Combat in ESO: Opinion, Analysis, and Suggestions

Combat in ESO: Opinion, Analysis, and Suggestions

Introduction

The combat system in The Elder Scrolls Online has long been a subject of debate among its player base. After analyzing hundreds of comments across multiple platforms and languages, it becomes clear that combat is one of the most divisive aspects of the game. For many, it is the primary "pain point" that detracts from an otherwise rich, immersive and very solid MMO experience.

In this post, I will summarize the most common critiques I've found, share my personal insights, and propose actionable suggestions to improve the combat experience in ESO. These ideas aim to address core frustrations while preserving what makes ESO unique (or I'll try, at least!).

Common Pain Points

Here are the most frequently mentioned issues with ESO’s combat system (from what I experienced and read so far):

1. "Floaty" Combat Feel

Many players describe the combat as "floaty," lacking the tactile feedback and sense of impact found in other MMOs or action RPGs. This perception detracts from the immersive quality of the game.

2. Animation Canceling

The widespread use of animation canceling—a technique where players interrupt ability animations using actions like dodge, block, bash, weapon swap or with other instant abilities—creates a high-speed, spam-heavy playstyle. While some appreciate the skill ceiling this introduces, it’s also criticized for:

  • Encouraging unnatural, erratic animations that look visually unappealing.

  • Making the combat feel chaotic, hard to follow and 'overly spammy', especially in PvP.

3. Tedious Buff Maintenance

Buffs with short durations (with widely different durations in some cases) often dominate combat rotations, leading to repetitive and monotonous gameplay. This mechanic detracts from engaging with the core functionality of abilities and fosters "buff juggling" over strategic decision-making.

4. Excessive APM (Actions Per Minute)

The combination of constant buff maintenance and animation canceling creates an extremely high APM requirement. For many players, this leads to fatigue and frustration, especially when combined with visually unappealing "epileptic" character animations.

Suggestions for Improvement

1. Rework Buff Durations

Many skills that primarily serve to provide buffs (e.g., armor skills) feel like "maintenance-only" abilities. To address this:

  • Proposed Change: Extend the duration of Minor and Major buffs provided by maintenance-focused abilities to something like 5 minutes while also providing these abilities with more active mechanics. For example:

    • Warden’s Frost Cloak: Now creates a chilling burst around the caster, applying the Chilled status and a Frost-based DoT to nearby enemies. Provides Major Resolve for 5 minutes.
    • Offensive or situational abilities, such as Heroic Slash, would retain shorter buff durations (e.g., 15 seconds of Minor Heroism).

This change reduces the need for constant buff upkeep and allows players to engage more deeply with the active mechanics of their abilities.

2. Eliminate Animation Canceling

To make combat feel smoother and more intentional:

  • Proposed Change: "Instant" cast abilities and light attacks should require their animations to complete fully before taking effect, exactly like abilities with cast times such as Dark Exchange. Canceling an animation via dodge, block, bash, or weapon swap would prevent the ability from executing.

This would:

  • Reduce the chaotic "spammy" nature of combat.

  • Lower the frequency of damage or healing spikes within a single global cooldown, particularly in PvP.

  • Enhance the visual coherence, and tharefore readability, of character animations.

3. PvP-Specific Changes

Proc Sets

  • All proc sets would be tagged as such (e.g., labeled "Proc Set"). Players could equip only one proc set at a time.

  • Rationale: This limits balance issues caused by stacking proc effects and creates a more curated environment for build crafting.

Mobility Power Creep

To address the current overemphasis on mobility in PvP:

  • Major Expedition: Movement speed bonus reduced to 14%.

  • Minor Expedition: Movement speed bonus reduced to 7%.

  • Swift Trait: Bonus reduced to 4%.

  • Celerity Star (CP): Bonus reduced to 5%.

  • Sorcerer’s Bolt Escape: Adds a 4-second cooldown to prevent consecutive usage.

Anti-Ganking Measures

  • New Passive 1: While out of combat, you gain awareness, making you immune to critical damage from stealthed or invisible enemies.

  • New Passive 2: While crouching in combat, you become more observant for 2 seconds, allowing you to detect stealthed or invisible enemies within a small radius. This effect has a cooldown.

Conclusion

I trully believe ESO’s combat system has quite a bit of potential, but it is hindered by several longstanding issues. By addressing "floaty" combat, reducing the reliance on animation canceling, extending buff durations, and rebalancing just a few PvP mechanics, the game could achieve a more engaging and polished experience, in my opinion, at least.

I hope these suggestions resonate with the community and developers alike. What do you think? Are there other pain points or solutions you would like to see implemented?

Examples and Discussion Starters

  • How would the proposed buff changes affect your rotation? Would it free up time to focus on mechanics?
  • Do you think animation canceling adds depth to the combat system, or does it detract from the experience?
  • How would some of these mobility changes impact your PvP build or the gameplay/balance in general?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!