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Treat Shields as Blocks: A balanced/fair suggestion for magicka-based shields
priforce
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Not sure if this was discussed as a possible alternative and I would prefer to have civil discussions about major changes. Instead of the 1 sec delays that interrupt combat pace, for shields particularly, in addition to having them be vulnerable to resistances and critical attacks, very similar to blocking (with stamina), that magicka recovery be ceased for the entire duration of the shield's uptime?
Casting a self-shield would become a gamble and used for burst moments rather than for extended periods. What do you all think? I particularly would love the idea to be reviewed by @ZOS_GinaBruno and @ZOS_Wrobel should they consider alternatives. Essentially, treat shields as blocks.
Casting a self-shield would become a gamble and used for burst moments rather than for extended periods. What do you all think? I particularly would love the idea to be reviewed by @ZOS_GinaBruno and @ZOS_Wrobel should they consider alternatives. Essentially, treat shields as blocks.
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Kanar✭✭✭✭✭
✭Of all the proposals I've seen, it probably comes closest to delivering on the requirements. It's also probably worse than a cast time, but "you get what you ask for."2 -
Ruckly✭✭✭✭They could make shields decay linearly over 6 seconds to nothing. This would weaken shield stacking since by shield #3 your first one would be 33% gone. It would also retain the instant cast to block a burst.
Reactive shields are the mages over heal and without it a light armor healer might have problems with siege weapons. Proactive shields might add a strategic element like what healing ritual used to be except healing ritual used by a templar in heavy armor and a shield cast used by a mage in light armor are very different. If a light armor mage has no instant cast shield they have no burst recovery. They have to drink an immovable health pot and use the cast time shield.1 -
UPrime✭✭✭✭I was thinking of having a shield (maybe a morph) that enhances block instead. So you it's more reactive. I think it's more fun that just poping a shield and then you can be lazy and dps in peace.1 -
Starlock✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Of all the proposals I've seen, it probably comes closest to delivering on the requirements. It's also probably worse than a cast time, but "you get what you ask for."
Probably worse? I’m not among those freaking out about the cast time, but this would be beyond awful. You can control explicitly when you block. You cannot control your shield uptime. Those using shields would basically have zero regen at almost all times.1 -
Raammzzaa✭✭✭✭✭Of all the proposals I've seen, it probably comes closest to delivering on the requirements. It's also probably worse than a cast time, but "you get what you ask for."
Probably worse? I’m not among those freaking out about the cast time, but this would be beyond awful. You can control explicitly when you block. You cannot control your shield uptime. Those using shields would basically have zero regen at almost all times.
I would think that this would be worse - holding down the trigger to keep my shield up until my magicka is drained? I guess if you are a magicka based tank it might work.
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Mayrael✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Like single shields were a problem... Really. Before the notes everyone wanted just remove the stacking possibility, now everyone wants to nerf shields, even the single ones into the ground...Say no to Toxic Casuals!
I am doing my best, but I am not a native speaker, sorry.
"Difficulty scaling is desperately needed. 9 years. 6 paid expansions. 24 DLCs. 40 game changing updates including A Realm Reborn-tier overhaul of the game including a permanent CP160 gear cap and ridiculous power creep thereafter. I'm sick and tired of hearing about Cadwell Silver&Gold as a "you think you do but you don't"-tier deflection to any criticism regarding the lack of overland difficulty in the game." - @AlexanderDeLarge2 -
Kadoin✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭Waste of time discussing it. Whoever makes the decision doesn't care. All they care about is pretending they aren't nerfing light armor users into oblivion. I can only imagine what the discussions actually are about balance. I'd imagine it goes like this:
"Look I put a snare reduction for light armor users! That will help when you are dead because you can't break free or roll, haha! Just get some stamina if you have a problem. What? Impossible to balance stamina, magicka, mag regem, and reists in light without sacrificing too much...? Oh well, you have the option to do so."
"Don't worry, the shield can't be interrupted...What's that, you took it off your bar because its still trash? Well...feel the consequences of your actions! I gave you options!"
"Oh come on, these guys saying that they will wear medium or heavy over light armor if patch goes live are obviously joking! Who doesn't want to get an extra spell or two off with all that cost reduction and regen in light armor that only manages to get you 4-5 casts of a spammable more than heavy at best because mag skills cost an arm and leg. Are they insane? I mean, it's almost like they are saying there is also no reason to not be wearing heavy on live right now. Good one..."
"What this guy said I don't wear light armor!? This guy said I don't wear light armor!? I'll go on live and show them! Watch me destroy Cyrodil without any shields on my sorc!"
[killed 2 seconds later by NB using onslaught and executioner]
"well...uh...that's...you know...I should have been wearing whitestrake's. Y-Yeah...That's it. I should have been wearing Whitestrakes'"
"Okay, okay, they got me...They got me! I'm wrong! Okay!? Wait, the data says...no I'm not! Cut that heal from healing ward while we're at it. The data says its too powerful"1 -
Arrodisia✭✭✭✭✭Maybe leave it instant, but with a one second delayed reaction, especially since shields were already nerfed. So this way, the 1 second would still be enforced, giving players a chance to use their brains before a mechanic happens. Also the dps numbers wouldn't fall any further below than they already are.
while we're at it, maybe a buff could be applied to shields that renders them unstackable. They would still retain their class animations and stats, but no other shield the player uses can function while that one shield is already active.
Another solution would be to, generally, make it when a stronger or weaker shield is applied while another is already active, the stronger shield overrides the weakest, which again allows for only one shield to be active.
This last solution partially goes against the warding off damage lore of magicka chars, might make classes lose their identities, and require many, many skills to be reworked, but nevertheless. Maybe remove shield usage all together and add other viable survivability. maybe add 2 new functions instead to even the playing field, giving enough armoring buffs to medium armor players and light armor players with a minimum of 5 pieces active so they can equal the armoring benefits of heavy armor and add self heals to the magicka classes who don't have them.
Removing shields without another strong survivability measure will have healers over tasked to the point of insanity, because hp pools are too low to survive the massive hits a dps can take in some vet and hm vet dungeons and trials, especially since dps block mitigation is lower than a tank's.
As far as PvE goes, I see both stamina and magicka players die from time to time, not just stamina players. A shield can't stop all damage. if anyone felt healers were/are useless, which I don't see in current vet and hm vet content, then maybe replace one shot mechanics with other damage types, add more damage and different mechanic styles to some of the low damage content, give players a decent hp pool in vet mode via vet mode buffs, give healers something more to cleanse once in a while,.......Edited by Arrodisia on September 24, 2018 11:48PM1 -
adeptusminor✭✭✭✭I wrote this before but I want to reiterate it.
I do vet trials and pug vet pledges and with a good healer I won't even slot a shield in most cases. Like several other people mentioned a majority of things that kill dps are 1 shot mechanics, so a shield isn't useful in those instances. If I'm running with healers I don't know or trust? Yes I slot a shield. If they nerf shields all it's going to do is make it tougher for new healers or healers who might not be all that great and I could see it causing animosity in runs where healers get crapped on (even more) if a dps dies.
The times where I am more or less forced to slot a shield (going bottom in vCR, running backroom in vMoL, starfall in Hel Ra) harness magicka is a lifesaver and no buffs to healers would make a difference and nerfs/cast time to shields would just make it a massive pain.
IMO, shields offer a buffer to healers that actually make their lives a little bit easier and any nerf to them isn't going to make healers more wanted, it's just going punish new healers starting out and learning, not make much of a difference for experienced healers, and punish dps who might be new to certain mechanics.Edited by adeptusminor on September 24, 2018 11:06PM0 -
Ruckly✭✭✭✭How would OP work with bone shield? I use that when stamina tanking and a big shot is coming.0
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_Salty_✭✭✭✭✭Make them so you can only have one up at a time and problem is solved.Psn l---Salty---l
Patiently waiting to make a Stankcromancer.0
