I like the idea of circle traps and also a smoke field on Ambush.
Shadow Trap will be amazing if it turns into a true teleport. Especially if the “Destroy Trap” portion has its casting time reduced significantly. If I were to enhance it further, I would have it grant 1 second of Stability/Resistance or auto-evasion (just long enough to allow the Thief to kitten the situation after blindly teleporting) so the Thief won’t insta-die to enemy traps. I suppose it would be a trap-counter-trap.
But going back to Ambush, I would have the AI Thief spawn directly behind the target and in Stealth, and also set the AI to combat mode. That way, it would no longer give away the player’s position if in Stealth. It would mean the player doesn’t have to be near the target or to hit/be hit for the AI to actually engage. It would also allow a Stealth opener by the AI, and would make it more difficult to recognize that the attack is coming from AI.
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pvp has got different rules
I think that’s one of the main problems :-(
Thoughts of making all smoke fields block projectiles like Smoke Screen?
It would allow an x/P Thief better point defense and escape against ranged foes.
The only issue I can think of is that it would make Heartseeker more difficult to interrupt. Though that isn’t quite as relevant as it used to be with the Daredevil’s leap on dodge.
Annoy the ever loving crap out of them until they go away.
I’m almost tempted to request you do that to me…. so I can retire from GW2 :-P
Speaking of dynamic skills, this is a post of mine from another thread the other day…
Assuming that the Thief is meant to have the active and adaptive playstyle (improvisation, anyone?), being able to switch “fighting styles” on the fly would allow much more versatility. It may not improve any certain aspect of the Thief, but it would allow it to better match up against the threat at hand instead of being locked into one build/style that is completely countered by one of its opponents.
Think of the Jedi Knight games. Being able to switch from heavy style to light to mid. All with the same saber, but giving so much versatility and ability to adapt to any situation.
Just imagine if the Thief had its own version of attunements. With the ability to go from power-oriented to condition-oriented or from aggressive to evasive to stealthy with a press of a button.
The difference between Thief “attunements” and those of the Elementalist is that the Thief’s would be used on an as-needed basis, where the Ele goes through rotations to maximize their potential.
Yes, I know… but dreams are dreams :-P
Yes, it has made a glass cannon pretty obsolete.
You pretty much have to 1-shot someone now in order to bypass passive defenses.
Against a Warrior, you need to kill them with one attack when they are above 50% health or they get at least 4 seconds of immunity to direct damage.
As you can expect, that doesn’t happen much in PvP.
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Personally, I don’t wait until the target gets below a certain health threshold if I’m using a combo field. Especially if running Improvisation.
Healing Seed is all about my health, not the enemy’s. So I’ll Heartseeker or Cluster Bomb it when I need to heal.
Can’t give much advice about Throw Gunk. Just use it when you’re going to get hit, haha! :-P
how useful a trait is depends almost entirely on what type of a build they desire to play.
I do agree.
For example, the build I’ve been using for a while now is power/crit build. Sometimes, there really is no choice as to which trait to take in a given slot…
Mug will always help my burst, and it also is one of my only sources of healing.
Trickster is my only method of removing conditions.
And when there is a choice, it depends on what I’m attempting to accomplish.
Flanking Strikes gives me quickness which helps me to burst down a target quickly, which is my ultimate goal.
Side Strike will always give me more criticals whenever I’m Flanking the target compared to Flawless Strike activating only when I’m above 90% health… which is difficult for a glass Thief to maintain. That’s also why I go with Pack runes instead of Scholar runes.
lotus poison was rated low based on duration of poison.
But it at least deserves a rating. It must feel kind of left out without one.
And here I thought Last Refuge was the least desired trait :-P
No love for Lotus Poison? Hehehe.
Shadow’s Embrace seems a bit low also ;-P
That’s like saying you want to nerf all crowd control effects because of the possibility of dying while you don’t have control over your character.
Confused… how is Moa equatable to a stun or daze or immobilize?
Hmm, that makes me wonder. Where is the good old counterspell ability? Or perhaps giving the Moa skill the ability to instantly transform an ally Moa back into normal form?
Anyone can push buttons. A skillful person pushes the right buttons at the right time while other people just try to smash all their keys as fast as possible.
Well, I suppose that’s an idea…
A Thief may stay in Stealth until it attempts to attack.
When a Thief attacks in Stealth, then the Thief loses Stealth.
If the attack is successfull, the Thief has Revealed applied.
That way, the Thief may actually wait until the right time before pushing the right buttons. Quite an interesting concept! :-)
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- 150 endurance baseline.
- 15 initiative max baseline.
These really should be baseline without much question. And give the Daredevil an actual unique mechanic like it should have had at the beginning.
As for a few of my own desires…
1. Weapon swapping… either take away the cooldown to swap weapons or give each weapon set its own initiative pool.
2. Make Shortbow unneeded as a second weapon set… either make the Shortbow it’s own F3 kit, or make a shadowstep (similar to Infiltrators Arrow) an F3 function that costs 6 initiative, or add equivalent vertical mobility to other weapon sets.
Those are the biggest enhancements I’d like. Though here are a few other things…
1. Fix the pathfinding for shadowsteps.
2. Give the Thief a base movement speed increase.
3. Give the Thief a way to break through defenses (mainly passives, but some actives also).
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Every single thief and rev knows exactly all the spots on maps (coal pile in forefire on point
Maybe we need to start a thread that lists all if the locations we find that obstruct us? Or perhaps there is already one that I’ve missed?
On Legacy specifically, the one that sticks out to me (because it always affects my opening rush) is the ramp up between the Blue spawn and the Quarry. There’s a little strip of rock that obstructs my ports every single time I try it. So it has slowed down my rush significantly.
It’s an easy fix too. Instead of just trying to port to the trap/player location in one shadow step, if that fails try to do it in a smaller step, and if that fails try to take a step toward it the using NPC pathing algorithm, subtract the distance traveled by the successful method, and then repeat for the remaining range.
It used to at least consistently port my Thief into walls closer to the intended destination… be it a 5 foot port or a halfway across the map. But recently, it hasn’t even moved my Thief at all if it fails… but the trap goes on full cooldown as though it actually did something.
So sad :-(
A bug is a bug. If al that makes a weaponset work is a bug then remove the bug and work on the weaponset.
I guess the question is… what makes a bug a bug? What separates a bug from a feature?
Is it sloppiness? Is it intent?
Sometimes, accidental results are better than intentional results.
Is it a bug that Black Powder is a self-combo-ing skill? Did someone think that through? Or did it just happen because they put a projectile and a smoke field on the same skill without paying attention?
Can one programmer’s feature be another programmer’s bug?
Honestly, it’s a conglomeration of threads mainly in the PvP forum. Usually combined with the argument that the Thief has the best mobility, evasion, and Stealth.
Though here’s a related thread on reddit (which I stay away from)…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/4wk5jx/is_thief_undertuned_pvp/?ref=search_posts
Nothing you haven’t seen before :-P
I’ll try to keep track of them from now on in order to provide sources… especially the crazy stuff! I attempt to just ignore them for my own sanity.
I guess I may have to necro the Thief Nef Wishlist soon.
So, apparently the Thief is “in a good place” because it can easily burst anyone down who has all of their defensive skills/traits on cooldown and/or are under 50% health.
Umm, am I missing something? Do people honestly think this way?
Don’t you see?
There were two things that won you the game…
1. Your Dragonhunter carried your team.
2. The other team’s Thief dragged their team down so much!
Clearly, that must have been the problem! ;-D
If I may ask for clarification, what exactly are the ultimate goals of “skilled play?”
I mean, is it just being able to do everything your skill cap allows?
Or is there a specific purpose in mind? Like being able to defeat an equally skill opponent in 1v1? Or to 1v5? Or to never get hit?
Basically, if a player were to reach the maximum skill level with the highest skill capped profession, what would that player actually be able to do? Basically be like Neo in the Matrix? Or would there still be “hard counters” that would block it’s success?
Indeed, Team Death match in Courtyard went poorly for several reasons including those mentioned above. And many of those reasons compounded each other.
1. The map was too small for 5v5.
2. The size of the map limited mobility professions (my poor Thief).
3. It shared a rotation with Conquest maps, so it was a chore to switch builds every time the map was chosen. And people wanted to play Conquest intead.
4. There was no incentive to use each type of build to its stregnths. If a mobility build got isolated (that’s what Thieves do), then it became an easy kill and stomp.
5. Snowballs and camping. The first fight could easily determine the entire match. And that could last a long time with little hope to catch up.
6. Getting a stomp was so difficult! Again, instead of giving each type of build the incentive to do its own thing, the focus was to stay together 100% simply to protect against the stomp.
So yes, I think if the downed-state was removed from Team Deathmatch, it would go a long way to making it feel more rewarding. That and also making the maps bigger. Why not just offer Team Deathmatch on the Conquest maps?
I know there have been several suggestions about such an ability. That’s especially considering that the Thief is the “rogue” of GW2. Some of the possibilities that I have thought of include…
1. A trait that allows a Thief to see where enemy traps are.
2. Blast finishers (Cluster Bomb) will disable (or activate) traps.
3. A trait that grants immunity to traps that are set while the Thief is in close proximity. Basically, no more dying from a trap dropped at your feet.
4. A trait that grants immunity to duration traps’ effects/damage if a Thief successfully evades the initial activation.
5. A trait that gives the Thief extra time inside of a trap’s range before it activates. Perhaps allowing a Thief to “interact” with the trap to disable it.
6. A trait that causes a Thief to take only half damage from traps.
When I see a roaming condi mesmer I quickly swap traits … Then proceed to give them the kitten beating they deserve
Unfortunately, this is one of the things I think would truly help the Thief in PvP.
Assuming that the Thief is meant to have the active and adaptive playstyle (improvisation, anyone?), being able to switch “fighting styles” on the fly would allow much more versatility. It may not improve any certain aspect of the Thief, but it would allow it to better match up against the threat at hand instead of being locked into one build/style that is completely countered by one of its opponents.
Think of the Jedi Knight games. Being able to switch from heavy style to light to mid. All with the same saber, but giving so much versatility and ability to adapt to any situation.
Just imagine if the Thief had its own version of attunements. With the ability to go from power-oriented to condition-oriented or from aggressive to evasive to stealthy with a press of a button.
The difference between Thief “attunements” and those of the Elementalist is that the Thief’s would be used on an as-needed basis, where the Ele goes through rotations to maximize their potential.
Yes, I know… but dreams are dreams :-P
Anyhow, don’t forget your loved ones! GL
So true. And as much as the temptation may be, don’t try to get them hooked on the game just so you can do it together.
The world is a better place outside of this game… and much more balanced ;-P
As soon as you except the role that u are the ninja you back stab and take what’s there’s without them knowing you was there, that’s when you will see how op thf is.
Unfortunately, the Thief is no ninja.
A well trained ninja could 1v1 just about anyone easily… even toe-to-toe in broad daylight. However, the stealth and subterfuge completely overshadowed (no pun intended) their traditional fighting capabilities… at least as far as their legacy goes.
Believe me, I wish the Thief were as powerful ;-)
Thank you fo the information. With so much to take into consideration for fair balance, does the Thief have much hope of becoming competitive in sPvP as a fighter any time soon?
Personally, I’d be happy to maintain mobility without Shortbow… or at least not be stuck in it for 10 seconds after a swap. I miss the days of going D/x and S/D. But Shortbow’s mobility is too important to give up in order to decap points (if im truly trying to win a match)… especially since S/D (or any other set) doesn’t really improve my chances over D/P of succeeding in today’s combat. That is doubly so without access to Daredevil and Staff.
I suppose that’s all off-topic, though. I’m just getting tired of the constant and needless nerfs when the Thief is already in a weak position in sPvP relative to many other professions.
core thief builds do surprisingly well in today’s meta due to the nature of what thief was shoehorned into.
Alas, the shoehorn. I agree with your initial build suggestion if anybody is wanting to fulfill the Thief’s “role” in PvP. It’s extremely similar to what I’m using now. I’m using Roll for Initiative instead of Signet of Agility, though… and I’ll trade Blinding Powder for Shadow Trap if mobility is needed more than condi-removal in that particular match.
I am trying Leaching Venoms instead of Hidden Killer at the moment. After not using Shadow Arts for so long, the Stealth on Steal throws me off, and I’m still trying to spam auto-attacks post-Steal. With the new ICD, I find myself doing nothing for a full second because I Backstabbed air instead of auto-attacking, haha! I’m also a point fighter, so Stealthing on Steal means I’m giving up control… and it makes me sad to do that :-(
So yes, Shadow Arts is definitely the way to go if you want to give your team the best chance of winning. Critical Strikes just makes me happy because I feel so powerful… at least until someone hits me :-P
Offers better survivability with a bit more condi clear and stealth at the cost of damage as compared to Kageseigi’s.
Indeed, that’s something I forgot to mention. One reason I switched to Marauder is because I had already proved to myself that I could be successful with Berserker. With Marauder, you only lose about 10% damage output, but you gain around 40% health. That extra vitality helps tremendously, especially against conditions…
And that’s one of the main things to remember… you have very limited condi-removal. In fact, it mostly comes from Trick utilities. And because at least three of your utilities are serving multiple purposes, you need to learn the best uses for each of them based on the situation…
Withdraw: Heal / Immobilize removal / Single condition removal / Evade
Roll for Initiative: Stun break / Single condition removal / Evade / Initiative regeneration
Shadowstep: 2x Stun break / Multiple condition removal / Escape / Vertical mobility / Stomp assist
Haste: Stun break / Single condition removal / DPS increase
I must confess, I cannot run any build without Roll for Initiative now… or have it assigned to any other button than what I’ve been using it on. It has become a terrible reflex to tap that button the moment I suspect anything is wrong. It’s not just a stun breaker to me… it is my “get out of jail” card. It not only gets me out of the “frying pan,” it also gets me out of the “kitchen.” Hehe, just be glad they added walls to Skyhammer ;-P
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Ok, so it’s a “the new apex predator” kind of thing?
But I thought the “Apex Predator” title was supposed to be reserved for Thieves :-(
Well, at least the Thief still roams around “hunting” like a predator… even though it only hunts for fellow Thieves while running away from everyone else.
The Dragonhunter is more of a “Get in my belly!” type of predator that just stands there on point while waiting for others to willingly feed it… and they do just because of the sheer futility in trying to do anything else.
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Depending how quickly you want to die/kill, you could go with either Berserker or Maurader with the following…
D/P with Air and Fire sigils
Shortbow with Air and Fire (for damage) or a combo of Agility/Energy/Bloodlust/Generosity/Nullification (based on need)
Runes of the Pack
Utilities
Withdraw
Roll for Initiative
Shadowstep
Assassin’s Signet (damage) or Haste (quickness/condi-removal)
Basilisk Venom
Deadly Arts
Mug
Panic Strike
Executioner
Critical Strikes
Side Strike
Practiced Tolerance
No Quarter
Trickery
Flanking Strikes
Trickster
Sleight of Hand
I ran this build through Seasons 2 (Berserker) and 3 (Marauder). The goal is to engage and down a target before they know you’re there. Once they react, you have to be ready to disengage immediately. Take notice that if you get hit, you will die quickly. So don’t get hit, and be ready to stun break instantly.
You have to be 100% aggressive… except when you must be 100% defensive, haha! And that is the truth. Of course, squishies are your primary targets, and many builds become decently squishy against this build. However, you are squishy to everyone, and no matter how squishy an opponent may be, passives can make them very, very dangerous to stay aggressive against.
Perhaps the biggest warning I can give you about this build is this… once you get used to the playstyle, every other Thief build feels so slow and weak. I’m trying to adjust to Shadow Arts again, and it is so very difficult. It will, however, also make your reflexes so much faster. I would almost suggest it as a training build for new Thieves… because it is a trial by fire.
But good luck to you no matter what build you choose! :-D
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A still kind of resides in that haze of “what did I just get hit by/how should I react to this?” or non-noticeable damage in group contexts.
In your opinion, what would be an acceptable “amount of notification” for a potential lethal attack? I guess that’s the issue that needs to be pinned down.
With your previous example, using Steal-CnD-Basilisk-Backstab can hit hard and fast. But it will be even faster with Flanking Strikes traited for quickness. How much time does that even give an unexpecting opponent before it has already suffered all of that damage?
I must confess… I don’t have too much pity for passives that don’t get a chance to take affect. I don’t know if it’s because I feel like the Thief would deserve to bypass the passive if it has set up a perfect engagement with a very risky build, or if it’s because as a glassy Thief myself, I’ve suffered insta-downs with little time or tells in order to avoid it… especially in hectic combat.
Oddly enough, I cannot remember the last time a Thief has been able to insta-burst me down from 100%… even while caught completely by surprise with Basilisk… even when running with the Berserker amulet. Your Signet Thief may be able to do it, but those are very rare. However, I’ve suffered insta-downs from other professions including Guardians, Revenants, Warriors, Engineers, and invisible Mesmers.
What’s especially annoying are DH trap stacks at completely empty points. Alas, let your guard down for just a moment, and that’s all it takes. It wouldn’t be so bad if Dragon’s Maw didn’t make Roll for Initiative worthless (it’s literally my reflexive save skill)… by the time I notice, it’s too late for Shadowstep to save me. Haha, and then there’s that DH pull into the traps. Good times… good times :-P
Yeah, mostly L2P issues on my part, but it still makes me want to be able to return the favor ;-)
Who knows? Maybe Anet just needs to give everyone a Thief Proximity alarm that goes off whenever an enemy Thief is within a range of 1,000. There will be no excuse then! :-D
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I’d be more infuriated than anything if I just suddenly fell over dead and had no time to react.
Ah, so your concern is having a Thief entering Stealth and 1-shotting a target without giving any notice?
There must surely be tweaks that could be made to the concept in order to give acceptable notice. Perhaps one of the following….
A. Reduce CnD’s damage coeffient to 0.25, and add an additional 1.0 to the next attack’s damage coefficient. This would disallow any Stealth stacking, but it may still be weak enough to allow it to be unblockable while giving the target some notice between the CnD and Backstab.
B. Add a 1/4 second daze to CnD. At least it will give a visual notification to the target that something hit them. This would make up for the lacking daze from Sleight of Hand. It would also add a bit more utility to CnD.
C. Add a 1 second Blind to CnD for the same reason as above.
D. Give CnD a slight aftercast delay before Stealth is applied. Even if it is used in conjunction with Steal, at least the target would be able to see the Thief briefly before it vanishes.
Hmm, just curious… would Stealth-stacking even be acceptable as a D/D Thief. It would still require successful strikes to stack, which may not be so simple in a combat situation. It would probably just be annoying to others because the Thief can stay hidden for longer. Other than that, I don’t see any reason for it to not be able to do so.
Ps. Does Meld with Shadows even affect CnD? I thought they fixed the “perma-Stealth” ability of well timed CnD’s last year.
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so wheres the necro endure pain trait? ok what about mesmers? thief’s?
Thief…
1. Last Refuge: Automatic Stealth
2. Hard to Catch: Automatic stun break and endurance refill
3. Instant Reflexes: Automatic evasion
Personally, I only have an issue with #3. Stealth isn’t invulnerability, and #3 is like an Aegis for CC.
Mesmer…
Mirror of Anguish: Mirrors the CC back onto the attacker.
Necro…
Reaper’s Protection: Fears the attacker when CC’ed.
Both of those need to go. There’s no counterplay to them… nor are there any tells. Other professions have similar passives to the above.
Frankly, though, the weakness of the kit is in its inability to deal with an opponent’s defenses, not in the skill requirement in landing a hit.
Just trying to think out of the box here. What if CnD went in a bit of a different direction? Again, this is just a conceptual thought. The following changes as a whole would be…
1. Remove all damage from CnD.
This will allow Stealth stacking while still requiring the Thief to actually strike the target. But the main purpose for this is for the next step to be acceptable.
2. Make CnD unblockable.
This will allow the Thief to gain Stealth even if a target is actively blocking. Because CnD no longer does damage itself, being unblockable won’t make it overpowered.
3. Applies a new effect that enhances the next attack.
This effect cannot be stacked. It will be removed on the next attack that hits or is blocked/evaded.
As for what the effect actually does, well, that’s up for discussion. Possible examples…
A. Add 1.25 to the coefficient of the next attack (or whatever would make up for the removed damage of the successful CnD).
B. Double the direct damage of the next attack.
C. Double the condition damage of the next condition application.
D. Double the duration of the next condition/CC application.
Or perhaps it could apply the proper option(s) based on which skill was used while the effect is active. Backstab could use either A or B. Dancing Dagger could use A or B plus D. Or something along those lines.
Anyway, just trying to figure out how to improve D/D without actually changing it too much.
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Is it Black Powder itself that is unblockable? Or just the smoke field that it creates? If it’s the field, then it’s not a Black Powder issue.
I don’t think you’re looking at this correctly.
I believe you’re making different arguments…
You said that adding a Bleed on Backstab would make it broken because of Dagger Training already gives Backstab a chance to apply poison, weakness, and 10% damage increase.
However, Dagger Training gives all Dagger attacks that same chance. Therefore, it is not a Backstab-specific issue. It is a matter of Bleeding. That is all. You could make the same argument about Death Blossom and it’s Bleeds in conjunction with Dagger Training.
And yes, speaking specifically about Backstab, a 100% chance to inflict Bleeding makes a 33% chance to apply poison really seem pathetic.
But even if Dagger Training can add that additional poison potential, you’re assuming that it will be chosen over Mug… which is a much more universal trait. Trading condition damage and denial of healing for direct damage and healing.
And yes, Stealing does give 100% chance to apply poison and weakness plus the 10% damage increase. So even without Dagger Training, you can still get 50% Lotus Poison uptime. And a Bleed on Backstab would also allow for the 10% damage increase as well. So much of Dagger Training’s potential is already redundant.
I do agree, though, if Revealed Training gave Might instead of a power increase… or even if Backstab (or Stealth Attacks in general) granted so much Might similar to Unload (at least after a successful hit), then all Thieves would benefit from it. Even power Thieves would be able to benefit better from Bleeding ticks on Backstab.
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Isn’t it sad when the best trap you have hardly ever works as intended… and it’s most useful when you set it somewhere that it won’t be triggered?
#shadowtrappathfindingproblems
D/P being relatively OP
I completely agree with the Thief being a complete mess right now. Though I believe the above statement’s accuracy is completely dependent on what you are relating it to.
Yes, D/P is overpowered relative to the rest of the Thief’s weapon sets.
But a D/P Thief is still inferior in relation to other professions. At least in PvP.
BS already have 33% chance to apply Poison, Weakness, and +10% Damage against the target when traited with Dagger Training.
Adding bleed to that is just broken.
Broken? Yes. But in the opposite direction that you seem to imply.
First, it’s a 33% chance to apply poison. For an attack that can happen only once every 4 seconds, that’s rather pathetic.
Second, you have to give up Mug which gives 100% chance to damage/heal… and may even out damage Dagger Training’s poison. On top of that, Steal will also give a 100% chance to apply poison, weakness, and +10% damage.
Third, power Thieves have little reason to take Potent Poison over Executioner or Improvisation, so there will be no boost to Dagger Training’s poison.
So I don’t see a Bleed on Backstab breaking anything. It will allow power Thieves to bypass some defenses, and it will give condition Thieves an actual reason to use Backstab.
I’m not saying it’s a great idea. But I certainly don’t see it breaking anything. Besides, as I said before, the Thief is in a bad state. It needs improvements. Even if a redesign/overhaul is in order, more improvements to gain competitiveness should be sought after. There is a long, long way to go before the Thief ever becomes “broken” in an overtuned fashion. Well, perhaps, except for the “perma-evade” Daredevil form. Never played it, and haven’t had much experience against it, so I cannot comment.
And it makes no sense. A backstab that doesn’t crit – well ok then. That could be in the next balance patch.
ETA: I want a wet noodle dagger skin.
Yeah, the suggestion of a Backstab that doesn’t crit only if blocked would be better… because if no Backstab could crit, Hidden Killer would be useless for a D/x build.
Actually, I wouldn’t mind a trait that allowed a Thief’s attack to daze/interrupt an opponent specifically if they are blocking. Even if the initial attack did no damage, it would allow the Thief to force the opponent out from bunkering.
Not only the priority but if we steal a boon give us all the stacks as well. Right now boon steal just transfers the boon and not the stacks which. That ins’t theft that is removal.
It should be called “Petty Theft”
I would prefer to have “Grand Larceny”
But you know how it goes. If it fits the Thief perfectly, they’ll give it to another profession…
So we will end up with “Grand Theft Necro”
Giving one a port because the other has a port and giving one a blind because the other has a blind means we might as well not have two different weaponsets at all.
I think the shadowstepping gap closer is on the wrong set. As much as it helps D/P, at least the Pistol naturally gives range and utility. D/D is very melee-oriented and quite lacking utility.
So where the concept of a Dagger = Melee, and a Pistol = Ranged, it’s D/D that seems to warrant the shadowstep to stay in melee range. D/P can keep the Blinds and Interrupts.
I’m not saying that’s a good change. It just seems to make more sense. But, hey… this world has magic and all sorts of stuff, so who’s to say what makes sense?
I know most D/D condi bandwagon players would cry hard about as it’d make the build require some degree of skill to play.
Alas, how do you balance a game? It doesn’t matter the type of change you make, or even the extent… it’s going to anger some people.
It seems that the way Anet set up the weapons, there’s way too much connectivity between them. You can’t buff one set without buffing another. And you cannot nerf one without nerfing another. It’s one giant mess. You can’t fix one without overpowering another, and you can’t normalize one without breaking another.
Just wondering if it’s called for.
Stealth Attacks
Surprise Shot: Damage + Immobilize
Hook Strike: Damage + Knockdown
Tactical Strike: Damage + Daze/Blind
Sneak Attack: Damage + Bleed
Backstab: Damage
While direct damage is a good thing for a Power Thief, it is absolutely ineffective against several defenses such as Endure Pain or Signet of Stone, and quite ineffective against Protection.
With the recent changes, does Backstab need something extra like a massive Bleed? It could help Condition/Hybrid Thieves as well as assisting Power Thieves to continue to apply pressure through certain defenses.
Ps. Yes, Sneak Attack already has Bleeds, but it is also ranged and easier to land than Backstab.
Btw, if CnD was another port/shadowstep/gap closer, wouldn’t that make 2 from S/D sort of too much porting mobility especially since this one works without landing and also faster then the SS port? like you could gap close with only this 2 abilities 1800 range in a flash and also get into stealth afterwards.
I think that’s one thing we suffer from… we’re too focused on specifics instead of looking at the big picture. The Thief is in a bad place. 1,800 range shadowsteps wouldn’t change that. The Thief can already do that with D/P anyway… just using utilities instead of initiative. The Thief’s problem is that it doesn’t have the fighting ability once it gets into range, and it gets outranged by several other professions.
The only true way to “balance” the weapon sets is to give each whole set its own unique skills. And I don’t think that’s going to happen. So the best I can hope for is that they will “fix” some sets even if it increases the abilities of other sets which are already “fixed.” I’d prefer every set to be viable with some being overpowered than to have some sets viable while others can’t even compete at all. With the way the game is currently set up, those are the only two options I see that are available… which is VERY unfortunate.
10 stacks of might while I have a ps warrior keeping me at 25 stacks of might gives me…. 0 stacks of additional might which means 0 extra damage, simple as that.
So yeah, might is nice but not a replacement for damage modifiers and stackable additions.
This is exactly why PvP needs to be balanced separately from PvE.
The Thief is suffering from an identity-crisis. It is not built for team-fighting, but it requires a team in order to fight.
Personally, I view the Thief as an independent roamer. In that case, Might can be very advantageous compared to simple increases to power.
Only when supported by Might from teammates would the boon-cap be an issue. But the Thief isn’t really built for that… at least not in 5v5 Conquest.
My own desire is for the Thief to be given more independence. Being able to fight more effectively without support from teammates. But that goes far beyond a simple damage increase.
Sad thing is, if they were to change this, any half decent thief would know how to use bound and heartseeker properly to get the same four leap finishers. I dare anet to fix this.
Very sad indeed. I may not be a decent Thief, but I hope I’m at least half decent. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to Bound :-(
Well, it was a bug, But the bug has been ingame since launch.
Do you know what else is a bug? Heartseeker’s length being affected by the direction of the camera. As in what gives the ability to leap four times through a single Black Powder. Directly from one of the programmers…
pointing the camera down does not shorten the Heartseeker’s leap, making it much more difficult to jump inside Black Powder multiple times.
The behavior you want is almost certainly a bug in the first place, so I’m not sure what to tell you.
Conspiracy Theory: Anet added the 1 second ICD because of how shortbow stealth attacks will behave with Rending Shade.
Interesting. Shouldn’t all that need to be done is check to see if the Thief has the Revealed effect applied? If so, then do not allow the boons to be stolen. Only one Surprise Shot can hit before Revealed is applied, even if there is a second in the air.
Here’s my list in terms of class unhappiness in PvP according to forum complaints.
Top is worse
1. Ele
2. ThiefThat ends my list. Anyone else uncontent with their class? Who should be 3rd & 4th picks?
Thief and Ele mains are always unhappy with every balance pach.
It’s kinda hard to be thrilled about being pigeonholed into cleric bunker.
Or a dependent vulture :-(