PTS Update 20 - Feedback Thread for Sorcerer

lygerseye

Wish they would have x-posted this here, but since they haven’t yet: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/435784/magicka-sorcerer-feedback-update-20#latest

Shorayel

I loved to play mag sorc all the time since beta. Mostly i could understand the changes and nerfs in the past. But I never felt so angry and frustrated after reading a pts patch notes like today. Cast time on shield, exchange changes, no third skill bar...what exactly is the unique factor of sorc (when playing non-pet sorc which seems to be forgotten)...

Why is it possible, that this-one-class-you-know is getting buffed and buffed and the player of this class crying about the "evil" sorcs achieve by their forums crying the sorc nerfs again and again?

I see no reason to decide for sorc with this patch ever again....and why invest much time in another class when it is possible to lose in one patch all pros of the other class. because sorc cant be nerfed more and the player of this-one-class-you-know will find another class to cry about up to its nerf...

Tonturri

On another note. My previous post was mostly pvp related, but pve and these changes...

I was hopeful that these changes would make sorc tanking in pve more viable, but that's brutally murdered by the cast time on shields. Can't afford to drop block for that long. And of course - ZOS, you need to do something about this thing you've got going with sorc where you give us great block passives and then pair it with skills and other passives that totally discourage blocking. There's a disconnect between how you've designed your pve boss battles (high block uptime > extremely strong blocks but low block uptime, or have to frequently drop block).

I'm not sure how to say this, but I'll try. Block is a scaling defense. The harder the incoming hit, the more damage mitigated. It's a percent, not a flat number. A rather hefty percent, too. It's more efficient to go for block uptime over block strength due to how many things will murder you outside of block, and because there's so many..tanks focus on sustaining block and then other mitigation to take care of what gets through the block.

This is why you can keep buffing sorc's block strength but they still won't get a trials spot.

Itacira

A - magsorc cousins, you have my whole support

B - to the devs, it is with great discomfort that I dare address you so as to probably superfluously hint at the reminder tHAT STAMSORC EXISTS YES INDEED IT IS A THING PLEASE

Alaztor91

If the damage shield cast time change goes live everyone should worry about the future of the game regarding combat/balance. If they push such an idiotic change expect more absurd stuff like maybe adding a cast time to stuff like dodgeroll, blocking, maybe even barswap or critical skills like bol, cloak, etc. because why not?

Someone who destroys the only defense of one of the 3 armor types should have no problem destroying the other 2 and probably something else along the way since he/she clearly has no idea wtf to do.

Starlock

I play on console so I have no access to PTS and will reserve judgement as I always have to. That said, these changes are the most dramatic and shocking since the nerf of shield duration from 20 seconds many moons ago (which made me nervous). This? This makes me significantly more nervous than that.

• I'm indifferent to dark magic changes, because I don't use this skill line on my character, really. They're not part of his identity, so changes to them don't matter much to me one way or another.
• I'm indifferent to pets changes, because he doesn't use those either. Increased duration to ward makes me happy, because I miss when it was 20 seconds. I'm not sure what the cast time will feel like, though.
• Bound armor looks like it will be a bit more useful with the mitigation increase; I've been thinking of creating a dedicated sorc tank but at this time don't use the ability much.

So what is stressing me out if all of the above are indifferent to looking good? Overload. This is probably my favorite ultimate ability in the game. The loss of the third bar is no big deal. I'll miss it, but it's not what I really loved about the ability. It was the "hits like a truck" nature of the light attacks, which is being fundamentally gutted and changed (without a cost reduction). Why? Again, I'll reserve judgement until I see how it weaves in with other abilities, but I'm leery of removing the hard hitting nature of the light attacks. It could either be really fun, or just really ruin the ability for me. It could be the buff to the heavy attack makes up for gutting the light attacks. I don't know, we'll see.

Shorayel

Alaztor91 wrote: »

If the damage shield cast time change goes live everyone should worry about the future of the game regarding combat/balance. If they push such an idiotic change expect more absurd stuff like maybe adding a cast time to stuff like dodgeroll, blocking, maybe even barswap or critical skills like bol, cloak, etc. because why not?

Someone who destroys the only defense of one of the 3 armor types should have no problem destroying the other 2 and probably something else along the way since he/she clearly has no idea wtf to do.

exactly...how can we trust to stay with the playstyle of our classes? why should I even invest more time in any of my characters...i had never the thinking about leaving ESO since beta start...but now i see no point in not thinking about when the devs send such extrem changes to the pts...its not the sorc shield alone...the light armor shield too...

ku5h

To be honest, they will probably revert 1 sec cast time, I mean, they have to. Still, we will be left with second nerf, crittable shields that cant crit themselves, which will be hard times in itself.
To be honest i might even try playing around that, but the fact that all my future hopes for improving, not *** nerfing Sorc are gone is what *** me the most.

o_0

Watch the cast time just be a rouse to get everyone to ignore the other shield changes, prevent complaints as they know it wont go live and this was all a "clever?" distraction from all the other changes.

oxygen_thief

i am an inveterate battlegrounds player. i use shields, doge and block for defence, dark conversion for sustain, cage for cc ( yes i do), overload for the 3thd bar and for dealing damage with light attacks. how should i play if all of it were destroyed? give me back my money i dont want to play your game anymore. thats my feedback.

kwinter

So with all the post complaining about the shield nerf will ZOS listen and get rid of the cast time. Adding the cast time will stop players from using the ability. they should look at removing cast time from all ability. Everything should be instant cast or a channel.

ExhumedToConsume

Having a cast time on sorc shields is ridiculous. Against good players, they will constantly be casting to put up their shields, and get smoked. This is coming from a stamblade main.

AtAfternoon

I like how we've gone full circle. Remember the Dark Brotherhood patch when they reduced the duration of Conjured and Hardened ward from 20 to 6 seconds explicitly because they didn't want people putting on shields before the fights and wanted them to be used reactively?

FrancisCrawford

I say again -- sustain seems to have been nicely buffed for pet sorcerers, and NOBODY CARES. To benefit from that we'd have to actually keep playing the class, and who wants to do that?

Dagoth_Rac

In places like vMA, PvP, and some Trials mechanics, your shield will be chewed through almost instantly, even with the increased mitigation. This is not going to be a cast time every 9 or 14 seconds. It is going to be a cast time every 1 or 2 seconds. That is where this change is going to be game-breaking. Ways you could have nerfed shields without breaking them:

1). No shield stacking. Cast Dampen Magicka and it overwrites Hardened Ward or Healing Ward, and so on.

2). Shields cast instantly, but you cannot recast a shield while one is already active. Shields needs to either expire or be eaten through completely before you can recast. With this, you cannot spam them and constantly have maxed out shields. Shielded players will need to pay closer attention to their remaining shield strength and duration, and not just mindlessly spam them.

Judas Helviaryn

AtAfternoon wrote: »

I like how we've gone full circle. Remember the Dark Brotherhood patch when they reduced the duration of Conjured and Hardened ward from 20 to 6 seconds explicitly because they didn't want people putting on shields before the fights and wanted them to be used reactively?

Yeeeeeeeeep.

Hutch679

Lol why would anyone play anything besides a heavy armor stamina class now? Mag sorcs dead? Uh light armor is dead. Only a mag NB will be able to live in light armor. No point in running medium armor either. Heavy for everyone!!!

ApostateHobo

The shield cast time isn't just a slap in the face for sorcs it's going to be terrible for all light armor mag builds. What on earth is zos thinking with these nerfs do they even play their own game? Do they not know how many one shot mechanics they have? How squishy anyone wearing light armor is in general? Shields are the only defense light armor builds have. Them being crittable and all that people can live with, but cast times are just bad especially if you encounter lag you're gonna be complete toast. I hope they see how much people are against this and revert it because no just no.

ezio45

read thru the rest of the patch notes too, all ***. only redeeming thing about them other than some new sets and the changes to pvp

Didgerion

Zero class reps comments so far....

Wander if it went as intended by the reps or not, as they assured to wait for the notes first then react.

I have a feeling that the reps are shocked as anyone else here.

LadyNalcarya

Ecara wrote: »

A lot of good points were said and many users wrote such perfect sentences.
Therefore I just want to say one thing:

With this patchlog, It is the first time, that I really consider to stop playing ESO

I am so shocked, really. A sorc is not that OP, that he needs to be cut down that much.

I am really speachless.

This, pretty much. And my main is a templar, not a sorc.
And I was optimistic enough to think that ZOS will learn from Morrowind nerfs... Lolnope.
I hated Morrowind nerfs and I still do but at least they werent based on troll posts and memes... This is the new low. I cant think of an mmo that did something like this.

gepe87

This is not altering a skill, but an entire playstyle that people spent years to improve it. Not only as a Sorc, but to any mag user in both pve and pvp.

antihero727

I am asking honestly if there is a single reason to run a mag sorc over a mag blade in any way?

FrancisCrawford

antihero727 wrote: »

I am asking honestly if there is a single reason to run a mag sorc over a mag blade in any way?

I've mained magicka sorcerer since beta, and I can't think of any, unless you really love pets.

evoniee

The critable shield is good.

but the shield cast time kinda too harsh.
maybe revert back to no cast time but decrease the overall shield power, decreased by 25%.

now we take 2 second to fully get 2 shield skill.
i suggest remove the cast time so we cast 2 skill in 1 sec but decrease the power by 25%.

antihero727

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

antihero727 wrote: »

I am asking honestly if there is a single reason to run a mag sorc over a mag blade in any way?

I've mained magicka sorcerer since beta, and I can't think of any, unless you really love pets.

So have I and just can’t wrap my head around the “balance” changes. Negate can be ran by a stam sorc in group a lot easier with faster uptime.

Tannus15

Yeah, I'm done with mag sorc.
Will 100% shelve the class if this goes live.

antihero727

evoniee wrote: »

The critable shield is good.

but the shield cast time kinda too harsh.
maybe revert back to no cast time but decrease the overall shield power, decreased by 25%.

now we take 2 second to fully get 2 shield skill.
i suggest remove the cast time so we cast 2 skill in 1 sec but decrease the power by 25%.

Everything would be ok just without the cast time. Even though it’s an unnecessary nerf in the first place. Then rune, then dark deal, most of us are 20-60% class skills at this point. No sorc will have any class identity if this goes live.

XomRhoK

I made a thread with suggestion about damage shields (duration/cost correlation). Which, in my opinion, will help with damage shields problems. Take a look

usmcjdking

@ZOS_GinaBruno

Please remove the cast time from Conjured Ward or make it provide more positive buffs if you are giving it a cast time. It is too miserable on PTS.