Can someone please explain the point of this?

uberwilhelm

What is with this whole "XYZ is over powered. The skill may level slower unless you reduce it" or whatever the hell it says. Why in the world wouldn't I want to max out a stat if I can? What is the point of having a cap on a skill when you can only equip stuff equal to your level anyway? No sir, I don't like it.

Azzuria

It's diminishing returns. It means you have to put more points into a stat to get out standard boost. You can still put points / skills / enchantments into it but you won't get as much 'bang for your buck'.

Shimond

Overcharge is the word you're looking for. It's to discourage you from just going and putting everything into Magica or whatever. Balancing out your attributes more (and preventing you from just going max dps stat and there being no real 'choice' otherwise).

uberwilhelm

I understand that, but why? What is the point of restricting it like that? It serves no purpose.

Vikova

Virtually every MMO has this. It is simply letting you know that you hit the soft cap of diminishing returns. Judging by all of the players who apparently didn't know soft caps existed in the previous games they played, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let the player know in this one.

Azzuria

RakeWorm wrote: »

Virtually every MMO has this. It is simply letting you know that you hit the soft cap of diminishing returns. Judging by all of the players who apparently didn't know soft caps existed in the previous games they played, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let the player know in this one.

I, for one, like knowing I've hit the soft cap. Unlike some min/maxers, I want to build a balanced character and the 'overcharge' lets me know it's time to put points into other stats and re-work some enchants.

Darrett

uberwilhelm wrote: »

I understand that, but why? What is the point of restricting it like that? It serves no purpose.

It's to prevent someone from stacking a single stat (like magicka) so high that they can effectively two-shot every other player who didn't stack health to ridiculous levels. Though it sounds like it would be balanced (as the magicka-stacker can similarly be killed quickly due to no health), it stops working when you put that caster on a keep wall or get a large number of enemy players in a small area like a keep doorway. The player two-shots half the raid and dies quickly afterwards, after having earned huge rewards for doing so.

Phadin

It's not a hard cap, but a scaling cap. After you pass a certain value, each extra point you add is actually worth something less, maybe 80%, or 50% of the value. I don't know the rate of degredation. It is trying to encourage you to diversify your abilities because that stat has reached a point where more is really less useful.

It's not necessarily a bad thing though. For example, as an orc wearing heavy armor I crafted, I blow through that limit for physical defense without even touching the defense passives in my skill lines. I could put points in those passives and boost my defense further, it's just going to be less effective overall than putting my points elsewhere. Also, if there is something affecting you that might debuff your stat, the extra points you overcharged by become a buffer that reduces the effectiveness of the debuff.

Vikova

Azzuria wrote: »

RakeWorm wrote: »

Virtually every MMO has this. It is simply letting you know that you hit the soft cap of diminishing returns. Judging by all of the players who apparently didn't know soft caps existed in the previous games they played, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let the player know in this one.

I, for one, like knowing I've hit the soft cap. Unlike some min/maxers, I want to build a balanced character and the 'overcharge' lets me know it's time to put points into other stats and re-work some enchants.

I like it as well, though it appears many players had no idea they were being capped in other games. They are acting like it is new to ESO.

Shimond

I think some are misinterpreting it as a hard cap too, which it is not.

tdgeddesub17_ESO

Just think of it as a peak in performance of that stat instead of a limit they put there to punish you. If it wasn't there, they would have to stat squish to keep the game balanced, as with every mmo. The only difference is that in ESO they tell you when you hit the cap. Other games don't tell you so many people have no idea what it is and assume its punishment, so to speak. Do a google search of soft caps and you will get many articles about why they are implemented.

Vikova

Shimond wrote: »

I think some are misinterpreting it as a hard cap too, which it is not.

This, too. I'm thinking I should just start pinking the Wikipedia page on "diminishing returns" every time a new thread like this pops up.