This is from my post on how I think block should function... hope you enjoy and have a few ideas you can add.

first, is have a debuff over time, call it fatigue, that reduces the amount player damage mitigated by 10% every two seconds with a cap at 45%. So say you have 75% mitigation when blocking, after 2 seconds it would become 65% then 2 more seconds 55% and then 45% at 6 seconds of blocking. This would prevent players from holding block while attacking and making it function as a reactionary tool like it should. Note, this debuff would last for 2 seconds after block is released.

Second, block should function with a 270 degree front sector. Anything in the 90 degree sector behind you would still have a certain percent mitigated but not the full amount, as if you were hit from the front 270 degree sector. Also any CC applied from the rear 90 degree sector would not be blocked. Not sure on what a fair percentage of mitigation would be for attacks from the rear while blocking, but I am sure if put on the test server the community could come up with something. Maybe even offer a heavy armor perk that increases that rear 90 Degree mitigation.

Third, make blocking while moving cost stamina cause well shields ain't light. It would function similar to sneaking, but at a reduced rate. Also reduce the cost of stamina exerted after a successful block to counter the ticking down of stamina while blocking and moving.

Forth, offer a small mitigation buff after a successful block of a heavy attack that way tanks will have the ability to weave in light and heavy attacks it could even be a 3-5 second buff. This buff would cancel when the shield is raised again as to prevent stacking the buff on top of regular shield mitigation.

I would also like to add that any magical shield spell/buff should not abide by the front 270 degree and rear 90 degree sector rules due to the fact they are just a buff and cannot be sustained throughout the whole fight.

Any other ideas are welcome as well as feedback. The more we can agree on a solution the better chance of getting it fixed. Block isn't broken it just needs to be made situational while offering risk and reward.

If you don't have anything nice to say please just don't reply because I really tried to think of ways to make block function as a tool and not just a button you hold down.

original post
http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/110320/this-is-how-block-should-function#latest

A shield is for "additional and limited" protection that stacks with armour protection. I have no issue with 180/270 shields as a mate at your back can protect this vulnerable area. But then you become perilously close to the concept of shield wall and PVP players cry and run to mummy when you mention such things, as they don't know how to deal with them. Too realistic you see. Even though such a carnage of metal would be heavily conductive to electricity and fire.

Perhaps a 'form/break shield wall' for "grouped players" would overcome the player location displacement issue.

You could argue magic should protect from magic and physical shields from physical attack. But then a warrior would have to use a 'join shield wall' option with a magic caster with finite resource pool holding up that magic shield too.

No doubt such things add interesting mechanics to the game but they cost resources on the gameplay. You cant really do such thing without understanding exactly how bad the impact on gameplay would be.

hey stop using spells, they aint realistic....

Artemiisia wrote: »

hey stop using spells, they aint realistic....

Using spells is perfectly consistent with the rules of a world where magic exists.

Some days I wonder why staves and cloth still rule supreme in this game, then I read eye gouging threads like this and realize it's because you the player want it. Yeah let's make it so everyone will be in a dress with a stick. Yahhh fun.

Evandus wrote: »

In a fantasy setting, most caster types use something akin to an energy shield or field generated by an orb to block. This game didn't give those graphical qualities to casting types. Casting types shouldn't have the ability to block taken away.
...

You mean like how every Light Armour wearer has access to the Light Armour bubble shield active skill
but instead they all use the Heavy Armour defense buff, because it also cancels CC
?

Evandus wrote: »

...

If the 'I'm a rogue' types want free crits on 1hand and shield builds by sneaking around them - that's limited already by impenetrable. ...

Impenetrable does not stop crits on sneak attacks, they are still guaranteed crits.
Blocking, on the other hand, means that a successful sneak attack does far less damage and does not trigger its regular stun.
So blocking completely gimps sneak attacks, even if the block is executed by holding a twig in front of the character while the sneak attack comes from behind.

Artemiisia wrote: »

this idea will break pve totally, since we wont be able to block more then 1-2 mobs then, and the 3rd behind us will just kill us before we can get mobs down.

dungeons/trails will become near impossible to do also.

remember OP/guys when you suggest something dont just think about the pvp aspect of it

Decided not to read this whole thread but wanted to comment on this ^.

WHAT? People are dominating trials in 10 minutes right now and only use 1 tank. It would be an awesome change even in PVE if enemies behind you could not be blocked.

Baragorath wrote: »

Yesterday Shield bash OP

Today Blocking 360 deg OP.

Tomorrow AOE 360 deg OP because how the hell can it be done all around. (most probably by support of farting and farts because of scare)

For sure it is idea of some NB which want to be more OP then is now.

Oh do tell me about these OP nightblades? If we don't kill you within 3 seconds how often do we win a fight? I have great openers and it feels great to smash a player to 50% or less health in three seconds, but most of the time the player will full heal and proceed to block and spam abilities. When this happens fighting is useless so its off to the shadows again unless it bugs and doesn't work.

Baragorath wrote: »

Yesterday Shield bash OP

Today Blocking 360 deg OP.

Tomorrow AOE 360 deg OP because how the hell can it be done all around. (most probably by support of farting and farts because of scare)

For sure it is idea of some NB which want to be more OP then is now.

Sneak attack bonus from behind only applies on sneak attacks which can be executed by any class as long as they crouch.
Nightblade receives no bonuses from attacking an enemy from behind once combat has started.
Changing block would make it so all classes receive a bonus when playing smart enough to flank their enemy.

Baragorath wrote: »

And how the hell dagger can harm full plate armor?

In real situation such tank would laugh at guy with 2 small daggers and....

Shield Bash in the head, mace go down - blackout - game over tank won.

unless I sneak up behind you and place my dagger up under your armpit puncturing your lung and then plunge the other into your exposed neck... need I say more?

And before you do it type to me whisper to not move as you aiming this spot

And then:

Run Forest Run......

The heavy armor suggestion is decent at least. Would definitely give heavy armor the usability it needs in PvP.

Xnemesis wrote: »

Baragorath wrote: »

And before you do it type to me whisper to not move as you aiming this spot

And then:

Run Forest Run......

wouldn't be that hard to hit the exposed area under your arm with you holding up that heavy shield... hmm also as you are gasping for air and drowning in blood, protecting your neck seems like an after thought.

Dunmar heavy armor has effective neck guards. There are a few other race sets that do as well.

Samadhi wrote: »

Evandus wrote: »

In a fantasy setting, most caster types use something akin to an energy shield or field generated by an orb to block. This game didn't give those graphical qualities to casting types. Casting types shouldn't have the ability to block taken away.
...

You mean like how every Light Armour wearer has access to the Light Armour bubble shield active skill
but instead they all use the Heavy Armour defense buff, because it also cancels CC
?

Evandus wrote: »

...

If the 'I'm a rogue' types want free crits on 1hand and shield builds by sneaking around them - that's limited already by impenetrable. ...

Impenetrable does not stop crits on sneak attacks, they are still guaranteed crits.
Blocking, on the other hand, means that a successful sneak attack does far less damage and does not trigger its regular stun.
So blocking completely gimps sneak attacks, even if the block is executed by holding a twig in front of the character while the sneak attack comes from behind.

No, not really.

Annulment

Creates a damage shield for 20 seconds. Player takes 50% less damage from spells while shield holds. IIRC, one is looking at upper 200 pt shield. Which is less than the amount of many skills hitting it. And can even be one shot by light attacks, if not two shot.


Inpenetrable

(blue)80 (purple)90 (gold)100. It's commonly accepted among testers that every 100 pts of rating translates to 10% critical resistance. Still a fair amount of debate on how effective this is PVE side. PvP effectiveness has been confirmed from multiple sources. Testing this would be as simple as grabbing a sorc using crit surge or perhaps a crit build nightblade and recording the results being attacked while using armor of any type with the trait.

You appear to have forgotten that this game is not one where spell casters are limited in defensive capability. It has been a main staple in all Elder Scrolls games, (including this one), that spellcasters are not restricted in their use of either heavier armors or traditional offensive/defensive melee implements.

Your post implies that a spellcaster should not be able to block unless using Magicka to cast a spell. One that, with current mechanics, would not even hold against a player or mob for more than two attacks per cast. This is not something that would work thematically or mechanically in this game. Core combat mechanic: blocking is available for *any* build as it should be. The governing stat limiting it's function being stamina. Removing the ability of specific builds or archetypes to block at all is absurd.

A build with an investment in stamina to whatever degree can block more attacks than one without. Be that a primary caster, or primary melee. By way of contrast a shield user gains additional mitigation from physical damage over other types of weapon users. My point is that it's already balanced. And, by going with your suggestion, it would be completely unbalanced. Ergo: Melee centric builds block for no penalty - caster centric builds block with magicka skills only. And this is frankly put a bad concept.

The power gap between Magic based and Stamina based attackers is closing. Zenimax created this problem, and have been well informed since closed beta of the issues their format creates. While they are working on that solution, (at a pace no one I know is satisfied with), knee jerk reactions like you suggest only further damage the game.

Finally, Inpenetrable does indeed block critical hits. For some reason it's not popular enough for the majority of the playerbase to invest in. But it does work, thanks...

I will say it is ridiculous that you can block for 360 degrees, but it's equally ridiculous that the enemies can hit me even when I've gotten out of the area for the area attack.

If they fix the blocking they also have to fix the mechanics behind hits striking, because that's even more broken than the blocking.