Guild Wars 2

Before I start, this is not a topic about specializations or how thief got nerfed or is OP, please dont turn it into one.

I’d like to propose to ArenaNet few quality of life changes to some skills :

1. Autoattacking after using a skill that does no damage

Currently after using some skills you automatically start autoattacking your target if it’s in range . You dont attack if you dont have a target ( which some of those abilities require ) or you’re not in range ( again sometimes just not possible ) or your’re not facing your target. Those auto attacks might lead to some missplays when you consider stealth. Sometimes you just want to hold your attack a second longer or reposition which is not possible when you automatically attack and loose stealth.

Skills affected by this :
Assassin’s Signet
Infiltrator’s Signet
Signet of Shadows
Infiltrator’s Return ( 2nd part of sword skill ‘2’ after using Infiltrator’s Strike )
Shadow Return ( 2nd part of Shadow Step )
Shadow Trap, Destroy Shadow Trap and Shadow Pursuit
there may be more

My suggestion : dont force autoattacks after those abilities. Let player decide if or when he/she wants to push that ‘1’ button or not. It works that way on few other abilites , like Signet of Agility or Needle Trap ( which even does damage atm )

2. Shadow Trap and other teleports

Except issue explained in point 1 there are few minor changes i’d like to suggest for these skills to maybe make them more usefull

a) Range indicator ( small red bar below skill icon) on both Destroy Shadow Trap and Shadow Pursuit is always red when you dont have a target and no idicator ( saying you’re in range ) when you do. It’s simply misleading.

My suggestion : make all teleport skills track the “no valid path to target” . If there is no red bar then after using a skill you’ll teleport to the target location and if there is a red bad and you use it anyway you’ll get “no valid path to target” and for now skill goes on cooldown ( until you figure out better solution to this problem )

b) Shadow Pursuit activation window is currently 10s which is easy to miss when you’re in combat and there is no telling how much time you have left to use it once you spot it.

My suggestion : Increase activation window to 20s, put it on a tooltip and add some sort of indicator that starts blinking when you’re running out of time ( like Stealth or Larcenous Strike )

I think none of those changes are controversial and could only help thiefs use their core mechanics better.

Thank You

Traenn.3471:

a) Range indicator ( small red bar below skill icon) on both Destroy Shadow Trap and Shadow Pursuit is always red when you dont have a target and no idicator ( saying you’re in range ) when you do. It’s simply misleading.

My suggestion : make all teleport skills track the “no valid path to target” . If there is no red bar then after using a skill you’ll teleport to the target location and if there is a red bad and you use it anyway you’ll get “no valid path to target” and for now skill goes on cooldown ( until you figure out better solution to this problem )

I definitely want an indicator if the “return” portions will not return me to the original location. It gets me killed way too often when I use Shadow Trap.

And as unbalanced as it may seem, I would prefer the option to “destroy” the Shadow Trap if my current position will not return me to the original position, but without ANY cooldown. So I could place another Shadow Trap down immediately. It’s not my fault that the mechanics are bugged. Perhaps have it tied to being out of combat also… like weapon swap is. If I’m not in combat, I can destroy/set a Shadow Trap at will. It wouldn’t be nearly as powerful as a mesmer’s portal.

Traenn.3471:

b) Shadow Pursuit activation window is currently 10s which is easy to miss when you’re in combat and there is no telling how much time you have left to use it once you spot it.

My suggestion : Increase activation window to 20s, put it on a tooltip and add some sort of indicator that starts blinking when you’re running out of time ( like Stealth or Larcenous Strike )

Agreed. It is much too subtle of a change as it is now. I honestly don’t know if Shadow Trap is broken half the time, or if an enemy has set it off, and I just didn’t notice. I tend to believe the former, though.

Two more things i’d like to add to the list

Scorpion Wire

1st Problem : Projectile Speed
Unless your target is standing still or running towards you, there is no way it will connect even at half range ( skill has 1200 range ).

My suggestion : double projectile speed and cast time.

2nd Problem : Damage
Damage on Scorpion Wire is just …. meh , it’s less then pistol auto attacks which says alot.

My suggestion : Either double it or remove it completly and allow thiefs to pull someone and keep stealth which might be a cool tactic to start a fight.

Ambush

1st Problem : HP
At this moment summoned thieves have 5000hp which makes them die to almost anything without enemy even noticing.

My suggestion : make them have the same hp summons from Thieves Guild have, which is 8000hp.

2nd Problem : Range (male ) thief
At this point range summon uses black powder once and unload three times ( and does not auto attack between those abilities ) if it stays alive for the whole duration. To put it in perspective in terms of damage, it’s like puting on enemy 4 stacks of bleeding without any condition damage ( which can be blocked/ killed / dodged etc. )

My suggestion : Make it auto attack between abilites.

3rd Problem : Melee ( female ) thief
It uses scorpion wire… which does decent damage but is uncontrollable by player which usually leads to missplays.

My suggestion : Replace scorpion wire with something else , like heartseeker or haste

4th Problem : RNG
The is no telling which one you’ll get and that’s…. just bad.

My suggestion : figure out a way of either
a ) letting player know wich one they’ll get( maybe change skill icon when trap is on the ground )
or b) make it dependent on player weapon, if player puts the trap down with melee weapon equipped , he/she gets a melee ( female ) thief , if player puts the trap down with ranged weapon equipped , he/she gets a ranged ( male ) thief

Thank You

Traenn.3471:

Two more things i’d like to add to the list

Scorpion Wire

1st Problem : Projectile Speed
Unless your target is standing still or running towards you, there is no way it will connect even at half range ( skill has 1200 range ).

My suggestion : double projectile speed and cast time.

2nd Problem : Damage
Damage on Scorpion Wire is just …. meh , it’s less then pistol auto attacks which says alot.

My suggestion : Either double it or remove it completly and allow thiefs to pull someone and keep stealth which might be a cool tactic to start a fight.

Ambush

1st Problem : HP
At this moment summoned thieves have 5000hp which makes them die to almost anything without enemy even noticing.

My suggestion : make them have the same hp summons from Thieves Guild have, which is 8000hp.

2nd Problem : Range (male ) thief
At this point range summon uses black powder once and unload three times ( and does not auto attack between those abilities ) if it stays alive for the whole duration. To put it in perspective in terms of damage, it’s like puting on enemy 4 stacks of bleeding without any condition damage ( which can be blocked/ killed / dodged etc. )

My suggestion : Make it auto attack between abilites.

3rd Problem : Melee ( female ) thief
It uses scorpion wire… which does decent damage but is uncontrollable by player which usually leads to missplays.

My suggestion : Replace scorpion wire with something else , like heartseeker or haste

4th Problem : RNG
The is no telling which one you’ll get and that’s…. just bad.

My suggestion : figure out a way of either
a ) letting player know wich one they’ll get( maybe change skill icon when trap is on the ground )
or b) make it dependent on player weapon, if player puts the trap down with melee weapon equipped , he/she gets a melee ( female ) thief , if player puts the trap down with ranged weapon equipped , he/she gets a ranged ( male ) thief

Thank You

+1 like these changes, hope anet reads this