Glorious Alpha Two Testers!

Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here

If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.

Designing the Rogue to be less about stealth

13

Comments

  • DolyemDolyem Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    CROW3 wrote: »
    Yeah, the more I think about it, the more extreme the outcomes can be for the rogue: it will either be a fun, sophisticated class, or it will be a dull, cardboard shadow of WoW rogues.

    to be fair, I have reworked WoW rogues to be incredibly fun. I even made an evasion tank rogue specialization that worked very well. That being said I was purely a design guy and never a coding guy, so I give more props to the guys who were able to make my designs happen.
    GJjUGHx.gif
  • DolyemDolyem Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    Also just to throw it out there. Saying rogues shouldn't have a focus on stealth is like saying tanks shouldn't have heavy defense abilities, or that mages shouldn't have magic missile etc. Its a defining class trait in MMORPGs
    GJjUGHx.gif
  • Dolyem wrote: »
    Also just to throw it out there. Saying rogues shouldn't have a focus on stealth is like saying tanks shouldn't have heavy defense abilities, or that mages shouldn't have magic missile etc. Its a defining class trait in MMORPGs

    but arent those 2 different thing? defense abilities and magic missiles are something easily accounted for since you see the mage beforehand and know the abilities range. So you have some action to counter it. Being engaged on and opened anywhere at anytime with pretty much no counterplay is totally different.

    yeah you can give them a counter but how would that look like? in a small setting like arena the hunter flare would work but even then its randomly guessing where the rogue might go and hope you hit it in range. hardly a fair counter if he can just sit in a corner somewhere for 3min until everyone gets bored trying to fish him out?
  • DolyemDolyem Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    Limit404 wrote: »
    Dolyem wrote: »
    Also just to throw it out there. Saying rogues shouldn't have a focus on stealth is like saying tanks shouldn't have heavy defense abilities, or that mages shouldn't have magic missile etc. Its a defining class trait in MMORPGs

    but arent those 2 different thing? defense abilities and magic missiles are something easily accounted for since you see the mage beforehand and know the abilities range. So you have some action to counter it. Being engaged on and opened anywhere at anytime with pretty much no counterplay is totally different.

    yeah you can give them a counter but how would that look like? in a small setting like arena the hunter flare would work but even then its randomly guessing where the rogue might go and hope you hit it in range. hardly a fair counter if he can just sit in a corner somewhere for 3min until everyone gets bored trying to fish him out?

    The way I went about it was stealth focused specialization for rogue focused more on poisons and CCs, faster stealth movement, escapes, and greater stealth . They were capable of high dps but less bursty than the other specialization which only relied on a lesser stealth as an opener, and then went toe to toe with whoever they were fighting, focused more of burst damage and bleeds, and less cc but slightly more survivability.
    The issue you're concerned with revolves entirely around balancing all classes. And the balance for rogues striking first and hard is generally sacrificing their durability and limiting their range. I am a firm believer in counters and think squishy players are a focus for rogues, while heavy armor classes should make rogues terrified.
    GJjUGHx.gif
  • PyrololPyrolol Member, Alpha Two
    Rogue stealth was one of the coolest abilities in a mass multiplayer, such a silly idea taking away the core and fundamentals of being a rogue out of the class

    90no9c1ct2qu.gif


    rvid9f6vp7vl.png
  • NightmarelolNightmarelol Member, Alpha Two
    So basically you’re taking a set-up style class (perhaps one of the biggest set up classes) and trying to make it a brain dead melee with different abilities? May aswell pick Fighter lol. Rogue is always around stealth and its core abilities play off how the Rogue breaks stealth, sneaks in, or makes a play on an unsuspecting victim. As it always has been.
    j2p8mdmovgu9.jpg
  • DepravedDepraved Member, Alpha Two
    Nerror wrote: »
    I really don't want stealth to be the primary mechanic for rogues, nor their defining class identity. I think it cheapens the class and makes for a very myopic style of gameplay. By stealth, I mean going invisible or nearly invisible with the click of a button.

    I would like to see rogues be useful and desired in group and raid play in both PvE and PvP because of their main class identity and primary skills, and stealth isn't it. I don't want it to be just for high DPS either, because then other classes can fill that role as well. It should be something rogues do better than anyone else, that isn't stealth or DPS.

    A rogue is typically a dishonest, knavish, mischievous, or unprincipled person. A scoundrel. It can also mean someone who is aberrant or unpredictable.

    Rogues can be dirty fighters and tricksters, using smoke bombs, flashbangs, or throwing sand in their enemies' eyes. They can focus on poisons and bleeding their targets by hitting arteries. They can focus on speed and agility or on slowing and hindering enemies with debilitating debuffs. They can disarm traps and find hidden doors and other utility skills.

    I'm not saying rogues should have zero stealth, but it should be one of several tools, only situationally useful, and definitely not allow complete invisibility for more than a few seconds at a time, whether as a getaway tool or as a gap-closing mechanic against an unsuspecting target.

    Here are some examples of interesting rogues from other games relevant to Ashes, like D&D and Pathfinder:
    1. Swashbuckler: A charismatic and flashy combatant who excels in one-on-one duels and acrobatics, emphasizing mobility and melee combat prowess rather than stealth.
    2. Arcane Trickster: Blends rogue abilities with spellcasting, using illusion and enchantment magic to deceive and manipulate rather than relying solely on stealth.
    3. Knife Master: Excels in close combat, dealing devastating damage with chosen weapons rather than focusing on stealth, emphasizing skill with knives and precision strikes.
    4. Eldritch Scoundrel: Combines rogue skills with arcane spellcasting, using magic to enhance their abilities and gain an edge in combat, focusing on using spells to support rogue activities.
    5. Dungeon Delver: A prestige class focusing on exploration and trap-finding, making rogues experts in navigating and surviving dangerous environments without necessarily relying on stealth.
    6. Artful Dodger: Emphasizes charisma and agility, focusing on outmaneuvering opponents and avoiding damage rather than traditional stealth tactics.

    In single-player games or pen & paper RPGs, stealth can be amazing for fun gameplay and problem-solving. However, MMORPGs are generally very combat-oriented when it comes to solving problems or conflicts. Especially for group PvE content, stealth is often not super useful.

    In DAoC, rogue-style classes had strong invisibility and were often not part of regular groups because so much relied on attacking from stealth. Instead, they often ran around in their own stealth groups and had an almost separate gameplay loop, fighting other stealthers at the milegates and such.

    Rogues in WoW have permanent invisibility too, but the only reason they are generally wanted in groups and raids is their high DPS when specced for it, not for their stealth.

    There are many more games with examples, but this post is already long enough. :smile:

    I know some of you love stealth and being able to just go around creeping on everyone else. I enjoy it as well at times, but I have yet to see an MMORPG where a strong stealth mechanic improves the overall game more than it detracts from it.

    but rogues are about high damage and stealth, even those dnd classes you mentioned are D:

    if you start removing those things, the rogue becomes a warrior.
  • AszkalonAszkalon Member, Alpha Two
    Yuyukoyay wrote: »
    So you are forced to engage powerfully once and then do the rest of a battle out of stealth.

    Problem is : in for Example Worst of Warcraft -> you get "forced out of Stealth" already the MOMENT you are in like +30 Meters away from an Enemy Raid. It is like there is a Torrent of Violence and Chaos around the People that automatically flags all Stealth Characters and makes them visible.

    When not even clear AoE's are around, or Flares of Hunters. It was the worst during Whorelords of Draenor on Ashran Island.

    And only People who have like +2 to +3 ways to enter Stealth immediately can use Stealth "SOMEWHAT" to come close and engage into the Battle without being exposed before they even landed a single Strike. x'D
    a50whcz343yn.png
    ✓ Occasional Roleplayer
    ✓ Maybe i look after a Guild sometime soon
  • Dolyem wrote: »
    Limit404 wrote: »
    Dolyem wrote: »
    Also just to throw it out there. Saying rogues shouldn't have a focus on stealth is like saying tanks shouldn't have heavy defense abilities, or that mages shouldn't have magic missile etc. Its a defining class trait in MMORPGs

    but arent those 2 different thing? defense abilities and magic missiles are something easily accounted for since you see the mage beforehand and know the abilities range. So you have some action to counter it. Being engaged on and opened anywhere at anytime with pretty much no counterplay is totally different.

    yeah you can give them a counter but how would that look like? in a small setting like arena the hunter flare would work but even then its randomly guessing where the rogue might go and hope you hit it in range. hardly a fair counter if he can just sit in a corner somewhere for 3min until everyone gets bored trying to fish him out?

    The way I went about it was stealth focused specialization for rogue focused more on poisons and CCs, faster stealth movement, escapes, and greater stealth . They were capable of high dps but less bursty than the other specialization which only relied on a lesser stealth as an opener, and then went toe to toe with whoever they were fighting, focused more of burst damage and bleeds, and less cc but slightly more survivability.
    The issue you're concerned with revolves entirely around balancing all classes. And the balance for rogues striking first and hard is generally sacrificing their durability and limiting their range. I am a firm believer in counters and think squishy players are a focus for rogues, while heavy armor classes should make rogues terrified.

    Yeah, i agree with the counter approach and that certain classes should be having a hard time against one class and easier against others. That being said, even if they sacrifice durability and range, if you give them too much utilities then that hardly matters (old-school rogues come to mind). Im not saying take away stealth. Im saying make stealth work differently that rogues at least have to use some sort of skill, knowledge and observation on how to move to stay undetected. What would you do to make stealth less annoying to play against? What counters would you implement that are actually counters? (Flare removing stealth i dont count since you need predictable skills to land it near the rogue, not even close to even)
  • CROW3CROW3 Member, Alpha Two
    Yeah - that’s what I loved about my season 3 hemo-swords rogue. Stealth was helpful, but he could toe-to-toe openly in arena.
    AoC+Dwarf+750v3.png
  • TexasTexas Member, Alpha Two
    The difference between the thief and warrior was never just about stealth vs non-stealth. It's more often about doing death by a thousand cuts and having a diverse toolkit to respond to different situations vs big weapon goes boom and wearing armor to survive.

    I'm not normally a rogue guy. (I did play feral most of my WoW life, which is like a hybrid rogue.) But I think rogue builds have a lot of potential to be intriguing in this game. I mean, there's going to literally be a way to play as a fire-and-ice Nightspell.
  • DolyemDolyem Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    Limit404 wrote: »
    Dolyem wrote: »
    Limit404 wrote: »
    Dolyem wrote: »
    Also just to throw it out there. Saying rogues shouldn't have a focus on stealth is like saying tanks shouldn't have heavy defense abilities, or that mages shouldn't have magic missile etc. Its a defining class trait in MMORPGs

    but arent those 2 different thing? defense abilities and magic missiles are something easily accounted for since you see the mage beforehand and know the abilities range. So you have some action to counter it. Being engaged on and opened anywhere at anytime with pretty much no counterplay is totally different.

    yeah you can give them a counter but how would that look like? in a small setting like arena the hunter flare would work but even then its randomly guessing where the rogue might go and hope you hit it in range. hardly a fair counter if he can just sit in a corner somewhere for 3min until everyone gets bored trying to fish him out?

    The way I went about it was stealth focused specialization for rogue focused more on poisons and CCs, faster stealth movement, escapes, and greater stealth . They were capable of high dps but less bursty than the other specialization which only relied on a lesser stealth as an opener, and then went toe to toe with whoever they were fighting, focused more of burst damage and bleeds, and less cc but slightly more survivability.
    The issue you're concerned with revolves entirely around balancing all classes. And the balance for rogues striking first and hard is generally sacrificing their durability and limiting their range. I am a firm believer in counters and think squishy players are a focus for rogues, while heavy armor classes should make rogues terrified.

    Yeah, i agree with the counter approach and that certain classes should be having a hard time against one class and easier against others. That being said, even if they sacrifice durability and range, if you give them too much utilities then that hardly matters (old-school rogues come to mind). Im not saying take away stealth. Im saying make stealth work differently that rogues at least have to use some sort of skill, knowledge and observation on how to move to stay undetected. What would you do to make stealth less annoying to play against? What counters would you implement that are actually counters? (Flare removing stealth i dont count since you need predictable skills to land it near the rogue, not even close to even)

    I mean other than traditionally blasting AoE, popping defense abilities, using escape abilities, or using stealth detection abilities?

    I feel like everyone hates rogues, and rightly so since they were designed to be a nuisance. But if people look back who really played a lot of PvP, you'd realize they died just as much as any other class did.

    But to answer you as best as i could, I'd simply fine tune and balance all of those previous types of counters, as well as stealth and the rogues abilities. It's hard to just say I'd do this this and that without a lot of info on every class and their abilities/gameplay.
    GJjUGHx.gif
  • ArtharionArtharion Member, Alpha Two
    Very nice, but not practical given Ashes' type of combat. The rogue is a melee class with low health, so it logically needs high burst DPS and good mobility to get in and out of combat, which is achieved through stealth.

    Luckily and according to the website description, Intrepid is going to follow the more classic archetype.
  • OkamiOkami Member, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    If the devs name one of the skills pocket sand and let me throw it at the faces of my enemies then I will re-roll from Cleric to Rogue.
  • Okami wrote: »
    If the devs name one of the skills pocket sand and let me throw it at the faces of my enemies then I will re-roll from Cleric to Rogue.

    The Mercenary in DAoC had a skill named Dirty Trick that was more or less that. Melee range debuff that made the target miss most of their attacks.
    Be bold. Be brave. Roll a Tulnar !
  • TalentsTalents Member, Intrepid Pack, Alpha Two
    I don't want Rogue to be reliant on stealth. Ofc stealth will be a mechanic, but it shouldn't be "oh you got caught out of stealth? gg".

    I found Elyon Assassin really fun. Hopefully Ashes can do something similar.
    nI17Ea4.png
  • chansomanchansoman Member, Alpha Two
    edited December 2024
    >redacted<
  • As long as there is at least 2 rogue archetypes that rely on stealth, its all good. I got no problem with this...
  • nanfoodlenanfoodle Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    edited December 2024
    My worry is PKers mainly flocking to the rogue. Become corrupted and just use pure stealth that only rogues have. Get away and find quite places to grind. Get found. Just turn on pure stealth and find a new place to grind. Something needs to be looked into this before the Rogue launch.
  • PyrololPyrolol Member, Alpha Two
    nanfoodle wrote: »
    My worry is PKers mainly flocking to the rogue. Become corrupted and just use pure stealth that only rogues have. Get away and find quite places to grind. Get found. Just turn on pure stealth and find a new place to grind. Something needs to be looked into this before the Rogue launch.

    Can’t see ganking being that much of an issue
    All you would literally have to do is make “Corrupted players cannot use stealth” and that would solve it

    As it stands for the entire duration of this Alpha
    98% of players died to PvE or Environment
    2% died to PvP, not bad for a PvX game 😂

    Rogues should be permanently stealthed (even if that means Rogue/Rogue archtype) and secondary archtypes can play off that

    kt3o8icnfl9r.gif
    rvid9f6vp7vl.png
  • nanfoodlenanfoodle Member, Founder, Kickstarter, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    Pyrolol wrote: »
    nanfoodle wrote: »
    My worry is PKers mainly flocking to the rogue. Become corrupted and just use pure stealth that only rogues have. Get away and find quite places to grind. Get found. Just turn on pure stealth and find a new place to grind. Something needs to be looked into this before the Rogue launch.

    Can’t see ganking being that much of an issue
    All you would literally have to do is make “Corrupted players cannot use stealth” and that would solve it

    As it stands for the entire duration of this Alpha
    98% of players died to PvE or Environment
    2% died to PvP, not bad for a PvX game 😂

    Rogues should be permanently stealthed (even if that means Rogue/Rogue archtype) and secondary archtypes can play off that

    kt3o8icnfl9r.gif

    Was stating the problem not the solution 🤗
  • Stryfe 23Stryfe 23 Member, Alpha Two
    Every MMO I've played that had a Rogue type class is ALWAYS one of the top, if not the top, class that PK'ers play. It's simply the nature of the beast. If a game introduces a class that can disappear from sight for as long as they want to be invisible, well then, you are going to have griefers all over the place. We are already seeing people that are high level griefing lower-level players, that again is simply how nearly all PvP games evolve, and we saw this type of play literally on day one of Alpha.

    The good thing? Steven and his crew have been very quick to respond to this type of play and it's simply amazing how well this development team is responding to community feedback and balancing Steven's vision of the game and what we want out of the game. The Rogue class has been delayed, I fully believe it's for a very good reason and I fully believe they are trying to address a lot of the potential issues with this class before we get our hot little hands on the class.

    We shall see.......
  • ParkerinoParkerino Member, Alpha Two
    I'm a big fan of Permasteath, to me it's the whole identity of a Rogue otherwise might as well be a fighter class with some different abilities
  • OrcLuckOrcLuck Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    edited January 17
    I think stealth is useful as a core mechanic. That said, I also know in RPGs where utility is the core mechanic, and their primary damage is situational based off of context like positioning, setups with poisons and traps.

    That might be the long term shift, for a certain archetype of rogue. I don't know their stated goals for the design.
  • lukedawukelukedawuke Member, Alpha Two
    i can tell op got owned too often by rogues in wow
  • AirborneBerserkerAirborneBerserker Member, Alpha Two
    Percimes wrote: »
    Agreed. When most of the gameplay / abilities of a class rely on stealth, stealth itself must be reliable enough for the class to be playable. And then balancing it becomes harder... Other classes must be given ways to see through it or break it. Same with mobs or else the stealther can go anywhere...
    Vyril wrote: »
    Simple hot take.

    Rogues should not get permanent stealth.

    I've played characters with limited time for stealth. Jedi Sentinel in SWTOR and Witch Hunter in WAR. Worked well in both games. If I remember right, in both cases it was a fixed max time in stealth that would break if you attacked. AoC could do the same, or have stealth constantly draining mana, thus forcing the player to balance invisibility time with combat resource.

    Problem is Sent/Mara wasn't a rogue class, it was a Berserker class (dual wield/fighter) The rogue classes were Shadow and Smuggler both of which had permanent stealth.

    Not to mention Sent /Mara got fucking destroyed by the nerf hammer because while it was insanely fun to play as, but playing against it was a nightmare.

    You can have permanent stealth so long as it isn't followed up by a 4 sec stun then, a 4 sec mez then, an 8 sec mez which is enough time to drop combat and restealth and apply the 4 sec stun again.

    Stealth should be a gap closer to apply front loaded damage, a long potent DOT or something that goes off 5 secs after application.

    This allows for counter play like using DCDs or applying HoTs which gives the rogue a chance to assess what's going on and either continue with the attack, or choose life.
  • SmileGurneySmileGurney Member, Alpha Two
    I'm not a fan of stealth mechanics, they tend to be totally OP or just meh.
    My lungs taste the air of Time,
    Blown past falling sands…
  • BigBadAardwolfBigBadAardwolf Member, Warrior of Old, Kickstarter, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    I've never seen stealth implemented in pvp in a way that felt fair, or at the very least, balanced. Rogues dropping out of invis to one shot me is not enjoyable, and I agree that it goes against the risk vs. reward spirit.

    I expect nothing less than getting one shot by a rogue dropping out of invis from this game. If they surprise me, then I'll be surprised, but I've already steeled myself for the rage induction and frustration of stealthed rogues.
  • SongcallerSongcaller Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
    I think Rogues are integral to fantasy. Though a Rogue can be anything in fantasy but has no solid rp for general players beyond backstab, invisibility and damage over time. I do design my classes in composition and not in isolation. In Ashes there are thousands of changes requested each month to something not even more than a current shell. Thus, whether a Rogue has stealth or some other boon is difficult to gauge with 64 archetypes yet to be seen.
    2a3b8ichz0pd.gif
  • TjaedenTjaeden Member, Alpha Two
    I wish Rogues were not synonymous with Invisibility.

    Potions, Cloaks, Rings, Spells -> those things should be all about Invisibility.

    Rogues should be scoundrels!

    They should take advantage of weaknesses, exploit any opportunity, and be selfishly merciless.
Sign In or Register to comment.