would add more strategy to large group fights without turning them into a Negate meta (again). Reasons for that not to happen are 1.) missing resource return from the former Absorption field, 2.) unpopularity of ground effects overall and 3.) viability of stamina builds.
- Absorption Field (morph of Negate Magic)
  This morph is currently in a very weak state as it grants buff that can otherwise be obtained by simply using potions, and Rapid Maneuver or other skills wich provide a speed buff without having to stay within a small area. I believe it would be a good choice to let it restore magicka, health and stamina based on the amount of effects removed. However, doing so at once would benefit players who stack the most damage possible while foregoing sustain, wich already is a big problem in the current large scale meta. I believe the approach ZOS took in increasing percentages of regenerations is a very good one, but only if the buff would be unique and only for magicka and stamina returns, to not further nerf vampirism in PvP.
  So that said, I would like this morph to restore a percentage of health for every effect removed, as well as increase the magicka and stamina regeneration for every friendly player while inside the area based on the number of effects removed, up to a limit because some things like Deadric Minefield would be very embarassing when uncapped (for example 5% for every effect, capped at 60%).
  This way both morphs will offer strategic benefits in the area even after the initial cast, while neither of them and not even both used together by different players will be as powerful as Absorption Field used to be in 1.5 and earlier versions of the game.

Deadric Summoning

Summon Unstable Familiar
The Clannfear can't be protected by a stamina player with his small damage shield and the Unstable Familiar is easily rooted and disposed of. The ability can not be used as a PBAoE anymore anyway, the Volatile Familiar's AoE can't reach high DPS anymore nor does it stun instantly. I don't see any reason for this skill and it's morphs to still have a casttime and advocate for it to be removed.
Furthermore, I have not been testing the ability extensively after 1.6 PTS because I'm simply not interested in it anymore. But should it still be the case that the Pet's attacks do not take spell penetration into account (like Deadric Mines) and that the Volatile Familiar's "Explosion" does not deal increased damage against targets affected by Deadri Prey, that should be changed.
- Summon Unstable Clannfear
  If not already the case (I think not), the summoned clannfear's damage should scale with either magicka or stamina, wichever is higher, providing a buff to any stamina Sorcerers who would like to use it.
Bound Armor
This skill and it's morphs don't protect anyone anymore. They are mostly offensive skills now. To change that somewhat, simply grant all ranks and morphs the major and minor resolve and major and minor ward buffs. This will not stack with other sources to gain these buffs, but one would not need to use another buff like Lightning Form in addition to a toggle that already takes up 2-3 spots on a Sorcerer's bar, just to use all armor and spell resist buffs the class has to offer.
For a morph effect for the Bound Aegis blocking cost reduction could be a nice idea. This way both stamina Sorcs are buffed if they don't want to use Lightning Form, and especially Sorcerer Tanks get a nice buff, while the PvP magicka Sorcerers, who already are in a good spot do not get anything out of this.
Summon Storm Atronach
This ability and it's morphs should simply be immune to cc honestly. Having it break free is very nice, but should not be needed.

Storm Calling

Mage's Wrath (morph of Mage's Fury)
For an execute ability, when provided with a choice between dealing more damage to the main target, and basically anything else unless it's rediculous, a players will choose more damage. So while this morph is the less used currently, more damage to the main target is not an option. So let's go with more damage and/or larger radius of the AoE component. Very Similar to Crystal Blast, this morph could help Spread out fights. If enemies who are close to someone about to explode by this spell would have to worry at all, the morph choice would not be just as obvious and fights with someone using this spell involved could become a tiny little bit more tactical (he still needs to kill someone with it, after all).
Thundering Presence (morph of Lightning Form)
At the very least this morph should have the same duration as Boundless Storm. What is the point of making class skills cost stamina when they drain more resources in the end simply because they last for a shorter duration? Also, the increased damage should last a few seconds longer if not for the whole duration. It already isn't very high in practice thanks to low elemental damage and spell penetration on a stamina build.
Liquid Lightning (morph of Lightning Splash)
To help PvE Sorcerers, I would like this morph to be targeted at one enemy and stick to him, damaging him and all enemies in close proximity. To not turn this into a large buff for PvP, the effect could be broken out of (basicall giving enemies cc immunity exactly when they want) and purged. As a DoT it is not very powerful in PvP currently, and if an enemy is able to break cc whenever he wants, it makes the Sorcerer's burst combination including Crystal Fragments, Streak and Meteor that much less dangerous.
Surge
This skill used to be a class defining skill of the Sorcerer class. In effect it made every Sorcerer an expert in the usage of staffs, but the buff system completely wrecked that aspect of the skill.
Apart from that, we now have a cooldown on the heal and DoTs with their extremely vague definition don't provide heals at all. Remove the cooldown, let DoT crits heals again. If you really think it would be over the top, take any of the suggestions I already provided one year ago in this thread, that is healing from AoE capped at the 6 targets who take the full damage from said AoE ability, a total cap on the healing per second or magicka/stamina being drained in exchange for heals dependent on wich morph was being used.
Bolt Escape
The magicka consumed by this ability should not stack with every consecutive cast. This nerf should be reverted in conjunction with the nerfs to dodge roll and block, meaning neither should the cost of dodge roll stack nor should players be unable to regen stamina while blocking. All of these nerfs are only targeted at making it harder to use defensive actions, wich is a huge contributor to the current zerg meta (if it doesn't work, just bring more people). When all resource management is a problem, then adress all resource management!
- Ball of Lightning (morph of Bolt Escape)
  The Ball of Lightning should last for 3 seconds as 2.5 seconds proved to be too short of a time to make this morph worth it to most players. This still allows a one second window to launch spell projectiles against the user before the 4 second debuff from the last Ball of Lightning use runs out and the ability can be used at normal cost again.
Overload
As for PvP, since there is no ultimate left in the game to consume more than 400 ultimate, this should be set as the maximum amount of ultimate that can be stored. This will limit a Sorcerer's ability to spam a hard hitting ranged spell without any cost. However I am aware that this will also drastically hurt the PvE side of the Sorcerer, so Sorcerers should be buffed in PvE simultaneously with this change.
- Power Overload
  If anything, this morph should deal more damage than it's counterpart, not less. Further I would like to see it's heavy attacks uninterruptable. If those are to be the Sorcerer's AoE damage ultimate, they'd better be useable at all in PvP. Non stacked enemies won't be affected by this as it's way more efficient to use light attacks against those.

edit: power overload heavy attacks should be uninterruptable ofc

RoamingRiverElk · February 2016

You said that Absorption Field should buff *every* friendly player in its area, I would suggest capping the number of players at six. I think that Liquid Lightning is just fine for PvE, in PvP it's not really useful currently.

I especially agree on Crystal Blast, Ball of Lightning, Mage's Wrath, Daedric Minefield, Rune Prison, and Negate Magic (certainly needs to be buffed).

Defensive actions in general should indeed be returned to where they were and general rates of regen should be addressed. When it's much cheaper to attack than to defend, it makes it much easier for bigger groups to run over smaller ones. Yet if defensive actions were boosted, the ones playing in big groups *would still have access to the same defensive actions*.

Good post, I hope the devs read it.

ToRelax · February 2016

RoamingRiverElk wrote: »

You said that Absorption Field should buff *every* friendly player in its area, I would suggest capping the number of players at six.

Good point, of course it should be capped like any other heal!

Cinbri · February 2016

I agree on those, but as templar I wonder why is everything sounds so OP in compare what templars have

.

ToRelax · February 2016

Cinbri wrote: »

I agree on those, but as templar I wonder why is everything sounds so OP in compare what templars have .

Because how are you supposed to think about what makes a class more diverse and enjoyable when first you need to actually fix it's skills and reverse some incredibly stupid nerfs...

Jeezye · February 2016

Upvote for everything you said. As I'm playing stam sorc, I'd like to hightlight your suggestions regarding crit surge and bound armor. Those both are unreliable at this time since heals won't prog on shielded enemies (and almost everyone in PvP as a dmgshield).

For the bound armor, I'd not suggest a block cost reduction but, to make it in line with the other Daedric Summoning abilities, add an active ability that actually is worth using 2-3 slots on your bar. Also the passives of this ability should be buffed (major instead of minor buffs and higher MaxStam).

Actives could be
- 40% increased heavy attack dmg (similar to DKs) instead of 11% passive crap
- An instant stamina based heal, since stam sorcs have no defense at all because they can't use dmgshields effectivly
- any way to gain back resources
There are plenty other options that would fit to make up for all the lacks that stam sorcs suffer from at the current state.

#givestamsorcssomelove