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Guild Wars 2 - Path of Fire |OT| Mount and Shining Blade

The game has changed -- which you'd freaking hope for, during 5+ years of continued development -- but I see very little that has actually gone against their manifesto. Raids and mounts certainly fit in just fine, and the game was always designed around a very soft trinity even if most of the release content didn't need that.

You can definitely argue they didn't succeed all that well in certain areas. The story in particular does not reach the heights they were striving for, not even slightly, but that's not because they went against their manifesto. (Which is really more of an ideal anyway, not an architectural blueprint.) Combat isn't as dynamic either, but I wonder how much that could be true after 5+ years of players experimenting.

Mounts so far really feel more like an extension of the existing platforming focus, much like gliding was.
 
What happened is that they set out to do something unique, failed and realized that their attempt at disruption was not good enough, and then proceeded to fall back on established design principles without completely betraying their original intent.
That is what I've been saying. ANet is making GW2 more like a typical MMORPG.

Btw, it was not their original concept that was the problem. The issue was the game never lived up to that concept. Mobs spawned a short time after you killed them. All the zones and content remained unchanged regardless of what the player did. The high level game was different than the rest of the game...and so on...and so on...

In practice, the game still feels way different from any other MMO out there, even with raids. I really doubt mounts are going to change that.
Mounts are just a bad idea for MMORPGs. Once you add them. The world becomes smaller which is contrary to the idea of a massive game. It doesn't have to be that way, but I've yet to see a game that adjusts their content for their later inclusion. What you'd need is to have mobs that could counter mounts and deal with them on equal terms.
 

MartyStu

Member
That is what I've been saying. ANet is making GW2 more like a typical MMORPG.

Btw, it was not their original concept that was the problem. The issue was the game never lived up to that concept. Mobs spawned a short time after you killed them. All the zones and content remained unchanged regardless of what the player did. The high level game was different than the rest of the game...and so on...and so on...


Mounts are just a bad idea for MMORPGs. Once you add them. The world becomes smaller which is contrary to the idea of a massive game. It doesn't have to be that way, but I've yet to see a game that adjusts their content for their later inclusion. What you'd need is to have mobs that could counter mounts and deal with them on equal terms.

Guild Wars 2 already has this issue.

Waypoints are everywhere on most maps.

HoT and PoF maps actually force players to participate in more of the maps because traveling from one point to another is not near instant.
 

Kalentan

Member
Guild Wars 2 already has this issue.

Waypoints are everywhere on most maps.

HoT and PoF maps actually force players to participate in more of the maps because traveling from one point to another is not near instant.

Yeah.

Though I'd actually argue that Guild Wars 2 world feels massive even with all of the waypoints.

I feel like a lot of MMOs with mounts, the zones are actually not that big and so mounts make that more apparent. I feel that won't really be the case with this.
 
Guild Wars 2 already has this issue.

Waypoints are everywhere on most maps.

HoT and PoF maps actually force players to participate in more of the maps because traveling from one point to another is not near instant.

This is an unfortunate reality. You already can go almost anywhere in the world instantly with minimal travel time as long as you've already been there to get the way point. I don't like it, but it's a necessity of the game's design with the focus on dynamic events happening all the time all over the world.

My dream (Frankensteined) MMORPG would have GW2's art style, controls, game play and fashion. Secret World's top tier quests and Vanilla WoW's world design with no loading screens per massive continent and varied world and locale designs. But that's really neither here no there.

It's also why I'm not concerned with Mounts making the world feel smaller than it is because Waypoints let you travel so easily anyway. I'm more concerned with mounts justifying their existence through content built to compliment them which as far as I can tell, they've knocked it out of the park on.
 
The argument against mounts makes no sense, when you consider so many players have a speed buff in the utility bar, with mounts i can drop that skill and put useful skill in place,and if players aren't using passive buff skill, they have Rune of the Traveler, now they can use good runes and drop these shitty ones...
 
Living World Season 3 is some of the strongest content they've made. The story leads up directly to the expansion, so I recommend picking up the six 6 story episodes, as they also unlock 6 new awesome areas.


If you've not played since the original, you might want to do it like this;

lvl 80 (after beating the main story)
season 2
Heart of Thorns
Season 3
Path of Fire


But you're not gated. You can jump into Path of Fire right away and work your way back later if you choose. Path of Fire does start a new page, so it's not like the plot will be completely lost on you, but there might be characters and references you don't quite understand.

WoodenPotatoes has some good videos if you need help to make a decision about if you want to play chronologically or jump straight into PoF. The good thing about GW2 is that you can jump straight in. You just need to be lvl 80, which is easy. You level faster in GW2 than in any game you've probably played before.
 

Ashodin

Member
Looking forward to messing around in Elona tomorrow! Most excited for Deadeye, Firebrand, and Holosmith, but will probably still be goofing around on my Chronomancer. GAF Guild planning on exploring the new zones together when this drops?

Jira and I will be going around messing with the new stuff yes, I don't know if there's any other groups though

We'll also be on discord chat when it goes live.
 
The argument against mounts makes no sense, when you consider so many players have a speed buff in the utility bar, with mounts i can drop that skill and put useful skill in place,and if players aren't using passive buff skill, they have Rune of the Traveler, now they can use good runes and drop these shitty ones...
Preach!

Also, can I get an invite to the Guild please? Noviere.7309
 
Jesus, trying to get into my account was the biggest hassle. Couldn't remember my main's name was Conkers Bad Fur, so ended up having to dig through my YouTube channel, and luckily I had some footage that showed my character's name.

Then the stupid website decided name's are case sensitive, and for whatever reason, my character's name started with a lower case "c", even though in-game it's uppercase.

Edit: lol, and this game's launcher still doesn't have any option to change the installation folder. What year is it? I had to close the launcher, manually move the folder, and start the launcher back up again from the other folder.
 
I'm so fucking hyped for Path of Fire I spent all night cleaning my apartment so that when it drops I can dive all into the game while relaxing in a perfectly arranged apartment.

I'm weird.
 

Stuart444

Member
I do have a question about them however, if you start another chapter while in the middle of another one do you lose all progress for that chapter?

Should be able to continue where you left off yes. If you click off onto another story and then look at the chapter you left, it should say two things, "Restart this chapter" and "Continue" (or something similar at least)
 
I'm going through the graphics settings right now. I'm assuming everybody turns postprocessing off? The bloom in this game looks awful.
 

Principate

Saint Titanfall
That is what I've been saying. ANet is making GW2 more like a typical MMORPG.

Btw, it was not their original concept that was the problem. The issue was the game never lived up to that concept. Mobs spawned a short time after you killed them. All the zones and content remained unchanged regardless of what the player did. The high level game was different than the rest of the game...and so on...and so on...


Mounts are just a bad idea for MMORPGs. Once you add them. The world becomes smaller which is contrary to the idea of a massive game. It doesn't have to be that way, but I've yet to see a game that adjusts their content for their later inclusion. What you'd need is to have mobs that could counter mounts and deal with them on equal terms.
I 'm seeing how when gw2 has way point markers. Can't imagine traversal is much if any faster tab having all those unlocked.
 

Taffer

Member
Happy equinox day gaf.

How does unlocking the new class work? Like in HoT or some different way?

No new professions rather a new elite specialisation (traitlines of old) for each one. I think it'll be the same as HoT with you gathering Hero Points from around the map to unlock them.
 

Spyware

Member
I'm going through the graphics settings right now. I'm assuming everybody turns postprocessing off? The bloom in this game looks awful.
Yup, for the bloom and also because of the horribly horrible outlines. Really can't stand the outlines.

I also have shaders on medium because it gets rid of the static ugly light source from the right side of the screen that especially make sylvari look bad. They look like plastic plants with high shaders! Never been a fan of the "constant light source wherever you go" kinda thing but it's extra bad in this game due to the way it really destroys the beauty of a whole race.
 
God, my inventory is a disaster.

I'm assuming I'm fine just continuing to feed my Bloodstone Dust to my Mawdrey II, but what do I do with all these Empyreal Fragments and Dragonite Ore? I think I stopped playing because I was waiting for them to become useful, and I'm wondering if they're useful yet.
 

Aeana

Member
I'm really intrigued to hear that there's an actual healer in the game now. I haven't played since about a month after launch so I'm sure I'd have a lot to do if I went back.

Sigh, too many games.
 
I'm really intrigued to hear that there's an actual healer in the game now. I haven't played since about a month after launch so I'm sure I'd have a lot to do if I went back.

Sigh, too many games.

Having at least two of a druid, auramancer tempest, or Ventari Rev is mandatory for raids and at least one is really fucking nice for T4 fractals.

Druids are the general winners in raids just because they buff your party's damage soo much but auramancer tempest is the hardest carry in fractals.
 

VandalD

Member
Well. I got both expansions and am paralyzed on what two classes to level boost. Already have a level 80 engineer. Should just play that I suppose, but I sometimes feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Boosting a new class probably wouldn't help that feeling either.
 
2 Hours left until GW will be changed forever. Get pumped up.

Don't you mean... Get Fired Up?

Really disappointed WoodenPotatoes didn't name his competition that.

Well. I got both expansions and am paralyzed on what two classes to level boost. Already have a level 80 engineer. Should just play that I suppose, but I sometimes feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

Power Bomber is a great beginner engineer spec that cheap to build and easy to learn while you - oh wait EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS ABOUT TO CHANGE

But seriously, just play what seems fun.
 

MartyStu

Member
God, my inventory is a disaster.

I'm assuming I'm fine just continuing to feed my Bloodstone Dust to my Mawdrey II, but what do I do with all these Empyreal Fragments and Dragonite Ore? I think I stopped playing because I was waiting for them to become useful, and I'm wondering if they're useful yet.

They are useful for crafting gear.

The is an achievement in Lion's Arch that will give you a dragonite eater. It is the one where you have to kill all the baby Karka.

Also, during the winter event a fragment eater can be made.

Well. I got both expansions and am paralyzed on what two classes to level boost. Already have a level 80 engineer. Should just play that I suppose, but I sometimes feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Boosting a new class probably wouldn't help that feeling either.

Play the engineer and get back into the game and rhythm. THEN decide if you need to boost other classes.
 

VandalD

Member
But seriously, just play what seems fun.
Play the engineer and get back into the game and rhythm. THEN decide if you need to boost other classes.
This is good advice. And I realize looking for advice or researching isn't going to be too helpful with an expansion looming. I just have this dumb feeling that I need to use them since I have them. But engineer has always felt fun to me, even if I don't know what the hell I'm doing. So I'll try to stick with that for a while. Thanks.
 

PatzCU

Member
I won't be able to play this until Monday. I was going to preorder until I saw the patch notes yesterday with what appears to be a gutting of Scourge profession from beta. Going to keep my ear to the ground on how the class performs but if Anet has once again created a necromancer elite that has no place in PVE, I may just pass on PoF.
 

B00TE

Member
Can't wait to hop on! Most excited for Deadeye and Holosmith, will likely keep my warrior as a berserker (hearing my asura yell I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL never gets old). Was really impressed with how the raptor mount felt, so I'm eager to see how the other mounts stack up. Bounties and stuff seemed pretty neat.
 

Gothos

Member
Gonna boost fresh made Engineer. Holomancer seems like tons of fun. So I'll have tripe fresh experience - new class, new elite class, new maps! :D Thief and Warrior on backup mode :)
 
This, TESO and FF14 are my god-tier MMORPGs because they offer so much and great PvE content that can be tackled (mostly) alone.

This, TESO and FF14 all got big expansions this year.

And I have no time for an MMORPG because there are already too many single-player-RPGs to play :(

/1st world problems
 
This is good advice. And I realize looking for advice or researching isn't going to be too helpful with an expansion looming. I just have this dumb feeling that I need to use them since I have them. But engineer has always felt fun to me, even if I don't know what the hell I'm doing. So I'll try to stick with that for a while. Thanks.
When you use the boosts you also get to keep the 2 shared-account inventory slots they currently occupy, which is nice. I still have 1 to use, and can't decide what to use it on. Probably my rev or my engi since they are stuck in the mid-levels... But I want that slot damn it :p
 

Memory

Member
Great OT, just came back to the game a few months ago after a 2 year break and i'm hyped for this.

Got the ultimate edition to show support to he devs of this remarkable game.
 

B00TE

Member
tenor.gif

Almost time. Hope my download goes fast enough.
 

Shotpun

Member
I started playing this casually three weeks ago and noted living world season 2 had a 1280 gem price tag. Now it's on -20% sale for... 1280 gems. Says the normal price is suddenly 1600. If they just increased its price I will most likely skip it entirely as it's pretty apparent story isn't the games strongest points.
 

Auraela

Banned
omg


Entire stacks of consumable containers can be opened with the right-click context menu. Opening will stop if the stack is exhausted, the inventory fills up, or the inventory screen is closed.
 

Gothos

Member
Tried completing season 3 but it seems I need mastery from HoT to finish episodr 5, ehh. So, I just read the summary :p
 
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