Make Thief Mobility Baseline: PoF Edition

Yes, you may have seen this coming...Use PoF's ammo mechanic to make mobility a universal Thief characteristic, allowing more versatility.

DISCLAIMER: This is designed as a REPLACEMENT skill, meaning to delete Infiltrator's Arrow from the game

New F3 ability:Elusive ShadowShadowstep to the target area.Range: 900Maximum Count: 3Count Recharge: 6 secondsActivation Time: 1/2 second

This gives every Thief the mobility it needs to remain viable in PvP Conquest without requiring the Shortbow, allowing a second combat weapon set. It also allows the Shortbow to be given a new, more useful skill to make it a viable weapon choice in place of the obsolete/redundant Infiltrator's Arrow.

In addition to the ability to carry a second combat weapon set, because the skill is cooldown-based, it will allow the Thief to move around the map and arrive at a fight with full initiative. Because the skill is ammo-based, the rate of travel should remain approximately the same as the current initiative-based Infiltrator's Arrow.

Some cons to this "replacement" skill are as follows:

• This skill will not Blind.
• This skill can be slowed with Chill.
• The half second activation time will allow interrupts and keep Thieves from being immortal with instant teleports.
• Being cooldown-based, this skill will not apply the Lead Attacks bonus.

Why do this? For several reasons. First of all, the Thief requires mobility to remain viable in PvP. The Thief is at a disadvantage in combat, so allowing the option to choose a second combat weapon set over a utility weapon will allow the Thief to at least lessen that disadvantage. By having this skill on F3, the Thief will not be locked into a "travel" weapon for 10 seconds because of the weapon swap cooldown. This will allow the Thief more versatility in combat situations as well as more diversity in its builds. This is especially important now after 25+% damage reductions to the first two auto-attack skills of both the Dagger and Sword.

The details of the skill are up for discussion, though the above should serve as a solid base.

As for what to do with Infiltrator's Arrow, that's another matter. Personally, I'd like to see it replaced with something more useful... either damage-wise or utility-wise. But I do believe it is a great disservice to the Thief to require one skill on one weapon to remain viable in a gametype. Alternatively (assuming Anet is too lazy to disign a new Shortbow 5 skill), the skill could remain to allow a Shortbow Thief to be even more mobile (even to actually reclaim the title as "most mobile"), giving an advantage in choosing utility over combat ability. Even then, notice that the Thief would have a CHOICE to build for extreme mobility over combat ability. And that is much better than the current choice between viability and combat ability.

No. People complain enough about us and Anet wants to pander to them

So, a godly Jaunt on an F key, sounds balanced.

Just as I say, thief players are the most dellusional folks in this game!I think this guy is right....

@Kageseigi.2150 said:

New F3 ability:Elusive ShadowShadowstep to the target area.Range: 900Maximum Count: 3Count Recharge: 6 secondsActivation Time: 1/2 second

While the initiative to propose changes is appreciated, this would be beyond broken.I can already see myself decapping two points at the same time and +1ing two Teammates at the same time.People could just keep Shortbow anyway and abuse the hell out of this, imagine your Close capped by enemy Thief at the start of the Match before your team mate even gets there =DJust to prove the point, even without this suggested Mechanic I can cap 1/4 of Far before enemy gets there from their base when Match starts.

@Alatar.7364 said:People could just keep Shortbow anyway and abuse the hell out of this

That's why I call it a replacement skill. It should be added in order to delete Infiltrator's Arrow from the game, not to supplement it.

The problem is Anet has a tendency to do things halfway (as in not create a new Shortbow 5 skill). If Anet did actually delete Infiltrator's Arrow, then this new skill should act virtually identical to it (mobility-wise), which was not possible before PoF's ammo mechanic.

The goal is to take mobility off of Shortbow and give it to the Thief itself.

EDIT: I added a big, bold disclaimer in the original post for clarification :-)

@Odik.4587 said:

Just as I say, thief players are the most dellusional folks in this game!I think this guy is right....

Aren't you the mesmer who was defending mesmers to death as not being completely broken?

even with cooldown as you get another weapon set, this skill needs still ini cost of at least 5 then maybe. but without ini cost that is too strong.actually we coold get more F skills if they got ini cost.

@Kageseigi.2150 said:That's why I call it a replacement skill. It should be added in order to delete Infiltrator's Arrow from the game, not to supplement it.

Thing is, the way you design it, it's OP, already gave Jaunt as an example - elite skill 20sec CD 450 range.The only way I see this balanced is either scrap the CD and ammo altogether and add at bare minimum, and it should be more since you avoid the weapon change, 6 initiative on use, or up the CD, again at bare minimum, to 40 sec.

@omgdracula.6345 said:Aren't you the mesmer who was defending mesmers to death as not being completely broken?

Odik already proposed changes to phantasm spamming, and phantasms themselves, where the mes opness lies.

@MUDse.7623 said:even with cooldown as you get another weapon set, this skill needs still ini cost of at least 5 then maybe. but without ini cost that is too strong.actually we coold get more F skills if they got ini cost.

I'd like that, that'd be cool. Imagine throwing an improved scorpion wire on there that can be used on downed-teammates to pull them out of hazardous AoE, just make it a 60 radius AoE ability, if 60 radius is even possible, since friendly targeting isnt an option... Can't recall seeing anything less than 120, though I do think Engi grenade-kit is mostly 60 radius. Or was it an increase of 60 radius?

@omgdracula.6345 said:

@Odik.4587 said:

Just as I say, thief players are the most dellusional folks in this game!I think this guy is right....

Mesmer isnt completely broken , potato players are broken and need to less crying ,more l2p .Find me saying chronomancer is perfectly fine ?

@Lincolnbeard.1735 said:

Odik already proposed changes to phantasm spamming, and phantasms themselves, where the mes opness lies.

Pretty much

If they want to fix mobility, it needs to be addressed in the weapon skills themselves, not through extra additions.

That goes for other classes as well that are moving much faster than they should be.

@Lincolnbeard.1735 said:Thing is, the way you design it, it's OP, already gave Jaunt as an example - elite skill 20sec CD 450 range.The only way I see this balanced is either scrap the CD and ammo altogether and add at bare minimum, and it should be more since you avoid the weapon change, 6 initiative on use, or up the CD, again at bare minimum, to 40 sec.

I can see replacing the cooldown and ammo with a straight 6-initiative cost.

The goal is to replicate as closely as possible the mobility of Infiltrator's Arrow so that it can be deleted without hurting the Thief's mobility as well as expanding its versatility through using a second combat weapon set.

By using initiative instead of cooldown/ammo, the Thief would still be sacrificing offensive power for mobility even though it doesn't have to switch weapons, so it seems to be self-balancing.

I like it. Anet, please make it so. Thank you :-)

What if instead of a profession skill it was a NEW ultimate power similar to mirage's jaunt? The thieves ultimates are lacklustre anyways but alteast in order to have a short CD teleport there is a significant trade-off. It could also be an ammo power like you said with a 20s ammo recharge like jaunt. Thieves need higher mobility than mirage anyway who haves clones/phantasms to do tanking and thieves should also cross a map faster imo. Mobility is the thieves main selling point and nothing should be better than them ELSE buff dmg/survivability siginifantly to match the tank/spank capability of mesmer.

I have a different idea on what should go next to steal skills. I could be the high cost ini weapon set skills and instead they should be given a CD (this is to make them more viable to use) or it could be MORE stolen skills. So that everytime you steal you get 4 'stolen' powers. There could be a CC power, dmg power and buff etc.

@Odik.4587 said:

@omgdracula.6345 said:

@Odik.4587 said:

Just as I say, thief players are the most dellusional folks in this game!I think this guy is right....

@Lincolnbeard.1735 said:

Odik already proposed changes to phantasm spamming, and phantasms themselves, where the mes opness lies.

I would say low effort high damage is pretty broken. If you made suggestions good for you, but don't sit there and say it isn't busted lol. Doubtful Anet will do anything since they put in a lot of effort to change how phantasms work.

@"omgdracula.6345" said:

I would say low effort high damage is pretty broken. If you made suggestions good for you, but don't sit there and say it isn't busted lol. Doubtful Anet will do anything since they put in a lot of effort to change how phantasms work.https://www. twitch.tv/videos/250298066?t=02h49m55s (sd thief feel so busted)I came here only because i'v got a link and put a quote which is 100% truth .I can do whatever I want ,sadly you cant tell me what to do ;)

@Odik.4587 said:

@"omgdracula.6345" said:

I would say low effort high damage is pretty broken. If you made suggestions good for you, but don't sit there and say it isn't busted lol. Doubtful Anet will do anything since they put in a lot of effort to change how phantasms work.

https://www

. twitch.tv/videos/250298066?t=02h49m55s (sd thief feel so busted)I came here only because i'v got a link and put a quote which is 100% truth .I can do whatever I want ,sadly you cant tell me what to do ;)

True you can do what you want. But I can still tell you what to do. Especially when you're being delusional about mesmer.

I know we can't flame on this forum so I'll just say this, imagine a deadeye teleporting 900 yards every 6 seconds after using their first 3 charges, imagine a s/d thief being able to keep up almost 100% evade by dipping ooc everytime they're low on initiative and finally imagine how they'd inevitably be uncatchable decapping and capping points in spvp. It's not an idea that fits in this game, sorry.

@Applesauce.5271 said:I know we can't flame on this forum so I'll just say this, imagine a blankety blank teleporting 450 yards every x seconds after using their first 3 charges, imagine a blankety blank being able to keep up almost 100% evade by dipping ooc everytime they're low on cooldowns and finally imagine how they'd inevitably be uncatchable decapping and capping points in spvp. It's not an idea that fits in this game, sorry.

WOWSERS! Now who does this sound like? Any profession we know?

@Crab Fear.1624 said:

@Applesauce.5271 said:I know we can't flame on this forum so I'll just say this, imagine a

blankety blank

teleporting 450 yards every

x

seconds after using their first 3 charges, imagine a

blankety blank

being able to keep up almost 100% evade by dipping ooc everytime they're low on

cooldowns

and finally imagine how they'd inevitably be uncatchable decapping and capping points in spvp. It's not an idea that fits in this game, sorry.

Yeah and I'm sure you'd find a mega thread about them being B.S pretty easily :PI'd just rather gw2 have balanced pvp and actually have something to define itself with besides the rep of being a dress up game for casuals

Please don't turn my thief into God mode.

why are we trying to fix what isnt broken here. Anet please pay the OP no mind. shortbow is fine. please focus on more important issues......like how mes is broken and does everything better than thief. k thanks bye