Soft Cap?

Can anyone explain the soft cap that Tamriel Foundry keeps alluding to? For instance, if you wanted to play a High Elf (I know, hang in there with me)... the High Elf has the best castor stats for say, a Sorcerer. Best Magicka capacity, best Magicka regen, best storm damage, etc. So, if you created a High Elf, draped him in light armor (well-suited for Magicka) and used a Destruction Staff and set your traits to max Magicka (or something like that), technically, he'd be a killer. However, there's some sort of a soft cap that limits all that Magicka awesomeness. So technically, you could take a Nord - who has no significant Magicka capacity or regen (beyond the base stats) - in comparison to an elfen race for instance, and supposedly the Nord would also be an effective Sorcerer if he were set up just like the High Elf I just described (with light armor, etc.). So... can anyone explain all of this to me? I'd appreciate the clarification since I'm so new to the ES universe. Thanks!

Through items, enchants, gear, food, buffs.  Any of all the races will be able to hit the  "softcap" Max magicka number ( yes it is limited.So is stamina) This number has nothing however to do with  magicka regen. it will be a tad easier to reach this "softcap number" on say a highelf as you described. but yes any race can reach this limit to magicka bonus.

 PS.  As of right now all the top testers are saying  to pump all level points into health which has no cap. I myself do not like the way this is set up and hope they make some adjustment to make better reasons to put points in  stamina or magicka.

  Ronin

One more comment.  Just like the races that have 15% bonuses to learn  say heavy armor. twohand weapon.  light armor etc etc. all this means is at the low to med levels they will learn the skill faster. but at high levels all the races can hit the same max number and all will have the exact same skill .

 Ronin

Thanks Roninhood... that's helpful. I'd love to see the actual number: For instance, there are 200 total skill points. Magicka cap is say, 60. Stamina is say 70... or whatever. Unfortunately I'm an obsessive geek with stats and obsessed with maxing out the best, most efficient build I can. However, I appreciate your input - thank you again.

Have you watched Nybling's video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssob9XP4dUc
I think it would help.

Also, Breton has way better racials for sorcerer.

My understanding is that the cap is per level (i.e. 60 at level 10, 65 at level 11...) and that it is a "soft" cap, meaning they are probably implementing a system of diminishing returns like Warhammer used to have (green, orange stat numbers... for those who remember). This usually means that the gain from points put in one ability diminishes as the value of this ability reaches a "cap".

Another consideration to keep in perspective is that the current advice to put all points into heath is mainly based on the better return for each stat point invested (gain 20/level versus 10), but points spent in Magika and Stamina also increase the efficiency (damage/healing/size of absorb shield) of related skills.

On the other hand, item bonus to all tree stats operates in the same fashion (item bonus only increase the pool and not the efficiency of related skills, so for item bonuses a +10 to magika has the same exact value of a +10 to health). Hence I have seen people advising the exact opposite: Put all level-increase points into Magika/Stamina and get Heath on your items...

In the end, you will have to figure out for yourself :-)

Alrighty then... that's helpful. Thank you! :-)

I'll check it out - thanks!

For the time being (current testing phases) max out health at creation. You will still hit your Magicka and Stamina soft caps quickly & easily.

I'd have to agree on the Health focus, although it's somewhat sad (and quite game-y) to do so.

I wish it made more of a significant difference focusing on other attributes.

The thing I don't understand about this topic is:

People always use an example that is exactly the situation that soft caps are designed to avoid. In Nybuling's video he shows an Altmer (+Magicka) wearing Light Armor (+Magicka) that has been enchanted with +Magicka and he has taken the Mage as a mundus stone (more +Magicka).

To understand this, I would like to see what happens to someone who does not stack everything into just one ability.

By the way, in Nybuling's video, a V5 character was overcharged in Magicka at 1,913 points, but was not at 1,848.

Softcap needs some serious rework. It's true that a Breton / Altmer / Dumer mage all are better suited for health dumps due to magicka cap. On top of that; Force just had a DK video that showed how the "Spiked Armor" ability hits armor softcap when wearing only light armor. That makes the ability almost pointless if you're planning on using heavy armor.