Thief Overhaul
Purpose: To eliminate all major problems thief faces that makes the profession bland, niche and generally unfun to play as or play against.
Target Problems:
- Conditionals that do not provide compensational benefit to all modes of play
- Fire-and-Forget skills that have little benefit outside niche builds
- Effect bloats (like steal)
- Disparity between single damage weaponskills and "utility weaponskills", causing spamming of damage skill outside of competitive
- A majority of thief's utility and survivability being locked down by initiative and stealth
- Core game mechanics rendered useless or too powerful due to thief design
- Disparity between necessary traits like Preparedness and useless traits like Assassin's Reward
- Identity issues with traitlines and weaponsets
- Very niche use in all modes
- Forced movement skills
Key
Fun fact
#.) Skill Name ([cast time]s) ([cooldown]s CD) ([Initiative Cost] Ini) (Ground Targeted)
Description
Damage (#x): Amount (Coefficient)
Healing: Amount (Coefficient)
Condition ([Duration]s): Damage Amount, Other Effect
Tooltip: # or Description
Property (Like "Pierces" or "Unblockable")
--> Chained Skill
Gambit Name
Venom: Venom Name
Offhand Weapon
Mechanical Changes
Steal
Steal is essentially a Fire-and-Forget shadowstep with the potential to be heavily loaded down with effects. While many of the "stolen skills" are useful, the entire "mechanic" is ultimately thematic in nature and is used as an opening as its core function. Thief doesn't steal much beyond that and the skill mainly suffers from effect bloat through traits. Overall, its core function is too simplistic to be considered a real mechanic.
- It will be replaced with weapon-determinant Gambit.
- 'Stealing' will be done through Larceny Utility Skills and some weaponskills. Instead of "Stolen Skills" however, it will be Lifesteal/Boonsteal/CD stealing
- Steal traits will be removed or changed to affect newer mechanics.
Initiative
Initiative is a universal resource for weaponskills. Just like a universal resource: once it's depleted, everything that can't meet their costs are essentially unusable. This means reliance on initiative regen for damage and survivability. This caps how much a thief can put out at any given point and forces the extra burden of resource management onto the player. Both weaponsets pull from the same pool too, rendering the core game's weaponswap mechanic pointless. Even the trait Quick Pockets doesn't alleviate this much. At the end of the day, Initiative hinders thief ability to maintain pressure and sustain without bottlenecking into specific traits. But initiative's main problem is it is too separated from traditional design for balance to really be achieved.
- Max Initiative is still 12. Preparedness is gone.
- Initiative will be used for Gambits and Utility Skills instead.
- Certain Utility Skills can use initiative to enhance themselves or give gambits.
- Initiative use can be activated by holding a Utility Skill rather than pressing it.
- Initiative can be gained through use of weapon skills and activating traits.
- Passive initiative regen will stop while in combat.
- Each use of a non-autoattack skill gives 1 Initiative unless otherwise stated.
- Some skills and traits will provide additional Initiative.
- Weapon skills will have their own cooldowns instead of relying on a universal resource.
- They will be buffed accordingly due to lack of spammability.
Stealth
Stealth has been a major complaint with a majority of the average playerbase. As it is the most effective (and arguably the only) defense a thief has in competitive modes, it has produced an invariable amount of grief throughout the years. In spite of thief getting nerfed into its extremely niche state, and after many mechanics were handed off to every other profession with designs that outperform the originals, the mechanics of stealth has continued to affect the playerbase. So to alleviate these issues, Stealth will be changed to provide as little incentive to use as possible while not becoming wholly ineffective. In return, other aspects of the profession will get buffed to make up for the severe nerf. That way, thieves are less reliant on stealth and thus more capable of killing "fairly". ;^)
- Stealth works the same but most stealth attacks will be converted into Gambits.
- Stealth will provide a flat 20% crit rate to the next attack.
- Stealth overrides itself and doesn't stack.
- Stealth access will be mostly achieved through use of smoke fields.
- Stealth traits will be changed to provide less while other aspects of the thief profession get buffed.
Venoms
Venoms are Fire-and-Forget Utility Skills that gives you a stacked buff that applies specific conditions to your next strike. Historically, they were terrible unless traited for lifesteal and AoE application. But they offer no utility beyond applying conditions and the effects they pump out are negligible unless applied to a stack. Even then, there are better choices than using venoms.
- Venom Utility Skills will be replaced with Larcenies.
- Venoms will only be applied through traits and weapon skills.
- Only one stack of venom can exist at a time. New venoms will only be applied when the first stack runs out.
- Any skills that "applies Venom" to your weapon will apply to nearby allies as well.
Weapon Changes
Shortbow
- General damage and utility increase to compensate for lack of spamability.
- Streamlined to be a power-based ranged weapon with utility designed towards area denial and debilitation.
- Give the best overall mobility compared to other weapon sets.
- Gimmick: Mobility, access to Smoke Fields.
Sword
- Slight utility increase and better damage through improved dual wield skills and Gambits.
- Additional in-combat mobility.
- Will remain a power-melee weapon with best access to shadowsteps.
- Gimmick: Stealing, counterattacks.
Dagger
- Redesign weapon skills for more melee condition damage on mainhand attacks. Offhand will be for utility.
- Gimmick: Venom application.
Pistol
- Redesign weapon skills for more ranged condition damage on mainhand attacks. Offhand will be for crowd control.
- General damage and utility increase to compensate for lack of spammability.
- Both mainhand and offhand weapon skills will interact with boons on you.
- Gimmick: Buffed by having certain boons
Spear
- Tweaked to work with the new systems.
- Skill three will become the Basic Gambit and be replaced with a shadowstep attack.
Harpoon Gun
- Tweaked to work with the new systems.
- Skill three will become the Basic Gambit and be replaced with a long-ranged hard CC.
Rifle
- Keeping true to the weapon set, this weapon will retain its long range single target capabilities and self-buffing.
- Few skills will be ammo skills.
- Kneel skills will be changed to skill-specific buffs to simplify the skillset.
- Regular skills will have more self-buffing but kneel skills will deal more damage, encouraging keeping yourself buffed until you can kneel and attack.
- The mechanics of skill 4 are going to change:
- Death's Retreat is going to be the weapon's Gambit.
- Skill 4 and kneel Skill 4 are going to be replaced with Sniper's Cover and a new skill respectively.
- Gimmick: Self-buff/damage trading through mode switching
Staff
- It will remain a power-based weapon with active-defense as a theme.
- Weapon set will have the most crowd control of any kit.
- Gimmick: Active defense and interrupts
Scepter
- It will remain a condition ranged weapon that provides barrier and heavy amounts of torment.
- Its skills will change however.
- Gimmick: Ally Targeting w/ built in support, Trades no Gambits on skill 3 for lower CDs.
Axe
- Skills will remain selectively hybrid with its gimmick being a modified gambit.
- Axe 3 will be turned into a Basic Gambit that changes its effect depending on the OH weapon and the real skill will create axes like the other two.
- The gambits skill three will create Gambits under certain conditions.
- Gimmick: Basic Gambit Override
Focus (New)
- Magic themed, hybrid weapon that provides access to burning and dark fields.
- Gives many opportunities to steal boons and reposition.
- Gimmick: AoE burning
Shield (New)
- Skills are defensive and support-based.
- It can also provide barrier and boons to allies.
- Gimmick Barrier destruction, barrier siphon.
New Mechanics
Gambit
Gambits are special skills that can be gotten with initiative or certain skill use to produce a variety of beneficial combat effects. Basic Gambits are available when no Gambit is stocked and will be dependent upon the offhand weapon (or 2h weapon). These can be spammed so long as initiative is available. More offensive Gambits can be earned by fulfilling certain conditions from other skills.
- Gambits will be replacing Steal in Profession Mechanic Slot 1 while Profession Mechanic Slot 2 and beyond will be saved for Elite Mechanics.
- Basic Gambits are defensive Gambits that take the Gambit slot when no other Gambits are stocked. The Basic Gambit available depends on your offhand weapon or weapon in case its two-handed. These can be spammed so long as you can pay the Initiative cost.
- Basic Gambits are not included in traits that affect Gambits unless specified.
- Limited-use Gambits might be earned when conditions are met. Any you earn will replace the current one and remain until used up or when switching weapons. These often are designed more towards offense and utility rather than defense.
- Certain effects will generate random Gambits. Generally, the ones it will produce will be selected from a pool of "equipped" Gambits. To know which Gambits you have equipped, simply look for the Gambit Tooltip. Some of these effects will have restrictions on this pool, however (like with Mug). Basic Gambits are not included in the pool. Gambits earned from underwater skills are not included either.
Dagger
Parry (¾s) (2 Ini)
(Basic Gambit) Swipe your dagger to the side, briefly blocking attacks in front of you. Enemies you block are dazed and projectiles are destroyed. Successfully blocking attacks also returns Initiative back to you.
Block: ½s
Daze on Block: 2½s
Initiative: 1
Range: 130
Pistol
Potshot (¼s) (1 Ini)
(Basic Gambit) Fire a shot from your offhand pistol.
Damage: 367 (.75)
Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile
Range: 900
Shield
Deflect (¾s) (3 Ini)
(Basic Gambit) Swipe your shield to the side, briefly blocking attacks and reflecting projectiles. Enemies you block are stunned and heavily debilitated. Successfully blocking attacks also returns Initiative back to you.
Block: ½s
Stun on Block: 1s
10 Vulnerability (7s): +10% Incoming Damage, +10% Incoming Condition Damage
Weakened (4s): -50% Endurance Regeneration, +50% Fumble (Unrestricted)
Initiative: 1
Range: 130
Focus
Umbral Fountain (¾s) (3 Ini) (Ground Targeted)
(Basic Gambit) Cast a lingering pillar of darkness onto a targeted location that steals health from enemies each pulse. Changes to Shadowstep.
Initial Damage: 220 (.6)
Siphon Damage: 238 (.016)
Siphon Healing: 186 (.08)
Pulses: 5
Radius: 180
Combo Field: Dark
Number of Targets: 5
Range: 1200
--> Shadowstep (¼s) (2 Ini)
Shadowstep to your fountain and steal the boons of enemies in it. If you cannot shadowstep to your fountain, you consume it. Enemies inside will have even more life and boons stolen.
Siphon Damage: 1028 (.3)
Siphon Healing: 837 (.2)
Boons Stolen: 2
Additional Boons: 2
Range: 1800
Shortbow
Cover of Smoke (½s) (6 Ini) (2s CD) (Ground Targeted)
(Basic Gambit) Shoot an unblockable arrow that detonates into a large smokescreen.
Damage: 330 (.9)
Blindness 1s: Next outgoing attack misses.
Duration: 5s
Radius: 240
Combo Field: Smoke
Unblockable
Spear
Nine-Tailed Strike (1½s) (3 Ini)
(Basic Gambit) Block your foe and counterattack with a series of strikes. Initiative is refunded if you are not attacked.
Damage (8x): 736 (2.0)
Final Strike Damage: 183 (.5)
Vulnerability (9s): +1% Incoming Damage, +1% Incoming Condition Damage
Number of Targets: 3
Initiative Gained: 3
Block: 2s
Range: 150
--> Break Stance (2 Ini)
Spend initiative to break stance and initiate Nine-Tailed Strike.
Harpoon Gun
Escape (½s) (4 Ini)
(Basic Gambit) Shoot a harpoon and retreat, leaving a trail of poison.
Missile Damage: 488 (1.33)
Damage: 121 (0.33)
Poison (4s): 134 Damage, -33% Heal Effectiveness
Number of Targets: 3
Duration: 4s
Interval: 1s
Radius: 120
Combo Field: Poison
Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile
Range: 1,200
Rifle
Death's Retreat (¼s) (5 Ini) (2s CD)
(Basic Gambit) Drop a gas bomb and shadowstep away from your target, cleansing a condition. Gain the Gambit Death's Judegement.
Damage: 645 (1.6)
3 Poison (8s): 804 Damage, -33% Heal Effectiveness
Combo Finisher: Leap
Radius: 180
Range: 600
Staff
Iron Mountain (1s) (4 Ini) (2s CD)
(Basic Gambit) Block the next incoming attack. Immediately shadowstep and counterattack with powerful shove if an attack was blocked.
Block: 1s
Damage: 298 (1.0)
Knockback: 300
Defiance Break: 150
Number of Targets: 3
Radius: 130
Range: 300
Axe
Recall
(Basic Gambit) Command all axes on standby to strike your target and then reduce their recharge. Axes gain additional effects depending on your offhand weapon and Immobilize if enough hit. Overrides the Basic Gambits of offhand weapons.
Dagger
2 Torment (6s): 264 Damage, 384 Damage if Foe is Stationary
Pistol
+33% Strike Damage
Shield
+15% Strike Damage
+45% Strike Damage vs Barrier
Damage to Self Barrier: 10%
Focus
+20% Base Condition Duration
AoE if Immobilized: 2 Burning (3s): 786 Damage
Number of Targets: 5
Axe recharge reduced: 100%
(New) Larceny
Larcenies are a set of utility skills that steal things, often providing a single use Gambit upon use. They also count as one other kind of Utility Type and thus receive benefits from any traits that may affect them. Larcenies will be posted in Utilities.