ZOS, hybrid builds need to become a little more viable!

joaaocaampos · February 2020

I would like to see a hybrid char using 3/3/1 (3 Light/3 Medium/1 Heavy), and that Pelinal's Aptitude is no longer needed.

WHEN 5 OR MORE PIECES OF LIGHT ARMOR ARE EQUIPPED Removed!

Prodigy (Light Armor Passive)

Increases your Spell Critical rating by 2191.
Increases your Spell Critical rating by 438 per piece of Light Armor worn.

Concentration (Light Armor Passive)

Increases your Spell Penetration by 4884.
Increases your Spell Penetration by 976 for each piece of Light Armor equipped.

Agility (Medium Armor Passive)

Increases your Weapon Damage by 15%.
Increases your Weapon Damage by 3% per piece of Light Armor worn.

Revitalize (Heavy Armor Passive)

Increases the Magicka or Stamina your Heavy Attacks restore by 25%.
Increases the Magicka or Stamina your Heavy Attacks restore by 5% for each piece of Light Armor equipped.

Rapid Mending (Heavy Armor Passive)

Increases your healing received by 8%.
Increases your healing received by 2% per piece of Light Armor worn.

zvavi · February 2020

This idea won't make them any more viable. you still split your armor crit and pen between two damage types. If anything it will make wearing 7 light or 7 medium more beneficial.

Eormenric · February 2020

Unfortunately, how the system works now does not permit hybrids to be anywhere near competitive.

Here's the fallacies behind thinking hybrid is viable as the game stands:

1)

If I use the best Stamina and Magicka abilities, and split my resources, I'll be doing the most damage. Stamina ability X does 3000 damage per second. Magicka ability Y does 3000 damage per second. I'll be doing 6000 dps.

Except you are now slotting 2 damage-only abilities whereas 1, if you invest fully into that resource, could do 6000 dps itself--and if it did less, say 5000 dps, your open ability slot could easily fill that missing 1000 dps and then some. You'd effectively need twice the ability slots or a full-spec damage output for Stamina AND Magicka. Neither are possible.

2)

I can keep up both my Magicka and Stamina resources no problem. Invest in a little recovery, or Grundwulf, etc. I'll heavy attack every now and then with both weapons too.

By splitting your resource replenishment, you're compromising additional utility/damage in favor of sustain. If you only had Magicka to worry about, sustain would be a secondary thought. You'd consider more damage because your potions and heavy attacks would keep you covered. You'll heavy attack when it's IDEAL not just when it's NEEDED.

3)

Hybrid sets exist in the game, therefore hybrids are being worked on to be a thing.

What is more likely: A developer implements a few hybrid pieces to see what the players do with it, but ultimately can't invest in a 3rd playstyle for the player base due to the complexity. OR. A developer implements a few hybrid pieces in a multi-year plan to make their viability realized, waiting for enough players to commit. The former is what happened. "Hybrid" sets are good in specific scenarios, mostly solo content (even Maelstrom Arena), which completely caters to the lone or fantasy player playstyle. To realize that hybrid sets are for solo content means that non-hybrid sets are for multiplayer content. That seems fair and balanced to me. Solo players are content being able to complete something alone, even if it takes a bit of time to do it. Multiplayer players are content being able to complete something together, even if it takes optimization to do it.

I'd love a 3rd playstyle, but I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon.