Thief make a wish list

[fluidmonolith.3584]

I would like to see:

• Updating of Venom skills/traits to be useful in situations other than just group PvE (except Basi venom, which is fine)
• Updating of Deception skills to be usable in general (except Shadow Step, which is already very strong). These skills are generally just weak, and could use any combination of reduced cooldown, ammo counts, or increased effects
• Updating of Traps skills to be usable in general - these skills are generally weak and could use, e.g. better traits, reduced cooldowns, or ammo.
• Change DrD Swipe to be different than steal, rather than just a shorter-range version of the same skill. I don't think the range necessarily needs to be increased though.
• Revising Cantrips - they are generally kind of weak.
• Revisiting the design for shortbow - it provides excessive mobility (which we all like) but is, for the most part, a weak weapon in combat, and limits the mobility that can be given to the rest of the thief's toolkit. I would like to see shortbow mobility reduced a bit, and damage increased a bit. Some of that mobility could be spread to other skills or weapons that are currently lacking mobility (e.g. P/P, D/D, and P/D). Thief could use more ground-target or leap mobility rather than just 'shadowstep-to-target' mobility. Thief already has great mobility, I'm not asking for an increase, but rather a redistribution of that mobility between types (enemy-targeted vs ground target vs leap) and weapon sets.

[Feiyans.8312]

Hello, I would like :

✦On successful dodge : reduce next initiative cost by x amount✦Dodge cancel : to give thiefs the ability to use a skill with initiative cost during a roll so it extends the dodge i-frame duration to the attack used (must be a move with iniative cost),Balanced around either a quicker animation of the attack to reduce i-frame duration (becoming then a fast attack) or an extra +1 iniative cost to the move used for the symbolic✦Skill cancel : to give the ability to cancel an attack into dodge animation to the cost of extra initiatives (+2, thiefs are cautious. what? heartseeker spam ? a youth mistake for sure)

✦To give snipers 1500 or 1600 range on "while standing and not moving" and 1800-2000 (or more hehe) on kneeling stance so it feels like using a sniper. Could use faster projectiles or auto-tracked ones with the current bullet speed to hinder the distance problem. Right now ranger's long bows are true snipers with their arrows at 1500 range.✦Death's judgment pierces everyone, no one stop Death's judgment.✦Deadeye's mark without cast time.

[TorQ.7041]

Make deadeye range the same as ranger long bow.

Remove cast time on rifle 4.

This would basically bring back DE.

[Menyus.4610]

Give me AA buff, so my 3k power 275% ferocity thief wont do 980 critical hit, meanwhile other classes kill me accidentaly and i see the confusion in their movement, omg where he where is HEEEE oh he is dead lul

[Rehk.6574]

I'd like to see:

Rework to traps and venomsRework to Shadow Arts specializationone handed crossbow skin for pistolcrossbow skin for shortbowblock for staffa couple more thief-like skins for staffimproved Backstab damage without deadeye

[JonnyForgotten.4276]

Fix all of our various projectile issues (thinking of Scorpion Wire, Impairing Daggers). The amount of times I have seen ID just fly off to the side or get "out of range"d by a target running away is just ridiculous. Perhaps increase the projectile speed and tracking so these skills hit more reliably.

Give us back some of the damage we lost on dagger and sword AA's. We are supposed to be DEADLY as well as fragile.

Tweak weapon skills to be just a little bit faster and smoother. Mostly looking at sword and staff here, think dagger attack speed is fine as is. Shortening the precast on most of our weapon skills and utilities (again, ID pops to mind) would be great and let us be a bit more reactive.

[Kageseigi.2150]

@"JonnyForgotten.4276" said:We are supposed to be DEADLY as well as fragile....Tweak weapon skills to be just a little bit faster and smoother ... Shortening the precast on most of our weapon skills and utilities (again, ID pops to mind) would be great and let us be a bit more reactive.

This is the main issue that I believe is plaguing the Thief. Anet says the Thief is supposed to be one thing, but they change it to be completely different.

If they would just choose a simple theme for the Thief, and stick to it, it would go a long way to giving the Thief a solid identity. The initiative system is an absolutely amazing start! But even it comprises only half of the Thief's skills. The utilities are still based on cooldowns... and many traits are based on completely invisible countdowns... and even Stealth Attacks have cooldowns!

Some possible "themes" for Thieves would be...

• Make all skills instant-cast
• Make all utilities initiative-based
• Make all traits passive with no cooldown
• Make all weapon-specific traits apply to all weapons
• Make all of a weapon set's skills fluid with each other (flowing gracefully from one to another with no after-cast delays) or even make every weapon skill into a chain that flows fluidly through the chain (if there's an after-cast delay, it comes at the end of the chain)
• Give the Thief as a whole a general identity, with only extremes of that identity being made by trait choice. That is, all Thieves should be evasive, elusive, and sneaky regardless of traits and weapon sets.

Thieves are supposed to be played actively, so timing attacks and defenses is important. But there isn't enough active defense capability to survive in a fight against other professions... and definitely not enough offensive capability to punch through passive defenses.

Thieves are supposed to adapt and improvise according to any given situation. If an opponent has so much defense that a Thief can't power through, every Thief should be able to take on a "control" strategy where it can knockdown/back or stun the opponent. If the opponent is fast, every Thief should be able to hide. If the opponent has lots of deadly AoE, every Thief should be able to effectively engage either at range or be able to survive in melee.

That is... Thieves are not supposed to be locked into a certain playstyle before a match even begins... especially when you have no idea what builds the opponents are using. Thieves are supposed to be prepared for anything. That's what makes rogues so versatile and dangerous. They don't just choose their gear for one particular situation or enemy. Their ability to adapt isn't just a choice between fight, hide, or run away. They are able to engage anything effectively to a certain extent.

I would love for Thieves to be given stances/postures as F-keys. An Evasive stance that boosts evade and deflection capability, but lessons attack power. An Assassin stance that heavily increases attack power and ability. A Control stance that adds a lot of dazes and knockdowns. A Deception stance that grants more access to Stealth, Blinds, and misdirections (teleports). Perhaps make these stances change the utility skills like an Engineer's tool belt.

Would those changes be similar to a Warrior, Engineer, or Elementalist? Perhaps so. But it makes a LOT of thematic sense for the Thief to have them... perhaps even more so than the others. Thieves are all about fast, active, adaptable playstyles. In order for that to happen, they have to have the capability to change their playstyle on the fly. Unfortunately, they don't have that right now... not nearly as much as they need.

[Psycoprophet.8107]

@Kageseigi.2150 said:

@"JonnyForgotten.4276" said:We are supposed to be DEADLY as well as fragile....Tweak weapon skills to be just a little bit faster and smoother ... Shortening the precast on most of our weapon skills and utilities (again, ID pops to mind) would be great and let us be a bit more reactive.

This is the main issue that I believe is plaguing the Thief. Anet says the Thief is supposed to be one thing, but they change it to be completely different.

If they would just choose a simple theme for the Thief, and stick to it, it would go a long way to giving the Thief a solid identity. The initiative system is an absolutely amazing start! But even it comprises only half of the Thief's skills. The utilities are still based on cooldowns... and many traits are based on completely invisible countdowns... and even Stealth Attacks have cooldowns!

Some possible "themes" for Thieves would be...

• Make all skills instant-cast
• Make all utilities initiative-based
• Make all traits passive with no cooldown
• Make all weapon-specific traits apply to all weapons
• Make all of a weapon set's skills fluid with each other (flowing gracefully from one to another with no after-cast delays) or even make every weapon skill into a chain that flows fluidly through the chain (if there's an after-cast delay, it comes at the end of the chain)
• Give the Thief as a whole a general identity, with only extremes of that identity being made by trait choice. That is, all Thieves should be evasive, elusive, and sneaky regardless of traits and weapon sets.

Thieves are supposed to be played actively, so timing attacks and defenses is important. But there isn't enough active defense capability to survive in a fight against other professions... and definitely not enough offensive capability to punch through passive defenses.

Thieves are supposed to adapt and improvise according to any given situation. If an opponent has so much defense that a Thief can't power through, every Thief should be able to take on a "control" strategy where it can knockdown/back or stun the opponent. If the opponent is fast, every Thief should be able to hide. If the opponent has lots of deadly AoE, every Thief should be able to effectively engage either at range or be able to survive in melee.

That is... Thieves are not supposed to be locked into a certain playstyle before a match even begins... especially when you have no idea what builds the opponents are using. Thieves are supposed to be prepared for anything. That's what makes rogues so versatile and dangerous. They don't just choose their gear for one particular situation or enemy. Their ability to adapt isn't just a choice between fight, hide, or run away. They are able to engage anything effectively to a certain extent.

I would love for Thieves to be given stances/postures as F-keys. An Evasive stance that boosts evade and deflection capability, but lessons attack power. An Assassin stance that heavily increases attack power and ability. A Control stance that adds a lot of dazes and knockdowns. A Deception stance that grants more access to Stealth, Blinds, and misdirections (teleports). Perhaps make these stances change the utility skills like an Engineer's tool belt.

Would those changes be similar to a Warrior, Engineer, or Elementalist? Perhaps so. But it makes a LOT of thematic sense for the Thief to have them... perhaps even more so than the others. Thieves are all about fast, active, adaptable playstyles. In order for that to happen, they have to have the capability to change their playstyle on the fly. Unfortunately, they don't have that right now... not nearly as much as they need.

The multiple stance providing multiple skills idea woulda been an amazing idea for DD and would have fit the theme. With a defense,cc and offensive stance to choose from it could have actually filled the brawler role they were going for. Unfortunately that would probably be to much effort from the devs as they usually choose the laziest direction when it comes to their changes.

[xxxBaZaLxxx.5819]

I think we need traps back and get rid of preparation

[Antycypator.9874]

Get rid of Shadow Return from Shadowstep and make it "ammo" skill instead. Or at least give 1-2 sec CD before Shadow Return is available.

I want a skill (placed on F3 or on F1 for time of Deadeye's Mark CD) called "Cancel Deadeye's Mark". Can be "Mercy" but with no bonuses. Just to cancel the mark.

Special option in targeting "switch to your marked target". I keep loosing my marked mobs.

Rework Venoms to something more useful.

[cyberzombie.7348]

Just a crack at the things that's relatively underperforming

1. Buff Malice Signet to Restoration Signet's level
2. Give Distracting Daggers bit more utility like making it a projectile finisher or remove boons on interrupt
3. Either give Devourer and Ice Drake venoms more stacks or longer durations
4. Give caltrops ground targeting like Shadow Refuge and torment

[Kallist.5917]

Collateral Damage:

• Effect Triggers on any Sneak Attacks as well.
• Radius Increased to 360.
• Damage increased to 800.Small adjustment that I feel would fix a dead trait. Like.. I have never seen ANYONE use that trait.. It sucks as is.

[Kageseigi.2150]

@"Kallist.5917" said:Collateral Damage:

• Effect Triggers on any Sneak Attacks as well.
• Radius Increased to 360.
• Damage increased to 800.Small adjustment that I feel would fix a dead trait. Like.. I have never seen ANYONE use that trait.. It sucks as is.

To go further with that, I would change any "on kill" trait to take effect "on downing"... because "on kill" traits are all but worthless in PvP (I'm looking at you, Signets of Power).

As such, I would also add this to Collateral Damage (or even a different trait)...

On downing a target, apply 1 stack of Poison to the downed target for 15 seconds

This would allow a Thief to to keep fighting with its primary weapon instead of having to get locked into Shortbow for 10 seconds just to cover the target in Choking Gas.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

would like the evade put back on the beginning of pistol whip. change the stun to a daze.

[Curennos.9307]

For Trickery to not be so blasted required on nearly every build.

For Shadow Arts to lean more towards dipping in and out of stealth, instead of (like the GM, Shadow Rejuv) encouraging ppl to stack stealth to get the max benefit.

For DE's GM trait M7 to have a bit more even boon application. Why is there Regen there? No thief ever has thought "Gosh it would be nice to have regen....golly." Gib more prot pls.

For DE's Silent Scope to lose the 'requires rifle' part.

For DE's minor trait options to not all be absolutely terrible except the one that's not even good, it just actually does something more often than the other two.