PTS Patch Notes v2.7.2

Shader_Shibes · January 2017

CosmicSoul wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno , may we get some confirmation there will be some more good changes for stamina builds, more specifically to the templar atleast? I understand if you cannot, thank you")

Think that ship has well and truly set sail for this patch, also the ship was attacked by a giant squid, then torpedo'd just to make sure it's well and truly buried for update 13.

Syiccal · January 2017

glad to see proc stacking has been sorted...not! .

Minalan · January 2017

ToxicPAWS wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Item Sets
Armor of the Trainee: Reduced the Max Magicka, Stamina, and Health granted by this item set to 1250 from 2500.

Developer Comments
Armor of the Trainee was meant as an introductory set that required no advanced strategy to utilize. The attributes it was providing were too high as you could get the same amount of Stamina that Draugr Hulk’s 5-piece provided, as well as significant Magicka and Health bonuses. This set will now provide less Stamina than the Draugr Hulk 5-piece, but more overall stats.

PLAY THE WAY WE (ZOS) WANT

Give it a break already. That set is meant for a brand new player trying out their first dungeon, not a BIS end game PVP set.

It's not like we all don't have many other alternatives.

Jaronking · January 2017

@ZOS_GinaBruno can you guys look into troll king its proccing on the caster with no ally present.

Aedaryl · January 2017

This is awesome, thanks to listen to our feedback !

I'm talking here about PvP.

The nerf to heavy armor is nice, don't seems to much, it's now more about tanking than damage, like it should be. Is it enough to make medium armor usefull again ?

Black Rose nerfs make it a good tank set, not that best op dps heavy armor set on live.

I think DK buff was needed : they can be more effective.

The New sorc curse is now very cool, thanks a lot !

I see only good things for templar here !

The Devlopper's comments are very cool, we can now read what you though when you change things, I hope it will be there for next natch potes !

I'm really happy with this patch, not a single bad thing to say (weird, I know) !!!

Thanks again. (Sorry for my bad English

)

leepalmer95 · January 2017

@ZOS_GinaBruno

Saying stuff like 'the counter to heavy armor is to not hit them' is what makes people question if the dev's play the game.

Shader_Shibes · January 2017

leepalmer95 wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno

Saying stuff like 'the counter to heavy armor is to not hit them' is what makes people question if the dev's play the game.

Haha yeah, like WTF are zos on!?

Fudly_budly · January 2017

@ZOS_GinaBruno
Love the Dev comments. Thx
On Housing side... kinda bummed that basic crafting tables are still hidden behind Master Writs. I just do not understand...
Inventory: Where, oh, where are we supposed to keep home items that aren't placed? Please give us a storage shed for housing only items.

Ron_Burgundy_79 · January 2017

Very disappointed in the changes to Armor of the Trainee. I'm not sure that anyone ever complained about it being OP. I've used this set since the launch of OT as part of my unique build on my light armor magplar. This is a huge nerf that is largely uncalled for.

@ZOS_GinaBruno
@ZOS_RichLambert

Icy · January 2017

Housing specifically @ZOS_GinaBruno

Yasssssss THANK YOU

"Adjusted Master Writs so that purple items are more likely to be requested than gold items."
"Added a number of additional high-quality furnishing recipes."
"Adjusted the material price of several recipes. This improves consistency, and generally reduces the number of style items required."

*waits patiently for PTS to come back up to check changes...*

Skorol007 · January 2017

Amazing job on "dev comments", hope they are here to stay?

Lord_Wrath · January 2017

Cool beans, the dev notes definitely shine - keep em up!

SlowMetabolism wrote: »

Get rid of wrath

Im offended!

Armitas · January 2017

Regarding the Heavy Armor Changes.

There is 1 LA build, Magicka
There is 1 MA build, Stamina
There are 2 HA builds, Stamina and Magicka and they are not equal.

Because they are not equal you cannot make global changes and expect to be accurate. The problem with heavy armor comes from Stamina alone. For two reasons.

Cost reduction for stamina abilities come from the weapon line. Which makes it cheap to use stamina abilities in HA.
Damage for stamina comes from the weapon line, in particular Sword or Mace passives. There is no such passive for magicka abilities except destro abilities and those only affect destro attacks.

That is why HA is so powerful. Your nerf makes it harder for magicka in regards to damage, and sustain while doing nothing to close the high low gap between Magicka and Stamina users in HA.

Not to mention PvE tanks use Full Heavy Attacks as their major source of stamina sustain and you have now cut that in half. Also, some non mobility magicka classes are stuck with HA because LA armor doesn't provide any where near enough survivability. The shields from LA only work with mobility and kiting to protect them.

Please revert these changes and deal with the specific issue of stamina combined with heavy armor.

Paraflex · January 2017

Heavy armor changes are good I'd say if anything it wasn't a big enough nerf but I will take it.

turbonights · January 2017

You seem to want to effectively kill the ability for tanks to be viable in dungeons for helping new people. You all are focusing so much on pvp and end game things like trials that you seem to be forgetting about the little man or the utility of a ....well... utility tank for not end game setup.

I have always tanked in MMO's and have tanked for a long time in this game. It took me ages to get a good tank build that both allowed me to keep buffs, debuffs, and group utility while being able to dish out some kind of damage to mitigate potential bad DPS and armor/heals to mitigate bad healing. How did I do this?

1.) Tremorscale (nerfed 10%)

As a tank, our crit is bad, so when I heard about the crit nerf it didn't exactly effect my tank. But now it's reduced by 10%, not allowing what, as has been stated, should have beena group utility tool to even deal effective damage. I loved equipping this when helping people with dungeons. Now, I guess it's either blood spawn to keep up standard (or other damage or utility aoe like fighters guild or support shield uiltimates) for ultimates or lord warden? But...

2.) Standard of Might (nerfed 5%)

It may not seem like a lot, but when I random queue into banished cells 2 and the dps can't even kill the adds effectively before the next batch after taloned, pierce armored, alkosh debuffed, and major brutality/minor brutality (igneous weapons), now I can't even plop down some clutch ass damage saving with standard of might? Least I can do is try to keep heals, shields, and buffs/debuffs up with heavy weaving to restore resources, but now....

3.) Heavy attack resource restore (nerfed 25%)

So echoing vigor is pretty expensive and my main utilites are also expensive, but now I can't weave as much in order to be able to at least keep a decent rotation when needing to compensate for heals.

When was the last time you took a DK tank into a "II" dungeon with some new 10's and 20's? Seriously, I'd like to play with some of the newer things to see what I can do to get around this like additional buffs with powerful assault or converting to spell power cure, but you've nearly killed effectiveness of the tank to compensate for some of the things lacking with newer players.

None of these changes really hurt or effect end game for tanks, but it does seem to further the distance of effectiveness in normal pve for a tank. I don't think I'll queue anymore as a tank. Unfortunately he'll be put in the back to only come out if trials or vet-dlc dungeons are needed because my magic dps sorcerer is more effective as a tank/dps/self-healer to get new poeple through harder dungeons and teach them than my "utility support tank" is.

Xsorus · January 2017

Honestly the Heavy Attack Sustain isn't overpowered with Stamina

The only time it becomes stupid is when you stack it with Restro Staff Heavy and Magicka Builds.

Izaki · January 2017

Wow wow wow wow wow. Curse still lasts 12 secs?! Sooo the second explosion is 8.5 seconds after the second one and not at the 8.5 sec mark?!

I'm sad

leepalmer95 · January 2017

turbonights wrote: »

You seem to want to effectively kill the ability for tanks to be viable in dungeons for helping new people. You all are focusing so much on pvp and end game things like trials that you seem to be forgetting about the little man or the utility of a ....well... utility tank for not end game setup.

I have always tanked in MMO's and have tanked for a long time in this game. It took me ages to get a good tank build that both allowed me to keep buffs, debuffs, and group utility while being able to dish out some kind of damage to mitigate potential bad DPS and armor/heals to mitigate bad healing. How did I do this?

1.) Tremorscale (nerfed 10%)

As a tank, our crit is bad, so when I heard about the crit nerf it didn't exactly effect my tank. But now it's reduced by 10%, not allowing what, as has been stated, should have beena group utility tool to even deal effective damage. I loved equipping this when helping people with dungeons. Now, I guess it's either blood spawn to keep up standard (or other damage or utility aoe like fighters guild or support shield uiltimates) for ultimates or lord warden? But...

2.) Standard of Might (nerfed 5%)

It may not seem like a lot, but when I random queue into banished cells 2 and the dps can't even kill the adds effectively before the next batch after taloned, pierce armored, alkosh debuffed, and major brutality/minor brutality (igneous weapons), now I can't even plop down some clutch ass damage saving with standard of might? Least I can do is try to keep heals, shields, and buffs/debuffs up with heavy weaving to restore resources, but now....

3.) Heavy attack resource restore (nerfed 25%)

So echoing vigor is pretty expensive and my main utilites are also expensive, but now I can't weave as much in order to be able to at least keep a decent rotation when needing to compensate for heals.

When was the last time you took a DK tank into a "II" dungeon with some new 10's and 20's? Seriously, I'd like to play with some of the newer things to see what I can do to get around this like additional buffs with powerful assault or converting to spell power cure, but you've nearly killed effectiveness of the tank to compensate for some of the things lacking with newer players.

None of these changes really hurt or effect end game for tanks, but it does seem to further the distance of effectiveness in normal pve for a tank. I don't think I'll queue anymore as a tank. Unfortunately he'll be put in the back to only come out if trials or vet-dlc dungeons are needed because my magic dps sorcerer is more effective as a tank/dps/self-healer to get new poeple through harder dungeons and teach them than my "utility support tank" is.

Your complaining your 'tank' can no longer do dps/ heal and tank all at once?

Pick one of them and stop complaining when you can't do others.

1. Tremor? Use something like bloodspawn so you can throw warhorns around to increase dps.
2. 5% it's still a usable ult for pugging easy dungeons.
3. Noobs shouldn't be going into dungeons that are out of their league currently.

Honestly how are you actually complaining your tank can no longer fulfil all roles.

Dark_Aether · January 2017

People will complain no matter what. I've played all aspects of the game and I most say this is not much but still is the most satisfying patch I've seen in terms of balance. Keep it up!

MrBrandon · January 2017

Make hidden blade a useful ability. I don't know one knightblade that runs it.

Fudly_budly · January 2017

Icy wrote: »

Housing specifically @ZOS_GinaBruno

Yasssssss THANK YOU

"Adjusted Master Writs so that purple items are more likely to be requested than gold items."
"Added a number of additional high-quality furnishing recipes."
"Adjusted the material price of several recipes. This improves consistency, and generally reduces the number of style items required."

*waits patiently for PTS to come back up to check changes...*

^^
ditto. this is a biggee. Hopefully devs did a little reality check. Gonna log in and scheeeeek it out.

Minalan · January 2017

IzakiBrotherSs wrote: »

Wow wow wow wow wow. Curse still lasts 12 secs?! Sooo the second explosion is 8.5 seconds after the second one and not at the 8.5 sec mark?!

I'm sad

It's not a nerf, just recast it like you do now at 3.5S. We are fine.

PVE players will use the additional 8.5s echo, and optimize their rotation around it.

In PVP it might still help regain offensive momentum if you're being forced to shield constantly:

MaxwellC · January 2017

@ZOS_GinaBruno
Is there anything in the works in regards to flames of oblivion being turned back into the AoE it used to be? A large portion of players other than myself commenting on the Dragon Knight balance for PTS 2.7.0 have voiced the want for a better AoE in particular the AoE we use to have. We just want some AoE damage back that's all PLEASE!!!!

psychotic13 · January 2017

I'm a bit p**sed you've nerfed my trainee set, but I guess it was a bit overpowered.

Overall I think it's good changes, finally malubeth now gives vitality!

Also like the 'developers comments' to give an understanding behind the change.

Armitas · January 2017

turbonights wrote: »

You seem to want to effectively kill the ability for tanks to be viable in dungeons for helping new people. You all are focusing so much on pvp and end game things like trials that you seem to be forgetting about the little man or the utility of a ....well... utility tank for not end game setup.

It's a growing issue. I can queue for any dungeon at any time of the day as a tank and get in within 1 minute. Or I can queue as a dps and wait for an hour. No one wants to tank in this game. I have no problem tanking, I thought the heck out of my build and it works, but most people are finding it too complicated to bother with and I see it every time I have to queue with my DPS toon.

ZoM_Head · January 2017

Supersnake_Lx wrote: »

People will complain no matter what. I've played all aspects of the game and I most say this is not much but still is the most satisfying patch I've seen in terms of balance. Keep it up!

Really? You agree how the mDk in light has no viable mobility, the most expensive class ulti, still no class effective heal (instant) and i can add more and more to the list if i haven't done so already.

I doubt you extensively played a mDK for end game PvE competitively or long enough in Cyrodiil to see what they lack a lot compared to other classes.

usmcjdking · January 2017

Liam12548 wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_RichLambert

There are many excellent changes here, and I would like to thank both of you for your dedication to the community and monitoring feedback. There are a few things I'd like to touch on.

The changes to stamina templar are excellent. In PvP, the changes to jabs are going to allow stamplars to put out slightly higher burst, with the skill being undodgeable. The decreased cost on both jabs and javelin will help alleviate certain sustain issues, but I have a feeling sustain is still going to lower than every other class. I'm curious though; Jabs has been this way since launch? That seems like an awfully long time for a balance mistake on the end of the developers to go unaddressed...

My primary concern for stamplars is that they will still not be allowed in trials after this patch. If you would take time to examine the leaderboards, or the criteria top trial guilds use when recruiting stamina DPS, you will notice that Stamplar have no place in either of these things. The simple fact is that they do not produce DPS on par with the other classes, and do not have any unique buffs or debuffs to justify this lack of DPS to a raid group.

I would like you to seriously consider revamping at least one other skill, or perhaps any of the dawns wrath or restoring light passives, to better suit stamplar DPS, specifically. Cost reduction, ultimate generation, resource regeneration. Passives can be changed in just about any way to suit a subclass, especially the passives that are unused by both magick and stamina templar specs. As for an actual class skill, there are a number of unused skills in the templar trees that could be catered to stamplars. Many suggestions have been made, and I'm sure you're aware of them all (vampires bane, other morph of dark flare, any of the ultimates, restoring focus, etc). If something is not done to improve stamplar DPS or provide them with something worth bringing to a raid group, they will remain in the same PvE state as they are on live currently, after update 13.

Once again, thank you for your tireless efforts here on the forums. I hope that more changes will be considered.

I think Stamplar and Magblade are in the same boat - they fulfill roles not required.

IMO Stamplar fulfills a Trial Role that has either not been established/completely forsaken by developers. It would be great if @ZOS_Finn helped establish this role in more depth in current or future content.

Melee Support role. Stamplar is the class that needs the fewest amount of skills to pull respectable AOE and S/T DPS, but also has the lowest cap on damage which is a fair tradeoff IMO. Stamplar also has the best defensive capabilities in the game for a DPS with Restoring Focus being absolutely absurd. If you take all this into account, you end of with a very tanky stam DPS that is actually quite flexible on skills and gear allowing them to fulfill that local support role.

Ranged Support role. This is the magblade with it's powerful hots and tremendous debuffing capabilities. Again, because this is where magblade sees the most success, their DPS should be lower by a good, but fair margin. Because of the wide utility magblade offers as well, their gear selection is much more flexible.

There are a lot of things that have nullified the use of stamplar and magblade in end game content. I don't know and can't name them all, but here are a few of them (in my opinion) -

- Braindead healing: healers can provide a full heal to anyone at low health that is in radius on their screen (BOL). This is a tremendous capability and significantly weakens the need for additional support as healers are capable of saving people in trouble without any real situational awareness.
- Annulment: This shield is absolutely ridiculous from a balance perspective. There are very, very few situations where annulment doesn't outperform just about any defensive skill in the game when it comes to PVE. It should be reworked.
- Longer fight = harder fight: This is a core issue with difficulty in general. ROM and Cradle of Shadows are examples of what happens when DPS is too high - mechanics get stacked on top of eachother making the fights significantly more chaotic thus more difficult. VMOL is probably the single biggest perpetrator of this rule - some fights become increasingly impossible the longer it continues meaning you just stack 8 glass cannons and hope for the best.

IMO these are a few of the issues that absolutely cripple the use of Stamplar and Magblade in endgame content. I would like to see some content redesigns or future designs that help build this role.

Joy_Division · January 2017

Strider_Roshin wrote: »

The usefulness of dodge rolling is also a concern of mine. For light armor you have damage shields (useful, and powerful in all situations). Heavy armor's main defensive tactic is blocking ( useful in almost all situations *cough* destro ult! *cough*). Medium armor however specializes in using dodge rolling which is become more and more useless as you make changes. Can't dodge AoEs, Channels, or Special ults such as meteor. And to add insult to injury, dodge rolling is the only defensive maneuver that gets punished with a 33% cost increase if you spam it.

I know Templars are going to hate me for suggesting this, but I think it would be a fair change if we only took the base damage (AoE/Tool tip) from jabs, and not the the 140% increase. This would make since because the 140% increase is against a single target whereas the base damage is the AoE damage.

Another suggestion I have is to double the benefits from the Champion System passive Phase; which currently grants 660 physical and spell resistance for 3 seconds. By doubling the defense, and duration of this CP passive; you'll make dodge rolling beneficial even if you unsuccessfully dodge your opponent's attack.

All defenses get punished in Cyrodiil. Block = no more stam reduction. Shields are reduced by half. Dodge is not and never was supposed to dodge AoEs and Channels.

Dodge doesn't need any special treatment with Jabs. It's the easiest skill in the game to avoid and can be done by just walking.

I do agree that Medium Armor isn't (or wasn't) very good in comparison to heavy (for many of the same reasons as light). It remains to be seen if heavy is still the all in one convenient package of defense, heals, and DPS as it was, but at least ZoS is trying to address the imbalance.

beanofsize · January 2017

Can we please have the nerf to Vitality Potions only apply to PVP? I assume that's what it's intended for, but those potions are a huge benefit to PVE tanks and it would be tragic to lose that.

imokie2609 · January 2017

I like a lot of the changes and I love the developer comments. Thanks!