The Gold Road Chapter – which includes the Scribing system – and Update 42 is now available to test on the PTS! You can read the latest patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/656454/
Maintenance for the week of April 22:
• PC/Mac: NA megaserver for maintenance – April 25, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 2:00PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8098811/#Comment_8098811
• PC/Mac: NA megaserver for maintenance – April 25, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 2:00PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/8098811/#Comment_8098811
Our Spammables Need some Work
MurkyWetWolf198
✭✭✭
As a player, I would like for all of my guildmates to be able to enjoy their character mains. I sincerely wish that everyone of them is able to get on ESO and run around doing whatever on a build of their own choosing. However, many of them feel like they can't do that anymore.
Despite ZOS's stated goal of increasing build diversity, player consensus is that, within the current patch, most builds are still very outclassed and rough to play. They hit like wet noodles, and heal like broken stereos. This is disappointing, as I think both the developers and the general ESO community would like the ability to try different set-ups without feeling worse-off for it.
So, in order to fix this, the game does need a few changes.
First, let's address the player base who arguably feel the worst right; Warden, Templar and Sorcerer players. All three of these classes are outperformed by Nightblades, Dragonknights and Necromancers by a wide margin. Why? Well, let's look at their differences.
Both Nightblades and Dragonknights have a very unique relationship with one of their primary spammables that no other class has. For Nightblades, Concealed weapon interacts with Twisting Path to give players a 10% damage boost, which feels very welcome after the significant loss in damage last patch. For Dragonknights, Molten Whip increases their Weapon and Spell Damage every time they cast an Ardent Flame ability. In both cases, their primary spammable has a unique synergy with another part of the classes toolkit that makes it feel more powerful and helps give the class some identity.
On the other hand, let's look at Wardens, Sorcerers and Templars.
Previously, Templars had unique class synergy that made them standout: Burning Light. It made the class spammable significantly more powerful, and really solidified the Templars tool-kit. However, changes to make Burning Light more viable has significantly reduced Jabs usage due to very poor damage. Now, instead of Jabs being dominant on a decently powerful Templar, they're one oft he worst spammables. They could use a buff, such as the following; For Templars, while an enemy is under the effect of Sun Flare or it's morphs, Puncturing Strikes could do ramping damage every hit. To elaborate, this would temporarily let Puncturing Strikes have a similar, but stronger, effect to the skill Rapid Strikes from the Dual Wield skill line. Each subsequent hit of the move would do an increasing amount of damage, perhaps 10% or so, leaving the final hit at somewhere around a 40% increase. This would make using both skills feel very rewarding and help the class gain some footing against Nightblades, Dragonknights and Necromancers. I think. I'm kind of spitballing ideas here, and would welcome suggesstions.
Now for Wardens. My proposition for Wardens is simple; morph cutting dive to be Frost damage and Ice Themes. Name it Snowy Dive or something, idc. I understand that the skill is under the Animal Companions skill line, but there are plenty of flying creatures that live in the cold. A Frost Based spammable would help Cyromancers feel unique, and the update to the spammable could be the opportunity to add in additional functions that help Magden in PvE and PvP. Perhaps something regarding to extra damage to chilled enemies, or maybe an interaction with Arctic Blast that adds an extra DoT effect. Again, just spit-balling, more suggestions would be welcome.
Finally, Sorcerers. They're feeling pretty weak this patch, and it'd be nice to give them some love. So, for Sorcerers, my idea is as follows: give Crystal Weapon a 10%-20% damage boost when no pets are active, or let it increase damage done by 5%-10% when used if no pets are active. This idea tries to solve two problems; it incentives usage of both Crystal Weapon and incentives our SOLO Sorcerer players. After reading many of my fellow players comments, there seems to be a large demographic of the Sorcerer playerbase who would like the ability to not use Daedric Pets without significant damage loss. Currently, there is no way to do this, meaning our SOLO Sorcerers can't play the way they want. Changing Crystal Weapon in this way would allow them their playstyle while not lowering the rest of Sorcerer's viability.
Finally, let's address something I neglected to mention; Necromancer's spammable is kind of bad. Skulls do very little compared to it's peers on other classes, especially considering that the Skull's damage increase mechanic is just a significantly weaker version of the Dragonknight Whip (aka, using this ability or abilities from the same skill line increase the damage of the next cast. For Dragonknights, that multiplier is 60%. It's only 20% on Necromancer.) Honestly this skill could really use a unique function, because right now all of the power of the Necromancers comes from Blastbones and relatively Strong DoTs and not it's most-often used ability. It's spammable literally isn't worth spamming.
I will acknowledge that if Necromancer Skulls get a buff then the class might need a small nerf elsewhere just to keep it from running off into OP territory like Sorcerer did last Patch. Don't want to see Necromancers get nuked.
Overall, I would like all classes to feel like they are fun to play and bring something unique to the battlefield, and these were my ideas on how to do it. Then, maybe my guildmates will be able to return to their mains and feel at home. I hope you consider my ideas, and leave your own in the replies.
-Murky
Despite ZOS's stated goal of increasing build diversity, player consensus is that, within the current patch, most builds are still very outclassed and rough to play. They hit like wet noodles, and heal like broken stereos. This is disappointing, as I think both the developers and the general ESO community would like the ability to try different set-ups without feeling worse-off for it.
So, in order to fix this, the game does need a few changes.
First, let's address the player base who arguably feel the worst right; Warden, Templar and Sorcerer players. All three of these classes are outperformed by Nightblades, Dragonknights and Necromancers by a wide margin. Why? Well, let's look at their differences.
Both Nightblades and Dragonknights have a very unique relationship with one of their primary spammables that no other class has. For Nightblades, Concealed weapon interacts with Twisting Path to give players a 10% damage boost, which feels very welcome after the significant loss in damage last patch. For Dragonknights, Molten Whip increases their Weapon and Spell Damage every time they cast an Ardent Flame ability. In both cases, their primary spammable has a unique synergy with another part of the classes toolkit that makes it feel more powerful and helps give the class some identity.
On the other hand, let's look at Wardens, Sorcerers and Templars.
Previously, Templars had unique class synergy that made them standout: Burning Light. It made the class spammable significantly more powerful, and really solidified the Templars tool-kit. However, changes to make Burning Light more viable has significantly reduced Jabs usage due to very poor damage. Now, instead of Jabs being dominant on a decently powerful Templar, they're one oft he worst spammables. They could use a buff, such as the following; For Templars, while an enemy is under the effect of Sun Flare or it's morphs, Puncturing Strikes could do ramping damage every hit. To elaborate, this would temporarily let Puncturing Strikes have a similar, but stronger, effect to the skill Rapid Strikes from the Dual Wield skill line. Each subsequent hit of the move would do an increasing amount of damage, perhaps 10% or so, leaving the final hit at somewhere around a 40% increase. This would make using both skills feel very rewarding and help the class gain some footing against Nightblades, Dragonknights and Necromancers. I think. I'm kind of spitballing ideas here, and would welcome suggesstions.
Now for Wardens. My proposition for Wardens is simple; morph cutting dive to be Frost damage and Ice Themes. Name it Snowy Dive or something, idc. I understand that the skill is under the Animal Companions skill line, but there are plenty of flying creatures that live in the cold. A Frost Based spammable would help Cyromancers feel unique, and the update to the spammable could be the opportunity to add in additional functions that help Magden in PvE and PvP. Perhaps something regarding to extra damage to chilled enemies, or maybe an interaction with Arctic Blast that adds an extra DoT effect. Again, just spit-balling, more suggestions would be welcome.
Finally, Sorcerers. They're feeling pretty weak this patch, and it'd be nice to give them some love. So, for Sorcerers, my idea is as follows: give Crystal Weapon a 10%-20% damage boost when no pets are active, or let it increase damage done by 5%-10% when used if no pets are active. This idea tries to solve two problems; it incentives usage of both Crystal Weapon and incentives our SOLO Sorcerer players. After reading many of my fellow players comments, there seems to be a large demographic of the Sorcerer playerbase who would like the ability to not use Daedric Pets without significant damage loss. Currently, there is no way to do this, meaning our SOLO Sorcerers can't play the way they want. Changing Crystal Weapon in this way would allow them their playstyle while not lowering the rest of Sorcerer's viability.
Finally, let's address something I neglected to mention; Necromancer's spammable is kind of bad. Skulls do very little compared to it's peers on other classes, especially considering that the Skull's damage increase mechanic is just a significantly weaker version of the Dragonknight Whip (aka, using this ability or abilities from the same skill line increase the damage of the next cast. For Dragonknights, that multiplier is 60%. It's only 20% on Necromancer.) Honestly this skill could really use a unique function, because right now all of the power of the Necromancers comes from Blastbones and relatively Strong DoTs and not it's most-often used ability. It's spammable literally isn't worth spamming.
I will acknowledge that if Necromancer Skulls get a buff then the class might need a small nerf elsewhere just to keep it from running off into OP territory like Sorcerer did last Patch. Don't want to see Necromancers get nuked.
Overall, I would like all classes to feel like they are fun to play and bring something unique to the battlefield, and these were my ideas on how to do it. Then, maybe my guildmates will be able to return to their mains and feel at home. I hope you consider my ideas, and leave your own in the replies.
-Murky
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