In June, a new class appeared in The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO), it is the arcanist. We were able to discuss whether this new class is quite balanced with Brian Wheeler, who is Combat Lead at TESO. We are interested in his role and the creation of a new persona in a 2014 MMO.
A combat leader? What is it made of?
The first question we ask ourselves when we see this job is what role does it play and what impact a Combat Lead can have.
My main role was to mix conversations and ideas between the different disciplines of the team (artists, designers, audio and production). I also had to do LOTS of presentations for our partners, like Rich and Rob, to explain where the class was, what we were testing, and to make sure we still had the right view of the Arcanist as a whole. . You have to talk a lot… and write.
However, there were times when I could directly contribute to certain aspects, and for me that was the choice of class colors. We had to study the current classes and their ability colors in the game, not just their icons, to figure out what colors we were missing. It’s true that the colors will eventually overlap, but when we looked at what the current classes were missing, it was clear that green, purple, and black would be the arcanist colors. I was very happy with the choice of these colors and the team really embraced this color scheme! From then on, we used several references to “Malificent” in our presentations, and we all agreed with the theme and setting!
There is often a gap between ideas and practice… The game dates back to 2014, so technically you can hardly hold back. It is impossible to “do everything”, the team has to make compromises. However, this phase can be fun for the team, especially when it comes to audio.
We really enjoyed exploring the soundscape with our sound designer, Dylan. We both have synthesizers at home and exchanged a few ideas by sending audio tracks that expressed the mood we wanted. The end results were pretty amazing and there’s even a story about Dylan putting a giant carved pumpkin on his head and taking some shots that resulted in various FX skills.
One of the most challenging aspects was the Warlock’s visual effects. We had a theme and concept of “cosmic horror” and Hermaeus Mora, but how to translate that into images? Our concept artist Aaron extensively explored colors and shapes based on descriptions of the skills of designers Kyle and Stephen. Translating these concepts into visual effects was Brian’s job (not mine…) and in some cases the in-game renderings had to be altered to actually work in-game. “Around your allies like a tentacle”, but in practice in the game, it just didn’t work.
So we had to use a variety of special effects techniques to ensure that Remedy’s stunt still embodies the great idea of ”healing rays” but isn’t as wild as it was intended to be. In the end, the transition between the concept and the special effects of the game is very well done and the team did a wonderful job!
Ideas that lead to a new character
Developing a new character in a game that’s almost ten years old isn’t exactly easy. Still, in an MMORPG you have to know how to renew and the introduction of the Necrom expansion is a good opportunity to offer an alternative in class choice. But how do you envision a new hero, a build that risks messing up the existing one?
In the beginning, arcanist talk wasn’t even about “the arcanist.” We looked at fantasies of powers and gameplay themes that already existed in current classes and used that as a platform to define what the new class would become, the arcanist. We had to make sure we weren’t just repainting old abilities or finding a “better” mix of abilities. The class needed to look, feel and play differently, which is why we had a lot of development questions. We ended up with a new class that is completely unique and fits into ESO today and for years to come!
So for Brian Wheeler, character creation doesn’t really start from a blank page. First, the development team starts having fun with powers that would be fun to integrate into TESO, then little by little, a blueprint for the whole emerges that requires a backstory, a skin, and most importantly, unique gameplay. But how do you find the perfect balance to match all of this with the other characters already available?
We have a calculation that we apply to all class abilities, weapon lines, item sets, etc. This gives us base balance points that we can use to adjust cost, range, damage, healing abilities, and access to buffs and debuffs. From that universal measuring point, we get base balance points, then we start playtesting…lots of playtesting. We’re putting the class through its paces with PVE playtesting and PVP mixed in with the other classes to make sure things are on par.
The Arcanist, for whom?
The Arcanist appeals to a wide range of players and those looking to experience ESO in a new way. The class differs not only because of the Crux system, but also because of channeled abilities like Fatecarver and Remedy Cascade. One can pause for a moment to channel these skills and they are VERY good at what they do too. You can also increase these abilities through Crux, and it’s not an overly complex system at its core. There’s depth for veterans and simplicity coupled with strength for new players. The mechanics of the Crux system offer some nice and easy “combos” where you can throw a bunch of runeblades that form cruxes and then use “Fatecarver” to deal more damage since you had three cruxes at that point . The class has a wide variety of abilities to cover many situations, making the Arcanist class suitable for all types of players, from beginners to veterans!
Creating a new class, an exciting project?
It’s very nice! Creating a new class is a unique opportunity for developers and therefore always a real pleasure. They have the opportunity to introduce new abilities, new visuals, new sounds, and new ways for players to experience Tamriel! The team were very enthusiastic and worked well together to provide an immersive experience like ours. They did a great job and I couldn’t be prouder of them.
Apparently, this long-term work really seems to be a driving force for a team! And the good news is that despite TESO’s long existence, the team reveals they still have ideas to try.
The arcanist, the perfect balance, or is it more of a support class?
We all wonder how a Combat Lead optimizes their own creation, right? So we asked Brian how he plays the arcanist?
I usually play a healing/support character, so I prefer healing runeforms with a mix of Apocrypha Soldier and Tome Herald. Somewhere between 6 healing, 3 tanking and 3 damaging abilities. Rune Heal and Cure Cascade are a great combo for keeping yourself and your allies alive with direct healing and area healing. One of the unique things about the Arcanist is that it can charge both of its action bars with purely class-based abilities, allowing it to handle almost any situation in ESO. This is one of the great things the team has accomplished with the Arcanist design!
The hardest part is creating a character capable of being just as viable in a group as being effective alone! In fact, you have to balance the Arcanist’s power and defenses so that they’re truly versatile without being either great at everything or bad at everything.
We wanted to make sure the class would fit in well with others in large groups, but we also didn’t want to introduce a much-needed ability to the class. However, this means that the entire “class pack” had to include a wide variety of buffs and debuffs, which in itself can be seen as another unique aspect. The Arcanist needed to be very versatile, so it fits best in groups. Whether you’re dealing heavy AE damage with Fatecarver or protecting your allies with Chakram Shield, as an Arcanist, you’re here to help your allies succeed in your cosmic way!
It would have to be done again, how would it happen?
As I look back at the evolution of the class over time, I am very grateful to our producer, Erin. She did a great job keeping the team on schedule and coordinating people to keep the Arcanist in the best possible shape at several key points in development. We experimented with a different schedule style that worked very well and saved everyone from working long hours or working longer hours Monday through Friday. I think the team really appreciated that we respect their time off work and we want to apply that to all the features we’ve developed.
As a final word, Brian clarifies that there are a few Easter Eggs hidden around the arcanist. The developers enjoyed giving attentive people a few winks.
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