Guild Wars 2

So, Consume Ecto will not be changed according to the latest patch notes.

Do thieves think that Consume Ecto is balanced at the moment? Will you be using the double steal trait? Do you feel double Consume Ecto will be balanced?

Mmm nice spot there! I think most people would still go for the extra damage on Executioner. But maybe improvisation might worth it.

You must imagine though that you can only get the double Consume Ecto from a mesmer, and that against other professions like Engineer or Ranger the improvisation is close to useless. (Okay maybe that’s a bit of an understatement, but gunk is not the most wanted steal skill if I may say so, even though the Chaos armor by the leap is nice.)

I think they forgot to list any changes to ecto, doesn’t look like they’d adjust other skills and leave this one out.

Even if the durations stay same, I am not planning to use DA so no double ectos for my thief.

I’ve never found this skill OP… people just like to imagine so because they see so many icons but it really isn’t. The duration is already low.

Doggie.3184:

I’ve never found this skill OP… people just like to imagine so because they see so many icons but it really isn’t. The duration is already low.

10 Seconds Protection, Regeneration, Fury, Vigor, Swiftness and 3 Seconds Stability is a low duration?
Now double this and imagine having this amount of buffs in a 1v1.

Entenkommando.5208:

Doggie.3184:

I’ve never found this skill OP… people just like to imagine so because they see so many icons but it really isn’t. The duration is already low.

10 Seconds Protection, Regeneration, Fury, Vigor, Swiftness and 3 Seconds Stability is a low duration?
Now double this and imagine having this amount of buffs in a 1v1.

Yeah against one class that can easily wait it out, or grabbed previously and used on someone else and never again. Longest Cooldown possible = Never recharges. It’s really not a big deal. Dedicating an entire Trait to that would make them deserving of enjoying the double duration. I personally find more use in other ones and won’t be using it.

And imagine the necro ability…with double cast you can nonstop fear 10 seconds if you steal twice. (And poor necs don’t even have a useful stunbreak or stability)

2x ecto is too strong imo, they should maybe change the duration of the boons to sth between 6 and 8 seconds… but afaik there is no real way for us to increase our boon duration so we will have to see

improvisation is – as it was said above – almost useless against engis & non-condi-rangers or some warriors

improvisation may not be taken too often though as it is comparing with executioner

Entenkommando.5208:

And imagine the necro ability…with double cast you can nonstop fear 10 seconds if you steal twice. (And poor necs don’t even have a useful stunbreak or stability)

It was 3 seconds at most, but they nerfed it in notes probably because of the trait.

“Skull Fear (stolen from Necromancer): The duration of fear has been reduced from 3/2/1 seconds to 2/1.5/1 seconds.”

Doggie.3184:

Entenkommando.5208:

And imagine the necro ability…with double cast you can nonstop fear 10 seconds if you steal twice. (And poor necs don’t even have a useful stunbreak or stability)

It was 3 seconds at most, but they nerfed it in notes probably because of the trait.

“Skull Fear (stolen from Necromancer): The duration of fear has been reduced from 3/2/1 seconds to 2/1.5/1 seconds.”

with improvisation that could still be 8s max tho:
1. skull fear
2. skull fear (through improvisation)
3. steal + 2x more skull fear

of course we dont deal dmg during that and necros can dodge it, but the duration can also be increased through food, eg some condi thieves (even tho idk whether they would ever use that trait, i dont have any experience with condi on thief)

I thought it was 2.5 sec…

But about that dodge thing…the thief just goes to stealth and you don’t have any chance to evade the first cast and any after that is impossible as well because of the fear.

And and the only thing you’d have to do is spam hearseaker until your hands get numb.

Tarkan.5609:

Doggie.3184:

Entenkommando.5208:

And imagine the necro ability…with double cast you can nonstop fear 10 seconds if you steal twice. (And poor necs don’t even have a useful stunbreak or stability)

It was 3 seconds at most, but they nerfed it in notes probably because of the trait.

“Skull Fear (stolen from Necromancer): The duration of fear has been reduced from 3/2/1 seconds to 2/1.5/1 seconds.”

with improvisation that could still be 8s max tho:
1. skull fear
2. skull fear (through improvisation)
3. steal + 2x more skull fear

of course we dont deal dmg during that and necros can dodge it, but the duration can also be increased through food, eg some condi thieves (even tho idk whether they would ever use that trait, i dont have any experience with condi on thief)

It is true that this is possible, But you’d have to wait your whole Steal Recharge time, to do this combo, and like you already said. We can’t do any damage during that time and the skill has some pretty high cast time (the skill says 1/2 but I think it’s higher then this). It’s cool, but I don’t think this is really going to be any trouble in practise.

Honestly, they brought down some stolen goods to account for Improv. I requested in the beginning that if they were going to do that to tie it to improv.

Something along the lines of “you can use stolen goods twice but they are 33% less effective” on the improv trait. Allowing full use if you decide to go to Executioner instead.

Giving each their viability. Improv is very viable as you can basically get two heals and stolen goods out of it.

I dont think it will put consume ecto too high as it is. We do need to see the changes to amulets in PvP and gear in WvW to really decide if executioner is going to be a mandate for all thieves.

If the changes to gear is powerful enough and executioner does not HAVE to be taken, then I think you will see improv used more than most think as it will raise QoL greatly.

nightblood.7910:

Something along the lines of “you can use stolen goods twice but they are 33% less effective” on the improv trait. Allowing full use if you decide to go to Executioner instead.

then a trait would make worse what it is targetting.
not a good way to balance it imo, then executioner would definitely be the way to go, if you reduce the viability of stolen bundles with improvisation i would never ever take it. 33% less dmg on the warrior’s stolen bundle with the same time it takes to get it through – completely unviable.
What you’d get from the trait is a possible skill recharge (like atm) and 133% (2x 66,6%) of the effevtiveness of your stolen skills while they are taking up double the time.
Letting executioner pass while taking this (which is also a situanional and rng based trait as you may not get a skill recharge and find the stolen bundle to be unusuable in the current situation) wouldnt make sense.

Tarkan.5609:

nightblood.7910:

Something along the lines of “you can use stolen goods twice but they are 33% less effective” on the improv trait. Allowing full use if you decide to go to Executioner instead.

then a trait would make worse what it is targetting.
not a good way to balance it imo, then executioner would definitely be the way to go, if you reduce the viability of stolen bundles with improvisation i would never ever take it. 33% less dmg on the warrior’s stolen bundle with the same time it takes to get it through – completely unviable.
What you’d get from the trait is a possible skill recharge (like atm) and 133% (2x 66,6%) of the effevtiveness of your stolen skills while they are taking up double the time.
Letting executioner pass while taking this (which is also a situanional and rng based trait as you may not get a skill recharge and find the stolen bundle to be unusuable in the current situation) wouldnt make sense.

Well I was throwing numbers, meaning something like 33%. Make it effective, maybe 20 or 15% but the point was about the reduction of stolen goods effectiveness because of the improv trait. Because as they said in the livestream previously and they did enact, ,they were reducing the effectiveness of stolen goods to account for the improv trait.

In other words, what I was trying to say was “leave them alone unless the person traits improv.” so they stay at their current status unless improv is taken.

Now taking executioner is a hit on stolen goods from their current status like fear for no good reason other than improv was buffed.

So it makes more sense, if youre going to change a mechanic because it would be OP if taking a specific trait but otherwise not, then only change it if that trait is taken.

Currently it makes no sense to me why my stolen goods are being reduced because of a trait I have no plan on taking because I like big numbers.

Edit: Clarity

You do see that by nerfing this, it would make mesmers very sad, don’t you? They already dislike that thieves are considered their hardcounter. By nerfing the ectoplasm, you are removing the incentive for a thief to keep a mesmer alive during a teamfight.

Just think of them as the ugly girl/guy in the group of their very attractive friends. The only reason people have them around is because they have lots of money. Focus on everyone else until you need them. Hit them up occasionally, then ignore them for another while ;-P

Doggie.3184:

I’ve never found this skill OP… people just like to imagine so because they see so many icons but it really isn’t. The duration is already low.

Totally agree with this. I always found that axe whirling in a blind field or fearing from stealth were much more effective at turning the tide in a fight.

Hell, even the condition removing water field is stronger imo.