The simple solution to this problem is to remove smart heals.

You see what the problem is? ZoS knows this to be true as well and there is no known solution to this problem at this point. There are two things that are constant in this game.

1. Smart Healing
2. 5 slot bars for skills.

As you may know, although this game got it's start on PC, it was always built with console in mind. Even though they've thrown a lot of weight on one pillar and it's to it's breaking point, they can't do the same for the other.

Games need a way to make a player feel like they are progressing in it. During the beta and at the beginning of the game, certain people assured us that the 5 slot was more than plenty for what we wanted to do in the game. Going up VR levels at the time was a way to feel like one was going up. However, when will it stop? Do they add more VR levels and release new dungeons/DLC that the player grinds to increase it? (Thank goodness they didn't go that route!)It's not sellable.

So how could they increase DPS output and make it sellable? That 5 slot limit was there to keep balance in the game and also allow console players to play it. A huge problem is that it limited DPS output as players could not put more skills on their bar. So someone borrowed an idea from another popular MMO (This is where I believe the start of ESO losing it's identity started) and used it to get around the 5 slot limitation. This gave a player a 6th skill at no cost to them. Proctocalypse as they called it. it was widely popular with their consumers. It increased DPS and was still survivable to those who didn't have it. So they saw no problem continuing the trend. Then they started putting more skills at no cost with 2 set pieces...then now they've placed even more skills in one set piece.

The limitations and balance that the 5 slots gave were thrown out the window. This is why PVP will NEVER be balanced. When people now have a 6th, 7, 8th, ...now with oaken soul 15th skill at a pseudo cost to NO COST to them. Who do you think is going to win? A person managing their resources with no procs and only skills on their skill bar or a person who can do 33k damage with a heavy attack and still have their resources stacked at full?

Look for PVE I am with all of you with these overpowered sets. Why not? Nobody wants to waste time in a dungeon. It's why DPS is king in ESO and there is no respect for tank and healers other than to be there for 1-4 times where glass DPS can't live. However, when one allows this same set in PVP and ignores the input from their players. We all know what is up.

It did not matter that oakensoul took 5 slots because it's the equivalent of having 7 skills at once if not more. In PVP not only do I have to pay for slots, I ALSO HAVE TO PAY RESOURCES to put those buffs on me. Oh and I tried to use Daedric Trickery too.

Here's how it went,
Opponent: Leap...8-10 seconds Leap....I am still doing damage control from the first leap. I am still waiting for my ulti to go up. I am still waiting for my resources to comeback. I am trying to find a way to bar swap to put back on my buffs.

So there is about 1-2 seconds where I am vulnerable trying to put on buffs. Maybe more due to bar swap. I am paying resources and slots to put on buffs. I can only generate ultimate while attacking...which they continue to do non stop as they know they also will get ultimate as well AND Major heroism and out ulti me 2-1. This isn't fun PVP at all. I know I am the loser at all points at all times. Its Player vs the fodder. Which I am not going into BGs or Cyro to be.

Let's get back to this healing thing. Smart healing. The big problem ZoS can't do anything about that makes me smile. You see they borrowed a way to get around the 5 slot limitation that changed the identity of the game. However smart healing is like the skeleton that keeps pulling them back down.

The solution to fixing lag is to remove smart healing and change it to targeting healing and self healing. The problem is the WHOLE game is balanced around the current healing system. Not only that they'd have to find creative ways to use a targeting system on console. Smart Healing is woven into the game like the dark matter is to the universe.

By removing smart healing a lot of problems are solved in pvp...One being the fact that once these people have to stop and aim, they can't run around like a heal train.

For example instead of being able to run around spamming echoing vigor, it can only be placed as a circle on the ground like Heal Springs (which I never see being used lol)
Instead of auto healing with rapid regen or breath of life. they must choose who will be healed manually.

This forces the team to stop for a while and makes people vulnerable to attack. it also probably cuts the information sent to the server. As it's only looking to one person and healing those people no questions asked. No moving people around in some type of queue where the heal points at the lowest health people and has to maybe wait and see who has lower health before applying it.

I've though of some creative ways to implement this on console and PC. Of course the backlash would be strong. Healers won't be a DPS with the highest stats. They'll need more thought and skill.

Whoops I forgot to say that by switching the mechanism of the game, we might as well be called another game. So the ZoS team is stuck in a dilemma.They can't change that smart heal...and we all have to accept that the game will lag in PVP due to ball groups running the heal train all over the place. Otherwise use resources to build a different game. Which doesn't make business sense. However, I say WHY NOT! you already destroyed it's identity (CORRECTION, COMBAT IDENTITY) years ago.

I find it funny that the 5 bar slot pillar has become so brittle over the years and yet the smart heals pillar was lightly touched. it shows that any change in that pillar will collapse all of ESO and when rebuilt would it even be called ESO? The sad part is that the 5 slot pillar is about to collapse. Even though they tried propping it up with other pillars, those all ignored balance. So when they place something on top of it the imbalances will topple the whole system over. It was truly the 5 slots that was still holding it up. It's like Jenga, how much could they chip away from 5 slot system to build this new system before it all came crashing down. So either way new changes are coming for sure.

Honestly I think most of their cash comes from console players. Make change that bold, who knows what will happen. Even if it's the right call. All one can do now is just accept it as the games limitation. Unless some Genius appears.