Possible Thief Changes?

Post any predictions you have on possible Jump thief changes.

- Shadow Partner -> No summon rocks
- Boomerang Step -> 6 Targets, longer range
- Assassinate -> 4 hits without moving, -really- needs a longer range
- Venom stacks 3 times again, or DoT triples
- Ninja Ambush increased DoT damage
- Shadow Shifter increased avoid / or avoid stat usefulness increase, its really crappy now. 2000 avoid hardly let's you MISS more then 500.

Oh boy, there's way too many things to change about thieves... Strangely enough, I think their first and second jobs are fine, just everything else needs a horrible workover.

1st Job
- Dark Sight. Can now activate buffs while remaining in Dark Sight.
- Disorder. Now lowers a percentage of enemy's w.def instead of a set amount. Can be used from range if equipped with a claw.

2nd Job
- Haste. No longer cancels out DB's Haste.
- Shadow Resistance. Maxes at 10 levels instead of 20.
- Stealth Training. +30 DEX/LUK.
- Gains Vanish. 10 levels. Inherited from Night Walkers. +30% damage when attacking from Dark Sight.
::::Assassin
- Critical Throw. Maxes at 20 levels. Night Walker version did.
::::Bandit
- Gains Critical Stab. 20 levels Passive critical hit boost to dagger skills.

3rd Job
- Shadow Partner. No longer uses summoning rocks (I wish).
- Dark Flare. Maxes at 10 levels. Now affects the whole map. Misses do not trigger Dark Flare and lag up the place.
::::Hermit
- Shadow Web. Maxes at 10 levels. Changed to affect an area. Monsters that walk into area will be snared. Remove the 3.33% HP damage tick. Enemies snared don't get unsnared when attacked. Lasts 8 seconds.
- Shadow Meso. Maxes at 10 levels. Changed to a buff. Hermit/NL will now use extra mesos to increase their dmg by +10%.
- Gains Meso Guard. Hey, how come CBs inherited Hermit skills when Hermits inherited nothing?
::::Chief Bandit
- Pickpocket. No longer lags up the whole map for everyone else.
- Assaulter. Invincibility frames end once the CB can act again, not before.
- Chakra. Added effect: When over 50% HP, +10% damage.

4th Job
- Shadow Shifter. When activated, will ignore status effects that are applied with attacks, too, like Stun (I'm looking at you, Zakum pillars), Seal, Poison, etc. Also places NL/Shadower into Dark Sight.
- Taunt. Changed to a buff. Enemies fighting NL/Shadower will become taunted.
- Venom. No longer affected by Weapon Attack Cancel. For NL's, Venom now factors in Star w.atk.
- Remove Ninja Ambush. POS skill.
::::Night Lord
- Remove Ninja Storm. Worthless since there's no minimum attack range anymore.
- Gain Shadow Charge. Buff. Stars deal bonus damage and are dark elemental. Shadow Partner copies up to 80% damage.
- Gain Venom Charge. Buff. Stars deal bonus poison damage. Can stack venom up to 3 times.
- Shadow Claw. Remove current passive. Replace with new passive: every 4 attacks, critical hit is guaranteed 100%.
- Expert Star Handling. Added Effect. Provides +10 W.ATK increase.
::::Shadower
- Gain Steady Hand. Party buff. Old effect of Thorns, increases crit rate + crit minimum multiplier.
- Gain Perfect Dark Sight. At max level, 100% chance to remain in Dark Sight after an attack. While in Dark Sight, damage range increases by +10%.
- Assassinate. No longer moves. Ignores damage cap. Dark Sight will break after 4th hit instead of 1st (will break Perfect Dark Sight).
- Boomerang Step. Hits 6 targets, more range.
- Smokescreen. Added Effect. Attacks 10 enemies on screen similar to that of an ultimate while also laying down invincibility cloud.

Not balanced, but I had more fun writing this up than getting on Maple in the morning.

- Dark Flare. Maxes at 10 levels. Now affects the whole map. Misses do not trigger Dark Flare and lag up the place.

Hackers would undoubtedly find some way to abuse this to make another PG hack type of deal.

- Dark Sight. Can now activate buffs while remaining in Dark Sight.

it'd be nice if it works like nw's dark sight too. when u attack in dark sight, u get an % increase in dmg for that attack

meh.. if hackers limit the update capabilities than maple story is definitely doing something wrong

Id like to see some skill animations completely redone. I'm liking a lot of Mei's ideas. Balanced, while offering many fresh and useful changes. I'm personally still in favor of seeing a nightlord ultimate.

Perhaps shadow web could work much like the mechanics 'rock n' shock' attack. It'd definitely give the attack more of spider feel to it.

conversely they could just make DBs mirror image cost rocks too so as to not essentially leave summoning rocks to regular archers and priests.

I'm actually fine with shads as they are now, granted i'm only 14x. Ninja ambush is retarded and should be taken out altogether and replaced; venom should work the way it used to (or dumbed down a little bit cause it sucks at the moment); and assassinates moving forward thing is really stupid too- it looks cool, but isn't very good for bossing on platforms...

NLs don't have Meso Guard because they don't need Meso Guard. They don't take damage often enough to warrant it. Bandits spend the majority of life before Boomerang Step all up in a monster's grill. Even after Boomerang Step, they're all up in a monster's grill, only difference being the invincibility frames.

I can only speculate about the needs for Nls.
1st job: Change Disorder to be a lighter version of threaten or something in that direction, and make it ranged if you are an assassin.
3rd Job: Delete Shadow Meso. I guess some variation of vanish or poison sling could be nice here. Change Shadow Web into a trap just like ShanghaiDizzy suggested.
4th job: Delete Ninja Ambush and Taunt. Add True Shadow Partner. I do not even care what it does as long as it gives the shadow a new more evil look and makes it clear that NLs are the true shadow masters among the thieves. Maybe it could increase the percentage of Shadow Partner and deal max damage when it runs out. Make Ninja Storm work on mobile bosses.

How bout this. Nerf triple throw and make it a third job skill. Introduce quadruple throw ( better name needed) as a new 4th job attack. Perhaps up the number of monster avenger can hit as well.

it'd be nice if it works like nw's dark sight too. when u attack in dark sight, u get an % increase in dmg for that attack

Yeah. It's called Vanish, which was what allowed NW's to attack out of Dark Sight for more damage. I've included it, too. C:

NLs don't have Meso Guard because they don't need Meso Guard. They don't take damage often enough to warrant it. Bandits spend the majority of life before Boomerang Step all up in a monster's grill. Even after Boomerang Step, they're all up in a monster's grill, only difference being the invincibility frames.

Yes, NL's don't take damage enough, but they also can't take damage either. Chaos Zakum is a boss that's level 140. At level 140, an average non-HP washed NL without HP gear can barely survive Chaos Zakum even with Hyperbody. In fact, a friend who returned to MapleStory at level 19x couldn't survive Chaos Zakum since he had less than 6k HP until he was forced to buy a pair of Rex earrings. And then there's the matter of Chaos HT and Pink Bean. Meso Guard is there to allow a fail safe from being one hit KO'd. This leaves only archers and sairs to have anti-one hit KO protection, but that's for a different update.

I do not even care what it does as long as it gives the shadow a new more evil look and makes it clear that NLs are the true shadow masters among the thieves.

Yes, NL's don't take damage enough, but they also can't take damage either. Chaos Zakum is a boss that's level 140. At level 140, an average non-HP washed NL without HP gear can barely survive Chaos Zakum even with Hyperbody. In fact, a friend who returned to MapleStory at level 19x couldn't survive Chaos Zakum since he had less than 6k HP until he was forced to buy a pair of Rex earrings. And then there's the matter of Chaos HT and Pink Bean. Meso Guard is there to allow a fail safe from being one hit KO'd. This leaves only archers and sairs to have anti-one hit KO protection, but that's for a different update.

The main reason Shadowers have Meso Guard is because they are a melee class with low HP. Night Lords are ranged class, and as such get the OHKO treatment with their HP, I know it isn't fair but it's how the game has laid it out to be for some stupid reason.

[COLOR="purple"]I think they should completely revamp Assassinate, make it usuable w/o dark sight activated and a lot faster , to the speed of brandish/blast as a main 1v1 skill and make taunt a buff or usuable on bosses.
Delete ambush and add a rush type skill for shadowers.
As for NLs not much to change, venom boost, maybe a new mob type skill for 4th job to replace ambush.[/COLOR]

I think they should completely revamp Assassinate, make it usuable w/o dark sight activated and a lot faster , to the speed of brandish/blast as a main 1v1 skill and make taunt a buff or usuable on bosses.

I like the way Assassinate works, though.

 Spoiler

Besides, in Chaos they made it so you can cast it without Dark Sight.

How bout this. Nerf triple throw and make it a third job skill. Introduce quadruple throw ( better name needed) as a new 4th job attack. Perhaps up the number of monster avenger can hit as well.

I don't think something like this would help NLs out very much. They need something new and refreshing that isn't just MOAR STARS

As for NLs not much to change, venom boost, maybe a new mob type skill for 4th job to replace ambush.

You've probably never played an NL before. They have the award for the highest number of useless skills ever in Maple.

You've probably never played an NL before. They have the award for the highest number of useless skills ever in Maple.

And they're the only class that lacks a mob skill in 2nd job.

And they're the only class that lacks a mob skill in 2nd job.

While that is true, 2nd job is over so fast it is almost pointless to make changes based on level 30-70. Assassin is the only job for starthrowers that aint full of useless and/or semi useless skills. Any revamping they do should be based on lvl 120+ since you can get there in a week even as a casual.

Any revamping they do should be based on lvl 120+ since you can get there in a week even as a casual.

What? No you can't. It took me just under 2 weeks to hit 120 on my mechanic, and I am very far from a casual player. A casual player would reach 120 in a month+.