Good title... and good question ! :-)

I think it's because two classes have elemental-based passive boni : sorcs are thunder-based and DKs are fire-based. No class and no bonus boosts ice effects so far.
One race (at least) has fire-boosting passives (Dunmer/Dark elf). I don't think any race has ice damage boni.

The three staves have identical base damage but different effects : fire causes more damage, frost provides CC (slowing target down) and lighting interrupts.

And the current meta is all in favor of raw damage having to be as high as possible (at least in PvE), so in group content, CC effects such as frost are not very useful. Furthermore, if someone wants or need to use CC, other effects are much more efficient than the simple slowing down offered by the frost staff.

I'm not much of a PvPer so I don't know about that context.

I like frost staves too but I don't use them for all these reasons.

Jitterbug wrote: »

So ill basically gimp myself by not going fire?

Depends on how you want to play. But if you want to play a DPS running 4-man-dungeons and trials, you'll have to go fire staff, else yes, you'll be unnecessarily handicapped.
Admittedly, it's not "critical", but when it comes to HL DPS, it's the addition of "little" things that pile up and make you a good DPS (and their absence making you a bad or average DPS).
And ALL competitive high-level endgame content at the moment revolves around high DPS.

If you want to play solo / explore / quest / IC districts and such, you'll be just as good with an ice staff, doesn't matter really, crowd control can be helpful there.

Can't tell about PvP.

i always though ice staff was fun... if you use destructive touch it has a nice cc to it (but that skill isn't the greatest damaging skill in the list).... leveling with a dest staff, i used it because it was helpful.
And like everyone else already said, fire always outperforms it damage-wise. And with lightning at least you get a passive for aoe damage. frost just gives you a tiny shield that doesn't really help much.

It would be fun if they looked at the ice skills again and made them more useful.... at least make players want to choose between fire and something else.

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

Good title... and good question ! :-)

I think it's because two classes have elemental-based passive boni : sorcs are thunder-based and DKs are fire-based. No class and no bonus boosts ice effects so far.
One race (at least) has fire-boosting passives (Dunmer/Dark elf). I don't think any race has ice damage boni.

The three staves have identical base damage but different effects : fire causes more damage, frost provides CC (slowing target down) and lighting interrupts.

And the current meta is all in favor of raw damage having to be as high as possible (at least in PvE), so in group content, CC effects such as frost are not very useful. Furthermore, if someone wants or need to use CC, other effects are much more efficient than the simple slowing down offered by the frost staff.

I'm not much of a PvPer so I don't know about that context.

I like frost staves too but I don't use them for all these reasons.

High Elf gets a bonus to frost damage.

And I believe the best DPS setup in the game right now involves the use of a Frost Staff. (if the damn thing would ever drop for me ) = )

Jitterbug wrote: »

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

Jitterbug wrote: »

So ill basically gimp myself by not going fire?

Depends on how you want to play. But if you want to play a DPS running 4-man-dungeons and trials, you'll have to go fire staff, else yes, you'll be unnecessarily handicapped.
Admittedly, it's not "critical", but when it comes to HL DPS, it's the addition of "little" things that pile up and make you a good DPS (and their absence making you a bad or average DPS).
And ALL competitive high-level endgame content at the moment revolves around high DPS.

If you want to play solo / explore / quest / IC districts and such, you'll be just as good with an ice staff, doesn't matter really, crowd control can be helpful there.

Can't tell about PvP.

Well, my personal interest lies more in PvP, but I was just generally curious.

Then go frost. The CC effect from ice is especially awesome in PvP.