The game needs more ultimates.

StarOfElyon

I play an Altmer hybrid Necromancer and I get bored or dissatisfied with my ultimate options. Dawn Breaker gets boring. Meteor is too telegraphed. Colossus doesn't give me enough burst. So on.

ZOS, maybe you can simply introduce unlockable ultimate abilities from doing quests. Like Dark Convergence, which should have been an ultimate, not a set proc. Even after it's adjustment, it's still going to be STRONK AF due to its ability to disrupt the flow of combat for anyone in the area with minimal effort from the caster.

Red_Feather

Getting special ultimates from finishing quest lines or killing special bosses would be pretty cool.

And the ultimates could be special things. Like a toggle shield that protects from a special poison mist so it's a pve tool to reach certain areas.

MashmalloMan

Spellcrafting.

As much as the naysayers like to knock it, it would be designed with a ruleset in mind, it's not like the spells would be random, ZOS would design some core skills that you can then adjust based on the crafting choice. It would be the same thing as introducing new ultimates to weapon lines, except instead of 2 morphs you get 20.

• Choose type. (Ult, Spammable, CC, Execute)
• Choose spell based on previous choice. (Meteor, Storm, Dawnbreaker)
• Choose damage type. (Flame, Physical, Ice, Poison)
• Choose auxillary effect 1. (Stun, Slow, Lower Cost)
• Choose auxillary effect 2. (Ult on hit, DoT, Buff)

Obviously the spells would be unique and I wouldn't want to see copy/pastes of what we already have, but I'm sure they'd share some similarities. On the left side of the screen as you're choosing, you would see what the spell crafting would create as the cost, damage, and effects change.

Then cap how many you can have at a time using the existing skill line system so as to not overshadow class/world/guild skillines.. Eg. 1 ult, 2 regular skills.

When you craft a new spell, you can pay to replace the ones you already have equiped like the respec system. Can be integrated into the armory system.

... but we should get some new ults for the existing skill lines too. Like Undaunted could use something akin to Warhorns support functionality. Ledgermain/Thieving/Dark Brotherhood could use an ult, even though they're currently passive lines.

Not that farfetched all things considered, Weapons only got ultimates 2-3 years into the games life cycle. Vampire was just completely reworked to include 6 skills instead of 3. Werewolf has gotten better and better.

I really hope the next chapter updates combat for our existing characters in a meaningful way, whether it's Spellcrafting, new weapons, or at the bare minimum a new guild skill line like Psijic Order. We've had 2 non character combat related chapter mechanics in a row.. it's about time.

Stx

Spellcrafting would be awesome but I don't see ZoS ever wanting to put in the work for it.

But I agree the game could use more ultimates and also a revamp of class ultimates, lots of them just stink.

MashmalloMan

Stx wrote: »

Spellcrafting would be awesome but I don't see ZoS ever wanting to put in the work for it.

But I agree the game could use more ultimates and also a revamp of class ultimates, lots of them just stink.

I'd argue it's a lot more difficult to create an entire class with 15 skills, 3 ultimates, 12 passives and 36 morphs that have a cohesive theme, feel and playstyle to them and we got 2 chapters focussed on that.

The animations for our character casting already exist, they've reused those same animations from the original 4 classes for the new classes and skills released along the way.

Effects already exist, many of which could be pulled from NPC abilities themed on the original classes. Effects are also very easily tunable as the colour only needs to be based on the element. Eg. Frost white, fire red, shock blue, poison green, diseased brownish green, etc.

Could go on and on, they have 7 years worth of assets to use.

What is way more unlikely to ever happen is a weapon skill line because weapons come with styles and the game currently has 100s of styles that they would need to catch up on.

To counter my own arguement, I could see 1H + Rune/Magic/Gauntlet being a very easy solution to that problem. Just like Sword and Shield vs Dual Wield, one handed weapons can be used for both skill lines with the off-hand deciding what is actually used.

They would only need to introduce runes for your offhand that don't actually have a style, but a glowing effect based on the type of rune worn. Eg. 3 types for Flame, Frost and Shock.

OR.. Just hold one 1 handed weapon with an empty off-hand and the passives from the skill line count that 1 weapon as 2 for sets, while introducing a glowing effect for your off-hand. This would mean there is no need for a new loot table to bring those weapons into play. The bad part is there would be no ability specific altering weapons from any of the arenas to use.

Zama666

Ultimate's you can used a fixed about of times in a day. Once?

Ie. PvP....you respawn much closer to the battle you died in...so that whole running around thing could be less painful...maybe used once a day?

One that heals you fully to max stats? Fully buffed?

Or Banish...you get to teleport an enemy back to their home base JUST ONCE before they strike...like someone invisible...waiting upstairs.......while you are wander up, then standing, victorious over that keep that was captured....

Marcus_Aurelius

No please, already too many things. We need more balance, not more things.

Ksariyu

There are I believe 27 ults in the game? That's not exactly a small number. And even then, a couple are already kind of copies (Dawnbreaker and Berserker Strike, Meteor and Elemental Rage and Nova). I'm not sure new ultimates would make a big impact on their own.

I've warmed up the to idea of spellcrafting, but I think it'd have to replace the current skill system entirely. Having both would just be clunky and awkward, and would make balance even more difficult.

Fhritz

What about racial ultimate tho ?

StarOfElyon

Fhritz wrote: »

What about racial ultimate tho ?

Interesting idea.

Fennwitty

I would like to see meaningfully different ults for starters among those that already exist. And balancing.

Rakdos

StarOfElyon wrote: »

I play an Altmer hybrid Necromancer and I get bored or dissatisfied with my ultimate options. Dawn Breaker gets boring. Meteor is too telegraphed. Colossus doesn't give me enough burst. So on.

ZOS, maybe you can simply introduce unlockable ultimate abilities from doing quests. Like Dark Convergence, which should have been an ultimate, not a set proc. Even after it's adjustment, it's still going to be STRONK AF due to its ability to disrupt the flow of combat for anyone in the area with minimal effort from the caster.

The game need more skills, not just the ultimates....

I am so disappointing about the thief guild and dark brotherhood only provide silly passives. This could be a very interesing assassin type of skill line that avalible for everyone.....when I play the blackwood story line, that dark brotherhood NPC can provide a very interesting synergy skill that summon a huge red bloody ball toward the enemy...Those skills are suppose to be available for players as well

StarOfElyon

Rakdos wrote: »

StarOfElyon wrote: »

I play an Altmer hybrid Necromancer and I get bored or dissatisfied with my ultimate options. Dawn Breaker gets boring. Meteor is too telegraphed. Colossus doesn't give me enough burst. So on.

ZOS, maybe you can simply introduce unlockable ultimate abilities from doing quests. Like Dark Convergence, which should have been an ultimate, not a set proc. Even after it's adjustment, it's still going to be STRONK AF due to its ability to disrupt the flow of combat for anyone in the area with minimal effort from the caster.

The game need more skills, not just the ultimates....

I am so disappointing about the thief guild and dark brotherhood only provide silly passives. This could be a very interesing assassin type of skill line that avalible for everyone.....when I play the blackwood story line, that dark brotherhood NPC can provide a very interesting synergy skill that summon a huge red bloody ball toward the enemy...Those skills are suppose to be available for players as well

Yes that too. I actually wish the psijic skill line felt more like a complete skill set that I could one bar and roleplay a psijic with.

Ksariyu

Rakdos wrote: »

The game need more skills, not just the ultimates....

I am so disappointing about the thief guild and dark brotherhood only provide silly passives. This could be a very interesing assassin type of skill line that avalible for everyone.....when I play the blackwood story line, that dark brotherhood NPC can provide a very interesting synergy skill that summon a huge red bloody ball toward the enemy...Those skills are suppose to be available for players as well

The game has tons of skill already, really. I would like to see more done with them though. I understand the disappointment with the Thieves' and Dark Brotherhood skill lines, but what would you really add to either that isn't already in the Nightblade class?

StarOfElyon wrote: »

Yes that too. I actually wish the psijic skill line felt more like a complete skill set that I could one bar and roleplay a psijic with.

I feel like this was the original intent with class skill lines. Just for fun I have tried it; it works fine in overland and does have a nice RP factor to it. I agree it might be cool to see them lean more into skill lines being complete standalone kits, though I'm not sure how balancing could work considering you CAN mix and match most skill lines freely.

Rakdos

Ksariyu wrote: »

The game has tons of skill already, really. I would like to see more done with them though. I understand the disappointment with the Thieves' and Dark Brotherhood skill lines, but what would you really add to either that isn't already in the Nightblade class?

Those guild skill line is suppose to help every class to achieve different roles, such as unduaunted skill line is "Tank" playerstyle, mage guild is "spell caster" playstyle. Every class can have access to there skills so the could pick playstyle they likes. Now comes the rogue playstyle.......and ZOS just simplly ignored it.

Nightblade do have some tools in their class skill line, but its to versatile in general and not really worked like a assassin. especially in the PVP. Magicka nightblade is the worst PVP class for a long time. I admit there are fantanstic magblade player there, but the class really need some works.

StarOfElyon

Rakdos wrote: »

Ksariyu wrote: »

The game has tons of skill already, really. I would like to see more done with them though. I understand the disappointment with the Thieves' and Dark Brotherhood skill lines, but what would you really add to either that isn't already in the Nightblade class?

Those guild skill line is suppose to help every class to achieve different roles, such as unduaunted skill line is "Tank" playerstyle, mage guild is "spell caster" playstyle. Every class can have access to there skills so the could pick playstyle they likes. Now comes the rogue playstyle.......and ZOS just simplly ignored it.

Nightblade do have some tools in their class skill line, but its to versatile in general and not really worked like a assassin. especially in the PVP. Magicka nightblade is the worst PVP class for a long time. I admit there are fantanstic magblade player there, but the class really need some works.

But the vampire skill line is practically created just for nightblades.

MashmalloMan

Rakdos wrote: »

Ksariyu wrote: »

The game has tons of skill already, really. I would like to see more done with them though. I understand the disappointment with the Thieves' and Dark Brotherhood skill lines, but what would you really add to either that isn't already in the Nightblade class?

Those guild skill line is suppose to help every class to achieve different roles, such as unduaunted skill line is "Tank" playerstyle, mage guild is "spell caster" playstyle. Every class can have access to there skills so the could pick playstyle they likes. Now comes the rogue playstyle.......and ZOS just simplly ignored it.

Nightblade do have some tools in their class skill line, but its to versatile in general and not really worked like a assassin. especially in the PVP. Magicka nightblade is the worst PVP class for a long time. I admit there are fantanstic magblade player there, but the class really need some works.

Psijic Order, Undaunted, Assault and Support are very much versatile kits for anyone to pick and choose a few skills from, I'm pretty sure that is deliberate. I wouldn't say Undaunted is mainly for Tanks, none of those skill lines work well as an all encompasing kit for all 5 slots on your bar because that isn't the purpose of them.

Undaunted was probably originally designed as a pve group skill set, due to the fact that every skill available comes with a synergy and "Undaunted Rewards" are obtained through completing 4 man dungeons. Theres a skill for every role as a healer, tank, stamina dps and magicka dps.

Mages and Fighters Guild is definitely designed for Magicka or Stamina Damage dealing though. Of course, other roles can use some stuff from it still like any line.

Vampire and Werewolf were also designed as Magicka or Stamina Damage Dealing counterparts, the sneaking passive and the general feel of Vampires in any Elder Scrolls Game usually serve to help establish a sneaky playstyle. So it very much feels right at home on a Nightblade.

I'm not sure what I'd add to Dark Brotherhood, Thieves guild or Ledgermain, but they all seem to help the stealthy/rogue playstyle.. so it's probably best that they're just mostly passives. I think it'd still be cool to get some ultimates for them.

Maybe Thieves guild gives an ultimate that provides on demand stealth for utility like pots, Dark Brotherhood could be execute focussed and Ledgermain could be more RP focussed based on looting. Undaunted should really have a Warhorn type skill, that includes a synergy.

Vylaera

Ksariyu wrote: »

There are I believe 27 ults in the game? That's not exactly a small number. And even then, a couple are already kind of copies (Dawnbreaker and Berserker Strike, Meteor and Elemental Rage and Nova).

And yet not one single good ranged stamina based ultimate ability. All physical/poison/etc damage Ultimates are melee range, except the Bow ultimates, which are both utter garbage that can be completely negated by simply blocking the barrage and purging the DOT, or by running out of the Ballista's range. These ones desperately need a readjustment to deal upfront damage like the 2H ultimate and have the morph be a choice between dealing poison damage and applying a DOT or adding a Negative effect like Minor Breach to the target.

Bow ults are by far the most useless ultimates in the game.

Fhritz wrote: »

What about racial ultimate tho ?

I would support this if it were done well. Racially themed ultimates that all fill the same niche (so that people don't complain about "zos ruined [race] by giving it a useless ult") but the extra effect added to the target is tailored to the style of the races they're part of. So like magicka based races get minor magickasteal or get minor sorcerery or something likewise, stam races would apply minor breach or get minor brutality or something likewise, and tankier races get minor lifesteal or minor resolve or something likewise. Just an idea.

Vylaera

Also just wanted to mention this in case anyone doesn't know about it.

from the wiki "Spellcrafting is a planned feature for The Elder Scrolls Online. It was originally introduced at Quakecon 2014,[1] but has since been postponed to an indefinite time after 2016.[2]"

And here's a youtube video from 2015 I found recapping the Quakecon reveal of the planned feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0al01e7ClE

Still waiting on this. Thank goodness they added useless companions this year instead of taking the time to properly implement this. I really hope they add this next year with the next chapter.

MashmalloMan

BroughBreaux wrote: »

Also just wanted to mention this in case anyone doesn't know about it.

from the wiki "Spellcrafting is a planned feature for The Elder Scrolls Online. It was originally introduced at Quakecon 2014,[1] but has since been postponed to an indefinite time after 2016.[2]"

And here's a youtube video from 2015 I found recapping the Quakecon reveal of the planned feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0al01e7ClE

Still waiting on this. Thank goodness they added useless companions this year instead of taking the time to properly implement this. I really hope they add this next year with the next chapter.

Exactly.. Thank God we got Companions right? Because everyone is still talking about them and theory crafting is through the roof with different ways to build our Companions!

Yawn.

I love how they positioned it as a long requested feature. Like who?! Who have you seen in the past 7 years of the game requesting for NPC's to help with overland?

..Because most of what I've seen I can name off the top of my head:

• Spellcrafting.
• New weapons.
  • Unarmed
  • 1 Hand and magic/rune/gauntlet.
  • Spears.
• New Class.
  • Monk
  • Bard

Fhritz

Spellcrafting would be NUT! But it's like group mount, I think they've abandoned it

Vylaera

MashmalloMan wrote: »

[Exactly.. Thank God we got Companions right? Because everyone is still talking about them and theory crafting is through the roof with different ways to build our Companions!

People boke down mathematically the best way to build a companion for each of the three roles, realized they still sucked regardless, and then all theorycrafting for them ended. I Haven't seen anyone talking about them for over 2 months, other than saying they need helmets or hair styles. I personally think they were one of the worst additions to the game, what's worse is that these useless die-in-3-seconds clones took up development time instead of something actually good.

Still waiting on the new PvP content we were promised, hoping to Vehk it wasn't just those three horrible sets that are killing PvP. Because not only are those not actually "content", but they made PvP markedly worse than it already was in every single way.

StarOfElyon

I don't grind levels for Bastian at all. I just let him tag along for RP stuff. Adventurers need a trusty sidekick.

Veinblood1965

StarOfElyon wrote: »

I don't grind levels for Bastian at all. I just let him tag along for RP stuff. Adventurers need a trusty sidekick.

Hanging around with Bastian is a grind all by itself, endless annoying dialog! Miri all the way baby!