It'll end up like 'Arena', I remember towards the end I could
load
cast 'my spell'
walk around and watch everything drop dead, without my help

Basically, most of the people who don't want spellcrafting are PvPers terrified something might get imbalanced. Well, we can't let the game stagnate and never add anything new just because something in PvP might get imbalanced for a little while. If that happens, it'll get fixed. It's not a big deal.

I am not a PvP player and I don't think they should bring it in at this point.


I could see it coming into play, back when the game first began and players were actually balancing their main stats between magic and stamina. However, now that the game pretty much depends on a player choosing one OR the other and not both this would be debilitating.

(Insert but..but.. but the spells could be made to reinforce your stamina blah blah blah blah.)

That's not what spell crafting is about. It is about a second skill line based entirely on magic. And I would only support that if they had an additional skill line based on stamina (2nd fighters guild since this is based on mages guild) that came out at the exact same time. Better yet just replace the original two entirely with the new ones.

I have been through at least one other game (not Elder Scrolls related) that had a very in-depth spell crafting mechanic. It ended up being a lot like alchemy is in ESO in the aspect of you used different materials to make different types of spells and could only learn them by mixing them together.

Now I know that's not what was suggested above however it wasn't more than three months before people figured out exactly which spells were the meta to craft. Let's face it no matter how ingenious or how creative you might be for the spell to actually be created it has to be programmed in. That means you aren't really creating anything; it means the possibilities are finite, it also means that one or two spells will be selected out as meta and that's it.

So how many months or years of balancing for three months of content that is only going to get two maybe three spells used?

Sorry but while I absolutely love the idea of new ways to "customize" my character through a plethora of skill lines, ZOS has proven time and time again that they just don't do a good job of keeping all these skills balanced in a way that truly supports that customization.

There are currently way more skills available to help gimp your toon to an unplayable point than skills that will actually help make it playable. I really wish they would spend time bringing the broken skills we have up to par than creating new ones.

If this was implemented in the original game... perhaps it might have worked but now... not so much.

I really see no reason why it shouldn't be added? They already did most of the work as we've already seen in the showcase of spellcrafting.

Why are people worried so much about balance? There can NEVER be a 100% balanced MMO! Aren't people aware of that? Personally I would love to see spellcrafting added to the game and I have full trust that ZOS will make it happen and balance it properly when it does happen.

I actually think that most of the people who don't want it are those who get owned in PVP today, even without spellcrafting. So if you're getting killed anyway, might as well be with a fancy crafted spell, right?!

No, this just turn into another grind which is not what I need.

If it comes to that, I'll probably find another game to play.

I would love to create various utilitarian spells and useful things to flesh out my character concepts more.

xaraan wrote: »

Wish there was an 'other' option. I kind of would like to see a proposal on adding it, but with the difficulty in balancing the game the idea scares me that it will add more problems. But if done right it would be cool.

This. If Spellcrafting were able to be balanced, people would be pissed because it isn't the Spellcrafting they remember so fondly.

Aesthier wrote: »

I am not a PvP player and I don't think they should bring it in at this point.


I could see it coming into play, back when the game first began and players were actually balancing their main stats between magic and stamina. However, now that the game pretty much depends on a player choosing one OR the other and not both this would be debilitating.

(Insert but..but.. but the spells could be made to reinforce your stamina blah blah blah blah.)

That's not what spell crafting is about. It is about a second skill line based entirely on magic. And I would only support that if they had an additional skill line based on stamina (2nd fighters guild since this is based on mages guild) that came out at the exact same time. Better yet just replace the original two entirely with the new ones.

I have been through at least one other game (not Elder Scrolls related) that had a very in-depth spell crafting mechanic. It ended up being a lot like alchemy is in ESO in the aspect of you used different materials to make different types of spells and could only learn them by mixing them together.

Now I know that's not what was suggested above however it wasn't more than three months before people figured out exactly which spells were the meta to craft. Let's face it no matter how ingenious or how creative you might be for the spell to actually be created it has to be programmed in. That means you aren't really creating anything; it means the possibilities are finite, it also means that one or two spells will be selected out as meta and that's it.

So how many months or years of balancing for three months of content that is only going to get two maybe three spells used?

Sorry but while I absolutely love the idea of new ways to "customize" my character through a plethora of skill lines, ZOS has proven time and time again that they just don't do a good job of keeping all these skills balanced in a way that truly supports that customization.

There are currently way more skills available to help gimp your toon to an unplayable point than skills that will actually help make it playable. I really wish they would spend time bringing the broken skills we have up to par than creating new ones.

If this was implemented in the original game... perhaps it might have worked but now... not so much.

You people need to get it through your head: STAMINA ABILITIES ARE SPELLS JUST AS MUCH AS MAGICKA ABILITIES! They just draw on a different resource pool. thats why you cant "cast" stamina abilities while using Rapid Manuever any more than you can cast magicka abilities without rapids falling off...because BOTH are spells

I think it would need to be thought out very carefully, but I absolutely want this. I want to take a more active role in creating my character. I love the idea of having more reasons to quest and discover, and I love the idea of your magic having its own flavor. It's dull as dishwater that everyone is working with a similar toolkit and they ultimately fall into the same handful of skill rotations. It makes one player indistinguishable from the next. I want more spectacle and less meta min-maxing.

xaraan wrote: »

Wish there was an 'other' option. I kind of would like to see a proposal on adding it, but with the difficulty in balancing the game the idea scares me that it will add more problems. But if done right it would be cool.

^^^^ This.

Absolutely want it.

And to hear that it would a) rely on exploration (just like in normal TES games) and b) bring back the schools of magic (just like in normal TES games) only makes me want it more.

I was a bit let down when I started ESO and saw the schools weren't represented at all, and there was no spell crafting. To add this to the game would be such a big improvement. And seeing as it's practically already done sitting there in the back end, I so badly wish they'd add it. If it comes as part of a DLC or chapter, I'd probably buy the whole thing just for spell crafting (although IMO it should be part of the base game just like enchanting and the Sorc class).

Any limitations they add to it is also fine. If it's a huge grind fest, fine. If leveling it takes ages, fine. Sorcs are my faves so it would not be a problem for me to dedicate a character to it.

And for the people complaining about balancing issues: let ZOS worry about balancing, k? It's their job.

Otherwise yeah, like SydneyGrey said above, most of the people who say they don't want it are PVPers scared of getting zerg'd, or maybe of their zerg being taken on solo. Here's the thing: zergs are already "OP" if someone can step out of a building and drop dead from 10 simultaneous ultimates, so quit crying about "balancing" issues. It's a TES game, magic schools have always been part of it, flexibility and creativity have always been part of it, as has the need to explore the world and dungeon delve in order to "git gud". This is a TES game before it's a PVP game. And guess what, most of the players join it because of that. ZOS is aware of this.

I think it was and is being implemented not as spellcrafting but in new skill lines like the psijic and I new classes like Warden and others to come. We keep seeing the repost of the video of some indication that the system is there, wherein their view of the games development went from "this would be cool" to "Let's not alienate a huge swath of the active player base." I don't even know what spellcrafting would look like for Stamina based characters.

I think we can pull it off with some limitations related to costs and effects. There will be the meta spells but how is that different from having meta builds. If anything would add more depth.

Monetization is a problem as I see the fears of it turning pay to win, like the best spells being locked into Crown Crates, but I actually think the milking potential can be put entirely in the cosmetic areas. Say, make a spell to summon a flame atronach, but in crates or store you can buy skins that makes the atronach other colours (conforming to the lore) or more exuberant. Maybe turn a fire spell color red into a skin blue, yellow, etc. Like the bear skin on Warden.

MMOs are grind and this adds a longevity to the game. Some like Black Desert Online (which I love for different reasons) get you to grind over 500+ hours killing monsters, you just have variation on the circuit. And some crafting that is more or less afk sleep / work time. At least in ESO we have several grind types.

If they can't balance the 5 classes he have now what hope will they be able to balance spell crafting.

No way.