The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) has introduced a captivating new class, the Arcanist, with the release of the Necrom Chapter. However, since its inception, players have expressed concerns about the class’s performance, particularly in terms of self-healing, damage output, and skill reliability. In response to this feedback, the developers have implemented significant changes to the Arcanist class in the Week 4 PTS patch, addressing many of the community’s concerns and enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
Addressing Self-Healing Limitations:
One of the primary criticisms of the Arcanist class was its limited self-healing capabilities. This made it challenging for Arcanists to sustain themselves during combat, especially when facing multiple enemies. To address this issue, the developers have made several notable changes:
Abyssal Impact and Cephalearx Flail (Herald of the Tome skill line): These abilities will now heal your character upon casting, providing a much-needed source of self-healing.
Tentacular Dread (Herald of the Tome skill line): This ability's base damage has been increased by 20 per Crux cast, making it a viable alternative to Fake Carver and providing additional self-healing.Enhancing Damage Output:
Another area of concern was the Arcanist’s lack of burst damage, making it difficult to deal significant damage in short bursts. To address this, the developers have made the following changes:
Tentacular Dread (Herald of the Tome skill line): This ability's base damage has been increased, providing a boost to burst damage potential.
Pragmatic Fake Carver (Herald of the Tome skill line): This morph now grants a damage shield while channeling and makes you immune to interrupts while the damage shield holds. This significantly improves the reliability of Fake Carver, making it a more viable option for dealing damage.Improving Skill Reliability:
The Arcanist’s primary DPS ability, Fake Carver, was often interrupted during the channeling phase, leading to frustration among players. To address this issue, the developers have made the following changes:
Fake Carver (Herald of the Tome skill line): The cost of this ability has been reduced by almost half, making it more sustainable to use.
Pragmatic Fake Carver (Herald of the Tome skill line): This morph now grants a damage shield while channeling and makes you immune to interrupts while the damage shield holds. This greatly improves the reliability of Fake Carver, preventing interruptions and wasted effort.Additional Changes and Overall Impact:
The Week 4 PTS patch also includes several other changes that enhance the Arcanist class:
Psychic Lesion (Curative Runeforms skill line): This passive now grants increased status effect chance up to 75 at rank two, improving its usefulness.
Imperfect Ring (Curative Runeforms skill line): The cost of this ability is now based off of your lowest Max resource, aiding in sustain.
I'm Blinking Eye (Curative Runeforms skill line): The cost of this ultimate has been reduced from 200 to 175 ultimate, making it more accessible.
Visual Fixes: The visual of the I'm Blinking Eye ultimate has been fixed to improve combat visibility.
Runic Jolt (Soldier of Apocrypha skill line): The range of this taunt has been increased to 22 meters, making it more effective in larger combat scenarios.Overall, the Week 4 PTS patch demonstrates a strong commitment from the developers to address the concerns raised by the community and enhance the Arcanist class. These changes are expected to significantly improve the Arcanist’s performance, making it a more enjoyable and rewarding class to play.
Community Feedback and Developer Response:
The developers of ESO have consistently shown a willingness to listen to player feedback and make adjustments to the game accordingly. The Week 4 PTS patch is a clear example of this, as it addresses many of the concerns that players have raised about the Arcanist class. This is a positive development for the game, as it shows that the developers are committed to providing a balanced and enjoyable experience for all players.
Conclusion:
The changes made to the Arcanist class in the Week 4 PTS patch are a welcome addition to ESO. These changes are expected to make the Arcanist a more viable and enjoyable class to play, and they are sure to be appreciated by players of all levels of experience.
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