Critical Bug: Weapon swapping broken in PTS 3.3.x

code65536

Synopsis: Weapon swapping produces the following error message: "Cannot weapon swap while changing gear." The weapon swap will still succeed, but there is a noticeable delay in the swap, alongside the error message shown above and a sound effect (that sounds like "chinc") accompanying the error.

Why this bug matters: This bug adds a small but noticeable delay to the weapon swap which makes weapon swaps feel less fluid and noticeably increases the weapon swap vulnerability window during which block is not active. This latter point is especially important for tanking, as I've been killed a few times because this bug caused my block to take too long to reactivate after a weapon swap.

This is not a new bug: This bug is present on the current Live server. However, the bug as it exists on the PTS behaves very differently than the bug that exists on Live.

• On the Live server:
  • This bug has a chance of triggering when a player changes one or more of their equipped weapons. A weapon that fully discharges or a weapon that is recharged after being fully discharged can also trigger this bug because the deactivation and activation of the weapon's enchantment is treated by the game engine like equipping a different weapon (i.e., it would appear that the game treats a weapon losing all of its charge as unequipping an enchanted weapon and equipping an unenchanted weapon).
  • Once triggered, every weapon swap will display this error and incur a small delay.
  • This bug can be reliably fixed by encountering a load screen (rezoning, reloading UI, or even just walking through doors that transport you to a different part of the map) or by unequipping and reequipping any piece in a non-weapon slot. After invoking a fix, weapon swaps once again work smoothly with no error messages.
  • In other words: On the Live server, the bug is triggered only by a specific thing happening, and there are easy and reliable workarounds and fixes.
  • This bug has existed on the Live server in this form for well over a year. It's mostly a minor inconvenience.
• During PTS week #1:
  • This bug seems to trigger much more frequently, sometimes for no apparent reason. The trigger for this bug is no longer as deterministic. Changing the items equipped in the weapon slots can trigger it. But so can resurrecting after a death.
  • The methods to fix and work around this bug do not work as reliably as before. For example, on the Live server, un-equipping and re-equipping a necklace will always make the errors stop. During the first week of PTS, this method would work a majority of the time, but not always.
• During PTS week #5:
  • This bug is ever-present. From the moment I log onto the character, every single weapon swap, in or out of combat, is accompanied by this error message and a slight but noticeable delay.
  • None of the known workarounds and fixes are effective. Reloading UI, rezoning, relogging, etc. None of it has any effect.

Other notes: Yes, I've tested this with all addons disabled. Addons have no effect whatsoever on this bug. In hindsight, I should've said something during the first week of PTS. The bug during the first week of PTS was worse than what it is on Live, but the workarounds still (mostly) worked, so I just chalked it up to PTS being PTS and assumed (incorrectly) that it would go away in a future PTS. Much to my surprise, when I tested things during PTS week 5, I found that the problem had instead grown considerably--and intolerably--worse.

This is a pretty serious bug, particularly for tanks since it adds a substantial delay to when your block is reactivated following a bar swap. @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom Please make sure this gets looked at ASAP.

ZOS_GinaBruno

Thanks @code65536, we'll take a look at this. If you have any other repro steps, or even a short video, go ahead and post that here too.

code65536

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Thanks @code65536, we'll take a look at this. If you have any other repro steps, or even a short video, go ahead and post that here too.

Thanks for looking into it. For me, the repro is currently just (1) Log in (2) Bar swap. During the first week of PTS, it would at least work fine until something would trigger the bug (like equipping a different weapon from inventory), but in its current state, it is happening to me 100% of the time.

SodanTok

If you use mouse wheel (the scrolling) to swap, it has been happening since week 1 of PTS and there is no way to fix it (at least I havent found any)

code65536

SodanTok wrote: »

If you use mouse wheel (the scrolling) to swap, it has been happening since week 1 of PTS and there is no way to fix it (at least I havent found any)

Oh, is that what causes it? I've always used the mouse wheel to swap. Didn't even think that the key binding might be the problem. I'll have to test that when I get back into the PTS later tonight.

SodanTok

code65536 wrote: »

SodanTok wrote: »

If you use mouse wheel (the scrolling) to swap, it has been happening since week 1 of PTS and there is no way to fix it (at least I havent found any)

Oh, is that what causes it? I've always used the mouse wheel to swap. Didn't even think that the key binding might be the problem. I'll have to test that when I get back into the PTS later tonight.

If its the same cause then yes. Its like it sends several swap requests at once (because of nature of wheel). Havent done any testing this (week) PTS patch, but normal one click swapping (even carefully scrolling wheel just by one 'click') worked fine.

code65536

Oh wow, so it is related to the mouse wheel. Even on Live.

Now the strange thing is, why is it "fixable" on Live but not on the PTS? On Live, if I see this error, simply unequipping and reequipping a jewelry piece (or reloading UI) will stop it from happening, even when I scroll to swap.

SodanTok

code65536 wrote: »

Oh wow, so it is related to the mouse wheel. Even on Live.

Now the strange thing is, why is it "fixable" on Live but not on the PTS? On Live, if I see this error, simply unequipping and reequipping a jewelry piece (or reloading UI) will stop it from happening, even when I scroll to swap.

Never connected it to being the reason (wheel) for it on live, but anyway as I wrote in bug report in first week of pts ( ) I hope its not going to live this way. Kinda gamebreaking change for me, more so after being used to it for ~2years.

code65536

SodanTok wrote: »

Kinda gamebreaking change for me, more so after being used to it for ~2years.

Yea. I've been using the mouse wheel to bar swap since 2015. That's a lot of muscle memory to relearn if they keep this mousewheel swap broken.

Zer0oo

Can we also by any chance also get an option to deactivate those kind of messages. the target is immun, item not ready, Cannot weapon swap while changing gear. ...

They are annoying and i belief they create some kind of lag if you get spammed by them.

code65536

Okay, a little update on this issue: Using keyboard bar swap or being extra-careful to scroll just one click does prevent the error message, but the bar swap is still noticeably sluggish. It would seem that the error message is just a superficial symptom of the larger problem.

This is very evident if you are holding block while bar swapping. Pay attention to the animation and to the you-are-blocking shield indicator. Notice how long it takes for the animation to complete. Notice how long it takes for the shield indicator to reappear.

code65536

@ZOS_

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Thanks @code65536, we'll take a look at this. If you have any other repro steps, or even a short video, go ahead and post that here too.

@ZOS_GinaBruno https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLDNxU-1K3M

It's apparent that the error message is just a superficial byproduct. While I can avoid the error message by avoiding the mouse wheel, bar swaps are still extremely sluggish. What's odd is that one of my friends doesn't have this issue, and the rest of us did have this problem. We tested with all addons disabled, too.

zsban

Would adjusting these windows setting make a difference (if you're using PC that is...)

These are the default settings:

code65536

zsban wrote: »

Would adjusting these windows setting make a difference (if you're using PC that is...)

These are the default settings:

No, because the error message is not the problem. Even if I use the keyboard to swap to avoid the error message, the bar swaps are still exceedingly sluggish. See the video that I posted above.

code65536

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom Some further clarification and elaboration...

• There are two separate issues here:
  1. There is a condition that will cause the bar swap to be very sluggish and lag.
  2. If you have this problem and you bar swap with a mouse wheel, you will additionally get the error message about bar swapping while changing gear
• So even if you avoid the second, additional issue by bar swapping via keyboard, the root problem of the bar swap being laggy and slow is still there.
• Prior to Update 17, the condition causing the first problem would only happen on occasion--usually after equipping a different weapon, and the problem could typically be fixed with a load screen or by unequipping and reequipping an armor or jewelry slot. In Update 17, this condition is ever-present, from the moment I log on to when I log off, and none of the workaround from prior to Update 17 work.
• This problem does not affect all characters. My friends and I grew frustrated by the bar swaps while doing Fang Lair, and we discovered that the tank did not encounter this problem (but the rest of us all had it). We're not quite sure why the tank didn't have this problem--I tried equipping a sword-and-board and the tank tried equipping staves, and still the same thing--he could swap quickly and I couldn't. We tried removing costumes, removing armor, disabling all addons, etc.

Here is a video demonstrating the problem. The person on the left is our tank, and I am in the middle. We are both using the keyboard to bar swap and hitting the bar swap key as quickly as we can. Notice how much faster he is able to bar swap compared to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLDNxU-1K3M

This problem is most visible when you're holding down block (but the problem exists regardless of whether you're blocking) because of the shield visual. Notice how when I (in the middle) am bar swapping, how long that you-are-blocking shield visual is gone. How long my character is in a non-blocking stance. It looks almost as if I let go of the RMB and took a break when in reality I was firmly holding down on the RMB and never let go in the video.

Cinbri

After I outfitted weapons on live - weapon swap started to lag.

code65536

Cinbri wrote: »

After I outfitted weapons on live - weapon swap started to lag.

They lagged for me even though I haven't even visited an outfit station yet on Live.

ZOS_GinaBruno

Hey @code65536, I know you mentioned you disabled your addons, but try getting rid of the folder completely (copy it to your desktop first, then delete from the ESO folder). See if that does anything to help?

code65536

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Hey @code65536, I know you mentioned you disabled your addons, but try getting rid of the folder completely (copy it to your desktop first, then delete from the ESO folder). See if that does anything to help?

That's actually how I typically disable my addons--I logged out of the game, moved my Addons folder to another location, and logged back in. Much faster than fiddling with checkboxes.

erlewine

Glad I'm not the only person getting this bug. It's driving me nuts. Unplayable.
Don't think it's related to mousewheel. I use the numeric button '3' to swap. Never used wheel.

Izaki

To add onto this, weapon swap in general is a bit buggy after the patch, the animation is very clunky (as in once you weapon swap, you will still be holding your bow on your DW bar for a split second). It also seems like bar swapping is causing an FPS drop. Really weird.

Hexys

@ZOS_GinaBruno I deleted my whole add-on folder, also there is a file AddOnSettings.txt with info in it, for me there was still 'dressing room 1' and I hoped removing this would fix it but it's still there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDoJZBSCsiU&feature=youtu.be

Here I have a video were you can see my fps dropping under my magicka bar when I bar swap

Zaidtro

push,
any fix in work?

ZOS_GinaBruno

We're still working on it. In the meantime, someone mentioned in another thread that adjusting the texture settings to low appears to make this better. Anyone want to try?

Incubusphan

lowering texture shortens the delay, but does not fix it @ZOS_GinaBruno

Dyride

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

We're still working on it. In the meantime, someone mentioned in another thread that adjusting the texture settings to low appears to make this better. Anyone want to try?

@ZOS_GinaBruno If textures are affecting the delay, the code to check for weapon dyes, Dro'Mathra style, and weapon enchant animations is probably part of the cause.

Now that Weapon Swap has to run several checks (weapon type/style, character pose, weapon enchant type, weapon dye, etc.) something is breaking.

Recremen

Dyride wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

We're still working on it. In the meantime, someone mentioned in another thread that adjusting the texture settings to low appears to make this better. Anyone want to try?

@ZOS_GinaBruno If textures are affecting the delay, the code to check for weapon dyes, Dro'Mathra style, and weapon enchant animations is probably part of the cause.

Now that Weapon Swap has to run several checks (weapon type/style, character pose, weapon enchant type, weapon dye, etc.) something is breaking.

That's a little presumptuous though. I think it's more likely that cosmetic info is preloaded and doesn't behave significantly (or at all) different than it did before. At worst the only new information should be the weapon dye.

visionality

@ZOS_GinaBruno I was the someone mentioning that lowering texture fixes the problem. Several other ppl tried and found it a functioning workaround, too - see their posts in the various threads.

Since I didnt have any problems on my stamblade, I would speculate that the bug is connected to certain types of weapons or chars (or actually the visual effect of those weapons). Mag chars seem to be affected more often than stam chars, and - but this may be pure coincidence - my impression is that magsorcs are especially hard hit.

Will test a bit more and post if I find any additional hint.

visionality

Ok, quick update. Weapons dont seem to be responsible for the delay. Tested all my characters with exactly the same settings (same video settings, same addons active). None of them was buffed apart from food/drink. Even put off all armor on one without seeing any difference.

Some chars consistenly lag when swapping bars, some consistently do not lag - completely independent oft their weapons and gear (I changed everything to check)

Bug-free chars on my account
- stamblade (dw/ bow)
- magplar (destro / resto)


bugged chars:
- magblade (destro / destro)
- magsorc (destro / destro or destro / s&b)
- stamsorc (2h / bow)
- magwarden (destro / resto)
- stam DK (s&b / s&b)

I tested all available weapon combinations on my magwarden without any performance change. No matter whether I use only staves or only stam weapons or some mix of both, bar swap is always delayed.

On another notice: Friends playing on similar chars do not have the same issues.

starkerealm

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

We're still working on it. In the meantime, someone mentioned in another thread that adjusting the texture settings to low appears to make this better. Anyone want to try?

Tanking the texture setting to low does deal with the bar swap delay. Unfortunately, it also has the side effect of giving me a vicious headache due to some weird idiosyncrasies on what four years of development did to the definition of, "low quality ," for individual textures.

EDIT: Setting to medium helps with the headache, but I'm still left with a 1-1.5 delay on the bar swap which is fatal given how the DLC dungeons have been balanced for vet.

Izaki

Hexys wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno I deleted my whole add-on folder, also there is a file AddOnSettings.txt with info in it, for me there was still 'dressing room 1' and I hoped removing this would fix it but it's still there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDoJZBSCsiU&feature=youtu.be

Here I have a video were you can see my fps dropping under my magicka bar when I bar swap

Good to know that i'm not crazy with the FPS dropping on weapon swap.