[Mesmer] "Breaks Enemy Targeting" skills cancel your auto-attack

Description:When using Mesmer skills that have the "Breaks Enemy Targeting" modifier, YOUR auto-attack is cancelled. You have to press 1 again to resume auto-attacking.

Enemies in PvP/WvW can quickly determine who the player character is, as he is the only one NOT attacking (clones resume their auto-attacks immediately).

This also adds significant "clunk" to an otherwise fluid playstyle; players must press 1 and resume auto-attacking BEFORE dodging to Mirage Cloak / Ambush, as the Ambush fails to hit when the player is not attacking. This is especially critical for Illusory Ambush, as the player loses the Ambush opportunity created by the skill if they fail to press 1 in time.

"Breaks Enemy Targeting" may have been linked to the Stealth mechanic? When players enter Stealth, they stop auto-attacking; if they didn't, they'd immediately reveal themselves. This behavior is contradictory to the nature of "Breaks Enemy Targeting" skills, however, as the skills encourage immediate attacks (and Ambushes).

Skills affected:

• Axes of Symmetry
• Illusory Ambush
• Mirror Images

Reproduction:

1. Equip skills listed above.
2. Equip any other weapon sets (Scepter, Staff).
3. Summon clones. (optional)
4. Use "Breaks Enemy Targeting" skills.
5. Wonder why you aren't attacking any more.

Notes:When the player has a ranged weapon equipped, they will fire exactly one auto-attack projectile, but will stand still afterwards. This includes Illusory Ambush (the Ambush itself is wasted unless the player presses 1 immediately).

I've noticed my AA not resuming, but I've chalked it up to the idea that the player needs to manually initiate an ambush (was noticing it whenever I used an appropriate skill or otherwise triggered Mirage Cloak). Like you note, ambush appears to work just like stealthing by swapping in a new version of the skill and causing the "activation" so to say of that skill to be reset.

I would need to pay more attention to see if it's on specific skills, as you appear to have tested. I've assumed it was happening whenever I entered an ambush state.Edit: and as a result I didn't think it was a bug. edit: probably isn't, if it is in fact meant to function like attacks from stealth

Ambushes are automatically performed after dodging while auto-attacking, as well as after triggering the Desert Distortion trait via the Distortion shatter.

shrug OK. Then it must've been on the skills you listed only. I should pay more attention before posting... :/

No, it's okay! Sorry for my tone earlier, I had been fiddling around with trying to recreate the bug for FAR too long at that point.

It had been driving me bonkers that some of the time you'd trigger Mirage Cloak, automatically perform the Ambush, and go right back to auto-attacking, and some of the time you'd trigger Mirage Cloak and stand around like a fool doing nothing. From everything I've tried, those "Breaks Enemy Targeting" skills are the only ones that cancel your auto-attack (and, subsequently, the Ambush as well).

Thanks for your comments!

This bug has persisted through today's patch.

Anet mentioned "smoothing" out combat, and fixing this bug would be one step towards that.