Invulnerable guards have got to go

dwtdwtdwt · May 2016

GivvumBoane wrote: »

Getting caught by a guard in a room so small you can't get away. Why steal from a room that small with a guard in it? Kinda like going to the police station to steal guns

It's not even that. If you want to steal in a small room with a guard in it, by all means do so! If you want to steal guns from a police station, more power to you! But if you get caught, that is your own fault. That's all I have to say. There are countless ways in this game to NOT get caught. Please, if you get caught indoors after committing a crime in the Justice System, don't blame the system- You lost. Get over it.

PurifedBladez · May 2016

Open world pvp w/ killable guards.. so sweet.

Epona222 · May 2016

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

There is a bounty meter at the bottom right of the screen (on PC) when you have heat/bounty, so there's really no excuse for not knowing, unless it is bugging out, in which case report the bug.

The thing about being a good thief is to not get caught thieving in the first place, but you can use an invisibility potion or rogues stealth potion to make guards lose you, sometimes for long enough to get out of a building. If you aren't great at thieving, restrict your attempts to outdoor areas, or better still, dock areas where you can easily jump in the water and the guards can't follow you.

As I said,I have only been caught occasionally,and normally,I dont keep my eyes on the,..wait.
I dont have a notice of bounty on the bottom right of my screen.Never have.
I have to hit c to see if I have a bounty.

I'd report that as a bug - after making sure that no addons are interfering with the bounty/heat meter in the bottom right of your screen - it's kind of hard to ignore, and if you aren't seeing it, then something is wrong.

Yeah,but I have been playing this way for two years.So,I doubt its a bug.I am on PC also.I do have a mod now that will tell me if I have a bounty,but the bottom right of my screen is reserved for loot,and XP. That's all that shows there.

Well the rest of us have a bounty meter on the bottom right of our screen... just saying...

ConeOfSilence · May 2016

Done heaps of thieving never have a problem the guards are fine. Just keep an eye out and don't get caught that is the point of thieving.If you are still having probs just make an invisibility potion easy as.

Volkodav · May 2016

PurifedBladez wrote: »

Open world pvp w/ killable guards.. so sweet.

Open world PvP,...where anyone can get ganked at any time
I'm gone.
And yes,you can have my stuff.

Volkodav · May 2016

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

There is a bounty meter at the bottom right of the screen (on PC) when you have heat/bounty, so there's really no excuse for not knowing, unless it is bugging out, in which case report the bug.

The thing about being a good thief is to not get caught thieving in the first place, but you can use an invisibility potion or rogues stealth potion to make guards lose you, sometimes for long enough to get out of a building. If you aren't great at thieving, restrict your attempts to outdoor areas, or better still, dock areas where you can easily jump in the water and the guards can't follow you.

As I said,I have only been caught occasionally,and normally,I dont keep my eyes on the,..wait.
I dont have a notice of bounty on the bottom right of my screen.Never have.
I have to hit c to see if I have a bounty.

I'd report that as a bug - after making sure that no addons are interfering with the bounty/heat meter in the bottom right of your screen - it's kind of hard to ignore, and if you aren't seeing it, then something is wrong.

Yeah,but I have been playing this way for two years.So,I doubt its a bug.I am on PC also.I do have a mod now that will tell me if I have a bounty,but the bottom right of my screen is reserved for loot,and XP. That's all that shows there.

Well the rest of us have a bounty meter on the bottom right of our screen... just saying...

No,no.I didnt mean anything.I was just sayin' that I didnt have one.
Cool that you do.You on PC too?

dwtdwtdwt · May 2016

Volkodav wrote: »

PurifedBladez wrote: »

Open world pvp w/ killable guards.. so sweet.

Open world PvP,...where anyone can get ganked at any time
I'm gone.
And yes,you can have my stuff.

No, no. Open world pvp for those who have a bounty. That is different. If you don't have a bounty, then you have nothing to worry about. But, if people are having problems with city guards (for whatever reason, usually it is because they are clueless how the Justice System works), let them kill the guards to acquire more bounty. Then let other players hunt them down and collect on their bounty. What bliss.?.

TX12001rwb17_ESO · May 2016

Why don't they just make guards killable but have it so you can't wield weapons or use abilties in city limits, that would fix everything including the annoying players who feel the need to spam abilities left right and centre.

Vangy · May 2016

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Another night of thieving ruined by getting caught inside a building. Guard spams roots and wrecking blow, cant get away for long enough to get out a door, cant kill the guard or even incapacitate him long enough to get out the door.

I get that they dont want players coming in and griefing towns by killing everyone, including the guards, but making guards invulnerable is a bad way to do things. Hurry up and get the rest of the justice system implemented if that's what it takes (though, seriously now, we all know that will never actually happen).

Lynx: *Gets caught robbing*. *sees guard* Wait wait, lets duke it out like real men.

Fight ensues --> Thieving lynx manages to get guard to 0 HP. I WIN, thinks Lynx.

Guard: Thoust not know that I has no death? Translation: Hue hue hue I cant die you newblet!!!!!

Lynx: WTF???? Wait you are supposed to die when yo..... *dosent manage to finish sentence before guard does: *

Guard: WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Lynx : X.X

GivvumBoane · May 2016

Vangy wrote: »

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Another night of thieving ruined by getting caught inside a building. Guard spams roots and wrecking blow, cant get away for long enough to get out a door, cant kill the guard or even incapacitate him long enough to get out the door.

I get that they dont want players coming in and griefing towns by killing everyone, including the guards, but making guards invulnerable is a bad way to do things. Hurry up and get the rest of the justice system implemented if that's what it takes (though, seriously now, we all know that will never actually happen).

Lynx: *Gets caught robbing*. *sees guard* Wait wait, lets duke it out like real men.

Fight ensues --> Thieving lynx manages to get guard to 0 HP. I WIN, thinks Lynx.

Guard: Thoust not know that I has no death? Translation: Hue hue hue I cant die you newblet!!!!!

Lynx: WTF???? Wait you are supposed to die when yo..... *dosent manage to finish sentence before guard does: *

Guard: WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Lynx : X.X

Epona222 · May 2016

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

There is a bounty meter at the bottom right of the screen (on PC) when you have heat/bounty, so there's really no excuse for not knowing, unless it is bugging out, in which case report the bug.

The thing about being a good thief is to not get caught thieving in the first place, but you can use an invisibility potion or rogues stealth potion to make guards lose you, sometimes for long enough to get out of a building. If you aren't great at thieving, restrict your attempts to outdoor areas, or better still, dock areas where you can easily jump in the water and the guards can't follow you.

As I said,I have only been caught occasionally,and normally,I dont keep my eyes on the,..wait.
I dont have a notice of bounty on the bottom right of my screen.Never have.
I have to hit c to see if I have a bounty.

I'd report that as a bug - after making sure that no addons are interfering with the bounty/heat meter in the bottom right of your screen - it's kind of hard to ignore, and if you aren't seeing it, then something is wrong.

Yeah,but I have been playing this way for two years.So,I doubt its a bug.I am on PC also.I do have a mod now that will tell me if I have a bounty,but the bottom right of my screen is reserved for loot,and XP. That's all that shows there.

Well the rest of us have a bounty meter on the bottom right of our screen... just saying...

No,no.I didnt mean anything.I was just sayin' that I didnt have one.
Cool that you do.You on PC too?

Yes, I'm on PC. I don't have a bounty meter when I don't have a bounty. But when I DO have a bounty, it shows up on the bottom right of the screen, as a circular graphic that displays heat and bounty. I also get big on screen displays such as "You are now disreputable" across the middle of the screen.

That is the way the game displays it without addons.

GivvumBoane · May 2016

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Epona222 wrote: »

There is a bounty meter at the bottom right of the screen (on PC) when you have heat/bounty, so there's really no excuse for not knowing, unless it is bugging out, in which case report the bug.

The thing about being a good thief is to not get caught thieving in the first place, but you can use an invisibility potion or rogues stealth potion to make guards lose you, sometimes for long enough to get out of a building. If you aren't great at thieving, restrict your attempts to outdoor areas, or better still, dock areas where you can easily jump in the water and the guards can't follow you.

As I said,I have only been caught occasionally,and normally,I dont keep my eyes on the,..wait.
I dont have a notice of bounty on the bottom right of my screen.Never have.
I have to hit c to see if I have a bounty.

I'd report that as a bug - after making sure that no addons are interfering with the bounty/heat meter in the bottom right of your screen - it's kind of hard to ignore, and if you aren't seeing it, then something is wrong.

Yeah,but I have been playing this way for two years.So,I doubt its a bug.I am on PC also.I do have a mod now that will tell me if I have a bounty,but the bottom right of my screen is reserved for loot,and XP. That's all that shows there.

Well the rest of us have a bounty meter on the bottom right of our screen... just saying...

No,no.I didnt mean anything.I was just sayin' that I didnt have one.
Cool that you do.You on PC too?

Yes, I'm on PC. I don't have a bounty meter when I don't have a bounty. But when I DO have a bounty, it shows up on the bottom right of the screen, as a circular graphic that displays heat and bounty. I also get big on screen displays such as "You are now disreputable" across the middle of the screen.

That is the way the game displays it without addons.

Same on consoles

C0wrex · May 2016

PurifedBladez wrote: »

Open world pvp w/ killable guards.. so sweet.

Mmm and a seamless tamriel at that

)

It will be glorious!

I'll prepare the popcorn too for all the posts in the forums for nerfs and OPness.

SlayerTheDragon · May 2016

I would recommend using a Two-handed weapon. This will free up one hand to turn the door knob open.

Gidorick · May 2016

Wow. I'm blown away that so many people have swallowed the ZOS kool-aid.

Individual guards being immortal is a design flaw. A character who is supposed to be as powerful as we are should not be able to be completely destroyed by ONE city guard. It's not about skill, it's about a design philosophy that makes no contextual sense.

I've come to accept that this is just "how it is" but I'll never think that it's fine this way.

A guard should be killable but the guard shouldn't be.

Duiwel · May 2016

IcyDeadPeople wrote: »

Duiwel wrote: »

People should learn that games are meant to be a challenge, this isn't a single player game where you can type ` and cheat your way to god mode. You are not meant to be a god.

It's not any sort of challenge to kill guards, it's impossible. Getting one-shotted by an invincible guard is similar to the feeling you get when trying to cross a tiny hill in Cyrodiil and there is an invisible wall blocking your way. Or wandering around exploring the world as a low level character and discovering the world is designed with a sort of linear progression.

This is an Elder Scrolls game - some may wish to play a sneaky thief who never gets caught, while others may want to play a murderer who is not sneaky at all and gets caught frequently. It would be fun if it was incredibly challenging but at least remotely possible to get revenge on these guards. Obviously there are various game systems issues involved and it may never happen.

The challenge is not meant to be to kill the guards you guys are already complaining about NPC's that can be escaped quite easily after being spotted... like so EASILY a naked lvl 3 with a bounty of say 2k + can run into a town and just have 4 guards chasing him and if he ran away he would survive. The thing is they don't all of em decide they are Ysgrammor ( Rambo ) and try to fist fight their way out of the situation...

The challenge is when you get caught evade!
The challenge is not getting caught
The challenge is if an npc who is not a guard catches you kill him/her.
Log out of said character or go to Cyrodiil or explore the wilds while your bounty goes down there is no need to constantly go back into town and get chased by guards.

Pro tip try repairing your gear if guards one shot you. Most guards do Talons and then crit rush. Talons should not one shot you ... ever!

Guards are also not invisible, they are in fact outlined in red when they are hostile ( so there are visual indications on screen

)

I know about the frustrating invisible walls but know that in Cyrodiil those are in place to create balance so that players have to play the keeps in order to open the gates ect.

Otherwise everyone would just cliff jump cleverly and eventually be able to enter the Temples without having any of the enemy keeps because you are a good rock climber...

True this is an elder scrolls game, however it's also an online MMO and you need to realise that this has caused compromises.

Invulnerable guards being one of them.
Having to pick a class before hand being another one of them.
Having Daedric weapons as skills instead of actual weapons being another one of them ( much to my dismay )

So you see that while this is an Elder Scrolls game you are playing at the same time, thousands of other people are also online in your faction and possibly hundreds of other people are also in the same zone as you or even the same city. Now you want to steal everything and use as little skill as possible ( if you used skill you would not get caught ). That simply would not be fair towards people who use skill because if you could just run around without stealth and interact with every container and just force lock every strongbox/ chest / door and just never have a care in the world because : " oh a guard? Let me just kill him real quick I don't care about my bounty. They die so easily" you would have all the loot in a town in less than 10 minutes... Where as someone who wanted to play legit and sneak, wait for guards to pass before lock picking things ect. they would enter a place and loot it ect. and not even get 10% of what you looted in the same amount of time.

That would be unfair.

Moral of the story for you & OP alike. L2Steal

It's not hard mate, I can give tips if you really want but it's self explanatory. If you see the little eye open and the words hidden go away don't steal.

Nyx2 · May 2016

Gidorick wrote: »

A character who is supposed to be as powerful as we are should not be able to be completely destroyed by ONE city guard. It's not about skill, it's about a design philosophy that makes no contextual sense.

With that kinda logic you can excuse any balance away. "I'm a legendary warrior who should be able to get away with anything I do." No. In this case you're an awful thief who will recieve the punishment for his failure. You're out of luck and the sooner you realize you can't fight your way out of everything and not everything will be handed to you just "cuz max lvl hero", the sooner you can stop whining about it.

Lynx7386 · May 2016

Vangy wrote: »

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Another night of thieving ruined by getting caught inside a building. Guard spams roots and wrecking blow, cant get away for long enough to get out a door, cant kill the guard or even incapacitate him long enough to get out the door.

I get that they dont want players coming in and griefing towns by killing everyone, including the guards, but making guards invulnerable is a bad way to do things. Hurry up and get the rest of the justice system implemented if that's what it takes (though, seriously now, we all know that will never actually happen).

Lynx: *Gets caught robbing*. *sees guard* Wait wait, lets duke it out like real men.

Fight ensues --> Thieving lynx manages to get guard to 0 HP. I WIN, thinks Lynx.

Guard: Thoust not know that I has no death? Translation: Hue hue hue I cant die you newblet!!!!!

Lynx: WTF???? Wait you are supposed to die when yo..... *dosent manage to finish sentence before guard does: *

Guard: WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB WB DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Lynx : X.X

lol, actually it was more like:

*gets caught*

*thinks: I'm new to this thieves thing but I'm a nightblade, I should be able to get away right?*

*tries to flee*

*guard spams talons and wrecking blow*

*tries to kite guard up stairs and jump over balcony to get enough distance to open door*

*fails*

*eventually gives up and lets guard kill him*

I dont have clemency or anything unlocked yet, which is probably the real issue here, but I think it's absolutely *** that you cant open a door just because a guard is after you. Are these magically enchanted doorlocks that are psychically linked to town guards, or are they thief-detecting doorlocks that somehow know when you have a bounty?

Samwell Slayer · May 2016

Lynx7386 wrote: »

Another night of thieving ruined by getting caught inside a building. Guard spams roots and wrecking blow, cant get away for long enough to get out a door, cant kill the guard or even incapacitate him long enough to get out the door.

I get that they dont want players coming in and griefing towns by killing everyone, including the guards, but making guards invulnerable is a bad way to do things. Hurry up and get the rest of the justice system implemented if that's what it takes (though, seriously now, we all know that will never actually happen).

Nothing worse than accidently stealing something, then getting chain killed by a guard while having no cash. We did defeat a Daedric prince, save the world, save 3 different alliances, and possibly become emp ... but that rent a cop over there ...

Wreuntzylla · May 2016

Lenikus wrote: »

Wreuntzylla wrote: »

I finish saving the Alik'r at Satakalaam (last Cadwell step in Alik'r desert) and see/hear the Imperials bound and complaining. Enraged, I attack one Imperial and a soldier jumps me while all the Imperials run away. I don't want to kill the soldier so I run off to finish up.
I plow through Motalion Necropolis and take the portal back to replace the Ansei Wards. King Fahara'Jad gives a grand speech and points out to all present that I saved Alik'r. He privately tells me that I saved his throne.
I wander out of the impervious vault and a guard accosts me and wants me to pay a bounty... I run but two more guards jump me, and the three kill me.
The savior of Alik'r killed by Sentinel guards just after saving the entire kingdom because an Imperial soldier was roughed up a bit, the same imperial soldier I just stopped from ruthlessly killing citizens of that kingdom...
Makes sense...

The guard system is a complete and utter pile of dung.

Pretty sure the imperial you killed was an innocent NPC and not a enemy.

"all the Imperials run away"

"an Imperial soldier was roughed up a bit"

Not sure where "you killed" came from.

And no, it's the soldiers being held afterwards and not innocent NPCs.

Wreuntzylla · May 2016

[/quote]
With that kinda logic you can excuse any balance away. "I'm a legendary warrior who should be able to get away with anything I do." No. In this case you're an awful thief who will recieve the punishment for his failure. You're out of luck and the sooner you realize you can't fight your way out of everything and not everything will be handed to you just "cuz max lvl hero", the sooner you can stop whining about it.[/quote]

You completely miss the point. It's that they are CITY GUARDS. Some of them local yokels in a small town. I haven't seen anyone say that the laws shouldn't be enforced against players, it's about who is doing the enforcing.

Off the top of my head, players could be stopped by: (1) other players; (2) manifestations of the tribunal, Tu Whaccka, etc.; or (3) an NPC hero summoned by the guards. I'm sure folks can think of other ways to make the system not so transparently bad.

Moonscythe · May 2016

nimander99 wrote: »

I agree completely, guards should be killable... They should be extremely tough but killable.

No, because those fights would break out in already overcrowded interior areas like banks or go rampaging through the cities with friends joining in and creating a war zone where no war zone was intended. That is not a good thing.

GivvumBoane · May 2016

One thing that bugs me is that you have to get the thieves guild skill line to get the clemency dialog option. I think we should be able to use the brutal thrashing of a daedric prince to get clemency.

Gidorick · May 2016

Nyx2 wrote: »

Gidorick wrote: »

A character who is supposed to be as powerful as we are should not be able to be completely destroyed by ONE city guard. It's not about skill, it's about a design philosophy that makes no contextual sense.

With that kinda logic you can excuse any balance away. "I'm a legendary warrior who should be able to get away with anything I do." No. In this case you're an awful thief who will recieve the punishment for his failure. You're out of luck and the sooner you realize you can't fight your way out of everything and not everything will be handed to you just "cuz max lvl hero", the sooner you can stop whining about it.

I completely agree that an awful thief should recieve punishment @Nyx2 but it should not be at the hands of a single city guard.

A player shold be allowed to kill a city guard, but if they do they should be treated to waves of more powerful, more elite guards.

Those guards will either subdue the offender or, if the offender resists, kill them with the power of a handful of elite guards.

Resisting the guards in this way should have real, painful consequences. Getting caught should result in losing all possessions and even possibly the loss of XP or CP. Possibly even jail of some sort.

Then there's the PVP component that's missing. Who better to hunt down seasoned adventurers than other seasoned adventurers?

Bad thieves should be punished, for sure, but that punishment should not come from some lowly city guard.

Like I said, it's a bad design.

@Wreuntzylla gets it, I like the idea of NPC adventurers. They could be bounty hunters out for your head that match you in terms of power and skill... and they'll find you whatever you are, even out in the wilderness.

Saoirse_Siobhan · May 2016

There should be an achievement to successfully pickpocket a guard, Kudos to anyone who has, even with all the perks! I just accidentally pick-pocketed (unsuccessfully) a guard in the Bank of Daggerfall (I was trying to steal from the chest next to him!). He immediately attacked me of course and I can't believe I was able to get away! I cloaked a few times and it bought me enough time to open the door. Oooof! Talk about an adrenaline rush!

whiteshadow711jppreub18_ESO · May 2016

Kotaro wishes to advise fellow Khajiit on stealing,

Blue Entoloma
Columbine
Namira's Rot

makes Unstoppable Invisibility potions,

slot these when inside a building, if you get seen, use quickly, then move as far away as you can from the guard or person you have offended and then try to get into sneak asap, the people will run back to their path (they will reset) and the doors to the building will unlock, then carefully escape the building since you will more then likely have a bounty on you, use another Invisibility potion if needed or Shadow Cloak if a Nightblade.

This works like a charm and lets Kotaro escape when needed.

Your Welcome fellow Khajiit,

Kotaro Atani
Master Thief..

Zouni · May 2016

psygnosi wrote: »

I think the problem is the passive from thieve's guild skill line that suppose to give you a fast escape portal but I've never seen this work at all. Has anyone ever seen this work?

I have seen it once and didnt know what it was for at the time. Its basically an NPC waving to you while the gaurds are chasing you. I missed interacting with it cause it freaked me out for a second. I thought itwas another bug. I later realized what it was.

Osteos · May 2016

No to killing the guards. Its just a bad idea. Believe what you will but its a certainty that raids would go on murder sprees and ruin the towns. I don't want that and I don't think I'm alone.

Besides I thoroughly enjoy watching bad thieves get rekt by guards

Argruna · May 2016

I'm going to pipe in again with some better acknowledgement other than pardon edicts. Guards are fine the way they are and I hope they never implement the pvp portion of the justice system. Let's start with guards.

There is a reason they are unkillable and that reason is, us as players are monsters. This is something that was done right by making important npcs unattackable and guards unkillable. They are an annoyance to the best thieves and a disaster to the untrained ones. You can escape them, it is way too easy to just out run them because they are all dragon knights. Hook and talons. Hook pulls you back but does little else and talons can be dodged out of. I fear the Sorcerer guards in Abah's Landing more than the run of the mill guards because they actually have ranged attacks that hit hard. If it is that much of a problem ask for hiding baskets in the major cities of each zone, not to 'nerf' the guards. Did you ever notice that the guards won't even help you if you are fighting something near them? Nope, because they would rather catch a thief then help the idiot who smacked a bear on its ass with a sword.

Now onto the pvp portion of the justice system. Nerf the guards, make them killable and add in world pvp, it will fix it! Pvp fixes everything! Yeah. Bursting that bubble. There is probably a really good reason they did implement this and it may stem solely because of us. As players, we can be *** and apathetic. I remember when the justice system first got introduced and some of us forgot to turn the do not attack innocents off. Some would help but others? Nope, idiot should of turned do not attack on. Now add in the pvp aspect to that. You would have CP 160 in the best gear they can get their hands on just milling around and that one guy who made a new alt and decided to level using the dlc doing a TG daily and screwing up and trying to run from the guards. So fresh alt vs a CP 160, who would win? Would you attack guild mates? Friends? Trick someone into healing you after beating up a guard so they get flagged and have them killed? The Justice pvp becomes a bit of a nightmare gank and grief fest and it is all because of us. Players cannot be trusted with decisions like that.

Which brings us to the things they did add. Edicts for one. If you are running low or have no luck getting them, ask for them to be something that can be trade or sold. Lord knows I have enough since I don't take the heist daily seriously so that's all I get. Learn the pathing of the guards. Learn where your exits are. Seriously. I don't just mean run until the guard stops chasing you. Figure out what buildings you can lawfully enter that do not have guards stationed in them. You get in that house you can reenter stealth and then leave like no big deal. If a guard comes after me, I usually count to seven after the first hit, if I don't get smacked again in that count I know I have enough time and distance between me and the guard to enter a home, readjust and leave. I am the worst at stealing. Frankly I just hate stealth stuff all around. I get caught continuously if I don't have edicts to save my ass. I've even dealt with a guard in a room when I had no edicts to save myself and already used clemency. I still got away by using the room to my advantage so I could do the count and leave the building.

Nyx2 · May 2016

Gidorick wrote: »

I completely agree that an awful thief should recieve punishment @Nyx2 but it should not be at the hands of a single city guard.

A player shold be allowed to kill a city guard, but if they do they should be treated to waves of more powerful, more elite guards.

Those guards will either subdue the offender or, if the offender resists, kill them with the power of a handful of elite guards.

Resisting the guards in this way should have real, painful consequences. Getting caught should result in losing all possessions and even possibly the loss of XP or CP. Possibly even jail of some sort.

Then there's the PVP component that's missing. Who better to hunt down seasoned adventurers than other seasoned adventurers?

Bad thieves should be punished, for sure, but that punishment should not come from some lowly city guard.

Like I said, it's a bad design.

@Wreuntzylla gets it, I like the idea of NPC adventurers. They could be bounty hunters out for your head that match you in terms of power and skill... and they'll find you whatever you are, even out in the wilderness.

You're dead either way from your description. The only difference is that you want more guards to give you attention for some unimportant reason. Without this the chances that they'll capture you are non-existent. That's something you should be talking about. Not about how to grant you more simplified ways of escaping.

Guards can't use doors as far as I know so one guard will have to ensure the law for one store. Other players should by no means be your only threat for being a clumsy thief and there will also be no divine intervention because of petty theft as someone asked... let's not complicate things like this when there are much more dire things in need of fixing.