ZOS has already started the class rework and can't leave it hanging. So I think that should have priority.

I have always thought we sorely need new content, but I honestly don't know how they're going to do that with most of the writing team gone. I do not want AI-written content, no matter what.

BretonMage wrote: »

ZOS has already started the class rework and can't leave it hanging. So I think that should have priority.

I have always thought we sorely need new content, but I honestly don't know how they're going to do that with most of the writing team gone. I do not want AI-written content, no matter what.

Ai will probably more be used as a supplement, eg ai writes the first draft amd then writers improve and finalize it...or it creates a first design as a basis / inspiration...so its probably more of a supporting tool, at least thats what im seeing in other companies like software...

Class rework should be their biggest priority, as it's a fundamental system. And balance in the game in both PvE and PvP is currently at its worst state. Leave the content till after, people have lots of content I guarantee they've never touched before to hold them over.

Class balance because i dont see the reworks coming an i an many others have been playing less or not at all because of the DK an WW meta

Complete Class Reworks. There is nothing else more urgent.

Class reworks for sure. I think it's imperative to wrap that up so all classes are in parity.

CatalinaWineMixer2 wrote: »

In the short term, I think they should eliminate Subclassing and use the Class Mastery Passives to right combat, add more of them if necessary. They can update the looks of them and other things later. Then start rolling out whatever content they can while they construct more Classes that will sell themselves and generate fast revenue. And that's what this is probably really about. Money. Delaying the current situation with people's characters will cause more people to leave.

This. Their original plan was to release the class reworks over a 2 year period when they were "fully staffed." Now that staff has been reduced, combat balancing, class reworks, and eliminating subclassing should all be their ONLY priorities. If they leave the game in its current state, it will cause a lot of players to leave or not renew subscriptions which will only create a downward spiral for the game.

An easy/cheap/cost effective way for them to do this is to simply revert subclassing altogether (no need to make drastic changes if subclassing doesn't exist), and THEN do the class/combat refresh from there as the game was closer to being balanced before subclassing.

s3dulo wrote: »

From a PVP perspective 100% the combat refresh needs to get done and if that is going to take a while, the devs should boost the class passives a bit for certain classes. Sorc and DK are in a great place. Those two classes account for more than half of the players I see. The others could use a little extra. The main advantage sorc and dk have is they can get all the sustain they need from either a passive or an ability so they can build entirely into damage and defense. It makes an enormous difference. Sorcs don't even need tri-pots so you have these tanky sorcs using armor pots. That's great. Give the other classes some love though and press on with the refresh.

I wouldn't say DK is in a great place. It is very much overtuned in comparison to the other class and needs to be nerfed unless ALL the class reworks are going to be released in short order. Everyone has figured out what the meta is (corrosive+flamelash) and these DK's are nearly invulnerable because they are so tanky on backbar with great sustain, and they become nigh invulnerable when they go offensive due to the damage reduction of corrosive. Overall, PVP is so unenjoyable because nearly every group is running this build and every fight is just a kiting slot, so me and most of my pvp guilds have been avoiding PVP altogether. It's just not fun and PVP since the latest updates has just been utter garbage.

Sorc is only in a good place right now because mobility+shieldstacking helps it avoid damage altogether, especially from the meta combo corrosive+flamelash and the werewolf builds. Offensively, the Sorc has always been pretty strong with its burst potential vs the other classes.

BXR_Lonestar wrote: »

s3dulo wrote: »

From a PVP perspective 100% the combat refresh needs to get done and if that is going to take a while, the devs should boost the class passives a bit for certain classes. Sorc and DK are in a great place. Those two classes account for more than half of the players I see. The others could use a little extra. The main advantage sorc and dk have is they can get all the sustain they need from either a passive or an ability so they can build entirely into damage and defense. It makes an enormous difference. Sorcs don't even need tri-pots so you have these tanky sorcs using armor pots. That's great. Give the other classes some love though and press on with the refresh.

I wouldn't say DK is in a great place. It is very much overtuned in comparison to the other class and needs to be nerfed unless ALL the class reworks are going to be released in short order. Everyone has figured out what the meta is (corrosive+flamelash) and these DK's are nearly invulnerable because they are so tanky on backbar with great sustain, and they become nigh invulnerable when they go offensive due to the damage reduction of corrosive. Overall, PVP is so unenjoyable because nearly every group is running this build and every fight is just a kiting slot, so me and most of my pvp guilds have been avoiding PVP altogether. It's just not fun and PVP since the latest updates has just been utter garbage.

Sorc is only in a good place right now because mobility+shieldstacking helps it avoid damage altogether, especially from the meta combo corrosive+flamelash and the werewolf builds. Offensively, the Sorc has always been pretty strong with its burst potential vs the other classes.

PvP is in the worst state I can honestly remember. It's nothing but a bunch of small man/ball group shield stacking near unkillable (unless you have a zerg time everything perfectly which almost never happens). It's a ton of griefing.. not actually playing the map or doing anything thats intended.

It's gotten so bad you're seeing people just stop attacking or going to any of these groups and trying to avoid them... so then they all come find you.. never attack each other.. and just poop on everyone... all day every day.

I've lost count of the people who are just done playing and finding another game because of it.

ZoS simply refuses to take a look at this stuff and it's not surprising at all their player base is just falling year after year after year.. now with layoffs...

Installing GW2.

albertberku wrote: »

Reverting everything about combat and PvP to pre-hybridization patch...

Even if all classes will get refreshed, it will still not make sense, due to Sustain being completely irrelevant now.

To begin with, just disable Subclassing in any competetive mode, remove Class Mastery passives and nerf DK/WW to pre-refresh level.

Cute. But they are not going to revert a whole year of work. Especially now almost everybody is agreeing that the game is in better state due to all these systemic changes. And people are now worried that more systemic big changes are being delayed.

They will never 'delete' features that literary ruin every player their build. If you want a more balanced and fair playground with fixed balance, they made a mode for that.

Ishtarknows wrote: »

Everyone is going on about the class rework, and yes as it stands it's barely been started, and should continue, but if continuing this endeavour is all we're to expect as output for the foreseeable future then there will be nothing for me to do with my shiny new reworked skills.

It's all well and good catering for the newbies and trying to attract new players, but without the "old guard" the game is a shell of what it used to be. Who'll be there to lead lower levels through their first trials, lead helpful guilds who include everyone in trials, overland exploration etc?
We need new content at least as much imo. Shined up skill lines are not content. We need new interactive content like questlines, dungeons, trials, delves, arenas etc and without new content I'm sad to say, there's very little for me (and many other longtime players) to do when they log in. I'm already playing much less that I did last year simply because there's nothing left for me to do.

I would totally agree with you if the class rework was completed, but it has only just begun. The amount of new content we could get as a result of the layoffs is undetermined at this time, and what would that new content be scaled to? The reworked classes or the old classes? This presents a problem in itself.