Additional Weapon Skill Ideas - Mk.II

TheShadowScout

I have been positing a version of this before, but now took the time to rework it a little with weapon ultimate suggestions for these new skill lines I thought up back in the day, and adding a few more skill lines I have been considering since...

Since this is another topic that keeps popping up and is dear to my ESO enjoyment ideals, I thought it might be a good idea to get my usual ramblings about these ideas into order and post a bit more fleshed out concept here for discussion and feedback... it is a very rough concept, I am sure there are many ideas in there that could use some refining and improvement, I just wanted to put it out there to show what I am talking about when I comment in those other threads...

Anyways, here are my ideas on the matter of what I would like to see added to ESO someday in terms of weapon skills, feel free to comment (please be nice! )


Polearms
These extra-long shafted weapons (…things like: Pikes, Poleaxes, Tridents, Glaives, Monks Spades, War Scythes, Ranseur, Military Forks, Naginata, Hunting Spears, Halberds, Spetums, Pitchforks, etc.) should have 50% more range then normal weapons, but be awkward to use in very close quarters, so any attacks that are made against opponents at knife range suffer a 50% damage penalty (meaning, the weapons will do half damage from zero to 50% normal weapon range, and then full damage from 50% to 150% normal weapon range… for light/heavy attacks, as well as skill use…)

Skills:
• Impaling Jabs (Puncturing Jabs animation, triple attacks in one go)
- Morph1: Impaling Strikes (+ knockback on last strike)
- Morph2: Rending Jabs (+ bleeding DoT increased per hit)
• Circular Slash (Radial Sweep animation, Aloe around wielder)
- Morph1: Circular Sweep (+ shield per enemy hit)
- Morph2: Crescent Slash (+ extra damage to enemies in front)
• Spear Charge (Focused Charge animation, gap closer & damage)
- Morph1: Impaling Charge (+ bleeding DoT)
- Morph2: Spear Rush (+ damage increased per distance charged)
• Braced Guard (auto-damage against anyone using a gap closer / duration)
- Morph1: Indomitable Guard (+CC immunity / duration)
- Morph2: Aggressive Guard (+ increased auto-damage and chance to disorient)
• Stalwart Defense (physical resistance buff, weapon damage buff)
- Morph1: Stalwart Resistance (+ spell resistance buff, CC resistance chance)
- Morph2: Indomitable Defense (+ heal over time, removes one DoT effect)
Ultimate: Spear Dance (AoE around caster, polearm rotation like dwemer centurion)
- Morph1: Scythe Dance (+ knockdown on hit, shorter duration)
- Morph2: Spear Tornado (+ increased range & duration)
Passives:
• Piercing Pike: increases damage bonus for critical and damage against blocking targets
• Balanced Polearm: reduces the cost of polearm abilities
• Pike Wall: increases block against melee attacks
• Melee Training: reduces the half-damage range to 40%/25%
• Impale: gives chance to cause extra bleed DoT on any polearm strike/skill

Mounted Combat
This special "skill line" would be for using mounts not just for getting around and riding towards the fight, but also in combat... thus it is a bit different from other skill lines as it would not have a weapon of its own, but be mostly a collection of support skills and passives instead of weapon-specific active skills, with a main active skill that when toggled enabled mounted combat, meaning that characters with this skill active could draw weapons and use basic attacks, without becoming automatically dismounted. Normal skills would be unusable, though each weapon type (melee or ranged, mixed skills likes like One-Handed & Ranged or One-Handed & Magic can use both) would gain a special attack skill in the mounted combat line to use instead... but be otherwise limited to basic light and heavy attacks while mounted.
Note that ranged attacks while mounted suffer a chance to miss (I am thinking 25%, migrated 5% for each skill point, so the best trained horse archers/wizards would still have a 5% miss chance in the end - price of being mobile!), because it would be kinda harder to aim properly while on a galloping horse/bear/wolf/senche/whatever... which can be migrated through passives. But mounted combat -does- favor melee weapons where a mounts speed and power behind the blow makes a difference...

Skills:
• Dragoon (enable mounted combat, allows mounted drawing of weapons and attacking, toggle)
- Morph1: Hussar (+ gain riding speed / light or medium armor while enabled = Light Cavalry)
- Morph2: Cuirassier (+ gain resistance / medium or heavy armor while enabled = Heavy Cavalry)
• Cavalry Charge (melee weapon; charge opponent and do double heavy attack damage on strike)
- Morph1: Cavalry Trample (ride in straight line, do double weapon damage to all hit opponents)
- Morph2: Jousting Charge (+ knockdown on strike)
• Mounted Volley (ranged weapon; fire arrow/spell volley at targeted opponent while moving)
- Morph1: Mounted Barrage (+ increased duration and more shots)
- Morph2: Skirmisher Volley (+ chance to dodge enemy ranged attacks / duration)
Passives:
• Warhorse Training I-IV: Reduce unhorsing chance due to damage
• Lancier I-IV: Gain increased polearm damage while mounted.
• Horse Archer I-IV: Reduce ranged stamina-based attack accuracy penalty while mounted
• Knight I-IV: Gain increased one-handed damage while mounted
• Spellrider I-IV: Reduce ranged magic attack accuracy penalty while mounted
(Yes, there is no passive to help two-hander wielders while mounted. That is intentional, seeing how two handers were a bit unwieldy on horseback, and more likely to be used by infantry against mounted opponents... thus neither gain any damage bonus from having a mounts speed behind them... same for brawling, really)

Brawling
Uses either fists, or weapons like brass knuckles, punch daggers, spiked knuckles, cesti, sap-hardened bandages dipped in broken glass, etc. depending on racial style; doing half of dagger damage with those weapons, or 20% with fists - this skill line is not supposed to be competitive with "proper weapons" on its own, but might make an interesting addition to ESO nonetheless, possibly even because of this handicap (not like there aren't enough class/guild skills to make up for it in any case). Quick jab light attack, long wind-up haymaker punch as heavy attack.

Skills:
• Grapple Hold (immobilize, channeled, interruptible - much like the wolf)
- Morph1: Sleeper Hold (+ disorient after hold ends/broken)
- Morph2: Strangle Hold (+ low DoT while in hold)
• Stomp Kick (kick to the leg, minor damage & snare)
- Morph1: Boot to the Knee (+ immobilize for short duration, then long snare)
- Morph2: Leg Sweep (+ knockdown, then snare)
• Dirt Throw (grab dirt from pouch, throw in eyes, blind target/duration)
- Morph1: Salt Throw (+ interrupts spellcasting)
- Morph2: Dust Throw (+ miss chance/duration after blind ends)
• Knee Strike (knee below the belt, extra-short range, low damage & stun)
- Morph1: Low Kick (+normal range, disorient after stun)
- Morph2: Dirty Kick (+normal range, double stun duration if used against male characters)
• Bull Rush (gap closer, does minor damage and some pushback)
- Morph1: Lariat (knockdown instead of pushback)
- Morph2: Drop Kick (knockdown & pushback, but attacker knocked down as well)
Ultimate: Adrenaline Rush (increases stamina recovery & doubles brawling damage / duration)
- Morph1: Bloodlust Rush (+ increase duration for opponent killed with brawling attack)
- Morph2: Endorphine Rush (+ immunity to stun, disorient, snare & knockdown)
Passives:
• Fighting Spirit: gain increased stamina regeneration if brawling ability is slotted
• Pugilist: reduces the cost of brawling abilities
• Heavy Handed: increase damage with brawling attacks/abilities
• Toughness: gain resistance chance against CC abilities
• Martial Artist: gain basic dodge chance against melee attacks only

One Handed and Ranged
Uses a weapon in one hand and a throwing weapon in the other (offhand options for javelins, throwing knives, shuriken, throwing axes, throwing spikes, throwing irons, boomerangs, kunai, etc.), borrowing the first two skills from One-handed and Shield, then diverging in abilities; throwing attacks might be shorter ranged compared to bow or staff attacks, but could have an increased critical damage modifier...

Skills:
• Puncture (attack + taunt + reduce armor)
- Morph1: Ransack (+ increase own armor)
- Morph2: Pierce Armor (+ reduce spell resistance)
• Low Slash (attack + snare + reduce damage)
- Morph1: Deep Slash (+ hits additional targets)
- Morph2: Heroic Slash (+ generates ultimate)
• Piercing Throw (ranged attack with knockback)
- Morph1: Piercing Hurl (+additional damage / range from target)
- Morph2: Vicious Throw (+knockdown instead of knockback)
• Triple Volley (three throwing attacks at one or more targets, quick-channeled-ish)
- Morph1: Quintuple Volley (five attacks)
- Morph2: Triple Ripple (+ bleed DoT, increased duration if multiple hit same target)
• Crippling Throw (ranged attack with snare)
- Morph1: Crippling Volley (+ AoE cone)
- Morph2: Impaling Throw (+ bleed DoT)
Ultimate: Alchemical Impact (ranged attack with random elemental AoE explosion on hit)
- Morph1: Alchemical Splash (+ DoT ground AoE)
- Morph2: Alchemical Grenade (aimed at area instead of opponent, increased range)
Passives:
• Strong-arm: increase weapon damage and thrown attack range
• Swashbuckling: reduces the cost of one-handed and ranged abilities
• Bullseye: increases the critical chance of thrown attacks
• Coup de Grace: extra damage from 1H&R abilities to low health opponents
• Duelist: extra effect depending on main hand weapon (like for Dual Wield)

One Handed and Magic
Uses your usual average melee weapon in the main hand, and a destruction wand or runestone (which could be two different options for two different effects, like... wands giving a bit of extra range, and runestones giving a bit of extra damage for example?) as offhand for a mix of magically charged melee strikes and elemental mid-range (meaning, half the range of a destruction staff attack) and AoE attacks or effects, all skills might cost half-half stamina & magicka unless otherwise noted, and heavy attacks restore half-half stamina and magicka

Skills:
• Imbued Strike (charge weapon with magic, strike with weapon + extra elemental damage)
- Morph1: Imbued Slash (+ extra bleed DoT)
- Morph2: Empowered Strike (+ extra elemental effect, depending on type)
• Elemental Slash (weapon slash with extra magic short-range elemental cone AoE attack)
- Morph1: Elemental Wave (AoE increases to 180° front arc)
- Morph2: Elemental Burst (Cone doubles in range, but narrows in arc)
• Elemental Bolt (mid-range single target attack, damage & elemental effect, magicka only)
- Morph1: Elemental Blast (+ AoE damage explosion on hit)
- Morph2: Elemental Volley (fires up to three projectiles, like Reflective Light)
• Mystic Mark (reduced weapon damage, vulnerability to 1H&M attacks, prevents stealth)
- Morph1: Mystic Curse (+ elemental DoT, DoT duration reset for every new 1H&M hit)
- Morph2: Crippling Mark (+ snare, duration reset for every new 1H%M hit)
• Power Ward (damage shield, strength depending on total health, magicka only)
- Morph1: Elemental Ward (+ halve elemental shield type damage)
- Morph2: Power Shield (+ chance to reflect ranged attacks)
Ultimate: Elemental Aura (AoE elemental damage around caster, adds elemental damage to melee)
- Morph1: Elemental Blessing (+ elemental attacks of same type heal caster)
- Morph2: Overcharged Aura (+ larger AoE & increased melee damage bonus)
Passives:
• Close Combat: elemental effects gain bonus damage the lower the range
• Spellblade: reduces the cost of one-handed & magic abilities
• Magicka Handler: blocking a spell attack will restore magicka
• Battlemage: light & medium armor resource bonus changed to ¾/¼ and ½/½ stamina/magicka
• Warcaster: restores magicka and stamina on killing an enemy with a 1H&M ability

Twin Magic
If we have destruction wand/runestone as offhand for the above, there is no real reason mages could not take one of those in each hand, right? As alternative to destruction magic, mixing skills from those and the one-handed & magic skill line above, though with a reduced range compared to destruction to balance the gain of an offhand slot for traits and sets…

Skills:
• Elemental Touch (just like Destructive Touch, just with half range)
- Morph1: Elemental Clench (just like Destructive Clench, just with half range)
- Morph2: Elemental Reach (just like Destructive Reach, just with half range)
• Wall of Elements (exactly the same as the Destruction skill)
- Morph1: Unstable Wall of Elements (exactly the same as the Destruction skill)
- Morph2: Elemental Blockade (exactly the same as the Destruction skill)
• Elemental Bolt (mid-range single target attack, damage & elemental effect)
- Morph1: Elemental Blast (+ AoE damage explosion on hit)
- Morph2: Elemental Volley (fires up to three projectiles, like Reflective Light)
• Elemental Shock (like Force Shock, but with half range)
- Morph1: Elemental Crush (like Crushing Shock, but with half range)
- Morph2: Elemental Pulse (like Force Pulse, but with half range)
• Power Ward (damage shield, strength depending on total health)
- Morph1: Elemental Ward (+ halve elemental shield type damage)
- Morph2: Power Shield (+ chance to reflect ranged attacks)
Ultimate: Elemental Barrage (shoot barrage of elemental bolts, can move while firing)
- Morph1: Elemental Assault (+ AoE splash damage from bolts)
- Morph2: Elemental Rain (shoot bolts in the air, have strong attacks come down in AoE)
Passives:
• Spellslinger: reduce magica cost for Twin Magic skills
• Elemental Force: increase elemental status chances
• Magicka Handler: blocking a spell attack will restore magicka
• Penetrating Magic: Ignore some of the enemy spell resistance
• Mystic Touch: Add range to Twin Magic skills (from 50% to 60/75% destruction staff range)

Martial Arts Magic
This is not really a weapon option known in the classic elder scrolls universe, it would be more fitting for a Japanese style anime, but... it might be interesting, they could very well add it with an "Akaviri" themed expansion, as it might fit in there... basically mixing brawling and magic for a truely "Melee Magic" skill line... the weapon for this skill line might be specially enchanted bracelets or mystic bands (which would need no crafting style as they would not appear by themselves, just as "mystic aura" around the users hands when "drawn" - and could be added to any crafting skill, like make jeweler more interesting...)
Due to its mix of physical and magical nature of attacks, this weapon skill line starts out as magica, but has many stamina morphs... it would be better as half-half, but... that is not really a thing in the ESO system...

Skills:
• Empowered Strike (magical melee strike that bypasses half enemy armor)
- Morph1: Empowered Slash (+ Bleeding DoT / duration; stamina morph)
- Morph2: Cursed Strike (+ decrease physical damage / duration)
• Acrobatic Jump (jump over opponent like rogue NPCs – auto-dodge next enemy attack)
- Morph1: Acrobatic Strike (+ auto light weapon attack while jumping, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Veiled Jump (+ turn momentarily invisible while jumping, next attack auto-critical)
• Challenge Geas (taunt & target does half damage against all other enemies/duration)
- Morph1: Challenge Curse (+target defense and movement speed reduced)
- Morph2: Challenge Entrancement (+affects nearby targets, max 3)
• Mystic Shields (gain damage resistance against melee attacks only / duration)
- Morph1: Auric Shields (+gain extra damage resistance when blocking, stamina morph)
- Morph2: Mystic Protection (+gain spell resistance against all magic attacks)
• Mystic Strength (increase defense & health recovery, martial artist recovery scream animation!)
- Morph1: Mystic Might (+gain increased damage to L/H attacks and MAM skills / duration)
- Morph2: Mystic Power (+ gain increased magica recovery / duration)
Ultimate: Battle Spirit (increased movement speed, dodge chance & resource regeneration / dur)
- Morph1: Warrior Spirit (+ increased defense & CC immunity)
- Morph2: Berserker Spirit (+ health recovery on ALL damage done)
Passives:
• Chi Master: reduce cost for Martial Arts Magic skills
• Mystic Monk: increased critical chance per MAM skill slotted
• Quick Strikes: chance to make an additional second hit to nearby target on light attack
• Massive Resistance: Increased spell resistance per MAM skill slotted
• Second Sight: Gain chance to automatically dodge melee attacks only

Warding Staff
It seems somewhat clumsy to have a destruction staff as a main weapon as magica tank, so… why not give ice back to doing damage and slowing enemies, and make up a completely new weapon for tanky uses? One that uses magicka to block, obviously, and maybe has the taunt heavy attack, or maybe not (since it can get a skill for that).

Skills:
• Hex Bolt (magic projectile, does damage, taunt and physical defense)
- Morph1: Hex Volley (+ fires up to three bolts at nearby enemies)
- Morph2: Jinx Bolt (+ snare / duration)
• Empowered Ward (damage shield, recovers shield strength if blocking while active)
- Morph1: Enchanted Ward (+ spell resistance while active)
- Morph2: Empowered Barrier (+ physical resistance while active)
• Burdening Seal (AoE cast at location, snare and reduce spell defense / duration)
- Morph1: Enfeebling Seal (+ reduce physical damage wile in AoE)
- Morph2: Burdening Hex (+ magic DoT while in AoE)
• Warding Enchantment (increase spell resistance / duration)
- Morph1: Protective Enchantment (+ increase physical resistance)
- Morph2: Warding Aura (+ AoE around caster, affecting all allies in range)
• Guardian Wisp (summons a wisp pet that will increase magicka, and deny stealth to enemies)
- Morph1: Avenging Wisp (+ wisp will also launch magic attacks to nearby enemies)
- Morph2: Guardian Spirit (+ spell resistance, wisp is bigger and golden)
Ultimate: Warding Barrier (Large AoE, damage resistance to allies within, blocks enemy entry)
- Morph1: Imbued Barrier (+ resource recovery boots to allies within)
- Morph2: Warding Seal (+ blocks enemy movement out of the area as well, trapping them inside)
Passives:
• Enchantments: increase duration for taunts and debuffs
• Sanctuary: reduced skill cost and lowered blocking cost
• Mystic Power: increase magicka recovery / ward ability slotted
• Hardened Ward: allows to block more damage
• Mana Manipulation: blocked spells have a chance to reflect at the caster

In addition to those new skill lines, there are also a few more weapons that would fit right in with existing skill lines in some way... like...


Crossbows - could be added as alternate weapon to the Bow skill line as is (Maybe rename that one a bit… "Marksmanship", anyone?) Possibly with some tweaks… like perhaps increased armor penetration compared to bows, but a "reload time" after each shot? Possibly also changing the bows poison effects to disease for a bit difference in flavor…


Slings - another possible addition to the Bow skill line, firing heavy lead bullets, perhaps a bit shorter in range, but with some added effect to balance… again, the bows poison effects could be switched to a fire DoT, due to enchanted sling bullets (clay bullets that break open releasing volatile alchemical ingredients? Something like that…)


Short Spears - the Javelins from One-Handed and Ranged could also be useable as mainhand weapon for One-Handed and Shield to get a nice "Myrmidon" feeling - it would make a nice additional option for imperial characters, would it not? And while the animations may not be completely perfect... since we have "Puncture" type attacks with blunt-headed maces, I see no issue with having "Slash" type attacks with javelins, right?


Flails - could be an additional option for one-handed and two-handed weapons, though I am not so sure about how well they would animate I suppose... but if there were no technical difficulties, they could be done for an block-penetration effect, balanced by some drawback... possibly increased stamina costs (since it might take more strength to control such without hitting yourself) or maybe even a small chance to hit yourself on the backswing for each strike... this might include other "flexible" weapons such as Whips, Nunchakus, Urumi, etc.


Alternate Staves - we have fire, ice and shock as well as healing, but who here wouldn't want more? Cyan "coldfire" destruction staves (fire effect visuals in cyan, but less damage however done as oblivion type?), purple "warlock" destro staves (pure magic damage, with some "curse" debuffs and/or DoT?), green or brown (nix-hound spit!) acid destro staves (magica-based poison damage with DoT and some armor debuff?); sickly-bile-yellow "disease" restoration staves (do less healing but bonus damage as disease DoT), or red blood magic healing staves (less damage, but with a lifedrain effect)... possibly even give back ice to DPS and add a seperate "Earth" magic staff to cover the tanky effects? Or if we were to get the warding staves, those too could come in various flavors... indigo-turquise "alteration" as basic, maybe green-brown "earth-nature" with less defense but longer durations, and maybe a rainbow-ish multicolored "illusion" type that does add taunt to all attacks and some mental effects to its skills, but pays for it with less "warding" and effect durations?


Spell Foci - I always felt vexed my casters have to have staves to cast their castyness, I want another option! My idea would be a "Spell Focus" as alternate destruction/restoration (and warding) magic weapon, that used the exactly same skills (but possibly with different stats - like with wands / runestones, one weapon could have a bonus to range, the other to damage or spell critical or whatever... like, take a staff for extra distance to all spells, take a spell focus for extra punch...), but had different visuals... it would be held in the left hand, with the right making mystic gestures above it for casting, and depending on racial style it could be stuff like holy symbols, ornate spellbooks, meditation crystals, gemmed skulls, shaman rattles, ancient artifacts, gilded scepters, mystic constructs, daedric pact seals, etc. Naturally both in the classic flavors, and the alternate flavors I mentioned above... and these things would make -perfect- additions to the Jewelry crafting skill line...


Subduing Weapons - a derivation of bare-knuckled brawling, if they ever make a "unarmed" combat system for non-lethal barroom brawls (which are a classic cliché in every fantasy setting) there could also be less then lethal weapons for other skill lines. A small truncheon for one-handed, or a larger club for two-handed skills, a quarterstaff for polearms, or a stun-staff/wand for mages (sorry, no boxing glove arrows, for one that is DC copyright I would think, for another it is silly...).
These could also include “improvised” weapons of some sort... a frying pan, a broomstick, a coin purse, a candlestick, a chair leg, a belaying pin... might be interesting for some special "no weapon" areas quest thing - go in unarmed, find your improvised weapons there...

RPGplayer13579

Why are there no comments on these great ideas? Read this!

Doctordarkspawn

BRING. ME. THE. FLAILS.

hoggson

Shouldn't that be PARS?

CyborgPlatypus

Brawling please. Punch kitty of death.

Radiance

Wand & Rune, Stamina Staff, Martial arts and Click-Attack Combos!!!

DoctorESO

.

DoctorESO

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Ilithyania

ZOS hire this man / woman

Thalmor-Nordmaster

Spear of bitter mercy anyone !!!!!!

Great ideas OP !!!

Ratzkifal

A lot of good ideas. While I fear that adding all of them would overwhelm new players (might also give them a feeling of freedom. who knows), at least adding some can't hurt. My favorites are brawling, crowsbows as alternative to bow and the polearms.
Your mounted combat is lacking a feeling of daring chavalery charge imo where you run over your enemy and trample them (make the charge like streak from Sorcs).

TheShadowScout

Ratzkifal wrote: »

Your mounted combat is lacking a feeling of daring chavalery charge imo where you run over your enemy and trample them (make the charge like streak from Sorcs).

...that's what the "Cavalry Trample" morph is supposed to be like! Less damage then the single-target "Cavalry Charge" and "Jousting Charge" attacks, but for -everyone- you ride down.
And let people decide if they want to specialize in fighting dragons (or other big single target monsters, due to lack of actual dragons being active in the second era) or fighting enemy infantry.

Of course, these ideas are just that - proof of concept ideas. Might well be that in the final balancing, some trample damage would be added to the other attacks as well, and then just diversify into "increase the trample damage" and "increase the solo damage/effect"... but that is something one would find out during actually trying out the skills, see if they work well enough in their role or could use a buff/nerf, yes?

TrinityBreaker

Brawling is my game, gimme this now please. Along with polearms and 1h & ward

kenneth.friisb16_ESO

While I can see the mounted combat being tricky to implement and/or be very restricting and only useful in a handful of scenarios, I really like this list you've put together.

I am, for one, a fan of adding more weapons and weapon skill lines to the game, just for the added flavor. The weapons right now are fine, but I've kinda lost interest in them after so many plauthroughs.

One thing I would like to see, is something of a midway between one-handen and two-handed, a Longsword skill line with a sword that swings a bit faster and not as clunky as the twohander, but doesn't do as much damage. Active skills could be centered around utility as to damage. Dust throwing into an opponents eyes blinding them, tripping them setting them out of balance.
That sorta thing.

I know, for balancing issues, many would disagree introducing new weapons, but I would like to see them, just for added flavour to the game.

That's my opinion anyway

Chaos2088

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

lakaisl

This has my blessing.

TheShadowScout

kenneth.friisb16_ESO wrote: »

I am, for one, a fan of adding more weapons and weapon skill lines to the game, just for the added flavor. The weapons right now are fine, but I've kinda lost interest in them after so many plauthroughs.

That's the main thing behind those thoughts.
Well, and some NPC envy (I did first come up with some of that when facing the spear-chukers in orsinium after all)

But the main point is giving people more -choices- choices that everyone can enjoy. No matter if a newly made character, or one played since launch, everyone can pick up a new weapon and level a new skill line! And the more choices we have, the more interesting the game becomes, as characters get more diverse! And new choices being added would make things interesting again for those who know the existing choices in and out... more things to learn, more things to research and craft, more things to make your build around...

Dracan_Fontom

I would love the 1h and Magic so much.

Lord_Sando

1 Hand and Magic PLEASE with a passive to copy your highest damage to weapon /spell damage The hybrids alone with this one skill line would bring the most freedom to the game.

Chrysa1is

I made this thread a while ago. Has my ideas for a Horsemanship Skill Line

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/378823/horsemanship-skill-line

Jerkling

• Polearms- there is not much you could do but stab
• Mounted Combat - absolute impractical, i'm also trying to think of a gap closer that wouldn't look rediculous on a mount
• One Handed and Ranged - this isn't some asian mmo and there are no ninjas in ESO
• One Handed and Magic - stam and magicka don't mix well
• Twin Magic - there is no reason for this in the first place, Destruction Staves are perfectly fine
• Crossbows - redundant, they are no different from Bows
• Short Spears - why would anyone want a "Myrmidon" feeling in a fantasy game based predominantly in a medieval setting? that the Imperials are basicly Romans is bad enough as it is
• Flails - how are they different from Maces?
• Alternate Staves - how would they be different from Fire Staves exactly, appart from their visual?
• Spell Foci - yep, as a squishy spellcaster i totally want to be up close and personal all the time
• Subduing Weapons - so you want to subdue Molag Kena then?

sorry that i'm poo-poo'ing all over your "ideas" but it feels like you are just trying to find a use for just about any fighting tool or fighting style you could possibly think of and then crammed them all into this list. there is no reason to make a skill line for any insignificant weapon that every existed and there is no reason to overcomplicate things either.

TheShadowScout

Jerkling wrote: »

Polearms- there is not much you could do but stab

Maces - there is not much you can do but bash. Axes - there is not much you can do but chop.
...
...your point being?

Each of those were made to do -more- then that. So can polearms. As outlined above.

Jerkling wrote: »

Mounted Combat - absolute impractical, i'm also trying to think of a gap closer that wouldn't look rediculous on a mount

Okay, tell that to all the medievel historians, how all the knights were impractical and thus they need to rewrite history to suit your views...
Point is, this is an attempt to -make- it practical in the game, in some regard.

Jerkling wrote: »

One Handed and Ranged - this isn't some asian mmo and there are no ninjas in ESO

Actually this one already -IS- in ESO, sort of, just for NPCs. Remember them? The ones who have one sword, and then throw a dagger or spear at you?
And there are more then enough assassins of all sorts in the elder scrolls universe that the lack of the actual word "ninja" is a moot point, since the archetype they represent is all around the place.

Jerkling wrote: »

One Handed and Magic - stam and magicka don't mix well

Not today. Not since they dropped attribute softcaps. This line is an attempt to make something workable for more or less hybrid builds... though I expect those too would put more emphasis on one stat.

Jerkling wrote: »

Twin Magic - there is no reason for this in the first place, Destruction Staves are perfectly fine

The reason would be... giving people more options! More options means more diversity means more fun playing the game! And options should be different, so... a skill line that has less range then destuction staves, but more punch or faster attacks might not be such a bad idea, right? Especially since there are always people asking for more weapon options for their magica characters...

Jerkling wrote: »

Crossbows - redundant, they are no different from Bows

Never tried either, have you? Or you would know they are quite different in operation... bows fire faster, but need a lot more skill to aim well, crossbows have great armor penetration and are easy to use, but slow to reload and make ready to fire again...
Also, they -are- a classic option for medieval-tech ranged combat. There it is again, the option thing.

Jerkling wrote: »

Short Spears - why would anyone want a "Myrmidon" feeling in a fantasy game based predominantly in a medieval setting? that the Imperials are basicly Romans is bad enough as it is

Why wouldn't they?

And who do you think you are to tell people what they can or cannot want?
I am just saying, it would be nifty to have the -option- in case someone -does- want to.

Also, check the fighters guild in Skywatch sometime. You'll find NPCs practicing with... you guessed it... spears!

Jerkling wrote: »

Flails - how are they different from Maces?

Really???
The punchy bit is on a chain.
It makes it flail 'round, 'round, 'round.
It can even flail around shields - 's why they came up with that thing in the first place
(oh, and it was easy to improvise from farm equipment)

Jerkling wrote: »

Alternate Staves - how would they be different from Fire Staves exactly, appart from their visual?

In whatever way people think up! The point is, more flavors of destruction and restoration staves would be -fun-!

Jerkling wrote: »

Spell Foci - yep, as a squishy spellcaster i totally want to be up close and personal all the time

Haven't read that one, have you?
It would have the same basic stats as the currnet staves, or possibly a -slight- reduction in range for a -slight- boost in damage.
It would be merely an additional -option- for casters.

Jerkling wrote: »

Subduing Weapons - so you want to subdue Molag Kena then?

Why, is she one of those barroom brawl encounters I mentioned?
And that is the core of this idea, the notion that there might be less then effective weapons. A club instead of a sword, a staff instead of a spear, etc. Something less then lethal for barroom brawls... or for those who like an extra challenge!

But now that you mention it... I gotta admit... the idea of just knocking a boss unconscious... could be extra achievements there, win a bossfight using -only- subduing weapon attacks! And then... get a furniture piece, with that boss in a cage! I could see how someone might make their home into a "boss zoo" just for the lulz!

Jerkling wrote: »

sorry that i'm poo-poo'ing all over your "ideas"...

I figured "nomen est omen", so... I guessed that was kinda your thing? I don't take criticism of my ideas personal... even though your comments do look like you didn't bother to actually read the details of my ideas, but only glanced at the pictures...

Jerkling wrote: »

...but it feels like you are just trying to find a use for just about any fighting tool or fighting style you could possibly think of and then crammed them all into this list. there is no reason to make a skill line for any insignificant weapon that every existed and there is no reason to overcomplicate things either.

The reason is quite simple - to add more options to the game.
More options give people more choices, more combinations to explore, more fun to have.

Otherwise we could reduce the whole game to one stat - "Competence" and make one roll from that decide -everything-. No builds, no tactics, no choices, no differences... Which would not be much fun.

Aurielle

The bad thing about having so many options is that the loot table would be horribly diluted. It’s bad enough as it is trying to get a VMA fire staff to drop... Imagine if there were polearms, crossbows, steel fists, flails, several other types of staves, and so on, in the mix?

TheShadowScout

Aurielle wrote: »

The bad thing about having so many options is that the loot table would be horribly diluted...

That is a valid concern.

It would be a good thing for most - give people more incentive to trade.

But for the "Bind on Pickup" stuff... a bad thing. Still, they could switch those to a token system I suppose...

STORMCROW0707

I just want another magicka weapon

Dragneel1207

All up for mounted combat.They could make a dlc on that easily and make huge money as well

MerlinsBrother

I'm blown away... This is absolutely amazing.... ZoS... Give the op job... Seriously, this is so well thought out and crafted. I have to say if ZoS does not give you a job... They would be making a huge mistake.

SosRuvaak

UNARMED NEEDS TO BE A THING

its been an elder scrolls skill for as long as i can remember.

close range, secondary or primary for a tank or brawler build, it would help balance out issues with bow complaints, with more people using unarmed, and it would add new depth to basic attack builds, it could really change a lot JUST adding unarmed.

barney2525

Let's just think this through for a sec.

Every new type of weapon is going to need it's own unique skill line

That, in and of itself, will create more jumping up and down and screaming that "this is too powerful" or "this is too weak"

Do we really need more reasons to have the "Nerf or Don't Nerf" arguments?

Tommy_The_Gun

Spears would be hard to implement with range based buff / debuff as OP sugested. We all know how awkward targeting system works in eso (or rather how it does not work).
I think easier way wold be to simply make "half-spears" or simply short sprars (just like bows in eso are in fact short bows).
It could be conected with "combat staff" weapon (mystic monk style) so we would have 1 new 2h weapon weapon skill line "polearms" that will be the first ever "hybrid' weapon skill line in game. Both weapons (spear & combat staff) will be craftable at woodworking station.
Spears will have more single target focus and will be more effective on stamina builds, while combat staff will have more AOE focus and will be more effective on magicka builds.
I don't know about you, but a hybrid weapon skill line will be interesting for both stamina & magicka players thus it can be a big selling point.

Operativ

Hey,

I really like your ideas and I hope that at least some of them pass through from being a suggestion/feedback to an actual developed content stage.

This would add a lot of flavour to the game. On a side note, some initial extra balancing would need to apply, however that's a lesser evil always needed if we want content to be as polished as it can be.