Can we make ice staves more viable for overall dps, some of the issues lay with the useless taunt, poor chilled passive, and poor decision on the ice destro ultimate. So let's look into how we can fix this.
The ultimate - It should cost less compered to the other elemental counterparts.
Inferno does more dmg in the same time (10%) not including the burning status.
Lightning last 2 seconds longer. In a trial situation full buffs thats is roughly an additional 20-25k aoe damage, non crit.
Ice "immobilizes", however mobs and elite adds cannot be immobilized. I get it, in PvP this can be usefull but most classes still use eye of the storm, paired with an inferno staff and gap close. With streak, Templar charge, ect.
The heavy attack - I'm sorry to kill the dreams of ice stave tanks. This will not work in end game pve. Sure you can pull a boss with it, or just use inner fire from Undaunted. This does however, not allow dps to use it because most if not every rotation will start with heavy attacks and you may use them during fights come morrowind.
This can be fixed by making the heavy attack grant MINOR HEROISM, for 3-5 second.
The ice wall let the snare from chilled stay, it's fine it helps PvP, and doesn't hinder pve, however add onto it, At the moment, if chilled enemies stay in a wall of elements too long or get hit woth Force pulse they can be immobilized, (another reason the ice stave ult passive is obsolete), when this happens make the immobilized target get minor maim. (15% damage reduction), this will help the "tanks" and PvP community.
The blocking passive is "ok" however it is rarely required when all other elemental users do just fine without it.
I know people voices their opinion on liking the taunt but I would suggest adding it to elemental susceptibility as someone did before. NOT ELEMENTAL DRAIN. Or take it out completely. I have yet to see anyone even use the heavy attack taunt.
This brings me to the players that wanted an ice based tank.
The Warden!
The ice passive is fine where it is, for PvP, however this means you should, and I highly recommend this, increasing the dmg from ice based sets! YSGRAMORS for example. It's 400 on the 5peice does not scale near as much as Netches touch would on a sorc. Same for sets on dk. Etc. Elemental succession from VMA, forget it. It's 5 peice will need a 300% boost to be someone viable.
This will boosts it's overall damage out put for PvE players without making class over powered in PvP, they will most likely be in heavy armor anyways.
I know you, the makers of the game probably don't want "META" builds and having people play into their class passives full out, and making elemental casters (plural) and not just fire/inferno, doing this will help. Make it more rewarding to build upon their class and not just a dark elf with inferno. At the moment all 4 magicka dps classes are exactly that.
If anyone has any thoughts on this please voice your thoughts on the subject. It's not role play, it's balance. Get this to the devs so we can get these changes pushed through for morrowind.