Guild Wars 2

The following has me very concerned (although I am otherwise hyped for this expansion). I don’t like the singular here:

From an environment standpoint, this is the largest amount of vertical space we have ever built in the game. Our map spans huge distances up in the air. We are actually able to climb to the very top of the jungle and look down on everyone below. We’re adding hang gliding, so you won’t have to fall to your death every time. We’re adding a lot of abilities that will take advantage of the amount of 3D space that we’ll make use of as part of these adventures in the jungle.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/87848/guild-wars-2-director-discusses-heart-of-thorns-revenants-guild-halls-and-more

Well…if it’s a map the size of 5 zones, I’ll be satisfied.

First the interview says only one specialization per class, then it says only one map. I may not get the expansion after all.

I think it’s not meant to be taken literal there. The HoT site talks about maps plural.

Diovid.9506:

I think it’s not meant to be taken literal there. The HoT site talks about maps plural.

Either Anet needs new PR, or Colin just likes playing with my emotions…

^ Or they forgot to add a ‘s’.

The article also talks about a Malik, which we know means Mallyx (based on the information from the stream). So it is fully possible that they actually said maps but the author either misheard or mistyped.

It might simply also be talking about the region Heart of Maguuma. They usually refer to the zones as zones rather than maps after all.

All very possible explanations. I am hoping the deep dives confirm my optimism as opposed to the occasional pessimism. I am a “fanboi” so to speak, so I find myself thinking they’ll do something amazing.

JLHiggs.6258:

The following has me very concerned (although I am otherwise hyped for this expansion). I don’t like the singular here:

From an environment standpoint, this is the largest amount of vertical space we have ever built in the game. Our map spans huge distances up in the air. We are actually able to climb to the very top of the jungle and look down on everyone below. We’re adding hang gliding, so you won’t have to fall to your death every time. We’re adding a lot of abilities that will take advantage of the amount of 3D space that we’ll make use of as part of these adventures in the jungle.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/87848/guild-wars-2-director-discusses-heart-of-thorns-revenants-guild-halls-and-more

Are you this obsessed with the expansion? It is a transcript of a phone interview. They either forgot a ’’s’’ , it is really one map or something else. Frickin wait for the details in the upcoming months. =.=

Endo Kazuki.2086:

Are you this obsessed with the expansion? It is a transcript of a phone interview. They either forgot a ’’s’’ or it is really one map. Frickin wait for the details in the upcoming months. =.=

Yes, I am this obsessed, and as I note above, I am hoping that a number of the explanations play out. That being said, speculation isn’t unhealthy. It’s a relatively normal human reaction to uncertainty, and I intend to continue in a civil version of said speculation that won’t be contained by someone telling me to “frickin” do something.

JLHiggs.6258:

The following has me very concerned (although I am otherwise hyped for this expansion). I don’t like the singular here:

From an environment standpoint, this is the largest amount of vertical space we have ever built in the game. Our map spans huge distances up in the air. We are actually able to climb to the very top of the jungle and look down on everyone below. We’re adding hang gliding, so you won’t have to fall to your death every time. We’re adding a lot of abilities that will take advantage of the amount of 3D space that we’ll make use of as part of these adventures in the jungle.

http://www.shacknews.com/article/87848/guild-wars-2-director-discusses-heart-of-thorns-revenants-guild-halls-and-more

Or it means the map of HoT… why should it have been maps? It’s one map, the map of the expansion, like they wouldn’t say our maps span for the original game either. It doesn’t say our zone span, it’s the whole map of the expansion, it doesn’t need to be plural. You don’t say “the maps of Tyria”, you say “the MAP of Tyria”, and in this case “the MAP of HoT” and not “the maps of HoT”, simple logic.

I for one an extremely hyped about new map/maps verticality. Now if they don’t screw this up by making it 3 flat floors with some simplisting “upjumping” and gliding then we’re in for something revolutionary. A-net has already shown potential for maps that are interesting in z-axis, especially with recent additions from living story. If they can truly make a multi tiered jungle where traveling from one “level” to another includes climbling steep obstacles using junle skills, some well placed jumping, maybe even using some situational mechanics like mount or wind gust taking you up, then we’re in for a treat. I expect a jungle – chaotic, erratic, living and breathing each step you take. Not some flat zone above, ton of empty space under it till we hit ground level, then again ton of nothing till we descend into roots.

However so far i have every reason to believe they will not screw this up and i’m keeping my fingers crossed and my money ready to toss it into my screen:)

ZeftheWicked.3076:

I for one an extremely hyped about new map/maps verticality. Now if they don’t screw this up by making it 3 flat floors with some simplisting “upjumping” and gliding then we’re in for something revolutionary. A-net has already shown potential for maps that are interesting in z-axis, especially with recent additions from living story. If they can truly make a multi tiered jungle where traveling from one “level” to another includes climbling steep obstacles using junle skills, some well placed jumping, maybe even using some situational mechanics like mount or wind gust taking you up, then we’re in for a treat. I expect a jungle – chaotic, erratic, living and breathing each step you take. Not some flat zone above, ton of empty space under it till we hit ground level, then again ton of nothing till we descend into roots.

However so far i have every reason to believe they will not screw this up and i’m keeping my fingers crossed and my money ready to toss it into my screen:)

If they turn the entire zone into a frustrating JP, then it would be a no go for me. I suck at JPs. Have done a few, but no where near all of them.

So, if this turns into an arcade-style, lightning reflexes kind of map, no thanks.

There are several typos and other errors in that article, I’m not reading too much into that “our map”.

I suspect it’s a mistake, either Colin mispoke or the author misheard (or mistyped).

i’d like to point out that the interview is full of typos and bad grammar, so you could just add that up to the list, probably.

Morsus.5106:

First the interview says only one specialization per class, then it says only one map. I may not get the expansion after all.

They also say that it’s one specialisation with the expansion but that they’d use the specialisation system to give players new skills and traits later on, implying new specialisations will be coming. This is going to allow them to give us new traits and utilities without them feeling out of place or useless.

As for the map, one map could technically be multiple zones, we won’t know for several weeks.

It’s way too soon to decide if this expansion is worth buying or not, hold the dramatic tone until we actually have all the concrete info

psizone.8437:

Morsus.5106:

First the interview says only one specialization per class, then it says only one map. I may not get the expansion after all.

They also say that it’s one specialisation with the expansion but that they’d use the specialisation system to give players new skills and traits later on, implying new specialisations will be coming. This is going to allow them to give us new traits and utilities without them feeling out of place or useless.

As for the map, one map could technically be multiple zones, we won’t know for several weeks.

It’s way too soon to decide if this expansion is worth buying or not, hold the dramatic tone until we actually have all the concrete info

My assumption, and its just an assumption, is that further expansions would add additional Masteries and chains – things relevant to the area’s the expac is set in. No real need to swamp players with dozens of new things every xpac.

If it’s a particularly large map, as they seem to be implying it is, then I think it’ll be okay.
You can also consider that we might not be fighting Mordremoth right off the bat when the xpac launches. They might have more maps “in storage” to release thereafter and build a lead-up to the final confrontation through LS style releases.
…which I might actually prefer. People bum-rushing through the content and killing Mordremoth within the first few days of launch would be kind of lame.

You want to be that technical? The “map” is what you open when you press M. That’s the only thing in game that’s known as the map. Something like Brisban Wildlands or Gendarren Fields is a “zone.”

After the whole only one specialization thing, they’re making me really nervous. I’d like to think its one massive map, but they’ve got me second guessing them.

Morsus.5106:

Diovid.9506:

I think it’s not meant to be taken literal there. The HoT site talks about maps plural.

Either Anet needs new PR, or Colin just likes playing with my emotions…

Or they never assumed that the player base would literally interpret every single letter. A silly assumption to be honest, would have though they knew us better than that.

yanipheonu.5798:

After the whole only one specialization thing, they’re making me really nervous. I’d like to think its one massive map, but they’ve got me second guessing them.

I know right! Why even call it a specialization if it’s going to be the only progression? Either specialize or not. It’s technically a choice but not a good one. That’s like going out to diner and being offered a raw t-bone or no t-bone or all. What if I like my t-bone well done or medium-rare? No not a option, ok then… I’ll just sit her nursing my drink then.

EDIT: reading the article they do promise to expand on the system… eventually.

yanipheonu.5798:

After the whole only one specialization thing, they’re making me really nervous. I’d like to think its one massive map, but they’ve got me second guessing them.

On the expansion details page they say “maps”, specifically “Explore new open world jungle maps.” I think that’s all you really need to discount the “our map” concerns.

https://heartofthorns.guildwars2.com/

I think that the guy doing the interview simply can’t type too well.

CureForLiving.5360:

yanipheonu.5798:

After the whole only one specialization thing, they’re making me really nervous. I’d like to think its one massive map, but they’ve got me second guessing them.

I know right! Why even call it a specialization if it’s going to be the only progression? Either specialize or not. It’s technically a choice but not a good one. That’s like going out to diner and being offered a raw t-bone or no t-bone or all. What if I like my t-bone well done or medium-rare? No not a option, ok then… I’ll just sit her nursing my drink then.

EDIT: reading the article they do promise to expand on the system… eventually.

Well, they said that specialisation changes your core abilities, traits and so on, so you will be able to do things as a druid that you can’t do as a ranger, and (I’d imagine) that means you can do things as a ranger that you can’t do as a druid.

Johanson: Specializations is a new system that allows you to take each of the professions we have in the game and grow them almost into a new sub-profession or secondary profession. An example of this is, a Ranger can become a Druid. Once a Ranger becomes a Druid, they have the ability to use the powers of the jungle and that gives them new skills, new traits, they can use a new weapon that a Ranger could never use before, and they get new profession mechanics that fundamentally change the way a Ranger plays when they become a Druid.

Now they say you can switch back to be a Ranger at will. I think that’s the core of the specialisations, the change in profession mechanics and traits and the ability to switch between “vanilla” Ranger and Druid.

Mind you the specialisation does sounds like it’s more than the base, so we’ll have to see.

misterman.1530:

If they turn the entire zone into a frustrating JP, then it would be a no go for me. I suck at JPs. Have done a few, but no where near all of them.

I’m slightly worried about this as well. I’ve never been a fan of platform type games, and Dry Top wasn’t my cup of tea when it came to using all the crystals. Trying to jump before the buff ran out to get to that teeny, tiny edge that only your front toe visibly touches, yet supports your entire body while the rest of you is standing in mid-air. Then there was those few days where the entire zone was laggy for everyone, and people would dying all over the place trying to do the JP, or just trying to get across to another rock.

Really looking forward to the new specializations, PvP updates, Guild Halls, and group content, but not so much with this whole Dry Top x 10 thing they seem to be adding.

Copestetic.5174:

Really looking forward to the new specializations, PvP updates, Guild Halls, and group content, but not so much with this whole Dry Top x 10 thing they seem to be adding.

But that’s the natural evolution of things. It’s inevitable. First we had horizontal maps (every MMO that came before GW2) then we had horizontal maps with the illusion of verticality (GW2) and now we’re going to get actual vertical maps (GW2-HoT). It’s the future of map design!