In ESO, we want you to play your way

The triggering method itself is the other major factor of play patterns since it defines the inputs and conditions you must satisfy to trigger the effect behavior. Most abilities include conditions related to range, targeting, resource type, and resource cost. Some abilities, such as the Nightblade’s Grim Focus and the Sorcerer’s Crystal Fragments, include additional custom requirements. Custom requirements can be very effective for creating a unique feel for an ability, but can also easily wander into territory where they feel too gimmicky, unnecessarily complex compared to abilities with similar effect behaviors, or misaligned with the power fantasy of the character. Successful ability design demands a healthy relationship between the triggering method and effect behavior. The new design for Bound Armaments in Update 24 represents one of our recent attempts to achieve this within the Sorcerer’s kit for Stamina builds.

That combination of triggering method and effect behavior establishes the mechanical feel of an ability, and when you string together several abilities in conjunction with core mechanics (movement, attack, block, etc.), a play pattern emerges. These play patterns are critical to reinforcing class identity by differentiating the experience along three axis: playing the same role with different classes, playing different roles with the same class, and engaging in PvE vs. PvP activities. To temper expectations, it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever reach a point where every class, in every role, feels equally unique in both PvE and PvP. But it’s an ideal we can continue to strive toward as we revisit class kits and skill lines.

Now you may be asking yourself how non-class skill lines fit into this theoretical world of strong class identities. After all, if class abilities are the embodiment of power fantasy and class kits include all the basic tools required to fulfill a role, why would you bother with using abilities outside those kits? The team is still exploring this problem space, but our current thinking is that non-class lines should fulfill two primary purposes. First, they should allow you to “fill gaps” in your build when your class kit doesn’t provide the exact behaviors you need or are comfortable with. Second, they should open up the possibility space of your character’s build, both in terms of power fantasy and play patterns, by mixing and matching from the large pool of available abilities.