Using an offensive skill while defending incoming damage at the same time gives unfair advantage to the shield user.

kalunte wrote: »

i find it deeply unhealthy and broken to be able to blockcast without using a particular setup or skill.

It would be nice if doing this at all required investment of a skill point here or there. This would have a number of benefits, none the least of which would be increasing player awareness that casting while blocking is even a thing in the first place.

I guess since I come from traditional RPG roots I think of abilities in terms of "does this have verbal components only (aka, could be block cast) or does it also have somatic components (aka, cannot be block cast?" And then "does my character have that feat that lets me cast somatic spells without that aspect to them if I expend more energy to do so?" But frankly, ESO is just not that type of game and isn't trying to be. Like many pseudo-RPGs of this console generation, the mechanical RPG elements are stripped down and simplified to appeal to the masses. Meanwhile the folks like me go "but that doesn't make sense... what... is this just some action game now?" Well, yeah... it pretty much is.

kalunte wrote: »

Block-casting is one of the core feature of this game, like weaving, animation cancelling, invicibility frame against single target when dodging and a few others i wont list but mi thoughts are that it is a very bad thing for the entire game, in both pve and pvp.

Block casting in PvE is there to cope with the fast paced situations that the game provides. Removing it, is removing the only way to survive in those situations. If an ability is casting, but suddenly u gotta block or die, if u wait till animation ends, u r dead.

For sure, tanks may have very extra hard job if this feature was removed, but this could be solved by reducing bosses dmg or attack speed (making them only do heavy attacks for exemple) or whatever, they could be given some kind of "mass taunt" and their job could be oriented to something somehow tedious but also very rewarding...

Respect for even addressing the tank issue, most of the people that provide swift changes usually ignore a lot of aspects of the game.

But hear me out. It might be an answer (one that many would still be against). But. But. You are suggesting game overhaul. Yes. Game overhaul. Over 1 feature. And putting aside me not trusting zos to implement everything without screwing up the whole game few problems.

1. A lot of work for a change that hits hard end game.
2. Tank job will end up being roll bots. You roll, use skills, never block, which is entirely different for what you envisioned (usually a sign that though up change is bad, is when it doesn't bring out the wanted outcome).
3. mass taunt is just another thing eso combat doesn't need. In the high paced combat eso is, dealing with the less significant adds is part of dds job, affecting their positioning, targeting, and more.
4. In the high paced combat eso is (we came back to it, lol) , it will make it impossible for tank to co-op with situations where he has a lot of incoming damage, and needs to cast skills. Situations like when there are strong dots on tank that he can die if he stops blocking, and needs to heal to survive. Situations like tank has something that hits him for 20k every attack, but he needs to taunt other things too. Etc etc. I know you meant to change those things with your suggested changes, but in reality it slows eso's fast paced combat, both for tanks, and dds.
5. Currently, tanks are almost non existent in queue. Changes that make the role harder, will bring to even less tanks.

things are self healings+permablock allows DDs in pve to survive to barely everything (like Lokkestiz breath in vSS HM) and in pvp it is way too efficient.

As already mentioned before, this is plain wrong. And tbh, I would like a source to that.

i'm glad that block is so very efficient and i love how the Shield Wall/Spell Wall/Shield Discipline work, but block-casting being available at all time looks like a curse to me.

what about you?

Tbh I don't see a good alternative without slowing down combat, which is a thing I don't want to happen.

@kalunte

While many comments did flame a bit, a lot had sound arguments that you didn't address. As long as you can't address those arguments, and change your idea into something more refined, your suggestion is no good. Felt more like trying to make eso into other games more than making eso better (a lot of players are here for the unique combat).

In PVE block casting is absolutely ok and it's removal will just make game less varied and more boring.
In PVP block-healing is obviously over-performing, but it is consequence of nerfs to majority of offensive tools and not caused by block-casting itself.

Buff spammables/dots in PvP and it wouldn’t be an issue. Right now mitigation/healing > damage. If we had a damage meta this wouldn’t be a subject. Anyone saying this is an exploit needs a clue.

Gilvoth wrote: »

its not intended, and it is an exploit.
no one should be able to do Both block and do damage at the same time.
unrealistic, and it is exploiting if done in pvp the same exact as animation canceling.

Fake news.

It's absolutely intended. In fact, block canceling is the primary reason animation canceling is "intended". Blocking, according to ZOS, is "the most important action players can take in combat" and you have to be able to do it at will no matter what.

It cracks me up that people are still having this argument a full six years after ZOS came to the 2014 Guild Summit and the Lead Animation Designer and Lead Combat Developer both explained exactly why "animation canceling" is an intended mechanic (although the use of weaving was something they hadn't anticipated) and is absolutely not an "exploit".

This is game with no ability cooldowns, where the vast majority of skills are instant cast, where the ability to react to what's happening in combat in real time is paramount. Block canceling is a necessary outcome of those core features. As ZOS sayeth, the animations exist to support the gameplay mechanics.

Sergykid wrote: »

why can't i cast spells while dodge rolling too then?

Uh, you can?

Dodge canceling is also a thing.