Guild Wars 2

I have a lvl 60 elementalist, and I havent played for about 6 weeks.

What I really enjoyed in the 1st starting area (Char territory) was that the cooperative missions were practically overlapping each other. I really enjoyed running to an event, joining up with 10 – 20 other players, and succeeding with the mission. That was way fun.

The last 30 levels have been painful. I rarely find an event, and when I do, there are maybe 1 or 2 other people on the map. I cant tell you how many cooperative missions I have faced solo, only to get destroyed, because the cooperative missions do not scale down to a single player.

With the level adjustment system, it seems as though the game is almost always difficult for me. I would like to hit an area thats 3 or 4 levels lower than me, which you would expect to be easier, although you would receive less xp, you could just steamroll content, and clear areas faster.

It just feels like areas are not more difficult or easier, so its just like I am exploring a huge map, with the only difference being the skins found on enemy characters. There is no variation in strategy when addressing missions or fighting monsters.

Even though I am in a guild, it doesnt really feel like 30 people get online, and address the same content together (except for PvP).

I was really looking forward to leveling with a few quests, but mostly dungeons and world events, but they are so few and far between. I think I have access to 3 dungeons, and I have only come across a couple of world events that seemed epic. So I am left to level based on finding vistas, completing heart quests (which some areas only have 3 or 4), and killing things, which gets old when you just stand there and press the same buttons over and over.

I really want to like the game, but it just feels so sterile right now.

Oh, and whats really frustrating is that there are areas of the map that I have no idea on how to get to them. I have ran around for 30 minutes, just to discover that I cannot reach an area I am interested in exploring. Just put roads on the map so you can see how to get to areas, or create quests which lead you to unexplored areas.

At level 60, you have access to 4 dungeons. The first dungeon is run with inhuman frequency and you could level from 60 to 80 just doing that one if you so chose.
Every zone in the game has at least 12 hearts (except those that have none).
If the zone you’re in has too few players for your preference at the time, try a quick guest-hop over to another server. I believe Tarnished Coast is the unofficial “guestination” for this concept.
Doing content 3-4 levels below you is roughly equivalent to doing content at your level or 3-4 levels above it. Doing content 10+ levels below you will feel substantially easier and still get you very relevant XP.

It is a critical design decision that not all areas in every zone are marked by roads. The “running around for 30 minutes only to discover you cannot reach an area” is the exception rather than the rule. Usually, you can get to any area that appears reachable, even if it takes some clever jumps or workarounds. Also, many events do lead you to previously unexplored areas.

Hope this helps with some of your concerns!

I don’t understand what game you are playing. There are always more then 3-4 hearts in every zone. Way more then that in fact. I can always get to anywhere I want pretty much with or without roads. If a POI, node, heart, or whatever seems impossible to get to, it usually means its underground and you just need to find the cave entrance. Exploring and discovery is part of the fun.

Even though you use words like “sterile” and “bland”, I don’t think that’s what you really mean, since your complaints suggest that you are just having a hard time leveling an Elementalist solo.

OP, i think your opinions doesnt make sense;

gw2 is bland: “but make roads to tell me where to go”
gw2 combat is staying there pressing the same buttons over and over; “but im not good enough to solo events in the game, i get destroyed” (btw, all non group events a so easily soloable if you play good)

i think the problem is that youre a bad gamer.
or very very young, 12-13y old maybe.

the game give you a LOT of opportunities.
but it doesnt take your hand that much (but it still does in some ways).
so, be smart, and start to think.

if it isnt the type of thinking for you, too bad!
you can go play pvp, theres no vistas and no need for roads.
but i just think youll get destroyed and come back crying here.

Avatar.1923:

OP, i think your opinions doesnt make sense;

gw2 is bland: “but make roads to tell me where to go”
gw2 combat is staying there pressing the same buttons over and over; “but im not good enough to solo events in the game, i get destroyed” (btw, all non group events a so easily soloable if you play good)

i think the problem is that youre a bad gamer.
or very very young, 12-13y old maybe.

the game give you a LOT of opportunities.
but it doesnt take your hand that much (but it still does in some ways).
so, be smart, and start to think.

if it isnt the type of thinking for you, too bad!
you can go play pvp, theres no vistas and no need for roads.
but i just think youll get destroyed and come back crying here.

That is an awesome way of putting! You have my +1, sir!

Anyways, seriously speaking, Directed at OP, he’s (By he, I was referring to Avatar) right. You should not always expect your hand being carried everywhere you go (Although your hand does get carried in some parts of the game but it’s minimal).

Anyways, what I am trying to say is, the opportunities are already there, in the game! You just need to find them, and if you can’t find them, make them. Examples of making them is creating a small event in town (I know I did!)

MrMacAndCheese.3907:

I don’t understand what game you are playing. There are always more then 3-4 hearts in every zone. Way more then that in fact.

Go to your map, and zoom in on False Lake. Set your screen so it shows that specific area. On my screen I can see Stonescatter Wash, Winterthaw Snowfield, Lost Delver’s Ridge, Jotun’s Shoulders, Venison Pass, Mentecki Pass, and Firth of Revanion. Out of all of those areas, I only have 3 hearts on my screen.

Seems like more running around sometimes, than accessing hearts. If you look at an entire zone, you will have 10-15 hearts, but zones are huge in this game. I would just like to see more options to “do things” rather than run around half the time.

Avatar.1923:

OP, i think your opinions doesnt make sense;

gw2 is bland: “but make roads to tell me where to go”
gw2 combat is staying there pressing the same buttons over and over; “but im not good enough to solo events in the game, i get destroyed” (btw, all non group events a so easily soloable if you play good)

i think the problem is that youre a bad gamer.
or very very young, 12-13y old maybe.

the game give you a LOT of opportunities.
but it doesnt take your hand that much (but it still does in some ways).
so, be smart, and start to think.

if it isnt the type of thinking for you, too bad!
you can go play pvp, theres no vistas and no need for roads.
but i just think youll get destroyed and come back crying here.

I am not looking for roads to “tell” me where to go, I just want to have the ability to get somewhere, and not be blocked by a mountain restricting access along the border of an entire zone.

Yeah, I am talking about group dynamic events. I can handle everything else in the game solo, except for dungeons. I just hate running into a world dynamic event that looks fun, but not finding anyone else in the zone to tackle it.

I am 39 years old, and have a doctorate degree. I have played games since I was about 6 years old. I have been in a server first kill raiding guild in WoW, and have completed many other games, all of different genra’s. I have played PvP, and really only find it enjoyable when there are smaller groups playing against one another at a capture point. 1 vs many is a slaughter, then larger evenly based battles are usually stalemates, where you just fight at the same place, die, then rinse and repeat.

I am not trying to cry about things, its just that some aspects of the game are really frustrating, and distract from the gaming experience.

No doubt there are terrific aspects of the game. I have had some really epic experiences, its just that when I have 45 minutes or so to play, I would rather hit a couple epic world events with a bunch of players, instead of running around for 25 minutes, and completing 2 vistas and 2 or 3 hearts.

Yes it does, I agree.

Habanero.3694:

MrMacAndCheese.3907:

I don’t understand what game you are playing. There are always more then 3-4 hearts in every zone. Way more then that in fact.

Go to your map, and zoom in on False Lake. Set your screen so it shows that specific area. On my screen I can see Stonescatter Wash, Winterthaw Snowfield, Lost Delver’s Ridge, Jotun’s Shoulders, Venison Pass, Mentecki Pass, and Firth of Revanion. Out of all of those areas, I only have 3 hearts on my screen.

Seems like more running around sometimes, than accessing hearts. If you look at an entire zone, you will have 10-15 hearts, but zones are huge in this game. I would just like to see more options to “do things” rather than run around half the time.

Lornar’s Pass is a terribly designed zone. Everything is spread out too far around there. Bloodtide Coast and Sparkfly Fen aren’t as stretched out at that level. Try those.

Also, make sure you talk to the Scouts as you see them (the guys with the telescope icon). They’ll highlight the hearts on your map around you. Otherwise you’ll have to wander really close to the heart area for them to pop up on your own.

EDIT: If you’re looking for quick epic events with lots of people, Sparkfly Fen and Blazeridge Steppes both have big dragon events that pop up every few hours.

Based on your gaming experience and your previous description of your trouble in open-world content, you may need to just spend some time focusing on the core gameplay skill you need to improve and honing your class build. I was at first approaching your complaints in the vein that you were something of a casual gamer. But you should be able to take on content 3-4 levels below you very easily at level 60, and be able to adequately face content 5-10 levels above you with skilled play, and get tons of XP doing it. Almost every dynamic event except for the massive Meta Events does scale appropriately to be able to be completed by a single skilled player.

Do you feel like you have a good grasp of dodging, AoE timing for different enemy types, your self-activated skill combos, and your trait build? Have you been keeping your gear up relatively well?

Unless your complaint really boils down to “the zones are too big and stuff isn’t closer together,” your issues might well be solved by checking out a brand new zone at or above your level and honing your skills.

Habanero.3694:

Seems like more running around sometimes, than accessing hearts. If you look at an entire zone, you will have 10-15 hearts, but zones are huge in this game. I would just like to see more options to “do things” rather than run around half the time.

I get what you are saying. To be fair, this game is fairly young.

It doesn’t yet have the rich layers other MMO’s have placed in their games over the years.

Other MMO’s have added things over time like scavenger hunts/archaeology, tracking down and hunting rare creatures and mounts, fishing, mini-games, crop farming, etc.

Those features are nice, as they add to gameplay diversity, giving people an option to play a different aspect of the game when they get bored with the previous one.

We might see similar things added over time.

Even if he can or can’t take on content, he bought an MMO. Most of us didn’t buy GW2 to play by ourselves. I agree that the polish on the zones after the starter areas is really off, there a huge areas that have little to no DEs that spawn and the reptitive grind that heart completion turns into is very bland. I can easily see how someone (through no fault of their own) could feel like the OP when playing GW2, especially in the 60s.

indeed.
1 to 80 is kinda lonely.
unless you do story mode dungeons along the way.

but endgame content, for what it is, is mostly social; wait for dungeon group or waiting for temples to open.

guild missions might also bring “social” content to the game.
i like to split my time between social stuff and more single player experience, i m actually happy that you can do both!

I had no issues leveling an elementalist through to 80, I had a lot of fun with the profession and yes he is a bit less durable, but I have been able to do many Dynamic events that I have come across. Yes there are some where the respawn is nuts and that you get mobbed. I just move on, as you can’t expect every DE to scale down to 1 player. Even now, I rarely go into the level 80 zones, unless I am specfically looking for mats for crafting.

Thanks for the responses.

I really do enjoy the elementalist class, especially since we can switch out to different attunements, giving us many different skills to use, even while in combat. I think I have that down pretty well.

I just ran an exploration dungeon with my guild this afternoon, and it was a total blast. I guess from reading this thread, that I should adjust the way I play, which will allow me to be involved in the aspects of the game I enjoy, then do some of the other things in-between world events and dungeon runs. Trying to grind out levels by exploration and completing hearts was getting old as a primary way to gain experience.

Avatar.1923:

indeed.
1 to 80 is kinda lonely.
unless you do story mode dungeons along the way.

Yeah, I need to get back to my story mode. I was staying on top of it till about lvl 19.

completing maps, vistas etc is fun for me.
i spend half of my playtime “exploring” tyria.

its slower paced, i can take breaks, listen to npc and smell the roses.
its cool too.
i dont “stress” or “rage” because i dont figure out a vista right away…
i like to stop and think, and i guess i m more used to that because older computer games had those puzzles or whatever else (sierra games!!) that could take forever to figure out!

so a gw2 vista ? pure fun for me! and it gives xp

Habanero.3694:

Thanks for the responses.

I really do enjoy the elementalist class, especially since we can switch out to different attunements, giving us many different skills to use, even while in combat. I think I have that down pretty well.

I just ran an exploration dungeon with my guild this afternoon, and it was a total blast. I guess from reading this thread, that I should adjust the way I play, which will allow me to be involved in the aspects of the game I enjoy, then do some of the other things in-between world events and dungeon runs. Trying to grind out levels by exploration and completing hearts was getting old as a primary way to gain experience.

I just want to take a moment and commend this post.

Instead of responding that you were locked into your style of play and insisting the game accomodate it, you’re willing to try out adjusting that play and seeing if it enhances your enjoyment.

This is the ideal approach to getting the most out of the game. Do whatever seems fun to you at the pace that seems fun to you- if something doesn’t feel fun to you, don’t just keep doing it in the mindset that you’re missing something and the game should compensate- try something else!

As you may have surmised, explorable mode dungeon runs are the best source of XP in the game. They also provide you with tons of gold (eat Raspberry Peach bars when you get high-level enough!) and the dungeon tokens you’ll eventually be able to put toward gear.

You can mix it for your remaining 20 (19?) levels with crafting, running about the open world doing hearts/events, Fractals, WvW and even straight exploration (try getting some waypoints and vistas in an area 10+ levels above you!).

I’m leveling an elementalist right now too. Great class, so much to manage at once!

You can easily knock out those last 20 levels in 6 hours using crafting. Surely by now you have gathered plenty of mats, and have a little bit of gold in your inventory to buy the rest. You don’t have to max them out- just getting 2 of them within 50 points of max will net you 8-10 levels a piece.