AikijinX.6258

Inflation around the world going up, gas prices going up, and now even initiative costs in game (once again) One thing that seldom goes up in tandem? Quality of life and in Gw2's case Quality of Thief. Unfortunate.

Just throw revealed debuff on them. Watch em squirm without Shadow Meld.

Game still sxhit? Oh yeah. those patch notes.. Looks like my hiatus from game extends.

It used to be Unblockable. But they removed that. Unfortunately.

The piercing DJ is one of the best changes I’ve seems thus far. It’s really good too, because in WvW those pesky veteran guards LOVE to get in the way and body block as well as Rangers and Mechanists LoS’ing around their pet to get a little dmg mitigation. I welcome the piercing on DJ. DE would immediately be best in slot if they added it to double tap, or triple tap, let alone AA.

Good, now rangers and mechanists will stop getting carried by their pets and LoS’ing behind them. I don’t play DE as much, I kind of wish this piercing was also a QoL change for twilight combo on Specter, but maybe in the future who knows. (This comment had WvW in mind, not PvP. More specifically Roaming/Duels)

I wrote this in my other message on the 1st page, but I would like to add it as a separate comment and entity. EDIT 11/28- Look I understand Anet historically has difficulty with balance, especially when it comes to Thief. But at some point, the communities voices have to be heard, and transparency given or atleast some kind of validation. I won’t spew the nonsense about them not knowing the class and that they need a Thief main on their balance team. But I will say that I feel as though it’s imperative that their philosophy of balance should not be so limiting, because if a balance change as you guys stated doesn’t fit within their philosophy at the time or agenda that’s being pushed, well then that’s how substantial levels of class nerfs occur. It’s time to change how they look at balance, and balance for (fun gameplay) opposed to a dead in the water ‘esports’ level of balance.

The silence is deafening. The amount of pushback and resolution that ele typically gets and this most recent change with scrapper and their gyro’s. The pushback from those classes got a response almost near immediately, if not, just assuring the classes community that they are aware of the disappointment towards the change and are looking into potential solutions. The transparency with the other classes is quite apparent. When Thief is the class on the chopping block with their very loud responses of disapproval, dismay and disappointment towards upcoming changes, it’s like ANETs car windows roll up and they try very hard to ignore the what’s being said in the Thief community. (Atleast this is my perspective and how I am seeing this as well as taking it.) However I do understand it’s thanksgiving week, but the transparency should have come 1-2 days after the preview and backlash, now there’s less than a week, and I fear that they will just let this change play out and see how players like it. If they are still receiving backlash and disapproval, then Thieves will just have to wait until ANOTHER balance patch, because I doubt they’d care to hot fix it. EDIT 11/28- Look I understand Anet historically has difficulty with balance, especially when it comes to Thief. But at some point, the communities voices have to be heard, and transparency given or atleast some kind of validation. I won’t spew the nonsense about them not knowing the class and that they need a Thief main on their balance team. But I will say that I feel as though it’s imperative that their philosophy of balance should not be so limiting, because if a balance change as you guys stated doesn’t fit within their philosophy at the time or agenda that’s being pushed, well then that’s how substantial levels of class nerfs occur. It’s time to change how they look at balance, and balance for (fun gameplay) opposed to a dead in the water ‘esports’ level of balance.

Thematically Thief taking quickness and sharing it among his group makes sense. A Thief is a Thief. Robin Hood was objectively a Thief but shared his bounties with the less fortunate. But anyway, I suggest that Haste become an “Equip”. And when you press haste it doesn’t automatically pop off and activate until you actually hit something. The equip duration can be for 30s and a little ui icon can appear showing the user that your haste is equipped and ready to go on encounter. This way it gives you the power and control over haste.

Oh how i missed the days of Ambush trap (Where we can summon Thieves to be our allies) The glory days... Don't JUDGE ME- THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO!! DON'T JUDGE ME, hence the reason it’s unlisted

Specter was Anet’s ‘experiment’ to introduce single target ally healing into the mix. They said they would be paying close attention to it since it’s a newly introduced mechanic as well as closely keeping an eye on shroud. I’m not so sure how much they are actually paying attention though. Can we all agree that this ‘Thief Experiment’ failed. And although I would love for them to go back to the drawing board and redesign this entire Spec from the ground up to how it should be. I understand they just don’t have the resources. But Specter deserves some kind of Justice, whatever it may be. And definitely a deeper in-depth justice opposed to just changing the coefficient to .85 or 1.0 with shroud and giving us multi ally shroud healing/tether

Imagine making a class such as a Thief, and not understanding or having any forethought into how high the skill ceiling ( is, was, and would be) for this kind of class arch-type. Our greatest sin and detriment was that we were too good and had excelled with this class exponentially throughout the years, even with all the countless adaptations. We excelled with this class and played the class to its fullest capability and throughout 10 years were constantly penalized for it. I understand the inherent nature of the class and it’s issue’s and how it’s a balancing nightmare. But there was no forward thinking, projection, or future sight when making this class? Thank You OP for creating this in detail read-along; it was insightful and enjoyable, as well as deceiverX for your always insightful perspectives and opinions.

Everything that being said, I’ve said 2.5 weeks ago above in the quoted message. I’m really glad that the Thief sub forum is getting so much activity. It’s actually a wonderful thing to see 🥹!! Whether or not Anet speaks out and acknowledges what they’ve done to the game modes is another story as well as who they listen to which influences their balancing ideas.

In the camp: Shadow Refuge first > He then waited until reveal debuff was off and then used Blinding Power utility which also gave him 1s stability Out of the camp near the griffons: He (super speed SA minor trait)ran and shortbow 5 to the griffons and used CnD near eagle raptors: He shadow steps to eagle raptor> Uses Cloak and Dagger to gain stealth, (while in stealth he probably stole from the eagle raptor and gained blinding tufts.. luckily) and shadow returns as he was getting rapid fired by you and uses the 1st stack of blinding tufts While near your ally: He uses the 2nd stack of blinding tufts (because of improvisation in D.A line)> and then everything after is just a combination of CnD and Blinding Powder. Keep in mind he still had a shadow refuge to use as well. Doesn’t look like he was in any real danger when he got out of the camp, because of his stealth which gave him SuperSpeed from the Shadow arts line, and probably took cleansing conditions swap sigil on both weapons and shadow embrace SA trait too, probably energy sigil too. You guys didn’t put much pressure on him and you didn’t, as a ranger, use your Sic’em reveal debuff Both of you guys were (never) in control of that fight when he left camp. There was no real pressure on him and it seems as though you and him were just zerglings that don’t roam much. (Which is totally fine by the way) But there was no point in that fight out of the camp you were in control.

That admittedly sounds broken asf. Good concept, but with it being effected by alac, you’ll pretty much have like a 80% up time if not more (I’m ball parking the math) by using this in a Zerg v Zerg setting or PvE Zerg. As well as getting initiative back per for struck. You’d pretty much always get refunded in ZvZ settings and there really would be no need for shroud, that would just be a bonus. The support would be off the charts. Without needing to spec into healing power, since you said the healing and barrier and such scales off vitality. Good concept. But admittedly would just be another thing that people outcry over.