The interview with Eric Flannum, Jon Peters, and Isaiah Cartwright builds on much of what we already know: dual pistols, stealth skills, stealing, and so on. The skill video reinforces much of what the developers have to say as well, but what's new? Follow along after the jump for the latest scoop on the Thief!
Further explanation of stealing is the first order of business. By now we've all seen the Thief steal feathers from a moa bird and use them to blind the creature, but the skill has many other uses. A Thief can steal a branch from a Treant and wield it as a powerful club, or steal a seed from a plant for a party buff.
The Thief's stealth skill causes fans to wonder if it could be broken or interrupted by stealing, but these new skill videos show otherwise. The Thief character can steal an item from one enemy then zip off to use it as a weapon against another -- with both enemies unaware of what was happening until the blow is delivered to the second foe.
These videos highlights the diversity and intricacy of the Thief's skills in battle. We're all familiar with (and impressed by) the dual-pistol ability and attacks, but there's not always a challenge in simply blowing your enemies away. What about using higher vantage points like rooftops to gain the advantage, then landing on them with rapid-fire attacks that alternate between pistols, daggers, stealth, and crippling moves?
This newest information confirms what we all suspected last week: This is a class with a learning curve. It's going to require patience, finesse, and time to learn the intricacies of a Thief well. Eric Flannum explains that while you don't want to charge in with guns blazing straight from character creation, it won't be too difficult: "It's like rhythm and math. We wanted to design it in such a way that was really easy for people to grasp and understand."
The ANet team explains the Initiative system a little more as well; it is a system that was originally intended for the Guardian class. In the end, it fit better with the Thief playstyle. "[Thieves have] an Initiative meter consisting of ten points. Each special ability in the Thief's arsenal costs a set number of points. Once used, these points recharge at a rate of one per second"
Finally, the skill videos give us a peek at some new enemies and some new landscapes, so be sure to watch for more than just those Thief skills! Check out the five skill videos embedded below, and be sure to hit the official ArenaNet Thief page for complete info.
