Guild Wars 2

This story mission is so annoying it is unbelievable. My laptop isn’t amazing but can run the game well enough to play fine and do PvP, yet for this mission the slight delay i can get, especially from all the wind graphics, makes it ridiculously difficult to get past the wind blocks. I’ve been stuck on it for several days and it’s honestly ruining my experience. All because of a stupid puzzle. Please for the love of god make it skippable.

I died about 20 times doing it today. I had to strip off except for my staff, so I could still cast speed buff, because all my gear was close to breaking. The speed buff was essential to get me to that middle wall and then away to the other side after a small break.

I really feel for anyone that doesn’t have an easily equippable speed buff.

I am also having a horrible experience with this mission. I have decided not to continue on with the personal story.

I’m glad it’s not just me finding this so frustrating. I wouldn’t mind if it was a mob I couldn’t defeat because I wasn’t using the right tactics or I was underlevelled/geared/whatever, but a dumb puzzle where I’m doing the right thing but cant do it quickly enough thanks to delay is just infuriating.

No speed buff is necessary, watch the flags to see when wind is blowing, and just run to the next section when they calm down. You can stop at the middle section, wait for the wind to pass again, then do the second half.

You know that small ledge on the side?

The one that’s on the side of wall that would keep you sheltered from the wind?

Well, don’t try that because it won’t protect you from the wind at all, and you’ll just get blown off and die.

Even though you did exactly what the game asked you to do: stay out of the wind.

And don’t bother trying to teleport like Seiran…because when NPCs use an Elementalist skill, it works completely different.

The flags and flames do nothing… i mean absolutely nothing… to indicate when the wind is going to show up.

I could not agree more with the 2 posts above me. My Asura gets blown away while standing at the wall watching flags. In addition, these flags are just out of her field of vision, which means I lose time rotating the camera between flag and narrow path I don’t want to run off of.

I spent an hour getting blown away, rallying, running back, getting blown away while hugging a wall, rallying, running back, running on “faith” to watch the flag, falling down, rallying, running back, getting blown to a ledge with a wall, getting blown off that, rallying, running back, ad infinitem. My favorite character is dead in the water.

this game otherwise has been very, very well done. the design on this quest is atrocious though. needs to be fixed asap.

did anyone even playtest this?

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

No speed buff is necessary, watch the flags to see when wind is blowing, and just run to the next section when they calm down. You can stop at the middle section, wait for the wind to pass again, then do the second half.

I was not unaware of the mechanic when attempting this without buff. I watched most carefully and ran the minute the flag started to blow (thus moving at the earliest point you can move without getting knocked over immediately by the original puff of wind), jumped straight over, had no delays, was on the shortest possible route, and I would always get blown over about 2 seconds before getting to safety at the middle wall. It did not matter what I did.

When I added the speed buff, I still got blown over a couple of times until I figured the best point at which to engage the buff for maximum effect. Then – no problem.

So, I beg to differ. Speed buff might not have been necessary for you, but it is for a substantial number of people, going by these posts.

Edited to add that I’m not stupid. I didn’t say I was running when the wind was blowing but that I STARTED to run when the flag blew. Factor in the position I started from and my reaction time and, guess what, I was moving at the earliest possible safe time right after the wind – which is actually what I said above.

Once the flags quiet, you have 8 seconds to get to a safe place (wall). Lots of time to get to the next safe section.

I also had a hard time with this quest even though I understood how it was supposed to work.

I watched the flags, but it honestly seemed random to me when I would get knocked off. Even the direction I would be knocked seemed random, as sometimes I was knocked towards the wind. The flags are a little deceptive, because they are constantly moving at least a little bit.

Eventually I made it but it seemed to be pure luck instead of anything I did. It was pretty frustrating. Also it’s annoying to be in a “downed” state when there is no one around to revive you and you aren’t attacking a mob.

I hit 80 last night my personal story … still lvl 33 bad blood I kept getting knocked off half the time I would get stuck on a pebble or something (especially after the middle breaking point) and have to jump to get over it. but of course I cant seem to jump over something I am right against instead I jump straight up.
and that’s only half the issue other times the flags wouldn’t render for me (even when I was running at “Best Appearance”

falling off and being sent back outside in a downed state only served to frustrate me more as I would have to sit there bandaging myself for 10 -15 seconds, and of course bandage isn’t even available right away so I have to wait for it to cool down first.

and then there was the joy of occasionally falling off the left side … if you haven’t had it happen you stand a good chance of landing safely on a ledge just out of jumping range if you go off the left side. and since you can’t jump back up you have to jump off.

I would much appreciate the addition of at least 2 new checkpoints to this mission one at the start of the first leg and one at the mid point. and if it doesn’t exist one at the far end so I would never have to repeat that again.

I actually did this last night.

I don’t mind this sort of action rp style thing in the game, but it would be nice if being pushed off the side didn’t kill you, only forced you back to the checkpoint. I know it makes it “easier” but things like the personal story ought to be fun first and foremost, and that section of the quest just isn’t that fun.

I don’t understand what the problem is with everybody’s game. Somebody should make a video and link it here. I completed this section in a single attempt, and was actually slightly disappointed that it was so simple.

Greyfeld.7104:

I don’t understand what the problem is with everybody’s game. Somebody should make a video and link it here. I completed this section in a single attempt, and was actually slightly disappointed that it was so simple.

The issue isn’t particularly with it being difficult, its to do with how it interacts with lower end computers. When I wait for the flags to die down, by the time the flags have gone down and I press forwards, the time to reaction is slow enough that getting over to the other side becomes an impossiblity. Especially when you factor in the narrowness of the ledges .

The rest of the game runs fine for me, sometimes it slows down during large fights, but I’ve got everything on lowest settings and generally the game is fine. The issue really I think is that the wind effects even at lowest graphical settings are demanding enough for lower end computers that you wind up with a visual slowdown, which makes it nigh-on impossible.

Eventually I got through it by just asking a friend with a better computer to party with me and do it for me, but there’s just something about this storyline that leads to a slowdown on lower end computers and all I can think that would cause it is wind effects or flag effects.

Needless to say, the quest is far more of an annoyance than a challenge. For people with good computers its a simple jumping puzzle, for people with lower end machines its a nightmare.

Finally made it across the bridge. I just want to know one thing:
Why, if the wind is coming from the left side, does my character get blown to the left?

I had some hard time with this one too but made it across. This is what I learned
1: Always look at the flag opposite of the gap.
2: Understand you have 8 seconds. most of the times I fell off cause i was rushing it too much.
3: Don’t do this late at night but when your fresh and awake.
4: Take a break before you crush your keyboard in frustration.

O boy I hated this one. I don’t like the jumping/puzzle stuff in the personal story. I expect story, not agility. Add in all the mindless waves of undead you have to defeat again and again in almost every chapter and it’s highly unlikely I’m going to do the PS again on a different character.

If that Sylvari’s supposed to be my mentor, I hate her now. Go walk across a windy chasm while I fly myself there. Climb some walls while I stand around and discuss my incompetence. Jump through a ring of fire. Walk on some spikes while I offer encouragement.

sileri.6984:

If that Sylvari’s supposed to be my mentor, I hate her now. Go walk across a windy chasm while I fly myself there. Climb some walls while I stand around and discuss my incompetence. Jump through a ring of fire. Walk on some spikes while I offer encouragement.

Yeah she is annoying, well without spoiling too much, she will do the ‘right’ thing in good time.

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

Tanaquil.9314:

I watched most carefully and ran the minute the flag started to blow.

That’s exactly the WRONG time to run. The flags indicate when the wind is blowing, once they die down you can run to the next section. (Don’t try to do the whole run at once, you need to wait at the middle wall for the wind to rise and die again.)

Sorry Jeffrey if you designed this content, but its not fun-at all. After 60 tries, I am done with the personal story.

If a person does not have the reflexes and coordination required to do this section of the story, they are pretty much stuck, and cannot continue. I’m about ready to just reroll my character so I can take up a different order. A shame, since I already have a lot invested in her.

Kitty,
It is very much doable and doesn’t require good reflexes or super coordination. You got a full 8 seconds to cross if you look at the flags and time it right. The problem I had was due to the fact that I was trying too hard and rushing things. Best thing is to close your eyes first and count to 8 in your head while imagining you are crossing it. You will see that you have plenty off time and shouldn’t be rushing it.

Horrible quest and had the benefit of making me loathe my mentor as several other posters said. Not helped by having already levelled a more rogue-ish type to this point and much preferring the friendly Charr who helps you in that order

negative play experience. Will leave this character behind now.

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

Tanaquil.9314:

I watched most carefully and ran the minute the flag started to blow.

That’s exactly the WRONG time to run. The flags indicate when the wind is blowing, once they die down you can run to the next section. (Don’t try to do the whole run at once, you need to wait at the middle wall for the wind to rise and die again.)

If that was true, I’d be getting blown over at the beginning of my run and, yeah, I think I’d have noticed that one, thanks! I got blown over at the end. And yes, I knew to wait at the middle wall – as I actually stated in the post that you responded to – but until I ran earlier I couldn’t get there. It was the right time to run.

Who ever said 8 seconds? I had about 4 seconds and i get blown about before i even try to run this thing, stupid event/quest thank you for nerfing the exp allowed on my ranger with an event that requires more luck than skill. That is not an 8 second window.

Thanks for adding that, Jeffrey.

It only took me 3 or 4 tries. I honestly don’t get how people think this is very hard. Maybe they’ve never played platformers or something. I wonder if people realize that they need to get down on the narrow ledge. (It’s been a while since I did this. I’m pretty sure that’s how it was.) I guess that it could be bugged since I did it. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised.

Not to be rude, but I had a good laugh that someone thought the time to run was when the flag was blowing. I’m genuinely curious about how that conclusion was arrived at.

Kitty La Boom Boom.4065:

If a person does not have the reflexes and coordination required to do this section of the story, they are pretty much stuck…

That tends to be how video games go…although I guess Nintendo has recently started doing this crap where they just let people skip anything that they find too hard, which is funny, considering how easy Nintendo games have become lately.

Wasselin.1235:

Also it’s annoying to be in a “downed” state when there is no one around to revive you and you aren’t attacking a mob.

That’s what downed skill 4 exists for.

Signet of Forums.4397:

It only took me 3 or 4 tries. I honestly don’t get how people think this is very hard. Maybe they’ve never played platformers or something. I wonder if people realize that they need to get down on the narrow ledge. (It’s been a while since I did this. I’m pretty sure that’s how it was.) I guess that it could be bugged since I did it. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised.

Not to be rude, but I had a good laugh that someone thought the time to run was when the flag was blowing. I’m genuinely curious about how that conclusion was arrived at.

I arrived at it because it worked and was, in the end, what got me through the puzzle.

I said I STARTED to run when the flag was blowing at – and here’s where you probably didn’t actually read what I wrote – the earliest point you can run. I ran from a place which meant that a) I could see the flag clearly when I started and b) was not running in the danger zone while the wind was actually up. If this had been wrong, I would have been blown at the start of my run and I was not, because I’m not stupid.

Whether this worked for me because of video lag which has been an issue for some people or whatever, it still worked.

Incidentally, your trick of the narrow ledge – didn’t work once. Wind still blows you when you stand there and it doesn’t shave significant time off the run. Guess I’ll have a good laugh at you now, hm? :p

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

Added to 9/24 update:

If you’re knocked off the bridge, your checkpoint will be set on the other side, so you can accept the death and bypass the puzzle, or try it again by reviving at the start. (You’re downed if you fall so you can self-revive.)

Thank you for adding that, I’ve been stuck at this one for a while. The flags seem to not be loading right on my low end computer. I’m trying it on my husband’s fancier one and I can see the flags but it’s just super difficult now.

Posted in a different thread, but may as well say it here as well: died over thirty times doing this, but had a blast doing so as I was in vent and joking about it with friends.
As an experiment in exploring non-kill-all type quests I thought this was a great idea. The implementation on the other hand not so much.
Still, I made a short little video of my experience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1LenSWf-90
Though by the time I thought about doing that I had died over 20 times already

Wish the checkpoint had been in effect when I was there. The fix is much appreciated.

Really enjoying guild wars 2 till this quest. Has to be the worst quest in any MMO I have ever played. Followed the flags maybe its lag on my pc but ran when they stopped blowing made no differnece whats to ever kept being pushed off. Hell even when I hid behind a wall I got knocked off.

Really not enjoyable at all.

oh no! really annoying quest!
the problem is, that the fix does not seem to be in effect.
(at least on my server, Whisteside Ridge ? )
when I fall, I am immediately mysteriously teleported outside of the cave, and I am dying out there (the animation where I can fight for my life but my health bar is running out), just outside the entrance, even while I’m not even dead yet! and then, when I actually die and choose the “restart from checkpoint”, I wake up right there: outside.

oh, good to know! thanks for the quick response!
Edit: duh I see only now that you told this before too >.< missed the date part, sorry!

I just did this part today and urgh I can see why the frustration from many people.
Especially when you fall off from lagg and not silliness.
I hope the change on 9/24 will be for the better!

I finally found someone else to be loathing more than Sephiroth now in a game ! (my mentor!)

mercury ranique.2170:

Kitty,
It is very much doable and doesn’t require good reflexes or super coordination. You got a full 8 seconds to cross if you look at the flags and time it right. The problem I had was due to the fact that I was trying too hard and rushing things. Best thing is to close your eyes first and count to 8 in your head while imagining you are crossing it. You will see that you have plenty off time and shouldn’t be rushing it.

I finally did get it done. My problem is that I kelp losing time by having to reposition my camera so when I went to cross, I wouldn’t fall off by mis-stepping. I finally solved my problem by getting naked and grabbing a beer, lol. No more frustrating armor damage, and much reduced adrenaline jolt when I did fall, made it a lot easier to focus, lol.

Finally finished it last night – someone had posted start to run before the flags die down, which I did, and made it. Perhaps luck, I dunno. And I could never revive from a downed state, the red bar will move left the more I used my revive skills. (Sounds like there will be an option in upcoming update re changing checkpoint, so hopefully that will make the quest better for those coming after me.)

The thing I most love about GW2 is that the dev team seemed to try to remove the really annoying features you find in other MMO’s. So I guess it’s finding that balance between challenging and downright “really no good reason for this” annoying.

On a side note – I wish everything didn’t seem to involve a jumping puzzle!! (Haha, I’ll prob get flamed for that) I am completing all of my zones and attempting to complete my Sylvari/Priory storyline. Jumping seems to be a signature feature of GW2 LOL. But I am getting pretty good at it – haven’t asked my daughter to do it for me, not once.

Regarding Priory storyline, I had planned to take another character thru Priory also (will have 2 for each order, they kind of fit, lore-wise) – but I’m rethinking going thru Priory twice.

Mira.3681:

haven’t asked my daughter to do it for me, not once.

If she wants to make some easy cash, she should consider “GW2 Jumping Puzzler for Hire” I’d sure be tempted to throw some money her way

Let me start to tell you im horrible at jumping with my char.

I felt of 6 or 7 times at the wall cause of the wind.
I was pretty late in the evening and i was tired.

Decided to take a last try and stood in the corner were i could see the wall straight ahead in front of me but was just out of the wind, i couldnt see any flags at that angle.
But decided to just run, get on the wall, keep running to the middle plateau.
It work!
Did the same for the last part and wasnt paying attention to the flags at all.
Make it

When the whole story was done, i had to talk with Sieran, but she was bugged and only greets me.
I had to start the whole story event again

Did it the same way, stood in de corner were i could see the wall in front of me out of the wind (but cant see flags at all), start running as fast as i could, and made it across the wall again!

When i finished the story again, Sieran wasnt bugged anymore and talked to me.

60+ tries and I finally made it. It helped when I turned all the graphics down to the very minimum. All my armor was broken, but at least i finished this thing (naked!). I kind of enjoyed the jumping puzzles, but the effect don’t match the wind, which is the annoying part!

Jeffrey Vaughn.1793:

Added to 9/24 update:

If you’re knocked off the bridge, your checkpoint will be set on the other side, so you can accept the death and bypass the puzzle, or try it again by reviving at the start. (You’re downed if you fall so you can self-revive.)

Wow, that would have saved me a lot of frustration. I just did this quest today and I came to this forum knowing there would be a post about it because it was really frustrating – easily the most frustrating thing I’ve done in the game so far, and I’ve done my share of vistas. I wish I hadn’t completed the quest now, since it took multiple deaths before I realized I was destroying my armor and it was better to just remove it.

Also, how do you self-revive? I found the 10-second “wait until you’re dead” after you fall part to be particularly annoying as well, since you get teleported out when you fall but you’re in a downed state. There is nothing around to pull life from, so how can you do anything but die? Also, what would your choices be in the future patch: checkpoint (past the timing puzzle), or leave the instance and start over?

I’m glad to see there is a fix to be had, and figured there would/must be: considering that the jumping puzzle immediately after it – that does NOT kill you for failing – insultingly gives you a path to follow and before you could possibly complete it there is also a way to bypass it, I supposed you’d have to fix the first part (which is much worse) as well. I will add that dying repeatedly and then being given a bypass for the easier part really added insult to the injury (although I don’t begrudge the bypass for those who simply hate jumping puzzles).

Signet of Forums.4397:

Wasselin.1235:

Also it’s annoying to be in a “downed” state when there is no one around to revive you and you aren’t attacking a mob.

That’s what downed skill 4 exists for.

I missed this post earlier – WHAT? You can just hit 4 to revive when you’re alone? Oh man I wish this was in a tutorial or something! I thought it just signaled to others that you were downed – that’s all I got from the tooltip from the handful (before this quest) of times I’ve been downed. I never messed with it again since it seemed so worthless. That makes this whole experience even more humiliating…