So yesterday I was working on a map completion with my ranger when I faced a choice to finish off the last POI.
I could run there from where I was, or I could spend the 1s and some odd copper to cut the distance in half by running to it from a nearby waypoint.
This had me thinking, is the time saved worth the cost of the waypoint? Just how much gold is my character’s time worth? I starting thinking of all the different things you can do. WvW, Champ Train, Map Completion, Dungeon Runs, World Boss Runs, etc.
So I did a simple comparison. Map Completion vs Champ Train.
So first up, Map Completion.
Brisban Wildlands
2 hours for map completion
1g 23s 80c profit
Self Imposed Stipulations
- All bags are opened and all collectables are deposited (Because BiS gear is crafted only)
- Remaining items are first sold on the BLTC to any available buyers.
- All remaining items are then vendored.
Self Imposed Rules
Note: The way I see it, map completion is “playing the game” in its purest form. This goes along with WvW (actually working on capping points rather than just roaming for duels), and Dungeon Running (actually clearing the path instead of just running past the mobs to get to the next boss). Things like the Champ Train and Speed Running dungeons (skipping by mobs) fall under “meta gaming”.
So the following are things I consider as “normal game playing” when working on map completion.
- Collect from nodes that happen to cross your path.
- Only do solo events if they cross your path and/or the event also works toward a heart completion.
- Only do group events that cross your path and other players are currently completing.
- Only kill mobs that will substantially slow you down while traveling.
Next up is the Champ Train
Queensdale Champ Train
2 hours worth to match map completion time
3g 6s 45c profit
Same stipulations apply
No special rules apply here as it is pretty straight forward.
It is quite possible for a new player to take a new character from level 10ish (good level to have all the necessary waypoints unlocked) all the way up to 80 using either one of these two ways of playing. Yet clearly the Champ Train is more than twice as profitable. There is also the skill scrolls you get from the champ drops which can be used to upgrade and turn a profit with. I’m sure you get more karma with the Champ Train too.
I’m tempted to do dungeon running next to see how it stacks up. Clearly though, with just one test, there is an imbalance with the rewarding system. Although it didn’t need to take an experiment to see that. People will gravitate to the meta game that gives the the best profit for time spent.
It obvious to see this could certainly use fixing. I’d say that things like hearts, discovering POI and Vistas and definitely the map completion chest need a profit boost but that would only add to inflation. It would be better if something was done about the Champ Train.
So what is the problem with the champs? There isn’t anything wrong with the champs just as there isn’t anything wrong with the events. What I think is wrong is both of them being tied together. It’s the compounding of both that makes it so profitable. I don’t want to see events nerfed because once you are done with map completions, running events is the closest alternative to the same way of playing. I don’t want to see champs nerfed because a boss like that which takes a group to take out should be rewarding. Simply killing one is almost like an event in its own right.
So I would say that the best course of action is to separate the champs from the events. If the purpose of the event is to kill a champ, then it should be the event that rewards you, not both. If the champ has no connection with an event, that is when the champ rewards you.
Tl;dr
Events with champs are double rewarding and shouldn’t be.