Gliding: What's it like?

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Mercurias.1826

Mercurias.1826

I haven’t yet bought the HoT expac due to financial reasons (it’s going to be my treat to myself for finally getting my first paycheck after a frustrating unemployment spell, which will be probably on the day of launch), but one of the things I’ve been looking forward to in time of gameplay is gliding. I’ve always loved flight and gliding in games, and I’m eage to see how it will work in Guild Wars for exploration and potentially combat.

Do any of you have fun, amusing, or interesting stories about the glider mechanic? Did anything stand out for you? How are the controls?

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Vayne.8563

Vayne.8563

It’s a limited time thing that really adds to the game as far as I’m concerned. It’s responsive and adds an element of puzzle solving to the game. How do I get to this place. My guess is combinations of gliding, mushroom jumping and updraft use will open up new places to explore.

I think the gliding alone will make HoT worth it to me.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: AdaephonDelat.3890

AdaephonDelat.3890

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

[BAD] a casual PvE guild on Aurora Glade.
http://bad-eu.guildlaunch.com
The Family Deuce. Asuran Adventure Specialists.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: MauricioCezar.2673

MauricioCezar.2673

Gliding = top reason to buy HoT.

No kidding here.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Faab.8049

Faab.8049

Gliding is lots of fun. I found myself urging my toon on trying to make that last bit of distance to the distant ledge. And then running out of stamina and dropping down and down untill I got out of bounds on the BWE map. On the release maps you’ll keep on dropping to the forest floor, where I expect you’ll be mauled by vicious vines and pestilencial petals…

Yeah, great fun! Especially as you look at a map in a different way, working out ways to get somewhere.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Just a flesh wound.3589

Just a flesh wound.3589

It’s great. It’s one of the top reasons to play in the new maps. Not only is it fun but there is some element of calculation, trying to figure out if you can reach that ledge or branch way over there. The mushroom jumping is cool too.

Be careful what you ask for
ANet may give it to you.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Diovid.9506

Diovid.9506

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

Glding – it’s aiming at the ground and missing!

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Palador.2170

Palador.2170

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

Curse you! I clicked on this thread to make that comment, and you’d already done it!

Sarcasm, delivered with a
delicate, brick-like subtlety.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: AdaephonDelat.3890

AdaephonDelat.3890

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

Glding – it’s aiming at the ground and missing!

Arthur beats Buzz by a knuckle. I mean like this <→ much.

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

Curse you! I clicked on this thread to make that comment, and you’d already done it!

Great minds think alike!

[BAD] a casual PvE guild on Aurora Glade.
http://bad-eu.guildlaunch.com
The Family Deuce. Asuran Adventure Specialists.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Kal Spiro.9745

Kal Spiro.9745

Gliding is like gliding. Instead of falling fast you fall very slow while moving forward, as one does while gliding.

Tarnished Coast Kal Spiro – Ranger (80), LB/S-D, Eagle/Wolf, Signet, M/S/WS #SABorRiot
|Daredevil|Ranger|Guardian|Scrapper|Necromancer|Berserker|Dragonhunter|Mesmer|Elementalist
|Deadeye|Warrior|Herald|Daredevil|Reaper|Spellbreaker

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Just a flesh wound.3589

Just a flesh wound.3589

Gliding is life

Gliding is sunshine on a cold, rainy day

Gliding is a dog’s smile, when he sees you pick up his food bowl.

Gliding is discovering the interaction between crayons and your mom’s freshly painted living room wall. (But not the interaction between you and your mom later. That’s the part where gliding gives out and you plummet to your death below).

Be careful what you ask for
ANet may give it to you.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Morfedel.4165

Morfedel.4165

Well, its a little like this:

https://youtu.be/hHVOswNJEoA

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Morfedel.4165

Morfedel.4165

I’ve done some real hang gliding. Not a lot, and never got my solo license, but it can be amazing.

Hang gliding in game reminds me of those days, and makes me start thinking about going back and getting my solo license.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Labjax.2465

Labjax.2465

I only tried it briefly with the base gliding ability. It may be more robust once you get the extra stuff unlocked. With the base, it was kinda cool, but I felt like I ran out of airtime way too quickly. It seems to be a thing where you have X amount of time you can remain in the air before you drop like a rock.

Like I said in another thread though, I am spoiled by Saints Row 4’s aerial system.

Or words to that effect.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Torvic.8256

Torvic.8256

Is it somewhat like gliding (ala Batman), as opposed to flying (ala Superman) in DC Universe Online?

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Donari.5237

Donari.5237

Gliding adds a ton of mobility to the map and speeds up getting to events that happen to be across a chasm or down a steep drop. At base level you do run out of airtime fairly fast, so what you do is toggle off the glider, fall, toggle it on to get more distance, off to fall, repeat as you stair-step down the sky. Or if you’re heading to something fairly vertically down, just plummet and deploy the glider at the last moment.

In HBWE2 I got into the third tier of gliding. That was nice. It offered faster gliding, or a “stall” to go down in place. Also updraft use but I never found one to test. OP, you wanted a story? I was heading for a mastery point (a place to commune like for hero points, only you get a mastery instead and you visit it just once per account). It involved getting down to a little ledge in the side of a pinnacle. I glided from higher up to the top of the pinnacle, maneuvered to a spot above the mastery point, and jumped off, hitting my stall key so I could float down the cliff to my destination.

Only I was so caught up in remembering to hit the stall (the backpedal key) that I forgot to tap my space bar for the glider first … aiiiiiieeeeeSPLAT. Fortunately I hit a ledge rather than the chasm below, and someone else rezzed me so I could do the final short glide to get the mastery rather than having to run all the way back to my starting high point.

The controls are simple: jump to deploy/stow, forward to go faster, backward to stall, steer left/right to curve, and I believe you can bank by strafing but I just mouse steered to turn. From videos I think you use an updraft by hitting F when in it, or else it just auto-bounces you up if you enter it once you have the mastery? I didn’t unlock stealth techniques so I don’t know how that works. I can imagine it will be handy, though, since you can be hit by ranged mobs while gliding and that knocks you out of the air, sometimes quite painfully.

It all feels quite smooth and intuitive, depending on how you have your movement keys mapped. The base gliders are a somewhat boring design (I want more wingspan and prettier colors) but it’s pretty clear we’ll be able to get new skins for them.

edit: As to gliding vs flying, it’s gliding for sure. You don’t ever gain altitude without an updraft.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Kal Spiro.9745

Kal Spiro.9745

Is it somewhat like gliding (ala Batman), as opposed to flying (ala Superman) in DC Universe Online?

Yes, amazingly gliding is like gliding.

Tarnished Coast Kal Spiro – Ranger (80), LB/S-D, Eagle/Wolf, Signet, M/S/WS #SABorRiot
|Daredevil|Ranger|Guardian|Scrapper|Necromancer|Berserker|Dragonhunter|Mesmer|Elementalist
|Deadeye|Warrior|Herald|Daredevil|Reaper|Spellbreaker

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: TheLastNobody.8319

TheLastNobody.8319

At first I thought gliding was going to just feel like a cheap gimmick, but it really does open up new ways to get around and explore the new maps. Also fun to just swoop in when an event is going on and provide assistance.

A knight in shining armor is a man who never had his metal truly tested.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Muchacho.2390

Muchacho.2390

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: TheLastNobody.8319

TheLastNobody.8319

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

….you hate it and think it should be removed?

That or you think it’s a tuna.

A knight in shining armor is a man who never had his metal truly tested.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Muchacho.2390

Muchacho.2390

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

….you hate it and think it should be removed?

That or you think it’s a tuna.

No i am sad that we will only be able to glide in the Hot maps (i want to glide everywhere). I really liked it.

And by the way is “it is a tuna” some kind of phase? (To clearify i am not a native english speaker)

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: TheLastNobody.8319

TheLastNobody.8319

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

….you hate it and think it should be removed?

That or you think it’s a tuna.

No i am sad that we will only be able to glide in the Hot maps (i want to glide everywhere). I really liked it.

And by the way is “it is a tuna” some kind of phase? (To clearify i am not a native english speaker)

Ah no, it’s just something random I throw out to prevent any potential heated arguement a from coming up. Can never tell on the Internet. I call it defusal humor!

A knight in shining armor is a man who never had his metal truly tested.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Elric Of Melnibone.4781

Elric Of Melnibone.4781

Once you get used to being able to glide it will be sorely missed on all the other maps. How many cliffs will you jump off, hit space, and fall to your death?

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Kal Spiro.9745

Kal Spiro.9745

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

….you hate it and think it should be removed?

That or you think it’s a tuna.

No i am sad that we will only be able to glide in the Hot maps (i want to glide everywhere). I really liked it.

And by the way is “it is a tuna” some kind of phase? (To clearify i am not a native english speaker)

Ah no, it’s just something random I throw out to prevent any potential heated arguement a from coming up. Can never tell on the Internet. I call it defusal humor!

Defusmor

Once you get used to being able to glide it will be sorely missed on all the other maps. How many cliffs will you jump off, hit space, and fall to your death?

So many!

Tarnished Coast Kal Spiro – Ranger (80), LB/S-D, Eagle/Wolf, Signet, M/S/WS #SABorRiot
|Daredevil|Ranger|Guardian|Scrapper|Necromancer|Berserker|Dragonhunter|Mesmer|Elementalist
|Deadeye|Warrior|Herald|Daredevil|Reaper|Spellbreaker

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Morfedel.4165

Morfedel.4165

I really want to hang glide down into the heart of Mount maelstrom lol

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: tuck.2719

tuck.2719

Or if you’re heading to something fairly vertically down, just plummet and deploy the glider at the last moment.

This right here is my second favorite thing about gliding, that it makes falling not a big deal (which makes it easier and more fun to be adventurous).

My favorite thing about gliding, of course, is the gliding.

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Mercurias.1826

Mercurias.1826

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

….you hate it and think it should be removed?

That or you think it’s a tuna.

No i am sad that we will only be able to glide in the Hot maps (i want to glide everywhere). I really liked it.

And by the way is “it is a tuna” some kind of phase? (To clearify i am not a native english speaker)

Ah no, it’s just something random I throw out to prevent any potential heated arguement a from coming up. Can never tell on the Internet. I call it defusal humor!

Defusmor

Once you get used to being able to glide it will be sorely missed on all the other maps. How many cliffs will you jump off, hit space, and fall to your death?

So many!

I assumed all along that gliding wouldn’t be in every map, just like every other game which added gliding or flight in an expansion. It’s a completely new rule to the game, so of course it could break the original maps which weren’t designed for it. The original maps might not even be designed with enough height to make it work.

It isn’t that the developers hate you for having your delicious tuna and thus bar you from gliding fun. It’s just that they would have to redesign the original maps, and that sort of undertaking right after making an expansion and having to rebalance almost everything already implemented is the sort of thing that would put devs in the hospital.

That being said, -I- am jealous of your tuna and will fight you for it outside the thread after school.

Many, many thanks to Donari in particular for going above and beyond with the descriptive and helpful post!

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: CadeRG.4508

CadeRG.4508

Gliding – it’s like falling. With style!

I love you.

Vaulting daredevil leap frog teef of AoE destruction

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: PopeUrban.2578

PopeUrban.2578

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

To be fair, they couldn’t really add it in to core maps without significantly changing them. A lot of those maps have many places that don’t actually have roof geometry, or places where the danger of falling to your death is core to the design, or just map borders that you could see beyond if gliding. This is similar to when WoW implemented flying mounts. It would simply take too much work to update old maps which aren’t designed for it for little to no gameplay value, and a whole lot of extra QA.

However, all expansions and live maps going forward assume ownership of HoT, and thus the gliding system, so It’s a safe bet to assume the maps you can’t glide on now (and possibly new fractals, since fractals are a “core” system) are the only maps you will ever not be able to glide on.

Also assume that going forward in to the next expansion, they’ll start to design more things around assumption of certain maxed masteries, like the glider mastry that removes the time limit from gliding.

Guild Master – The Papacy [POPE] (Gate of Madness)/Road Scholar for the Durmand Priory
Writer/Director – Quaggan Quest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky2TGPmMPeQ

Gliding: What's it like?

in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns

Posted by: Muchacho.2390

Muchacho.2390

Gliding has a big problem… and that is that you only will be able to glide in the HoT maps…

I hope that sums up well what i think about gliding…

To be fair, they couldn’t really add it in to core maps without significantly changing them. A lot of those maps have many places that don’t actually have roof geometry, or places where the danger of falling to your death is core to the design, or just map borders that you could see beyond if gliding. This is similar to when WoW implemented flying mounts. It would simply take too much work to update old maps which aren’t designed for it for little to no gameplay value, and a whole lot of extra QA.

However, all expansions and live maps going forward assume ownership of HoT, and thus the gliding system, so It’s a safe bet to assume the maps you can’t glide on now (and possibly new fractals, since fractals are a “core” system) are the only maps you will ever not be able to glide on.

Also assume that going forward in to the next expansion, they’ll start to design more things around assumption of certain maxed masteries, like the glider mastry that removes the time limit from gliding.

I know but i can still dream, cant i?