Guild Wars 2

(Perceived) problem:

1. Thieves displace other dps classes from the meta (https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/balance/sPvP-Thieves-driving-away-damage-dealers)
2. Thief mechanics currently reward fairly mindless game play on behalf of the thief and punish good counter play from everyone else (#3 spam). In particular interrupts are much less rewarding vs thieves than any other class in GW2 or GW1 for that matter. (https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/Thief-Interrupts-Maybe-a-bit-broken/first)
3. Because there’s no cool down on thief attacks, they can spam attacks while stealthed till they bypass ageis etc… (https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/pvp/pvp/Blocking-stealth-attacks-should-apply-reveal)

Proposed Solution:
Add a cool down to every thief skill (there’s precedence for this in every other class, plus assassins from GW1). It’s OK for skills that are intended to be spammed to have really short cool downs (perhaps as low as 2s).

Expected results:
1. Interrupts are more rewarding vs theifs, with interrupted skills going on at least kitten cooldown.
2. Attack spam while stealthed vs blocks is toned down. It’s still possible but mindless key mashing is now punished
3. It’s easier for anet to individually balance powerful skills than it is via initiative costs alone. E.g. they could have preserved pistol whip as it was, but added a 10s cool down so it couldn’t be spammed and it had to be used intelligently.
4. There’s less weird exceptions to general game mechanics (interrupts work the same way vs every class) making the game easier to balance as a result)
5. Mesmers and hopefully Eles will be seen more in sPvP. Thieves should remain viable since they have a lot going for them.
6. Chill works properly vs thieves.

1. - other dps classes need small buffs to make them equal, power necro, sd engi. thieves are more mobile and more “slippery” but thats class design. i dont see why this should get nerfed.

1. thief cooldown is initiative. if you interrupt a skill thieves loose the initiative. c&d = 5 sec of wasted initiative. interrupting a d/p thief at the right moment can be way more punishing than interrupting whatever other class.

thief skills are balanced around the “spamming”. eviscerate for example has a higher power coefficient than backstab. 9 sec cooldown vs ~5 sec cooldown and positioning.

1. its not like other classes cant spam auto attacks do break aegis… reveal is when dealing damage. you dont deal any damage why should you be revealed.

if you want to ruin another class keep posting stuff like that. if you want to nerf stealth give me protection stability and better condition cleansing out of stealth.

PP:

1.A defenseless class with very low support skills, without high dmg, to compensate that, were useless and never used.

2. Offhand pistol have a good interrupt. And!?
The daze isn’t long enough to control others and this skill is expensive. The same could do mesmers in GW1 and nobody disturbed it.
The same and much better in GW2, can do this warriors and engis

3.

1. Do you think they have the Initiative just for fun?
2. Thieves cant spam while in stealth. One hit and they are visible again or they waste their Ini.
3. To balance this system, have every weaponskill a low variable/coefficient .

PS: The same answer here: The Initiative is a cooldown system.

Jekkt.6045:

1. - other dps classes need small buffs to make them equal, power necro, sd engi. thieves are more mobile and more “slippery” but thats class design. i dont see why this should get nerfed.

What’s easier, making a lot of small tweaks to many classes, or making adjustments to one class?

Jekkt.6045:

1. thief cooldown is initiative. if you interrupt a skill thieves loose the initiative. c&d = 5 sec of wasted initiative. interrupting a d/p thief at the right moment can be way more punishing than interrupting whatever other class.

Depending on spec thieves regain initiative at different rates, how can you properly balance that? There’s too many variables.

Neurophen.9738:

What’s easier, making a lot of small tweaks to many classes, or making adjustments to one class?

Neurophen.9738:

Depending on spec thieves regain initiative at different rates, how can you properly balance that? There’s too many variables.

1. Easier isn’t better. If you really think that, than dont you know what balance mean and all your “balance” threads are unfounded and only for your own, personal advantages.

2.All Thieves regenerate 1 Ini/s. Only a few traits/skills increase the inireg by max one ini every 10s and their function is how the “lower cd by 20%” traits from the other classes.

OP, what thief build do you need to counter?

It sounds like it’s S/P | SB

Counters to PW are positioning and tells.

Stay on at max melee range when in melee, ranged classes are easier to fight S/P with.

Watch for the PW windup from range, because it likely means a teleport is coming.

Vs pistol whip use damage mitigation tactics such as dodge roll, use a multi-block DoT, invulnerability, evade skills etc.

If at point blank melee range vs an incoming PW, do a blind/block and run straight forward (doesn’t work if PW is combined with mug, but you’ll only take about 1500 damage with this method)

If at max melee range vs an incoming pistol whip, side step away and angle your camera so that the perpindicular line to your line of site is aligned with the thief, this allows you to move away in the most efficient manner without using a dodge roll.

If you are caught in a pistol whip, and you want to reduce the damage by half then spam dodge.

Dont worry about Infiltrator’s Strike combined with PW. Unless the thief has power traits the immob only lasts 1 second. When the PW stun expires the immob will already be gone. If I’m not being focused or low on health I prefer to eat 3500 (combined between IS and %50 PW vs glass) then dodge out, (It’s the thief trading 9 initiative for 3500-4000 damage, a very inefficient exchange, bunkers especially should keep this in mind since they take even less damage).

The counterplay exists, people just may not be utilizing it.

Added
Also keep an eye out for quickness on an S/P thief. After quickness triggers its gone for 30 seconds, a quickness triggered PW removes the option to reduce the damage by 50% with a dodge.