The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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wh.trav1 Mar 25, 2014 @ 4:25am
When Dual Casting buffs, is anyone else having issues with the game starting the dual cast?
When I cast a buff, such as one of the Mage Armors, I have an issue with the game recognizing the dual casting. In essence, I'm not getting the extended duration or seeing the single graphic being cast between my avatar's hands. It usually takes me two or three attempts to get it to dual cast each time the duration expires. And who's dumb axx idea was it to annoy me with such a short duration once I've learned the advanced spells?

At any rate, does anyone else have this issue, and if so is there a workaround for it?
Last edited by wh.trav1; Mar 25, 2014 @ 4:27am
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Showing 1-15 of 16 comments
wh.trav1 Mar 25, 2014 @ 2:32pm 
Another thing that goes wrong when casting is i'll start casting and nothing happens, then i'll release the mouse button and then it starts casting. I then have to click the other mouse button to finish casting the spell. Of course then it starts casting whatever is selected in that hand...Frustrating.
jaderive Mar 25, 2014 @ 5:17pm 
i have the same problem on my mage i had enough in destruction to get the dual cast,needs 20 adn i had 27, as i saw a npc using it in helga against the dragon, thinking oo now that looks cool, so when i got the perk, she's only casting with one had i had a sheild in the other , so i un equipped the sheild and tried still trying to work it out, but practise makes pefect, i found a nice little tower when i killed the necromancer and her minion n took her robe , in my wonderings where i can try out the dual casting, n see just what do i dont use mods yet, but as of yet still nothing atm maybe its the way i hold my mouth ;p
Last edited by jaderive; Mar 25, 2014 @ 5:17pm
jaderive Mar 25, 2014 @ 6:26pm 
ok i worked out the whole dual cast thingy, awesome with spark didnt try it with fire yet, but its just a simple matter of clicking the the hand in which your char holds it have pics to explain
image shack links i hope u can see them, and didnt know that image shack isnt free any more so still enough trial time, k this one is the usual right hand , have circled where u can change the han with which to cast
https://imageshack.com/a/img62/5679/6mwc.gif
this one is with it set to left hand
https://imageshack.com/a/img822/1702/wj29.gif
this one is both left and right note each time when i have cricled, u just needed to click
https://imageshack.com/a/img534/9851/7ds.gif
images with dual cast in game - left hand
https://imageshack.com/a/img855/912/jcj9.gif
right hand in game
https://imageshack.com/a/img809/3610/ru65.gif
really hope u can see these, o.o


jaderive Mar 25, 2014 @ 6:42pm 
let me know if u have problems with the pics
Covalent Bonding Mar 25, 2014 @ 8:03pm 
no i do not have this issue
Ceejay Mar 26, 2014 @ 12:12pm 
Originally posted by wh.trav1:
Of course then it starts casting whatever is selected in that hand...Frustrating.

Erm if I am reading that right, this is your issue, you need the same spell in both hands, then when you press both buttons, instead of two seperate versions on the same spell you get one big one.
jaderive Mar 26, 2014 @ 12:36pm 
No, u can have the same spell, sparks say, seperately and and use left and right hands to cast indiviuallu Or u can cast both at the same time together, I explained this in the image links in the above threads..
Ceejay Mar 26, 2014 @ 1:29pm 
I think you mis-read my post. I quoted the op as he stated "whatever is in that hand" as he cannot dual cast. I am simply saying for dual casting as in the perk, you need the same spell in each hand so when you cast them both at the same time, instead of two individual spells, you get one big one. It sounds like the op has a different spell in each hand.

None of your pics appear to show you dual casting, your simply casting individual spells from each hand. When your character dual casts, he uses both hands at the same time to cast the spell. It also drains your mana quicker, but then it also kills quicker.
Last edited by Ceejay; Mar 26, 2014 @ 1:33pm
jaderive Mar 26, 2014 @ 1:49pm 
Your right none of them did, i did have a link, just forgot to put it in, but i have another post showing pic of dual casting with sparks and fire together, or seperately

http://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/540737262343586421/
Avatar1971 Mar 26, 2014 @ 2:06pm 
Ceejay is right to dual cast spells you have to have the same spell in each hand and press the buttons together at the same time. The animation is different when you cast it even. For buffs both hands drop to your sides to make one effect in front of you. Same goes for destruction spells, you will know if your doing it right as both hands come together to cast the spell instead of one hand up and one hand down or both strait out. Jaderive what you are doing is casting two spells together but that is more like using two one handed weapons, not true dual casting that gives you the perks like stagger or increased power for the spell. Here is a link to a quick wiki overview for you. UESP Magic Overview [www.uesp.net]
gnewna Mar 26, 2014 @ 2:26pm 
Yep. Dual casting refers to casting one spell with both hands together, which is sometimes useful, sometimes less so. When you get the stun perk, it's definitely more useful, though, imo. Oh, and it's also noticeably better in most cases for ranged spells, I think.

It kind of looks similar from third person: http://i57.tinypic.com/jv5ic6.jpg although you can see that the arm is in a different position. But in first the difference is much more visible: http://i58.tinypic.com/2qxyo1s.jpg Dual casting sparks, casting sparks in one hand and flames in the other, and dual casting flames. (You can also double-single-cast with the same spell in each hand if you don't click both mouse buttons at the same time, starting one slightly before, in which case it'll look like the second of the first person pics, but with the same spell coming from each hand).
Last edited by gnewna; Mar 26, 2014 @ 2:41pm
wh.trav1 Mar 27, 2014 @ 7:47am 
The most annoying dual casting issue I have right now is dual casting any of the mage armor spells to double the duration. Yes, I have the armor spell in both hands. The problem being the game is either buggy or way too sensitive about detecting both mouse buttons being depressed at the same time. You can visually verify if its being dual cast by seeing the spell being cast between both of your hands and not above the actively casting hand.

By the way 2 minutes is way to short for a buff spell. I find myself buffing after every fight and sometimes having to rebuff when I eventually find the next encounter because the duration is at half or less. I had to take the Illusion's silent casting perk because those Falmer and their bat ear sonar.

I am seriously thinking of searching for a magic mod to see if anyone else is pissed about this and have revamped it.

Flames and occasionally Frost are about the only things I've dual casted consistently thus far. Relying on my conjured bow for ranged attacks at the moment. The only difference I see in the single versus dual casting graphic is single casting the hands stay at the sides of the screens and if you dual both hands move together near the center about two inches apart with a single gout of flame spurting forth. Again, sometimes the game duals, most of the time not. And it is annoying with it doesn't half or 2/3 of the time. Running around in cloth, I'm more worried about keeping my follower between me and the enemy than I am about micromanaging the button clicking.

Same issue when I'm fighting dragons with my bow. Sometimes the game draws the bow sometimes it doesn't. So i'll be dodging gouts of dragon breath turn and fire and dayum, the bow wasn't drawn. And by the time its drawn and ready the dragon has moved on. And its not an issue of taking damage and losing the draw, I've had times when the followers actually had the aggro and I'm off to the side plunking arrow after arrow at the dragon and the game is glitch about drawing the bow. I've tried reclicking right after the last shot, I've tried waiting for the bow animation to stop, but the timing of drawing the bow and the glitch are inconsistent.

This bow bug isn't so bad on smaller animals, but on a dragon it can be deadly. I'm having to increase my health to compensate.
gnewna Mar 27, 2014 @ 3:53pm 
It may not be quite what you're after, but I know SkyRe turns the Flesh spells up to something like four or five minutes' duration, much more useful, IMO. I'm sure there are probably mods which can do a similar thing without the massive overhaul that SkyRe entails (although I love SkyRe.)
Avatar1971 Mar 27, 2014 @ 4:58pm 
I made several new spells in my mod designed for master level wizards and to survive even on legendary difficulty. I found the regular spells very weak at higher levels and even more so on legendary difficulty making it very hard to survive or kill anything compared to any other combat method. Plus my mod is all in one room and will not tax any system like some huge mods can do. I know jaderive wants to combine at least two elements so might like one of the spells, it is a hybrid that combines Sparks, Flames, and Frostbite (called Elemental Cone Master). It turns them into one sustainable spell at a master level that can be dual cast to get the perk bonuses too.

Dragonborn Crafting Hall.
wh.trav1 Mar 28, 2014 @ 5:46am 
Thanks Gnewna and Minoravatar. I'll check both of those out. That is one thing I liked about the Oblivion spell crafting system. If you didn't like the stock spells you could design your own. In this case, I'd design a spell with a longer duration.

I haven't bothered with the tougher difficulties yet. I've only gotten the game recently and made a sneaky backstabber, a Heavy Armor Priest of Pelor, and most recently this Bosmer Bowyer who for some reason decided to learn lots of magic.

I'll quickly admit that the Priest is much easier with his perks in heavy armor and blocking. The backstabber is loads of fun with some points in light armor and maxed sneaking. So many kill cams with him. With the backstabber, I'm definitely thinking of downloading the mods that published all the unfinished kill cam shots that weren't put in the game at launch. The Bosmer Bowyer is really making me hate the way the game was implemented for the PC, having to open a widow pausing the game, oh dayum, wrong window, change windows, I'm not gonna make it, select the spell I need, close window, hammer to the head and dead process. This will be the last game I ever buy that was dumbed down to the console level.
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Date Posted: Mar 25, 2014 @ 4:25am
Posts: 16