PTS week 2. Nightblade changes. for visibility.

CavalryPK · April 2017

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

runa_gate · April 2017

Probably intended to mean "constant" but regressing all the intended changes that couldn't go live meant a hasty re-write of the natch potes.

Weird that someone is sitting there thinking, "you know what the problem is with Nightblades? tanking..."

Tryxus · April 2017

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

It's cuz Sap Tank wearing Heavy Armor get another duration increase for each piece of Heavy worn.

Sadly, the new changes to Shards and Orbs make it even harder for them, since Magicka is their maximum stat

Kay1 · April 2017

Where is that thread???

Gilliamtherogue · April 2017

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

With 5 pieces of Heavy armor on live, Major Ward and Resolve lasts only about 8.6s or so, which doesn't line up with the two major skills that the Nightblade Tank casts from Shadow; Path and Shades. This change was to allow them to line up more in sync to be up 100%, assuming you are keeping Path or Shades up 100% as well.

Another week of subpar updates for the weakest class in the game at the moment. Fabulous!

CavalryPK · April 2017

Tryxus wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

It's cuz Sap Tank wearing Heavy Armor get another duration increase for each piece of Heavy worn.

Sadly, the new changes to Shards and Orbs make it even harder for them, since Magicka is their maximum stat

I see. after reading the skill description... basically if you are wearing 5x heavy and you cast refreshing path you shadow barrier lasts for 7.5 seconds vs 6.

Now refreshing path lasts for 10 seconds. but in PVP I find my self using this way more often. hmmm. I guess this is a moderate improvement to our survivability.

With how siphoning strikes are now.. i may have to take it out completely... since there is no point ... and i will need to get stamina some other way.

CavalryPK · April 2017

Gilliamtherogue wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

With 5 pieces of Heavy armor on live, Major Ward and Resolve lasts only about 8.6s or so, which doesn't line up with the two major skills that the Nightblade Tank casts from Shadow; Path and Shades. This change was to allow them to line up more in sync to be up 100%, assuming you are keeping Path or Shades up 100% as well.

Another week of subpar updates for the weakest class in the game at the moment. Fabulous!

Oh my calculations are way off. thanks !

Glamdring · April 2017

So nightblades got a buff to shadow barrier? Where did that come from? Sometimes i wonder if ZoS roll a Dice or throw darts at a paper with all passives and skills on. WTF!!!!

stevepdodson_ESO888 · April 2017

Tryxus wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

It's cuz Sap Tank wearing Heavy Armor get another duration increase for each piece of Heavy worn.

Sadly, the new changes to Shards and Orbs make it even harder for them, since Magicka is their maximum stat

check the PTS patch notes latest on Orb and Shards...not sure what I can and can't say, so hopefully you can read it for yourself

ljb2k5_ESO · April 2017

Natch Potes Update:
- Nightblades attacking from stealth will now have updated effects and graphics; When attacking from melee your opponent will be vigorously pelted with a pillow or if your race is Khajiit, you will graze them with kitten whiskers fiercely. From range, arrows will now be depicted as Nerf darts as part of a cross promotion.

Developer Comments:

We felt it was important that the graphics reflect the mechanical function of Nightblade attacks made from stealth, for a more consistent player experience.

Tryxus · April 2017

stevepdodson_ESO888 wrote: »

Tryxus wrote: »

CavalryPK wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Nightblade
Shadow
Shadow Barrier: Increased this passive ability’s base duration of Major Ward and Major Resolve to 3/6 seconds from 2/4 seconds.
Developer Comments:
Increasing the duration of this passive’s bonuses will improve the overall survivability of Nightblades. Heavy Armor, tank-focused Nightblades in particular should have a much smoother time maintaining nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades.

Siphoning
Siphoning Strikes: Fixed an issue where the heal from this ability and its morphs could not critically strike.

Looks like a small buff to the Shadow Barrier passive. although I am not sure what they mean by "nearly consistent uptime on these buffs with a combinations of abilities such as Refreshing Path or Summon Shades"...

It's cuz Sap Tank wearing Heavy Armor get another duration increase for each piece of Heavy worn.

Sadly, the new changes to Shards and Orbs make it even harder for them, since Magicka is their maximum stat

check the PTS patch notes latest on Orb and Shards...not sure what I can and can't say, so hopefully you can read it for yourself

Well, here's the thing:

- The changes to Siphoning Attacks already made it more difficult for Sap Tanks, since it takes away a reliable source of Stamina (Magicka converted in Stam by the skill). I figured that with the changes to Shards and Orbs, it wouldn't be a biggie since Stamina usually is my lowest and most depleted stat. (Even though I don't feel like a Sap Tank anymore due to me not siphoning resources anymore)
- However, now those skills return your maximum resource only (or those of others when they're close enough) which means that in my case it'll return Magicka and the only way to get Stam back is through a Stamina build (Nocturnal help me!) activating the synergy

Now, I'm very sick atm and have a massive headache so I might either be getting things wrong or overreacting here, or I'm just not able to see a solution here. Am I going to have to buy a race change token (to Nord or Imperial) and convert to Stamina? Am I going to have to Frost Staff tank now, even if it means losing valuable skills and passives? Or is Sap Tanking (on the verge of) going extinct?

If I'm wrong, please correct me. If there's a way out, please let me know. It would be very much appreciated to hear the opinion of other Sap Tanks and what they think about this

SturgeHammer · April 2017

It would have been a rare occurrence, but the extra time spent heavy attacking for resources could have led to lapses in uptime for shadow barrier. I don't think that anyone will have to worry about that now though. Also, from a pvp standpoint, having an extra two seconds of Shadow Barrier while trying to get away from a bad situation is nice. I am pretty happy with this buff.