BALANCE CHANGE PREDICTION COMPETITION WITH PRIZES (TOTAL PRIZE POOL 1.75M GOLD)

forumsmurf

Hello and welcome to MWLOM's balance change prediction competition! This is fully 100% serious and I seriously hope that ZOS is not going to lock this thread because I am not baiting at all. I WILL NAME WINNERS AND HAND OUT GOLD. This is done in the spirit of the community. There is nothing but laughs and gold to be won. This is eligible for both NA and EU players. Unfortunately there will not be separate prize pools. If first place is NA they will get 1M gold on NA, if second place is EU they will get 500K on EU.

First place: 1M gold
Second place: 500K gold
Third place: 250K gold

COMPETITION WILL BE CLOSED IF ZOS LOCKS THIS THREAD. BLAME THEM IF YOU WANT BUT I HAVE THE GOLD AND I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO USE IT ON.

Predict the next balance changes that ZOS will make in the upcoming Wrathstone releases! Use your knowledge of the PTS and current game state to your advantage! Judgement of winners is based on 3 criteria:

1. Unexpectedness (20% weightage)
2. Accuracy (50% weightage)
3. Entertainment value (30% weightage)

E.g. Prediction: Server gets fixed. Extremely low accuracy (didn't happen), but totally unexpected and high entertainment value. Loses to another prediction: Altmer is buffed. High accuracy (happened), totally expected and low entertainment value.

The community is encouraged to vote on other people's predictions with the relevant reactions (Insightful for unexpectedness, Agree for Accuracy and Awesome for Entertainment Value). However, do note that the final decision lies within the judging panel's discretion (@kaevix, @Nargin, @Pianistic).

Each commenter is entitled to 2 predictions! Please include the rationale for your change. A more detailed prediction and rationale will net you higher points. E.g.

Prediction 1: Server gets fixed. It has been demanded for a long time though I (and many others) think it will get fixed.

Prediction 2: Altmer is buffed. It definitely won't get shipped to live in its current balance state as it doesn't fit thematically.

Competitors will only be entitled to winning prizes if there are 50 unique predictions. In the case of a repeat prediction, I will reply to your post informing you that it is a duplicate and that the
person who first predicted will win the prize if they are judged to be a winner. If it is not a duplicate, I will reply to your predictions with your scores!

Prediction 1: Unexpectedness 15%, Accuracy 0%, Entertainment 25%

Prediction 2: Unexpectedness 20%, Accuracy 0%.

Predictions are only valid if they were made prior to a PTS or patch notes release. Comment dates will be checked. Please note that the predictions must be made relevant only to combat and performance related issues, nothing quest or lore related.

Competition will end with the release of Wrathstone. Prizes will be handed out within a week of the DLC's release. Please remember to support the game!

To keep this thread free from ZOS' intervention, we must remind everyone that all posts should be civil and constructive. Remember that it is perfectly fine to have a difference of opinion, but please keep in mind that name calling, insults, and baiting are inappropriate and do not promote a constructive discussion. Thank you for your understanding.

This competition is brought to you by the guild leaders of Men Who Like Other Men. Enjoy the competition! May the best vestige win.

P.S. This is posted fairly late into the current balance cycle. As a result I understand there isn't too much outstanding predictions to be made (and perhaps the competition might not kick off), but I plan on hosting another one with an even bigger prize pool for Elsweyr's release so stay tuned for that if you don't wish to participate in this one! This is mostly an interest (and validity) check on such a competition. Feel free to leave any feedback even if you don't want to participate.

Liofa

That feeling when you can win a million guaranteed but can't participate...

forumsmurf

Liofa wrote: »

That feeling when you can win a million guaranteed but can't participate...

PepeHands

CyrusArya

Prediction 1: Imperial gets buffed since it is the one race that stands out as having both less power and less identity than the rest of the pack. Everything else seems more or less balanced.

Prediction 2: Redguard gets tweaked a bit since it is so limited in its strength and niche (weapon ability intensive builds) compared to Orc which is just an absolute powerhouse on anything and everything. Not necessarily a buff per se, but more like more universal application. (My hopeful bid).

Ixtyr

Prediction 1: All inferior classes are removed. Everyone are now all Nightblades, as the Scrolls hath foretold.

Prediction 2: All of the races band together to commit mass genocide against the filthy cagit plague. After succeeding, we feast on rich cagit meat for three glorious months, until somebody (ahem, THARN!) wakes the dragons up and raises all of the dead cagits via Necromancy and we have to deal with their obnoxious talking-in-third-person and stealing-all-your-shinies-for-no-reason tendencies again.

JerryAlder

Prediction 1: They will not nerf argonian and khajiit anymore back to where they were on week1 or anything else. I hope hope hope they will remain in this state. Slaves standing up for themselves! (screw u dark elves)[only rp wise, pls give them their identity back]

Prediction 2: Simple. Nightblade will get wrecked. Pve and pvp (cloak). I'm sad already but I'm very afraid there will be something big coming our way.

TimeWizard

Prediction 1: The cp scaling will never work correctly on PTS and will go live without being able to be tested.

Prediction 2: Khajit will get buffed again because they are obviosly underperforming the other races in all testing done so far.

paulychan

Necromancer gets nerfed

NyassaV

Dunmer gets a flavor buff

Beardimus

Altmers get a further nerf, as they are still OP but 99% of the forum hasn't tested allowing for the CP stat changes. So lose-their-minds.

Curve ball, imperials become useful.

Vigawatt

Maelstrom weapons will be reworked to account for 2h weapons taking two slots since Summerset. This entails some kind of addition to effects on 2h while leaving 1h Maelstrom as is.

Reason: pausing CP increases as they reassess the system stops vertical progression temporarily, and vMA weapons can be outclasses by utilizing the 2 piece slot with other sets, so tweaking vMA weapons can reposition them as a vertical progression goal.

susmitds

I dunno whether I should participate or not. I know exactly what ZOS would do if ZOS thinking stays consistent.

Prediction - Orc stamina will not change. Orc HP will be nerfed.

Prediction - Altmer will get a further utility boost.

Prediction - No major class changes to come. They will give them for the dust to settle after racial changes.

While I can not stay with a guarantee what ZOS will do what I said, but if ZOS goes with the route they are going on, this is what that they will do.
Being a theorycrafter and spending whole days in the PTS for test data made it very clear to me why ZOS is doing what exactly they are doing. If anyone care, I can breakdown that exact reasoning.

Pelican

Prediction 1 - Combat pets will get a nerf to base damage/hp/resistances to "compensate" for them scaling with CP because too many people complain that they overperform too much when in reality they are only very strong in 1v1 and against an outnumbered opponent, and also to preserve the nerf sorc tradition.

Prediction 2 - Snipe gets nerfed (my guess is cast time increase to 1.3 seconds, cost increase 10-33% OR damage decrease 8-15%). AD population decreases by 90%.

Turelus

Liofa wrote: »

That feeling when you can win a million guaranteed but can't participate...

We should talk, I think I have a business offer for you.

nsmurfer

susmitds wrote: »

Being a theorycrafter and spending whole days in the PTS for test data made it very clear to me why ZOS is doing what exactly they are doing. If anyone care, I can breakdown that exact reasoning.

would love to know the reasoning behind that.....

Nerouyn

Prediction 1 : To appease the "race has to matter" die-hards and "but lore" objectors, Bosmer players get a new racial inherent passive (i.e. you can't not use it) which makes it impossible for them to reach any items like chests, crates and levers more than 2 feet off the ground.

FYI that was actually kind of a thing. For several months one of the main story quests in Deshaan couldn't be completed only by Bosmer characters because we couldn't activate a lever.

Prediction 2 : To balance prediction 1 and further appease the aforementioned die-hards and objectors, ZO trial the reintroduction of racial active abilities for Bosmer. Bosmer get a cannibalistic Ankle Bite attack which initially causes minor damage. If the victim doesn't move out of range within 10 seconds, the damage ramps up, their footwear breaks and they become crippled with a Now you're dinner! - 80% movement debuff while the Bosmer begins consuming them. At this point the victim's only hope for survival is to be rescued in the next 30 seconds by allies.

Prediction 3 (cos I'm on a roll and feel like it) : To appease the ZO crown store goblins, Imperials with their penchant for finding extra money, are granted a counter to Ankle Bite called Toss Shiny Coins. If executed during the initial 10 second phase of Ankle Bite the attacker is forced to chase the coins and loses all interest in their intended victim, thereby effectively stealthing the Imperial to the Bosmer and granting the Imperial a 10 000% Now Kiss my Imperial Booty damage buff to their next attack against them.

FrancisCrawford

Prediction 1: Embers/Claw will get a nerf in the form of a cost increase, because ZoS can't stand the idea of builds without sustain issues.

Prediction 2: Bretons will get a modest sustain nerf, again because ZoS hates the idea of adequate sustain.

Nevto

Prediction 1:
Imperials will receive a minor sustain buff aimed towards both resource pools to reflect their old race identity
Prediction 2:
Khajiits will have their Crit Chance passive changed to either Wep/Spell Damage or Crit Damage to make them less polarizing of a Race among PvE and PvP

TimeWizard

^I call hacks

Tommy_The_Gun

Just for LOLs (I know those are not balance changes but still):

ZOS_Gilliam returns to content creation as GilliamTheRogue
(reactivating his youtube channel): https://www.youtube.com/user/Scrubmydinner/videos
and makes a youtube video where he reacts to HIS OWN patch notes !

That would be hilarious to watch !

Nevto

Damn… I just red the patch notes...