Guild Wars 2

3 months ago I returned to GW2. I have played the game off/on in WvW, sPvP since release but now with a 2yr old the time to dedicate myself to a group is a bit of a challenge. I completed LS2, and bounced between maps effortlessly forcing myself to the end due to lacking dialog, and attraction of the story (other then a few moments).

I am halfway through HoT and the maps are in my honest opinion one of the most amazing engineered, artistic maps I have experienced in a video game. The realism not up with Witcher 3 but the actual layout is awesome. Last night I opened the map to identify where a hero point was up, or down from my level. Knowing it was up I just jumped off the edge floated towards the nearest tornado? not sure what they are called, and just kept analyzing my next move. It took me 30 minutes but I eventually made it exploring trees, wreckage, roots. I then fought a boss that obviously was a bit of challenge compared to previous maps, and received my hero point.

These maps are all about exploration, no direct path, a bit of frustration but accomplishment. I find it so enjoyable finding an objective like a hero point, and tackling activities along the way, either world events, chests, mini bosses, story line, mining, etc… I am actually seeing that I no longer run after the high level gear, or rush to the end, or compete for the top spot. I would say it is more casual but I have been playing more now then ever and loving it!

Thanks ArenaNet you guys have obviously stepped up from earlier game development now that you have a foundation.

HoT’s maps are really polarizing. I think having 4 maps back-to-back with that degree of complexity was kind of a mistake, but all of them were really well designed individually. The problem was that, taken as a whole, the expansion felt like it pushed too much relentless tedium, and this was a problem especially for players with less solo-friendly classes.

I actually like TD the most, which almost no one else does.

I’m happy that PoF will have less verticality, although I expect and hope the occasional map to be as complex as HoT’s maps were.

I feel the same way. The HoT maps are the best I’ve ever seen in an MMO. Tangled Depths is my favorite of all of them, although I really love Verdant Brink and Auric Basin, too!

Einlanzer.1627:

HoT’s maps are really polarizing. I think having 4 maps back-to-back with that degree of complexity was kind of a mistake, but all of them were really well designed individually. The problem was that, taken as a whole, the expansion felt like it pushed too much relentless tedium, and this was a problem especially for players with less solo-friendly classes.

I actually like TD the most, which almost no one else does.

I’m happy that PoF will have less verticality, although I expect and hope the occasional map to be as complex as HoT’s maps were.

I don’t think all four maps have the same degree of complexity. TD is very complex followed by VB. Dragonstand is actually less complex than both and AB is hardly in the same category.

HoT maps are by far my favorite maps in the game. Even after zone completing TD on a dozen characters, I’m still finding better ways to get around. Great stuff.