Guild Wars 2

Seriously…I just started the expansion…the very first area and I’m already about to ragequit. The mastery system needs to just be outright abolished…and everything needs a nerf in HoT…even the non elites.

This is dumb, all I want to do is play the story…that’s all I care about.

Finished HoT yesterday. Only thing I partied up with people for was to get in good Meta maps. Outside of those few, I’ve done tons of events, and threw up boosters and enjoyed killing tons of crap -solo- for exp. This also includes several pre-nerfed Champion Hero Challenges.

It’s not hard.

tip: try something other than zerker.
ive solod the entire expansion, and largely the base game (only needed to group for 1 story because it was a dungeon proper at the time)

kite things with a ranged weapon, pay attention to your surroundings. i think i wiped in maybe 2 of the stories total

I’m not having an issue soloing most of the HoT content I’ve come across that’s meant to be soloed. I like that there are some things I simply can’t faceroll, that make me think how to proceed.

I think it’s a cool to have the story actually guide you through the map, makes it feel more connected to the world, for me.

Never partied with anyone once, finished HoT story and half masteries, and most HPs.

Don’t think HoT is the problem here…

If someone didnt tell you GW2 is mmorpg. You should definetly google that term

the jungle may require an adjustment in gear and playstyle.

I am also… neurologically challenged… especially when it comes to depth perception. most things in this game, I can learn over time, but the new zones are a special kind of challenge for me, yet I am able to tackle them. So, maybe try new ways (build- gear/skills/etc. – some fights are difficult when not at range) or get some guild mates/friends/find a group of people in the world to follow?

This thread again.

If you need help, whisper me in game. I can give you some pro tips to survive the jungle like Lord Faren does. Or I could redirect you to the nearest “Mentor”. So he can give you pro tips that are unarguably better than mine.

If I had a dime every time someone blamed the game for their own shortcomings….

I would probably be able to buy more stuff from the gem store. Thank dog there was only a one-time buy for the expansion.

I’ve soloed most of HoT. Sometimes you have to adapt your play style to beat new content. If you are doing something and it’s not working, what have you tried to make it work? That’s part of what makes it a game. The challenge of figuring out how to beat it.

For all those saying they solo’d those champs, please state your class and build and weapon(s) choice. I’m interested in how you beat the champ mushroom for a start. And how many attempts. And the vamp champ.

If you got any help, you didn’t solo.

Ran through every single profession except Revenant (leveling him normally) yesterday, all in various Exotics. And I slotted in what I could of the Elite Specialization (e.g., the weapon and heal + one Utility Skill, as well as the first Trait (on a whole lot of them)), and then ran through the new zone(s) to collect Hero Points. I did not really die, even once. And it were incredibly easy to get people to come to the Hero Challenges that can’t be soloed (—You just state; “Doing the Hero Challenge <insert direction> of <insert Waypoint/PoI> in a bit, if anyone else needs it.” and alternatively give a little bit more direction, e.g., “It’s up and over the vine.”, and people will come. Don’t ask if people can help you, say you are doing it, almost as if it’s a favor to them. Basic psychology. It’s a MMORPG, there’s players all around you. You can interact on some basic level with people once in a while. It doesn’t hurt. For that matter, there are more than enough of them spread over the zones that are channeled, meaning you don’t need to do the ones with Champions. A huge amount of the Verdant Brink ones are soloable.

Anyways, I took every profession but Revenant, in various mix-matched Exotics and Runes, professions I don’t normally play, through the Maguuma zones, without any issue at all. I could traverse it just fine, I could kill enemies just fine (every Elite Specialization, even without all skills and traits—are really good), and I could unlock every Elite Specialization, within the course of 6 hours or so (which is way too easy/fast if you ask me, but then again, people want it to be over with fast, so whatever, I’ll deal with it). You don’t need a group to run around at all. The new content is as such, soloable. Getting people to come to certain challenges aren’t voiding your ability to stay solo.

Oh, and you can solo the Story perfectly fine. There’s no problems there. Again, something I was done with in just 3-4 days post-launch. Honestly, it’s quite sad how they removed any sort of progression reward, through unlocking access to Story missions. Because people wants everything now on a silver platter, instead of actually playing the game a little bit (and no, that does not equal work or a grind, it just means you play the game—you can get every Mastery required from doing events only once, Hero Challenges, killing some mobs, gathering, exploring the maps and so on forth. There is no need to repeatedly grind on something.).

This is feeling more and more like a slightly souped up Living World update, and less and less like an Expansion, the more they are nerfing these things. But that’s my opinion, and you’re welcome to disagree.

I soloed hot: nomad staff ele

Did story all solo, soldier gear with zerk trinkets on warrior.

Finished HoT story in my WvW equipment on my ranger, which is Power / Precision / Ferocity. I had to dodge properly and look for tells on NPC’s to survive, and I loved it. It was challenging, yes, but what’s wrong with that?

Except for the HP champions and the large meta events, In fact if you have the right gear and knowledge u can do most of the HP champions solo. Even the harder HPs can be duo’d its not hard to ask in map chat if anyone wants to pitch in, and this was before nerfs.
TBH you need to check your gear and your build and then practice and get better, there’s plenty of people and advice out there.

Yeah the first couple hours I spent in HoT made me want to bash my own head in, especially considering I’d been away from GW for a while. But I do think we, gamers in general, have been spoiled by games that are just way too easy to pick up and play. But that’s just the state of video games right now, we just gotta deal with it.

Don’t give up. Just try to keep at it, keep an open mind and you’ll get the hang of the expansion eventually. HoT is fun, albeit a little grindy.

The difficulty seems fine to me, and possibly even too easy in places, and I really don’t see a problem with having to call for help in map chat to do some things. There are a couple of annoying flow-breaking mastery requirements in the storyline, but I’ve dealt with far, far worse in other games.

Masteries also seem fine. I’ve picked up all of the low-hanging fruit from the HoT mastery trees already, and that gives me plenty of options. The remaining masteries provide some cool long-term goals, and they seem worth pursuing, depending on what stats the relic weapons allow.

But really, if all you care about is seeing the story, then you are not the audience that any MMO is intended for. Solo content is not meant to be a major part of the game, it’s just there to make being between guilds a little more bearable for people in that situation.

You can play HoT solo just fine, I finished it with my guard and did everything solo, and only got the dragonhunter elite after exploring the 3rd map or something, while there are some very lethal npc’s on the HoT maps once you know what to look for, how to handle them it’s not that hard anymore. When I got my dragonhunter it even got a little easier because I think the traps rule. I am using knights and berserker mix gs/scepter and torch, so pretty standard.

If you’re going to define “solo” as “do absolutely everything with no help whatsoever” then of course it’s not soloable. No MMO is.

If, however, you have a more reasonable expectation of being able to travel the entire open world, see all the locations, gain all the xp and Mastery points you need and complete the whole of the Personal Story then it’s entirely soloable. You may need to adjust your build and your tactics but that’s a given for new content.

The one aspect that isn’t fully soloable and arguably should be is the Hero Points. It’s very easy to call in /map for more to come and help or you can just wait next to one – someone will soon turn up. This is GW2 after all – there is no competition and two or three people soloing in the same area is effectively a group anyway.

It can be soloed if ur a geared and traited bearbow, like really. So yes, it is soloable, and if ur not willing to reroll then thats on ur end not wanting to adapt.

I’ve done all maps solo (without group hero challenges) on my guardian (in berserker gear). Those maps required more than autoattack and some dodges use Your reflects skills, interrupts learn mob mechanic and You’ll be fine in solo play.

Acewings.6872:

Seriously…I just started the expansion…the very first area and I’m already about to ragequit. The mastery system needs to just be outright abolished…and everything needs a nerf in HoT…even the non elites.

This is dumb, all I want to do is play the story…that’s all I care about.

No offence, but stay in tyria or find some help from guildmates or random pugs. I’m quite happy that HoT isn’t for everyone. This game needs some stuff that is kinda elite content, something that once legendaries were. If you can’t solo something don’t do it, go gathering ores from Tyria. this forum is full of “nerf X” posts, in each some casuals cry somethng like “omg, this mob is too hard, I can’t tap dodge while eating hot-dog nerf plx”
There haven’t been raids aired yet, and you already cry. It’s quite kittened, especially since whole HoT was announced as CHALLENGING CONTENT, not, as core game, CASUAL STUFF EVERYONE CAN FACEROLL waving to every single dungeon. You bought access to challenging content, so you have no right to cry it’s challenging. It’s like buying piece of kitten in nice box and being suprised it’s actually kitten.

And I have question for you… Why I was able to finish story, and you are not? Am I Lyssa-like mesmer who can one shot everything? Not really. So there is no excuse, if you are not able to finish story find some help. If you are not able to farm mastery, don’t do it. Or I have even better idea. Start doing events on map, it’s quite fun, especially when you have glider already.

Sorry fro flaming you so hard, but i’m quite kittened off by thousands of “nerf this plox” threads. Nobody said HoT is going to be soloable. Especially when you have meta even oriented maps.

EDIT:
mesmer berserker, rune of strength. gs/sword+focus. reflect plus funny glamour stuff. Really, it’s not hard.

Try using something other than zerker if your struggling, HoT is fine as it is, i just wish anet never made it easier to get your elite spec as it was fine at 400

Dovienya.6597:

the jungle may require an adjustment in gear and playstyle.

I am also… neurologically challenged… especially when it comes to depth perception. most things in this game, I can learn over time, but the new zones are a special kind of challenge for me, yet I am able to tackle them. So, maybe try new ways (build- gear/skills/etc. – some fights are difficult when not at range) or get some guild mates/friends/find a group of people in the world to follow?

So what you’re telling me is that there’s a holy trinity now and Anet did a complete 180? I now cant play as anything other than a tank?

Acewings.6872:

Dovienya.6597:

the jungle may require an adjustment in gear and playstyle.

I am also… neurologically challenged… especially when it comes to depth perception. most things in this game, I can learn over time, but the new zones are a special kind of challenge for me, yet I am able to tackle them. So, maybe try new ways (build- gear/skills/etc. – some fights are difficult when not at range) or get some guild mates/friends/find a group of people in the world to follow?

So what you’re telling me is that there’s a holy trinity now and Anet did a complete 180? I now cant play as anything other than a tank?

I’ve played solo without major difficulty with berserker/marauder stat on my mesmer and thief, my friend did it with half soldier half berserker, and for my balanced celestial stat elementalist it was effortless.

Except the champions at hero points. Those things need better scaling at 1 player, not all of us are online at the same time as a ton of other people.

Eponet.4829:

Except the champions at hero points. Those things need better scaling at 1 player, not all of us are online at the same time as a ton of other people.

Yeah, I think the champion Hero Challenges should spawn a vet when there’s only 1-2 people.

Notsoperky.2348:

For all those saying they solo’d those champs, please state your class and build and weapon(s) choice. I’m interested in how you beat the champ mushroom for a start. And how many attempts. And the vamp champ.

If you got any help, you didn’t solo.

I did the majority of the hero point champions solo using full zerker and full trap dragonhunter using longbow and mace/focus.

Took me two tries for mushroom, haven’t started the other one yet.

Acewings.6872:

Dovienya.6597:

the jungle may require an adjustment in gear and playstyle.

I am also… neurologically challenged… especially when it comes to depth perception. most things in this game, I can learn over time, but the new zones are a special kind of challenge for me, yet I am able to tackle them. So, maybe try new ways (build- gear/skills/etc. – some fights are difficult when not at range) or get some guild mates/friends/find a group of people in the world to follow?

So what you’re telling me is that there’s a holy trinity now and Anet did a complete 180? I now cant play as anything other than a tank?

You can’t play anything other than tank because you are purely unskilled for berserker gear. Use nomad gear for your training wheels.

At first, yes, the maps are pretty hard, but play the events, get gliding and mushroom bouncing, then get updraft or perhaps even the nuloch wallows for easier traveling.

The events are designed to funnel you into other bigger group events in the pact rally points, most of the enemies attacking pact supply carriers are entirely solo able.

Eventually you’ll (probably) start to find the jungle isn’t so bad to traverse, and once you figure out the enemies and how to best tackle them using your playstyle, you’ll start having fun. This expansion was about adding some sense of progression to endgame and that’s what they’ve done. I went in, got my butt beat a couple times till I learned how to tackle different scenarios, and now I’m running around helping others having the same problems I did at the start, and most are now finding they’re loving the jungle and its challenges.

evilunderling.9265:

Solo content is not meant to be a major part of the game, it’s just there to make being between guilds a little more bearable for people in that situation.

Uh-huh – that’s why it made about 90% of GW 2’s content and was advertised heavily by ANet …

Eh, I haven’t had too much trouble soloing content. If I ran into a brick wall, I usually went somewhere else for a bit to cool off before my frustration had me making even more mistakes.

Keep in mind, I am a casual player, my average playtime is a couple of hours. This means that a casual can solo it provided they have an understanding of the underlying game mechanics and take the time to learn each area.

The only part I haven’t been able to solo has been the final story mission, and I am fine with that. Hell, I am having a lot of fun trying, as I like the challenge. That the fight I am having trouble with has a number of bugs is immaterial. It’s still fun.

I did most of the content as a Valk/Zerker Tempest, and switched to Carrion/Zerker later to experiment with it, found it fun, and now run that. I also intend to do some other builds and try them.

khesi.2786:

I’ve done all maps solo (without group hero challenges) on my guardian (in berserker gear). Those maps required more than autoattack and some dodges use Your reflects skills, interrupts learn mob mechanic and You’ll be fine in solo play.

Which means you either didn’t do the maps (beacuse you skipped 50%& of the HP challenges and thus have no map completition) or you did those with random join-ins, which means you didn’t play solo.

Either way – you’re supporting the OP.

In terms of PvE, I think HoT is just right. Yes, mobs hit like trucks but they usually have well announced attacks. Hero challenges has already been nerfed, though some can be still be challenging… that’s kind of the point of a challenge.

I demand an end to non-soloable “Hero Challenges” and Arena Net immediately rename them to “Cowardly Solutions”!

Briars.1425:

tip: try something other than zerker.
ive solod the entire expansion, and largely the base game (only needed to group for 1 story because it was a dungeon proper at the time)

kite things with a ranged weapon, pay attention to your surroundings. i think i wiped in maybe 2 of the stories total

I’m still playing zerker…full melee too.

It’s a bit of a pain, I can’t solo defend rally points or bring down legendary wyverns by myself. But for just wandering around, it’s been fairly smooth.

“We should be able to do group content by ourselves.”

Am I the only one who sees a logic problem with this statement?

Some of the new mobs in HoTs are very annoying. Like those ones that roll at you and keep rolling at you aggro every kittenin thing in the area even if you stop to fight them in their spawn area. And the modrem archers, and pretty much all the mushroom enemies..

But besides that I’ve solo’d pretty much everything that can be solo’d even some of the champion hero points. They’re fairly easy once you learn their patterns. Please note I’m not talking about the group events, obviously those can’t be finished by a solo player.

That being said I’m aware not everyone has the same skill level that I do (not that I think I’m good, far from it). So I fully understand how people can think the HoTs maps are not solo friendly.

Just because they think it doesn’t make it true. All they need to do is step up their game a little. This is something anyone can do, not just hardcore people. It requires no investment, just skill.

The bigger problem is when they start saying stuff like “But this champion keeps killing me no matter how much I try.”. That stuf isn’t meant to be solo’d but they stubbornly keep trying. When all you need to do is type “/map” and ask for help.

Dengar.1785:

Just because they think it doesn’t make it true. All they need to do is step up their game a little. This is something anyone can do, not just hardcore people. It requires no investment, just skill.

I would go so far as to say it doesn’t even require a lot of skill. Just a little awareness of what’s going on around you.

People tend to get so tunnel visioned on what they’re doing to the exclusion of all else it often leads to people thinking they died for no reason.

Good or bad we can’t just run through these maps blindly like we can in the vanilla ones. It’s like Cursed Shore before they nerfed the mob density there. It’s not hard exactly, you just can’t blindly run through every mob pack and not expect to get cc’d to death.

The only thing I partied for was joining maps. Everything else I did solo, including mapping and events. :/

In my experiance the average mordrem goes down faster if you have a condi build like for bleed, poison or fire.
and yes having condi gear helps you kill mordrem faster than clasic zerk build.
Why?
Because those bleeds, poison or fire keep ticking away even when you’re busy dodging their attacks.
Mordrem don’t stand around and wait for you to kill them.

HoT Maps are not solo-able because you feel cheated at the experience you get from fighting very difficult mobs.

Clearly they have scaled it for ZERG Gameplay – which is not to everyone’s taste (well not ALL the time anyway).

With ZERG Gameplay it doesn’t really matter where you are, so if you have just ZERGed outside HoT you’re not really all that interested in ZERGing inside HoT. There is only so much of ZERGing a casual player is going to find enjoyable.

With Orr – pre-nerf – you could struggle thru the maps because you got a sense of progress with the level bar. But with the MAstery Bar in HoT maps there is essentially no progress at all. You’re efforts seem pointless.

This is a serious failure for the Expansion. Anet essentially can’t give a lot of EXP for killing mobs because that would leave the maps too open to easy progress via ZERGing gameplay. When the ZERGs decrease the maps are empty, as people realise the pointlessness of anything else.

I’d rather play Alts in core for an hour of two, than struggle in HoT achieving nothing for the same time. Doubt I’m anything special in this department.

Acewings.6872:

Dovienya.6597:

the jungle may require an adjustment in gear and playstyle.

I am also… neurologically challenged… especially when it comes to depth perception. most things in this game, I can learn over time, but the new zones are a special kind of challenge for me, yet I am able to tackle them. So, maybe try new ways (build- gear/skills/etc. – some fights are difficult when not at range) or get some guild mates/friends/find a group of people in the world to follow?

So what you’re telling me is that there’s a holy trinity now and Anet did a complete 180? I now cant play as anything other than a tank?

There is not a holy trinity. There is a soft trinity. A-net has always been trying to promote a soft trinity, but failed to do so until somewhat recently. This is the difference:

You play guardian. You join a group that wants to beat an encounter. But no one in the party is set up to run dps. But that is ok, because, despite being a guard, you can be a dps-focused guard with the right setup. Everyone can more or less do everything in their own special way. That way there can still be roles, but the roles are not forced upon you froma decision made years ago.

I solo’d it, so clearly it can be solo’d.

I’m a zerk necro and I’m getting my butt handed to me, its awesome. Seriously. Its forcing me to explore new builds and new item sets that I didnt consider before, looking forward to trying out new builds. Just need the hero points to get 100% reaper..

Crion.8465:

I’m a zerk necro and I’m getting my butt handed to me, its awesome. Seriously. Its forcing me to explore new builds and new item sets that I didnt consider before, looking forward to trying out new builds. Just need the hero points to get 100% reaper..

Not sure if it’s like Chrono, but it was 100% worth it to slot Chrono without having access to all the traits. Just having the Shield and F5 made HoT a lot more manageable.

Solo’d all the story with a zerker ele. Super easy to find groups for champ hero points. They already nerfed half the hero points to communes and veterans. It sucks to see very interesting fights get completly abolished because someone can’t read the text under the enemies health bar.

nacario.9417:

It can be soloed if ur a geared and traited bearbow, like really. So yes, it is soloable, and if ur not willing to reroll then thats on ur end not wanting to adapt.

Someone is recommending bearbow. Now I’ve seen everything.

or just learn to watch animations I am running full zerker and I manage to kill stuff