Having a blast in eso - but i feel super weak

Momimpvping · February 2020

So i started playing eso in 2016 and then for a bit in 2017 before taking a long break and coming back a few weeks ago and I'm having a lot of fun but my breton templar just feels incredibly weak and squishy. I originally ran with a 2h magicka build with a 1h and shield as a backup set with heavy armor( i literally have no idea what i'm doing) before changing to a bow hybrid build of sorts with a mix of light and medium armor. I also managed to become a vampire recently and my squishiness has increased tenfold even with flame resist enchants and bloody mara buffs but my damage more or less feels mediocre. Its a fun build that im guessing isnt optimal beyond casual questing but I see players at a lower or equal level speed blitzing thru multiple mobs in delves and quests with ease. Now that i've levelled up the vampire skill tree some It feels smoother but when i first started out I must've died 20 to 30 times and practicallly exhausted my soul gems. Just got to level 45 this morning.

dazee · February 2020

Probably becuase you're using stamina based weapons with a magicka based build. the way the game works now, you need to focus on one, or you're going to probably suck without specific gear sets or skills.

Also make sure you have gear that matches your level, since the scaling goes down the more you out level the gear, and set pieces really help.

If you focus on stamina, make sure to wear mostly medium armor if you want to dps, and if you focus on magicka you want light armor.

Tanks tend to split it a bit, but ESO tanks do almost no damage so I never bothered. bores the shizz out of me.

Momimpvping · February 2020

So I'm pretty limited in terms of what weapons I can use depending on my resource build? With magicka that's basically staves? I did go ahead and switch to the light armor dreamer mantle set recently that gives some good bonuses. I know people say to use at least 1 piece of medium and heavy armor as well to passively level them so I've been doing that too. I'm guessing my problem is my gear mostly being affected by my level, I've mostly been ignoring the level of the gear in favor of the armor and enchantments, which probably isn't helping. Thanks for the help

dazee · February 2020

yeah if you focus on magicka, melee weapons and bows wont do much damage, and if you focus on stamina staves wont.

Making sure the level of your gear is as close as possible to your own level is important though. I'm @DaZee in game if you play on PC/NA, dont hesitate to find me and let me know if you want some help or company leveling, I'm currently leveling a new alt right now as well. I can also craft most 5 trait sets on my main so I can make you some gear which would be a big help for leveling up, with a trait that boosts xp.

KillsAllElves · February 2020

Momimpvping wrote: »

So I'm pretty limited in terms of what weapons I can use depending on my resource build? With magicka that's basically staves? I did go ahead and switch to the light armor dreamer mantle set recently that gives some good bonuses. I know people say to use at least 1 piece of medium and heavy armor as well to passively level them so I've been doing that too. I'm guessing my problem is my gear mostly being affected by my level, I've mostly been ignoring the level of the gear in favor of the armor and enchantments, which probably isn't helping. Thanks for the help

When players tell you to use 5-1-1 theyre referring to the undaunted passives=more stats.

Eso has changed alot since 2016-17.

yes you are limited to what weapons your archetype dictates.

Momimpvping · February 2020

Thanks! I play on PC/NA as well and my account name is the same - Momimpvping. I may just take you up on that.

fred4 · February 2020

You can ignore the level of your gear to a degree. Maybe even up to 20 levels. You can't ignore the level of your weapons. You'll also want to make sure to repair your gear. If it breaks, it has no effect.

Not wearing light armor on magplar will curtail your damage quite a lot, but you're now running that.

For templars, use lightning staff front bar to deal damage, use a resto staff, ice staff or 1H+S back bar.

I wouldn't say Dreamer's Mantle is any good. If you have a crafter friend or guildie, just get them to make you two complete sets of basic gear, no weapons, such as Julianos and A.N.Other. I like Shacklebreaker, just to get some stamina for a few break frees or dodge rolls. Get them to craft everything but the weapons, enchanted with magicka and green or blue Arcane jewelry. Use any weapons you find, preferably purple, that are close to your current level. Use Witchmother's Potent Brew to get some health and sustain. If your jewelry has all Spell Damage enchants, then use the Atronach mundus. Be sure to keep up Channeled Focus for the sustain.

Skill wise, Puncturing Sweeps goes VERY far on magplar. Other skills to consider for the front bar include Inner Light or Vampire's Bane, Solar Barrage, Crescent Sweep, Radiant Glory and Toppling Charge. Back bar defensive skills: Honor the Dead, Channeled Focus, Mist Form, Extended Ritual, Degeneration, Remembrance.

I guess I just gave you a build. I PvP, but this type of build will also solo pretty much anything.

dazee · February 2020

Momimpvping wrote: »

Thanks! I play on PC/NA as well and my account name is the same - Momimpvping. I may just take you up on that.

LOL I met you before I saw this post! I was on Sylvi Shadewalker

Vanos444 · February 2020

Having a blast + Super weak = GG combo! xD
Advice: Play something else thats worth your time. For the road you have taken is a difficult path...

Momimpvping · February 2020

dazee wrote: »

Momimpvping wrote: »

Thanks! I play on PC/NA as well and my account name is the same - Momimpvping. I may just take you up on that.

LOL I met you before I saw this post! I was on Sylvi Shadewalker

Oh? I don't recall, that name's not really ringing a bell. I've been questing in Stormhaven and Rivenspire recently? Were you in one of those zones? I had a player give me a vampire bite in the rift or reaper's march a few days ago, was that you?

fred4 wrote: »

You can ignore the level of your gear to a degree. Maybe even up to 20 levels. You can't ignore the level of your weapons. You'll also want to make sure to repair your gear. If it breaks, it has no effect.

Not wearing light armor on magplar will curtail your damage quite a lot, but you're now running that.

For templars, use lightning staff front bar to deal damage, use a resto staff, ice staff or 1H+S back bar.

I wouldn't say Dreamer's Mantle is any good. If you have a crafter friend or guildie, just get them to make you two complete sets of basic gear, no weapons, such as Julianos and A.N.Other. I like Shacklebreaker, just to get some stamina for a few break frees or dodge rolls. Get them to craft everything but the weapons, enchanted with magicka and green or blue Arcane jewelry. Use any weapons you find, preferably purple, that are close to your current level. Use Witchmother's Potent Brew to get some health and sustain. If your jewelry has all Spell Damage enchants, then use the Atronach mundus. Be sure to keep up Channeled Focus for the sustain.

Skill wise, Puncturing Sweeps goes VERY far on magplar. Other skills to consider for the front bar include Inner Light or Vampire's Bane, Solar Barrage, Crescent Sweep, Radiant Glory and Toppling Charge. Back bar defensive skills: Honor the Dead, Channeled Focus, Mist Form, Extended Ritual, Degeneration, Remembrance.

I guess I just gave you a build. I PvP, but this type of build will also solo pretty much anything.

Thanks for the tips! I had quite a few good staffs I ended up vendoring or reconstructing and now i'm really wishing I hadn't. Is there any point in putting skill points into crafting at all? I've put in a few to make resource nodes easier to see and to use certain reagents. The self healing as a magplar vampire is honestly really nice, and the resource sustain for long fights is pretty handy as well.

dazee · February 2020

Pretty sure we actually met in Stonefalls? I know we met someplace but I may be mixing you up with someone else I met..

Momimpvping · February 2020

I was in Stonefalls a few days ago asking how I get to the Rift as a DC character - not realizing i could have just taken a boat and saved a ton of time lol. I think you were one of the people in the zone chat helping - saying to go around the bridge at the fort near the zone border.

fred4 · February 2020

If you're in it for the long haul and want to progress to endgame content, but especially PvP, then crafting is VERY important. Some of the best PvP sets are crafted sets. Even for PvE people go for a Mother's Sorrow + Julianos or maybe New Moon Acolyte starter setup, e.g. there will be 1x crafted set in the mix.

Crafting research unlocks traits for transmutation of gear. Once gear is transmuted, it is bound to your account, hence other people can't do this for you. This is important for endgame, so you can get gear in the best traits, even when you have bad luck with RNG. In particular for PvP you basically want your gear to be Impenetrable. It makes a huge difference. Being able to change traits can also just be a cost saver, because popular gear in optimal traits tends to be very expensive in guild stores.

Levelling crafting also unlocks perks for the following things:

(1) Medicinal Use Alchemy passive. Very important for PvP and in general.
(2) Connoisseur Provisioning passive. Significantly prolongs the duration of expensive drinks, such as Mythic Aetherial Ambrosia.
(3) Crafting material extraction passives. Even just so you have something valuable to sell.
(4) Reduction of the amount of materials needed to improve your gear quality. VERY significant cost saving when golding out gear. In general: Golding out your weapons is a must, once you get to CP160. Before that, though: Huge waste, don't bother.

I have Alchemy and Enchanting fully levelled on all my characters, because even just switching characters when you want a potion or change an enchant is a pain. In terms of potions: Guild stores only tend to sell the most common ones. You're better off being able to brew them yourself, so you can make exactly what you need. Something like the bread-and-butter Immovability + Detection + Magicka potions, which I use in PvP, isn't even commonly found in guild stores.

fred4 · February 2020

Vanos444 wrote: »

Having a blast + Super weak = GG combo! xD
Advice: Play something else thats worth your time. For the road you have taken is a difficult path...

Honestly, if you're JUST into questing and role-playing, then NOT understanding combat is a boon! Your ignorance will keep you challenged. When the NPC congratulates you on the exciting battle you just had, it will actually mean something.

Once you fully understand the game, you will steamroll all overland content This will take all the challenge and fun out of it and you will come to see NPCs as incredibly whiny and incompetent. For me this ruined overland questing after the first 3 months. I had to force myself through Orsinium. Every overland DLC after that, I've basically just ignored.

Of course what may grate on you is seeing other players steamroll content you find difficult, but other than that I am entirely serious. You're still in the happy single-player role-playing phase of the game. An experienced player would never even think to take a boat somewhere. On a new character that has unlocked zero wayshrines, they would just look in their guild roster and port to a player who happens to be in the zone they want to go to. Big trading / social guilds with near-500 players always look to replenish their active playerbase in zone chat. Just join one of those.

albesca · February 2020

It's also worth noting that due to the scaling system in place, between level 35 and 50 you're at the lowest point in terms of power; when I levelled my first character I actually struggled until I got to about CP 70-100 cause I constantly outlevelled my gear while the advantages of CPs allocation weren't strong enough yet

MusCanus · February 2020

Oh, I remember those golden days when I had just started playing and waited in delves for someone to show up and help me kill the boss

Sorry, can't give any advice, can't see anything because of tears of nostalgia.

fred4 · February 2020

albesca wrote: »

It's also worth noting that due to the scaling system in place, between level 35 and 50 you're at the lowest point in terms of power; when I levelled my first character I actually struggled until I got to about CP 70-100 cause I constantly outlevelled my gear while the advantages of CPs allocation weren't strong enough yet

It is the outlevelling of the gear, though, which produces this effect. Levelling is actually slower than levelling from 1 to 20. If you saw a dip in performance at 35-50, that's entirely down to the way you played as far as I can see. My system of getting 2x full, matching sets of crafted (training) gear from someone, while always using the latest weapons you found, is designed to counteract this.

I suppose it's worth mentioning that, if you're tired of questing, you can power-level your character and get to CP160 in very little time. However, what you ideally need is one (and only one) high-level partner, who is grinding in Spellscar or Skyreach and willing to carry you for a while.

The question, though, is: Then what? Will you enjoy endgame when you get there? For one reason or another, I believe the size of the population who progresses to endgame and stays is much smaller than all the questers and casuals. I'm one of the former. I'm in this game for 4 1/2 years and still enjoy PvP, but only that. The problem for me is that the game has become incredibly small in terms of places I go. IMO ZOS have botched the scoring system in Battlegrounds and this has a big effect on the type of gameplay you get there. I don't go. That leaves Cyrodiil and Imperial City. The former is unplayable at prime time, e.g. in the evenings, because of lag / performance issues, which basically just leaves IC for me.

I don't want to make it sound like all endgame is bad. For one thing, there is also PvE engame. DLC dungeons and trials, especially, are hard and rewarding. As a solo player veteran Maelstrom Arena will keep you going for quite some time, until you've mastered that. Aside from ZOS' set achievements, you can also set your own, such as soloing all world bosses, and so on.

fred4 · February 2020

One thing to bear in mind, if you see other players of your own level blitzing through everything, they may have 810 champion points. Those CP are ACTIVE, even on low level characters, and make a huge difference too. You just don't see that they have those.

dazee · February 2020

you dont need 810 CP to steamroll things at low level. just some crafted set gear on your level and 300 or so.

Scion_of_Yggdrasil · February 2020

I want to make sure I am understanding this correctly.... I just started playing again on PS4 (played when Morrowind was released on PC) and decided to make a Magicka/Stamina Breton Warden Archer (currently lvl 42 w/ 21mp/10 hp/20 sp, and don't intend on investing any more in HP until the hits are getting to be too hard for me to take).

I am more of a lone wolf, so I want to be self sufficient. I like bows, but also fancy healing and prefer that role in dungeons and when playing with friends. I'm also really liking battlegrounds so far with this build since I just switch between DPS and Healing whenever a resource pool is low. However, I feel like I just don't make a big enough dent to enemy hp compared to other players, and I assumed it was just because I'm low lvl.

Am I wasting attribute points in doing this? Should I instead just focus on magicka (as I prefer healer over dps), and settle for low stam for my bow abilities?

fred4 · February 2020

Scion_of_Yggdrasil wrote: »

Am I wasting attribute points in doing this? Should I instead just focus on magicka (as I prefer healer over dps), and settle for low stam for my bow abilities?

Yes. No. You can't keep playing a bow, basically. Breton is a magicka race and bow will underperform on that race, regardless of what you do. Yes, you can play as you want, because a lot of content is easy, but PvP is competitive. Once you get some experience under your belt in BGs, you will be matched against stronger and stronger players.

There are ways to build a hybrid and you can find YouTube videos to that effect. They're no good. I've tried many times. You have to take into account that YouTubers need views and many of them are also very good and will make anything work. They usually don't stick with it and make it their main build, though. I tried to play my stamsorc on a Breton, because I role-play a little. I also had a Redguard stamsorc for a while. The difference is palpable.

All points into magicka is generally the best policy, unless you have very specific reasons to build some into health. Basically: You don't. Bow won't perform and is out. Healing and magicka damage skills will. You'll probably want a destro and a resto staff.

You can ignore my advice, but it will be tough.

dazee · February 2020

Breton is a magicka race and bow will underperform on that race, regardless of what you do.

by a very small margin easily made up for by player knowledge and skill. Race choice barely matters. play what you like.

fred4 · February 2020

dazee wrote: »

Breton is a magicka race and bow will underperform on that race, regardless of what you do.

by a very small margin easily made up for by player knowledge and skill. Race choice barely matters. play what you like.

I also wrote this: "Yes, you can play as you want, because a lot of content is easy, but PvP is competitive."

You take any one of those things: Breton + bow, bow + healer, attributes evenly split (including health) and you might make that work. You put it all together and it sounds pretty disastrous to me. It makes you neither a DD, nor tank, nor healer. That just does not work well. BGs have a match making ranking designed to pit you against similarly inexperienced players initially. That changes.

Also, as I've said, I've played a Breton and Redguard stamsorc, same build. Not saying Redguard is optimal for stamsorc, but all the same, the difference was noticeable. Race choice barely matters? Then you're either so accomplished it really doesn't (you do vMA with the Broom & Bucket) or you haven't played any truly competitive content. @Scion_of_Yggdrasil mentioned PvP. PvP is brutal. Theory-crafting is something you can do to prepare. It's just knowledge. It costs you nothing. Use it!

At the end of the day PvP build-crafting is about stacking every advantage you can get. I think people only gradually learn that. For example, I see many new players not being able to heal properly and I think it's not just because they cast heals like Vigor too late, it's also because they don't pay enough attention to stacking smaller heals, such as health regen from gold foods, health recovery enchants, skills like Siphoning Attacks, and so on, and so on.

Race does make a large diffence to PvP. For example, I don't play Altmer, but I hear their stam-recovery passive makes a big difference. I can only agree. Stam sustain, for dodge rolls and break free, is costly to integrate into a magicka build. You're either shoe-horned into some specific, efficient sets, such as Amber Plasm, Shacklebreaker and Bloodspawn, or you have to make some real sacrifices, such as using double-regen drinks. If you can cover it off with a racial passive, that's brilliant.

dazee · February 2020

PVP is also where player skill and experience make a larger difference, assuming you have your impen sets to prevent being simply one shotted by being looked at. so any racial bonuses are more easily made up for.

I really wish ZOS would scrap racial passives entirely. I dont care if its elder scrolls, its also multiplayer and that kind of thing is AWFUL for a game which pretends people can play how they want.

fred4 · February 2020

dazee wrote: »

PVP is also where player skill and experience make a larger difference, assuming you have your impen sets to prevent being simply one shotted by being looked at. so any racial bonuses are more easily made up for.

I really wish ZOS would scrap racial passives entirely. I dont care if its elder scrolls, its also multiplayer and that kind of thing is AWFUL for a game which pretends people can play how they want.

I think the game caters to a very wide audience. You can play as you want, as long as it's overland questing ... or non-DLC dungeons ... or normal mode anything. After that, ehhhh...

Let's say you get rid of racial passives, you still have players who want to play a bow healer. I have a friend who insisted on playing Swallow Soul with a bow, because it felt right to him from a role-playing perspective. You know that won't cut it, right? He's slowly coming around, because he's becoming fed up with being dominated in PvP. I agree that skill and experience count for more. Someone suggested 40% experience, 30% skill, 30% build. I agree with that breakdown. It's still 30% not to be sneezed at and, because that 30% is homework, it's something you always have in your pocket.

If you could slot every combination of skills and weapons to equal effect, there wouldn't be much point to much of the game, would there? Part of the fascination is that everyone must choose a build and everyone develops different playstyles as a result. It's also a sandbox when it comes to build-crafting. Some things work, some don't, not all predicted and premeditated by ZOS.

Yeah, I get that you see race as better falling outside of those game mechanics. When looked at it that way, my arguments are moot. I get that. I don't personally have a problem with race having meaningful combat passives, though.

Scion_of_Yggdrasil · February 2020

Thanks guys. Got a lot to chew on. So what I'm getting at is I'm basically fine for now lol guess I'll keep a hold on my attribute scroll for later then, just in case.

I'm not suuuuper competitive, I mainly play this game out of love for the elder scrolls franchise. So far, it scratches that itch well enough.

Momimpvping · February 2020

@dazee Thanks again for helping me out with a public dungeon and that group dungeon - was a lot of fun!