Guild Wars 2

Alright, it has been addressed countless times and more, but after being forced to drudge through Malchor’s Leap today and the sheer frustration I experienced, I’m going to address it myself.

Orr; it’s terrible.

No, really. At what point did it seem like a good idea to create a zone, no wait, three zones, filled to the brim with heavily respawning Risen that like to pull, immobilise, cripple, shout for others, move strangely fast for ‘zombies’ which are stereotypically slow and kung-kittenick you about the place.

Really, at what point? Frostgorge Sound is end-game and I really enjoy it, I actually like fighting Svanir, Icebrood and such… I can even put up with how annoying dredge are and joke about it. But Orr and Risen? They have to be the worst design I have ever seen for enemies. They’re not even an attempt at an interesting enemy, they’re just mindless zombies with large healthpools, hit hard, move fast and have every skill to annoy anybody and everybody passing through rather than actually making the person think skill-wise. When it gets to the point that I can’t Phase Retreat on my Mesmer without pulling another pack, yes pack, they’re rarely by themselves, of orrians, it gets ridiculous.

As for the ‘High Priestess’ events, why are they labelled ‘group events’? They’re swarm events at the very least; you can only have five people in a group and my ‘group’ of seven or eight people found ourselves overwhelmed and swarmed constantly on the Lyssa event. Why, you might ask, were there only eight of us? Because Orr sucks so nobody goes apart from the farming parties in the last zone.

I could go on and on, but there’s a post limit and I don’t want to spill into a double post rant because hardly anyone will actually read a single post rant to begin with. But, other forum-goers, am I wrong to be annoyed at Orr? Your thoughts and suggestions.

I can’t get to Arah without a full party to escort >> then once I get to the next uncontested wp, oh look I dc and when i get back its contested :////

Well, I’m not gonna reply to your experience because we have all ones.. but!
I want to tell about the Risen. They’re ‘zombies’ yes, but not that type of undead we see on Resident Evil, for example. They are not mindless or stupid like that, like they think only ‘Braaaain XQ_’ all the time. During the Story you will encounter Risen very intelligent and tryckery, they even can talk. So.. yep, they are a powerful race of undead under Zhaitan control, note some moron-zombie XD

Igneel.2618:

Well, I’m not gonna reply to your experience because we have all ones.. but!
I want to tell about the Risen. They’re ‘zombies’ yes, but not that type of undead we see on Resident Evil, for example. They are not mindless or stupid like that, like they think only ‘Braaaain XQ_’ all the time. During the Story you will encounter Risen very intelligent and tryckery, they even can talk. So.. yep, they are a powerful race of undead under Zhaitan control, note some moron-zombie XD

Still a really boring and overly powerful enemy to fight.

I think I’d like more variety of monsters in Orr. The more interesting to look at shade designs (black with glowing spots, different shapes)

hello
I am a Tyrian
I was kung-kittenkicked about the place
often and by many

phototed.6192:

Igneel.2618:

I want to tell about the Risen. They’re ‘zombies’ yes, but not that type of undead we see on Resident Evil, for example. They are not mindless or stupid like that, like they think only ‘Braaaain XQ_’ all the time. During the Story you will encounter Risen very intelligent and tryckery, they even can talk. So.. yep, they are a powerful race of undead under Zhaitan control, note some moron-zombie XD

Still a really boring and overly powerful enemy to fight.

I can understand the zombie type very well
they are a very dangerous group
but they are just no fun
the fights become work a marathon
perhaps the npcs need to be busier
or willing to accept different buffs offered by us

And those nasty environmental AoEs and CCs. You normally only see them in Raid instances where you receive reasonable rewards for overcome them, but in Orr, you receive nothing but punishment instead. Don’t even try to cross them.
Besides, the aggro range of mobs are far greater than anywhere else in Tyria. Fighting in melee distance can easily get you into a fight of 1 vs 3 to 4 mobs without their shouts for help.

If they drop tier 6 mats at a recent rate, I understand. Problem is, they hardly drop anything worthy and most of them are trashes that never match the pain. In one word, there is no reason to be in Orr unless you try to finish your story or complete the zone, period.

Challenge and fun are a difficult balance in a game. I believe the devs are probably aware that the level 75-80 areas are not fun to play. Not fun for the challenge, not fun knocking out the last levels, not fun for farming at 80. The thought of going there immediately leads me to think about what other things I might do instead. This isn’t how a max-level area should feel. Remember, we’re heroes. I always feel the music should switch over to the Benny Hill theme song when you cross the Straits—that’s what’s playing in my head as I try to run through.

There was nothing fun for me about Orr, just mobs with 5-10 second roots, champion mobs guarding skill communes, no more than 5 players at a time in the map.. oh and also AGGRO CITY – POPULATION: YOUR DEAD BODY

I don’t mind their HP and DPS so much. In fact, that never seemed an issue to me. I guess you could argue that high-end zones need to be more dangerous and that’s fine.

But there’s a fine line between annoying and dangerous, and Orr leans to the annoying side in more than a few ways.

1. Respawn rates in this game are just insane and Orrians are the pinnacle of the ice-berg. Thus killing mobs sometimes isn’t even an option if you want to progress.

2. Every square meter seems to be populated by an Orrian at times. This mob density coupled with the crazy respawn rate just forces you into constant combat that makes everything tedious (not dangerous however since it’s easy to escape).

3. Using dodge and high-mobility skills is often limited because you’re constantly pulling adds because the bloody place is so littered with them. Even if you clear an area you’ll probably have mobs respawning by the time you turn around.

4. CC effects, especially the “Everybody come” pull are obnoxious on mobs as abundant as Orrians. CC is what makes fights interesting, but not that type of pull. It’s especially annoying when multiple “pull” mobs stack up and then chain-pull you all over the place.
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Imo two simple changes would go a long way towards making Orr more appealing without making it less “dangerous”.

1. Increase mob respawn time significantly. Make it possible to clear and area without mobs respawning on top or behind you. This would also make mob density feel less extreme.

2. Replace the “everybody come” pull with a less obnoxious and short-range CC effect. Whatever effect that may be however, it should be a well telegraphed attack and easy to avoid when paying attention.

I 100% agree with you. I have to say Straits of Devastation isn’t too bad, but the other areas are incredibly frustrating. Sure end game is meant to be more of a challenge, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. It’s meant to be entertaining because you’ve spent hours upon hours getting to that level, and you’re not being rewarded for it.

The map design is amazing, don’t get me wrong. You’re filled with wonder when you enter, since in GW1 little was known about why Orr was destroyed or what became of it. The exploration is fun and the scenes are amazing. But to experience the good side of Orr, you’re literally being punished by the MASSES of risen walking around everywhere, and it’s put me off going there again to finish up the areas for Map Completion.

Like the OP mentioned the Frostgorge Sound zone. That was a relief when I went there. The quests and exploration are actually fun. Mainly because you’re not trying to get from waypoint to waypoint, quest to quest, while taking a right beating from the 40-50 Risen swarming you every inch of the map.

They need to re-consider the number of risen there should really be, and the number of events/group events for the number of players there. Because I don’t want to be getting smacked about by champion mobs while trying to grab a PoI or a waypoint etc.

Was Orr the result of the Devs giving up on making maps for each race after the Norn one? The mobs are so unimaginitive servant, noble, farmer, plaguebearer etc but wheres the Risen Centaurs, Wolves, Ettin or (passive) Risen Moas and Sheep or any of the other mobs I have fought on my way to Orr?

I used to see quite a few players running (usually for their life) in orr till fractals then Orr became a ‘real’ ghost town.

Personally I would remove all contested WP’s and put in more events, no point in having events there unless you can travel there in the first place.

At best PVE is ‘uneven’ in this game. It’s fun, then terrible, then fun, then terrible.

Usually it’s spread out, but Orr is a lot of terrible in one place.

The thing that gets me the most are the repeated lines every few seconds. Everyone..Come, Death..Good, Return to Orr…If I try so much as to watch another zombie movie, those lines will be all I hear. Annoying as crap imo.

Knocked out all 3 zones a few weeks back getting 100% map comp and I think I only needed a hand with 2 skill point.

Then again Im a glass cannon axe/axe warrior so that might be why its so easy for me.

In Orr, Glass Cannon = death. Try some Toughness armour and it becomes a lot more survivable. I hated the place at first too but with the right gear and getting used to the areas/mobs it becomes pretty much like any other area.

Yes it’s tougher and yes it’s less fun than playing in lower areas. Sadly I have a feeling this is how every new area will be. Mobs with more HP than usual/all the most annoying control skills. Only so that they can say “hey you asked for a challenge right?”.

Personally I want more low-mid level areas because those are FUN to play! However sadly I think we will only get these with expansions that may have new races/classes to play – for their starting areas.

I’m not sure I want to level another character after experiencing orr. I have my story quest up to killing the mouth and I really really don’t feel like doing it. There is no one in the zone and the mobs are so god kitten annoying. If this is Anets idea of end game zones you can count me out.

I’m a Guardian, when I’m in Orr I change all my utilities to condition removal and stability. I just run past everything with swiftness and I don’t ever get to a point where I get frustrated. Do other classes have as much condi removal as Guardians?