Indecisive Newbie

WatchfulPoet

Good evening all. I am incredibly indecisive and hoping a ramble on here might put me on the right path.

So, i am currently cp 153, and have a Templar at level 50. I chose the templar because it could self heal, and i knew this would make getting my first alt to level 50 easier. It is magicka based too as i love magic types.

I only ever do PVE questing. I've never once done a dungeon yet, and never intend to PVP.

Because i only ever do PVE questing, i've never used the second bar. I just don't see a need for it. Things die too quickly anyway. Currently, i fire off reflective light, followed by blazing spear for some aoe, then spam them to death with puncturing sweeps. Then they are dead. Easy.

Easy, but also a bit boring. Then i see Sorcerers running around with their pets making things explode. Awesome i thought. So i make a sorcerer. Then i see people running around as balls of lightning, zooming past me and making things die quicker than i can charge up barrage thing. So i focus my Sorc on being a ball of lightning and no pets. But then i realise i dont have many attacks and things are hurting me, ALOT, because im in light gear and squishy.

Then i see other classes running around whirlwinding. So i go, Ohhh that looks good. So now i have a Dk at level 11 who is dual wielding. I have whirlwind unlocked, and its eating up mana whenever i use it. Plus i run alot, so im nearly always out of mana. So then i get annoyed and frustrated that my running stamina is the same as the one i use for attacking. So then i go back to my Templar, and i go round in circles.

Sigh.

I just want a class where i can run around, with ONE bar, and do nice single, and aoe damage. And i really like the lightning and sparkles on a sorc!

Every guide i check, never gives clear enough instructions for new players, or for levelling up. Obviously everything is aimed at end game, but not everyone wants to do that. I feel increasingly lost and slightly overwhelmed when looking for guides/help.

Hopefully someone is bored enough to read this rant, and guide me on the right path. Thanks for your time.

Nestor

First get your Templar to CP160.

It is not about getting your build optimized while leveling, it is about leveling your character so you can do something with them once leveled. Since every character that hits L50 is Champ Ranked, and takes on the full CP Rank of your highest character, this is why you want to get those last 7 Champ points on your Templar first, then all your alts will be at least CP160 when then hit L50. Then the game really starts. Then you can do all the fancy spells and rotations and what not.

Note you can get a character to L50 in about 20 hours, more or less using my guild below.

See this:

One thing to remember, a lot of guides are written with idea to maximize production to the Nth Degree, which can make sense when your leveling your 8th character. But it can really suck the fun out of the game on your first character worrying about it.

Here is a better approach:

The beauty of the game now is each zone drops a Magic Set, a Stamina Set and a Health (Tanky) Set. You can do the content in the zone and get the gear you need with some nice bonuses to help your characters. It drops in at least Green and Blue is common once you get around the 30;s. A lot of times it drops in the Training trait, but you really don't need to have every single item in Training. Just prefer it as a trait, but wear what you get. When you are done in that zone move on to the next and start replacing the gear with the stuff from that zone. You can usually go about 10 levels over the gear before it starts to get noticeable as needing to be replaced. If you get something that is higher level than your wearing, just swap it out as you go along. Again, don't worry about the traits while leveling. The game is buffing you anyway.

As for leveling crafting, you should do that, but don't be in a hurry to invest all the skill points you need for it. You need those points for combat and defense. Just decon all the loot you have left over after selling to cover any repairs you do. Research Traits on items you think you are going to use. Then do the other traits later on.

Let me give you an example of what I did with my last two leveling characters.

1. I collected all the Skyshards in the zone. I avoided any and all quests other than those that show up in the delves that have skyshards. These quests do not give set items for rewards so no loss there.
2. I would farm the dolmens a few times to get set jewelry that helped my character
3. I would do the Public Dungeons including all the bosses
4. Then I would move to the next zone.

In doing this, I could fully gear up my character with level appropriate stuff, and it was helpful gear. May not have been the best, but you don't need the best while leveling. Any gear I farmed from Dolmens or PD's is repeatable, so I can get it at CP160 by just repeating. Then, I had all the content quests left for me once I reached CP160 as those can give you sweet Set Drops in good traits you want. And, Quest Experience is huge for gaining CPs once your past CP160. Kind of a waste before that.

In about 8 zones, I would be fully leveled in Mages, Fighters, Class, 3 Armors and Weapon Skills. Leaving only Undaunted to level, although I would get to almost 3 in that from Dungeon Achievements.

And this:

First leveling character? Forget about Builds right now. No need, your handicapped anyway by the game so you are way more powerful than you need to be. Instead take advantage of this buff to properly level your character so you can be deadly when it matters later on when you are not buffed by the level scaling. In other words, you can create a rotation that makes you think your all that and a biscuit because of the scaling buffs, then get a rude awakening come Champ Ranks when you are on your own.

In other words, right now if your wearing any gear, the mobs will die.

1. Have one class skill on your bar at all times, swapping them out once the skill reaches Morph stage. Worry about your Morphs later.
2. Have one weapon skill on your bar at all times, again until Morph stage
3. Wear a mix of all 3 armor types so they all level about equally
4. From L1 to L20, invest in attack skills and actives
5. From L20 to L35 start investing in Passives and Support Skills
6. From L35 to L50 start investing in Morphs (but only if all your class skills are at the Morph Stage), Passives and Crafting Skills
7 From CP10 to CP160 try out dropped sets to see which ones fit your playstyle, don't worry about traits right now, fill in passives and actives you may have missed
8. Grind on Dolmens to level your Fighters Guild, or find the Lore Books to level Mages Guild
9. Do some stealing to level Legerdemain, best source for money in the game
10. Decon every piece of gear you get that you are not going to use immediately to level equipment crafting, no need to invest skills points until Champ Ranks.

davey1107

Would you consider two bars using the same weapons and many of the same abilities? For example, two dual wield bars. This would,open the potential for some powering up of your characters.

Magdalina

Uh...I'm a bit confused by what you're looking for, OP. You have a templar on which you say playing is too easy(rightfully so, Sweeps is just stupid op tight now), then you have s sorc that you find challenging...then you say you're looking for s char that can run around not dying with one bar and aoe damage, but you don't want to play your templar for that?

One thing about sorcs though - slot Hardened Ward on your bar and you will never die again Also Surge. You could easily run around with something like crystal frags-crushing shock-liquid lightning(great dot for both single target and aoe AND it's sparkly lightning ) -surge-ward and easily solo all the openworld content. Or replace Surge with Streak if you prefer, and make sure to keep your shield up. Rotation would be something like drop Liquid -weave Crushing with light attacks-use Frags on proc -renew Liquid; apply Streak/Ward/Surge as needed. If you want a bigger variety of shiny skills, do use a second bar;)

Also as been said above, getting to cp 160 is really useful in terms of being able to access max level gear and whatnot. You don't have to minimax or anything but at least you'll be on relatively even field with everyone else far as gear stats go and not have to worry about your stats dropping as you level up.

Violynne

WatchfulPoet wrote: »

Good evening all. I am incredibly indecisive and hoping a ramble on here might put me on the right path.

Your post was so refreshingly cute I couldn't help but smile and pound the desk at your request for help. It's so nice to see genuine requests.

But... as nice as your post was, I have to chime in a bit. I'll start off with this:

Easy, but also a bit boring.

Yep, I felt the same way with my sorc. I had hoped she would be the first to finally defeat Molag Bal without dying, but sadly, he pushed me into a rock and I couldn't move (glitched) and he took me out. A win is a win, even by glitch.

My problem with the sorc is the same as your templar: boredom. Mashing the same spells over and over, quest after quest, left me wondering "Is this it?"

Nope. In fact, when I finally took my sorc into a group dungeon to help out others, I finally realized how little I understood the game. My sorc didn't stand a chance, and worse, I felt more a burden to my group than a help.

She came after a NightBlade, a character I hated playing so much, I deleted it once I got through all faction areas and hit VR1.

I regret deleting the NB. A respec now would have made her awesome, but at the time, I didn't understand the game, so I felt she was a lost cause. Stupid decision.

I currently have two new characters, and a third will arrive this weekend:
A sorc class hybrid, specializing in lightning and dual wielding
A magBlade (magicka based NightBlade) and is, so far, the best character I have ever played
This weekend, a stamBlade, because it's one of the most difficult characters to master while learning the game. This will be my "test" to ensure I finally "get it".

The point is: by removing yourself from the game, you're not really getting much out of it. I don't want you to make the same mistake I made, as well as others.

If you create a new "one bar" character, you're going to get bored much faster than you did with your first. Not only will the repetition bore you to tears, but you'll be saying "Oh, no. Not this quest again. I hated this quest!" You'll be surprised how fast you remind yourself of quests you disliked once you see them again.

This brings me to the issue at heart:

I have whirlwind unlocked, and its eating up mana whenever i use it. Plus i run alot, so im nearly always out of mana. So then i get annoyed and frustrated that my running stamina is the same as the one i use for attacking. So then i go back to my Templar, and i go round in circles.

Sigh.

I actually feel frustrated when I read this because I've been there! It's so hard to help others get past this barrier if because they're putting it up themselves.

I can't, and won't, recommend a class or build for you, because I believe it's important to understand and enjoy the game, not just "chug through it". You should be enjoying all those kills, because you're using different techniques to take them down, and you feel confident you're finally understanding how to use those skills, as well as manage the resources you have.

My magBlade crits in 5 figures. FIVE FIGURES! I've never, ever seen 10k+ damage from a character in my entire list of characters. Even my sorc, at CP160, can't hit those numbers? Why? Because I designed her without understanding the game. I'm actually salivating at respecing her so I can boost those numbers.

Two of the hardest characters to play in the game are hybrids (which sacrifice max damage for flexibility) and stamBlades (because they pretty much have to unlock all their skills to become threats, which will take a great deal of time).

I'm very pleased my hybrid can hold her own, but I want more! You should too.

Playing the game with a single bar isn't something I'd call "fun". I struggle with the game for the first 14 levels because I don't have weapon swap. Funny how that works.

I want you to enjoy the game, but I don't know if that's going to be possible if you're already limiting your options.

I say, once you're ready to take down your own barriers, try as many classes and skills as you can, and find the one you can invest the time to bring to CP160, utilizing its potential to the fullest.

I believe once you do this, you'll find yourself enjoying several builds, rather than the one which "gets through the game without dying using only one bar".

Good luck to you and here's hoping you find what you're looking for!

Hope this helps, and have a great day, warrior.

RavenSworn

Violynne wrote: »

WatchfulPoet wrote: »

Good evening all. I am incredibly indecisive and hoping a ramble on here might put me on the right path.

Your post was so refreshingly cute I couldn't help but smile and pound the desk at your request for help. It's so nice to see genuine requests.

But... as nice as your post was, I have to chime in a bit. I'll start off with this:

Easy, but also a bit boring.

Yep, I felt the same way with my sorc. I had hoped she would be the first to finally defeat Molag Bal without dying, but sadly, he pushed me into a rock and I couldn't move (glitched) and he took me out. A win is a win, even by glitch.

My problem with the sorc is the same as your templar: boredom. Mashing the same spells over and over, quest after quest, left me wondering "Is this it?"

Nope. In fact, when I finally took my sorc into a group dungeon to help out others, I finally realized how little I understood the game. My sorc didn't stand a chance, and worse, I felt more a burden to my group than a help.

She came after a NightBlade, a character I hated playing so much, I deleted it once I got through all faction areas and hit VR1.

I regret deleting the NB. A respec now would have made her awesome, but at the time, I didn't understand the game, so I felt she was a lost cause. Stupid decision.

I currently have two new characters, and a third will arrive this weekend:
A sorc class hybrid, specializing in lightning and dual wielding
A magBlade (magicka based NightBlade) and is, so far, the best character I have ever played
This weekend, a stamBlade, because it's one of the most difficult characters to master while learning the game. This will be my "test" to ensure I finally "get it".

The point is: by removing yourself from the game, you're not really getting much out of it. I don't want you to make the same mistake I made, as well as others.

If you create a new "one bar" character, you're going to get bored much faster than you did with your first. Not only will the repetition bore you to tears, but you'll be saying "Oh, no. Not this quest again. I hated this quest!" You'll be surprised how fast you remind yourself of quests you disliked once you see them again.

This brings me to the issue at heart:

I have whirlwind unlocked, and its eating up mana whenever i use it. Plus i run alot, so im nearly always out of mana. So then i get annoyed and frustrated that my running stamina is the same as the one i use for attacking. So then i go back to my Templar, and i go round in circles.

Sigh.

I actually feel frustrated when I read this because I've been there! It's so hard to help others get past this barrier if because they're putting it up themselves.

I can't, and won't, recommend a class or build for you, because I believe it's important to understand and enjoy the game, not just "chug through it". You should be enjoying all those kills, because you're using different techniques to take them down, and you feel confident you're finally understanding how to use those skills, as well as manage the resources you have.

My magBlade crits in 5 figures. FIVE FIGURES! I've never, ever seen 10k+ damage from a character in my entire list of characters. Even my sorc, at CP160, can't hit those numbers? Why? Because I designed her without understanding the game. I'm actually salivating at respecing her so I can boost those numbers.

Two of the hardest characters to play in the game are hybrids (which sacrifice max damage for flexibility) and stamBlades (because they pretty much have to unlock all their skills to become threats, which will take a great deal of time).

I'm very pleased my hybrid can hold her own, but I want more! You should too.

Playing the game with a single bar isn't something I'd call "fun". I struggle with the game for the first 14 levels because I don't have weapon swap. Funny how that works.

I want you to enjoy the game, but I don't know if that's going to be possible if you're already limiting your options.

I say, once you're ready to take down your own barriers, try as many classes and skills as you can, and find the one you can invest the time to bring to CP160, utilizing its potential to the fullest.

I believe once you do this, you'll find yourself enjoying several builds, rather than the one which "gets through the game without dying using only one bar".

Good luck to you and here's hoping you find what you're looking for!

Hope this helps, and have a great day, warrior.

Nicely said there. I couldn't agree more with the stamblade. My first character is a bosmer Stam blade tank and I have to say, I definitely took the long route to understanding the game system with this character. But boy once I got the hang of it... I don't even have to worry about world bosses because I know I can take hits and live.

To the op, I can't say you can use a character based on one bar... But Take it this way. Why handicap yourself? It's a hassle to relearn dual bar but really, it's all about rotation and habits.

IcyDeadPeople

WatchfulPoet wrote: »

Sigh.

I just want a class where i can run around, with ONE bar, and do nice single, and aoe damage.

If you are just talking about the kind of enemies you fight in PVE quests, your goal is totally doable with any of the four classes and your choice of magicka or stamina.

If you are going with stamina, almost any class can do this with steel tornado, but you need to be able to heal yourself, which requires the 2H ability Rally if you are not going to level up Alliance rank for Vigor. So for stamina build I would suggest 2H, using "brawler" for AOE damage as it also gives you a shield based on how many mobs you are hitting.

Your goal is a bit easier on magicka build, since you can either use class heal or resto staff. Templar or Dragonknight would probably be the easiest to do with one bar, using breath of life or coagulating dragon's blood for your heal. If it's a sorc, you can go with the pet heal and lightning staff for your main AOE damage, or manage with resto staff and less AOE options.

jircris11

WatchfulPoet wrote: »

Good evening all. I am incredibly indecisive and hoping a ramble on here might put me on the right path.

So, i am currently cp 153, and have a Templar at level 50. I chose the templar because it could self heal, and i knew this would make getting my first alt to level 50 easier. It is magicka based too as i love magic types.

I only ever do PVE questing. I've never once done a dungeon yet, and never intend to PVP.

Because i only ever do PVE questing, i've never used the second bar. I just don't see a need for it. Things die too quickly anyway. Currently, i fire off reflective light, followed by blazing spear for some aoe, then spam them to death with puncturing sweeps. Then they are dead. Easy.

Easy, but also a bit boring. Then i see Sorcerers running around with their pets making things explode. Awesome i thought. So i make a sorcerer. Then i see people running around as balls of lightning, zooming past me and making things die quicker than i can charge up barrage thing. So i focus my Sorc on being a ball of lightning and no pets. But then i realise i dont have many attacks and things are hurting me, ALOT, because im in light gear and squishy.

Then i see other classes running around whirlwinding. So i go, Ohhh that looks good. So now i have a Dk at level 11 who is dual wielding. I have whirlwind unlocked, and its eating up mana whenever i use it. Plus i run alot, so im nearly always out of mana. So then i get annoyed and frustrated that my running stamina is the same as the one i use for attacking. So then i go back to my Templar, and i go round in circles.

Sigh.

I just want a class where i can run around, with ONE bar, and do nice single, and aoe damage. And i really like the lightning and sparkles on a sorc!

Every guide i check, never gives clear enough instructions for new players, or for levelling up. Obviously everything is aimed at end game, but not everyone wants to do that. I feel increasingly lost and slightly overwhelmed when looking for guides/help.

Hopefully someone is bored enough to read this rant, and guide me on the right path. Thanks for your time.

I use sorc in medium and heavy mix. Two
Daggers and hurricane, steel tornado, CRIT surge, bound armor morphed in to the steam one. Never run out of hospital and lots of sorry. Put lightning enchant on weapons and they can trigger the lovely disintegrate

Autolycus

I'm drastically over-simplifying this, so keep that in mind, but you can literally do this with any class! Lightning staff heavy attacks deal massive AoE damage. Combine this with Wall of Elements and literally any class-based AoE (like Lightning Splash, Shards, Path of Darkness, Eruption, etc.) and you're going to melt pretty much everything in Overland pve. And, since a significant portion of your AoE comes from your staff, you needn't spread out across multiple bars.

So if you want to keep your single-bar setup for casual Overland content, maybe try using a lightning staff? You can slot one or two AoE abilities, and keep the others open to whatever you want to use. It's unlikely that you'll run into something you absolutely just cannot overcome because you only use one bar. That second bar is something you really only need if you want to do group content, as the need for additional buffs/healing/damage/mitigation merits access to additional skills.

Edit: There are also some really cool Monster sets that deal great AoE damage, like Ilambris. But getting these requires you to do group content unless you are good enough to solo it.

WatchfulPoet

Hello all. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for everyones input, and not one person complaining at me!

I've read everyones posts, and taken them all into consideration and was trying my best to adapt in game, however not doing too well still.

The other day i finally hit cp160 on my templar, and was feeling a bit bored of it. I realise now this was down to the whole single bar situation.

I headed to a large city and messaged in the zone chat for someone who could help me craft a Julianos set, as i was reading a Deltia guide that said it was what i wanted. Some guy messaged me with some tips on how to find it in guild stores and after a while joined me and helped me find all the pieces i needed. He then also crafted some other set items i needed for a stupidly cheap price, to help me out.

But then he did even more. Checking my stats, adjusting my traits accordingly, and making sure i was set up good and proper.

He then took me out to find some mobs, and set my dual bars up and explained in idiot terms what to do. Before i knew it, i was running around throwing down aoe and debuffs on mobs, before switching to my main bar and trying to get a hit in before they melted. I was loving it!

I am now fully converted into a dual bar set up, and loving every second of it. I now look forward to playing my Templar every day and using both bars so i can watch mobs melt away. I even did a world boss with one other guy the other day, swapping between bars, dpsing and healing us both.

Back to enjoying the game, and seeing the point and benefit of dual bar

Thanks to you all!