The Elder Scrolls Online’s Arcanist class is looking to be one of the most interesting additions to the game yet. Being the third class to be added to the game since its release, it comes with a variety of mechanics that are unique to it alone, but one of its mechanics is something that could potentially benefitall the classes inThe Elder Scrolls Online.
The useable skills ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlinetypically cost magicka or stamina to be cast. However, some of Arcanist’s skills make it so that they use the resource the player has most of, rather than being locked to a single resource type. This mechanic has huge implications for the class and is something that could potentially revamp how allThe Elder Scrolls Online’s classes work.
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Hybridizing Resource Pools in The Elder Scrolls Online
When senior developer Rich Lambert claimed thatESO’s Arcanist class would offer an entirely new experience, he wasn’t kidding. The ability for its skills to change resource requirements is arguably its most interesting feature, as it represents a new way of approaching the game’s resource system. Previously, skills were locked to a singular resource type and would not change no matter the circumstances. Arcanist’s introduction into the game could mean the beginning of sweeping changes that change how the resource system works as a whole.
However, it is important to recognize how integral the resource system is to the gameplay experience. UnlikeMMORPGs likeFinal Fantasy 14andWorld of Warcraft,The Elder Scrolls Onlinedoes not have long global cooldowns for its skills. to supplement that, skills cost stamina or magicka in order to prevent players from infinitely spamming certain powerful skills. This one feature is a defining factor in how players structure their character’s builds. For example, players who wanted to pursue a mage route would need to stock up on Magicka. But if Arcanist’s unique mechanic is applied to other classes, then it would change how players approach this system entirely.
For example, Deep Fissure is a skill typically associated with magicka-using Warden characters, as the skill consumes magicka. It comes with the unique ability to inflict the Major and Minor Breach debuffs on whoever it hits, making it a very powerful skill. But because it uses magicka, stamina-using Wardens have typically avoided using this skill. If a class like Warden were to receive the change, then it may become viable for stamina-using Wardens to use this powerful skill. This has the potential to be a great thing, as it allows for classes to utilize skills that they otherwise could not. However, thisapproach toThe Elder Scrolls Online’s classeswould have a huge drawback.
If every class were to receive this mechanic, then it may ultimately homogenize classes as a whole, making them indistinguishable from each other. For example, if both stamina-using and magicka-usingWardens builds inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineboth used the Deep Fissure skill, it may result in a class whose two counterparts lack identity because they are too similar. For that reason, if other classes were to receive Arcanist’s unique mechanic, it would have to be done in moderation to prevent this loss of class identity.
For now, players will have to wait and see how ZeniMax Online Studios chooses to pursue this uniqueArcanist class mechanic. But regardless of the mechanic’s implications, many players are still excited about the Arcanist class and how it takes exploration and mobility to the next level, among other things.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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