Q3 QOL Suggestion - Please add an option to disable excessive combat related particles and effects.

Btoop

Please add an option to disable excessive combat related particles and effects.

Even with all of the particle effect graphic settings turned down to their lowest, combat in ESO is plauged with the idea that every single action needs to be accompanied by a flashy effect that takes up half of the screen. Not only is the constant attempt at sensory overload a nauseating experience, but it is hard to get immersed in a living world when the visual experience is like living in a bad YouTube thumbnail where someone decided everything needs a bright red arrow pointing to it.

Here is a quick list of examples of the excessive and unnessisary effects that we should have the option to turn off (all of which may seem minor on their own but quickly add up):

(1) Enemies don't need a red flash above their head to show they've spotted me. I can already see that by the fact that they've stopped what they're doing in favor of facing my character in a stance that shows they're about to attack. The game's audio and visual ques can speak for themself without a flashing highlight. (The effect you see when blocking is another example of this.)

(2) Please don't turn my 16:9 display into a 4:3 by filling up the edges of my screen with a haze effect after every dodge roll (the green swirling effect around the player's feet is also unnessisary). This goes for most buff and debuff effects in general. When every little thing adds a visual effect to my screen, it all just becomes a meaningless mess that doesn't serve any benifit.

(3) Not every skill needs an over the top visual effect. For example, The two handed ability 'Uppercut' has it's own sword swinging animation and sound that makes it unique and feel distinct from regular attacks. Adding a large particle effect that fills the screen when you're in first person on top of this is just one of many examples where particle effects have been added for the sake of adding particle effects.

To make things clear, I'm not talking about all particles and effects. Obviously when it comes to things such as spells and staffs, then yes, it goes without saying that these are areas where particles and effects make sense and should go unaffected by any setting that disables other excessive combat effects.

SickleCider

It's honestly excessive (and I agree it becomes meaningless noise), and in the meantime I can't see things that would actually be useful to me, like other players' WoE or Volley. I'd turn off all the superfluous feedback I don't need in favor of seeing other players' AoEs in a heartbeat.

Marcus684

Honestly, I don’t know how anyone tanks with all of the flashy, flashys going off, especially in a Trial. I’ve tried it and I just can’t see the boss’s mechanics through all of the effects, and I won’t even go into the frustration that storm atros and the daedroths from the Maw set cause me.

I would totally support more options to tone down particle effects.

Snamyap

I think the visual effects are cues in PvP to know what your opponents are doing? I don't do PvP, so correct me if I'm wrong.

Btoop

Snamyap wrote: »

I think the visual effects are cues in PvP to know what your opponents are doing? I don't do PvP, so correct me if I'm wrong.

Generally speaking, you can see what an NPC or player is doing based on their character's animation. The addition of excessive flashing particles and other effects only makes it harder to see and understand what other others are doing.

I_killed_Vivec

Flurry... I don't know if it was because my character was using axes, but there was this disconnected "spurting" of blood that appears way behind the target's head. It looked excessive, not gory because it was too cartoonish, but unnecessary.

SkaraMinoc

Agree the dodge roll haze effect is annoying but it only happens in first person. The overwhelming majority of ESO players play in third person so they probably have no idea what you're talking about. I had to log in and figure out what haze effect you were trying to describe.

Other than that I have no issues with any of the visual effects you've mentioned. In fact I enjoy all of them. I like the aggro effect, immobilization immunity, etc.

The flashiest effect in the entire game is Practiced Incantation. Your entire screen goes white for nearly 8 seconds.

katanagirl1

I don’t think we have an option to turn down particle effects at all on PS, so I completely agree.

I’ve started doing trials and when we are stacked and everyone is using their skills, I can’t see anything between us and the boss, it is so bright. I just look at the skill bar.

endgamesmug

When i pug a trial i go through my rotation by memory because i just cant see what my character is doing its been like that for awhile, its just a sea of effects from player abilities and whatever boss and adds are producing etc.

Darkstorne

This is genuinely why I love LA/HA builds for questing, so I can play like a single player TES game where those basic attacks are the bulk of my damage =P

Curse of Doylemish is a highly under-rated set for this. Paired with Oakensoul for permanent empower etc, you can 1-shot with melee heavy attacks, without the buildup Sergeant's Mail requires.

Snamyap

Darkstorne wrote: »

This is genuinely why I love LA/HA builds for questing, so I can play like a single player TES game where those basic attacks are the bulk of my damage =P

Curse of Doylemish is a highly under-rated set for this. Paired with Oakensoul for permanent empower etc, you can 1-shot with melee heavy attacks, without the buildup Sergeant's Mail requires.

Don't know what other sets you're using but Noble Duelist does more damage without downtime.

https://eso-sets.com/set/noble-duelists-silks

Darkstorne

Snamyap wrote: »

Darkstorne wrote: »

This is genuinely why I love LA/HA builds for questing, so I can play like a single player TES game where those basic attacks are the bulk of my damage =P

Curse of Doylemish is a highly under-rated set for this. Paired with Oakensoul for permanent empower etc, you can 1-shot with melee heavy attacks, without the buildup Sergeant's Mail requires.

Don't know what other sets you're using but Noble Duelist does more damage without downtime.

https://eso-sets.com/set/noble-duelists-silks

It doesn't. It looks that way when you're just browsing sets, but the tooltip for Doylemish scales with weapon and spell damage, while Noble Duelist doesn't. I think this is why Doylemish flies under the radar a bit (that, and the 4 sec CD).

Noble Duelist will always add another ~2k to your light and heavy attacks depending on gear quality. Doylemish can reach a heavy attack damage bonus of 15k+. If you can use that every 4 seconds, it's a lot more damage than Noble Duelist provides, at least where heavy attacks are concerned. It does require a monster to be taunted, stunned, feared, or immobilized, but those are easy status effects to apply, and 1h+Shield can do it easiest (shield charge for regular mobs, puncture to taunt stun-immune enemies like bosses) and turns that weapon type into a heavy attack beast as a result.

Snamyap

Interesting, gonna have a look at that, was theorising on a melee heavy attack build but the options seemed lacking compared to lightning staff.

Darkstorne

Snamyap wrote: »

Interesting, gonna have a look at that, was theorising on a melee heavy attack build but the options seemed lacking compared to lightning staff.

Yeah, it gets overlooked a lot. Melee only, but really massive burst damage if you're looking for that, every 4 seconds

Pairs really well with the Undaunted taunt too, since that not only allows Doylemish to proc but increases the target's damage taken from you by 10%. Will be great on greatswords next patch, since Wrecking Blow will grant 5 seconds of Major Berserk, lining up pretty well with that 4 second CD. Maybe throw on Deadlands Demolisher too? Can't proc at the same time as Doylemish, but means your second heavy attack will proc it, and adds some more DOT damage in boss fights.

I only really mess around with these sorts of builds for solo content though, deliberately using sets most people ignore, and aimed at soloing world bosses as my "is it good enough?" standard. Probably still terrible for a decent DPS build in group content

Snamyap

Maarselok monster set also scales. Got some thingies to test.

Btoop

Darkstorne wrote: »

This is genuinely why I love LA/HA builds for questing, so I can play like a single player TES game where those basic attacks are the bulk of my damage =P

Curse of Doylemish is a highly under-rated set for this. Paired with Oakensoul for permanent empower etc, you can 1-shot with melee heavy attacks, without the buildup Sergeant's Mail requires.

I've experimented with Light/Heavy attack builds for general overland content but found them to be a bit too unengaging for my liking. Despite this, I have found that limiting my abilities to just a spammable ability and a finisher ability has been a good way to keep combat engaging and well paced for myself.

Yazrz

Btoop wrote: »

To make things clear, I'm not talking about all particles and effects. Obviously when it comes to things such as spells and staffs, then yes, it goes without saying that these are areas where particles and effects make sense and should go unaffected by any setting that disables other excessive combat effects.

In my opinion also the spells are sometimes overtuned for spell effects, I can understand that templars want to have sunbeam like effects, but it quickly gets into headache territory. It would be nice to have an option to at least tune down all skills, or disable individual skill effects to taste.

Liguar

Visual effect clutter is gamebreaking for me, a HA build is the only thing that allows me to play for any length of time, and do anything like the dragon dailies.

It's also difficult to understand why so many effects from other players have to be visible. I really don't care what other people are casting in my vicinity, wtb a setting to only see things I need to step into, or out of. I could really live without ever seeing someone else's companion casting starfall again.

Edit: also an option to not have those blinding white screen moments that are used for miscellaneous transitions or during the final boss in spindelclutch I.

Kitziboo

Since the length of the Warden’s Arctic Wind skill was increased, it’s so distracting I can’t see where my character is going properly until it stops and I also stopped using the Chokethorn monster set as the green light effects are too bright.