Guild Wars 2

So, what if Withdraw and Roll for Initiative could be used in any direction, like a regular dodge?

The reason I ask this is that I feel both skills could use better usability. Right now we need to aim with our camera/character to the opposite direction we actually want to go, and it has been the reason I died multiple times, be it for aiming it wrong or rolling out the edge at panic moments. I know I will eventually get it right, but we already have natural, functional regular dodges to use, and it would be nice if both skills worked like those.

Would the change have any downside at all, aside getting used to the “new” mechanic?

It might make them too good to be true. Don’t think of it as a dodge. They’re more of a CC breaker with a dodge component added.

But yeah, it’s kinda weird that Roll for Initiative, while giving you what it says on the tin, doesn’t roll you forward instead of backwards. Seize the retreating day!

i think you should be able to choose forward or backward if thats possible. either way tho you’d be wanting it the other way at one point.

I don’t really feel they need to be directional to the point where we can roll forward or backward. However, they both should be designed to work more like disabling/quick shot where if you have a target selected, you will always roll away from them.

In one of the thief videos that circulated around here a thief was making good use of withdraw with the aboutface keybind though. Was probably Yishis’ but not certain which.

@atherakhia….. lets say u ahve 20 [people chasing u for a kill :P u ahve RFI and Withdraw on your bar. how are you going to use that WHILE u are running away… and i am going to assume most people dont backpedal when running away. you literally need to about face (180 degree turn) which the enemy prolly gets 600 distance in that time or atleast close enough to range CC you. it can be costly most of the time. so it would be quite advantageous to be able to choose a direction or atleast point it forward so you see where you are going.

Travlane, if the skills worked like the bow skills for rangers and thieves it would work perfectly for your scenario as it doesn’t matter which direction you’re facing, when you use the skill you move away from the target.

The issue I have, and I think what the above posters are worried about being overpowered, is when you use withdraw to close the gap between people to engage them and this is what you can see happen in the video I mentioned.

still tho RFI is a 60 sec skill. would make it strong but not OP….i mean best you can get it to is 48 secs with 20% decrease. its mainly an evasive skill…. but only way we can use it is when we are in a 1 v 1 or 1 v 2 when they are infront of us or else we have to stop….turn and then fire it. also really not a big deal we dont need gap closers….steal…shadow step…infil sig…infil strike…. shadow strike? (pistol one)…..heartseeker…..shadow trap….. etc. not like we cant fill our bar up as is with those and all of them are quit short on cooldowns :P

Practice makes perfect.

In the video I mentioned (at work now so I can’t find it on youtube) they do it almost seamlessly. I also have my mouse senstivity near max so I can manage just turning.

yeah but what “i” am saying is that it couldnt hurt to make it roll both ways. :P wont be OP so why not? kinda limiting. or atleast use withdraw either way . one or the other would be nice

My point is exactly that using it as a gap closer (which isn’t the skill intent, that’s for sure) is already possible using a bit of camera movement, even if wonky. It does not matter where you want to go, you just need to look the other way and use the skill.

This is so clear in my head that I didn’t even consider that problem; I just want to evade to wherever is safer to me in the middle of combat (which isn’t always backwards; in fact I dodge to the sides 99% of time) without having to do all the camera work. I feel like dealing with it like a regular dodge would feel way more natural.

http://youtu.be/4Av81XhRu5c?t=1m49s

Though its common for thieves to tell other classes to L2P, I guess you guys should learn some of the thieves inside tricks as well.

SoulSin.5682:

http://youtu.be/4Av81XhRu5c?t=1m49s

Though its common for thieves to tell other classes to L2P, I guess you guys should learn some of the thieves inside tricks as well.

We all know we can use it like that, it’s just a hassle (I’m currently using all the keys my hand can reach comfortably). It would be really nice when fighting certain bosses or classes to use withdraw forward instead of turning around first. I’d love to use it forward against mesmers when you see the shatters coming in without having to flip around and probably lose track of the original mesmer while doing so. When fighting Lupi I’d love to use it to dodge in like warrior ww.

A small change like that might make the skills a little to strong but it’d still be nice to have. The one change that NEEDS to happen before that though is fix withdraw so there’s no cast delay. If I’m auto attacking and I press withdraw, I want to use that evade NOW, 1/2 second later.

I’d consider the two skills usable if they could be aimed. They aren’t as is.

Those skills are proof on some inconsistent decisions when ‘polishing’ (AKA rushing) the thief class for the game’s release.

Because if they were meant as a purely defensive skills, and not intended to be used offensively for closing gaps, or maneuvering, they simply should work like ‘disabling shot’, always moving you away from opponent.

But if you have the freedom to turn the camera to choose whatever direction you like, simply allow them to be used like regular dodges.

And please don’t try to convince me that twisting your wrist takes more ‘skill’ than pressing 2 keys at the same time. If you are playing under parkinson’s disease, it’s definitely your problem.

I did an evasion build for sPvP. I never had a problem using Withdraw and RoInit. You just get the hang of the fast turn and roll. Just practice in the Mists until you feel good with it.

You can cover a lot of ground fast with that Orb if ya try.

Ensign.2189:

I’d consider the two skills usable if they could be aimed. They aren’t as is.

If you don’t think RFI and Withdraw are usable right now, you are severely missing out on a huge aspect of the Thief’s play style. They are some of the core skills for the Infinite-Evade build.

They are very easy to aim and I do it all the time without a mouse designed for higher sensitivity. I honestly learned to use withdraw the day I started using it.

Ex.

Not quickest withdraws in the world but I can do it well enough to escape when needed.

Also the name itself, withdraw, not something youd use for gap closing I think. But that’s just the name

randomfightfan.4091:

We all know we can use it like that, it’s just a hassle.

Please guys, read this. It isn’t about being unable to do it, but the need to use extra buttons/camera movement to reach the goal. It feels broken.

If the idea is not allowing the use of both skills for gap-closing, they would already have disable the 180º turn key. This is already possible and in the game, so make these skills work exactly as a dodge.