DISCLAIMER:
Please keep this thread whining-free.
Please keep this thread bragging-free.
There are lots of places where you can cry how that puzzle is taking your fun away, how hard it is, or how good at jumping puzzles you are.
This thread is intended to point useful tips and hints for everyone to use, and THAT’S IT.
The Clock Tower is very much doable with any character, of any race and profession. You don’t need any speed boosts, although they are really helpful if you are familiar with them. Since most people fall pretty quickly, asuras are not at any real disadvantage.
I’ve done the puzzle six times so far:
- with a shortest human necromancer, twice – once using a warrior’s banner, second time without using any speed boosts;
- with a shortest asura elementalist – using One With Air;
- with a shortest norn elementalist – using One With Air;
- with a shortest norn guardian – without any speed boosts;
- with a shortest norn ranger (level 5) – without any speed boosts.
Here’s a video of the guardian run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5MY3EjEmpU
General tips:
- watch the video above and learn the route by heart – sometimes there are two or more platforms you can jump on, and only one will save you time; while it’s not the perfect run, it shows possibly the best route to follow;
- as you may see, i’m not the first person from my group in the beginning, and yet i got some extra time later on to hesitate and withdraw from a jump without being swamped with the green goo; there really is enough time to do it;
- stay as close to the tower as possible – those few steps may save you enough time;
- don’t jump like crazy – jump only if you need to cross a gap or jump over an obstacle;
- the run has to be fluent, but not really rushed – keep calm, don’t let the adrenaline take over;
- don’t focus on your character – by now, you should already ‘feel’ where your character is on your screen, so don’t look at them, focus on the next platform you have to get to;
- it may help to colour your armour flashy pink, but again – try not to focus on your character, don’t look at them when jumping, focus on the next leap, not your current position;
- keep in mind that you can navigate your character mid-jump – jump keepin forward pressed, but then you can press left, right or even backward to navigate as needed!;
- try not to strafe and never move backwards, unless you’re worried you will over-jump something – use your mouse to change your facing and try to move forwards, as this is the fastest way of moving;
- BE PATIENT – this puzzle is NOT meant to be doable in the first try (although some players probably have beaten it first time – gz to them!);
- learn bits of the puzzle piece by piece – even if you fail 15 times on the first quarter of the puzzle, it will help you memorise that part and proceed onwards, possibly to fail again – but somewhere farther this time.
As i said earlier, speed boosts are NOT required but they DO help A TON if you can manage them – that is, if you know how far you will jump having that particular speed boost on you.
This is why warriors bring banners and if you notice that swiftness on you soon enough, it may help you tremendously, even when popped on you mid jump.
Weapon and utility skills do not work, but there are some things omitted by ANet that can be used to help you:
- warrior’s banners – pick one up and use skill 3 to get swiftness;
- traits granting speed boosts – one example is One With Air, ele’s air major trait which is AWESOME for this puzzle;
- the Black Lion speed boost works there, too.
If you have any other tips, share!