How to make AOEs visible again

HerrPulaRau

Hello,

According to https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/365904/pc-mac-patch-notes-v3-1-5-horns-of-the-reach#latest there is a change in current patch:

In an effort to reduce the visual effect noise in group combat situations, we’ve hidden most visual effects from persistent damaging area of effect abilities cast by your allies. Area of effect abilities that have a synergy, healing, or defensive component that can benefit you will still be visible, and area of effect abilities cast by enemies will also still be visible.

Affected player abilities include the following:
Ash Cloud and its morphs
Caltrops and its morphs
Elemental Storm and its morphs
Hurricane
Impaling Shards and its morphs
Path of Darkness and the Twisting Path morph
Rune Focus and its morphs
Scorch
Volatile Familiar Special Ability
Volley and its morphs
Wall of Elements and its morphs

Cool right? Is a beautiful change for pvp for example where indeed is noise. But lets say you are making a 4 man dungeon... or better... a trial (vDSA for ex.) and you cast an elemental storm (huge dps... high cost... you know... kind of an expensive skill - about a minute and a half cd) and tank doesn't see... and moves the whole group of mobs a few steps to the right (because for him that looks like a better position)... you just wasted a big ult and possibly the round in some cases. Same argument can be done for all the skills but I picked that example because is the most disturbing for me.

My point is there are cases where you not only want to see effects but NEED to see effects. Is there any setting for that? I really want to turn it on for pve.

Have fun all,
Victor

leepalmer95

Not a good overall change i think.

It's nice to know where allies ults are or such, can time my burst as well or cc an enemy or something.

HerrPulaRau

leepalmer95 wrote: »

Not a good overall change i think.

It's nice to know where allies ults are or such, can time my burst as well or cc an enemy or something.

It can have its uses. I agree that sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of effects. But it should be a setting (tell me there is a setting ).

MLGProPlayer

Good point. This is going to be super annoying in PUGs.

Yakidafi

Yes realised now why the tank when I ran the pledges earlier moved away from the aoes and I was swearing at it for missing my ultimate. Kind of funny now. Not even sure if good in pvp, only good for dps and healers in pve who don't want to see others stuff because it does not matter to them.

HerrPulaRau

So... no setting? Any way we can get the devs attention on this? I like and respect the fact that they are trying to address a problem. Making it an on/off thing would actually be a good solution in my opinion (tanks can keep it on, rest off or on... however they want).

Yakidafi wrote: »

Yes realised now why the tank when I ran the pledges earlier moved away from the aoes and I was swearing at it for missing my ultimate. Kind of funny now. Not even sure if good in pvp, only good for dps and healers in pve who don't want to see others stuff because it does not matter to them.

Poor tank ).

Peekachu99

Make it a setting. I'm quite annoyed that they did this.

Kanar

Playing as a stamina DPS with one or more magicka sorcs is a nightmare. Good luck seeing any red indicators amid the storm of lightning and fire turds dropping from the sky. Caltrops is ugly looking (seriously, caltrops the size of my head?). I'm thankful for the change but see no reason why there can't be an option to toggle it, like damage numbers.

LegacyDM

I wonder how much of this change was to improve cyrodil performance...

Vaoh

So like.... are we going to fix the actual breaking game or just bandaid fix stuff this way until there's nothing left to work with? When this is the type of thing ZOS has to crutch on to fix game performance it is extremely worrying to me.

Alpheu5

LegacyDM wrote: »

I wonder how much of this change was to improve cyrodil performance...

None, because the server still has to register ability cast locations, durations, and all the other numbers associated with the action.

Vaoh

Also Lightning Splash (+morphs) isn't on that list. I would assume that this is due to it having a Synergy, so expect to get annoyed at the lightning effects everywhere from Liquid Lightning/Heavy Shock attacks next patch

Qbiken

Did v Bloodroot forge yesterday and I could still see my friends EoTS. Not that I complain but....

Malmai

HerrPulaRau wrote: »

Hello,

According to https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/365904/pc-mac-patch-notes-v3-1-5-horns-of-the-reach#latest there is a change in current patch:

In an effort to reduce the visual effect noise in group combat situations, we’ve hidden most visual effects from persistent damaging area of effect abilities cast by your allies. Area of effect abilities that have a synergy, healing, or defensive component that can benefit you will still be visible, and area of effect abilities cast by enemies will also still be visible.

Affected player abilities include the following:
Ash Cloud and its morphs
Caltrops and its morphs
Elemental Storm and its morphs
Hurricane
Impaling Shards and its morphs
Path of Darkness and the Twisting Path morph
Rune Focus and its morphs
Scorch
Volatile Familiar Special Ability
Volley and its morphs
Wall of Elements and its morphs

Cool right? Is a beautiful change for pvp for example where indeed is noise. But lets say you are making a 4 man dungeon... or better... a trial (vDSA for ex.) and you cast an elemental storm (huge dps... high cost... you know... kind of an expensive skill - about a minute and a half cd) and tank doesn't see... and moves the whole group of mobs a few steps to the right (because for him that looks like a better position)... you just wasted a big ult and possibly the round in some cases. Same argument can be done for all the skills but I picked that example because is the most disturbing for me.

My point is there are cases where you not only want to see effects but NEED to see effects. Is there any setting for that? I really want to turn it on for pve.

Have fun all,
Victor

Should only be disabled in PvP like many other stuff but they are mixing PvP and PvE which is worst combo... look at GW2...

Morgul667

I think you can still see them, just less effect than before.

I tanked the new dungeon yesterday and saw my teammates caltrops.

Peekachu99

Morgul667 wrote: »

I think you can still see them, just less effect than before.

I tanked the new dungeon yesterday and saw my teammates caltrops.

You don't see them. There's the occasional "start" of an animation, but no lingering effects to let your tank know where to keep the mobs.

Idiodic oversight.

Titansteele

Oh dear, this truly is lacking common sense here. I am forever showing inexperienced tanks that they need to keep or lead mobs into the aoe damage .... if they cant see it what are they meant to do ?

Septimus_Magna

Right now there's an option for friendly and enemy effects, there needs to be an option for friendly dmg effects!
I want to see where the ground AOEs and ults are placed, its essential to get a clear indication of these things.

Alpheu5 wrote: »

LegacyDM wrote: »

I wonder how much of this change was to improve cyrodil performance...

None, because the server still has to register ability cast locations, durations, and all the other numbers associated with the action.

Client side performance will improve, especially for players with low to mid-range PC's.

Narvuntien

I like the change my game always just lagged out for a few seconds at the start of every boss fight when everyone threw down all thier AoEs.

Beardimus

This ^ the light show and lag is one of the many reasons I dislike trials.

RoamingRiverElk

I mainly PvP and think that this is a horrible change. I want to be able to see my allies' AoEs and I want them to be able to see mine. Otherwise we cannot coordinate properly.

Greydir

I was and am all in favor of toning down the overboarding visual effects on some things. Afterall it can be quite challenging for a tank to stay abreast of all things happening. Best example for myself is the second Boss in Halls of Fabrication, where missing the visual cue which clone of the boss becomes corporal and attacks can kill the whole group. A Situation where a misstimed Lightning Destro Ult can rob you of the visual cue and cause more damage to the group than to the boss. That being said, I also like to have a visual cue where to position the boss to maximise the Damage each groupmember is doing. Therefore I amongst otheres proposed in the first week of testing on the pts of an option to show generally reduced visuals from all effects, while keeping the visual cue where which effect is. Some people where also in favor of adding an Option to toggle the visual effects, so that people who do not desperatly need to see them could shut them of alltogether. Adding to that is the fact that effects that do have a Synergy are left untouched, which leaves parts of the problems before the patch in place, while still robbing players of important cues for Placement and Group organization the whole thing looks unfortunatly not finished to me and leaves concerns that where already voiced unheard.
Therefore i would like to Reiterate my and others Propolsal:
Please
1.) Reduce the visual effect of all abilitys placed by other players. Tone some things with very Vertical visual effects down to seeing some moderate Ground effects. Reduce the quantity of effects seen by players of some ground effects like caltrops or Burning hail. Reduce the brightness of some lighntning effects and reduce movement in some of the more magical effects
2.) Clear up visual cues for enemys that are not red or yellow beams coming out of an enemy. Make them more visible even when shown against other effects.
3.)Add an option to Toggle the visibility of certain or all effects.
4.) Add an option to Toggle Combat information (like a colored area) for effects induced by fellow players

In my opinion this would help to clear up the visibility, and maybe have the same results on game Stability as your current try might have.

Slick_007

make aoe's great again!