Sooo now that we can "shoot a stream of fire by holding down the cast button with a fire spell" does this mean that staves will also have this ability? I guess im just curious as to how they will work, and if they will be truly useful for a full mage character

They don't use up magicka and there single hand ranged, seem useful even if you are super powerful.

It makes sense that they would work that way, I mean why not? Actually speaking of staffs, why do mages use staffs when it requires no magic skill and it does something they can do themselves anyway? It makes more sense for staffs to be used by a warrior type trying to get the benefits of magic.

I agree. I always thought that was odd... I think it might have to do with a mage's symbolic link to the stave rather than the actual functionality. If a mage has to carry something around, it would be a stave., rather than a sword/mace that mages aren't skilled in. Mages also have the benefit of more skill when it comes to recharging the staves.

I wonder if the Enchantment skill will have some influence over the use of staves. I also would like the Enchantment skill to allow characters to directly trap a soul into an item, instead of using a gem as a middle-man...

I think a big thing for staves with mages is that they have it if they need to use it. Hit with Silence? Bam, whip out the old mage staff. Out of Magicka? Mage Staff. Cast key explodes off the keyboard (totally happened to me once in Oblivion lol, not applicable here, as spells will be bound to the mouse buttons)? Mage Staff.

As to Pete, I would severely doubt we can avoid using Soul Gems for enchanting. Especially with it being a regular skill again. Even if Soul Gems weren't a TES staple, they would keep them so each crafting skill has materials you need to acquire to use. Smithing has ore, Alchemy has ingredients, and Enchanting, the (imo) most powerful crafting skill, takes the most irritating and expensive material to use.

A lot of reasons I guess. Mages know how to make them, mages understand magic, mages could use some extra spells if they run out of magicka, and they really aren't usually skilled with other weapons. I guess fighters don't use magic because they don't need to, and thieves avoid everything that isn't illusion. Because what's more subtle than a fireball?

Enchantment is back in as a skill to, so staffs might or might not help with leveling that, as using magic items did in morrowind.

Ah yeah. I think I was pondering some alternative to the "Soul Trap" spell (because Mysticism got canned). But I don't see soul gems going away anytime soon

Soul trap will probably still be in, didn't they mention spreading out some of the Mysticism spells to the other branches of magic?

This ^

Perhaps if you are an enchanter or other scholar and know no spells or combat techniques...

That staff looked pretty weak in the trailer. Cool that they are 1 handed though.

Excellent point. I figure that Staves/Staffs should use up your magicka but amplify your powers. I'm sick of the soul gem batteries. What's the point of being a mage if you need batteries to run your magic stick?

First off, I love your sig. I saw it once before and use it regularly now. Also, if staves used your magicka I'm sure Soul Gems would get scrapped or changed. But the idea is you use a soul gem so you can fight without having to use your magicka. It actually makes sense to fight with a Soul Trap Staff and a Damaging Staff, and just have a bunch of cheap Soul Gems in your inventory. Hit them with the Soul Trap Staff, then gun them down with your damaging staff. You get a soul, and can then recharge your staffs. Someone find one of the people who want guns, the answer is one handed staffs!

@Dragonborn1: I think it was a staff of Light. Not sure though.

This.

I hated the way staffs functioned in other games. They made no sense to me. I don't think they should even use up your magicka, I think there should be different leveled staffs just like all other weapons which channel your magicka and amplify it. Why else would you carry around a ten pound stick?

I sort of agree. Maybe a mix of each type.

I think that non-magical beings (people who choose no magic abilities or stats) shouldn't even have magica unlocked in the first place. That would open up a huge area for greater specialization.

Thats what I was talking about

If it were up to me...I'd put both bows and staff's under marksman skill, and then have two perk tree's for the two different weapons. They both use hand eye quardenation along with accuracy, right? The damage delt for a bow would be more about how far back you could pull back the bow string and where you hit the enemy, and the staff's damage would be based on how strong the staff's magic is...but at least they'd be tied to a skill that makes sense for both of them.

Anyway, staffs might actually be a bad choice for strong mages now. If their magicka pool is large enough and recharges at a decent rate, the staff taking up one of their arms would actually take away from some of the things that they could do if that hand were free. Though...dual wielding staffs sounds pretty damn badass.

Instead of being charged they should just amplify your powers or bring down magicka cost or have interesting effects with certain spells.