Which status effects work toward the CP star Survival Instincts - mystery solved (video analysis)!

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Dear ZOS/Combat dev. team, could you pls explain how exactly the CP star Survival Instincts is functioning?

- "Survival Instincts: While afflicted with a Status Effect, your core combat skills cost 5% less per stage." -

I have analyzed my recordings in slomo and it shows just strange behavior. The addon srendaar is running that shows the negative effects on me during a fight. The examples i will talk about here are from the course of 7 sec. consecutive in a recorded fight (PvP in CP IC EU Server):

First breakfree:

The moment i have to breakfree i have 6 negative effects on me. In detail: minor magickasteal, structured entropy, minor vulnerabiliy, arctic blast, major breach, minor mangle. According to my stam bar breakfree costs 4921, thats the same value my advanced stats show, so this cp star is not working here in this moment. (I asume breakfree is a core combat skill on which the cp star should work.)

Second block cost:

I had to block for full 4 sec while being attacked by 3 players and a patrolling horror same time in IC. At the begining of blocking i have 7 negative effects on me. In detail: minor magickasteal, structured entropy, minor vulnerabiliy, plague carrier, major breach, off balance, purifying light.
For the first 2 sec blocking costs 1607 every 0.25sec, thats the value my stats show, so the cp is not working here either.
-> After about 2 sec blocking costs 1205 for the next 2 sec, so the cp star is kicking in here. Nothing is changing on my negative effects, exept some of them are renewed. Note that none of these effects is one of the classic status effects like burning, or poisoned that everybody thinks is a status effect. At second 3 after the start of blocking another 3 effects are added: minor mangle, burning, wild impulse.

How can this be explained?

The only 2 explenations i come across are:
- 1., its just buggy or
- 2., its the lag. The fight was during normal lag in IC (EU server, atm we have no new server hardware here), it was a bit better then normal tbh, so there was some lag but it was like every normal day in IC (so way better then in cyrodiil). On the other hand i just cant imagine that the server takes 2 full seconds to register the function of the cp star. Yes srendarr takes some time to register and show the effects but thats like 300 millisec or something but not 2 full sec. If the burning status effect would play a role here then the cp star would kick in a full second before burning is shown, (and its a full second, not the fraction of a seconds, its even slightly longer then 1 second) so i cant imagine that would be the case, because the lag has to be counted in, skills took some time untill they registered, like we all know it and 1 full second before the effect is applied seems to be to long that i could believe this as reason.

So how could this be explained? I would really love to have one of the combat dev team to explain this. If this would be really happening (what i dont believe), then pls explain also what counts as status effect and what counts as elemental status effect and is there difference?

Anyone else has any assumptions?

Mr_Stach · May 2022

Status Effects =/= Major/Minor Debuffs

Here's an older list, there's been some more added more recently.

ELEMENTAL STATUSES

Chilled - Applies Snared i.e. slows movement speed by 40% for 5 sec. Chance to proc from any frost damage (frost staff, frost enchants, Ice Comet (mages guild)).

Concussion - Applies Minor Maim i.e. reduces damage done by 15% for 4 sec. Animation: electric sparkles. Chance to proc from any lightning damage (sorcerer storm calling spells, lightning staff and shock enchants).

Burning - Flame damage over time for 3 sec (tics 3 times, every 1,5sec). Chance to proc from any flame damage (dragon knight ardent flame skills, flame staff and flame enchants).

DISABLING EFFECTS: complete loss of control of the character

Knocked Down – Totally disabled: knocked to the ground and cannot move or perform actions (duration varies between spells, 2-3.5 seconds). During knocked down status one cannot be pulled or knocked back. Example: Crystal Shard (sorcerer), stonefist (DK).

Stunned – Unable to move, attack, or perform any actions, susceptible to further cc during stun. Example: Shield Charge (1H&S), Toppling Charge (Templar).

Off balance - Short disable that breaks on damage taken AND vulnerability to Heavy Attack (even partially charged) causing Knocked Down. Off balance vulnerability lasts regardless of damage taken for 4 sec unless utilized by heavy attack sooner. Animation: White glowing circle/spiral above head. Blocking enemy’s heavy melee attack or interrupting an enemy cast knocks them off balance and opens them to your Heavy attack and consecutive Knocked Down effect. Also is an effect from many class and weapon skills.

Disoriented – Long but fragile disable (cannot move/perform action) that will break from any damage taken. From many class and weapon spells, Rune Prison (sorcerer), Shock Touch (shock staff), Scatter shot (bow).

Silenced – Unable to cast spells, can move and use physical attacks. From Negate Magic (sorcerer). Countered by Immovable (heavy armor skill), Break free or moving out of the area.

Feared – Running away from the caster unable to perform any actions. Example: Aspect of Terror (Nightblade), Turn Undead (Fighter’s Guild), Roar (Werewolf).

Pull – Pulled to the caster, while in air unable to perform any actions. Examples: Silver leash (Fighter’s Guild), Fiery Grip (DK). Counts as hard cc as it triggers immunity on target in pvp.

Knockback - Pushed away from caster for 5 meters. Note: Spells can have Knockback in conjunction with other status effects like a knock down/stun/disorient effect (like Binding Javelin, Fire Clench, Scatter Shot), or as a plain knockback (like Piercing Javelin or Fire Touch).

SOFT CC: hinder movement (flying creatures are immune to these)

Immobile – Rooted i.e. unable to move, but can attack/perform actions. For example: Dark talons (DK), Encase (sorcerer), Stampede (2h). Note: Frost Touch (frost staff) has Deep freeze and Deeper freeze effects that seem to be equal to an immobilize, but an elemental effect.

Snared - Slowed movement speed, but can perform attacks or other actions. Percentage varying between spells? Animation: cloudy effect around feet. Example: Low Slash (1H&S), Sun Fire (Templar).

OTHER

Taunted – Forced to attack you (PvE only) for 15 sec. Only from Puncture (1H&S) and Inner Fire (Undaunted) and their morphs.

Blind - Raised chance to miss, percentage varies from spell to spell. Removed from player abilities, but some NPCs use it. Also available as armor set bonus (Akatosh's blessed armor).

Bleed - Physical damage over time, most commonly 10 sec. From passive traits for axes and some weapon attacks.

Poisoned - Poison damage over time for 12 sec (tics 7 times every 2 sec, damage per tic approximately half of burning tic). Chance to proc from poison damage (poison enchants and certain weapon attacks such as Venom arrow or Lethal Arrow (Bow). Note: Poison is often applied in conjunction with healing reduction effect, but is a separate effect.

Diseased - Applies Minor Defile debuff for couple of seconds that reduces healing taken by 15% (suggested to be reduced health regeneration too). Animation: green cloud and health bar has inward arrowheads. Chance to proc from any disease damage (meat bag siege catapults, werewolf infectious claws and foul weapon enchants).

Immovability – “Immunity to knockback and disabling effects”, does not affect soft cc. Animation effect: swirling wind around the character). Gained when hard CC ends (naturally or when broken/reflected), from activating Immovable (heavy armour skill) or from potions.

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Mr_Stach wrote: »

Status Effects =/= Major/Minor Debuffs

Here's an older list, there's been some more added more recently.

ELEMENTAL STATUSES

Chilled - Applies Snared i.e. slows movement speed by 40% for 5 sec. Chance to proc from any frost damage (frost staff, frost enchants, Ice Comet (mages guild)).

Concussion - Applies Minor Maim i.e. reduces damage done by 15% for 4 sec. Animation: electric sparkles. Chance to proc from any lightning damage (sorcerer storm calling spells, lightning staff and shock enchants).

Burning - Flame damage over time for 3 sec (tics 3 times, every 1,5sec). Chance to proc from any flame damage (dragon knight ardent flame skills, flame staff and flame enchants).

DISABLING EFFECTS: complete loss of control of the character

Knocked Down – Totally disabled: knocked to the ground and cannot move or perform actions (duration varies between spells, 2-3.5 seconds). During knocked down status one cannot be pulled or knocked back. Example: Crystal Shard (sorcerer), stonefist (DK).

Stunned – Unable to move, attack, or perform any actions, susceptible to further cc during stun. Example: Shield Charge (1H&S), Toppling Charge (Templar).

Off balance - Short disable that breaks on damage taken AND vulnerability to Heavy Attack (even partially charged) causing Knocked Down. Off balance vulnerability lasts regardless of damage taken for 4 sec unless utilized by heavy attack sooner. Animation: White glowing circle/spiral above head. Blocking enemy’s heavy melee attack or interrupting an enemy cast knocks them off balance and opens them to your Heavy attack and consecutive Knocked Down effect. Also is an effect from many class and weapon skills.

Disoriented – Long but fragile disable (cannot move/perform action) that will break from any damage taken. From many class and weapon spells, Rune Prison (sorcerer), Shock Touch (shock staff), Scatter shot (bow).

Silenced – Unable to cast spells, can move and use physical attacks. From Negate Magic (sorcerer). Countered by Immovable (heavy armor skill), Break free or moving out of the area.

Feared – Running away from the caster unable to perform any actions. Example: Aspect of Terror (Nightblade), Turn Undead (Fighter’s Guild), Roar (Werewolf).

Pull – Pulled to the caster, while in air unable to perform any actions. Examples: Silver leash (Fighter’s Guild), Fiery Grip (DK). Counts as hard cc as it triggers immunity on target in pvp.

Knockback - Pushed away from caster for 5 meters. Note: Spells can have Knockback in conjunction with other status effects like a knock down/stun/disorient effect (like Binding Javelin, Fire Clench, Scatter Shot), or as a plain knockback (like Piercing Javelin or Fire Touch).

SOFT CC: hinder movement (flying creatures are immune to these)

Immobile – Rooted i.e. unable to move, but can attack/perform actions. For example: Dark talons (DK), Encase (sorcerer), Stampede (2h). Note: Frost Touch (frost staff) has Deep freeze and Deeper freeze effects that seem to be equal to an immobilize, but an elemental effect.

Snared - Slowed movement speed, but can perform attacks or other actions. Percentage varying between spells? Animation: cloudy effect around feet. Example: Low Slash (1H&S), Sun Fire (Templar).

OTHER

Taunted – Forced to attack you (PvE only) for 15 sec. Only from Puncture (1H&S) and Inner Fire (Undaunted) and their morphs.

Blind - Raised chance to miss, percentage varies from spell to spell. Removed from player abilities, but some NPCs use it. Also available as armor set bonus (Akatosh's blessed armor).

Bleed - Physical damage over time, most commonly 10 sec. From passive traits for axes and some weapon attacks.

Poisoned - Poison damage over time for 12 sec (tics 7 times every 2 sec, damage per tic approximately half of burning tic). Chance to proc from poison damage (poison enchants and certain weapon attacks such as Venom arrow or Lethal Arrow (Bow). Note: Poison is often applied in conjunction with healing reduction effect, but is a separate effect.

Diseased - Applies Minor Defile debuff for couple of seconds that reduces healing taken by 15% (suggested to be reduced health regeneration too). Animation: green cloud and health bar has inward arrowheads. Chance to proc from any disease damage (meat bag siege catapults, werewolf infectious claws and foul weapon enchants).

Immovability – “Immunity to knockback and disabling effects”, does not affect soft cc. Animation effect: swirling wind around the character). Gained when hard CC ends (naturally or when broken/reflected), from activating Immovable (heavy armour skill) or from potions.

Thank you. I know that list and ive just seen that alcast has updated his status effect side. That must have happened recently because i frequently check this page. Im still trying to figure out when exactly the cp star kicks in for block cost.

Edit: This seems to be kind of a old list, which is not correct in every detail (anymore), i would refer to the list Alcast has on his status effect page: https://alcasthq.com/eso-status-effects/

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Ok i checked some other recordings and what i can say so far is, breakfree seems to be no core combat skill (what i believed it is) because the cost for it seems not to be reduced and off balance seems to be a status effect that works for this cp star, so in the above example it kicked in 2 full sec too late, it should have been active from the beginning becuase off balance was. I call that a bug.

Mr_Stach · May 2022

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Mr_Stach wrote: »

Right, so breakfree is a core combat ability. Anyone has an example when the breakfree cost was reduced by this cp star?

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Ok i found an example in my recordings when breakfree cost was reduced while burning. Still the behavior of the cp star looks not very consistent concerning timing and onset. So when the timing of the calculation is this shaky, what is with things like the bloodthirsty trait - is that even aplied accuratly??

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

What ive derived and learned from this so far is:

The only elemental status effects with a duration and therefore the only ones that count toward this cp star are:

Burning
Poisoned
Hemorrhaging

Eg minor vulnerabiliy is no status effect (at least not in ZOS logic!? toward this cp star). It is proced from the concussed status effect but this has no duration but is aplied instantly. So is it with all other elemtal status effects, except these 3.

What elemental status effects are describes Alcast on his Elemetal Status Page (https://alcasthq.com/eso-status-effects/):

"Elemental Status Effects

Elemental status Effects or also known as secondary effects that are triggered from combat mechanics. Every elemental effect can trigger these additional effects.

Fire (Burning Status Effect): Target burns for additional damage over 4 seconds.
Lightning (Concussed Status Effect): Instant damage. Applies Minor Vulnerability for 4 seconds, increasing their damage taken.
Frost (Chilled Status Effect): Instant damage. Applies Minor Maim for 4 seconds, reducing target’s damage done. Also applies Minor Brittle increasing the critical damage done to the target.
Disease (Diseased Status Effect): Instant damage. Applies Minor Defile for 4 seconds, decreasing healing taken and health recovery.
Poison (Poison Status Effect): Deals Poison Damage over 6 seconds.
Physical (Sundered Status Effect): Instant damage, Applies Minor Breach for 4 seconds, reducing Armor.
Magic (Overcharged Status Effect): Instant damage. Applies Minor Magickasteal for 4 seconds, causing attackers to restore Magicka.
Bleed (Hemorrhaging Status Effect): Target bleeds over 4 seconds, and applies Minor Mangle for the duration, reducing their Max Health."

The only other effect that ive found that works toward survival instincts is:

Off balance

It cannot be stunned, otherwise every breakfree would be reduced in cost, what is not the case.
Im unsure if immobilized, or snared is working toward it. I have to check my redordings for this.

Therefore the only status effects ive found so far by video analysis that work toward the cp star survival instincts are:

Burning
Poisoned
Hemorrhaging
Off balance

Mr_Stach · May 2022

Good work! Glad I could help out a little

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

Mr_Stach wrote: »

Good work! Glad I could help out a little

TY!^^

hirins · May 2022

great work mate! so the question: shoul i slot the this cp when im in pvp?

Mr_Stach · May 2022

hirins wrote: »

great work mate! so the question: shoul i slot the this cp when im in pvp?

That is probably where you'll get the most use out of it

silver1surfer69 · May 2022

hirins wrote: »

great work mate! so the question: shoul i slot the this cp when im in pvp?

TY!^^ Yes its a good cp in pvp. I thougt the uptime would be higher, but my analysis showed its only that 4 effects when its up. Its still good. Depends a bit what playstyle u have, dodge heavy, block heavy, mitigation by speed... but its kinda something for everybody in it. My main focus is to reduce block cost by it and thats kinda worth it - sometimes.