Id like to point this out first and foremost, I like the new map designs, the music is great, the mobs are interesting the encounters have promise.
But the entire thing is one giant open world raid.
Now theres a problem with that design immediatley off the bat, you’re essentially saying every map is silverwastes 2.0 which means to complete the map you need people present, the problem is, people will choose a favorate map, stick to it, and zerg farm it until they get bored.
There is no doubt in my mind this is exactly what the mentality of alot of group players is right now, and its the reason that the new maps are bad.
Basically, what needs to happen is the following:
- Verdant Brink, Auric Basin and Tangled Depths need to be nerfed to be designed with solo players in mind, allowing progressive adventuring in those maps with more frequent events and better event XP (at least for early mastery levels from 1-2).
- The meta events in these maps need to be less tedious and lengthy and more to the point, some of them go on for literally ever and are extremely boring after the first time you do them with very little XP progression.
- Sadly, even worse than this is the absoleute truth that there is no way in hell that you can make 4 seperate zerg-required maps work tangably, its basically Orr all over again except even worse because now its MANDATORY to zerg.
So basically, you need to remove the zerg for every map but Dragons Stand, and perhaps even throw in the odd heart quest or two for the earlier maps to make them feel more like “progress” maps on account that the storyline literally makes you go through each of them to progress.
More importantly, remove every prequisit requirement for the storyline and just “let” solo players enjoy it at their own leisure, theres always a group mode for people that want to replay the same content with a challenge.
You need more options here, theres not enough, and they need to be more open to every access, not just one peoples favor.
Im not saying that ALL zerg content should be removed, just 3 of the 4 maps, allowing the 4th, Dragons Stand (which works Perfectly for Zerging) to remain exactly as it is.
You created the mastery system in the subtlest way of adding a completely new set of tiered levels to the game, you said there would be no more levels but thats ‘exactly’ what mastery is, leveling.
And its not a fun kind, when you literally “have” to do it, to progress content that doesnt “need” it.
I believe A-net you had a plan here, to make group content that was challenging and fun, but you failed, you know its not going to work and you need to accept that.
Make Verdant Brink the way it was during Beta 3 when people complained it was too easy, at least then you have a starting point people can get through to reach later bits that can gradually curve the challenge upwards.
I want to see this game do better than it already has, im sure some people enjoy this content, but by doing this, you can make alot more enjoy it at a small expense of those few that get upset over content not being “grouped” enough considering they’d still get dragons stand which would be their little “thing” while everyone else gets the open world progression on an easier curve.