I really think the game could benefit from both a Alteration Staff and Illusion Staff skill line. Alteration Staff attacks can fire like the restoration staff ("tether" beam heavy) and the Illusion Staff can fire off like the Frost/Fire staves (just like the Dremora use). Heavy alto attacks add a brief personal defense buff and heavy illusion attacks inflict a minor decrease in the enemy's defenses.

The Alteration staff skill line would focus on utility spells for granting armor, speed, and resistance buffs, as well as "Paralysis" skill that essentially stuns the target for a few seconds. The Illusion staff skill line could focus on more CC-based effects, such as Fear, Disorient, and Root effects - consider the Ultimate skill: a AoE "nightmare" spell that causes Fear and deals some DoT magic damage while crippling the victims' speed.

These skill lines would give magic=based classes more variety to their skill bars and provide some CC or utility for any class. This would help classes that lack "that one useful buff or CC" get access to a milder form of it with the additional cost of needing the staff equipped to use it, of course.

---

We could go a step further and split the Bow skill line into both Longbow and Shortbow skill lines. The Longbow would focus on longer-range skills and have heavier-hitting, slower attacks for sniping (more useful in PvP or opening a PvE engagement). The Shortbow would have faster, lighter-hitting attacks with shorter range that work best as enemies attempt to get closer. This variety allows players to be a legitimate archer and have two different bows for different combat situations. Most of the skills from Shortbow can focus on DPS while most of the skills from the Longbow can focus on burst damage.

Why restrict weapon and skill choice when making choices is part of an MMO? Giving players viable options to how they want to engage in combat is healthy for the game. I'd like to hear your feedback on these ideas!