Combat Update - January 2018

ZOS_GinaBruno

Hi everyone, and welcome to our latest combat update. We have been busy going through your PTS feedback for Update 17, which is largely where our combat-related focus has been. To restate our main goals for this update:

• Improve Synergy responsiveness and power to promote better group gameplay
• Improve interrupt rulesets so that there is more interesting and tactical interrupt gameplay
• Improve the Off Balance status effect so it is more useful for everyone

As we near the end of this PTS cycle, we will continue fixing reported bugs and plan to make a few more adjustments to combat balance. You can expect to see some adjustments to Off Balance, iterations on Synergy cooldowns and updates to abilities that fall outside of our Block and Dodge rulesets. A huge thank you to those of you that have experienced the changes first hand and provided feedback. Your feedback and testing results are invaluable to us.

On a different note, we’d like to talk to you about our future plans for these combat updates. We’ve seen some great conversation come out of these (and we thank you all for staying constructive as we asked). Starting after this combat update, we will be shifting to doing these quarterly rather than monthly. As you’ve noticed, most of our major combat changes arrive in our quarterly game updates, and we’d like to utilize our written combat updates to give you an early look at what we’re planning. We were finding that subsequent combat updates were becoming “we’re still working on the things we mentioned before” without providing much substance. We want these combat updates to be both meaningful and impactful – changing them to quarterly will ensure that’s the case.

We still plan to keep you informed in between the larger quarterly updates, and we have some other related plans in the works that we’re really excited to share with you; it’s a bit too early to talk about them now, but we’ll divulge more information as soon as we can. Please continue posting your feedback here, both involving combat and how we can better communicate information to you.

Moloch1514

Any discussions internally on reversing some of the drastic sustain changes from Morrowind?

Any discussions internally regarding the full removal of Snare for Soul Assault (such as a 30%, down from 70%)?

Any discussions internally regarding the community's overall conclusion that MagDK in PvE is now sidelined due to reactive changes to skills affected by the Off-Balance rework?

Thanks!

rhapsodious

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

You can expect to see some adjustments to Off Balance, iterations on Synergy cooldowns and updates to abilities that fall outside of our Block and Dodge rulesets.

Will these be coming Monday or the following week? And in either case, perhaps a nugget to leave us for the weekend?

On a different note, we’d like to talk to you about our future plans for these combat updates. We’ve seen some great conversation come out of these (and we thank you all for staying constructive as we asked). Starting after this combat update, we will be shifting to doing these quarterly rather than monthly. As you’ve noticed, most of our major combat changes arrive in our quarterly game updates, and we’d like to utilize our written combat updates to give you an early look at what we’re planning. We were finding that subsequent combat updates were becoming “we’re still working on the things we mentioned before” without providing much substance. We want these combat updates to be both meaningful and impactful – changing them to quarterly will ensure that’s the case.

I'm a fan of more meat in the updates, personally. Will these come out shortly before PTS1 then?

Thanks for the update in any case!

Princess_Ciri

Hello I'd like to nominate @MyNameIsElias to become the new community spokesperson for fishing updates

His first aim is to add a pvp mini game to every single fish encounter.

technohic

Aren't the PTS releases quarterly? Will the updates fall in between PTS releases? I was wondering what the update would be like when we are in the PTS clearly testing what has been worked on.

ZOS_GinaBruno

rhapsodious wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

You can expect to see some adjustments to Off Balance, iterations on Synergy cooldowns and updates to abilities that fall outside of our Block and Dodge rulesets.

Will these be coming Monday or the following week? And in either case, perhaps a nugget to leave us for the weekend?

On a different note, we’d like to talk to you about our future plans for these combat updates. We’ve seen some great conversation come out of these (and we thank you all for staying constructive as we asked). Starting after this combat update, we will be shifting to doing these quarterly rather than monthly. As you’ve noticed, most of our major combat changes arrive in our quarterly game updates, and we’d like to utilize our written combat updates to give you an early look at what we’re planning. We were finding that subsequent combat updates were becoming “we’re still working on the things we mentioned before” without providing much substance. We want these combat updates to be both meaningful and impactful – changing them to quarterly will ensure that’s the case.

I'm a fan of more meat in the updates, personally. Will these come out shortly before PTS1 then?

Thanks for the update in any case!

Those changes mentioned are planned for Monday's PTS patch, and the idea is to publish the quarterly updates before a new PTS cycle begins.

HeroOfNone

@ZOS_GinaBruno

While in understand the overall direction for changes will be for quarterly updates, could we still sneak an hour or two a month to discuss under utilized skills and morphs? You have the numbers on what skills are used the least, so we can take 1 to 2 of them, hear why the devs feel more should use it, and then get community comments on why we don't. From that, suggestions how to tweak it can filter in along with major changes like you did with interupts, synergies, etc.

If this works out we could also include under/over used armor sets, but I won't get ahead of myself.

MissBizz

Any crumbs on how exactly you plan on tweaking off balance this upcoming patch...?

LiquidPony

Improve the Off Balance status effect so it is more useful for everyone

Do you think that you've achieved the goal of making it "more useful for everyone" ... by slapping a 20-second cooldown on the effect?

I'd be really interested to see an explanation for that.

I just find this one in particularly really interesting because when the November combat update was posted, and we saw off-balance mentioned, the people I play with were all excited to see clarifications/improvements to how off balance is consumed, particularly as it relates to magDKs and Shock Clench. But what we got was a giant nerf.

It just does not compute.

Of course, there's a good chance I'm totally wrong and this really is an improvement that makes off balance "more useful for everyone," but thus far I haven't seen anyone who likes the changes or anyone who can explain how they are an improvement.

Domander

Princess_Ciri wrote: »

Hello I'd like to nominate @MyNameIsElias to become the new community spokesperson for fishing updates

His first aim is to add a pvp mini game to every single fish encounter.

That would be awesome

Apache_Kid

How do you consider drastically reducing the up-time of off-balance as something that "Improve(s) the off-balance status effect..."?
Genuinely curious.

Jjitsuboy98

Okay......not much info there. We need class balance, Cyrodil updates, lag addressed etc etc. Will the next quarter update address such issues?

AlienatedGoat

Change Elemental Rage nerf to only Eye of the Storm.

Stop nerfing PvE for PvP balance.

xSkullfox

Jjitsuboy98 wrote: »

Okay......not much info there. We need class balance, Cyrodil updates, lag addressed etc etc. Will the next quarter update address such issues?

Rohamad_Ali

Thank you for NB changes . You will find the sweetrolls we agreed upon in an unmarked package with red bow .

Cireous

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

we have some other related plans in the works that we’re really excited to share with you; it’s a bit too early to talk about them now, but we’ll divulge more information as soon as we can.

Spellcrafting ....

ZOS_GinaBruno

Jjitsuboy98 wrote: »

Okay......not much info there. We need class balance, Cyrodil updates, lag addressed etc etc. Will the next quarter update address such issues?

To be fair, Cyrodiil updates and lag/performance/latency aren't handled by the Combat Team (and these are updates specifically for combat-related things). That said, agree we could do a better job messaging these other updates out to everyone, and we'll work on putting something together for you.

stileanima

Have you considered adding more synergies to class skills? The Warden's Winter's Revenge for example, and the Nightblade's Path of Darkness.

Anhedonie

Thank you for ignoring all the feedback.

QuebraRegra

Apache_Kid wrote: »

How do you consider drastically reducing the up-time of off-balance as something that "Improve(s) the off-balance status effect..."?
Genuinely curious.

needs more talk on this... what is the reasoning when it would seem to contradict what was said originally?

Elsonso

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

On a different note, we’d like to talk to you about our future plans for these combat updates. We’ve seen some great conversation come out of these (and we thank you all for staying constructive as we asked). Starting after this combat update, we will be shifting to doing these quarterly rather than monthly. As you’ve noticed, most of our major combat changes arrive in our quarterly game updates, and we’d like to utilize our written combat updates to give you an early look at what we’re planning. We were finding that subsequent combat updates were becoming “we’re still working on the things we mentioned before” without providing much substance. We want these combat updates to be both meaningful and impactful – changing them to quarterly will ensure that’s the case.

@ZOS_GinaBruno & @ZOS_Wrobel ... a suggestion. Post the quarterly combat update a bit before things hit PTS, so that the initial screaming, yelling, and ritual gnashing of teeth can be useful prior to PTS, with more concrete feedback coming from PTS itself.

Stamden

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

To restate our main goals for this update:

• Improve Synergy responsiveness and power to promote better group gameplay
• Improve interrupt rulesets so that there is more interesting and tactical interrupt gameplay
• Improve the Off Balance status effect so it is more useful for everyone

You forgot:

• Make DK's completely unplayable

Apache_Kid

QuebraRegra wrote: »

Apache_Kid wrote: »

How do you consider drastically reducing the up-time of off-balance as something that "Improve(s) the off-balance status effect..."?
Genuinely curious.

needs more talk on this... what is the reasoning when it would seem to contradict what was said originally?

Tell me about it.

They're literally doing one thing while saying another. Dropping group DPS is not improving off-balance. Why isn't this a larger talking point?

Masel

I really hope you`re considering changing off-balance to have it be a lot more reliable than it is, and maybe just tweak the values a bit instead of reducing its uptime this significantly. From a PvE standpoint we will be going for all fire blockades again, and it would definetely be possible to find a sweetspot where you need to have both within your group to maximise it's damage and usefulness.

The way as it is now on the PTS, is way too short to actually react to it in a real combat scenario. It mkes it not woth using in the first place. I (and most others) would prefer to have no cooldown on it again, but then reduicng the value of the exploiter a bit and the amount of additional resources restored (even though the last one doesnt even need to be changed because it would reward dynamic rotations a lot more!).

mondy00

Was really disappointed to see the heavy attack changes abandoned a couple months ago as they're super slow and unfun, but still looking forward to everything else in Update 17

lefler90

Is there anything being internally discussed about reversing some of the sustain changes brought by Morrowind? Gameplay has gone from fast paced to a dead crawl due to the new heavy attack meta and it seems that the changes to off-balance only solidify this meta even more.

Alaztor91

Is the one heal, one dps, one tank skill line idea for classes mentioned a few months ago still a thing? or do you intend to capitalize on classes innate strengths such as tankiness for DK, heals for temp,dps for sorc/nb?

Anhedonie

@ZOS_GinaBruno & @ZOS_Wrobel

Can we have Eric to explain his vision? What he thinks about dragonknights relying on not present in-game mechanic such as dynamic ultimate generation? It's tied to it's sustain, one of core mechanic for every class in this game. Is he even aware about that?
What are his thoughts on warden's (magicka damage dealer) imbalanced performance in PvP and PvE. What he has in mind to make this class viable and welcomed in competitive environment?
Does he think that there are severe issues with some classes or everything is more or less fine and needs just small tweaking? Many people, myself included, would like to hear his thoughts. His answers would be greatly appreciated and could clear up some things. Genuie questions, no sarcasm, irony, trolling or baiting this time, I promise.

GrumpyDuckling

Gina, can you please post the player feedback document that exists? (The one that was mentioned on the most recent ESO Live).

It would be great to see which player feedback is going to be used.

Zorgon_The_Revenged

"When the requested info came back from the various departments, she knew her "Big Picture" feature wasn't going to be easy".



I jest, I jest. It's good to see players ideas, feedback and views.

Karm1cOne

Can we get a big picture of what the changes to off balance are attempting to achieve? ie: lower reliance on sorcs in group play, lower the necessity of exploiter, etc