Guild Wars 2

The new jumping puzzle has just been released, and once again we see that there is no content that this skill can’t break. A few greedy people decided to create toons for the sole purpose of porting to the chest and caching in on a fast 60 silver. Since this could be repeated fairly quickly, a tidy profit could be made. Anet was quick to respond by nerfing the value of the exotic shoulder item, to the detriment of all the honest players. They didn’t nerf it enough though, as players can still collect the exotic shoulders and throw them in the mystic forge to get a random exotic armour piece.

I don’t get it. Find a way to kill a dungeon boss by bypassing his attacks and you risk being banned for exploiting. How is the rabid abuse of the portal different?

It’s not just this jumping puzzle either, it’s all of them. The jumping puzzles in WvW are filled with prospective legendary wielders porting up for free badges. LA always has players calling out free portals to the jumping puzzles. It’s even offered right here on these forums (See the Goemm’s lab threads). Why is it okay to bypass this content to get free loot; loot that was meant to be earned by completing the content.

In WvW this skill was long considered a free way to take towers, keeps and even SM. Everyone accepted that mesmer sweeps were a valid part of the game. Why? Why should a simple skill allow players to bypass the walls of those towers and keeps. Why should a team be allowed to capture something virtually for free, by bypassing the impediments to that capture instead of overcoming them.

The skill is still being used to bypass valid content in dungeons (COF1 speed farm anyone?). Try to bypass that content by climbing over some wall and you get banned, but it is okay to bypass it if you are a mesmer.

Why is this skill still in the game. It removes the challenge of doing the content, punishes those who honestly do that content the way it was intended, and cheapens everything from achievements to legendaries to loot in general. This skill is singlehandedly destroying this game. I really wonder how many people would still be screaming that they have already done all of the content without this skill?

I propose that the skill be change to allow usage by the mesmer only. Nobody else. Extend the time that it hangs around to be used so that it remains a valuable skill for the mesmer (escape from combat, running supplies in wvw, a protection against a bad jump in jumping puzzles, etc.). Just stop the abuse. Stop the stealing (because that just what it is when you take a reward you didn’t earn.)

Am I the only one whos sees how detrimental this skill is to the game?

the mesmer utility skill – portal is working as intended.

what are you talking about?

I was a little bit torn at first. The only place I could see a potential problem is WvW I guess, but then again all sides have the same opportunity so it is not a balance issue.

When I first started playing GW2 I looked down at the porters, but then again I was bias, I love the jumping puzzles, all of them, I love doing them.

Not everyone does. Now sure you can say ‘Then they don’t deserve the reward.’ And you might be right, but the jumping puzzles do not give anything signifcant anyway.

That being said, if people really want to trivialize their own content by porting to the end of the puzzle who am I to speak against it? Doesn’t hurt anyone, except potentially themselves.

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

A couple months ago I would have been fervently against you, but at this point i’m inclined to agree.

This one skill is responsible for dozens of nerfs, a ton of people who claim there isn’t enough content yet just bypass it, for changing the entire way WvW is played, for being used to speed up just about every dungeon run worth doing and who knows what else.

The removal of this skill would single handedly go a long way to prevent future nerfs and “exploits”.

CryxTryx.9208:

I was a little bit torn at first. The only place I could see a potential problem is WvW I guess, but then again all sides have the same opportunity so it is not a balance issue.

When I first started playing GW2 I looked down at the porters, but then again I was bias, I love the jumping puzzles, all of them, I love doing them.

Not everyone does. Now sure you can say ‘Then they don’t deserve the reward.’ And you might be right, but the jumping puzzles do not give anything signifcant anyway.

That being said, if people really want to trivialize their own content by porting to the end of the puzzle who am I to speak against it? Doesn’t hurt anyone, except potentially themselves.

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

i think it makes OP angry because OP thinks the mesmer portal skill is destroying the game?

well i think the mesmer skill promotes team work and people helping one another.

it is a good thing.

CryxTryx.9208:

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

It angers me because a legit alternative to making money instead of CoF farming doing something I like (JP’s) was nerfed because of this skill.

It angers me because people come here and complain that there isn’t enough content and the content we do have is too easy because they skip all of it with portals.

It angers me because I can work with a small team for 20 minutes to take a keep in WvW just to have to flooded with an enemy zerg because of this skill.

So it has nothing to do with players trivializing their own experience, they are actively making my experience worse.

CryxTryx.9208:

-snip-

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

Let me just turn that around. Why can’t I have a skill that allows me to enter a dungeon, kindly ask the bosses to step aside, and help myself to their chests? Why can’t I have a skill that fills up my bags with Ori ores so I don’t have to go hunt them down and mine them?

Why are you so willing to accept that people are allowed to simply skip content and take what they want, while others earn it?

Deimos Tel Arin.7391:

CryxTryx.9208:

I was a little bit torn at first. The only place I could see a potential problem is WvW I guess, but then again all sides have the same opportunity so it is not a balance issue.

When I first started playing GW2 I looked down at the porters, but then again I was bias, I love the jumping puzzles, all of them, I love doing them.

Not everyone does. Now sure you can say ‘Then they don’t deserve the reward.’ And you might be right, but the jumping puzzles do not give anything signifcant anyway.

That being said, if people really want to trivialize their own content by porting to the end of the puzzle who am I to speak against it? Doesn’t hurt anyone, except potentially themselves.

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

i think it makes OP angry because OP thinks the mesmer portal skill is destroying the game?

well i think the mesmer skill promotes team work and people helping one another.

it is a good thing.

I think that ‘destroying the game’ is a bit of an exagerations. Jumping puzzle wise as per my original post it is a moot point. It is clear that Anet is not developing these puzzles with the portal skill in mind, so it is not hindering their design choices.

I would agree with you if they were making jumping puzzles worse in an attempt to foil the porters. As it is now they are just allowing is and it is your choice if you want to jump or not.

Same goes for dungeons. Although I think using the mes portal to skip the boulders is just using the skill how it is intended. It is ultility and that is what you are providing by giving a safe way through that obsticle.

But again, if you don’t want to take the portal, run it, either way it is not that hard.

WvWvW is probably the only place I’ll concede on this point. I am not sure how much work it would be to disable the skill for WvW.

havoc.6814:

CryxTryx.9208:

-snip-

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

Let me just turn that around. Why can’t I have a skill that allows me to enter a dungeon, kindly ask the bosses to step aside, and help myself to their chests? Why can’t I have a skill that fills up my bags with Ori ores so I don’t have to go hunt them down and mine them?

Why are you so willing to accept that people are allowed to simply skip content and take what they want, while others earn it?

Oh so that is your issue. Not that mesmer’s can do it. Not to maintain the integrity of the game and its content.

It is that you can’t do it. So because they can and you can’t you want it taken away from them. You’re right, I complely misunderstood you.

Well I think you’ll find that Mesmer’s are pretty generous with their portals. Sometimes standing around for hours handing them out for no charge at all. That is why the skill was created to let anyone interact with it.

Chances are if a Mesmer is in your dungeon group skipping content, you’ll be invited right along with him.

And this is the first I’ve heard of the portal giving any significant advantage to farming.

No different from Guild Wars 1, where people would pay gold to get through dungeons or hard missions. Sometimes they could even AFK while doing it.

There are tons of people out there who love jumping puzzles, and tons of them who hate them. On woman in my guild has a real fear of heights. She’s never get zone completion in some zones without a mesmer’s help.

And in all honestly, because she doesn’t do dungeons or PvP at all, the open world is all she has. Why should her fear of heights be an issue.

I’m talking in this case about the few vistas that are at the end of jumping puzzles.

Jumping should have always been voluntary. Once they tied it up with map completion, I think the mesmer portal became necessary for some people.

This is a game, not an olympic event. And people did run people for money all the time in Guild Wars 1.

And nerfing jumping puzzle rewards is not enough of a problem to me to worry about it.

I’ve never thought of the skill as a problem before, but… I have to admit that the OP has a point. This allows content bypasses that, by ANY other method, would get you banned. Yes, the mesmer has to take a risk to set the portals, or clear the jumping puzzle, but … I’m not sure that’s enough to justify it.

Now that I’m thinking about it in those terms, it feels wrong.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

It angers me because a legit alternative to making money instead of CoF farming doing something I like (JP’s) was nerfed because of this skill.

are you referring to the new jumping puzzle’s exotic shoulder armor price decrease from 60 silvers to 3 silvers?

did it occur to you that the high vendor price of 60 silvers is a honest mistake in the first place?

observe the current prices of exotic vendor prices in guild wars 2. what is the highest? now, think again.

It angers me because people come here and complain that there isn’t enough content and the content we do have is too easy because they skip all of it with portals.

everyone has a right to complain. but why are you angry with other people complaining? seeing other people complain, makes you angry?

It angers me because I can work with a small team for 20 minutes to take a keep in WvW just to have to flooded with an enemy zerg because of this skill.

so you are saying that you felt angry, because you lost a battle, due to advanced tactics by the enemy?

are you trying to tell us that you felt angry because you lost?

are you a sore loser?

So it has nothing to do with players trivializing their own experience, they are actively making my experience worse.

how did they make your experience worse?

a bug in the vendor price is fixed makes you angry?
other people complaining makes you angry?
losing a WvW battle due to advanced tactics makes you angry?

errr …
do you need anger management courses?

havoc.6814:

Let me just turn that around. Why can’t I have a skill that allows me to enter a dungeon, kindly ask the bosses to step aside, and help myself to their chests? Why can’t I have a skill that fills up my bags with Ori ores so I don’t have to go hunt them down and mine them?

because no such skill exists in the game?

Why are you so willing to accept that people are allowed to simply skip content and take what they want, while others earn it?

why does this bother you?

i still get my content, they get theirs.
everyone wins!

why so angry?

ZudetGambeous.9573:

CryxTryx.9208:

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

It angers me because a legit alternative to making money instead of CoF farming doing something I like (JP’s) was nerfed because of this skill.

It angers me because people come here and complain that there isn’t enough content and the content we do have is too easy because they skip all of it with portals.

It angers me because I can work with a small team for 20 minutes to take a keep in WvW just to have to flooded with an enemy zerg because of this skill.

So it has nothing to do with players trivializing their own experience, they are actively making my experience worse.

Lol what makes you think MESMER portal was the cause of the nerf. It was obvious that the armor price was left overpriced accidentally and would have been nerfed regardless. People who would want to make new toons and rinse repeat this farm would have done so regardless of portal. People who do portal for others are HELPFUL and NICE players who do it to help other players.

God, show some appreciation… or just don’t use it. Either way, play at your own pace and not be competitive and get caught up in others.

Vayne.8563:

And nerfing jumping puzzle rewards is not enough of a problem to me to worry about it.

regarding the new jumping puzzle reward, i think the vendor selling price change of 60 silvers to 3 silvers is a bug fix.

it was not intended in the first place.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/info/news/Game-Update-Notes-June-25th-2013/first#post2330359
see the patch notes:
“Fixed a bug that caused the sale value of the exotic shoulders that drop from the Aetherblade jumping puzzle to be higher than intended.”

bug
higher than intended

now observe all the exotic armor items vendor selling prices in guild wars 2.

it is a bug, now fixed.

and some people are getting angry with a bug fix.

Vayne.8563:

No different from Guild Wars 1, where people would pay gold to get through dungeons or hard missions. Sometimes they could even AFK while doing it.

There are tons of people out there who love jumping puzzles, and tons of them who hate them. On woman in my guild has a real fear of heights. She’s never get zone completion in some zones without a mesmer’s help.

And in all honestly, because she doesn’t do dungeons or PvP at all, the open world is all she has. Why should her fear of heights be an issue.

I’m talking in this case about the few vistas that are at the end of jumping puzzles.

Jumping should have always been voluntary. Once they tied it up with map completion, I think the mesmer portal became necessary for some people.

This is a game, not an olympic event. And people did run people for money all the time in Guild Wars 1.

And nerfing jumping puzzle rewards is not enough of a problem to me to worry about it.

Exactly, I maxxed my bank and 13 characters with Plat. running the CoF dungeon in GW1.

havoc.6814:

No, that is not my issue. I earn my rewards. I do the content. I neither beg for, nor desire, freebies.

good for you!

Apparently you fail to understand just how important to everyday life this very basic value is.

guild wars 2 is a game. i do not understand. could you elaborate more?

Go ask your mom about it.

and this is related to this topic? O_O

Teamwork? Really? It’s one guy giving a bunch of other guys a free ride. Where is the teamwork in that? When I take a bus somewhere, am I working together with the bus driver? Are we a team? Really?

well, i am referring to portals used in
- WvW skirmishes
- Citadel of Flame explorable path 1 boulders

i see those as team work.

free rides are … well, free rides!
i see them as generosity!

so … does seeing generosity makes you angry? why?

havoc.6814:

CryxTryx.9208:

Oh so that is your issue. Not that mesmer’s can do it. Not to maintain the integrity of the game and its content.

It is that you can’t do it. So because they can and you can’t you want it taken away from them. You’re right, I complely misunderstood you.

Well I think you’ll find that Mesmer’s are pretty generous with their portals. Sometimes standing around for hours handing them out for no charge at all. That is why the skill was created to let anyone interact with it.

Chances are if a Mesmer is in your dungeon group skipping content, you’ll be invited right along with him.

And this is the first I’ve heard of the portal giving any significant advantage to farming.

No, that is not my issue. I earn my rewards. I do the content. I neither beg for, nor desire, freebies. Apparently you fail to understand just how important to everyday life this very basic value is. Go ask your mom about it.

On my Mesmer I’ve had people tip me as high a gold for a portal to complete a jumping puzzle. That level of appreciating tells me that person REALLY didn’t wan tto do that jumping puzzle. Or maybe didn’t have the time but wanted their daily chest. I don’t know, I didn’t ask, I actually told him not to tip and he insisted.

I enjoy the puzzles, I do them for the puzzle, certainly not for the greens and blues in the chest at the end. I even do the WvW puzzle and I’m not a fan of PvP. I one of those guys who wave to people in the puzzle in hopes I don’t have to kill them.

I earn my rewards too, I just don’t care of others earn theirs.

As the Mesmer who completed the puzzle, I consider it part of my reward to be able to help those who want it.

Even though I reported the exploit right after the patch…CoF p1 is/was faster for 60 silver, so it was no more game breaking than what the devs openly allow.

As for the tune of it being a bug…lol..I don’t believe it was a bug that caused the 60s price for a second. User error or most likely QA fail was probably the root of it. What type of bug would possibly cause that type of issue 60s when it was supposed to be 3s? I might be able to see 30s, 3g, 3c but not 60…..it doesn’t make sense as a bug.

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Without a doubt portals trivialize content. If a single player makes it past something such as the lava boulders in CoF or any jumping puzzle, they can allow many other players the ability to completely bypass the challenge, simply because 1 player made it to the end. For content which is meant to test the individual player, portals break the challenge associated with the content, allowing anyone of any skill level to piggyback.

But trivializing content isn’t the only issue; portals give large advantages in competitive areas. Players can warp teammates to the end of the WvW jump puzzle, allowing them to easily maintain control over it, they can warp entire zergs into keeps or towers with healthy gates and walls, they can “portal bomb”, and they can move golems very efficiently.

Personally I’d like to see portals removed and mesmers given something in their place. But if ANet is happy with how portals are functioning, they need to be expanded to other classes. You can’t limit something this powerful to a single class.

Essence Snow.3194:

Even though I reported the exploit right after the patch…CoF p1 is/was faster for 60 silver, so it was no more game breaking than what the devs openly allow.

As for the tune of it being a bug…lol..I don’t believe it was a bug that caused the 60s price for a second. User error or most likely QA fail was probably the root of it. What type of bug would possibly cause that type of issue 60s when it was supposed to be 3s? I might be able to see 30s, 3g, 3c but not 60…..it doesn’t make sense as a bug.

The wrong value entered into a data field? Sounds like a bug to me. A very simple one, but still a bug.

Portal mesmer skill is a tier 3 Utility.

That means to get it requires 26 skill points.

If people are making toons just to use that skill and get 60s… more power to them. In the time it takes to get a toon to the point where you have 26 skill points, you’d have made twice that doing other things with an existing character.

EDIT: Unless you mean folks making new toons to use a portal and existing mesmer lays down.

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

actually i do not mainly play mesmers in PvE / WvW.
i did play mesmers in sPvP last time though now i switched to playing thief in sPvP.
my first and main PvE / dungeons character is a warrior.
though now i am casually leveling up my mesmer via dailies in PvE.

anyway, i still do not understand why you are so angry with the mesmer portal.

anyway, though it may your desire to change the mesmer portal to your liking, it is not the players decision to make that change.

the mesmer portal did receive some changes though since launch.

- recharge timer increased from 60 seconds to 90 seconds
- limit of 20 people per portal

havoc.6814:

CryxTryx.9208:

-snip-

So I guess my question is, why does it anger you to see other people trivialize their own game playing expirience?

Let me just turn that around. Why can’t I have a skill that allows me to enter a dungeon, kindly ask the bosses to step aside, and help myself to their chests? Why can’t I have a skill that fills up my bags with Ori ores so I don’t have to go hunt them down and mine them?

Why are you so willing to accept that people are allowed to simply skip content and take what they want, while others earn it?

Choice.

That’s all that really needs to be said. Some people simply aren’t good at jump puzzles. They play big charrs/norns, or maybe it’s a medical/visual reason. Either way, I don’t have any bias towards porters. I’m a mesmer myself and I don’t do this but I find it pretty funny that people would remove more choice from the game just to make themselves feel better. Don’t like portals? Don’t use them. If they cause so much friction within someone, then that’s a much deeper serious problem then other people skipping optional content in a video game.

Time to let it go.

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Mesmer is just one of my characters, I have a character of every class on the go right now except engineer.

The fact that I play one has nothing to do with my opinion on the portal. I disagree with you on the base principal that you are against people using them to access content they did not earn.

I personally see nothing wrong with helping someone complete a jumping puzzle, dungeon, or vista.

It doesn’t bother me that I have to work to complete a jumping puzzle yet someone else can just take a portal to complete it. Hense why when I am on my Mesmer I am only too happy to help out.

Being a mesmer I can’t say how much satisfactory it is to be thanked by people who are having bad time in jumping. Not everyone has a good connection or a performing computer and maybe some people are not skilled enough or don’t have so much time to learn to jump properly in that jp, but want to reach your same goal and they try and try again taking advantage of a portal if available. Considering that what they achieve (or not) is not our problem (c’mon an ugly exotic even soulboud, and almost nothing in any other jp), I can’t agree with what OP says.
The game give us a way to help each other, why get rid of it? There should be more skills like this, but I understand that people can exploit it, like everything else, in those cases trollanet should come with better idea than just nerfing the loot or skills. I’m confident they can. And about the CD, it was already nerfed from 60 to 90s (72 traited). Today that jumping (on RoF) was filled with thanks, cooperation, “D’oh! moments”, and I was happily part of this, even when the one falling dead was me. I can say with no doubt that this was one of my best time of the whole game, just like when I started to play at launch, when people cared to form group to explore together chatting and doing revelry, not just farming/farming/farming/GJ/leave. I didn’t see a single griefer, than I think back at the www jp achievement, and I’m glad this time was a totally different expirience and it was possible also thank to the portal skill.

The one thing that did surprise me about the portal is that mesmer’s were the only class to have it.

Oh god this thread again

moves along

CryxTryx.9208:

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Mesmer is just one of my characters, I have a character of every class on the go right now except engineer.

The fact that I play one has nothing to do with my opinion on the portal. I disagree with you on the base principal that you are against people using them to access content they did not earn.

I personally see nothing wrong with helping someone complete a jumping puzzle, dungeon, or vista.

It doesn’t bother me that I have to work to complete a jumping puzzle yet someone else can just take a portal to complete it. Hense why when I am on my Mesmer I am only too happy to help out.

So I suppose you would support the creation of a mechanic that allowed anyone outside of a dungeon to enter a completed one and claim the full reward, achievements included?

Bri.8354:

CryxTryx.9208:

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Mesmer is just one of my characters, I have a character of every class on the go right now except engineer.

The fact that I play one has nothing to do with my opinion on the portal. I disagree with you on the base principal that you are against people using them to access content they did not earn.

I personally see nothing wrong with helping someone complete a jumping puzzle, dungeon, or vista.

It doesn’t bother me that I have to work to complete a jumping puzzle yet someone else can just take a portal to complete it. Hense why when I am on my Mesmer I am only too happy to help out.

So I suppose you would support the creation of a mechanic that allowed anyone outside of a dungeon to enter a completed one and claim the full reward, achievements included?

No, because dungeons aren’t jump puzzles. Comparing the two in relation to portal usage is pretty pointless. One is an instanced, 5 man difficulty setup while the other is a open world optional activity.

Bri.8354:

CryxTryx.9208:

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Mesmer is just one of my characters, I have a character of every class on the go right now except engineer.

The fact that I play one has nothing to do with my opinion on the portal. I disagree with you on the base principal that you are against people using them to access content they did not earn.

I personally see nothing wrong with helping someone complete a jumping puzzle, dungeon, or vista.

It doesn’t bother me that I have to work to complete a jumping puzzle yet someone else can just take a portal to complete it. Hense why when I am on my Mesmer I am only too happy to help out.

So I suppose you would support the creation of a mechanic that allowed anyone outside of a dungeon to enter a completed one and claim the full reward, achievements included?

Well you can take anything to the extreme. By your logic you could have said that I would support a player logging in and typing /fullexotic80 and being granted a fully kitted out level 80 character.

No. Because that WOULD break the game.

Jumping puzzles do not give the same rewards as dungeons, and they can only be completed for loot once per day. Which is not the same for dungeons.

If once per day someone could gain the same rewards as me for not doing a dungeon as I did for doing, be my guest. It bothers me not that you recieved a few tokens and some silver for free.

Why do you care about this so much. it’s 10 achievement points and a crappy exotic shoulder piece that 99% of people won’t wear. I’d be more upset if the JP actually mattered.

CryxTryx.9208:

Well you can take anything to the extreme. By your logic you could have said that I would support a player logging in and typing /fullexotic80 and being granted a fully kitted out level 80 character.

No. Because that WOULD break the game.

Jumping puzzles do not give the same rewards as dungeons, and they can only be completed for loot once per day. Which is not the same for dungeons.

If once per day someone could gain the same rewards as me for not doing a dungeon as I did for doing, be my guest. It bothers me not that you recieved a few tokens and some silver for free.

That’s funny, because I had a Zap drop from a jumping puzzle chest. Hardly a lesser reward than any dungeon has ever given me.

Arale.4207:

No, because dungeons aren’t jump puzzles. Comparing the two in relation to portal usage is pretty pointless. One is an instanced, 5 man difficulty setup while the other is a open world optional activity.

So, jumping puzzles are optional content but dungeons are required content? Really?

CryxTryx.9208:

The one thing that did surprise me about the portal is that mesmer’s were the only class to have it.

well, i think it fits with the current lore of guild wars 2?

in guild wars only necro can teleport though
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Teleport

Consume Corpse (to corpse)
Necrotic Traversal (to corpse)

in guild wars 2, more professions can teleport!
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Teleport

Guardian: Flashing Blade, Judge’s Intervention, Merciful Intervention
Thief: Shadow Escape (downed), Destroy Shadow Trap
Elementalist: Air Pocket-Vacuum (underwater), Lightning Flash
Mesmer: Phase Retreat, Illusionary Leap-Swap, Feigned Surge (underwater), Portal, Blink
Necromancer: Dark Path (in Death Shroud), Haunt (with active Shadow Fiend), Necrotic Traversal (with active Flesh Wurm), Spectral Walk

CryxTryx.9208:

Well you can take anything to the extreme. By your logic you could have said that I would support a player logging in and typing /fullexotic80 and being granted a fully kitted out level 80 character.

No. Because that WOULD break the game.

Jumping puzzles do not give the same rewards as dungeons, and they can only be completed for loot once per day. Which is not the same for dungeons.

If once per day someone could gain the same rewards as me for not doing a dungeon as I did for doing, be my guest. It bothers me not that you recieved a few tokens and some silver for free.

Actually a more accurate comparison would be you supporting a character creating 20 tickets per 90 seconds, that would allow him to grant other players free exotic equipment and level 80 characters.

Although leveling and gearing can be seen as more difficult, this would trivialize leveling and gearing a character just as portals trivialize jump puzzles in the respect that once a single player completed it, he allows 20 others every 90 seconds to also achieve what he just did, rewards and achievements included.

The degree of the rewards or difficult of the task isn’t relevant in this. The fact is that a mechanic like portals allows other players to completely bypass whatever challenge there was and claim whatever rewards there were.

havoc.6814:

That’s funny, because I had a Zap drop from a jumping puzzle chest. Hardly a lesser reward than any dungeon has ever given me.

wow congrats! that’s nice! i did not get exotics before from any jumping puzzle chests.

Arale.4207:

No, because dungeons aren’t jump puzzles. Comparing the two in relation to portal usage is pretty pointless. One is an instanced, 5 man difficulty setup while the other is a open world optional activity.

So, jumping puzzles are optional content but dungeons are required content? Really?

i only see “One is an instanced, 5 man difficulty setup” where is the “required content” word? O_O

Bri.8354:

The fact is that a mechanic like portals allows other players to completely bypass whatever challenge there was and claim whatever rewards there were.

and this bothers you? makes you angry? makes you unhappy? O_O

havoc.6814:

CryxTryx.9208:

Well you can take anything to the extreme. By your logic you could have said that I would support a player logging in and typing /fullexotic80 and being granted a fully kitted out level 80 character.

No. Because that WOULD break the game.

Jumping puzzles do not give the same rewards as dungeons, and they can only be completed for loot once per day. Which is not the same for dungeons.

If once per day someone could gain the same rewards as me for not doing a dungeon as I did for doing, be my guest. It bothers me not that you recieved a few tokens and some silver for free.

That’s funny, because I had a Zap drop from a jumping puzzle chest. Hardly a lesser reward than any dungeon has ever given me.

I’m very happy for you, however a precursor has a chance to drop from anything that generates loot, the fact that yours came from a jumping puzzle chest is not relevent. Jumping puzzle chests do not have an increased chance to drop precursors. You would of had that same chance killing any mob or looting any chest in the game.

Deimos Tel Arin.7391:

i only see “One is an instanced, 5 man difficulty setup” where is the “required content” word? O_O

It’s inferred in the context. When I am differentiating between two things and I state that one is optional, then I am inferring that the other is not. Basic language skills ftw.

havoc.6814:

CryxTryx.9208:

Oh so that is your issue. Not that mesmer’s can do it. Not to maintain the integrity of the game and its content.

It is that you can’t do it. So because they can and you can’t you want it taken away from them. You’re right, I complely misunderstood you.

Well I think you’ll find that Mesmer’s are pretty generous with their portals. Sometimes standing around for hours handing them out for no charge at all. That is why the skill was created to let anyone interact with it.

Chances are if a Mesmer is in your dungeon group skipping content, you’ll be invited right along with him.

And this is the first I’ve heard of the portal giving any significant advantage to farming.

No, that is not my issue. I earn my rewards. I do the content. I neither beg for, nor desire, freebies. Apparently you fail to understand just how important to everyday life this very basic value is. Go ask your mom about it.

Deimos Tel Arin.7391:

i think it makes OP angry because OP thinks the mesmer portal skill is destroying the game?

well i think the mesmer skill promotes team work and people helping one another.

it is a good thing.

Teamwork? Really? It’s one guy giving a bunch of other guys a free ride. Where is the teamwork in that? When I take a bus somewhere, am I working together with the bus driver? Are we a team? Really?

It’s a video game. A lot of mesmers are trying to be nice helping people out. Not everyone plays like you, values the same things you do or believes what you believe. Dont like Mesmer portals…..easy……don’t take them. You be all L33t and let everyone else play as they enjoy. It’s a VIDEO GAME.

Bri.8354:

CryxTryx.9208:

Well you can take anything to the extreme. By your logic you could have said that I would support a player logging in and typing /fullexotic80 and being granted a fully kitted out level 80 character.

No. Because that WOULD break the game.

Jumping puzzles do not give the same rewards as dungeons, and they can only be completed for loot once per day. Which is not the same for dungeons.

If once per day someone could gain the same rewards as me for not doing a dungeon as I did for doing, be my guest. It bothers me not that you recieved a few tokens and some silver for free.

Actually a more accurate comparison would be you supporting a character creating 20 tickets per 90 seconds, that would allow him to grant other players free exotic equipment and level 80 characters.

Although leveling and gearing can be seen as more difficult, this would trivialize leveling and gearing a character to the same degree as a jump puzzle in the respect that once a single player completed it, he allows 20 others every 90 seconds to also achieve what he just did, rewards and achievements included.

The degree of the rewards or difficult of the task isn’t relevant in this. The fact is that a mechanic like portals allows other players to completely bypass whatever challenge there was and claim whatever rewards there were.

To be honest I don’t fully understand what you are trying to say here. However you mention gaining something from a mesmer portal every 90 seconds so I will say this.

Yes a mesmer portal can be activated every 90 seconds, however you can only claim the prize from the end of a jumping puzzle once daily. With this in mind I believe my scenario was accurate.

… per character. And that’s the point!

Villious.8530:

It’s a video game. A lot of mesmers are trying to be nice helping people out. Not everyone plays like you, values the same things you do or believes what you believe. Dont like Mesmer portals…..easy……don’t take them. You be all L33t and let everyone else play as they enjoy. It’s a VIDEO GAME.

What is going on in jumping puzzle is less along the lines of helping someone, and more along the lines of completing the content for them.

You can help people by doing things like reviving them and showing them the correct path by staying in front of them, but the difference with this is that they still have to do all the jumps themselves. What portals do is allow them do bypass most, if not all, of the jumps, and thus the content itself.

This defeats the purpose of the content, allowing players to not participate in it and just grab the rewards, which were meant for people who participated in and completed the content.

havoc.6814:

@ Deimos Tel ARin and Cryx Tryx:

Okay, I get it, you play mesmers. That explains the vabid defense of the portals on your part. Do note that it is not my stated desire to have portals removed from the game, but rather altered to still be viable and desirable skills, without allowing others access to rewards they did not earn. I even made a suggestion to that effect in my OP.

Who cares if they are mesmers? First off I disagree with your OP. I don’t think there is anything wrong with mesmers using something they were GIVEN to their advantage. The JP in metrica province is so buggy that thankfully there was someone there to portal people.

Months and months golems lab has been reported over and over as almost unplayable and when I did it I nearly tore my hair out. I, before you assume, am a mesmer. Plus the fact that I’m from Australia and my latency counts me out of anything precision wise, then I’m thankful for my brothers and sisters in arms that shell me out a portal once in a while. I do try jumping them on my own each and every time but just some of them are so precision driven thakittens impossible for people in my area to do it.

I also have portalled people to the end many a time for nothing just because I think that those who have mobility issues ( jumping in game or otherwise ) should get a hand up. How is that bad. I’m sorry that this ruins it for YOU, but then YOU don’t have to take the portal do you. Its a choice.

Oh and it’s Licence btw.. Basic language skills.. ftw.

Bri.8354:

which were meant for people who participated in and completed the content.

what if, the purpose of the mesmer portal is meant for this purpose?

Yes, portals do allow players to breeze through some of the content; however, you’re certainly welcome to do it manually without using portals. Even as a mesmer, I tried jumping all the way to the goggles just so I can experience the whole thing. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to get the Dive Master achievement, I went ahead and took the mesmer portals to the blimp and then to the goggles. Mind you, this took me THREE HOURS. If I were to keep trying to get the achievement, I would probably end up being there all day. I honestly think that the portals and the mass ressing is promoting cooperation among people in the server. I mean really, virtually anywhere I fall, there is at least one person there willing to ress me.

And yes, this is one very important advantage to being a mesmer. However, keep in mind that every class has their own perks as well. For instance, warriors with their aoe ress with Warbanner, necros and their double HPs hence their ability to tank and live through fall damage. The portal skill is working as intended and if you think that it is ruining the content for you, it’s very simple to opt not to take them.

Wow, every post argueing in favor of portals in this thread is being posted by mesmers. Those mesmers are immediately and vociferously attacking anyone who posts in support of my OP. I think this is very telling. I think that you know that portals are breaking the game and trivializing content. I think you know that you are wrong. I think that is why you are so aggressive. I think you just want to have your liscence to steal at any cost.

havoc.6814:

Wow, every post argueing in favor of portals in this thread is being posted by mesmers. Those mesmers are immediately and vociferously attacking anyone who posts in support of my OP. I think this is very telling. I think that you know that portals are breaking the game and trivializing content. I think you know that you are wrong. I think that is why you are so aggressive. I think you just want to have your liscence to steal at any cost.

/facepalm.
What are you a warrior? one of those classes that runs like they are going through molasses. I am not being aggressive. You are. I simply stated why I do portal those others and why I take portals once in a while. How about looking at the actual parts of my post besides when I said I was a mesmer. My main is a Necro for heavens sake. I think its rare to find someone without a mesmer in their line up.. Well, that is besides you obviously. We p o r t a l people because they need help, I take portals cos my latency sucks. Simple as. No amount of whining on your part is going to change anything.

havoc.6814:

Wow, every post argueing in favor of portals in this thread is being posted by mesmers. Those mesmers are immediately and vociferously attacking anyone who posts in support of my OP. I think this is very telling. I think that you know that portals are breaking the game and trivializing content. I think you know that you are wrong. I think that is why you are so aggressive. I think you just want to have your liscence to steal at any cost.

Wrong. While I do think the OP has some merit, I don’t support the removal of mesmer portals. And do I play a mesmer? I have one at level 16 or so, too low for most of the JPs in this game, and I just can’t get the hang of the class. I’ve not played her in weeks, so I’d say that I don’t play a mesmer.

I think the portals may be a bit unbalanced compared to how they deal with other things in the game, and I’m pretty sure I think they should be given to a second class so that they’re MORE common, if they’re to stay. (I’d suggest Engineers.) But the other posters here have made good points, and I think the game’s better off for having the portals.

havoc.6814:

Wow, every post argueing in favor of portals in this thread is being posted by mesmers.

but my main character is not a mesmer.

Those mesmers are immediately and vociferously attacking anyone who posts in support of my OP.

well, what do you expect, when they do not agree with what you have to say?

I think this is very telling. I think that you know that portals are breaking the game and trivializing content.

hmmm nah. i think the portals are fine. not breaking the game. as for “trivializing content” i think different people will have different opinions regarding that.

i guess i would call it “convenience-ing content” instead.

I think you know that you are wrong.

hmmm i dun think so. no one is right or wrong in this, because not everyone shares the same opinion.

I think that is why you are so aggressive.

i do think you are aggressive though. since you mentioned that you are very angry with the mesmer portal thing.

I think you just want to have your liscence to steal at any cost.

steal what? O_O