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Combine Stam & Magicka into 1 simple "Power Bar"

  • BretonMage
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    Stamina is a resource that derives from the physical aspect of your character, whilst magicka is a resource from the mental/spiritual aspect of your character. They're two completely different things. Hybridisation messed it up a bit but removing any remaining semblance of lore from the combat system would strip the game of its identity.
    Arunei wrote: »
    Frayton wrote: »
    dubq77 wrote: »
    Frayton wrote: »
    Adhering to old ESO gameplay has long gone out the window. Hybridization is a prime example of that.

    Still a bad idea. Should sprinting then consume this theoretical "power bar"? No thanks.

    I think it's weird that blocking can cost magicka if we want instead of stamina, but here we are.
    Because things like wards and barriers exist in this universe. Multiple Skills have the words in their names, multiple spells throughout the franchise focus around those abilities. Blocking consuming Magicka can 1000% be taken to mean you're channeling Magicka into whatever you're blocking with to reinforce it and essentially make it like a ward.

    You're supposed to cast a specific spell to ward/shield with magicka. This is just a gamified mechanic to have physical blocking cost magicka, we don't need to try to make up lore-based excuses for it.
  • fizzylu
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    I think it makes perfect sense the way it is and this would just be oversimplification.
  • CameraBeardThePirate
    CameraBeardThePirate
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    We should also make light attacks just cycle through each ability on your bar, since pressing 6 different ability keys is needlessly complicated!
  • XVestigeXx
    XVestigeXx
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    I think this is a terrible idea for multiple reasons. This would probably destroy the game at a foundational level for no benefit
  • Dithieon
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    Nah, we good.
    "There is a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand" - Ser Jorah Mormont




    XBOX NA/EU
  • SerafinaWaterstar
    SerafinaWaterstar
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    Really what is the difference? They both use a resource. Historical agreements are fine but this game has long since moved past any resemblance to original lore and been better for it in most cases. It would clean up so much and keep things simpler.

    No, it would not.

    Simpler? By making them have to completely redo the whole of combat, not to mention sets & skills & potions & food, plus sort out how running uses stamina not magic.

    No disrespect to the OP, but this is one of the most ludicrous ideas yet. Well done. 😜
  • disky
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    I'm not generally one to dogpile, but as others have said, this is a fundamental part of what makes the game an Elder Scrolls game. It should not happen.
  • peacenote
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    I wouldn't enjoy this change, both from a lore perspective and from a combat complexity perspective. Too boring with one less pool.
    My #1 wish for ESO Today: Decouple achievements from character progress and tracking.
    • Vote for this HERE
    • Advocate for this HERE.
    • Want the history of this issue? It's HERE.
  • El_Borracho
    El_Borracho
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    Sabre wrote: »
    ESO could be further simplified by eliminating Stamina and Magicka by combining them into 1 simple 'Power Bar'. The stamina distinction of block, sprint, dodge roll, etc should no longer unfairly favor 'stamina' over magicka as a resource since many other elements of the system no longer respect a clear distinction between these two resources.

    Neat. And while we're at it, lets replace mounts with exotic cars and skills with different types of firearms. Perhaps add some tubes and plants that eat people. And maybe make set it in space. Or the old west. Why keep anything that makes ESO the game it is supposed to be?
  • Supreme_Atromancer
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    Neat. And while we're at it, lets replace mounts with exotic cars and skills with different types of firearms. Perhaps add some tubes and plants that eat people. And maybe make set it in space. Or the old west. Why keep anything that makes ESO the game it is supposed to be?

    Yep! Once the franchise name has launched your game to huge levels of success, you can just do away with all the annoying "historical" identity stuff because its just too hard.
    BretonMage wrote: »
    You're supposed to cast a specific spell to ward/shield with magicka. This is just a gamified mechanic to have physical blocking cost magicka, we don't need to try to make up lore-based excuses for it.

    I broadly agree with you; It makes me sad when they made hybridisation changes for mechanical balance that make no sense in the fiction, as if the fiction were not important. But in the case of magicka blocking, I'd be happy if they'd given them some sort of cool "magical ward" blocking animation or something. That would feel a lot better, for me.
  • Valkanos
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    You guys are forgetting that this is Elder Scrolls Online, not another game.
    Elsewhere, "mana" or other terms are used to define a generic power, but here we are in ESO, where we historically have Magicka and Stamina.
    We cannot/should not violate the foundations of the game.

    You're not wrong... but if that were "really true", then why is the best Sorcerer DPS build Stamina? Shouldn't it be Magicka? And the same applies to some other classes.
    And you say, "We cannot/should not violate the foundations of the game". What foundations?! We've already been ignoring those for so long. We can include roles in this discussion as well as the game's core design, but that would be another discussion that probably goes nowhere.

    And this is an Elder Scrolls Online game, not some other game, as you said. But this is NOT an Elder Scrolls game anymore. It hasn't been for a long time. We traded all of that for a DPS only game.

    Edited by Valkanos on August 14, 2026 7:10AM
  • INM
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    An obvious satire from the OP on the current state of the game, and he isn't exactly wrong, per se, as both resources essentially function as mana of a different color. And to all lore apologists: in single-player games, warriors couldn't spawn a magical spear out of their arses, turn into wind, blink through shadows, or breathe fire.
  • Silaf
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    Personally i like hybridization to be reversed it was better before.
  • Valkanos
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    INM wrote: »
    An obvious satire from the OP on the current state of the game, and he isn't exactly wrong, per se, as both resources essentially function as mana of a different color. And to all lore apologists: in single-player games, warriors couldn't spawn a magical spear out of their arses, turn into wind, blink through shadows, or breathe fire.

    Well... that's why they are "warriors" and not Sorcerers or practitioners of other Magicka schools. Warriors use blades and shields. Sorcerers use... Magicka. That's how it has always been, and it should never change.
    Only a big company like ZoS has the ability to mess with all of this. Any other company would probably have its servers shut down after two days.
  • YffresTrill
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    I strongly dislike hybridisation and like some others wish it would be reversed, but sadly they are doubling down on this in the upcoming patch, so that is a pipe dream at this point.

    It does not make any thematic sense for stamina to create magical effects. Because I dislike it so much, I avoid it in my roleplay (all but one of my characters have roleplay builds exclusively) as much as possible.

    I don't know if this post is satirical, but either way, I would like to keep the magicka and stamina bars as they are. At least as it is, we still have the option of using both in thematically appropriate ways, even if it is not at all meta (or possibly even effective).

    (Edit for typo.)
    Edited by YffresTrill on August 14, 2026 9:08AM
    @ Yffre'sTrill - PC/EU (No Steam)
  • Toanis
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    Weapon and Spell Power should be converted into one "Power" stat, same for "Critical"
    But having separate physical endurance and magical potency stats is a staple of the genre, and it's an often used trope that a character who has exhausted one pool has a comeback showing that his true mastery lies in the other.
  • Sabre
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    The original post is a little tongue in cheek in concept. The post points out the premise that Hybridization and Subclassing are wrong and should be reverted 100%. In fact, this poster believes these two things are one of the biggest factors that have and will continue to kill this great game.

    The irony of the post is that, as some have pointed out in the comments...magicka and stamina are clearly separate, and should be so in a high fantasy game like eso. However, the game continues down this spiral of giving away alls skills to everyone.

    Prior to hybrid/subclassing, each class was essentially 3-4 different classes depending upon the *choices* and path a player chose to pursue. Those attribute and skill choices could be changed at a shrine. It all worked. And, most importantly, magicka and stamina were separate. Magicka having more magicka class morphs, while stam had more weapons use vs only a staff for mag. It balanced out that way and it worked with stam, tank, mag, heal distinction.

    Hybrid and Sublass destroyed these choices, interesting builds. Now it is all dumbed down to nothing. MMO players in the end like distinction, choices, build paths, etc. Plus, combat is now a mess. ESO claimed last year that they were not releasing a chapter, and were going to balance and focus on game mechanics, even pvp. Then...Subclassing. A cheap quest re-selling the same skill to everyone. And...it created a bigger mess...no balance, no game mech...it went the opposite direction.
  • FelisCatus
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    Sabre wrote: »
    ESO could be further simplified by eliminating Stamina and Magicka by combining them into 1 simple 'Power Bar'. The stamina distinction of block, sprint, dodge roll, etc should no longer unfairly favor 'stamina' over magicka as a resource since many other elements of the system no longer respect a clear distinction between these two resources.

    Whilst it would be easier it could go against the reoccurring theme of elder scrolls 3 resource pools.
  • Artem_gig
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    No, it would cease to be an Elder Scrolls game if that happened. Stamina and Magicka have existed since at least TES III: Morrowind

    Actually, the division into stamina and mana appeared back in the arena, so this is the foundation of the entire series.
  • Yudo
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    I agree with OP, hybridization is bad and should be reverted.
  • Kilthor69
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    Sabre wrote: »
    ESO could be further simplified by eliminating Stamina and Magicka by combining them into 1 simple 'Power Bar'. The stamina distinction of block, sprint, dodge roll, etc should no longer unfairly favor 'stamina' over magicka as a resource since many other elements of the system no longer respect a clear distinction between these two resources.

    NO, just no.
  • Oceanchanter
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    No.
    Too many things rely on this separation.
    From obvious things like tanks actually needing stamina to block (which other roles don't really invest into) to less obvious ones like silencing the player allows them to cast stamina abilities but blocks magicka skills from being cast.

    I'm happy that abilities now scale from, unless stated otherwise, your highest resource so you can have a bit more flexibility (like having a stamina skill or two on your magicka character).
    But too much flexibility would null any character/class/build identity.

    And, unless I'm wrong, hybrydization's goal is to clean up and declutter things, which would lead to smoother tuning in the future.

    Why not go further and just remove classes altogether?
    Instead, a big "pool of power" you draw from. Everything is fair now because you can just build your own class/character from scratch without drawbacks.

    A small nod to the classes even existing would be that every "class" starts from different part of the "pool of power", so an echo of most optimal "classes" to build discussions can be heard.
    Like Sorcerer starting closer to clusters of Magicka.

    Oh, wait, I just described Path of Exile.
    Game being inspired by Diablo series.
    Where everything uses Mana (rare cases of HP or Energy Shields), "classes" and builds have identity on paper, and you have a massive talent tree you build your character from.
    Totally different game with completely different goals, concepts, and origin to call back/reference to.
  • Ordinator199
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    I say: remove the health pool instead, we are a vestige spirit anyhow, why should we be dying
  • Oceanchanter
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    I say: remove the health pool instead, we are a vestige spirit anyhow, why should we be dying

    You're actually right
    It's been so long ago I actually forgot about the whole plothook.
  • kojou
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    I would have liked to see the hybridization move in a direction where all skills (Items on your skill bar) use magicka, but feats (sprinting, sneaking, blocking, etc) use stamina, but not the outright consolidation of the 2 resources.

    I think that ship has long sailed though. It would be too large of an effort for the current development team and it wouldn't really improve gameplay in a way that would be universally liked.

    At this point, the community should just pitch for minor adjustments to outliers and not complete restructuring, as I don't have very much confidence in any major change coming without a lot of bugs and unintended side effects that will never get addressed.

    Playing since beta...
  • tixiyweter
    tixiyweter
    Soul Shriven
    Do not think that such thing would be made, the same time sets that now only have stamina or mana bonus can be changed to give both - it is good idea for not used sets because of useless mana or stamina bonuses.
  • tomofhyrule
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    Welcome to the problem with satire: a lot of people don’t understand it’s satire.

    I’m not a giant fan of hybridization, and I think it’s gone overboard. There is a reason to have some skills cost magicka and others cost stam, but this desire to make everyone be able to do anything with any build really makes the two resource bars feel meaningless.

    I’ve always been of the opinion that if a skill is magical in nature (i.e. summoning things or casting spells, like most Class skills), then it should cost magicka. A more physical skill (i.e. actual attacks without spell effects, like most non-staff weapon skills) should cost stamina. If you want to be a barbarian, then logically you should not be an archmage and vice versa.

    After all, look at the number of people going on about “but but but look how it was done in the previous Elder Scrolls games!!!” above. Why not apply this same logic? Or did I miss the game that let you cast a fireball using your stamina instead of magicka?

    The current Werewolf arguments of “I want to make a mag werewolf!” just seem strange since werewolves in the series have always had stamina-based power attacks and you weren’t able to cast spells. But now the idea of being expected to focus stamina for your werewolves (even the concept of having a stam-based armory loadout for your normally mag-based wizard) is meeting a lot of resistance. I could just as well point out the ridiculousness of a stamina-based beam of magic (Fatecarver), or a stamina-based fire breath.

    I doubt it will ever change at this point, but personally I wish that they’d remove this “coat based on max resource” idea and make a decision of “does it look like a spell or not?” And if you want to power through with spells, you should be based on mag. A stam character should them focus on melee (or bow) attacks and mobility and blocking.
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