You must be able to interrupt cast-time abilities uniformly

AhPook_Is_Here

When a player starts to cast an ability with a cast bar you are rewarded for interrupting them if you bash inside the cast time of the bar. Since cast time abilities lack sufficiently distinctive telegraphs to be able to discern what you are in fact interrupting, and so without certainty, the best course of action is to bash. If the ability is immune to bash you will not be sure the first time bash fails as lag, poor performance and other events will make you attempt to bash several more times wasting your stamina because your skilled counter-play was punished by one ability having immunity to a global game mechanic. That is what I call really sloppy and lazy design. I get it with the templar ultimate as it has such a obvious telegraph but honestly it should be the only ability that has immunity, or simply all player-cast-time abilities should be immune to bash, so there is no deceptive telegraph.

If you are going to make each ability have different special properties to global game mechanics like bash, you need much better telegraphs for anything that is immune to bash like a giant icon that say bash immune.

When a player decides to use an ability with a cast time they are taking a gamble, and they should have to make the appropriate positioning decision prior to taking that risk. You have decided that shields are not supposed to be reactive defensive tools but preparatory defensive tools so keep it that way. If you want them to be reactive than make a sensible choice like reducing the cast time to 0 and changing the duration to 2-3 seconds or 1 second after first damage to the shield effectively making them a magicka dodge, rather than a preparatory defense, then you can cut the cost and whatever else you need to do to put it in line.

idk

This would be the case for so many other games. However, Zos has been challenged balancing this game since we do tend to have more choices and options that most MMORPGs.

One would expect consistency with a skill that reflects projectiles or being able to dodge roll an attack. However, on Nirn it depends on the skill.

RedRook

Good point.

Kolache

Considering what can be done with animation cancelling isn't it a bit l late to write the rules on ESO visual cue requirements?

Dashmatt

I’m not a programmer but you have to wonder if the game would run smoother if there weren’t more exceptions than rules for how abilities interact.

AsNied

They do not want to admit that they gave a stain - shields cast time - and invent new strange things.

Lord_Eomer

AhPook_Is_Here wrote: »

When a player starts to cast an ability with a cast bar you are rewarded for interrupting them if you bash inside the cast time of the bar. Since cast time abilities lack sufficiently distinctive telegraphs to be able to discern what you are in fact interrupting, and so without certainty, the best course of action is to bash. If the ability is immune to bash you will not be sure the first time bash fails as lag, poor performance and other events will make you attempt to bash several more times wasting your stamina because your skilled counter-play was punished by one ability having immunity to a global game mechanic. That is what I call really sloppy and lazy design. I get it with the templar ultimate as it has such a obvious telegraph but honestly it should be the only ability that has immunity, or simply all player-cast-time abilities should be immune to bash, so there is no deceptive telegraph.

If you are going to make each ability have different special properties to global game mechanics like bash, you need much better telegraphs for anything that is immune to bash like a giant icon that say bash immune.

When a player decides to use an ability with a cast time they are taking a gamble, and they should have to make the appropriate positioning decision prior to taking that risk. You have decided that shields are not supposed to be reactive defensive tools but preparatory defensive tools so keep it that way. If you want them to be reactive than make a sensible choice like reducing the cast time to 0 and changing the duration to 2-3 seconds or 1 second after first damage to the shield effectively making them a magicka dodge, rather than a preparatory defense, then you can cut the cost and whatever else you need to do to put it in line.

Go on! ask ZOS to put back interupt on shield casting (who literally care anymore about these junk skill) as anyway Magicka Sorcerer is a dead class!

Gilvoth

you make the rules here in eso?
you decide how we all play?

Stigant

It really is counter intuitive ... how do I know when to bash and when not to? How do I know if it's dark exchange and I want to bash and when it's a shield cast and I shouldn't and not waste stamina? This is really getting ridiculous... bad balancing ideas followed with worse counter balancing ideas.
Not to mention that bashing a dark deal gives free CC immunity (or does it still? I m not sure any more). Do I even want to bash any more? I DONT KNOW ... why am I being punished for playing the game and learning the mechanics and then using them?

Please leave the shields critable and factoring in the resistances and go back on the ridiculous cast time on ward and annulment.

I don't even PvP on mag Sorc but I see how this is a bad direction...

Kingslayer513

Cast time shields get an exception because ZOS screwed up and they know it, but instead of admitting their mistake, reverting the changes, and seeking a new direction for improvement, they'll just tack on these Band-Aid exceptions to the original mess.

AhPook_Is_Here

Kingslayer513 wrote: »

Cast time shields get an exception because ZOS screwed up and they know it, but instead of admitting their mistake, reverting the changes, and seeking a new direction for improvement, they'll just tack on these Band-Aid exceptions to the original mess.

Exactly and it's just going to become a bigger and uglier mess. This "fix" doesn't help sorcs much and it punishes reactive counter-play by bringing ambiguity to bashing. Who wants a combat system where every decision you make requires you to worry about what exceptions apply to each individual skill.

I can only imagine what a new player has to look forward to.

WrathOfInnos

The solution is to remove the cast time from shields.