I was just thinking, about how sometimes this effect can be overpowered. Paralyse for one second on an enchanted weapon and you can keep hitting the paralysed body until it dies at very little expense to your weapon. So I was thinking a couple of ways to get around it.

1. Paralysis should have, more than the average spell, a good chance of failing to work.

2. There should be a charging time for a weapon or spell usage for paralysis.

3. It should be really really expensive.

4. And this is my preffered idea. As a default, you cannot paralyse someone unless the effect has already worn off. Also, there would be a set time (as part of the spell and shorter of these times cost more magicka) where the effect is still technically on (so you can't paralyse them again) but they have freedom of movement, to allow them to continue battle without being instantly paralysed again.

Thoughts?

So basically a diminishing return effect?

I think a combination of all four of these would work well.

The first option is totally RNG based, I thought we had moved past that after Morrowind.

I'm not sure what you mean but say you have a spell that has paralysis for 10 seconds with the effect (whatever this attribute would be called) lasting 5 seconds, so the person uses the spell, enemy is paralysed for 5 seconds, and then you have to wait another 5 seconds before the effect officially wears off and you can paralyse them again.

diminishing returns or a cooldown on paralysis spells or procs.

I already see paralysis being an assassin's essential tools with the backstab perk that was mentioned.

I don't see an issue with RNGs for spells failing (and the damage dealt by weapons (though not accuracy)) so long as it's level based.

So diminishing return.

I wouldn't like it if the spell would fail, but maybe if it got less charges than another spell that would be good

I hope that spell failure will return, but severely doubt it. Because apparently people don't like to fail, it damages their self-esteem

Because failing to cast a Restore Health spell in Morrowind that would have from dying was a piss poor reason for someone to die and was incredibly annoying, RNG isn't totally in your control.

If that's what it's called then yes. I thought diminishing return was when you do something multiple times and it gets less rewarding each time, which is not at all what I am describing.

you don't even need an enchanted weapon for that. I have a spell that does one second paralysis on target.
and it costs almost NOTHING.
and since I'm master at illusion... well I could just keep spamming all day long.

Or for paralysis it could be limb specific. Like hit their shield arm and they can't block. Or hit there leg and they are very slow.

But it was still level based. It's no more annoying than dyng because you're simply too weak. It's just because you are a lower level, you have a higher chance of dying, whether that be through failure to cast or through simple weakness. I liked it myself.

It usually caps out at a certain point, but...


Urg, wait a second, I'll google it.

edit:Well, WOW's version of diminishing return usually caps out after a certain point (like for Fear spam, a single cast, har de har), but yeah what you mentioned isn't technically diminishing return...


I feel dumb now.

I am a bit fed up with overpowered this, overpowered that. Millions of these threads.

1) Overpowered is the wrong word. It is not multiplayer.

2) Elder scrolls is about choice. Not just choice in gameplay, choice in character building and customization as well. Control over the world/ game mechanics.

I dont want to see anything tweaked. If I want to levitate past some guards to get to my goal, I should be able to. This is not a shooter. If I want to walk past them invisibly, I should be able to. This is not a hack and slash.
If I want 100% chameleon so I can better study AI-AI or AI-world interaction, I should be able to, this is not a platform.

This is an RPG. This is what RPG's are all about. I know people may have very limited experience with RPG 's, there simply arent any being made. Sure, some call themselves an RPG, but when you play it you soon find it has almost no RPG qualities and is a linear adventure style game really. (fable/ mass effect.)

I understand people may be confused when faced with all the options and choice when playing elder scrolls, as it is very unique to play a true RPG these days.
But people should not then clamour to remove all RPG qualities under the fallacy of 'overpowered' and petition to turn elder scrolls into an adventure, or worse, a hack and slash.

Keep em all in. If you feel they ruin the game for you, dont use em.
Its single player, and nobody is forcing you. Hey, maybe you could roleplay your character would never use such methods.
Wich would be an RPG thing to do.

I agree to an extent.

They should make some of the more powerful abilities (100% chameleon/extended levitation) harder to obtain, but definitely leave them in.

Bethesda doens't like it in some aspects, I'm sure it applies to all.




Easymode at every corner svcked in Oblivion. I had to avoid soooooo many things.

now THAT, is what I call LOGIC. and it seems like tons of people lack it

yeh I wouldn't worry about it, one of the fun things about elder scrolls is getting an overpowered character

I think simply having immunity for a short time after the effect wears off would be enough. That and only have one paralyze effect at a time and don't allow other paralyze effects to override the first.

But that stuff IS overpowered. It doesn't have to be multiplayer. People are generally going to want to make their character the most powerful they can. I mean that is the point of the game. BUT if some things are overpowered compared to other things, that means that a) they can't still specialise in whatever they want to become the most powerful, they must use certain things and B) It becomes way too easy to become ultimately powerful. What if I want to be a non-magic user? Then the fact that I could easily get more powerful by using this one spell would make me want to use it as an advantage. The point of the game is that things are not unbalanced and overpowered so you can take different and equally difficult routes to glory. And paralysis is an example of this concept failing as it is ATM. It's not as simple as "Just don't use it.".

It's about making the game a challenge, not giving you everything. RPGs are no fun once you are a God. Making it balanced doesn't make it a hack and slash. Where the hell do you get that idea from? Having unbalanced abilities only limits your choice.

I think a combination of 1 and 4 could work good. Purely random would be annoying, since I wouldn't want to throw a way a good chunk of magic points on a gamble, but maybe if the chance was more contextual. Like it would have a high chance to work if they haven't seen you, their health of stamina is low, or they're distracted (in the middle of swinging a weapon or casting a spell). It'd have a low chance if they're higher level than you, full health, blocking, or been paralyzed by you before recently (since they'd be expecting it the second time).

This is pretty much the reason why i enjoy the series so much.