I'm confused at your direction ZOS

Cooperharley · July 2025

There are SO many under-utilized skill lines in subclassing that should've been buffed (Dark Magic & Shadow for instance). Zero was done. What's the deal? What have we been doing all this time since subclassing launched? Very frustrating and disappointing to see.

Versalium · July 2025

They said in the patch changelog that they're still gathering user feedback before making further changes.

Mayrael · July 2025

So they buffed assassination skill line, nerfed shadow skill line and completly turned upside down sorc buffs...

CameraBeardThePirate · July 2025

Versalium wrote: »

They said in the patch changelog that they're still gathering user feedback before making further changes.

I mean tbf, feedback that the Shadow ultimate is a joke has existed since Beta. There are so many things that have been garbage tier since the game's inception that subclassing gave them an opportunity to buff.

And yet...

MincMincMinc · July 2025

Its the " we want to make the skills used more for their active ability"

"oh yeah btw every skill has these passives now, and sorc can be mad"

Are there two factions in the combat team or something? How do we have vengeance where the entire notion is that the game cant handle the bloated skills that have multiple paragraphs of explanations and buffs....... While at the same time we see the opposite being pushed live.

I think siphoning swallow soul is underutilized, maybe cloak should lose its invis and instead that should be on swallow soul. -> Fixed <-

Marto · July 2025

I don't agree with like half of the changes in this patch, but their direction is fairly clear.

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

This patch will be relatively light with balance adjustments on classes, since we’re still discussing a lot of potential ways to move forward and waiting to see how behaviors, sentiment, and engagement change.

I'm not at all surprised that 3 months after subclassing ZOS hasn't yet reached a consensus on what needs to be changed. Not even the playerbase has reached a consensus on what's good or bad, and why. It'd be foolish to make huge changes until things settle more.

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Abilities like Grim Focus and Bound Armor are often being used purely passively, granting more power than we’re happy with for how simple they’re being used.

This is a fair concern. Grim Focus has for most of the game's history been way too active of a skill, requiring a lot of upkeep and presses. Now it pivoted the other way, and requires too little effort for way too huge of an advantage.
I still think it's an over-nerf though.

What about adding a more moderate weapon/spell damage buff when you shoot the arrow? Something around ~250. That way it still encourages people to use it, instead of just slotting it for free damage.

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Additionally, we’re taking a stab at Ultimate generation and how high it can get by converting many unique Ultimate sources to the Major and Minor system. This will mainly be expressed in the form of class passives like Mountain’s Blessing or Savage Beast – where these passives will still grant the same amount of Ultimate as before, but over a duration and unable to stack with other sources of the effect.

I know people are up in arms about this, but I have to agree with ZOS that ult generation was wayyy too high with subclassing.
Is this an over-nerf? Testing is required.

But even if it is, it might be wiser to keep the minor/major change, and instead work on buffing minor/major heroism instead.