Guild Wars 2

Having recently got my first Level 80 Character my reaction is frustration and bafflement in equal measure.
The simple level progression is gone, replaced by Masteries (I think)
Zones that are impossible to just simply navigate, with areas closed off and only opened by special events which are totally opaque to the newcomer. Sudden changes of objectives with PvE enemies that swarm the player and kill in seconds. Maps that are near impossible to work out simply how to get from A to B.
The sense that there is so much going on, but that as a newbie you are just excluded from it.
The instadeath encounters suggesting that your treasured equipment is now just so much junk.
I have really enjoyed the core game but now I just fell like the desire to explore these level 80 areas is sapped by the frustration of not being able to get to everything, and constantly dying when ambushed by special events.
So right now more likely to give up than keep playing.

Yep, you jumped from A to D without having experienced B or C. It’s a big problem with the game.

Originally there was Living Story Season 1, which helped hone your skill. That’s not playable anymore. There is Living Story Season 2. If you were here and logged in while it was current, that unlocks free. If not, it costs gems to buy. But it’s story progression and helps prepare you for the harder content of HOT which was always meant to be end game content.

If you’re on a US server, I can help you get through HoT and show you what you need to know to enjoy the new zones.

Find a buddy, get better/more knowledgeable, or give up. We can help you with the first 2.

Vayne.8563:

Yep, you jumped from A to D without having experienced B or C. It’s a big problem with the game.

If you’re on a US server, I can help you get through HoT and show you what you need to know to enjoy the new zones.

Thank you, for such a helpful and positive post. Really sorry I am not on the NA server.

To be honest though I like the exploring and discovery part of these games, and in the past tagging round with experienced players just makes things boring (this is experience from WoW).

I’d go back to exploring the core maps, but somehow that just feels stale without the leveling.

Thanks though, appreciate your feedback

Blackeon.4918:

Vayne.8563:

Yep, you jumped from A to D without having experienced B or C. It’s a big problem with the game.

If you’re on a US server, I can help you get through HoT and show you what you need to know to enjoy the new zones.

Thank you, for such a helpful and positive post. Really sorry I am not on the NA server.

To be honest though I like the exploring and discovery part of these games, and in the past tagging round with experienced players just makes things boring (this is experience from WoW).

I’d go back to exploring the core maps, but somehow that just feels stale without the leveling.

Thanks though, appreciate your feedback

same here too as well even tho i play na servers . for me it is far more fun going off all by myself with no one. and enjoying the game fully and going over every map. but sigh when you get hit by them meta events and other events in the game . that just takes the fun out of it fully . noting like trying to go to a new spot and getting hit by this games meta events . forcing me to map to a different map most of the time

how ever in the case of wow tho playing since the last 2 packs has been very fun questing and going all over them maps . and not having to worry very much about
meta events getting tossed up in your face all the time . or events going into the maps at all .

Well, here’s what I can tell you briefly. The creatures in HoT are much harder, but there is progression in HoT. Check out how masteries work in the wiki, do the first two story steps in HOT to unlock them.

The first zone, VB is all about progression. I’d worry less about gettting through stuff fast and more about exploring. When you have the masteries jumping mushrooms and updraft use (in the gliding line) unlocked, the zone opens up a lot. Until then just follow dynamic event chains.

There are outposts in the zone. Each outpost is where event chains start during the day. During the night, you have to defend them, until the night bosses spawn.

Most of the enemies, if you watch them, have ways to avoid them. Pocket Raptors attack in groups and are best taken out with AOE skills. If you go down they’re fast enough to kill to rally so don’t give up. Just don’t try to run past them, stop and fight the pocket raptors as you go, or you’ll be overwhelmed.

Veteran Stoneheads can be killed by range from the side. Never stand in front or behind them.

Mushrooms often explode when they die, so don’t melee them. Make sure you have a ranged weapon.

Smokescales create a circle around them in which they’re invulnerable. Drag them out of the circle by moving away, they’ll follow. They die very fast if you DPS them down.

Modrem Snipers put a target over your head for their worst attack, which is a line of red fire. If you move sideways that line will never hit you. Keep moving when they stealth and watch for that target.

Mordrem Tormenters put torment on you which does more damage when you’re moving.

There are two types of frog foes that are hard. The blade dancers should be ranged and shadow leapers should be meleed. Shadow leapers will kill you fast in their poison circles so avoiding those is a priority.

You can always look for a commander tag on the map, or a mentor tag and follow around. You can also just find anyone and follow them, because two people can do 90% of that zone easily.

Hope this helps.

HoT maps were designed with max masteries in mind, its pretty clear. And while this does suck when you first start exploring those maps, once you unlock the movement based masteries (gliding, updrafts, and bouncing mushrooms) as well as a few QoL ones (advanced gliding/leyline gliding and poison mastery) the zones become 100x more fun to explore.

If you are dying a lot, well this is because its just a sharp jump in difficulty. There is no curve that leads up to HoT from core tyria, there should be but there isn’t. Eventually you’ll get better and you’ll die less often, until then you just have to muscle through it really.

Best advice I can give you is to look in LFG for 2 types of squads. Look for HP trains, these will help you unlock your elite spec very quickly, and the better ones don’t require you to have any WPs unlocked ahead of time. They also give you a ton of exp if you have a few boosters, plenty to unlock the first few masteries (again the most important ones would be gliding, updrafts, and bouncing mushrooms).

The other groups you should look out for are groups doing the meta. Join those groups whenever you can. Not only does a group make the events easier to complete, the other players are there to rez you if you go down, can explain it for you, and know generally where to go/what to do. After doing that a few times you should have a pretty decent idea of what events happen where/when, as well as have your basic masteries unlocked and overall HoT will be much more enjoyable for you

Another choice is to play in the other Level 80 Maps for a while. Southsun, Dry Top, The Silverwastes, some of the Season 3 maps, even Frostgorge and the Orr maps.

Jumping right to the Heart of Thorns (core) maps after reaching L80, which you might have accomplished without ever entering a Map above L50-60 can be quite a shock.

Take your time, those maps aren’t going anywhere.

Good luck.

You may be going too fast. Yes, there’s a lot of things happening, but doing them all at once can be overwhelming. I would suggest picking one level 80 maps and just trying to do map compleition; just don’t worry about things you aren’t familiar yet.

When Heart of Thorns came out it took me several months to even get to the last map, so it’s not going anywhere.

It might also help to try some different builds or stats too. Some classes do better on these maps in zerk gear while others do a lot better in PVT or other survival gear.

Tbh I think these maps were designed more for groups or more tanky builds because of all the criticism the core maps got. I am not saying that zerk or other power builds don’t work because they do. But it may pay to try a few different things out to see what works for you better or how to handle specific enemies/mechanics of these maps.

What class do you main and what is your current build? Give us some idea and we may be able to offer some alternatives. Also if you are not used to using food or other consumables they too could be another option for a slight edge. It’s all these little things that add up which can make a big difference.

Edit: oh and break bars – it is VERY important to have skills that can break the enemies bars. Again knowing what class and skills you are using is crucial for this.

the game never did a good job to teach you to play the game properly and then the new maps are a big jump in dificulty the best thing you can do is practice ask for help and give it time. The maps are hard to navige at first once you unlock the key way points it becomes much much easier also if you are in eu feel free to ask me for help if i can provide it. Also the mobs have been nerfed to the point where if you can time dodges and move properly it isnt any dedly at all. It jsut takes time to abjust.

+1 to the posts above me. A few more tips.

Gear check – you probably have a mixture of 70s exotics and rares. Double check to make sure you aren’t still carrying along a blue 60 or some such. Don’t spend too much at the TP because you get bags and boxes and bags inside boxes of blue and green with the occasional rare from playing in the HoT zones. But replace anything that sticks out as being low quality and low level.

Ascended amulets (usually +Power, +Precision and +Ferocity works for every toon, but check to be sure) can be bought for Laurels in every major city.

Most superior runes are cheap also – a full set can help a lot, especially if replacing Major Runes. Same for Sigils. Which ones? Not too sure. Usually I go with Lyssa or Balthazar until I know the character better.

Check the build you’re following. You may want to swap in some defensive traits.

80 level rings are inexpensive on the TP.

Also, use your +50% xp boosts to gain the gliding mastery more quickly.

You can not go into the HoT maps with the same mentality that you do with the core game. As others have said (and as you have discovered for yourself) everything is much harder in the HoT maps. Just slow down, pay greater attention to what is going on around you, get a set of level 80 exotic gear before you start, and if possible, do the maps with a friend.

The design of the HoT maps are simply amazing! If you are up for a challenge, they are definitely worth the time to explore. Also, don’t worry if you die a lot. When the HoT maps first came out, they were completely littered with dead bodies EVERYWHERE. It was hilarious. You are not alone in thinking that the maps would be a “walk in the park” like it is with the core game. And if you need help with anything, just let others know in the map chat. You are likely to find others in the same boat as yourself trying to get things done. You can even whisper me anytime if you wanted. I am always happy to help out with stuff in the HoT maps, if I am free.

i would add to this, eat food and always have a utility on, this can make a good difference to survivability and can cost copper. For example a few copper will get you steal health + 10% toughness as condition + 20% condition up time. Go more expensive and for a few silver you can have 10% boon up time, 10% reduced dmg (massive) + 10% condition from toughness.

I’m sure the players who have difficulty in HOT don’t play with builds and don’t play with buffs hence why any diversity is like a brick wall – which is a shame because build diversity and playing with builds is a big part of the fun in rpg.

no one gets op post and keeps on with advice about getting other people to help . when op is a single player and likes to play by self . and does not even get op tries to avoid meta events fully . #smh

Yet the great thing about GW2 is that the game makes it easy to join a squad even as a solo player, and even in a squad you can play with the same mentality you use when playing solo.

WARIORSCHARGEING.2637:

no one gets op post and keeps on with advice about getting other people to help . when op is a single player and likes to play by self . and does not even get op tries to avoid meta events fully . #smh

I am pretty much a single player too and have completed these maps on 9 chars as well as having done all of their stories. These maps can pretty much be soloed with the right builds, practice, patience and learning of them. Along side player skill and class knowledge of course.

Only the HP’s need other player’s but apart from that it is pretty much solo-able. Giving advice as we have could actually inform the OP that he CAN do what he wants to but it may just take a little more effort than he originally thought.

We are trying to help where we can. What would you prefer we do? Tell him to get lost or demand anet changes these maps to be totally 100% solo-able? Sure we could go with option A but you know what? That’s not how a lot of this community likes to actually interact with others. Option B? Yeah, not going to happen and tbh really shouldn’t even be an option.

So thank you for your constructive post, oh wait, was it? Ummm oopsy, my bad, thanks for your observation then I guess.

Paulytnz.7619:

Only the HP’s need other player’s but apart from that it is pretty much solo-able.

You can use Proof of Heroics for the HP’s, no other players needed.

I hated HoT at first too, but as I did the map completion I got to figure out where leads where. Tangled Depths and Verdant Brink are the most confusing maps especially the former.

Also the enemies are difficult but manageable. As for the HPs ask map chat or if there is an LFG HeroPoint train then join it

Vavume.8065:

Paulytnz.7619:

Only the HP’s need other player’s but apart from that it is pretty much solo-able.

You can use Proof of Heroics for the HP’s, no other players needed.

Yup thanks for that reminder! So I amend my comment, these maps are TOTALLY solo-able!

Blackeon.4918:

I’d go back to exploring the core maps, but somehow that just feels stale without the leveling.

I know I felt similar when my first character hit level 80. This was four years ago, long before HoT or even maps like the Silverwastes and Dry Top, around the time Living Story season 1 just started out. The problem was that leveling was the kind of progression I was used from other games and the force motivating me onward.

With GW2 this really doesn’t work well, and didn’t even work well in the very beginning of the game. Level 80 is not meant to be the end goal of this game, but rather a milestone you reach fairly early on. What comes next is entirely up to you, but the game does offer a lot of alternative progression for you to follow.

First of all, there is map completion of core Tyria. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but you do get a yellow star to your nameplate and an account-wide title (been there, done that) for your first 100% map exploration. Check the upper left of the screen in map view, it’ll show you how far along you are both on the current map (100% each map in game gives some nice rewards of experience, equipment and crafting materials) and on the whole of core Tyria. Once you get to 100%, you will also get two gifts of exploration that you need if you ever want to craft a generation 1 legendary weapon.

Next, check your achievement log. There is a variety of achievements to be done in this game, including character stories, enemy kill counts, some of the large world boss event chains, and much more. There also is a collections tab in the achievement menu with a lot of weird and (sometimes ) interesting collections you could try to complete if that is the kind of goal you enjoy. Those will take you all over the world, too.

Take special notice of the red and green mastery point symbols in the achievement log. Those show achievements yet to be completed that reward you with a mastery point, green for Heart of Maguuma masteries (gliding etc.), and red for core Tyria masteries. One of the most helpful masteries is at the end of the Pact Commander mastery line in core Tyria, namely autoloot, which is an awesome qol feature.

The explorer category under general achievements holds (among others) achievements for what this game calls “mini dungeons”. These are essentially hidden chests and short (non-jumping) puzzles all over the world that you can explore. There also is a category for jumping puzzles if those are what you enjoy. Current Events also holds some interesting activities, some of them similar to the questlines we know from other games.

This game is built in a way that experience is not the main driving factor of its players, and not even one of the major ones. This game is built so that everybody can decide for themselves how and what to play. Everything you do progresses your character and account in some way or another. Levels and masteries are really only a small part of it.

Can I say how amazed I am at the overwhelmingly positive response my post received.
I used to play and post a lot in WoT and there the community was toxic.
Thank you, I am encouraged to keep enjoying the game by all this helpful advice!