How would you compare ESO combat to WoW combat?

InvictusApollo · June 2019

We have many players coming from WoW so I would like to ask how do these two compare to each other as far as combat goes? Is WoWs combat as dynamic as in ESO?

MyKillv2.0 · June 2019

Apples and oranges.

If you were trying to compare the two, I would say that WoW is more traditional and ESO is more of a hybrid between MMO and first person shooters combat.

WoW offers totally unique playstles between classes. My WoW Warrior is about as fast paced as any ESO build and my ranger plays about as slow anything I have ever seen.

ESO playstyle doesnt differ as much with class but what type of game type you play. BG/PvP will have a different play style than trials.

I don’t expect you will get many pro WoW opinions... so my advice is take your own advice and try it out. You can play for free until level 20

Tessitura · June 2019

I am not coming from WoW but I do go play it when new expacs hit. They got a better grasp of rpg combat then ZoS does by a huge margin. Sure its not SUPER fast paced, twitch animation canceling, but it knows how to use cool downs and they fix balance issue that are obviously game breaking in a timely manner. They don't have Bash Spam for months that deletes people in a second with barely any counter play.

Plus since animation canceling isn't a issue in WoW more people can adapt to things easier which allows for more interesting combat. Animation canceling is something that should never have been allowed in this game if you ask me, especially since they can't get a hold of their server issues, and all that animation canceling makes things worse. Sometimes it looks like you got hit by five things in less then a second thanks to this dumb design combined with dumb servers. Just my two cents.

Goregrinder · June 2019

I wouldn't, they are completely different from each other mechanically.

StormeReigns · June 2019

While yes, both games are MMORPGs. They are vastly different. But, mechanics can be learned and memorized with trial and error and youtube.

WoW combat is user friendly, and forgiving to a certain point (some heroics and many if not all mythic raids) often packed with top tier fotm class+specs. A lot of it can be and often viewed as mindless tab targeting and aoe spam.

ESO combat is engaging, and personal. Meaning it can be very forgiving or punishing, depending on the player's personal skill within/out of the meta.

Sylvermynx · June 2019

It wasn't when I played WoW - which I quit cold in 2013. If you had a good pet, the hunter didn't really need to kite; a good thing too, as my connection at that time was the old wildblue one I just replaced - slow, clunky, etc. though I did enjoy playing WoW and then RIFT - until of course I didn't so quit them both.

I started WoW (first MMO) in 2006 when I retired for the next-to-last time. I had no idea how to play, didn't realize there was a whole lot of info online, the friend who gave me the game was never on at the same time I was, and when we did meet up on a Saturday, he got annoyed that I didn't know how to play the game. *shrug*

I figured it out eventually, after my sister and her son, plus my daughter and SIL, all started playing; with all of us in the same boat, we began to get things sorted. Finally occurred to nephew that there probably was stuff online. After that.... we did pretty well.

I still have a pretty good memory of WoW being much easier as to combat after I finally figured it out. Vanilla though.... jeez. No, it probably wasn't hard for people who knew games like that - but I didn't. And having to run everywhere for 40 levels before you could ride was just agonizing!

Wolfpaw · June 2019

They're both based off of the mmo trinity, & that's about it... I played WOW from 2004-2009 and it was far more stable compared to ESO overall.

ESO combat (not talking balance) is great when it works, maybe best in the genre imo. Poor performance, odd balance changes, & bugs overshadow the combat a lot.

WOW combat may be outdated, but if vanilla/classic came to console I would jump quick...miss my Druid.

InvictusApollo · June 2019

Can you effectively play WoW with a gamepad? FOr example by using XPadder and/or DS4Windows. I've heard that there is too many abilities available at any given time to cast.

Panomania · June 2019

Nah, they really arent. They are based on Blizzard's take on the trinity, thats all. The "Holy Trinity" predates WoW, and was tank, heals, crowd control (I think posts from a certain ^%@#^ guild leader, now a Blizzard stoo....er, employee, from 1999 were the earliest widespread reference to the "Trinity"). WoW swapped out CC for DPS, since CC wasnt as big of an issue in a game where yard trash died with a hard sneeze.

As for WoW being more stable.....after about a year post beta, yes. Prior to that not so much. I think you are conveniently forgetting a lot of the issues with WoW. May wanna do a google for WoW Forum 2005 and see what you can find. Also its a lot easier to make a stable game like Pong than it is to make one like Doom....which is pretty much the comparison when looking at WoW vs ESO. LOTS more than can go wrong in a game as complex as this.

The games have similarities, but all in all its pretty much Pong vs Doom.

One thing I will say.....ESO isnt a "traditional" take on the Trinity. Most mmos out there DPS is the mirror fogging role (if you can fog a mirror you can play the role passably well) and tank/heal are the rougher roles. Here its flipped. Tanking in this game is a lot easier than in others, healing is FAR easier, and great DPS takes more effort and ability than in other games (and its reliant less on gear than on proper process and even a bit of skill). Great DPS requiring more effort than in other games throws some people off.

Panomania · June 2019

Ok, maybe Pong VS Doom was a little bit of an exaggeration

Gythral · June 2019

Apples vs snails...

Wolfpaw · June 2019

InvictusApollo wrote: »

Can you effectively play WoW with a gamepad? FOr example by using XPadder and/or DS4Windows. I've heard that there is too many abilities available at any given time to cast.

Yup, some videos on youtube. FFXIV has done it well.

max_only · June 2019

I could play WoW while eating dinner.

This game has more action in its combat.

Ohtimbar · June 2019

It's like comparing RTS and TBS. They're entriely different experiences.

SpankinDamob · June 2019

Funny it’s how good ESO combat feels what made me stay, and also what kept me playing WoW for 14 years. While they are totally different combat wise when I used abilities in both games I really felt it if that makes any sense.

Wolfpaw wrote: »

InvictusApollo wrote: »

Can you effectively play WoW with a gamepad? FOr example by using XPadder and/or DS4Windows. I've heard that there is too many abilities available at any given time to cast.

Yup, some videos on youtube. FFXIV has done it well.

While I’m sure you could adequately play it on a game pad. You wouldn’t be able to effectively do it. When I stopped playing on my Demon Hunter at the end of Legion I had 21 abilities key bound on my keyboard and gaming mouse.

Ohtimbar · June 2019

SpankinDamob wrote: »

Wolfpaw wrote: »

InvictusApollo wrote: »

Can you effectively play WoW with a gamepad? FOr example by using XPadder and/or DS4Windows. I've heard that there is too many abilities available at any given time to cast.

Yup, some videos on youtube. FFXIV has done it well.

While I’m sure you could adequately play it on a game pad. You wouldn’t be able to effectively do it. When I stopped playing on my Demon Hunter at the end of Legion I had 21 abilities key bound on my keyboard and gaming mouse.

I haven't played wow in ages, but I was pretty effective with a gamepad using the consoleport addon. I had a sizeable number of bindings and didn't feel starved for space. It takes some effort to set up properly and time to learn, but it's quite good given the nature of wow's design.

Sylvermynx · June 2019

That's the main thing I miss from WoW and RIFT - having bindings for every usable combat skill. The fact that this game is so gimped in that direction because of consoles.... just ugh.

srfrogg23 · June 2019

InvictusApollo wrote: »

We have many players coming from WoW so I would like to ask how do these two compare to each other as far as combat goes? Is WoWs combat as dynamic as in ESO?

Like comparing Halo to Fallout 1.

phaneub17_ESO · June 2019

If I can find a game that has a combat system like Bushido Blade, I'll go to that right away... then complain that lag made me miss the parry or my swing froze in place as the other guy beheads me.