in Skyrim if you chose to have one handed weapon on one hand and a spell on the other hand you couldnt block sword attacks, which svcked cause having a sword on one hand and a lightning bolt on the other is kinda my thing, but blocking is also important and it adds to the experience (it makes sense someone with a sword will be able to use it for blocking other than slashing)

would that be fixed at ESO?

All players can block. 1H/Shield just does so more effectively.

Also worth pointing out that you cannot equip a spell to your hand. All abilities, whether stamina or magicka-based, are activated through your 6-slot hotbar.

i didn't know that.

so they replaced "equip spell to your hand" with "equip a staff"?

You know, I have to wonder: if there is no collision detection, how will be able to block well? I mean you wont tell if it's hit you if you don't see it.

Correct, you do not have individual control over your hands like you do in Skyrim. But you do not equip spells at all really, you simply cast them like Oblivion.


It knows when you're blocking and will mitigate damage based on shield or weapon defense rating? Kinda like a dodging? Seems like how it would work.

Staffs are 2-handed, so no. They went back to what Morrowind and Oblivion did.

I could've swore i saw a staff in one hand and a sword in the other in one of the videos. Or maybe it was a wand

Staff, sword, Bow... whatever you want. Point is, that weapon supplies nothing more than your basic light and heavy attacks.

To anticipate the question: No, a staff is not required to cast spells. The only limitation is that you must equip a given weapon to slot abilities sourced from that weapon's line. Abilities from all other lines (class, armor, race etc) may be slotted however you want, regardless of what's in your hands.

I wasn't going to ask that second question

Hey, you can't blame me. It does come up a lot, so I figured it was a good idea to preempt it.

nope, there are no wands and staffs are two-handed.

fair enough lol

yeah guess you're right as always. looked through the vids again and saw only two-handed staffs

this is not true. each weapon has a skill line

so if dual wielding, one button moves both swords or will they have one button for each?

i think he knows

"must equip a given weapon to slot abilities sourced from that weapon's line. Abilities from all other lines (class, armor, race etc) may be slotted however you want"

i dont know i hope you can though

Thanks. Poor wording, but you should really have been able to get what I meant.

yeah i was just pointing it more for others, not so much for you. i have seen you post enough to know you are aware

Is there casting time?

Depends. Power attacks, and many abilities, do indeed take some time to 'cast', and thus can be interrupted, either by standing next to them and pressing both left and right mouse buttons (same as for breaking CC), or by using one of the many weapon-based interrupt abilities, such as:

Dual Wield:

[Active] Hidden Blade – Throws a dagger that deals physical damage and interrupts the target, snaring them for a moderate duration.

Bow:

[Active] Poison Arrow – Deals immediate damage to the target and poisons them, interrupting enemy spells, stunning the caster and putting them off balance.

Destruction Staff:

[Active] Force Shock – Deals damage and interrupts enemy casting. Interrupted enemies are stunned.

Also, Templar has a couple of interesting ones:

[Active] Focused Charge - Charge to an enemy, interrupting them and dealing Magic damage.

[Active] Rune Focus - Creates an area of self protection, gaining immunity to interrupt effects and taking less damage while the effect lasts.

Thanks for the work you put into that post @sparhawk, but the spells that take time to cast, can you do it while moving?