Staves: Aesthetically lazy designs

Dapper Dinosaur · February 2018

While there are definitely some cool staff designs in the game (Alliance styles, xyvkin, etc), I feel like Zenimax is barely trying to make staves look good. Why is only the head of the staff changing with the styles? Every single staff regardless of the style except for Soul Shriven is just a thin rod with a different head on it. Why don't we have more staves like the Soul Shriven style where the staff is actually a different shape? Why aren't there any styles that have crystals, blades, or other things sticking out of other parts of the staff where our characters' hands never touch anyway? How about a staff with some kind of dual-blade appearance where there's a head on both ends?

Does anyone else feel like Zenimax could be doing a lot more with the staff designs?

Kram8ion · February 2018

Yes totally agree and bugs with staffs also addressed

Mielikki · February 2018

...Please. My warden could do with some nature-themed staves!

256c6122067265.563137ccf3652.jpg

Juhasow · February 2018

It's not korean MMO.

Mielikki · February 2018

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

Cadbury · February 2018

I wish ESO's staves were like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEyRRODdvw0

Ankael07 · February 2018

It doesnt become a Korean MMO when you add differently shaped staves

Juhasow · February 2018

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

I am not talking about look of the heads. This can be aesthetically mixed to look nice without weapon loosing it main goal. It is the same with sword pummel or scabbard which can look cool without hurting weapon effectivness but the rod design have it's practical reasons behind it same as for example sword blade. If You overdone it then weapon becames useless. ESO devs said ones that they want weapons to look as much belivable as they can . Making rod with some twisted unregullar shapes and additions on it makes it very unrealistic in terms of weight ballance and also makes it hard to belive someone would be able to hold that sharp and twisted handle with unregular shape for hours of fighting without feeling huge pain in the hands. Personally I really like the rod designs in ESO because it makes the staves really belivable weapons which I would expect from "real mage" to use.

Dapper Dinosaur · February 2018

Juhasow wrote: »

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

I am not talking about look of the heads. This can be aesthetically mixed to look nice without weapon loosing it main goal. It is the same with sword pummel or scabbard which can look cool without hurting weapon effectivness but the rod design have it's practical reasons behind it same as for example sword blade. If You overdone it then weapon becames useless. ESO devs said ones that they want weapons to look as much belivable as they can . Making rod with some twisted unregullar shapes and additions on it makes it very unrealistic in terms of weight ballance and also makes it hard to belive someone would be able to hold that sharp and twisted handle with unregular shape for hours of fighting without feeling huge pain in the hands. Personally I really like the rod designs in ESO because it makes the satves really belivable weapons which if I would expect from "real mage" to use.

But you could also have some more non-intrusive things like metal tips on the bases or at least some different materials used along the rod so it's not just one bland perfectly-circular stick that are all exactly the same length, thickness, and texture. They could easily put even slightly more work into it to have some staves that are are thicker, and longer/shorter even without doing anything to the textures and it would be a significant aesthetic improvement.

monktoasty · February 2018

Yea..there's basic model with different tops..kinda disappointing. But saves time and resources I'm sure.

I like the longer healing staves..wish lightning staff was like that at least..but the lightning and flame staff are short

Anhedonie · February 2018

Not only that, but animation of staves should also be reworked. They could make flame staff produce flame in a cone, lightning staff chain to several targets and ice staff...well, anything really. But instead we got this boring and slow animations.

LadyAstrum · February 2018

I remarked the other day about the staves with my boyfriend. They're really quite underwhelming aesthetically. You'd think the better the stave the flashier it would look, but no. , understated, verging on boring in most cases.

altemriel · February 2018

yes please!!

Epona222 · February 2018

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

What, so you can't have different stave designs in any other sort of MMO?

Don't make me laugh

Juhasow · February 2018

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

Well show me atleast one that is super overdone in terms of desing and more silly then those You've linked to the point it's like in korean MMO's. Perosnally I dont finf any of that in ESO. Handles are simple and usefull and heads sometimes look fancy but maybe except of few are kept in reasonable desings and proportions. If I would stand between option to kick someone a** with one of those You've linked or with one of those present in the game I would definietly choose ESO desings as they're much more realiable and practical.

Epona222 · February 2018

Juhasow wrote: »

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

Well show me atleast one that is super overdone in terms of desing and more silly then those You've linked to the point it's like in korean MMO's

Just look at some of the staves in Oblivion and Skyrim? You know, other Elder Scrolls games. It's lore correct to have some unique and sometimes quite funky staff models.

EDIT: Oh you edited that as I was replying to it, so it said something different than what I was replying to when my post showed up. *slow clap*

Onefrkncrzypope · February 2018

Yeah like seriously where's my cup holder?

Lynx7386 · February 2018

it will help once the outfit system is working and we can use low level designs for high level weapons. The low level nord and wood elf staves look more like twisted wood.

Furcula · February 2018

Juhasow wrote: »

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

I am not talking about look of the heads. This can be aesthetically mixed to look nice without weapon loosing it main goal. It is the same with sword pummel or scabbard which can look cool without hurting weapon effectivness but the rod design have it's practical reasons behind it same as for example sword blade. If You overdone it then weapon becames useless. ESO devs said ones that they want weapons to look as much belivable as they can . Making rod with some twisted unregullar shapes and additions on it makes it very unrealistic in terms of weight ballance and also makes it hard to belive someone would be able to hold that sharp and twisted handle with unregular shape for hours of fighting without feeling huge pain in the hands. Personally I really like the rod designs in ESO because it makes the staves really belivable weapons which I would expect from "real mage" to use.

Non realistic weapons are rare in ESO but they do exist. Take soul shriven battle axes for example...

Vanthras79 · February 2018

I think the art department should see this. @ZOS_GinaBruno

jaye63 · February 2018

Crashing on logout or quit and this is what you're concerned with? NPCs vanishing, getting stuck in the topography and following you forever just to tag you and reset and THIS is your whine? SMH

Marginis · February 2018

I like the ideas. Anyone have more pictures of misshapen sticks with stuff on the end?

Rouven · February 2018

The good news would be that you could skin some lower level ones now, like the Nord staves (1-14 or 16-24).

http://eso-styles.com/?unonce=a5ac3bcea8&uformid=52&s=uwpsfsearchtrg&taxo[0][name]=types&taxo[0][opt]=1&taxo[0][term][]=6-staff&taxo[1][name]=levels&taxo[1][opt]=1&taxo[2][name]=weights&taxo[2][opt]=1&taxo[3][name]=styles&taxo[3][opt]=2&taxo[4][name]=styles&taxo[4][opt]=1&skeyword=

Ch4mpTW · February 2018

Diablo 3 still has the best weapons that I’ve seen in a game. ZOS could certainly learn from Blizzard, in the weapon design department.

Dapper Dinosaur · February 2018

jaye63 wrote: »

Crashing on logout or quit and this is what you're concerned with? NPCs vanishing, getting stuck in the topography and following you forever just to tag you and reset and THIS is your whine? SMH

You clearly know absolutely nothing about game development if you think the art team that would be responsible for working on the new staff models would have anything whatsoever to do with fixing technical issues.

LiquidPony · February 2018

Dapper Dinosaur wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

Mielikki wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

It's not korean MMO.

LOL, many of the staves already in the game are far more korean MMO than the images I uploaded, that are rather simple staves with a nature theme.

However, I do agree that I'd rather have them simple than with shiny lights and stuff. I don't think that's going to be a thing anyways.

I am not talking about look of the heads. This can be aesthetically mixed to look nice without weapon loosing it main goal. It is the same with sword pummel or scabbard which can look cool without hurting weapon effectivness but the rod design have it's practical reasons behind it same as for example sword blade. If You overdone it then weapon becames useless. ESO devs said ones that they want weapons to look as much belivable as they can . Making rod with some twisted unregullar shapes and additions on it makes it very unrealistic in terms of weight ballance and also makes it hard to belive someone would be able to hold that sharp and twisted handle with unregular shape for hours of fighting without feeling huge pain in the hands. Personally I really like the rod designs in ESO because it makes the satves really belivable weapons which if I would expect from "real mage" to use.

But you could also have some more non-intrusive things like metal tips on the bases or at least some different materials used along the rod so it's not just one bland perfectly-circular stick that are all exactly the same length, thickness, and texture. They could easily put even slightly more work into it to have some staves that are are thicker, and longer/shorter even without doing anything to the textures and it would be a significant aesthetic improvement.

Dapper Dinosaur · February 2018

Thanks for those images. It does appear there's a good number of staves with some work done on detailing the rods, although they all still appear to be the same length. Maybe it's because of the way gear is currently structured in the game that I was unfamiliar with the staff textures in general.