When Update 18 goes live for PC on May 21, players can expect not only the The Elder Scrolls Online new chapter “Summerset”, but also adjustments to class abilities, gem crafting, and performance improvements. In particular, the new abilities from the Psijik Order offer a lot of potential. We present to you 5 important changes that come with Summerset.
Zenimax has invited some fans for internal testing. One of them shares insights on Reddit about the changes players can expect with Summerset.
Please note that the information is not final and may change before the release of “Summerset”.
1. Control over Time – the Skills of the Psijik Order
“Summerset” offers players the opportunity to join the Psijik Order. Players will gain abilities that allow them to manipulate space and time. According to fans who were invited by Zenimax to test last week, the abilities are still somewhat unbalanced and have the potential to significantly shake up the game’s balance.
- Ultimate Ability – Rewind: You will be reset back in time by four seconds. Your resources (health, stamina, magicka) will be at the level they were 4 seconds ago.
- Forewarning: Ultimate ability can be used during crowd control and grants immunity against it.
- Temporal Guard: You receive minor protection while you have the ability equipped.
The active abilities are:
- Time Snare: You select an area with an 8-meter radius and enemies within that radius will be slowed. After 1.5 seconds, all within the area will be stopped in time for 3 seconds.
- Borrowed Time: The next healing on stunned enemies will be negated for a few seconds.
- Time Stop: The preparation time is removed, but it will take longer for enemies to be stunned.
- Weapon Empowerment: You apply a buff to your weapons, increasing the damage of your next two light attacks.
- Crushing Weapon: You heal for 15% of the damage you deal.
- Elemental Weapon: Your attacks apply a random elemental status effect to the target (burning, chilled, confused) and the ability becomes a magicka ability.
- Accelerate: You gain major expedience for 3 seconds and minor fortitude for 12 seconds.
- Against Time: Your sprint costs are reduced by 50% for 12 seconds.
- Concentrated Acceleration: The ability must be channeled briefly, but the duration of minor fortitude is tripled to 36 seconds.
- Meditate: You start to meditate and quickly regain your resources (health, magicka, stamina). The ability can be toggled on and off by the player but is not interrupted by incoming damage.
- Deep in Thought: The regeneration of magicka and stamina resources is increased.
- Introspection: The longer you channel the ability, the more health points you restore.
- Wound Care: Your next light or heavy attack becomes a healing ability that affects allies. Light attacks heal over 10 seconds and heavy attacks heal 1 health point every second during the channeling.
- Spirit Care: Allies gain increased resolve and greater protection during the healing.
- Symbiosis: You heal for a portion of the health restored to allies.
Players will also gain access to passive abilities.
- Seeing the Unseen: You can interact with rifts throughout Tamriel and retrieve their treasures.
- Clairvoyance: Reduces the cost of abilities from the Psijik Order.
- Magic Sphere: If you use a Psijik Order ability in combat, you gain a magic charge. Once you have five charges, you release a magic sphere that deals physical or magical damage to an enemy. The damage type depends on which value is higher for you.
- Concentrated Barrier: If you have at least one Psijik Order ability equipped, you gain a damage shield while blocking. This regenerates to full strength within 10 seconds if you are not blocking.
- Thoughtfulness: You gain increased protection as long as you are executing or channeling a Psijik Order ability.
2. Jewelry Crafting
Once you have purchased “Summerset”, the jewelry crafting skill line will appear in your skill window. To practice your crafting, you visit special crafting tables where you can focus on your work. If you have your own home, you will also be able to place the new tables there with Update 18.
The resources for jewelry crafting are obtained through mining. You will find new mining spots throughout Tamriel.
Trait stones are obtained in various ways. For example, you can find stones for the “empowered” trait through daily quests or events in “Summerset”.
There are no styles for jewelry crafting, as the crafted items are not visible.
Jewelry crafting brings 8 new traits into the game.
- Arcane: increases your magicka by 870
- Vitality: increases your health by 957
- Robust: increases your stamina by 870
- Trinity: increases your magicka, stamina, and health by 435 each
- Protective: increases your physical and magical resistance by 1844
- Swift: increases your movement speed by 10%
- Harmony: increases the effect of item enchantments by 60%
- Bloodthirsty: increases all damage by 20% against a target that has less than 25% of its health.
3. Game Optimization
With Update 18, The Elder Scrolls Online will feature multi-core support. The load should then be evenly distributed across all processor cores.
The exact impact of this adjustment on client-side performance cannot yet be assessed. Theoretically, it should improve performance.
How this update affects consoles is still uncertain.
4. Adjustments to Two-Handed Weapons
With “Summerset”, two-handed weapons are counted as two set items. This change offers two-handed weapon users more options in their set choice and has been very positively received in the ESO community.
5. Class Changes
With Update 18, numerous changes will be made to class abilities. The developers want all classes to be able to fulfill any role.
A brief overview of the most important adjustments:
Dragon Knight
- The skill morph Scoria Storm of the Dragon Knight now has an area healing effect.
- Reflective Plate removes all effects that immobilize you. However, it does not grant immunity against it.
Templar
- The cost of Healing Ritual is increased by 60%, but the spell can now be cast without casting time.
- Honor of the Dead returns your magicka in 6 seconds instead of 8 seconds.
Nightblade
- The range of Soul Siphon is increased from 15 to 28 meters. Good for anyone healing as a Nightblade.
- Dark Cloak no longer makes the user invisible, but instantly restores 32% of maximum health.
Sorcerer
- The health of Charged Atronach is increased by 70%.
- Bound Armor is no longer a toggleable ability, but grants the sorcerer 20% damage mitigation for 3 seconds upon activation. The morph Bound Aegis grants you minor resolve and guard while Bound Ward increases your damage with light attacks by 11%.
Warden
- The instant healing from Arctic Wind is increased from 10% to 20%.
- Vines Surge grants you 10 ultimate power instantly when you heal someone with less than 60% of their maximum health.
Do you want more information about the story of “Summerset” and the prologue quest? ESO: Summerset – Everything you need to know about the new chapter.
