I see no point in having windwalk with this recent nerf, for example earlier today you were able to outrun me because you used speed 2 potions, and gained even more distance with blink. But I cannot stress how stupid it is to have this skill when you can use a potion and have it on for 3x longer. I think samurai's should get a new sort of gap closer, samurai's are just super awkward now, and I feel that even the best pvpers on the server would struggle playing it effectively as a pvp class. I understand it is rather difficult to hit people with speed 3, but with a more focus, and maybe thinking a bit more, like using a slow skill could prove rather effective against it. If the point of a skill is to allow you to chase somebody down, you would think it would be faster than what another person would be able to run.
I didn't actually have a Speed II potion when running from you. I was just using blink and ensuring that I was taking the most advantageous terrain paths.
I'd like to correct you on something else though. WindWalk is
not designed to allow you to "chase somebody down". It is a
combat ability. It is meant to allow you to outpace your opponents and quickly close
small gaps between you and your target. While this sometimes goes hand in hand with chasing, it is not meant to allow you to catch the more mobile based classes, such as Dragoon, Wizard, Ninja, and now Runeblade. Speed III not only allowed you to
completely and
utterly destroy your opponents ability to react to your movements, it also gave a very high level of chasing power. The ability was simply too strong. Part of the decision to reduce the speed ranking for WindWalk was made in order to hinder the Samurai's chasing capabilities.
However, like I said before, I agree that Speed II for WindWalk isn't really doing the job--it's better than nothing, and it's instantaneous unlike a typical Speed II potion, but the ability just isn't as reliable as it was before. Now, I'd like to see this addressed, but I'm telling you now--WindWalk is not going to get Speed III back. This means that if you find the ability lackluster, it needs to be replaced with something else. If you wish to see this issue resolved, think of a solution and suggest it.
A classic samurai skill in many games is Flash (Issen), where the Samurai just plains teleports behind the target, hitting it with a slash (or more, depending on the style and realism) in the process. If I recall correctly, there's a similar skill for the Pyromancer that involves an Ender pearl (Although I think it got removed for being glitchy and slow as heck?). Having something like throwing an item (Such as a leaf block, for that classic scene in many movies where a leaf is floating down and gets sliced in half) with a limited range (Something like 4 blocks) and teleporting to where it lands while attacking might be a good option. it might be a bit too similar to the new Runeblade's Blink though.
I think I know what you're referring to, but I don't know if I would call it a teleport (despite how it is often portrayed in media where this "leaf cutting" thing is present.)
It's more along the lines of a high speed dash, which is honestly what I was thinking when I originally was brainstorming alternatives. However, due to NoCheat issues, I haven't put much thought into it other than the initial idea.
I'd like to see what Samurai players think of the idea of a high speed dash kind of ability.