Does the skill "Mark Target" have a hidden cast time?

Nova_J

I don't know what's going on but it feels like it has a cast time. 90% of the time I use this skill I have to wait for the animation to fully finish before the move actually procs. It says the cast time is instant but there are sometimes (especially when chaining skills) it just doesnt go off and I end up doing the next skill instead. In BG's especially I sometimes have to use it 3+ plus times before it actually works. But I never have this problem when I'm standing still, it's almost as if chaining skills is cutting off the animation thus canceling the move. If "instant cast" means something different in this game please let me know.

Deloth_Vyrr

This is a problem with a lot of skills in ESO, so-called "instant" abilities that have a longer animation than the gcd which is why animation cancelling has become so prominent

Nova_J

Deloth_Vyrr wrote: »

This is a problem with a lot of skills in ESO, so-called "instant" abilities that have a longer animation than the gcd which is why animation cancelling has become so prominent

Longer animation than the gcd? What do you mean?

tsaescishoeshiner

I think some "Instant Cast" skills can be interrupted by other actions (especially with lag), which is a bit different from having a cast time, BUT be sure to pay attention to the actual effect being applied rather than your character animation. Try on a target dummy or overland creature to cast the skill and immediately barswap right after you press the button for the skill. Should still see the red & black indicator for the Mark Target effect over the target's head. I haven't played with that skill for a while so I forget how exactly it behaves. The visual effect takes a while to appear even when the effect has been successfully applied IIRC. Almost all instant cast skills land if the animation is interrupted. The animation should be just cosmetic

Chaining skills might cut off the character animation, but shouldn't interrupt the effect being applied

In PvP skills can land less reliably due to latency or be harder to notice when they do land due to everything going on

Solariken

Power of the Light suffers from the same problem. I click to start the action and sometimes it takes a second or more to actually cast. I've even seen it be cancelled completely if the target goes out of LOS.

Fur_like_snow

Can you block cancel or weapon swap cancel the animation? If so that’s prob your best bet.

Mayrael

Lotus fan/ambush has cast time for sure. There are even vids where you can cancel the skill during the animation. If you can stop animation of mark target and skill doesn't fire then yup, it has hidden cast time.

Kadoin

It's not a cast time, but a delay. Every skill either has a cast time or delay despite what you read on the forums. "Instant cast" does not mean instant application like many on the forums believe...

idk

I would suggest that the animation for ranged abilities are not consistent and that is what OP is likely experiencing. Ranged attacks have a travel time that seems to be based on the distance they need to travel. In other games I have played, the damage occurred at the beginning or the end of the GCD. For ESO the damage seems to occur at the end of the GCD with the exception of range attacks when they occur after the travel time has completed.

This is just based on observation over the years. Not detailed testing.