Guild Wars 2

Here is what I am thinking…

Any game, no matter the size of the studio has a limited team size, which can only produce a limited out put.

Any content created, therfore is usually for the wide player base. Making something that only 1% of the players will experience isnt much good. So I wonder how much time went into creating the stuff nobody finds unless they explore, if this was time well spent, and if in future expansions we will see more of it?

What I refer to (without spoilers) is the kind of mini events that are not marked on the map and dont have a DE, and the tons of caves you can explore.

There is no reason for the majority of the ‘grind’ type of player to even bother walking off the beaten track let alone explore.

I personaly have found, a ‘Indiana Jones’ style dungeon with traps to avoid, a mysterious old journal that summons a ghost, and a mini event that actually requires you to type in an emote!

I think these are excellent as I love exploring, but I am sure many people will consider it a waste of dev time writing them.

Oh you mean like raids? Yeah those things that only a small percentage of the population get to experience never go over well.

I dont think its a waste of time at the least ! This kind of things like little hidden passages or stuff that isnt on the map, or in the journal (even if we dont have one) is what makes exploring in role-playing games so great !

Stevoli.8795:

Oh you mean like raids? Yeah those things that only a small percentage of the population get to experience never go over well.

I honestly doubt he meant raids …

All work and no play makes Jack go crazy and stab his fellow worker with a stapler to the eye.

Yes, little bits and tiny things in the game like this are great to have. They’re fun little things for us to find, and fun little things for the devs to add. It ain’t a waste.

Luka.6831:

I honestly doubt he meant raids …

I know he didn’t, I was making a comparison. Raids in other games are usually only experienced by a small percentage of the population… just like some of the content in this game (like hidden puzzles)

I think they are great to have and from my gameplay experience, many players are enjoying them. sure not everyone will find them by themselves, but when they hear about them from others, some will seek them out. Love the one in Lion’s Arch with the ghost.

I’ve seen this type of thread in other games that have housing, or role-playing fluff. People like to complain that the devs aren’t working on “real” content. Truth is, lots of people enjoy the fluff, it’s what keeps them playing.

I personaly have found, a ‘Indiana Jones’ style dungeon with traps to avoid, a mysterious old journal that summons a ghost, and a mini event that actually requires you to type in an emote!

I found Indiana Jones body! … well it was an skeleton over a chest with a fedora hat on…. Now I must find this trap style cave too.

I like the hidden strawberry patch that the little Charr girl cub tends. It’s tricky to get to, and the strawberries are the only in-game reward, but it’s so well done and atmospheric, it is its own reward

I agree with op that these hidden stories should be somehow pointed out. I remember from playing a certain single player game, the name evades me atm, in every inn there was a bartender or a local barfly and if you asked him or her, he would tell you rumors about the place, giving you hints at what might be interesting to explore out there. Like telling about a certain cave or about a certain strange location and so on. And he would tell you each time one rumor, until there were no more. This was a very practical way to give yourself some directions in which to proceed. I see no reason not to implement the same design here.

This is one of the things that I love most about GW2. It makes exploring worthwhile and fun. I hope the Dev team continues to update the lands with surprise-type discoveries. Simply put, exploration without exciting and unexpected discoveries is boring and not fun. This makes exploring very fun.

BTW, this is also what can be described as “content.” Content that players who flew to lvl 80 in a few days where not able to enjoy and may now be standing in Lion’s Arch complaining that there is nothing to do.

Actually, you know what I really like?
Even though I already had my explorer’s star, when I played through to 80 again with my ranger, I was still discovering stuff I’d missed first time through with my warrior. And I’m sure the same will happen with the next character I take through the game

Glad its positive feedback. I really hope someone reads this and keeps writing and developing these amusing little quirks. It really gives the game character

I’m still discovering new things I missed the first few times through map completions. It’s enjoyable for me.

Found the aforementioned Charr cub’s Strawberry patch yesterday for the first time.

The difference between raids and the activities in GW2 is that raids are not accessible to all because of the requirements to get into them (EQ requirements, number of players working together). Everything in GW2 is accessible solo (hidden puzzles, exploration) or in small groups (dungeons, tPvP). The 1% argument of raids doesn’t apply to this, because you CAN do it, you just don’t want to. Raids are something that people who WANTED to do maybe couldn’t due to time restraints or lack of guilds.

I love these hidden events/caves..
Running in to the pirate cave in Lion’s arch was one of the best things i have experienced yet !
I am playing this game like i would play Skyrim though.. exploring reading quests enjoying the detailed environments.. playing super casual lol.. no rush in anything

Definitely an awesome aspect of the game… I’m looking forward to see what the Halloween patch introduces.

This special “hidden” content is precisely why I play MMO’s. It’s what makes them interesting in the first place.

Reclusiarh.2674:

I agree with op that these hidden stories should be somehow pointed out. I remember from playing a certain single player game, the name evades me atm, in every inn there was a bartender or a local barfly and if you asked him or her, he would tell you rumors about the place, giving you hints at what might be interesting to explore out there. Like telling about a certain cave or about a certain strange location and so on.

But it is implemented this way… or at least similarly. You talk to a priest outside a graveyard during the day, he tells you about a ghost that haunts the area at night. The difference is that there isn’t one NPC that is the hint giver, so you have to explore a bit more.

If you’re impatient, most of the out of the way type stuff can be found documented online. Often you can find these hidden things with no hints at all, which has been a major part of my enjoyment.

I like the conversations with named NPCs regardless of whether they’re hint givers – they give some background on the area or say something amusing most of the time.

I don’ think it’s going anywhere, Anet seems ta love putting this kind of stuff in its games an’ the kind of players what really gravitate to their games love to find it. I know it’s super satisfying for me to know that you’ve got two kinds of exploration in the game … the kind that hits all the POIs and Vistas to fill the map, and the kind what really explores and finds the hidden nooks an’ crannies. That’s the sorta thing that will always bring me back.

Reclusiarh.2674:

I agree with op that these hidden stories should be somehow pointed out. I remember from playing a certain single player game, the name evades me atm, in every inn there was a bartender or a local barfly and if you asked him or her, he would tell you rumors about the place, giving you hints at what might be interesting to explore out there. Like telling about a certain cave or about a certain strange location and so on.

They do, do this, if ya listen to NPCs talking you can overhear them chatter about monsters, mysteries, myths, an’ all sortsa stuff that isn’ on the map, but is there if ya go lookin’ for it. You’ve gotta pay attention, though, an you’ve gotta take notes … I wish the world map let you leave permanent notes on it.

Mungrul.9358:

I like the hidden strawberry patch that the little Charr girl cub tends. It’s tricky to get to, and the strawberries are the only in-game reward, but it’s so well done and atmospheric, it is its own reward

There’s a potato patch in the sky in metrica province near Dr. Bleent’s encampment

Well.. It’s not permanent BUT you can add things to this map AND fill it out a bit to help the community.. stumbled upon one day.http://gw2cartographers.com/

@Callidus

That’s a great little tool if you just can’t find a waypoint or somethin’, but not quite what I’m talkin’ about. I want somethin’ where I can type on my map “The Roost jumping puzzle here, come back later”, or “Mysterious witch supposed to live in this area”, that sorta thing. Or put a pin in a spot and say “looks interestin’, come back here later”. A lot of old PC games used ta let you do this and it was not just useful, but made explorin’ even more intimate.

@aeonZgamer: That one’s nowhere NEAR as well hidden as the strawberry patch I’m talking about

well I am sure glad they put it in there my favorite part of most games is exploring, it is even better that I get rewarded for it I do hope they keep adding more in the future

Finding a secret place is one of the best feelings for me in this game.

@Jack

You should post this on the suggestion forum. I loved the idea of making notes on the map and I’m sure a lot of others will too but it needs to be in the right forum to be seen.

@Calavera

Already there, please go on over and share some support, maybe we’ll get them to take a look at it.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Noting-on-my-Map/first#post440093

Jack of Tears.9458:

@Calavera

Already there, please go on over and share some support, maybe we’ll get them to take a look at it.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Noting-on-my-Map/first#post440093

There. I wrote a very elaborated post with the reasons I think Anet should do this.

I hope they bite it.

I would love to be able to make notes on the map. I think it’d work best if you could just add a pin and then click on it to see the note, otherwise it’d end up too cluttered. (This is one big problem with the DS Zelda games – they let you write on the map, but it’s hard to keep it small and the map quickly becomes so covered in notes it’s hard to see the actual map, at least in my game.)

As it is I’ve started a kind of ‘journal’ in Word to keep track of these things, like the notes page in the journal in the Neverwinter Nights games.

Genius.

Finding some of the hidden areas/passages in this game reminds me of playing Metroid as a kid and finding a new hidden path/upgrade etc. One of my favorite aspects of this game if not my most favorite.

It will be a game changer in the future for the MMO genre.

Events and standard content add to the size of a game.

Hidden gems add to the longevity.

Ask anyone who has 100% map completion what their favorite part of exploring was. I bet you it’s not going to be filling in a heart.

And even with 100% map completion there is so much to see.

Absolutely not a waste of time. IF you look at games that don’t have anything like those little hidden gems or even points of interest (cough FFXIV cough) it becomes very obvious how much they add to the game.

It’s the small things that give a game it’s soul.

Easter eggs and exploration on maps large enough to make it challenging to find those hidden bits of content make for a great game IMHO.

This is the main reason I play this game.

Its worth it,

I found the /kneel event and mind = blown

Honestly the issue here is a general mass may have wishes for this game to be different… but ever its the developers game, and vision and their right to pursue those till the ends of time.

Do some of these decisions deter some people? yes but that doesn’t invalidate the choice. If there are any gamers (and by the responses to this thread there are) who are enjoying this experience then we have truly found a developers vision that we share, and WE are the target audience.

Lrdrahl.6120:

If there are any gamers (and by the responses to this thread there are) who are enjoying this experience then we have truly found a developers vision that we share, and WE are the target audience.

And that’s why I’m such a huge fan ah Anet, because they make the games I want to play. I know that sounds simple an’ obvious, but it isn’ … there are alotta companies what make games I have fun playing … but GW2 is the kinda game I would love ta work on, ta be part of, ta share in. It’s the kinda game that draws me ta its style in a way many other games can’t. In alotta ways it reminds me of games like “Planescape: Torment”, where the journey was always the most important and enjoyable part of the experience. (An’ I don’t compare games ta PS:T lightly)

It’s a nice touch, when I go exploring it usually ends with something like this though.

I can say it definitely isn’t a waste of my time. It’s those little things that make the game more enjoyable. I wish they would do more.

Reclusiarh.2674:

I agree with op that these hidden stories should be somehow pointed out.

Nooo, it would ruin all the pleasure of finding it by accident ! Dont dumb down games !!

These things should remain hidden. This sentence will sound out of context to anyone who hasn’t seen this place. But, it was funny seeing people not reading signs and walking away because they could not open the door. They would just jump, try to attack and ultimately give up. XD

i believe a good game company should never say “dont waste time on that because noone is gonna care about it.” because those small things add more realism to games which makes games better to me.

Love these hidden little nooks and crannies of the world. Loved the pirate one in Lion’s Arch. Heard rumors of something involving an organ in Ebonhawke last night and spent over an hour trying to find it.

Takes forever for me to get anywhere anymore because I’m always looking up, around, and down for new trouble to get into. Always been one of my favorite parts of any game. Also love that they take work to figure out and get to. Aside from the main jumping puzzles, a lot of these don’t seem to be readily available online and I hope they stay that way.

OP I also like what you call the hidden content. I think Arenanet should leave it the way it is. Not point it out. For the explorers it is more fun to find it on our own.

I don’t want to spoil anything but I have found little gems that are nods to GW1. I have read some posts from people that found events in areas I thought I had completely explored. Turns out that I should have stopped to listen to an entire conversation and waited a bit.

I am taking my lvl 80 back through zones I had to go through for the personal story. I hope to find more of that hidden content you are talking about.