Gamepad issues w/ casting abilities. PLEASE FIX

BrentBlemish · May 2021

So this has been a long standing issue with gamepad support that happened SEVERAL patches ago with gamepads. It doesnt effect just PC. I had this issue when I played on PS4 and the same issue transitioned into my time on PC....

So the issue is SOME cone based AoEs will not go off using a game bad when you try to activate the skill with the left analog stick in the 11-10 o'clock positions... the 8-7 O'clock positions... 5-4 and 2-1 O'clock positions. If you press the left stick in the positions and use certain abilities... they wont cast until you return the stick to either an unpressed position or one of the 12, 3, 6 or 9 O'clock positions....

The main ability i know has this issue off the top of my had is the DK Noxious Breath ability. It will not reliably cast in fast combat due to this issue.

IMPORTENT: This issue has same impact that Templars had with casting jabs with a gamepad back during Murkmire! When casting Jabs from diagonal positions would prevent the ability from casting.

Here is the issue on a stamplar back in murkmire times. (this is the exact same issue now with abilities like Nox Breath on DK)

https://twitter.com/PvBrent/status/1061400239242911744?s=20

PLEASE! fix this before this update goes life. i really need Noxious Breath to be reliable cast in PvP.

CaffeinatedMayhem · May 2021

While I agree (and thanks for the specific feedback) good luck. Took ZOS 4 YEARS to even remove the "stuff goes through block" bug, and then it came right back 2 patches later, at least it's for everyone and not just gamepad.

I've been kicked out of end game groups because of so many failed casts, but what can you do? I can't play with keyboard due to hand/writs issues, yet ZOS seems convinced that no one uses gamepad except to cheat. Not for accessibility or anything important.

BrentBlemish · May 2021

CaffeinatedMayhem wrote: »

While I agree (and thanks for the specific feedback) good luck. Took ZOS 4 YEARS to even remove the "stuff goes through block" bug, and then it came right back 2 patches later, at least it's for everyone and not just gamepad.

I've been kicked out of end game groups because of so many failed casts, but what can you do? I can't play with keyboard due to hand/writs issues, yet ZOS seems convinced that no one uses gamepad except to cheat. Not for accessibility or anything important.

i wish me luck too. Those who use controller seem to fall by the wayside when it comes to bug fixes.

leglesslizard · May 2021

Your video should be all that's needed to replicate and, dare I say it, fix this

Just wanted to say that I can reliably replicate using xbox 360/xbox one controller on PC with engulfing flames on Live...I assume you tested and this is happening on PTS also so just not yet fixed?

BrentBlemish · May 2021

leglesslizard wrote: »

Your video should be all that's needed to replicate and, dare I say it, fix this

Just wanted to say that I can reliably replicate using xbox 360/xbox one controller on PC with engulfing flames on Live...I assume you tested and this is happening on PTS also so just not yet fixed?

correct. this is not fixed on PTS either.

Can also confirm that Brawler from 2 handed (also a cone ability) doesn't work in the same fashion either.

Hotdog_23 · May 2021

Thanks for sharing. Convinced that they do not test much with a controller or on console for that matter. To many bugs of late to make me think otherwise.

Stay safe and enjoy the journey 😊

PS. ZOS stop the micromanagement of the green tree 🥺

CaffeinatedMayhem · May 2021

I wanted to add - I think this bug may affect more than Jabs. Or gamepad ui is just broken at the moment.

When I taunt a boss, so often I see my character taunt, I HEAR the taunt sound but boss is NOT taunted (yes I know what overtaunt is and that is not what I mean). Haven't been able to see fracture/breach reliably for several patches. I can cast a skill (lets say Warden's netch) and SEE the netch, but ADR shows no timer. OR ADR will show a timer but I do not see a netch.

I never hear of Keyboard users having these issues, and it's frustrating when you are the only gamepad user to figure out what is just broken and what is your own mistakes.

leglesslizard · June 2021

Bump.

Issue is still happening on the latest patch (I'm sure nobody is surprised but seems sensible to confirm that is the case).

Was your original tweet created in 2018? Please tell me I'm an idiot and am reading that wrong xD now I've learnt this isn't some kind of lag etc the issue is extremely aggravating

React · June 2021

Can confirm this went live after being ignored during the pts. Gamepad usage on PC hasn't felt this bad in the entire two years I've been over here. Really just sad to see something like this be allowed to go live.

Jameson18 · June 2021

Its been a consistently growing issue on console for at least the last year+.

ZOS_Adrikoth · June 2021

Greetings,

We wanted to let you all know that we are aware of this issue and currently working on a fix. Thank you all for your reports and your patience as we work to resolve this.

BrentBlemish · June 2021

ZOS_Adrikoth wrote: »

Greetings,

We wanted to let you all know that we are aware of this issue and currently working on a fix. Thank you all for your reports and your patience as we work to resolve this.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

baratron · June 2021

Wait... is THIS why I cast abilities and nothing happens?

It never even occurred to me to look at the position of my left stick, but if an ability won't go off, it's pretty consistent that it doesn't... until I move.

Wow.

GreenHere · June 2021

ZOS_Adrikoth wrote: »

Greetings,

We wanted to let you all know that we are aware of this issue and currently working on a fix. Thank you all for your reports and your patience as we work to resolve this.

Thanks for acknowledging this and letting us know a potential fix is in the works! We love it when y'all let us know we're heard like this!

Hotdog_23 · June 2021

Don't get to excited for a fix anytime soon, after all the tweet is from Nov 10, 2018. That's right two and half years ago.

Stay safe and enjoy the journey 😊

PS. ZOS stop the micromanagement of the green tree 🥺

BrentBlemish · June 2021

Hotdog_23 wrote: »

Don't get to excited for a fix anytime soon, after all the tweet is from Nov 10, 2018. That's right two and half years ago.

Stay safe and enjoy the journey 😊

PS. ZOS stop the micromanagement of the green tree 🥺

that specific issue with stamplars was fixed shortly after i made that tweet. I was just using it as an example of what the bug looks like and functions. Like i stated before, its not ALL cone abilities. But abilities like Nox breath are being impacted in the EXACT same way as Jabs were back then. Which WAS fixed. so merely trying to make a point that possibly whatever was causing jabs to function that way, may have now effected other abilities and whatever they used to fix jabs, could be used to fix the current issues.

baratron · June 2021

I tried taking my left thumb off the stick last night during Trials so that it always returned to the default position and - lo and behold - I could cast Combat Prayer 9/10 when I wanted to. Bloody hell!

As a Healer main who requires a gamepad due to disability, this bug has been driving me insane for months. I knew it was something changed in a recent patch, and I knew it had to be gamepad-only because no one else had this problem, but the confirmation last night was so nice.

ZOS, this is very important. Groups use Healers' Combat Prayer uptime as a measure of how good that player is as a Healer. Luckily my friends are friends, and have been willing to put up with me saying "I'm pressing the damned button but it isn't doing anything" for the past couple of months, but I don't like being less effective than I should be. I'm always willing to admit when it's my own incompetence stopping the group from progressing, but in turn this makes it frustrating as all hell when it's some issue in the game itself.

GreenHere · June 2021

baratron wrote: »

I tried taking my left thumb off the stick last night during Trials so that it always returned to the default position and - lo and behold - I could cast Combat Prayer 9/10 when I wanted to. Bloody hell!

As a Healer main who requires a gamepad due to disability, this bug has been driving me insane for months. I knew it was something changed in a recent patch, and I knew it had to be gamepad-only because no one else had this problem, but the confirmation last night was so nice.

ZOS, this is very important. Groups use Healers' Combat Prayer uptime as a measure of how good that player is as a Healer. Luckily my friends are friends, and have been willing to put up with me saying "I'm pressing the damned button but it isn't doing anything" for the past couple of months, but I don't like being less effective than I should be. I'm always willing to admit when it's my own incompetence stopping the group from progressing, but in turn this makes it frustrating as all hell when it's some issue in the game itself.

One weird tip that I've adopted to overcome this issue (...like 3 years ago, when this was still a problem way back then

) is to walk backward slightly when casting these "finicky area-in-front-of-you abilities" so that you're both actually able to cast and so that your character is properly lined up with your reticle. As in, you just briefly pull backward / downward / toward yourself on the left stick when you go to cast these problem abilities; just enough to line yourself up, not enough to really move significantly.

Not sure if it's still a thing, but IIRC skills like Energy Orb, Wardens' Spores, Nightblades' Path, and a slew of other "area in front of you" abilities had an annoying habit of casting where you weren't looking (or casting where you were just previously look, like if an ally was out of stack or something) so they became somewhat unreliable. Doing the little moonwalk shimmy described above almost completely solved this issue for me, though I'd prefer it weren't necessary to go to such lengths for reliable skill casts... (hint hint, ZOS)

Honestly, though, even if they fix this I doubt I'd even notice or be able to stop the moonwalk anyway now. It's a pretty engrained habit that just happens on auto-pilot now!