I can see my resources go down

I prefer resource based because then it's you controlling your gameplay.

I think a great deal of this game's balance issues come from the fact that ZOS vehemently opposes cooldowns. They wanted this game to be all about resources, but when you have so many ways to manipulate resources that doesnt really work out well in the end.

For example, you have builds, especially in pve, that can achieve 3-4k resource recovery, use proc sets on top of that for resource gain, and essentially have unlimited resources for their abilities - meaning that the only limiting factor on damage output is how quickly they can use attacks and animation cancel (another thing I hate about this game, animation cancelling was never intended but became a core function of the game because the people at ZOS couldnt figure out a solution to it). On the other hand, they've neutered resources in pvp, especially after introducing the siphon champion point passive and resource-draining alchemy poisons, which can render all but the most optimized builds completely useless because you never have the resources to do anything.

In a game with cooldowns as a balancing factor, using the most powerful abilities requires better timing. Here about the only thing you have to time is ultimates, and even that's a joke.

Using that mmo-that-shall-not-be-named as a base (world of warcraft), back at launch in that game there were great disparities between classes when it came to pvp balance. A warrior or rogue could do literally ten or twenty times the damage that my druid could do, no matter what build or gear setup I used. However, I had innervate, which let me keep my resources capped on a cooldown, and healing abilities that let me win the war of attrition against those classes. With careful resource and cooldown management I could whittle down any class over time, the only ones that really gave trouble were paladins and priests.

Another part of the balance issue here is healing. Everyone has access to healing, and survivability has gotten so 'good' that the developers have had to massively nerf heals, shields, and just about everything else in pvp in order to allow people to actually kill each other - but on the other side of that coin, you've got builds that can literally put out so much damage, due to no counter with healing or defense, that they can wipe hordes of enemies with ease.

Balance in this game is all fubar because the incompetent game designers at zos stick to their guns even when those guns dont work and they very well know it.

Abilities that consume a resource pool is actually more suitable for tactical RPGs. Cool downs based is better for action type fast gameplay.

Cooldowns are boring.

The current method of combat is great. It focuses on resources, but being able to use different abilities unique aspects and the small but unintrusive cooldown system to deliver strong bursts or constant rotations, whilst relying on maintaining mobility/positioning.

That said resource based is an issue for my particular needs.