Guild Wars 2

Why are portals in LA closed unless you the one very specific backpack? Or do I not get something? Why can’t we participate with normal backpacks?

What? I didn’t see anything mention that.

People are saying the spinal backpiece is required at exotic level in order to go through the portals.

Vael Victus.2654:

People are saying the spinal backpiece is required at exotic level in order to go through the portals.

that’s what the portals say. I find that kittened and unfair.

My lover is working toward a fused skin right now — the last thing she wants is to spend money just to have the privilege of finishing the living story. How does that even scale for newbies? They’ll just throw all their money into building this backpiece?

Don’t know what the portal does since I haven’t been in game yet but from the patch notes

“For the brave who battle their way to the Diverse Ledges, they can meet up with Lionguard Turma. Her latest scouting report states that she’s found a new type of portal but is unable to access it without special equipment derived from Scarlet’s technology.”

How odd that you used lover ;|

Nothing from the LS itself mentions needing the spinal blades. The only thing that mentions it is some “special portal”. So I’m assuming the story itself doesn’t require you to have the spinal blades, and its maybe just some small bonus area or something.

That doesn’t seem so bad, but I guess it’ll depend on what’s actually in there.

I just tried to get into one of the portals and I was pushed back. It said I needed to have the spinal blades backpiece equipped. Others that had it equipped could go in and stand on it. I really don’t understand why anet would block the ls conclusion like this

The exotic piece isn’t that difficult to get. I’ve made 2 and upgraded one to ascended with casual effort and even have enough materials to make another. I think a month is more then enough time to get what you need.

What does the portal do and where does it go?

I entered the portal at Shuttered Gate with just the first level of backpiece. Other portals need those buff things from three legendary bosses I think.

I absolutely detest the looks of the spinal blades backpiece. Is this a real thing that it will have to be created, and I’ll have to spend my metal creating it, to be able to get into a portal to view/participate in a part of the new content? I’m at work right now — is this a troll post? Or is it real?

Uuuuuugh, I made this and out it on my alt because it’s the only back peice capable of being celestial… I hope I don’t need it actually equipped to go into any portals…

This appears to be the real deal. You even have to farm and make one of those backpacks for the achievments to get the event chest. Screw that, i’m not going to do some annoying farm to create a back piece i’m just going to end up destroying. It’s an ugly back piece that none of my characters will ever use, and all my characters are geared 80’s, so it’s worthless for transmuting. It pretty much killed any interest i have in participating. kitten move anet.

Personally I love it. Why else would the spinal blades not be tradable? They wanted people to participate and make stuff on their own… And here we go!

Sorry to those who haven’t made them yet though. That’s bad luck, mate.

You do not need the spinal blades to fight scarlet and get the event chest (I assume you mean the title, helmet and the lions arch bag?), I was able to run through it just fine. Not sure where that portal goes to though.

I just wish, for the love of God, they has mentioned this so I didn’t throw out three stacks of the spinal shards because I did not want the backpeice. I mean come on .

So to be clear, what exactly is required? The exotic version of the back piece?

Tigerlily.3765:

I just wish, for the love of God, they has mentioned this so I didn’t throw out three stacks of the spinal shards because I did not want the backpeice. I mean come on .

I saw pictures of people destroying them, and i bet anet did to, so they coded this in real quick to giggle.

Sorry though! That stinks.

The basic version is enough to use the fourth, violett portal. It does not leed to the boss fight to which the white portals are leading.

To go through on of the portals you need to have a light-buff wich you get when you kill the three assault knights. I entered the portal without having the backpiece equipped. I dont know what you are talking about, nothing says you need it. Or you talk of another portal…

Well, you have two weeks to make one and it wont cost you a single gold. Every mat could be realistically gathered in plenty of time.

I got in with Fine version. I think it’s kind of dumb to wall off the instance like that too, but I guess if you beat the event you go there anyway. Don’t know for sure because I was DC’d in the middle of the big Drill fight. I ran over to the unlabeled portal and lo and behold you could just skip that fight if you just want the story.

Too bad you need to make an item. At least it doesn’t require a ton of work if you go for bare minimum though, so I’m not that exasperated about it. Eh. :/

Lilith Ajit.6173:

Tigerlily.3765:

I just wish, for the love of God, they has mentioned this so I didn’t throw out three stacks of the spinal shards because I did not want the backpeice. I mean come on .

I saw pictures of people destroying them, and i bet anet did to, so they coded this in real quick to giggle.

Sorry though! That stinks.

Isn’t that what everyone wants from a game developer, childish malevolence?

On a more serious note, why would they choose to end the first season of the LW with the planting of the gear gating seed?

Ok. you guys are confused.

There is a portal at Diverse Ledges which says “spinal blades requires”.
One portal only.

this is unfortunate, I have no interest in this backback, I do not like the skin at all. Guess I’m going to need to make something I will use briefly then destroy. What a waste.

Again…what are these portals and where do they go?

Gah gear gating… Kill it! Kill it now!

breathes and counts to 10

I guess I’ll go check things out for myself and try not to blow a gasket until after I evaluate….

I’ve not a clue what you all are on about. I just completed the boss fight and final instance with Scarlet and I don’t own one of those back pieces. There is no gear gating that I’ve experienced.

The portal gives you a warning about skipping story steps, so could it just be a shortcut to a final area that everyone gets after the hologram fights?

Or is that warning simply because I hadn’t done other steps yet?

It seems more than a bit stupid to include that as a gear-gated extra, but that’s what it looks like it is.

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Gah gear gating… Kill it! Kill it now!

breathes and counts to 10

I guess I’ll go check things out for myself and try not to blow a gasket until after I evaluate….

I’m with you. 100%. NO GEAR GATING!!

You DO NOT NEED the spinal blade pack to do the story. You ONLY need it to go through the secret entrance. The regular entrances to the drill just require attunement buffs from all three assault knights which spawn at the top of the hour in Lion’s Arch. Going to the SECRET entrance is just for people who want to skip straight to the ending so that they don’t have to worry about the assault knights or the hologram fight failing. The secret entrance does NOT give you the whole instance, it merely shows the ending where Scarlet has already been wounded and you can finish her off and see the final cutscene!

TL;DR no, the spinal blade pack isn’t needed to participate.

It is not required.
You can do the whole event kill the boss and watch the cutscen without the backpack.
You can how ever if you have the backpack, revisit the endscen from the portal at the jumping tower.
The other portals oonly brings you to scarletts ship when you have finished the bosses and got all trhee colors on you.

Sorann Peace.9056:

You DO NOT NEED the spinal blade pack to do the story. You ONLY need it to go through the secret entrance. The regular entrances to the drill just require attunement buffs from all three assault knights which spawn at the top of the hour in Lion’s Arch. Going to the SECRET entrance is just for people who want to skip straight to the ending so that they don’t have to worry about the assault knights or the hologram fight failing. The secret entrance does NOT give you the whole instance, it merely shows the ending where Scarlet has already been wounded and you can finish her off and see the final cutscene!

TL;DR no, the spinal blade pack isn’t needed to participate.

Thank you very much for this.

Sorann Peace.9056:

You DO NOT NEED the spinal blade pack to do the story. You ONLY need it to go through the secret entrance. The regular entrances to the drill just require attunement buffs from all three assault knights which spawn at the top of the hour in Lion’s Arch. Going to the SECRET entrance is just for people who want to skip straight to the ending so that they don’t have to worry about the assault knights or the hologram fight failing. The secret entrance does NOT give you the whole instance, it merely shows the ending where Scarlet has already been wounded and you can finish her off and see the final cutscene!

TL;DR no, the spinal blade pack isn’t needed to participate.

Awesome. Now people can calm the kitten down.

Does the portal work if you had an exotic backpiece that you transmuted? I got one for the easy exotic stats, but hated the look so transmuted it. Will I still be able to get into the portal?

Sorann Peace.9056:

You DO NOT NEED the spinal blade pack to do the story. You ONLY need it to go through the secret entrance. The regular entrances to the drill just require attunement buffs from all three assault knights which spawn at the top of the hour in Lion’s Arch. Going to the SECRET entrance is just for people who want to skip straight to the ending so that they don’t have to worry about the assault knights or the hologram fight failing. The secret entrance does NOT give you the whole instance, it merely shows the ending where Scarlet has already been wounded and you can finish her off and see the final cutscene!

TL;DR no, the spinal blade pack isn’t needed to participate.

Thank you, that was kind freaking me out.

Sylv.6514:

This appears to be the real deal. You even have to farm and make one of those backpacks for the achievments to get the event chest. Screw that, i’m not going to do some annoying farm to create a back piece i’m just going to end up destroying. It’s an ugly back piece that none of my characters will ever use, and all my characters are geared 80’s, so it’s worthless for transmuting. It pretty much killed any interest i have in participating. kitten move anet.

For over a year, getting an exotic back piece was expensive and time consuming.

Now with the spinal blades, it’s actually pretty easy to make an exotic back piece (or several).

My advice, by happy that you can pick your stats, and transmute any skin on it that you like.

These are excellent, and I made several for my alts. Won’t be keeping the spinal blades look, but I’m super happy about the relatively cheap exotic stats (and for my main, ascended stats).

I don’t have the gold to craft the back piece to see the final cutscene.

I can’t get the buffs to enter the portal to see the cutscene because either my server can’t coordinate or the champion event bugs out.

I don’t know what else to do but uninstall the game, chalk it up as a loss and move on to something else.

Elbegast.6970:

I don’t have the gold to craft the back piece to see the final cutscene.

I can’t get the buffs to enter the portal to see the cutscene because either my server can’t coordinate or the champion event bugs out.

I don’t know what else to do but uninstall the game, chalk it up as a loss and move on to something else.

Yeah… that definitely seems like the answer. You aren’t able to get to the end of a single story on the first day of two weeks, because of coordination problems and growing pains intrinsic in this type of event, so just quit for good. That is obviously a reasoned and temperate response to the situation at hand.

Or, and this is really stretching, you could give it some time. Work with your server, guest to a better server, or look for a capable overflow and do it that way. Also, unless you are exceptionally poor, it should be possible to pull together the resources to make the Exotic version. It really doesn’t involve a lot, other than 425 Blade Shards which you have to collect yourself anyway.

Elbegast.6970:

I don’t have the gold to craft the back piece to see the final cutscene.

I can’t get the buffs to enter the portal to see the cutscene because either my server can’t coordinate or the champion event bugs out.

I don’t know what else to do but uninstall the game, chalk it up as a loss and move on to something else.

You can do it with the first level of the backpiece. If you don’t have the gold for that, you have far bigger problems than whether or not you’ll ever finish the story.

You also don’t need it for alts, or equipped after the first time. I equipped one, went in, then unequipped it and was still able to get in. I also went to an alt who never had one equipped and it let her in too.