Exploration restrictions
I don’t see a point to this. If you’ve just created a new character, you REALLY shouldn’t be going anywhere near Orr. Level restrictions exists for a reason and I have to admit, it’s really not hard to level characters in this game. For about 60 to 80 gold you can craft from 2 to 80 in about 6 hours. There are even self-updating guides that will show you the cheapest way to do so. In any other MMO, doing that legitimately would be considered ludicrous.
I feel you on leveling multiple characters. I’m on my 7th one right now and I really wish I could just rush to 80 and starting working on gearing her up but patience is a virtue. Slowing going through zones, learning weapon skills, gaining skillpoints and reaching waypoints is teaching me how to use that character and what build best fits my playstyle. Without this system, you’d get players in high level areas that don’t even understand the basics of their class. You do NOT want that!
Er…Just play cleverly? I think around level 20-40 or so I was zooming ahead into level 50-70 zones evading enemy patrols and unlocking waypoints. It takes a bit of patience, and you frustratingly can’t fight back, but it can be done.
Besides, if you’re a true explorer, the fighting is not where it’s at, it’s the new sights and environs that you’re after and it will be the Void or the Mists before anything stops you in your efforts.
Member of The Archivists’ Sanctum [Lore], a guild for lore enthusiasts.
The Adventurer’s Log!
I don’t see a point to this. If you’ve just created a new character, you REALLY shouldn’t be going anywhere near Orr. Level restrictions exists for a reason and I have to admit, it’s really not hard to level characters in this game. For about 60 to 80 gold you can craft from 2 to 80 in about 6 hours. There are even self-updating guides that will show you the cheapest way to do so. In any other MMO, doing that legitimately would be considered ludicrous.
I feel you on leveling multiple characters. I’m on my 7th one right now and I really wish I could just rush to 80 and starting working on gearing her up but patience is a virtue. Slowing going through zones, learning weapon skills, gaining skillpoints and reaching waypoints is teaching me how to use that character and what build best fits my playstyle. Without this system, you’d get players in high level areas that don’t even understand the basics of their class. You do NOT want that!
I think you missed the point, totally. People want to explore Tyria from the moment they create their character, they don’t want to be stuck in zones and feel restricted and held back on their freedom to explore. This isn’t about crafting or unlocking waypoints. It’s about exploring the game world.
That’s one of the things with exploring a game world, you go into areas of the game where you find tougher content, either you overcome it or you fail and go back to some place less tough. It’s not like any zone in this game have tough content anyway, maybe Orr where there is undead everywhere but it’s not like a level 1 character will be going into Orr, there’s a lot of zones inbetween and if that player think orr is really difficult to play in, that player will go to another zone most likely.
Right now, you’re restricted to what zones you can visit and explore.
With each new Living Story, you scale up for its content and i don’t really see why they can’t do this with all zones in the game. ArenaNet talked about exploration being the best thing in GW2 PvE but they restricted players to explore anyway and lied to us.
(edited by Zoid.2568)
Er…Just play cleverly? I think around level 20-40 or so I was zooming ahead into level 50-70 zones evading enemy patrols and unlocking waypoints. It takes a bit of patience, and you frustratingly can’t fight back, but it can be done.
Besides, if you’re a true explorer, the fighting is not where it’s at, it’s the new sights and environs that you’re after and it will be the Void or the Mists before anything stops you in your efforts.
That’s not true exploring. The game world should be even whatever level you are, sure some content are tougher but you should be able to go to a zone and not be instant killed by mobs. Fighting is a part of exploring a new place of the map, if those mobs kills you in an instant because you’re to low level that ruins the experience of exploration.
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
You didn’t read my whole post. The Zhaitan fight is in a dungeon and can’t be entered until you’re level 80. That’s something they have to save for the end. Overall exploring all zones shouldn’t be restricted to levels.
They aren’t restricted though.
You can run from your starting area to the Gates of Arah as soon as you finish the tutorial. Nothing is stopping you but you will most likely be killed if you are not playing smartly.
Krall Peterson – Warrior
Piken Square
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
You didn’t read my whole post. The Zhaitan fight is in a dungeon and can’t be entered until you’re level 80. That’s something they have to save for the end. Overall exploring all zones shouldn’t be restricted to levels.
That’s not true, I can enter the fight at level 1 if I were able to reach Orr at level 1 (which would technically be possible via Portals/Stealth, but I’d probably hit level 3 by the time I get there, at least).
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
You didn’t read my whole post. The Zhaitan fight is in a dungeon and can’t be entered until you’re level 80. That’s something they have to save for the end. Overall exploring all zones shouldn’t be restricted to levels.
That’s not true, I can enter the fight at level 1 if I were able to reach Orr at level 1 (which would technically be possible via Portals/Stealth, but I’d probably hit level 3 by the time I get there, at least).
No you can’t. The dungeon is for level 80 only.
They aren’t restricted though.
You can run from your starting area to the Gates of Arah as soon as you finish the tutorial. Nothing is stopping you but you will most likely be killed if you are not playing smartly.
Yes you can go to any zone but that wasn’t the point of this suggestion. The suggestion is that all zones are even, without any level ranges. One world that you can explore. If they want to make a specific zone more difficult, sure go ahead ArenaNet. Just dont use levels to define power.
Levels should exist for progression in which way you can customize your character. Traits and skills.
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
You didn’t read my whole post. The Zhaitan fight is in a dungeon and can’t be entered until you’re level 80. That’s something they have to save for the end. Overall exploring all zones shouldn’t be restricted to levels.
That’s not true, I can enter the fight at level 1 if I were able to reach Orr at level 1 (which would technically be possible via Portals/Stealth, but I’d probably hit level 3 by the time I get there, at least).
No you can’t. The dungeon is for level 80 only.
Actually, I can, dungeon levels are merely the highest level before downleveling kicks in. That’s why it’s possible to be level 17 in AC, or 26 in CoF.
I agree, as soon as I defeat the Teyo’s fail golem (Golem Mark II Prototype), I should be able to fight Zhaitan, since I’m a true hero and I’m kittening amazing, no matter what level I am.
Seems legit.
/sarcasm
You didn’t read my whole post. The Zhaitan fight is in a dungeon and can’t be entered until you’re level 80. That’s something they have to save for the end. Overall exploring all zones shouldn’t be restricted to levels.
That’s not true, I can enter the fight at level 1 if I were able to reach Orr at level 1 (which would technically be possible via Portals/Stealth, but I’d probably hit level 3 by the time I get there, at least).
No you can’t. The dungeon is for level 80 only.
Actually, I can, dungeon levels are merely the highest level before downleveling kicks in. That’s why it’s possible to be level 17 in AC, or 26 in CoF.
You can’t even enter CoF at level 26 or AC at level 17. They restrict you. AC story is for level 30+ and exploreable is for 35+. Have you played the game?
facepalm
You’ve never heard of people swapping to alts to level them up? You’ve never seen a level 30 join CoF to get a free level at the end?
Yes you can go to any zone but that wasn’t the point of this suggestion. The suggestion is that all zones are even, without any level ranges. One world that you can explore. If they want to make a specific zone more difficult, sure go ahead ArenaNet. Just dont use levels to define power.
Levels should exist for progression in which way you can customize your character. Traits and skills.
So basically remove every kind of progression in the actual world?
The zones tells a story. That story is tied to the personal story, which is level “restricted” and therefore removing the level “restriction” from the zones would make all that quite weird, unless they also made the whole personal story balanced for lvl 2.
As for dungeons: It is fully possible to enter a dungeon at any level, the level set are those which the dungeons are MADE for, that does not mean people under those level can’t complete it, it would just be much harder.
Krall Peterson – Warrior
Piken Square
First, the game doesn’t prevent you from exploring zones. It merely makes you so squishy that it’s incredibly dangerous to enter a high level zone unless you are very, very careful. I actually consider that an interesting challenge rather than a game defect.
Second, I reject the premise that new characters should be able to romp around with impunity. I like the idea that some maps have deadlier foes than others. I might not like the amount of time it takes to level alt-characters to max level/skills, but I don’t think that all zones should be created equal.
First, the game doesn’t prevent you from exploring zones. It merely makes you so squishy that it’s incredibly dangerous to enter a high level zone unless you are very, very careful. I actually consider that an interesting challenge rather than a game defect.
Second, I reject the premise that new characters should be able to romp around with impunity. I like the idea that some maps have deadlier foes than others. I might not like the amount of time it takes to level alt-characters to max level/skills, but I don’t think that all zones should be created equal.
They should be equal in the way that the level range is the same for all zones. Some zones should be tougher, i agree. Levels shouldn’t define your power. Levels should have progression only in the form of traits and skills.
Yes you can go to any zone but that wasn’t the point of this suggestion. The suggestion is that all zones are even, without any level ranges. One world that you can explore. If they want to make a specific zone more difficult, sure go ahead ArenaNet. Just dont use levels to define power.
Levels should exist for progression in which way you can customize your character. Traits and skills.
So basically remove every kind of progression in the actual world?
The zones tells a story. That story is tied to the personal story, which is level “restricted” and therefore removing the level “restriction” from the zones would make all that quite weird, unless they also made the whole personal story balanced for lvl 2.
As for dungeons: It is fully possible to enter a dungeon at any level, the level set are those which the dungeons are MADE for, that does not mean people under those level can’t complete it, it would just be much harder.
Yes, zones tell a story and why shouldn’t you be able to go to any zones story whenever you want. That’s the problem, they want you to follow the story of the Personal Story and how it goes through all zones like a path, very linear, but everyone isn’t interested in the personal story. ArenaNet should support exploration, but they aren’t.
They must have changed it then. At launch you had to be lvl 35+ to enter exploreable in AC.
They should be equal in the way that the level range is the same for all zones. Some zones should be tougher, i agree. Levels shouldn’t define your power. Levels should have progression only in the form of traits and skills.
So are you suggesting that, in effect, all characters start with max stats? And you earn skill & trait points only when leveling? That’s an interesting idea, but that’s not how I understood the title of the post or your original post.
I think a lot of players need a great sense of progress while leveling, especially those coming from more traditional RPGs and MMOs. But I imagine that problem could be solved in other ways than granting primary stats.
And, as you suggest, downleveling and more complex foe/AI could be used to make some zones more challenging than others.
So, I still don’t believe the game directly restricts us from exploring. And I also still believe that some zones should be extremely challenging to new players and characters, by which I mean impossible for some people to manage them right away.
However, I’d support a suggestion to remove stats from the leveling process and replace it with something else.