GreyRanger wrote: »

At the 1.6 update there was a lot of frustration expressed about the new meta effectively limiting Sorcerers to magicka dps for end game group content. At the time @ZOS_GinaBruno wrote that the next patch would include new and interesting mechanics to make Sorcerers viable tanks, healers, and stamina dps characters. There are a lot of posts about the state of Sorcerers as stamina dps, but I have not seen any discussion of Sorcerers as tanks or healers.

Healer:
I recognize that one of the sorcerer shields got a minor mending buff, but that does not make sorcerers comparable to any of the other classes in healing potential/utility. They are still last place.

Tank:
I haven't seen anything in this regard.

So, @ZOS_GinaBruno is there any plan to balance the class to all roles for group content and if so when (1.6 feels like a very long time ago now)? If you have reached the conclusion that is not viable or worth the development resources could you just tell us so we can stop asking?

Thanks.

I wish you luck. Sorc skills ar alread really complex and don't give lots of use with that. I doubt, that they implement much for healers or tanks. If I would be mean I would say straight: It is not possible for them to make the Sorcs good in DMG(PVE). The other two roles are even harder to achieve from the curent state of the sorc skills.

SorataArisugawa wrote: »

GreyRanger wrote: »

At the 1.6 update there was a lot of frustration expressed about the new meta effectively limiting Sorcerers to magicka dps for end game group content. At the time @ZOS_GinaBruno wrote that the next patch would include new and interesting mechanics to make Sorcerers viable tanks, healers, and stamina dps characters. There are a lot of posts about the state of Sorcerers as stamina dps, but I have not seen any discussion of Sorcerers as tanks or healers.

Healer:
I recognize that one of the sorcerer shields got a minor mending buff, but that does not make sorcerers comparable to any of the other classes in healing potential/utility. They are still last place.

Tank:
I haven't seen anything in this regard.

So, @ZOS_GinaBruno is there any plan to balance the class to all roles for group content and if so when (1.6 feels like a very long time ago now)? If you have reached the conclusion that is not viable or worth the development resources could you just tell us so we can stop asking?

Thanks.

I wish you luck. Sorc skills ar alread really complex and don't give lots of use with that. I doubt, that they implement much for healers or tanks. If I would be mean I would say straight: It is not possible for them to make the Sorcs good in DMG(PVE). The other two roles are even harder to achieve from the curent state of the sorc skills.

Oh it is. It is extremly easy to achieve that. 2 (or 3 if you want to fullfill a desperate Sorcerer wish) minor tweaks and Sorcerer is back.

I'm not sure where you are coming from. My sorc is my best healer.

I've also run dungeons with some good sorc tanks, though I haven't tried tanking on a sorc myself yet.

I like my Sorc healer, even though she doesn't have much going for her since 1.6.
If I remember correctly the mending buff should be for the pet shield, wich I won't use anyway (not gonna respec CP AND morphs everytime I switch between PvP/PvE).

GreyRanger wrote: »

Just to clarify, my Sorc is one of my two mains. I heal on him some times and usually get by as long as I am really focused, but there is nothing about my Sorc abilities that helps and really, a Temp, DK, or NB who is a healer and is focused has much more to offer a team (look at the absence of Sorcs on vDSA leader board). I am not saying it can't be done, just no smart team would take a Sorc healer if they have any other choice if they don't know the player.

The situation for tanks is the same/worse, I guess a Sorc could tank, but why would any group take them given any other choice.

You're kinda right. There's no clear cut "This ability will save the team!" In the sorc class list. Or something that gives the team a nice buff or a jump in resources.

Think the best thing a sorc can add to healing is CC. Instant cast rune prison might be interesting for 2.1. Encase doesn't cause enemies to become cc immune. Can freeze grounded pools in place for a loooong time keeping that up. Negate is neat for removing standards. Have yet to try negating a negate or an enemy nova. The passive increase to spell damage affects resto values. RARELY i'll put Frags on my springs bar. That and lightning pool can add to the team's dps a little bit without compromising heals too much.

Kinda wish negate had more of an impact against bosses, but now everything they do completely ignores negate. And suppression fields 8% damage reduction is alright... but that's not the main focus of it. Suppose to block all incoming spells, silence, and remove anything that was there. The regen morph is alright too, but if a bosses aoe-everything lands in the negate no one is going to want to stand there anymore.

jthack2007ub17_ESO wrote: »

GreyRanger wrote: »

Just to clarify, my Sorc is one of my two mains. I heal on him some times and usually get by as long as I am really focused, but there is nothing about my Sorc abilities that helps and really, a Temp, DK, or NB who is a healer and is focused has much more to offer a team (look at the absence of Sorcs on vDSA leader board). I am not saying it can't be done, just no smart team would take a Sorc healer if they have any other choice if they don't know the player.

The situation for tanks is the same/worse, I guess a Sorc could tank, but why would any group take them given any other choice.

You're kinda right. There's no clear cut "This ability will save the team!" In the sorc class list. Or something that gives the team a nice buff or a jump in resources.

I think the issue is not that Sorcs don't have a power that will save the team, but they lack the sort of class skill utility that every other class brings to the healing and tanking roles. DKs, Temps, and NB all have class skills that synergize and help their team in those roles. Sorcerers can get by with weapon, armor, and guild skills, but a similarly skilled player with any other class will have more to offer in those roles.

Sorcerer healers are definitely not in a bad place, they have 5% spell cost reduction, 10% magicka recovery, they don't have to invest in 20K+ health because they can use their Ward to absorb large hits, they have an awesome AoE root to keep away trash monsters, and continuously root groups of players in PvP, and their lack of a support ultimate can be offset by using the Barrier ultimate. They are also very good at healing and doing damage at the same time with Crystal Fragments, which is procced by all healing spells.

The DK spell Igneous Shield for example is worthless for a healer, because it basically sets your groups armor and spell resistance to 0. Yes you do more healing, but your whole group also takes a ton more damage due to the overflow bug on small damage shields, completely negating their mitigation ratings. Bad news for the tank especially, he/she might as well wear light armor then.

NB healing is fine I guess, but they have no AoE root, which makes a huge difference if the damage dealers didn't slot one, and in my experience they almost never do. I can't count how many times Restraining Prison made a difference for me, I use a recovery build so I can just keep all monsters rooted until they die, while spamming Illustrous Healing.

@Zsymon That 'awesome' AOE root is buggy and doesnt work half the time. Also during trash fights you want all the enemies to stack to AOE them down so its usually not even that useful.

The thing that makes sorc healers great is their damage while healing, I was healing vet Darkshade Caverns today and I was pulling between 10-14k dps while healing with the occasional overload spam. This only works if all the people in the group can hold their own without getting heals every 2 seconds.

Zsymon wrote: »

I always had more fun with my Sorc healer than my Templar healer, but I guess with Imperial City, only Templars can be healers, since they are the only class who can provide the tank with enough stamina.. talk about a horrible decision heh.

My sorc is my best healer, followed by my Nightblade. My Templar is a tank and I've not yet mastered healing with her. But you are right that shards are going to be even more crucial now. People tend to think that Templars are good because of their healing tree, but it's really the shards that make them stand out in their support role.

Zsymon wrote: »

The DK spell Igneous Shield for example is worthless for a healer, because it basically sets your groups armor and spell resistance to 0. Yes you do more healing, but your whole group also takes a ton more damage due to the overflow bug on small damage shields, completely negating their mitigation ratings. Bad news for the tank especially, he/she might as well wear light armor then.

Off topic, but Shield overflow mitigation is fixed on PTS, as far as I can tell.

Zsymon wrote: »

@erraln what leads you to believe this? I hope it is fixed.

Well, I had read this thread over at the eso subreddit which stated it had been, and went to test with a friend in PTS Cyrodiil. We saw Healing Ward overflow reduced by armor type and block status. I didn't save my numbers, unfortunately, but it should be easy to reproduce.