Guild Wars 2

I think that any map with meta-events should have 2 versions available. Exploration/Adventure mode, and Meta mode. You will by default be entered into a Meta version of the map, but you can toggle which is your preference, for each applicable map, to enter into by default if you wish (option is displayed on a bottom corner of the map screen while in the map). Exploration/Adventure will be a special version of the map where all Meta-events are completed/terminated, everything is unlocked for use (unless an achievement is required explicitly through Meta-event progress, such as, the Exalted Mask based on timing); you can do adventures, harvest materials, do map completion, get groups for hero challenges, etc., all with no pressure from time or in general worrying about the Meta-event. To be safe, I would remove any rich nodes from these maps, or at least if they are gated behind some event that is not gating access (such as in Dry Top, the Skritt Queen). Meta version runs everything as it is now, so that shouldn’t need to change at all.

Reasoning:

My main reasoning for this is I am frustrated that if I have a goal, such as doing daily adventures or map completing, I don’t want to be on a time crunch to do them, and then randomly be cut off if a Meta stage becomes active and blocks access. I want to do what I came to do. And by not letting me do what I want when I want, it makes me not want to use buffs and consumables, because the CD will be wasted if I need to stop (which can cut money spent on the items in TP). Either wasted, or I will have to log off to preserve it, and then come back later hoping the map isn’t caught up in an obstructive Meta-stage. If I feel that I need to log off at any time because I’m not making the progress I want to make, that is bad, and that pressure is something I almost never felt in Core Tyria.

This should also help to, ideally, keep people out of Meta maps who cant be bothered to contribute to them, which should make it at least slightly easier to succeed because you will be in a map that is more centrally focused based on what they want.