Tsukuyomi.7509

First of all I wanted to say that I am happy that you try to improve the elite specs and the overall good/open communication sourrounding the changes made (like CMC being interviewed by Mightyteapot). Most of the changes seem to be great, good or at least a step in the right derection. But in my option (and many others as far as I can tell from this threat) you dropped the ball on specter. I am not really happy about the main/new role you imagined for it in the first place. Right now thief is lacking a role for endgame PVE and I think you kinda went for that but I am not sure a single target healer/support can even fill that role that well. GW2 PVE endgame is as far es I see in the end almost always about stacking and splashing out the most dps while sharing boons and healing. Most bosses deal aoe damage or change their target alot. So aoe focused support classes not only seem more viable but are also less difficult und clunky to use since you dont have so select the right ally at the right moment all while also looking out for boss animations while also trying to look through the flashy GW2 combat. You could mabye resolve that a bit by playing the UI really hard, but that doesnt seem fun and is against one of GW2s original principles as far as I remember. So I already feared that specter would become extremly niche. (I mean what kind of niches are 2v2s and supporting a friend in two man open world...). And that after deadeye already became a very niche spec (basicly only close to "meta" in WvW roaming). I hoped that they would rework specter traitlines after the initial feedback to allow more focus on other playstyles apart from single target support (solo condi dps or self buffing variants for open world, pvp and wvw for example) but instead you doubled down on the support and even nerved it while making it even more single target orientet while also nervig the dps capability of the spec. Also there were no changes to the clunky wells that have a long cast time for a very short blink which makes them akward to hit (especially in pvp). Some of which even feel kinda obsolete (e.g. regular damage well). Some of the shroud skills - that dont even feelt worth the tradeoff for the Initiative thiefs lose for them - were even nerfed.... I really hope that wasnt the last change to specter before launch...

Overall: I think the biggest problem for me is that the specter is too much of a one-trick-pony: It's completely focused on support. Especially when it comes to its traits there should in my opinion be one or ideally two lines that aren't focused on supporting others but on other roles (like condi damage, power damages, or buffing yourself). This would make the spec more viable in solo situations and in open world / story content (which is especially important at the launch of EOD). It would also make the spec more versatile in formats like sPVP and WvW. Right now it feels like you are only really viable as a "cheerleader" for other players which some players and probably plenty of thief mains won't be into. This gets even worse in situations / formats where no other players are around (buffing Marjory in story, random NPCs in open world and guards in WvW roaming is probably great content...). Sure you can say "just play another spec in these situations/formats" but that makes specter still extremly niche in my opinion and thief mains that aren't into support or into formats where specter might be more viable still want something new after all these years. Especially if they actually like the esthetics of specter. Additional minor things: - Wells feel ab bit clunky to me because of the short range of the shadow step combinded with the long cast time. Players in PvP and mobs in other content are often already somewhere else when the well lands. I often feel like running to the spot where I want to place an well and placing it there (if it was instant activation) would take a similare time and I could make sure that the target is inside the well. And if you want to place a well at your feet because you are attacked this system is worse than "normal" wells. I think a shorter cast time and/or a longer range (e.g. 900) would make up for this. - The "Hidden thief" trait is clunky with siphon. I takes a long time to stealth you after you siphon and in this time you often do a normal autoattack that reveals you on hit. - The shroud skills feel underwhelming against enemies. At the moment the trade off for the initiative points doesn't seem woth it. - Scepter skill 2 seems underwhelming. I don't see why you would want to invest initiative for it. - The art of the scepter skills 1-3 doesn't really fit the art of the 4 and 5 skills of the offhand weapons (pistol or dagger). Edit: Corrected some spelling mistakes