Melee builds vs Ranged builds in veteran or further end game content

AnduinTryggva

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT asking for a nerf of any build! Just sharing some observations and asking what the community thinks about it.

When I do veteran trial/dungeons or sometimes even attempting hard mode dungeons I usually do it with pugs or with some luck I can motivate some guildies. What I observe here is that - appart from the tank for obvious reasons - ranged builds are by far a majority.

I on my side prefer to play melee and sometimes I am a bit envious of the ranged players as they tend - at least it looks to me like this - to be able to avoid some of the damages coming from fights when it is melee or aoe centered around a boss simply because they can stand away from the boss and still do excellent damage. They surely have the advantage to chose their position and still do the same amount of damage (apart from very few skills that scale with distance) while melee players are bound to the target.

ATTENTION: I DON'T ask to nerf damage output for ranged builds. But why not increase melee weapon damage a bit (not excessively though) to compensate for the higher risk taken? At least if that melee risk is not just my perception. That is why I'd like to see if other players share this perception or not. Thank you!

Final question: Please don't flame. Again: I don't ask for a nerf of ranged builds.

HatchetHaro

Ranged builds offer much more safety than melee builds do, but in controlled situations where the players know their risks, melee builds reign supreme in terms of raw damage output.

It really just depends on what you're trying to push. Most dungeons can be done on ranged builds as they offer much more safety while still being able to deal decent damage; however, trials mostly favour melee builds as they offer a much more predictable stack for healers to drop their HoTs on, and so most would be much safer in melee range.

You can still do quite well as a melee player in dungeons; you just need more mechanical awareness to be able to pull it off. You're also never quite locked into a static melee/ranged setup; you can run a combination of skills that allow you to deal massive damage in melee and still hold your own when you're out kiting mechanics. If you're able to time your abilities and movements well with the content mechanics, you can be out kiting AoEs while you're refreshing your ranged DoTs like Unstable Wall and Caltrops, and run in to apply your melee damage when the time is right before kiting back out again to refresh DoTs.

AlterBlika

AnduinTryggva wrote: »

ATTENTION: I DON'T ask to nerf damage output for ranged builds. But why not increase melee weapon damage a bit (not excessively though) to compensate for the higher risk taken? At least if that melee risk is not just my perception. That is why I'd like to see if other players share this perception or not. Thank you!

Tbh I'd rather see nerfs than any buffs at this point. Too much powercreep in the game already.

KS_Amt38

Play Arcanist:
- highest damage and all of it is AOE
- Range
- big passive shield Shield
- major brutality/sorcery passively

moo_2021

melee needs:

- perm major evasion
- snare any target affected by melee attacks.
- 28m gap closer
- auto pull ranged attackers if they're on top of fort or base

AnduinTryggva

KS_Amt38 wrote: »

Play Arcanist:
- highest damage and all of it is AOE
- Range
- big passive shield Shield
- major brutality/sorcery passively

I know that there are metas out there.

That is not the point.

The thing is that ESO advertises its game as "play as you wish" so I think that unless going really for end of end of end game, things should about be very similar in performance. If that is not fully possible then disadvantages need to be balanced by advantages somewhere else.

the1andonlyskwex

Melee weapons already have significantly higher weapon/spell damage stats compared to ranged weapons. Melee skills also already have higher damage tooltips.

Outside of some specific (and recent-ish) balance issues (e.g. arcanist class abilities, lightning heavy attacks), this has generally resulted in melee builds being preferred for most content.

Sakiri

moo_2021 wrote: »

melee needs:

- perm major evasion
- snare any target affected by melee attacks.
- 28m gap closer
- auto pull ranged attackers if they're on top of fort or base

This isn't a pvp post.

Soarora

Melee does actually do more damage, dagger LAs do more damage than staff LAs, ZoS is aware of the risk of being melee over ranged. Even ranged builds would do well to be in melee range for weaving purposes but also so abilities such as blade cloak or arctic blast hit the enemy.

Sakiri

Double post

Dagoth_Rac

Ranged is safer, but melee is higher damage. If running with pugs or casual guild stuff, most people choose safe. They are willing to sacrifice some speed and DPS to avoid wiping in a not-so-great group. In tightly organized, prepared, and coordinated groups with voice comms, melee is very popular because people trust the healers and trust everyone knows the mechanics.

I think the current pros and cons of melee versus ranged are fine.

katanagirl1

Until lately, many trials groups insisted on ranged builds because of the ability to avoid damage. However, now that all builds run staff and dual wield, it is hard to do because everyone needs it stand within melee range of the boss to get stam resources back for their arcanists, which is the preferred class now. The irony.

Sakiri

Even staff users stay in melee range to get heals.

silky_soft

At least you not in pvp where ranged get 8m, from battle spirit, for absolutely no reason at all.

Vulkunne

AnduinTryggva wrote: »

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT asking for a nerf of any build! Just sharing some observations and asking what the community thinks about it.

When I do veteran trial/dungeons or sometimes even attempting hard mode dungeons I usually do it with pugs or with some luck I can motivate some guildies. What I observe here is that - appart from the tank for obvious reasons - ranged builds are by far a majority.

I on my side prefer to play melee and sometimes I am a bit envious of the ranged players as they tend - at least it looks to me like this - to be able to avoid some of the damages coming from fights when it is melee or aoe centered around a boss simply because they can stand away from the boss and still do excellent damage. They surely have the advantage to chose their position and still do the same amount of damage (apart from very few skills that scale with distance) while melee players are bound to the target.

ATTENTION: I DON'T ask to nerf damage output for ranged builds. But why not increase melee weapon damage a bit (not excessively though) to compensate for the higher risk taken? At least if that melee risk is not just my perception. That is why I'd like to see if other players share this perception or not. Thank you!

Final question: Please don't flame. Again: I don't ask for a nerf of ranged builds.

I'd remember its not always about what is the best tactic vs what the Guild or group leader(s) are asking for.

Like one time for some Trial I showed up with a 2H Battleaxe and they were *not* impressed.

AnduinTryggva

Thank you all for your feedback.

Good to hear that melees get a damage advantage thru their weapons. Maybe I am just a too bad player