Hot Take: What If ESO Went Full One-Bar?

QB1

Okay, hear me out... what if ZOS removed Oakensoul and removed bar swapping entirely?

I know it sounds wild at first, but with how much power has crept into two-bar builds, how bloated some rotations have become, how hard it is to balance PvP and PvE across so many skill sources, and all of the game's performance issues, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. And with the new subclassing announcement, ZOS has shown they aren't afraid to make core changes to the game. Here are some reasons why a full one-bar system could actually be good for the game:

🔧 1. Easier to Balance
No more juggling buffs across two bars or stacking utility from skills you barely use. A one-bar system would level the field and make it much easier for ZOS to balance skill lines, sets, and roles.

🔥 2. Stronger Build Identity
This right here is the main reason I don't play two bar builds anymore. Want to be a bow ranger? A fire mage? A melee bruiser? One-bar builds force you to focus. You pick the abilities that define your role—not 3 damage skills, 6 of the same buffs you’d run on every other build, and a flex slot. That makes every build feel more thematic and intentional. This fits with the new subclassing announcement and hopefully, in the future, a full classless build system.

⚔️ 3. Less Power Creep
Two-bar players run around with 12 total skills, multiple sources of buffs, healing, and CC all on one character. Two-bar setups let people do everything at once. One-bar builds reign that in and bring the game back to more strategic, focused combat.

🎮 4. More Accessible for New and Casual Players
Let’s be honest: bar swapping, buff upkeep, animation canceling—these are huge skill gaps. One-bar combat would make ESO way more approachable, letting more players feel competitive without needing a spreadsheet rotation.

🧼 5. Cleaner UI, Faster Combat Flow
No more bouncing between bars just to refresh a 20s buff. You stay in the action, you stay engaged, and the interface becomes way easier to read and manage. It’s streamlined, and that’s not a bad thing.

🤝 6. Encourages Team Play & Counters Ball Groups
With only one bar, players would have to specialize more, meaning damage builds can’t also stack heals, purges, and buffs. That makes team roles more meaningful and limits the power of ball groups that rely on stacking all of the same skills on each player. It levels the field for smaller, coordinated groups and brings back tactical group PvP over ball group steamrolling.

🛠️ 7. Better Performance in Cyrodiil
The Vengeance test proved that simplicity is what's best for Cyrodiil. Every extra ability cast, buff tick, and bar swap animation adds to server load. Reducing the number of active skills by half across every player would lighten the processing load significantly. Fewer skill checks, fewer calculations, better stability. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s a step in the right direction for performance.

Cooperharley

Some people enjoy the skill associated w/ 2 bar and enjoy using 2 weapons, so I wouldn't want to take that from them. But, I wouldn't mind this personally. Don't see it happening personally though regardless.

QB1

Cooperharley wrote: »

Some people enjoy the skill associated w/ 2 bar and enjoy using 2 weapons, so I wouldn't want to take that from them. But, I wouldn't mind this personally. Don't see it happening personally though regardless.

I think a one-bar system would actually increase that skill expression by pushing people to choose what they want to use, rather than relying on a bunch of filler buffs and dots just to make sure they have two full bars.

As for it happening, yeah, it might be a long shot, but with the changes coming with subclassing it might not be totally out of the question for ZOS to rethink the core design.

Either way, appreciate your input and miss seeing your ESO videos!

Cooperharley

QB1 wrote: »

Cooperharley wrote: »

Some people enjoy the skill associated w/ 2 bar and enjoy using 2 weapons, so I wouldn't want to take that from them. But, I wouldn't mind this personally. Don't see it happening personally though regardless.

I think a one-bar system would actually increase that skill expression by pushing people to choose what they want to use, rather than relying on a bunch of filler buffs just to make sure they have two full bars.

As for it happening, yeah, it might be a long shot, but with the changes coming with subclassing it might not be totally out of the question for ZOS to rethink the core design.

Either way, appreciate your input and miss seeing your ESO videos!

Cheers friend

DeadlySerious

Only if we get all the buffs that come with wearing Oakensoul ring without having to actually wear the ring.

BasP

If that were implemented, I'd probably play ESO a lot less. I personally don't mind bar swapping, and I like that we're able to use two different weapons and skill bars. Being limited to just one bar would definitely make ESO's combat more boring for me.

QB1

DeadlySerious wrote: »

Only if we get all the buffs that come with wearing Oakensoul ring without having to actually wear the ring.

I would be fine with that. But I think I'd rather not include the buffs by default and make players have to make choices and trade-offs, that's where real build diversity and creativity come into play. Or they could completely rework essential buffs and include them in passive abilities or something.

QB1

BasP wrote: »

If that were implemented, I'd probably play ESO a lot less. I personally don't mind bar swapping, and I like that we're able to use two different weapons and skill bars. Being limited to just one bar would definitely make ESO's combat more boring for me.

I hear you and I'm sure a lot of the playerbase feels the same way. But in my mind, and I know plenty of others, this would make us play ESO a lot more. Two bar combat is MUCH more boring than one bar, imo.

Instead of button mashing a rotation and maximizing uptime on multiple buffs, one bar forces real choices. You can’t bring everything, so you have to be very intentional. You have to think about when to go offensive, when to peel back, what your role is in a group, and how to adapt to a fight. That’s where the combat becomes interesting, for me anyway. Less buff/rotation management, more action, more strategy.

Zallion

This would be very boring.

valenwood_vegan

I love my one-bar / oakensoul builds. I love my full, sweaty two-bar builds. Taking one away would make the game much more boring for me. And if I were going to have to vote for which one to take away, it'd actually be the one-bar builds. They all feel too similar.

QB1

Zallion wrote: »

This would be very boring.

Thanks for the input lol I find the current two bar buff management system to be much more boring. Look at games like Marvel Rivals or Overwatch. Sure, they're not MMOs, but they thrive with just a few core abilities per character. It's not about the number of buttons. You can get really dynamic, skill-expressive gameplay without needing 12 active abilities. Sometimes less is more.

QB1

valenwood_vegan wrote: »

I love my one-bar / oakensoul builds. I love my full, sweaty two-bar builds. Taking one away would make the game much more boring for me. And if I were going to have to vote for which one to take away, it'd actually be the one-bar builds. They all feel too similar.

Appreciate the balanced take! Though I disagree that one-bar builds feel too similar. That’s a big part of why I play them over two-bar builds nowadays. Without the pressure to cram in every buff possible, one-bar builds tend to lean into my characters' themes more clearly, whether that’s a ranged bow build, a bruiser, or a pure DoT setup. The limitations actually create more room for creativity and identity.

If anything, I’d argue that two-bar builds are where things start to feel samey. Everyone’s running the same buffs, using the same rotations, and trying to do everything at once. One-bar pushes you to make real tradeoffs, and that’s what keeps it interesting.

Jestir

Sounds awful

QB1

Jestir wrote: »

Sounds awful

Not as awful as playing buff manager, but I appreciate your in-depth analysis.

Lystrad

My problem with two bar builds has always been two-fold.

1. Buff management is tedious, and takes up quite a few bar slots while generally not feeling good to cast.
2. When I'm running two bars, I don't want my second bar to just be low priority or long duration stuff, I want to be able to actually run it as a functional second weapon. (I.e, main bar is melee, second bar is ranged.)

Since problem 1 in effect creates or exacerbates problem 2, I can honestly say I don't see myself ever not running with oakensoul again so moving fully over to a 1 bar system wouldn't be a problem for me, but I can sympathize with the people who wouldn't be happy about that in the same way I wouldn't be happy if oakensoul was gutted with the game as it is now.

I think what could be a good compromise would be instead of removing bar swapping, to instead bake major/minor buffs into literally every ability as passive effects you get just for slotting on either bar. First instance of the effect gives you the major version, if it shows up again you get the minor version. Then as a tradeoff for the freed up bar space add a build limitation where you can only have 1 long dot/hot, 1 short dot/hot, and one ground effect from abilities active at a time. (procs from armor sets, status effects and things are fine)

Now bar swapping still exists for skill expression
People don't like buff don't have to worry about it and can viably sit on one bar if they want.
and backbar weapons can actually function as weapons for different situations

In theory everyone wins on some level.

QB1

Lystrad wrote: »

My problem with two bar builds has always been two-fold.

1. Buff management is tedious, and takes up quite a few bar slots while generally not feeling good to cast.
2. When I'm running two bars, I don't want my second bar to just be low priority or long duration stuff, I want to be able to actually run it as a functional second weapon. (I.e, main bar is melee, second bar is ranged.)

Since problem 1 in effect creates or exacerbates problem 2, I can honestly say I don't see myself ever not running with oakensoul again so moving fully over to a 1 bar system wouldn't be a problem for me, but I can sympathize with the people who wouldn't be happy about that in the same way I wouldn't be happy if oakensoul was gutted with the game as it is now.

I think what could be a good compromise would be instead of removing bar swapping, to instead bake major/minor buffs into literally every ability as passive effects you get just for slotting on either bar. First instance of the effect gives you the major version, if it shows up again you get the minor version. Then as a tradeoff for the freed up bar space add a build limitation where you can only have 1 long dot/hot, 1 short dot/hot, and one ground effect from abilities active at a time. (procs from armor sets, status effects and things are fine)

Now bar swapping still exists for skill expression
People don't like buff don't have to worry about it and can viably sit on one bar if they want.
and backbar weapons can actually function as weapons for different situations

In theory everyone wins on some level.

Really well said. I think you nailed the core pain points with two-bar setups. Buff maintenance does feel like busywork a lot of the time, and you're right that it often turns the backbar into little more than a support pad instead of a true second weapon.

I do like the idea of passively baking in major/minor buffs to open up more bar space and reduce the need for the boring, repetitive buff casting. That kind of change could make both one-bar and two-bar builds feel better without forcing players into one or the other.

That said, I still think moving to one-bar across the board would be better for the game. We'd see much more diverse builds and more fun experimentation. And no more immortal gods running around being tank/healer/dps all at once.

NoticeMeArkay

Wouldn't be a fan of that, to be honest.

Jaimeh

This would make combat and gameplay in general very simple and boring for me, and combat is one of the things I enjoy in ESO. And from a purely utilitarian POV, you would have to keep swapping skills in and out for different things and that would get annoying fast.

QB1

NoticeMeArkay wrote: »

Wouldn't be a fan of that, to be honest.

Fair enough, I get it's a change that not everyone would love!

Soarora

I’ve always played 2-bar, even before the change to make DoTs last longer. A one-bar game would immediately kill a lot of backbar sets like maelstrom 2h and maelstrom destro. It would push DPS to using weapon/spell power potions instead of tripots due to lack of space. It would make support roles harder as healers would not be able to slot as many heals and buffs and tanks would not be able to use sword and shield due to the necessity of crusher. This would also kill my gameplay of sword and board trifocus tanking where my backbar costs mag to block while frontbar costs stam. Even my overland build uses 2 bars— the front bar is for combat and the second bar is for getting around.

You can play 1-bar but don’t make everyone else play 1-bar too.

QB1

Jaimeh wrote: »

This would make combat and gameplay in general very simple and boring for me, and combat is one of the things I enjoy in ESO. And from a purely utilitarian POV, you would have to keep swapping skills in and out for different things and that would get annoying fast.

I hear ya. But I know there are a ton of us that feel combat is already simple and boring due to buff management and players being able to do everything at once. The need to swap skills in and out depending on the situation actually sounds exciting to me! I want to see more creative and situational play.

QB1

Soarora wrote: »

I’ve always played 2-bar, even before the change to make DoTs last longer. A one-bar game would immediately kill a lot of backbar sets like maelstrom 2h and maelstrom destro. It would push DPS to using weapon/spell power potions instead of tripots due to lack of space. It would make support roles harder as healers would not be able to slot as many heals and buffs and tanks would not be able to use sword and shield due to the necessity of crusher. This would also kill my gameplay of sword and board trifocus tanking where my backbar costs mag to block while frontbar costs stam. Even my overland build uses 2 bars— the front bar is for combat and the second bar is for getting around.

You can play 1-bar but don’t make everyone else play 1-bar too.

Totally fair points and I appreciate how detailed your reply is. I think you highlight a lot of the trade-offs that would need to be worked through. In terms of the Maelstrom weapons and other backbar sets, that's kind of the point—you’d need to build around those as your main weapon instead of just using them as yet another backbar buff.

And yeah, support roles would definitely have to adapt. Again, that's kind of the point? And I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. It would actually open up new ways to specialize: some builds lean more into healing, others into buffing, and others into utility or mobility. Instead of being able to do everything at once, you'd have to coordinate more and commit to your role more clearly, which would be really refreshing in group content.

Playing one bar forces players to make real choices, you can't just slot everything. Instead of squeezing in every dot, every buff, you're curating a tight kit that reflects how you actually want to play.

Soarora

QB1 wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

I’ve always played 2-bar, even before the change to make DoTs last longer. A one-bar game would immediately kill a lot of backbar sets like maelstrom 2h and maelstrom destro. It would push DPS to using weapon/spell power potions instead of tripots due to lack of space. It would make support roles harder as healers would not be able to slot as many heals and buffs and tanks would not be able to use sword and shield due to the necessity of crusher. This would also kill my gameplay of sword and board trifocus tanking where my backbar costs mag to block while frontbar costs stam. Even my overland build uses 2 bars— the front bar is for combat and the second bar is for getting around.

You can play 1-bar but don’t make everyone else play 1-bar too.

Totally fair points and I appreciate how detailed your reply is. I think you highlight a lot of the trade-offs that would need to be worked through. In terms of the Maelstrom weapons and other backbar sets, that's kind of the point—you’d need to build around those as your main weapon instead of just using them as yet another backbar buff.

And yeah, support roles would definitely have to adapt. Again, that's kind of the point? And I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. It would actually open up new ways to specialize: some builds lean more into healing, others into buffing, and others into utility or mobility. Instead of being able to do everything at once, you'd have to coordinate more and commit to your role more clearly, which would be really refreshing in group content.

Playing one bar forces players to make real choices, you can't just slot everything. Instead of squeezing in every dot, every buff, you're curating a tight kit that reflects how you actually want to play.

What would end up happening is something like this:
DPS - Daggers or destro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic
Damage or buff
Spammable
Flail/Frags/etc
Dagger cloak or exploding wall
Class damaging AoE
Damaging class ult

Tank - Ice staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 monster
Buff or debuff or self-heal
Inner fire or frost clench or chain
Ele sus
Frost blockade
Buff or debuff
War horn

Healer - Restro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic or 1 monster
Aoe heal (class)
Combat prayer
Aoe heal (restro)
Radiating regeneration or echoing vigor
Orb
War horn

You wouldn’t get to curate anything, you end up with 0-2 flex spots per role and that’s assuming I didn’t miss anything important. Sword and board would be dead. Every class would play almost exactly the same. There would not be room for useful skills like altar and rapid maneuvers. Multiple sets would be nigh impossible to use like Z’ens and Azureblight. Most of the rotation would just be hitting one button over and over again.

Renato90085

relequen will be hardest boss
Sound very boring and like delete tank and healer in game

QB1

Soarora wrote: »

QB1 wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

I’ve always played 2-bar, even before the change to make DoTs last longer. A one-bar game would immediately kill a lot of backbar sets like maelstrom 2h and maelstrom destro. It would push DPS to using weapon/spell power potions instead of tripots due to lack of space. It would make support roles harder as healers would not be able to slot as many heals and buffs and tanks would not be able to use sword and shield due to the necessity of crusher. This would also kill my gameplay of sword and board trifocus tanking where my backbar costs mag to block while frontbar costs stam. Even my overland build uses 2 bars— the front bar is for combat and the second bar is for getting around.

You can play 1-bar but don’t make everyone else play 1-bar too.

Totally fair points and I appreciate how detailed your reply is. I think you highlight a lot of the trade-offs that would need to be worked through. In terms of the Maelstrom weapons and other backbar sets, that's kind of the point—you’d need to build around those as your main weapon instead of just using them as yet another backbar buff.

And yeah, support roles would definitely have to adapt. Again, that's kind of the point? And I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. It would actually open up new ways to specialize: some builds lean more into healing, others into buffing, and others into utility or mobility. Instead of being able to do everything at once, you'd have to coordinate more and commit to your role more clearly, which would be really refreshing in group content.

Playing one bar forces players to make real choices, you can't just slot everything. Instead of squeezing in every dot, every buff, you're curating a tight kit that reflects how you actually want to play.

What would end up happening is something like this:
DPS - Daggers or destro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic
Damage or buff
Spammable
Flail/Frags/etc
Dagger cloak or exploding wall
Class damaging AoE
Damaging class ult

Tank - Ice staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 monster
Buff or debuff or self-heal
Inner fire or frost clench or chain
Ele sus
Frost blockade
Buff or debuff
War horn

Healer - Restro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic or 1 monster
Aoe heal (class)
Combat prayer
Aoe heal (restro)
Radiating regeneration or echoing vigor
Orb
War horn

You wouldn’t get to curate anything, you end up with 0-2 flex spots per role and that’s assuming I didn’t miss anything important. Sword and board would be dead. Every class would play almost exactly the same. There would not be room for useful skills like altar and rapid maneuvers. Multiple sets would be nigh impossible to use like Z’ens and Azureblight. Most of the rotation would just be hitting one button over and over again.

I really don’t agree with your assessment here, especially when you say every class would play almost exactly the same. Your own examples actually show quite a bit of room for variation within each role. A DPS choosing between daggers or destro staff, for example, already has completely different playstyles baked in. Right now, all dps are both. Same with tanks running frost staff versus sword and board (idk much about tanking, but sounds like sword and board needs a buff, according to you) or healers leaning more into burst heals versus HoTs or utility. Right now, everyone can do everything, simply because they have the room for it. As for the rotation hitting one button over and over, that's not really a change from what it currently is. Buff up, lay down your dots, hit your spammable over and over.

Overall, I feel the problem is that builds can do way too much without trade-offs. It's not exciting or creative. And I know you're coming from a PvE perspective, but it's even worse in PvP.

QB1

Renato90085 wrote: »

relequen will be hardest boss
Sound very boring and like delete tank and healer in game

Not any more boring than playing two bar buff/dot manager. And what you're saying doesn't make sense. A one bar system wouldn't delete roles, it would define them more clearly. Done right, it could actually make the group meta less homogeneous, not more.

Soarora

QB1 wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

QB1 wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

I’ve always played 2-bar, even before the change to make DoTs last longer. A one-bar game would immediately kill a lot of backbar sets like maelstrom 2h and maelstrom destro. It would push DPS to using weapon/spell power potions instead of tripots due to lack of space. It would make support roles harder as healers would not be able to slot as many heals and buffs and tanks would not be able to use sword and shield due to the necessity of crusher. This would also kill my gameplay of sword and board trifocus tanking where my backbar costs mag to block while frontbar costs stam. Even my overland build uses 2 bars— the front bar is for combat and the second bar is for getting around.

You can play 1-bar but don’t make everyone else play 1-bar too.

Totally fair points and I appreciate how detailed your reply is. I think you highlight a lot of the trade-offs that would need to be worked through. In terms of the Maelstrom weapons and other backbar sets, that's kind of the point—you’d need to build around those as your main weapon instead of just using them as yet another backbar buff.

And yeah, support roles would definitely have to adapt. Again, that's kind of the point? And I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. It would actually open up new ways to specialize: some builds lean more into healing, others into buffing, and others into utility or mobility. Instead of being able to do everything at once, you'd have to coordinate more and commit to your role more clearly, which would be really refreshing in group content.

Playing one bar forces players to make real choices, you can't just slot everything. Instead of squeezing in every dot, every buff, you're curating a tight kit that reflects how you actually want to play.

What would end up happening is something like this:
DPS - Daggers or destro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic
Damage or buff
Spammable
Flail/Frags/etc
Dagger cloak or exploding wall
Class damaging AoE
Damaging class ult

Tank - Ice staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 monster
Buff or debuff or self-heal
Inner fire or frost clench or chain
Ele sus
Frost blockade
Buff or debuff
War horn

Healer - Restro staff, 2x 5pc sets, 1 mythic or 1 monster
Aoe heal (class)
Combat prayer
Aoe heal (restro)
Radiating regeneration or echoing vigor
Orb
War horn

You wouldn’t get to curate anything, you end up with 0-2 flex spots per role and that’s assuming I didn’t miss anything important. Sword and board would be dead. Every class would play almost exactly the same. There would not be room for useful skills like altar and rapid maneuvers. Multiple sets would be nigh impossible to use like Z’ens and Azureblight. Most of the rotation would just be hitting one button over and over again.

I really don’t agree with your assessment here, especially when you say every class would play almost exactly the same. Your own examples actually show quite a bit of room for variation within each role. A DPS choosing between daggers or destro staff, for example, already has completely different playstyles baked in. Right now, all dps are both. Same with tanks running frost staff versus sword and board (idk much about tanking, but sounds like sword and board needs a buff, according to you) or healers leaning more into burst heals versus HoTs or utility. Right now, everyone can do everything, simply because they have the room for it. As for the rotation hitting one button over and over, that's not really a change from what it currently is. Buff up, lay down your dots, hit your spammable over and over.

Overall, I feel the problem is that builds can do way too much without trade-offs. It's not exciting or creative. And I know you're coming from a PvE perspective, but it's even worse in PvP.

Daggers and destro staff do not have completely different playstyles baked in. The only difference in a regular weaving build would be if you use blade cloak or wall. In group content you’re already in melee range of what you’re hitting no matter what build you’re on because if you’re not, healers can’t effectively buff or heal you. Let alone mechanic reasons for stacking. Right now, DPS can choose between daggers/bow/2H/destro frontbars and the same options for backbar.
Sword and board is fine, the problem is that you need an infused staff to use the crusher enchant. Managing penetration is a big part of a tank’s job. You can’t just put it on your sword or else it won’t proc consistently since there’s no ability like wall for s&b and it’ll be half the amount of resists taken off.
Hybridization between roles makes for interesting playstyles (such as my double destro healer and tank with jabs) and this would make it very difficult to pull off. Also, you cannot effectively do everything. You can have a tanky dps who heals but you’re losing healing power and dps by being tanky as well as losing dps by having healing and tanking skills. In organized group content your DPS do damage. Your tanks debuff and tank aside from some fights where an off tank may switch to DPS. Your healers buff, debuff and heal aside from some fights where healing isn’t as needed so they’ll do damage.
More DoTs = more pressing other buttons.

If you want to be good at a role, then there’s tradeoffs. My double destro healer doesn’t always do enough healing. My jab tank doesn’t actually do damage.

Renato90085

QB1 wrote: »

Renato90085 wrote: »

relequen will be hardest boss
Sound very boring and like delete tank and healer in game

Not any more boring than playing two bar buff/dot manager. And what you're saying doesn't make sense. A one bar system wouldn't delete roles, it would define them more clearly. Done right, it could actually make the group meta less homogeneous, not more.

Not sure what you mean,
So you mean is other game delete back up weapon and other skill type game will be funny?
and why you need care your dot and buff if you are casual?
There just a 7-15% Dps and some little buff you can 100% have in 1 bar
and define what? a tank play dungeon only can taunt and tank but can't give 18k pen in Pve so you need afk see Dps use 30 min do 5-20k Dps kill a mini boss is his define?
I say boring just this 3 year I met all 200+ new player have 80% is farm one bar sorc>farm set>leave game
and tell me feel boring or game too easy ，So this is my subjective opinion

Renato90085

QB1 wrote: »

Renato90085 wrote: »

relequen will be hardest boss
Sound very boring and like delete tank and healer in game

Not any more boring than playing two bar buff/dot manager. And what you're saying doesn't make sense. A one bar system wouldn't delete roles, it would define them more clearly. Done right, it could actually make the group meta less homogeneous, not more.

and meta will be bad than now, tank now have 2-4 weapon and 4-7 set can choose
If only 1 bar choose will be 1weapon(ice staff)and 2set can use (all about pen

alpha_synuclein

This might sound attractive from a solo point of view, but the last thing I would want is to gave up offensive weapon on my supports.

Darkness734

Two bars are actually really off putting to me. I hate it. The thought of having to constantly switch weapons is dumb. I wholly agree with op, we should only have one bar. Maybe add two extra skill slots and add more passives for each skill line to make up for the no two bars.