A Compromise on Shields (Penny For Your Thoughts)

ForgottenEntity

Hey all. I’d like to start a post to come up with a viable shield nerf, that accomplishes what ZOS is attempting, but without effectively ending an entire PvP play style.
Now, the way I see these shield changes, they are aimed towards PvE, with the intent to make magic based players more susceptible to damage (and by default, they will need more healing) so healers will feel more useful to the party in general. But this has resulted in adverse affects in PvP (please note that I believe the changes to how shields handle critical strikes and resistances already effectively balanced shields in PvP), causing a magic Sorcerers primary defensive tool to be practically unusable in even a 1v1, let alone when said Sorcerer becomes outnumbered. Other then using their pets healing ability( which also has a cast time), which is something not all Sorcerers want to use (as pets are quite clunky at times, and somewhat difficult to use effectively), Sorcerers have no real defensive tool available to them in there class skill lines. So with that I’d like to propose the following changes to the current shields....

—Shields should maintain the current Resistance and Crit changes that have been added to them (this will result in Sorcerers needing to build slightly tankier, but not removing the overall viability of “Shield Stacking”, as well as open up new play styles in both PvE and PvP)

—Shields should be restored to an instantaneous cast (the cast time is far to penalizing to be used as a viable defensive ability, as shields will not survive more then a hit or two, and will not be maintainable under pressure)

—Shields should return to their shorter duration, the same as live (shields cannot take enough damage to be expected to last even a 6 second duration, any more time is obsolete)

And the main two changes (please read both before reacting).....

—Shields should have their base tooltip halved (this should have the result the Devs desired, shields will not prevent all damage from larger PvE attacks, forcing them to heal more frequently...... by the party healer 🤯)

—Shields should be removed from “Battle Spirit” (this will result with shields having the same value as their live counterparts when in PvP)

These changes should have the desired result....in PvE, they will no longer be a viable alternative to a healer, more like a bandage to help out....and in PvP, while slightly weaker, they will allow for the current play style many Sorcerers (and shield users of other classes) love to remain viable.

Thanks for giving this a read, and please, if you have an idea that you would like to share with ZOS, please post it, it may give them an solution they hadn’t yet thought about... and please remember to be polite, being rude won’t help get your point across

P.S. I am a Magblade main in PvP who doesn’t use light armor shields, since I don’t find the play style enjoyable, but I believe in changes that increase build diversity and viability, and adding a cast time will only take away the a play style that many love and enjoy ( @ZOS , please reconsider the cast time )

DoonerSeraph

@Taesar, if you can, pass this along on the rep meeting? Seems a nice compromise.

Biro123

Works for me, I guess - although I can't really speak for the PVE impact, and the PVP impact remains to be seen imho.

I think sorcs are still potentially going to really struggle sustain-wise, due to the resists change.

Emma_Overload

Yeah, I got no problem with this.

Kanar

The other requirement is that using shields is a DPS loss (beyond just one GCD). Don't see that addressed.

usmguy1234

ForgottenEntity wrote: »

Hey all. I’d like to start a post to come up with a viable shield nerf, that accomplishes what ZOS is attempting, but without effectively ending an entire PvP play style.
Now, the way I see these shield changes, they are aimed towards PvE, with the intent to make magic based players more susceptible to damage (and by default, they will need more healing) so healers will feel more useful to the party in general. But this has resulted in adverse affects in PvP (please note that I believe the changes to how shields handle critical strikes and resistances already effectively balanced shields in PvP), causing a magic Sorcerers primary defensive tool to be practically unusable in even a 1v1, let alone when said Sorcerer becomes outnumbered. Other then using their pets healing ability( which also has a cast time), which is something not all Sorcerers want to use (as pets are quite clunky at times, and somewhat difficult to use effectively), Sorcerers have no real defensive tool available to them in there class skill lines. So with that I’d like to propose the following changes to the current shields....

—Shields should maintain the current Resistance and Crit changes that have been added to them (this will result in Sorcerers needing to build slightly tankier, but not removing the overall viability of “Shield Stacking”, as well as open up new play styles in both PvE and PvP)

—Shields should be restored to an instantaneous cast (the cast time is far to penalizing to be used as a viable defensive ability, as shields will not survive more then a hit or two, and will not be maintainable under pressure)

—Shields should return to their shorter duration, the same as live (shields cannot take enough damage to be expected to last even a 6 second duration, any more time is obsolete)

And the main two changes (please read both before reacting).....

—Shields should have their base tooltip halved (this should have the result the Devs desired, shields will not prevent all damage from larger PvE attacks, forcing them to heal more frequently...... by the party healer 🤯)

—Shields should be removed from “Battle Spirit” (this will result with shields having the same value as their live counterparts when in PvP)

These changes should have the desired result....in PvE, they will no longer be a viable alternative to a healer, more like a bandage to help out....and in PvP, while slightly weaker, they will allow for the current play style many Sorcerers (and shield users of other classes) love to remain viable.

Thanks for giving this a read, and please, if you have an idea that you would like to share with ZOS, please post it, it may give them an solution they hadn’t yet thought about... and please remember to be polite, being rude won’t help get your point across

P.S. I am a Magblade main in PvP who doesn’t use light armor shields, since I don’t find the play style enjoyable, but I believe in changes that increase build diversity and viability, and adding a cast time will only take away the a play style that many love and enjoy ( @ZOS , please reconsider the cast time )

If shields can be crit on in pvp they should crit themselves.... change my mind.