Weapon swapping problem

Lavennin

I imagine only some new players have this problem--often I have the wrong weapon active. Say I press weapon swap key once, quickly followed by a skill I want to use, then immediately swap weapon again--often it does not swap back. I'm not sure if it's lag or some internal CD, but it has been troubling me, especially with animations being a little delayed and not in sync (happened especially with weaving).

I played GW2 for quite some time and weapon swapping was never a problem. I don't know why it bugs me so much with ESO.

Is there an addon that displays the number of current skill bar somewhere around your character, so I don't have to check the skill bar on the bottom of the screen? I'm wielding destro/destro so can't tell the difference from graphics. Thanks.

SBC

I believe it's some sort of lag. Often times when I am in an AoE heavy boss fight in a dungeon for example, the weapon swap sometimes won't register, and I use like 3 wrong skills because I'm hitting the skills so fast. When I am running quests solo I hardly ever have the issue. As for addons I can't help there since I play on console.

Lavennin

jlmecub14a_ESO wrote: »

I believe it's some sort of lag. Often times when I am in an AoE heavy boss fight in a dungeon for example, the weapon swap sometimes won't register, and I use like 3 wrong skills because I'm hitting the skills so fast. When I am running quests solo I hardly ever have the issue. As for addons I can't help there since I play on console.

Good to know I'm not the only one! Yes it seems to only happen during more chaotic fights and there were times when I spammed siphoning attacks three times in a row.

FuriousFridge

Same thing happens to me as well. Running around in vma thinking that I swapped to my bow only to see im running around flailing my daggers like a mad man.

RT_Frank

Yeah it happens to me and to quite a few members of my guild on Xbox. It got better when I switched the left d-pad to the right stick, but the issue still persists from time to time. I wish they implement a small vibration when you switch weapons so that you have some tactile feedback on whether the switch actually happened.

Lavennin

RT_Frank wrote: »

Yeah it happens to me and to quite a few members of my guild on Xbox. It got better when I switched the left d-pad to the right stick, but the issue still persists from time to time. I wish they implement a small vibration when you switch weapons so that you have some tactile feedback on whether the switch actually happened.

And an optional sound effect for PC. That would really help!

SBC

FuriousFridge wrote: »

Same thing happens to me as well. Running around in vma thinking that I swapped to my bow only to see im running around flailing my daggers like a mad man.

That's how it always happens with me. I think I switched to my bow to throw out my DoT, when I'm really still on daggers, and then the lag subsides and for some reason I see myself spam Vigor 3 times -.-

FuriousFridge

jlmecub14a_ESO wrote: »

FuriousFridge wrote: »

Same thing happens to me as well. Running around in vma thinking that I swapped to my bow only to see im running around flailing my daggers like a mad man.

That's how it always happens with me. I think I switched to my bow to throw out my DoT, when I'm really still on daggers, and then the lag subsides and for some reason I see myself spam Vigor 3 times -.-

Haha I know the feels man! Then your just standing there like what just happend.

Olen_Mikko

There is an addon that shows your current weapon bar number. Just can't remember the name

Nyladreas

Olen_Mikko wrote: »

There is an addon that shows your current weapon bar number. Just can't remember the name

Advanced UI (AUI) does that. I'm using it, only ever paid attention to it in the beginnings tho. Should still get AUI installed regardless.

It's a great tool.

After a while you get used to bar swapping no problemo. I almost never have a problem knowing which Weapon Set and Skill Set I have currently active, unless i just logged in or completely stopped paying attention to what i'm doing after alt-tabbing.

SPE825

Same problem here. It's worse in PvP when I'm switching bars more quickly moving between offense and defense. Console here.

andreasranasen

This is horrible on console. Happens all the time. Really annoying in PvP and in trials... But I've come to a point where I just don't care anymore, because ZENIMAX simply don't care either.

Lavennin

@ZOS_GinaBruno others seem to experience the problem as well. Is this recognized and will there be a fix (optional vibration/sound)?

static_recharge_beta

Not that this will completely solve the problem but just a suggestion... If you can, make it so your staves are different styles so it's easy to tell them apart. If they are crafted this is easy, but if they are dropped items then no dice. Just a thought.

KingYogi415

Fix is incoming to crown store.

5k crowns!

mariskaas

Have this as well on PC. Quickly wanna switch to throw long lasting buffs then notice I am spamming my emergency heal I have on my back bar instead of spammable attack.. Also two staves, they are different styles but sometimes I just don't notice immediately in the chaos. I have similar issues with char getting stuck in casting animation x)

Domander

If you are using pirate skeleton, that is what's doing it.

Nyladreas

I never knew so many people had trouble with this.

Forgive me for putting it like that but are you all serious? I've never had this problem unless totally distracted by something (someone talking to me or phone call for example).

o.O I really don't mean this the wrong way i'm just shocked.

NewBlacksmurf

It's that you have to learn the cast and animations sequences because it's by design not instant nor should it be.

More than often it's not lag, it's that your character is doing something and you've commanded them to do another action as well as weapon swap followed by more commands but similar to those who've mastered weaving....the same applies here

The suggestions to have visually and obviously different weapons will help but mostly....wait till the weapon is visible before issuing a new command. Some things effect your animations in combat so this isn't a old fashion MMO where you create some sequence for high dps or what not. It's more of a live action to make you read and react as well as plan and adjust.

Also some updates to skill animations have changed the cadence so if you're doing something that has ranged, DoT or HoT.....use a practice dummy and watch each with weapon swap and then do two skills and weapon swap to get a feel for what's possible and the animation timing.

Can it be lag......sure but usually lag isn't going to stop your weapon swap, lag may delay an animation that impacts the timing of your ability to weapon swap. Or a debuff is on you and you don't see it that impacts certain animations which is likely what's going on.

kyle.wilson

It's definitely lag dependent. It's really bad during prime time pvp lag sessions.
I've had the bar swap fail, and lag induced double swaps. This problem has been present now for at least 2 years.
This has led me too have many deaths caused by me not being able to get to my buff bar and back to dps bar in a timely manner.

Lavennin

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

It's that you have to learn the cast and animations sequences because it's by design not instant nor should it be.

More than often it's not lag, it's that your character is doing something and you've commanded them to do another action as well as weapon swap followed by more commands but similar to those who've mastered weaving....the same applies here

The suggestions to have visually and obviously different weapons will help but mostly....wait till the weapon is visible before issuing a new command. Some things effect your animations in combat so this isn't a old fashion MMO where you create some sequence for high dps or what not. It's more of a live action to make you read and react as well as plan and adjust.

Also some updates to skill animations have changed the cadence so if you're doing something that has ranged, DoT or HoT.....use a practice dummy and watch each with weapon swap and then do two skills and weapon swap to get a feel for what's possible and the animation timing.

Can it be lag......sure but usually lag isn't going to stop your weapon swap, lag may delay an animation that impacts the timing of your ability to weapon swap. Or a debuff is on you and you don't see it that impacts certain animations which is likely what's going on.

Well, I tested with some mobs and weapon was swapped when I expected it to. So it's probably not that I didn't give it enough time.

Animations already look out of sync with weaving (strange how my character would do something long after I issued the command), if weapon swapping is not a "free action" (that can be performed even during other animations, not affected by hidden CD, etc.) then I'd actually consider it bad design. If animation canceling and weaving isn't a thing, then it's no problem.

It's simply that, the players are not given sufficient visual feedback for a system that's supposed to be intuitive. And I don't just mean weapon swapping...I consider the combat controls in GW2 to be far more fluent and reliable.

NewBlacksmurf

Lavennin wrote: »

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

It's that you have to learn the cast and animations sequences because it's by design not instant nor should it be.

More than often it's not lag, it's that your character is doing something and you've commanded them to do another action as well as weapon swap followed by more commands but similar to those who've mastered weaving....the same applies here

The suggestions to have visually and obviously different weapons will help but mostly....wait till the weapon is visible before issuing a new command. Some things effect your animations in combat so this isn't a old fashion MMO where you create some sequence for high dps or what not. It's more of a live action to make you read and react as well as plan and adjust.

Also some updates to skill animations have changed the cadence so if you're doing something that has ranged, DoT or HoT.....use a practice dummy and watch each with weapon swap and then do two skills and weapon swap to get a feel for what's possible and the animation timing.

Can it be lag......sure but usually lag isn't going to stop your weapon swap, lag may delay an animation that impacts the timing of your ability to weapon swap. Or a debuff is on you and you don't see it that impacts certain animations which is likely what's going on.

Well, I tested with some mobs and weapon was swapped when I expected it to. So it's probably not that I didn't give it enough time.

Animations already look out of sync with weaving (strange how my character would do something long after I issued the command), if weapon swapping is not a "free action" (that can be performed even during other animations, not affected by hidden CD, etc.) then I'd actually consider it bad design. If animation canceling and weaving isn't a thing, then it's no problem.

It's simply that, the players are not given sufficient visual feedback for a system that's supposed to be intuitive. And I don't just mean weapon swapping...I consider the combat controls in GW2 to be far more fluent and reliable.

While I disagree with one of your comments I think it's safe to conclude your opinion of it being a bad design, I want to confirm that it's not a free action. It's another animation

Lavennin

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

Lavennin wrote: »

NewBlacksmurf wrote: »

It's that you have to learn the cast and animations sequences because it's by design not instant nor should it be.

More than often it's not lag, it's that your character is doing something and you've commanded them to do another action as well as weapon swap followed by more commands but similar to those who've mastered weaving....the same applies here

The suggestions to have visually and obviously different weapons will help but mostly....wait till the weapon is visible before issuing a new command. Some things effect your animations in combat so this isn't a old fashion MMO where you create some sequence for high dps or what not. It's more of a live action to make you read and react as well as plan and adjust.

Also some updates to skill animations have changed the cadence so if you're doing something that has ranged, DoT or HoT.....use a practice dummy and watch each with weapon swap and then do two skills and weapon swap to get a feel for what's possible and the animation timing.

Can it be lag......sure but usually lag isn't going to stop your weapon swap, lag may delay an animation that impacts the timing of your ability to weapon swap. Or a debuff is on you and you don't see it that impacts certain animations which is likely what's going on.

Well, I tested with some mobs and weapon was swapped when I expected it to. So it's probably not that I didn't give it enough time.

Animations already look out of sync with weaving (strange how my character would do something long after I issued the command), if weapon swapping is not a "free action" (that can be performed even during other animations, not affected by hidden CD, etc.) then I'd actually consider it bad design. If animation canceling and weaving isn't a thing, then it's no problem.

It's simply that, the players are not given sufficient visual feedback for a system that's supposed to be intuitive. And I don't just mean weapon swapping...I consider the combat controls in GW2 to be far more fluent and reliable.

While I disagree with one of your comments I think it's safe to conclude your opinion of it being a bad design, I want to confirm that it's not a free action. It's another animation

Yes, it's an animation, but strangely it:

1) can cancel the end of other animations (skill animations) just like block, dodge roll, etc...provided there is still a small interval, let's call it k, between the skill and weapon swap (k is different for different skills; e.g. it requires a slightly longer interval for siphoning attacke => swap to work, else the skill won't be cast at all).

2) cannot cancel another weapon swap animation; meaning, there is an internal CD the length of its animation.

3) a skill cannot be used during this internal CD (consistent with 2)

4) queuing keys (skill=>swap=>skill) works.

5) queuing keys (swap=>skill=>swap) does not work, even with an interval longer than k. The skill will be used, but the second swap will be ignored.

This gotta be the weirdest, most inconsistent game design I've seen. However it's possible to adapt to it, just like adapting to bugs. I really, really wish the devs would do something about the combat system in the near future.

(I had good FPS and little lag when tested this; the lag-induced weapon swap problem others reported is hard to replicate. This however does not mean my results were not affected by lag.)