Killing Spree... to Assassination?

[ro9ue]

Vanilla Rogue here - and I've been playing the hell out of all the rogue specs on the Alpha. I've come to the conclusion the Outlaw spec is pretty exciting and fun to play. Assassination is still very similar to live with some good changes and some, imo, bad changes. (I have mixed feelings on Sub but I'll leave it out of this thread for now).

When I was playing Outlaw, I couldn't help but feel Killing Spree no longer really fits the Outlaw theme anymore, and they already have a CD in Adrenaline Rush. I also couldn't help but notice Assassination lacks an AOE finisher now that Crimson Tempest is gone. You build up CPs with FoK only do tab-Rupture/Envenom for the poison buff and just keep spamming FoK.

It's a pretty anti-climatic build up of CPs because there is no good payoff.

I think a good solution would be to move Killing Spree to Assassination, where it fits more thematically, and make it their AOE finisher (adjusting numbers accordingly).

The gameplay mechanic for this would be like:

FoK spam until 5CPs, then Killing Spree, which will do it's normal sound/animation/mechanic and strike all targets currently afflicted by your Lethal Poison (since you've been applying them with FoK).

Killing Spree is a really cool ability. It's fun to press. And I think it would be cool to have it as a payoff button in your AOE rotation as Assassination. I don't think it would be a major loss for when I play Outlaw because there's already quite a bit of interesting mechanics and fun there, and I actually think Killing Spree feels mechanically weird for a more sturdy Pirate theme where you're pulling out a pistol and whatnot.

Assassination lost it's Dispatch mechanic which actually was where most of the spec's fun was. RNG procs plus looking forward to an execute phase. Now there's really nothing enjoyable about the spec. It needs something fun. Meanwhile Outlaw has a Dispatch-like mechanic in the Pistol Shot proc through SS, then Roll the Bones, Bribe and all kinds of crazy shit (love it) - I think they can lose KS and still be really fun, especially since Blade Flurry is a solid AOE.

[daspels]

Killing spree is maybe the worst skill ingame atm. After all the hate its still here to kill us in pve endgame. Id rather see it launched into space never to return.

[Mafic]

Fantasy wise Killing Spree fits better for the pirate motif than a calculating and precise assassin that uses poisons like Assassination.

[omeomorfismo]

i want to be a methodical assassin, not a poor warrior fury in in crazyness...
hovewer the new vial for envenom isnt supposed to be the new crimson tempest?

[Lisa Frank Succubus]

Killing spree's mechanic is so awful but I always laugh when I use it and see my rogue zip around like Cloud in FF7 using omni slash.

[shade3891]

Killing spree's mechanic is so awful but I always laugh when I use it and see my rogue zip around like Cloud in FF7 using omni slash.

I made a joke about it once but, maybe its not too crazy to change the spell effect to a bullet spree. (maybe like the Strafe effect from Valla)
This way you keep your mobility and still do nice damage. (for Outlaw ofc.)

[Reinholder]

Killing spree's mechanic is so awful but I always laugh when I use it and see my rogue zip around like Cloud in FF7 using omni slash.

I just push killing spree when I want to feel like nightcrawler tbh :P

[ro9ue]

I just push killing spree when I want to feel like nightcrawler tbh :P

Hmm yeah maybe it's more Subtlety themed.

[Mafic]

Hmm yeah maybe it's more Subtlety themed.

Pirates with swords is not really subtle haha. :P

Nightcrawler though is like a ninja pirate so he is a special snowflake hybrid of Sub/Outlaw.

[Twdft]

Killing spree is maybe the worst skill ingame atm. After all the hate its still here to kill us in pve endgame. Id rather see it launched into space never to return.

I love killing spree. Sometimes takes a little wit to avoid killing yourself but that keeps you from sleeping in a raid, doesn't it.

Btw, even your raid mates can kill you with it. The other day on Mannoroth: small adds spawn, use killing spree to bash their skulls in, DK uses mass grip at the same time and sucks 2 big adds in too :-)

[Lynneiah]

Honestly, I feel that Blizz should steal the way the 'Hidden Blades' ability from Dragon Age: Inquisition works. Your character doesn't actually move when you use it, only the graphic does. It also goes faster, so you don't spend too long being immobile.

[Keiyra]

Honestly, I feel that Blizz should steal the way the 'Hidden Blades' ability from Dragon Age: Inquisition works. Your character doesn't actually move when you use it, only the graphic does. It also goes faster, so you don't spend too long being immobile.

Hell blizzard could just take 7 sided strike from Diablo 3 and you'd have a similar solution without taking another companies IP.

[Lynneiah]

Hell blizzard could just take 7 sided strike from Diablo 3 and you'd have a similar solution without taking another companies IP.

Using a mechanic isn't taking IP. They wouldn't call it 'that ability we stole from Dragon Age'.