~~~~~~~~~~
1) Backstab : is only a problem in wvwvw(where balance doesn’t exist and should not be balance towards, only because there’s just too many things to consider that contribute to different stat disparity between players.
2) Rendering Issue (stealth bug): Player’s main complaint is that not having a chance to retaliate.
3) Class design: Initiative system promotes proper resource management, thus promoting the use of the most efficient skill in the weapon set which creates the illusion of spamming and reduces diversity between thief builds.
4) Utility skills: This is the main culprit in thives having gimmicky builds. The escape skills are great(stealth and shadowstep), and what build benefits the most from these great utilities? How about venoms (wasted charges on air) and traps?
these are just some of the things to start with.