Additional Weapon Skill Ideas - Mk.II

Chronocidal

sadly considering the OP was 17mnths ago these ideas have well and truely fallen through the cracks in the dev teams attention

TelvanniWizard

Twin magic and mounted combat: AWESOME!

lolli42

The thing about double magic is, you dont fight with right and left click (well a bit but not mainly) but with skillbars
And skillbars dont care, that you have 2 different spell elements in your hands
Well maybe it could make u choose between 2 skilltrees then, with 1 (weapon) equiped (even more brainsplotion) ptschhhh!!!

TheShadowScout

barney2525 wrote: »

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

...unless its just a variation of an already existing weapon.
Much like "maces" and "swords" don't have different skill lines, just use the same skills with the occasional "more damage" and "more penetration" variations... or "flame staff" and "ice staff" don't use different skill lines...
...so the same could be done by adding "crossbows" and "slings" as alternate weapons options for archers... or "spell foci" as alternate weapon for destro and resto magic... or adding alternate destruction and restoration magic flavors... etc.

Different weapons tho... yeah, they would need new skill lines as outlined above. And that would indeed mean...

Operativ wrote: »

On a side note, some initial extra balancing would need to apply...

...this.
But the game will -always- be unbalanced in some way. There will always be some need to nerf this and buff that, because the developers are not perfect, and whatever they do, there will be -some- combination that proves more effective in practice then they intended, and will need rebalancing in the end. Especially when they add -any- stuff, be it a new class or a new guild or a new item set.
Game balance will -always- be a work in progress.
Personally, if I have the choice between better balance and more weapon options to have fun with... I will always take the "more options" as those would be -fun!- to explore and try out, balanced or not, and because I reckon people -would- pay extra for something new, but might not pay extra for mere balancing changes... I would think things this a worthwhile addition to ESO. (duh, of course I would )

lolli42 wrote: »

The thing about double magic is, you dont fight with right and left click (well a bit but not mainly) but with skillbars
And skillbars dont care, that you have 2 different spell elements in your hands

...and that is why I say the types would alternate.
If you go: light attack - weapon skill - class skill - weapon skill - heavy attack - weapon ultimate...
...it would go: (right hand) - (left hand) - (no hand) - (right hand) - (left hand) - (both hands).
Doesn't matter what you have in your hands, both the same (but where would be the fun in that?) or alternating, say, a barrage of fire and ice...

Avoka

Listen to it Zenimaxx.

ApostateHobo

Hey zos maybe take a look at this we NEED some new weapons!

r34lian

Ak47
Lord warden already has it

crazywolfpusher

- Brawling and Spellsword new skill lines

- Crossbows as a different weapon type for Bow Skill line - Extra Physical penetration?
- Spears as different weapon type for Two Handed and Sword&Shield - Extra range for melee weapon skills?

And better looking staves, 90% of them are ugly.
Far far in the future i would like to see as well the Lord Vampire ultimate and College of Winterhold chapter/dlc.

Osubaker33

To me spears is an opportunity to make 2 handed stamina tanking. Less defensive than sword and board but other benefits to compensate.

Spears are a very defensive weapon. They keep the enemy at a distance, against mounted foes they can be planted against the foot and ground to deadly effect, etc.

"A medieval short spear’s length was between 6 and 9 feet long, while a long spear was around 12 feet and the pike up to 18 feet."


Much like there are different bonuses for sword, mace, dagger. We could have different bonuses for spear (lower stamina cost), polearm (bleed), and pike (extreme reach).

Just an example skill set

1. Jab- spammable, one morph would Taunt the enemy for 15 seconds, cause minor fracture, and minor maim.
2. Impale - run the enemy through with your spear, high cost skill that can cause large dot or a nice tanking status effect with the other morph.
3. Guard - use your spear much like a shield gaining major protection for 3 seconds. (low cost)
4. Disarm - using the length of your spear to your advantage disarm your foe causing major maim for 3 seconds (high cost)
5. Offensive/Defensive stance toggle or maybe long duration buff. While in defensive stance plant your spear gaining minor protection and stunning any enemies that use a gap closer against you. Need to think about offensive stance some more.

TheShadowScout

Osubaker33 wrote: »

Spears are a very defensive weapon...

Weeeeeellllll...
First, we need to decide which spears we want to talk about. The one-handed "myrmidon" style spear, or the two-handed "pike" style polearm.
Since we are talking skill lines, I presume latter...

Its more like a rock-paper-scissors thing methinks.
Long two-handed spears and similar polearms are -great- against charging cavalry, sure. And a terror if used in formation, making a block of infantry like a porcupine against enemy attack; much to the vexation of noble knights, well trained commoner pikemen were pretty much impossible for heavy cavalry to attack.

When it comes to facing ranged weapons tho, be it arrows or fireballs.... things look different. Pikes cannot block that.
Which is why the pike formations that were the prime battlefield killer in the later middle ages and early renaissance were quickly forgotten when better muskets became available in numbers. A pike formation simply could not match ranged attackers. All they could do when faced with that threat is charge and hope they get to melee range before they die. With crossbows, they sometimes could, due to the crossbows long reload times. With longbows, their chances were slimmer, but few armies could field that many longbowmen due to the sheer ammount of traing a good bowman needed to be effective. Muskets though? Easy to use with minimal training, so as soon as those got good enough, with a high enough rate of fire, pikemen were doomed.

And as we all know from history, if the terrain is not horrible to slow things down (like mud or such), ranged attackers are at the mercy of cavalry, because they can close the distance FAST and ride down all those longbowmen...

so...

Horsemen beat bowmen, bowmen beat pikemen, pikemen beat horsemen... the fun game of medieval battle tactics!
(Yeah, its very simplified, and what counts most idf -how- the general uses the troops they have, but... well... in a nutshell...)

Not like combat in ESO is really formation warfare tho.

Here... its more like duelling.

And at that... well, polearms have greater range, but are awkward at close range, and their "keep the enemy away with the pointy end" tactic does not really work that well because that depends on -formations-, in a duel the opponent can bat the spear out of the way and close within the pikemans range... while it still does nothing to defend against ranged attacks.

So, not all -that- defensive in this setup.

But if you check my idea, yeah, I -did- try to build a little of that into my "polearms" skill line... at least the "can be iffy to charge against" thing.

...

As for the one handed spears... those basically would be a one-handed weapon following the one-handed weapon skilly anyhow. Possibly with no special damage effect (no bleed, no penetration, no extra damage or critical), but instead adding a bit of extra range to all such attacks. Say, 2 meters additional range to all weapon attacks? Does not sound very useful... but in the right situation, it could well be!

Either case, I for one would love to see the options arise in ESO!

Osubaker33

Yes I agree a large 12 to 18 foot polearm/pike relies heavily on formation, which is not applicable to ESO.

However, there are many examples of soldiers using the 6 to 9 foot spears, two handed, very very well in one on one dueling scenarios. I can provide many links to both European and Asian documentaries on the subject. The spear is the most used weapon throughout all of history for a good reason and not just because its simple or cheap. There is an enormous variety of weapons in the spear category ranging from simple pointy sticks, to much more intricate Yari's and Poleaxe's.


The "not good at close range" really does not apply at all to these shorter spears.


As for defense against ranged, no they are not going to fair well and ideally id love to see that be one of the biggest downsides to using spear vs sword and board. Little protection vs ranged weapons and spells.


Maybe they get just the normal 50% block but a large block bonus against melee only.

MojaveHeld

These would provide a lot of flavor, and would be great for the single-player experience in a normal TES game. For an MMO, however, none of these suggestions are workable, they lack functionality and balance for this type of game. I think ESO players sometimes forget that in an MMO, functionality always has to trump flavor and immersion. The latter works in this game only insofar as it doesn't interfere with the former at all.

Thokri

I like the rest but mounted combat is meh.

90% of games with mounted combat, it is awful and would not work in mmo because unmount-mechanics.

If you could stay mounted 24/7, it would be exloited a lot. I mean I would skip all trash for sure.

TheShadowScout

Osubaker33 wrote: »

The spear is the most used weapon throughout all of history for a good reason and not just because its simple or cheap.

Actually... I always though that was the -main- point!
Simple and cheap. Easy to make. Unlike sword blades, a spearpoint worked well even with less then perfectly forged steel, thos could be made by a village blacksmith as easily as any farm equipment, a wooden shaft grew in every wood, so it was THE thing to equip your army with on the cheap...
And it was easy enough to use, and the "poke the enemy with the pointy end" had less chances of injuring your fellow soldiers with wild untrained swings then, say, a sword... meaning is was great for ill-trained conscripts like medieval levy troops, right?

Of course, that is only one side. -skilled- spear users have been a staple in myth and fantasy from achilles to oberyn martell...

Osubaker33 wrote: »

As for defense against ranged, no they are not going to fair well and ideally id love to see that be one of the biggest downsides to using spear vs sword and board. Little protection vs ranged weapons and spells.

Hmmm... you know, I kinda wish -everything- except 1H&Shioeld had its defense reduced by half against ranged attacks But I guess S&B just gets some extra boosts to that, so...

Still, when it comes to defense, a short polearm is good, but so is a sword to parry with. Or twin daggers, especially at knife range. Still, all that can be looked at when it comes to balancing...

MojaveHeld wrote: »

For an MMO, however, none of these suggestions are workable, they lack functionality and balance for this type of game.

I disagree there.
Since ESO has -free- weapons selection... its everyones -choice- what weapon they want to try. And thus the weapons don#t really need to be perfectily balanced, as long as their advantages in one category are offset by drawbacks in another.

Like for example, the twin magin idea I had... half the range sounds like it would be unusable, right? But that depends on how much extra firepower it gets you at the closer range, would it not? Which would be a matter of balancing.

Or polearms... they might be a little difficult to useas I envision them, but all that could be offset by a higher base damage again, which would make sense... and be a matter of balancing.

Brawling... okay, that one definitely is not a combat-competetive line. But it never was supposed to be! It was supposed to be a "flavor" skill line for barrom brawls... and for those who want an extra challenge (and have a decent weapon on the other skill bar anyhow)

1H&Magic... might need some rework, not sure if the half-and-half idea is all that decent in practice... but that too could be made to work out well with some tewaks, and finally give people the "spellblade" feeling many would like (not to mention, it IS featured in the trailers by the elf hero, yes?)

And so on.

Thokri wrote: »

I like the rest but mounted combat is meh.

Yeah, it is a bit of a "ehhh... I tried" thing, is it not? Bot for the unhorsing, well, that IS why I added a passive to reduce that, right? How much... that would need to be determined.
Like I said before, an attempt to come up with something to make it somewhat workable.

And anyhow, all those are merely "proof of concept" ideas, while In wish the powers that be would implement ALL those weapons options, I know well that they likely would not pick up the skills I dreamed up here, but make their own thoughts and designs.

I just wanted to convey my desire for more options! And show what -might- be possible to make ESO a more enjoyable game through having way more choices for our characters!

Jeirno

Mounted combat on ESO engine? Yaiks, would look horrible and be horrible "can't mount in combat".

Polearms sounds cool BUT the ideas you are suggesting would lead to cancerous bleed builds that we already have in this game, imagine polearm+master dual wield on backbar? big OOF. Most other weapon types just sound pretty bad imo. But things like sword on the other hand and spell on the other would be cool.

Grianasteri

Some absolutely fantastic ideas in here.

For stamina combat we have, bow, sword, shield, double handed sword, mace, axe, battle axe..

For magic we have... Staffs.

This has been a major flaw in the game diversity for a very long time and is where I would like to see a new skill line. Effectively the ability to cast magic, without a staff. So, one of the magic related ideas you have or an amalgam of them is well over due.

Wands I am not so fond of, this is not Harry Potter! But the idea you hold a book or runes in hand to cast, seems hugely appealing and easily implementable viz animations etc.

A counter argument would be that we already have various skills, many in fact, that are magica but do not require a staff. This is true, but we do not have a "weapon" skill line as an alternative. The point is most if not all magica based builds are going to be slotting a staff, because the skills within that line are just too important. We need an equally important line as an alternative.

Ysbriel

Awesome post,

But here it goes...

Polearms should had been there since launch but we have Templars and adding that now will take away from a class identity.

Flails are practically maces.

Mounted combat sounds cool but i just cant see it fall into place with the game design, don’t even understand why they put a set revolving around dismounting anyways.

One Handed and Spell was the first controversial thing left out from this game and its 2019 so thats a hint.

Twin Spells wouldn’t fall with the game design since this isn’t TES5 game design.


Crossbows are already in the game under the fighters guild and If you haven’t noticed already everything in this game is a re skin of every single animation or item that already exists but with some minor visual tweak so it can be possible as well as brawling.

Ranged and melee already exists in hidden blade skill.

The spell focli and subdue can be added as a class

A wind based staff wouldn’t hurt but it seems wind in this game is related to physical rather than magicka and coldfire is oblivion damage and that would be the mother of all nerf crying.

TheShadowScout

Jeirno wrote: »

Polearms sounds cool BUT the ideas you are suggesting would lead to cancerous bleed builds...

...which would be a matter of -how much-. Or just changing the passive, like I often say, its not that I think -these- skills exactly should be done, its more that I want -something- to be done with those weapon ideas, and my thoughts are just an brainstorm of what it -could- be...

Grianasteri wrote: »

Wands I am not so fond of, this is not Harry Potter!

And yet we get wands in several questings. Mostly to cook or explode chickens and the occasional scamp, but still... they ARE in the game. And its a small step from exploding scamps to exploding any other critter and your neighbor for good measure, right?

Personally I like the idea of having yet more options, like "wands for range, runestones for damage" in addition to all the elemental types... I love options (as if that was not obvious by now)

Ysbriel wrote: »

Polearms should had been there since launch but we have Templars and adding that now will take away from a class identity.

And yet, nightblades have magic bows and daggers as part of their class skills too, which did not preclude them being weapons.

Also, necromancers get their own "polearm-ish" skill with their scythe without stealking the templars class identity... which IMO was more tied to the healing and "holy wrath" type of spells anyhow then to the pokey glow sticks...

I say, bring it on! Let the pokesticks come in two flavors, normal mundate pinty sticks, and magical aedric pointy stick-shaped magic!

Ysbriel wrote: »

Flails are practically maces.

And axes are practically sharp maces?

I suppose since they did lump picks and axes together one could go with lumping flails and maces together too, but... well. It was an idea for an -option-.

And as I said before, flails have one big operational difference from maces - the "use the chain to whip it around a blocking shield or parrying weapon" - I could easily see a mechanic made from this, can you not? Give them some block-penetration damage, yet some drawback else to balance?

The only question there is really, how involved would the animation be? I mean... we -do- have DK lava whips, so... it should be do-able, right? And if so, it would make a nice range of "flexible" weapons... flail and morning star, bladed whip, nunchaku, meteor hammer, urumi... It could fit well into what we have!

Ysbriel wrote: »

Mounted combat sounds cool but i just cant see it fall into place with the game design

Yeah, and this is just an attempt to make it somewhat utilizable within the game design. Possibly not the best, but... an attempt. it still would be cool to have "mounted knights charge" in cyrodil!

Ysbriel wrote: »

Twin Spells wouldn’t fall with the game design...

...since we cannot have two weapons? Says who?
Hey, if we get two melee weapons, and get an offhand magic weapon... why not two of those magic weapons too, for two-fisted sorcery? It could work, and its not so far different from holding two daggers or swords, or axes, or...

Ysbriel wrote: »

Crossbows are already in the game under the fighters guild...

...though that one is a hand-crossbow skill, NOT the two-handed proper crossbow weapon alternative to bows I describe.

I mean, we have been taking about options... melee fighters get to pick between axe, sword and mace (and dagger for 1H), so... why should marksmen not get to pick too? Bows or crossbows? It would not be that hard to build some differences to make them feel distinct, right?

Ysbriel wrote: »

Ranged and melee already exists in hidden blade skill.

Ah, but does it exist in the way those spear chukers in orsinium do it? No? Then... why not make more of it?

Also, the skill line could be used without the "offhand throwing" skills (and possibly a tiny shuriken as offhand weapon) to portray a one-handed duelist, not that those were much of a thing in medieval times, but still...

Ysbriel wrote: »

The spell focli and subdue can be added as a class

NO!

NO CLASSES!

The WHOLE point of weapon skill lines is that they can be fun for EVERYONE, no matter if they are just starting their characters, or have been playing their beloved characters since launch!

That's the basic idea! To have skill lines that can also be refitted to old characters, giving people new incentive to play them to morph and max the new weapon line... and won't vex people in "gah, now I need to make another character to enjoy the new class" or "darn, that one would have been so much better fo this main of mine..."

As for the spell foci idea... I just tought it so mind-numbingly boring that every destruction or restoration weapon is a staff. And then I thought what else could be done, and came up with that. Some ritual object your character holds in one hand, and manipulates for spellyness with the other through mystic gestures of whatnot. And depending on racial style it could be anything... holy symbols, ornate spellbooks, meditation crystals, shaman rattles, ancient artifacts, crystal skulls, stuffed shunken heads, gemmed scepters, mystic scrolls, daedric contracts, whatever...

The more options the better! I mean, I cannot be the only one who would love more -choices- in how to set up their perfect character setup, right?

Ysbriel wrote: »

A wind based staff wouldn’t hurt but it seems wind in this game is related to physical rather than magicka and coldfire is oblivion damage and that would be the mother of all nerf crying.

...unless it took a big enough penalty in damage output to balance, right?

But come on, are you -really- going to tell us it would make no sense to have destruction staffyness in "coldfire" flavor for all those necromancrs???

And more of the sort. Not like the woodworking crafting line is as filled as the others... (WW-6; BS-14; CL-14; JW-2) we could easily add eight things to make for woodworker. So... crossbows, three more destro flavors, two more resto flavors... brings us to 12. Polearms to 13. One left for later...? (and wands, runestones and spell foci could be great for jerwller weapons, which would make them somewhat rare since... well, we know about the jewelry gathering, its almost like those things were -precious metals-...oh. OH! )

Also, as I remarked, NPC mages get those staves, why cannot we PC casters? At least cyan coldfire, purple "warlock" magic and red-black fear magic is in the game, in the hands of NPCs. I want that too for my characters, I have a serious case of staff-envy!

Vanthras79

Loved all of these ideas!

Tessitura

Why so much melee stuff and short ranged magicka stuff? There is over abundance of melee weapons and styles as is, while there is only two real ranged weapons. This kind feels like I am reading just what you want to fit your play styles, not entirely what is feasible or good for the game. Mounted combat is mechanically unlikely to be possible with the game they have built, and one hand and ranged is kind of already here with DW and Fighter's guild abilities. I do think more weapon skills are needed but not on the melee front, we got plenty of that, especially in the stam department. Problem with weapon skills though, is the new assets they would have to render for each and every motif style. So maybe think of one style you like, and really expand on that idea then present that?

TheShadowScout

Tessitura wrote: »

Why so much melee stuff and short ranged magicka stuff?

That's just how it happend.
And much of it is not -exactly- melee... polearm is melee with a little extra, 1H&R is melee and mid-range throwing, 1H&M is melee and mid-range spell, and 2M is mid-range spell. The only "real" melee is brawling, which was more a "niche" idea anyhow...
The idea behind that to give some more "mixed" skill lines between pure melee and ranged.

Tessitura wrote: »

There is over abundance of melee weapons and styles as is, while there is only two real ranged weapons.

Well, go on, suggest some then!
The thing is, the ranged weapons I considered were not really feeling like a new skill line of their own...
...crossbows? Makes more sense as alternative to bows with the same skills.
...slings? Ditta, actually.
...javelins? That's throwing weapons, together with the rest of them.
...more destruction flavor? No new skill lines there.

What else is there in medieval times?
And how to make it different enough from what is already there to be worth its own skill line?

The only ranged weapon I could still think of is some non-destro, non-resto magic staff line... hmmm... which actually would not be such a bad idea, move the tankyness from ice staff to there, perhaps, and have those staves be full of tank-worthy skills? Something to think about...

Tessitura wrote: »

This kind feels like I am reading just what you want to fit your play styles, not entirely what is feasible or good for the game.

Actually... nope.
I thought up what I saw and could imagine, with little thought to -my- characters playstyles. The polearms because we had spears and halberds back in TES-III:Morrowind. The mounted because knights! The 1H&R because of the orsinium stear chukers that first came with the javelin backpack, and I thought it unfair that NPCs get this when PCs don't. The Brawling because people have been talking about it, yet it didn't feel right to make is as a competetive skill line... there IS a reason people throughout history went to battlefierlds with -weapons- martial artists or not.The 1H&M because... well... people -have- been whining about ti since launch. And from there the logical conclusion of 2M.

None of the above are influenced by my playstales... (Though I of course have some "me wanna" wishes, mostly crossbows and spell foci, for design reasons... I want my bounty huntress main to have a crossbow for swiss reasons, and I want my librarian main to cast his spells from a big ole spellbook instead of a staff!)

Tessitura wrote: »

I do think more weapon skills are needed but not on the melee front...

...its not about "needed". Its about "would be fun!"
Giving people more options! Giving people more choices!

The way I see it, the more choices, the more diverse characters can get, the more fun it can be to find something you like in effect or visuals, or challenge yourself by fighting with something a bit tricky!

And we -are- somewhat limited by what is available in the medieval weapons store... see above.

Tessitura wrote: »

Problem with weapon skills though, is the new assets they would have to render for each and every motif style.

True enough. Just like they have to do the same whenever they release a new outfit style. And I fully expect them to bundle any new weapon skills with some expansion... we know how that goes, right?

As for motiv pages... they could always add some to existing ones as to not mess up their lists.
Like... the "swords" page gives you both 1H and 2H swords visuals, yet the "dagger" page only dagger visuals... so they could make it that having learned one also gives that styles "throwing" weapon. And the "staff" page also giving that styles polearm. And the "bow" page also that styles crossbow. Not quite sure where the spell focus could fit in, I for one would make it a special style unlock you only get when you mastered the whole rest of the style...

Runestones and wands would have no seperate visuals, as they would be too small for that - a rock in your hand or a stick? Not much that would be done here, though I guess one could add wands to staves as well and make them a bit bigger and different looking... possibilities.

And yeah, as I mentioned already, it would dilute weapon drop tables somewhat. Which would be better for a token system enahoy IMO - or get rid of the BoP and make them BoE, to liven up commerce across tamriel!

Oxkill

I've just seen this comment and it is amazing. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. |

I would love to use brawling. Especially this one: monks are part of the lore. I cannot understand why they're still not represented.

I would love to have flails.

I would love to have spears and polearms.

I would love to have one handed magic.

I would love to use combat-staves.

akray21

I'm honestly surprised there are no wands, runes, or otherwise weapon-less magic skill lines. I don't like the aesthetic of staffs, but like wielding magic. One hand and spell was a staple of elder scrolls.

RebornV3x

what about a Conjuration Skill line like bows, daggers, swords it would pretty much be a magicka melee skill line
unarmed skill line
1 hand and spell skill line
Spears

everything else looks cool but I doubt would ever get put into the game

Vercingetorix

The only additional weapon skill lines that are honestly needed:
- Alteration Staff
Dedicated skill line for Magic Tanking, as well as defensive/utility spells
Frost Damage will go back to being DPS with passive effects that set it apart from Fire and Lightning

- 1-Handed and Focus
Melee Magic skill line
"Focus" is a new Woodworking "talisman-like" item: Fire/Frost/Lightning - it goes in the "shield slot"

Eraldus

Spears and unnarmed combat skills would be pretty cool and open more gameplay styles for the player.

I also wish One Hand and Shield were separated into One Hand skills and Shield skills, so that there's a bit more variety in skills for sword and board players.

Veinblood1965

Jerkling wrote: »

• 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.

Agreed, in fact let's just get rid of all fighting weapons altogether and have no animations at all. Just press a button and things die. (sarcasm btw).

Why NOT have as many fighting tools as could be implemented? That's what's nice about this game, customization of your character, not one looks alike as far as outfits go, let's go the whole way and have a ton of fighting styles.

barney2525

we need chainsaws

TheShadowScout

RebornV3x wrote: »

what about a Conjuration Skill line like bows, daggers, swords it would pretty much be a magicka melee skill line

"Conjured Weapons" in ESO have been done as class skills - DK whips, NB daggers&bow, Templar spears, Sorc armor, Necro scythe and of course the FG dawnbreaker...
It could be expanded of course, adding a whole slew of additional things to conjuire... but that would be more a guild or world skill line I suppose...

Personally I would prefer to have a "conjured weapon" motiv instead. (Aka, "weapons made from magical energy" in various flavors, with an "conjuring up weapon" instead of "drawing weapon" ani... but visuals only...)

Vercingetorix wrote: »

The only additional weapon skill lines that are honestly needed:

Its not just about "need", its about what would be -fun-!
The more options, the more combinations, the more interesting the game becomes!

Vercingetorix wrote: »

- Alteration Staff
Dedicated skill line for Magic Tanking, as well as defensive/utility spells
Frost Damage will go back to being DPS with passive effects that set it apart from Fire and Lightning

Yeah, that is one I have to agree with.
And it saddens me a little that noone yet thought to write up a skill line for that and add it here to what I had been brainstorming about... somneone with more experience in what a tank might need then me... wanna do it?

Eraldus wrote: »

I also wish One Hand and Shield were separated into One Hand skills and Shield skills, so that there's a bit more variety in skills for sword and board players.

I wish they had done it like that from the start.
Have a "mainhand weapon" skill line, and then an "offhand shield" skill line, and if you equip those you can mix and match from those... and then an "offhand weapon" skill line, and an "offhand magic" skill line, and perhaps an "offhand throwing" skill line and a "mainhand magic" skill line, and let people mix and match their hands as they like!
Alas...

Veinblood1965 wrote: »

Why NOT have as many fighting tools as could be implemented? That's what's nice about this game, customization of your character, not one looks alike as far as outfits go, let's go the whole way and have a ton of fighting styles.

Exactly.
The more options, the better for us, because that means more combinations, both for us to try against the game and for us to face in Cyrodil.
No matter of more skill lines, or more weapon options with slight differences for existing ones, the more options we have, the more interesting things become!

TheShadowScout

Vercingetorix wrote: »

- Alteration Staff

Okay, I whipped up something along that line of thought... also added to the main post (many thankings for the inspiration @Vercingetorix !)

TheShadowScout wrote: »

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

And also... well, I -may- have been watching too much anime, but...

TheShadowScout wrote: »

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")
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

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