Oreyn_Bearclaw wrote: »I would love to say yes, but...
The fundamental problem with the balance team is that they refuse to stop biting off more than they can chew. There have been several times throughout this game when balance was pretty darn good. Every time that happens, however, they decide to alter fundamental game mechanics with broad sweeping changes that throw the game out of whack for 6 months to a year.
I really don't want to start a massive debate in the thread but this one always bugs me because it's demonstrably false.MLGProPlayer wrote: »As everyone else already stated, my main issues are:
1. They don't play the game
2. They take a scorched earth approach to balancing, even when it isn't needed
I really don't want to start a massive debate in the thread but this one always bugs me because it's demonstrably false.MLGProPlayer wrote: »As everyone else already stated, my main issues are:
1. They don't play the game
2. They take a scorched earth approach to balancing, even when it isn't needed
Rich plays the game and as the creative director has a lot of say over these changes. Other ZOS staff have confirmed in the past they play, with a number sharing their experiences of play on social media.
I could concede on that maybe they don't mainly play X with Y class, but can we please stop spreading the misinformation that they don't play the game.
I really don't want to start a massive debate in the thread but this one always bugs me because it's demonstrably false.MLGProPlayer wrote: »As everyone else already stated, my main issues are:
1. They don't play the game
2. They take a scorched earth approach to balancing, even when it isn't needed
Rich plays the game and as the creative director has a lot of say over these changes. Other ZOS staff have confirmed in the past they play, with a number sharing their experiences of play on social media.
I could concede on that maybe they don't mainly play X with Y class, but can we please stop spreading the misinformation that they don't play the game.
Well honestly... They don't. Not to the same degree needed to make the changes they try to make.
Rich does vMA and stuff like but I'm fairly sure that most the devs are very casual players which is part of why ZOS is always making changes that cater to casuals.
They are largely ignorant of anything other than casual play. And that's what the class reps are for!
They're probably never going to clock up the hours that we do as players, but the myth they don't know what they're doing because they don't play is false. If you consider completing veteran trials and DLC dungeons as casual then I think we see very different views of casual play.I really don't want to start a massive debate in the thread but this one always bugs me because it's demonstrably false.MLGProPlayer wrote: »As everyone else already stated, my main issues are:
1. They don't play the game
2. They take a scorched earth approach to balancing, even when it isn't needed
Rich plays the game and as the creative director has a lot of say over these changes. Other ZOS staff have confirmed in the past they play, with a number sharing their experiences of play on social media.
I could concede on that maybe they don't mainly play X with Y class, but can we please stop spreading the misinformation that they don't play the game.
Well honestly... They don't. Not to the same degree needed to make the changes they try to make.
Rich does vMA and stuff like but I'm fairly sure that most the devs are very casual players which is part of why ZOS is always making changes that cater to casuals.
They are largely ignorant of anything other than casual play. And that's what the class reps are for!
Overall yes, we're in a better (more balanced) place than we've been in some past builds.
However some of the changes made to get there have taken away from or altered ESO in a way not always popular.
I just get the feeling that, with Gilliam there, instead of fine tuning, they have used the additional manpower to produce one of the biggest sledgehammer patches in a while. I don't play magsorc, and I don't like going up against certain sorcs in PvP, but even I can see they've been smashed to bits. It's like they generated all these ideas and, instead of carefully weighing the options, they implemented them all. I consider shields on the other magicka classes quite balanced (can only speak for PvP and vMA). Every time I see shields being tampered with, I see endless discussions about sorcs and shield stacking, yet ZOS continue to hit all magicka classes with shield changes.They're probably never going to clock up the hours that we do as players, but the myth they don't know what they're doing because they don't play is false. If you consider completing veteran trials and DLC dungeons as casual then I think we see very different views of casual play.I really don't want to start a massive debate in the thread but this one always bugs me because it's demonstrably false.MLGProPlayer wrote: »As everyone else already stated, my main issues are:
1. They don't play the game
2. They take a scorched earth approach to balancing, even when it isn't needed
Rich plays the game and as the creative director has a lot of say over these changes. Other ZOS staff have confirmed in the past they play, with a number sharing their experiences of play on social media.
I could concede on that maybe they don't mainly play X with Y class, but can we please stop spreading the misinformation that they don't play the game.
Well honestly... They don't. Not to the same degree needed to make the changes they try to make.
Rich does vMA and stuff like but I'm fairly sure that most the devs are very casual players which is part of why ZOS is always making changes that cater to casuals.
They are largely ignorant of anything other than casual play. And that's what the class reps are for!
They've even spoken/shared PvP experience before, I've seen them sharing battlegrounds scores on Twitter in the past so they do play and PvP.
Also what about Gilliam, isn't he now part of the combat team and would you say he's been a casual player?
The point I am trying to make is that "ZOS doesn't play the game" is an easy slander you can say but does nothing but spread misinformation and fuel fires. If people have issues with changes they need to focus on that rather than statements which only spread more misinformation.
There also comes a point where listening to players (and class reps) isn't good for the games health or the game they want. If we had ZOS balance around everything the class reps wanted for example it would be very specific to one groups views of how the game should be played. People may not like catering to casual or non-endgame players but they are part of the community and need to have their views also seen and addressed.
I won't argue that ZOS doesn't do stupid changes from time to time or go full on smashing apart things to try and fix them, just that when we do engage in conversations like this one we stop and try to focus on issues rather than spreading misinformation and slandering them.