The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online is receiving Update 35 in August, which is supposed to bring changes to the combat system. MeinMMO author MiezeMelli is critical of the changes. This will significantly alter the player experience.
Performance should be rewarding. In every context, even in a game. This gives ambitious players like me the incentive to play. I quickly lose interest and get bored with simple tasks. I also started very small in ESO and had no idea about MMOs, DPS, and weaving.
But at some point, I wanted to improve, to take down bosses before they could even lift a finger. And so I stood at the training dummy for hours every day to raise the numbers.
It was tremendous fun to see small progress every day. Competing with stronger players really motivated me to keep practicing. I was truly challenged and find it absolutely justified that players who master weaving are significantly stronger. The high numbers represent a direct reward for me.
That is what makes the fast combat system in ESO special for me, and this is how the MMORPG has distinguished itself from other titles in the genre. I find it unappealing to just mindlessly cast a bunch of skills back-to-back on cooldown.
I have been playing ESO for almost 8 years, have been part of the official stream team since 2020, and one of the biggest incentives to keep playing has always been the prospect of personal improvement. If I can handle the combat system better, my performance will also improve. But that is exactly what the new update aims to change.
The latest major update from ESO is High Isle. You can find all information about High Isle in our article here and in the video the trailer for the update:
ESO no longer rewards me for getting better
The damage from light and heavy attacks will no longer scale with attributes. Thus, the damage is reduced. Combat effects that increase damage will last longer.
The developers’ argument is a supposed discrepancy between players who are able to weave and are therefore significantly stronger, and those who cannot master it – thus are weaker.
It is a peculiarity of the game that we have now accepted as such, as our combat feels different and exciting or challenging as soon as you have understood the basics. However, weaving significantly affects the performance, resulting in players who do not fully master this falling far behind those who can.
PREVIEW OF THE COMBAT SYSTEM WITH UPDATE 35 – 07/06/2022
Unfortunately, I do not see anything positive here, as it seems to me to be a slow but steady development towards a less demanding combat system.
The changes are endgame dumping
In my article about the combat changes in update 33, I already criticized this point. Especially for long-time players, this is an absolute downgrade. This part of the community looks for new challenges. With the extension of combat effects, I envision fighting as a bit like driving on the highway for hours: boring and monotonous.
The Nightblade is my favorite class for a reason – with frequent weapon switching and the high importance of light attacks. This playstyle feels dynamic and exciting.
I absolutely do not agree with the developers’ argument that the above-mentioned change would mean less focus on the ability bar. Of course, you need to focus on that, regardless of which number is ticking down.
This may not concern the majority, but the trend has been continuing for what feels like an eternity. ESO has been primarily catering to new players for quite some time and has forgotten the veterans.
There is a continuous effort to bring down the high damage numbers of strong players. It would be refreshing to have something different. Because the upcoming damage cuts primarily affect the players in the endgame again. It’s really getting annoying.
In the endgame, players want to stand out from the crowd. I find it frustrating when there is always a barrier put up, following the motto: “No. You are too good, that’s not how this works.”
Where is the fun competition?
It’s like playing football without counting the goals, and in the end, everyone wins. That’s no fun! There will continue to be a difference, but it will likely become smaller and smaller. At some point, I find myself asking: Why bother? I really find that unfortunate and it definitely takes away some of the fun of playing for me.
I know that the changes will certainly trigger controversies in the community. The perspective on the upcoming changes strongly depends on what type of player one is. We have a small quiz at MeinMMO: What type of player are you in The Elder Scrolls Online?
What do you think of the changes? Are you frustrated or looking forward to it? Do you share my opinion or see it completely differently? Let us know!
