Action bar slots

Aoifesan · May 2014

Krze wrote: »

I can't believe there are no plans to increase the number of hot keys you can have.

I don't understand why they would want to restrict the amount of skills you can use during combat...?

Easy console port.

Console adaptations always impact the game design, and inherently limit what the game is capable of as a result.

If Xbox and Playstation disappeared into a black hole. I'd never miss them.

Strontium-Dog · May 2014

This just isnt true as console handsets are not restricted and do not actual fit very well into 5 slot bars.
Many games are going this way and forces you to think about skills, tactics and what have you , rather than usual mmo where you have one inch square in centre of screen that you can see while rest of screen is toolbars.

If you cant play ESO with the 5x2 combo then you need to re-evaluate how good a player you are and start takin advice.

Sadasia · May 2014

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

Vantor · May 2014

Sadasia wrote: »

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

You're probably doing something wrong then...

Epo · May 2014

Vantor wrote: »

Sadasia wrote: »

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

You're probably doing something wrong then...

I think he/she is a socerer with 2 pets.

Sadasia · May 2014

Vantor wrote: »

Sadasia wrote: »

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

You're probably doing something wrong then...

5 Slots 2 Pets 3 skills. so tell me what iam doing wrong

Vantor · May 2014

Sadasia wrote: »

Vantor wrote: »

Sadasia wrote: »

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

You're probably doing something wrong then...

5 Slots 2 Pets 3 skills. so tell me what iam doing wrong

So i'm guessing changing weapons unsummons pets. I stand corrected...

Celysa · May 2014

oomaplestoryoo wrote: »

I think an Addon that show both weapons with skills is great. You still have to press the button to change the weapon and skills but it's better if it's visible for both.

This

zgrssd · May 2014

Calyn wrote: »

Is there an add-on, or is anyone working on a add-on that can expand the action bar slots past 5? 5 seems very very restrictive considering all the active abilities available to each character.

Nope. This is way out of the range of addons.

However addons that can swap out skill sets and even gear while out of combat:
http://www.esoui.com/downloads/info530-SwapSkills.html
http://www.esoui.com/downloads/info52-WykkydsOutfitter.html (Gear and Skill sets)

They simplify having Skill and/or gear sets for different foes.

zgrssd · May 2014

Vantor wrote: »

Sadasia wrote: »

Vantor wrote: »

Sadasia wrote: »

iam a sorcerer an i have only 3 skills that i can use. This ist boring und has nothing to do with skill-based gameplay

You're probably doing something wrong then...

5 Slots 2 Pets 3 skills. so tell me what iam doing wrong

So i'm guessing changing weapons unsummons pets. I stand corrected...

Only if you do not have the same summon ability on teh other hotbar. Same appleis to magelight, bound armor and a half dozen others that work on toggling them on/off.

Besides, how exactly is your pet not a skill you are using?

Shendrith · July 2014

Im still laughing at people that think less abilities is more skill. That's like arguing checkers is more thought provoking then chess. There are many games out there that are simple and fun to play, but on a game where you have need for aoe, core class skills (like stealth), buffs, ST attacks. CC, etc...yet only 5 bars? They did not put it together right.

No one asked for a gazillion abilites, but things like pets, buffs, and even just plain stealth all eat up your "ability bar". While the game has great other abilities for everyone like blocking, dodging, attacking regular, its abilities are superbly limited.

Its not the fact you can't think of what to build; its the fact that to get your different builds you have to swap things completely out. This just adds a chore to the game.

I already suggested adding 3 buff bars separate from your abilities bars and add more self buffs or group buffs (support) in game for players to fill these up. Would also free up things like pets taking up regular bar slots.

I'll mention it again-most people didn't bother going past level 10 in the beta and this game got hellava mixed reviews, most of it due to people realizing around these levels how severely limited the game will become even if you unlock everything you have to constantly swap out builds which are limited in and of themselves. Clunky as all get out. Talk about rote rotation. lol.

zgrssd · July 2014

Shendrith wrote: »

No one asked for a gazillion abilites, but things like pets, buffs, and even just plain stealth all eat up your "ability bar".

Congrats. You just figured out one of the Design goals of the game.
Not that impressive since we already pointed it out. Repeatedly.

If you don't like one of the core concepts, then this is propably not the game for you.

Shendrith wrote: »

Its not the fact you can't think of what to build; its the fact that to get your different builds you have to swap things completely out. This just adds a chore to the game.

At tops I need to swap out 1-2 skills before the bossfight. Non-tanks that keep hasting and not allowing me the time for it - those are the real issues.

Also, addons can swich out skills while out of combat. Just like you can switch out skills while out of combat.
It would have been less work to just install and setup something like Skill Swap then posting how much you hate the system on the Forum.

Shendrith · July 2014

zgrssd wrote: »

Shendrith wrote: »

No one asked for a gazillion abilites, but things like pets, buffs, and even just plain stealth all eat up your "ability bar".

Congrats. You just figured out one of the Design goals of the game.
Not that impressive since we already pointed it out. Repeatedly.

If you don't like one of the core concepts, then this is propably not the game for you.

Shendrith wrote: »

Its not the fact you can't think of what to build; its the fact that to get your different builds you have to swap things completely out. This just adds a chore to the game.

At tops I need to swap out 1-2 skills before the bossfight. Non-tanks that keep hasting and not allowing me the time for it - those are the real issues.

Also, addons can swich out skills while out of combat. Just like you can switch out skills while out of combat.
It would have been less work to just install and setup something like Skill Swap then posting how much you hate the system on the Forum.

Grats on completely missing any points I said to keep to your near sighted view of what you "think" I said. Thats what happens when you pick sentences out of whole paragraphs pointing to a conclusive thought.

If the design goal was to limit PC players and (this is just a guess but if you read any reviews prior to the game you majorly knew tons of people disliked the "design goal") then they succeeded in losing (I'd have to guess in the millions) of player base possibilities. Just because its limited so they can make bank on consoles (which is more profitable) doesn't mean I can't voice my opinion on the limitations.

As you've stated you probably only need to swap out 1-2 skills, because you are you. Just bluntly put that you are promoting such limited gameplay tells me where you stand, and that you, like a bunch of others, enjoy the simplicity of not really thinking too hard. Almost entirely every build will be the same save for perhaps (perhaps) 1 skill you so chose because the skill lines almost tell you what to take next. i.e. its stupid to take stealth without a "from stealth" abliity-there's 2-3 of your 5 slots. Add a static buff like mage light 4 slots. Wow one more ability. So complicated. lol. Any min-max can jump on to find the best build mathematically with so limited slots its actually simple. In other words the game could actually have a lot more challenge to it with more skillful "though" put into it, but limiting abilities severely limits any outward thinking. Adding 1-2 more abilities adds a slew of more combinations.

Which will be my last point. Make the people limited = easier game to balance. Easier on the creators. The more you dumb people down the easier they are to control. Same concept goes for dumbing down a game to 6th grade levels, which, they accomplished this. Yes, a 6th grader can play this game as easily as an older adult due to the games inherent limitations, and I'd gauge it at about a 6th grade level, or lower. When I say as good I mean there is a complete skill cap due to its limitations whether you are in elementary school or an adult.

I might jump back on it when it goes f2p, which I already know it will in about a year I'm predicting, once they know its flopping and they need to program it for cash shops and such. I'd even bet they are already doing the programming on the side currently, and I'm not joking.

Next time don't pick two sentences and make my post something it wasn't only replying to two sentences. Reply to the whole thought-as in the whole paragraph.

Sugram22 · January 2016

5 quick slots for attack skills OK, but what about buff's? need new quick slot bar for buffs F1 F2 F3 F4 & F5 & that remains same even if u switch weapons, u wont have free 5 buff slots when u switch weapons the ones F1 to F5 are still full of buffs, then i have 5 slots for attack skills, not 5 1 or 2 less, buffs like bound armor wont work on F quick slot's, that way i can have Destruction staff & switch to restoration staff for healing when it needed, but as the things are i cant heal caause with my other wepon

Wreaken wrote: »

A lot of people seem to fail to understand the games resource usage only allows for the use of a handful of skills anyway.

If you only have enough magicka and stamina to cast maybe 3 or 4 skills per fight, regardless of duration due to regeneration values allowing to keep those skills either up or in constant usage, then what is the point of 10 hot keys?

None.

5 quick slots for attack skills OK, but what about buff's? need new quick slot bar for buffs F1 F2 F3 F4 & F5 & that remains same even if u switch weapons, u wont have free 5 buff slots when u switch weapons the ones F1 to F5 are still full of buffs, then i have 5 slots for attack skills, not 5 1 or 2 less, buffs like bound armor wont work on F quick slot's, this new quick slots are for buffs that have dur, but if they want to make it easier they could make so all buffs work in new quick slots, that way i can have Destruction staff & switch to restoration staff for healing when it needed, but as the things are i cant heal cause with my other weapon all skills are buffs, i don't want to use second weapon for buffs, & so u fail to understand the issue, issue isn't that people want more slots for attack skills, they want slots for buffs like i do

Sugram22 · January 2016

above quote also txt, how did that happen?, the above Quote is a mistake, accident

tjholcomb · October 2019

5 years later (2019) and there are still only 5 action bar slots, and it still sucks. The only answer I've seen across these threads that makes sense is that it's built for consoles. But as a Mac player, this limit SUCKS.

I'm playing a Nightblade archer and enjoying it for the most part. At the beginning of the game, 5 slots was fine because I only had five skills, you know? But once I started developing my character with more skills, I wanted more options. The 5 lost limit prevents character development. It stunts playability. In essence, no matter how powerful or experienced my character gets, I will always be running around with a noob.

Switching between action bars is problematic during combat. A waste of precious seconds. And it's incredibly unrealistic to think I can swap weapons in the middle of combat, too. ("Hold on a second, Mr. Bandit, I need to string up my second bow real quick so I can access my stealth ability." Seriously?) Not to mention having to maintain two bows just so I can keep fighting.

As I gain abilities, my character should be able to grow and adapt in combat style. The 5 slot limit prevents that.

I was enjoying the playstyle of Snipe, Silver Bolts, Scatter Shot, Teleport Strike, Assassin's Blade. Then I learned Mark Target and eventually Shadow Cloak. These would be excellent additions to the beginning and middle of my combat sequence, but I can't use them unless I put them on my secondary action bar, equip and maintain a second bow, and double up the placement of my skills.

So now I run with Mark Target, Snipe, Silver Bolts, Scatter Shot, Shadow Cloak (SWITCH BARS: which is a waste of Shadow Cloak) Teleport Strike, Assassin's Blade, Scatter Shot, Shadow Cloak, Mark Target.

This is so clunky. I have to slot Mark Target twice in case it times out. Same thing with Shadow Cloak because when I need it, I need it quick. There's a general flow to combat that I can follow if I'm fighting one enemy at a time, but switching back to fire off another Silver Bolt or Snipe is ludicrously cumbersome.

For what it's worth, let there be one more voice declaring that the 5 slot action bar limit stunts character development and interrupts combat flow. There's got to be a way to create different interfaces for consoles and PCs.

Thanks for listening, y'all. This was good for my soul.

tjholcomb · October 2019

Wreaken wrote: »

A lot of people seem to fail to understand the games resource usage only allows for the use of a handful of skills anyway.

If you only have enough magicka and stamina to cast maybe 3 or 4 skills per fight, regardless of duration due to regeneration values allowing to keep those skills either up or in constant usage, then what is the point of 10 hot keys?

None.

Access, Wreaken. Even if I have to pop a potion or buy a little time while my resources regen, I would still like to have my skills readily available, not separated across two bars of which I only have access to one at a time.

Aurie · October 2019

As I posted in another thread regarding the same subject just yesterday and cannot be arsed to write the same sort of thing again, here is a copy/paste version:

ZOS' intentions aside, I guess it's all up to personal preference.

So personally I would prefer a far greater choice of exactly which ability I want to use at the time.

I know many people feel that would clutter the UI and create too much unnecessary choice, and would negate forcing the player to have to make choices (which is what a lot of people like about this system).

But if you come from other MMOs which have comprehensive ability bars it is quite natural, it's a lot more fun to be able to pick and choose between multiple abilities on the fly, and they don't actually take up much room on the interface. Those abilities you don't regularly use just get left off the abilty bars.

The ESO system feels very restrictive (even after several years). But I accept that this is the way things are done in ESO, and it is unlikely to ever be changed.

As for only having enough resources to cast 3 or 4 skills per fight, that is ***. Has @Wreaken heard about resource management?