Checkmath wrote: »

This sounds like you do not want to cast buffs as often in fights, since it does not really feel like fighting, but rather like just buffing up again and again. Therefore my question is, if you are talking from a PvP perspective or from a PvE perspective.

In PvE there are only a few classes, which have to maintain buffs. The important buffs normally are covered by potions already. When I think about your problem, nightblades come to my mind, which maintain a few buffs like leeching strikes or grim focus in their rotation. Most other classes have less buffs to maintain. Also in most cases those buffs fit in a rotation very easely and do not really disturb the combat flow.

For PvP I think this is a bad idea. Normally everyone in PvP really needs the bar space for all the situations they will get in. Having to double bar all those buff skills (like 3 to 5 skills in normal PvP) would leave you with zero space for offensive skills. There are many classes actually having bar space issues and complaining about it for years. Making skills as toggles just to get a permanent buff would be a bad idea in that case.

The whole idea also would make the game less engaging generally: it would make rotations easier, since you only have a rotation of damage skills and no buffs anymore to maintain, also PvP would be less engaging, since it would only be about damage and healing.

Maintaining buff uptimes is an engaging feature and makes the combat feeling more fun in my opinion. Being always at your peak power does not sound fun at all, since also in a combat you normally have up and downs.

• I was speaking both from a PVP and PVE perspective. However, in both game modes it likely depends on whether or not you are playing with coordinated players who have designated roles to buff. Perhaps it is more from a PVP solo or really small group perspective, and random dungeon finder scenarios in PVE. Those would probably be the most likely perspectives who would be affected, but I think it could apply everywhere.
• I mentioned that the idea of toggling applicable skills is optional. If you don't want the skill to toggle, then don't toggle it. The toggle would just give players more options.
• Would PVP really be less engaging? Players would still have to be conscious of when to utilize certain skills that are providing buffs, and that could all occur during combat. We would likely have more continuous, active combat, in place of buff then burn game play. Buff then burn game play can be fine and make sense at times, but other times it seems a bit silly to watch people disengage/flee from a fight just because it's time to cycle through buffs that are safer to apply outside of combat. Some players may prefer that style, but I think that makes the game feel like it is less about battling opponents, and more like playing a seesaw version of cat and mouse.
• I think we just disagree about the "engaging" part. I think it's more engaging to have a conscious rotation that can provide buffs while it feels more like playing the game (using more, in-combat skills that feel active), but like you stated, we're in opinion territory here. I also like the idea that it could potentially allow players to get more out of their two weapon slots, instead of sometimes designating one weapon slot as the "buff" bar. Combat where players could get a little more diverse with their weapon slots appears interesting to me. Again, my opinion.
• "Being always at your peak power" might not necessarily be the case. In PVE it would likely be easier to achieve because enemies are less dynamic and more predictable (but many players achieve near 100% up time of peak power in PVE already). In PVP it would likely be more difficult to always be at peak power because you have less predictable game play and more dynamic combat.