Guild Wars 2

What do you guys think of HoT as it currently is right now? I haven’t played it yet so I want to know your guys’ opinion.

If you’re walking in the jungle for the first time you’ll find lots of content to go through and the april patch made stuff a lot more enjoyable. I’d say jump in!

Got back from a break some 2 weeks ago or so – it’s pretty kitten fun. Lotsa things to do and master (like collections, map discovery, adventures). There are things to work torward to, just be patient, you can’t have it all at once.

Thanks everyone! I’m probably definitely gonna buy it. I can’t believe no one else has an opinion on this though but OK. lol

Although perhaps those two opinions sum up everyone else’s opinion pretty much and nobody wanted to sound redundant? shrugs I don’t know.

Arnox.5128:

Thanks everyone! I’m probably definitely gonna buy it. I can’t believe no one else has an opinion on this but OK. lol

Although perhaps those two opinions sum up everyone else’s opinion pretty much and nobody wanted to sound redundant? shrugs I don’t know.

Well one thing to know is that the difficulty is slightly more ramped up from core maps. You won’t find the standard “flat” maps with the lower mob density you are used to in core. Almost every where you go you will be either fighting or running for your life against mobs that are more difficult and complex than core mobs. While doing so you will face the challenge of having to learn your way around a maze of multiple levels in each map. Often the path is not very clear. So be prepared for a sharp learning curve and be ready to group up with others to reach several goals.

Personally I don’t care for the HoT maps as a very casual player but many players do seem to enjoy it. The most I got out of it was gliding in core maps, auto loot, a few elite specs I like and playing Revenant which I do enjoy and became my main. If you decide to buy HoT I hope you enjoy it as many other have.

Gliding is the single best addition made to the game, it makes moving around so much easier, even on non-HoT maps.

I have a friend who stopped playing back before Scarlet and the Marionette, though he played an awful lot back then and did plenty of RP in our guild. He’s just reloaded the game and bought LS2, so we’ve been escorting him through that story and HoT (last I saw he was done with Prisoners of the Dragon). We’ve also done fractals and some Verdant Brink escorts and gotten him a Druid unlock. He’s having a blast, says everything has been much better than he expected.

He hasn’t gotten even close to needing to grind anything, of course, everything’s very new for him, but he really loves the HoT maps and the detail that goes into them (ok, he has only seen VB so far, still I am confident that he’ll appreciate the others too). So that’s another returning player happy he got HoT.

Oh its fine. HoT is worth it.

And maybe in another 9 months they will fix the Revenant that has totally kittened up WvW zerging. Boons. Boons everywhere.

I wasn’t going to post since it’s been covered quite nicely but I think at this time, it’s better than it’s ever been, particularly with the addition of the new living story episode. I really enjoyed that, and I like the zone that came along with it, even if it is on the smallish side.

one tip:
if you have multiple characters to choose from start HoT with one with high viability and a ranged setup. a lot of the mobs in HoT are easier to fight ranged (though you need a melee options especially in tangled depths where there are mobs with range reflect).
i have done the HoT maps first with my ranger (full berzerk) to build up the masteries, which made it easier for my other chars later on.

Its fine, its still not complete and we’re still lacking some of the things we were promised but overall its not terrible.

In my opinion, you have two totally different experiences with HoT these days:

If you enter HoT for the first time, your experience is (still) awful. You are crippled in every way due to missing masteries which are essential in the HoT areas, and very hard enemies that thwart solo exploing. You feel crippled almost the whole time until you max most of the masteries, and you don’t find your path in the confusing maps. Progress is tedious and not fun.

But if you enter HoT with maxed masteries and a bit of map knowledge, HoT is really fun. The maps are designed to be played this way.

The spring update changed one thing: it lowered the barrier between the beginner experience and the veteran experience. It shortened the time required to get your masteries high enough to not completely feel crippled. It shortened the “no fun” time, but it’s still there if you ask me.

Silmar Alech.4305:

In my opinion, you have two totally different experiences with HoT these days:

If you enter HoT for the first time, your experience is (still) awful. You are crippled in every way due to missing masteries which are essential in the HoT areas, and very hard enemies that thwart solo exploing. You feel crippled almost the whole time until you max most of the masteries, and you don’t find your path in the confusing maps. Progress is tedious and not fun.

But if you enter HoT with maxed masteries and a bit of map knowledge, HoT is really fun. The maps are designed to be played this way.

The spring update changed one thing: it lowered the barrier between the beginner experience and the veteran experience. It shortened the time required to get your masteries high enough to not completely feel crippled. It shortened the “no fun” time, but it’s still there if you ask me.

I think this depends on a lot of things, including what you like in a game. I loved HoT from moment one, because I like that kind of game. I like figuring out where to go. I like it not being obvious.

You know the kind of stuff I don’t like. Giant green arrows saying go here. Drives me nuts. There’s a couple in stories where there’s only one way to go. There’s one way to go and Anet feels the need to stick a giant green arrow on the map saying go this way…and it’s the only way to go! lol

The new zones felt a lot like puzzles to me. I had to figure out how to get places. I loved that about them. The figuring out was actually the best part for me.

I never felt hamstrung. I felt like I was playing a more old school adventure game.

Pros:
- The new Revenant class is fun
- Gliding is a lot of fun
- The new “vertical” maps are nice too

Cons:
- It’s just 3(,5) maps, so not that much to explore
- Masteries were a total grind at release, maybe that has been fixed meanwhile.
- All in all the concept of the maps is similar to the silverwastes. Zerging, zerging, zerging …

Personally i just went there at the start to get all hero points (as long as there were enough players to get them) with all toons and to do some exploration and personal story. But that’s far from enough to get all masteries, so there’s no real alternative to grinding (unlike the base game where you could craft, do wvw, or just explore map after map to get to 80) … that’s why i left the jungle.

Keep in mind though, you’ll need HoT for new living story chapters. And LS3 is neat.

Anybody know what the plans are for the next expansion?

Gearheart.2173:

Anybody know what the plans are for the next expansion?

Nope. And based on the current LS3 schedule we may not see or hear much for at least a year. That’s just my guess though.

Thanks again everyone!

Although, it’s funny because I would have thought guild halls/structured GvG/private arenas would have been some of the top things people are loving about HoT.

I bought HoT and would again for gliding and Ranger pets. However, I don’t enjoy platforming into obscurity with annoying mobs nipping at my heels so I don’t play on any maps beyond the Silverwastes. You would literally have to pay me to play HoT. I am hoping that something of the original inspiration for guild wars survives at Anet and that they will one day return to make something worthy of the franchise.

Gwilym I totally, TOTALLY agree … Those new map feel like not maps. I like some new features, especially those map lvls, but let’s be honest, that story is kinda lame …

I always loved to just STOP and watch the map. I liked icy maps with hills and good, nicely done enviroment. HoT is just a dynamic events hunt train. I’m lost with all those events, grinds etc. I remember how awesome was the event on one of those human maps with a giant to fight in a group. Srsly I liked it … You had walked slowly on the map, doing quest and saw some big creatures comming at you.

Vayne, those arrows, are just like the storry. So far I realised once that when I had done arah story I done my final story as well. I don’t know if I have ever lead it to an end. But there is a funny thing about hot, the heroes I didn’t like died, however I still don’t know what the story was about due to the stupid cut off episodes and events I didn’t participate … So far I know that there was a jungle and a dragon awoken.

Matijo.4382:

Gwilym I totally, TOTALLY agree … Those new map feel like not maps. I like some new features, especially those map lvls, but let’s be honest, that story is kinda lame …

I always loved to just STOP and watch the map. I liked icy maps with hills and good, nicely done enviroment. HoT is just a dynamic events hunt train. I’m lost with all those events, grinds etc. I remember how awesome was the event on one of those human maps with a giant to fight in a group. Srsly I liked it … You had walked slowly on the map, doing quest and saw some big creatures comming at you.

Vayne, those arrows, are just like the storry. So far I realised once that when I had done arah story I done my final story as well. I don’t know if I have ever lead it to an end. But there is a funny thing about hot, the heroes I didn’t like died, however I still don’t know what the story was about due to the stupid cut off episodes and events I didn’t participate … So far I know that there was a jungle and a dragon awoken.

Yep, you don’t know what the story was about because you didn’t participate. I don’t know what most anime is about because I don’t watch anime. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here.

The story is HoT is much maligned because people think the story is limited instances, but it’s not. Half the HoT story is in the zones themselves.

Naturally if you don’t play the zones you don’t get the stories.

So much better since the April patch. Add in LS3 and the optional raiding I think it’s worth it. Of course those who suffered HoT before that may have a very different opinion. Glad I waited to seriously play this content even though I pre-ordered it.

Plus GLIDING. It’s so much fun even in core Tyria.

Vayne I mean that you can play many rpg games and story is just more interesting. Dialogues, heroes, there is less patos and more realism. Some of the characters just feel bad, I wanted Trahearne to die from beginning >_> HoT is kinda better than normal story, has some more action and less stupid talks like : OMG WE’RE GOOD SIDE HERE WE GO TO SAVE THE WORLD.

Dungeon siege 2 story : you’re a mercenary who fought for a strange guy, which tried to kill you. Elves save the mercenary and … the mercenary has quests, there is some “corrpution” in the world, yeah you kill the bad guy. This feels more like a “revenge”.

Diablo had “stupid” story as well you know. It was about killing a demon, it sounds stupid doesn’kitten They just made it a good way. It was interesting enough to keep people going forward, and discover more facts etc.

When you first play GW2 it is cool, you do some quests, learn about cities etc.
But it feels too “nice”. The world of this game is great, there are old structures, ghosts of ascalon. Next story could be as well about some ascalonians trying to take revenge , or a war between charrs and humans. This is kinda more realistic and forcing to roleplay than just following a dragon, in a nice atmosphere with nice characters…
I know sylvaris were kinda traitors, but the story had too much “patos” and atmosphere of rightness for me. Like : OMG WHAT WE DO, save the traitor or kill em. Oh no this choice will matter so much … If I don’t kill them I will get some educational talking about how bad is not trusting people or something etc. Lol imagine that there could have been “real” time fight those corrupted sylvari taking cities, and players to defend it. Something like dragon bosses, with a chance to drop some skins and/or giving mastery points. Or maybe a new dungeon? Could be based on HoT as well.
With a new dungeon there could be some more weapons or armor sets, so even new players can have it, and not legendary farm for another 2 years.
Maybe that’s what a few have been talking about with “content” label on it.
(yeah not raids, I hate raids for stupid 10 people party and “proper” builds).

Dunno but from beginning I liked charrs, and now no one cares about races. There is no rp? Asura feels so lonely, so far they were a part of this living story I didn’t participate and didn’t want to pay for as those were only some missions (but the cost was pretty high for users not farming everyday)

The best thing that came with HoT is gliding. It’s neutral, it’s funny, it gives new ideas for vistas + I liked masteries, and the story was a bit better. Vayne btw: if you don’t closely watch story it means it is boring for you, I’m not sure if I liked the thing you say about, the story integrated with maps. It isn’t too bad but those maps will become boring if you do the same thing over time(events with probably rare items drop), and on other side, you can’t just explore it, as everything will attack you and try to kill you, maybe not everywhere, but the enviroment is kinda the same, so what is to explore.

I mean that : after you’re done doing HoT you probably won’t enter those maps for other things than gold farm/items farm.

So far events>expansion, for me (comparing stories). The bad thing about events is you can’t obtain some skins if you don’t participate.

Matijo.4382:

Vayne I mean that you can play many rpg games and story is just more interesting. Dialogues, heroes, there is less patos and more realism. Some of the characters just feel bad, I wanted Trahearne to die from beginning >_> HoT is kinda better than normal story, has some more action and less stupid talks like : OMG WE’RE GOOD SIDE HERE WE GO TO SAVE THE WORLD.

I really abhor generalizations for this reason. I’ve played precisely 2 mmos where I thought the story was better and a good many MMOs when I thought the story was worse. In many MMOs there’s no story to speak of at all, in fact.

Comparing this to single player RPGs is completely pointless.

As for Trahearne, I did an interesting poll a while ago. Those who started playing Sylvari first, overwhelmingly had no problem with Trahearne. Those who played other races first overwhelmingly had problems with Trahearne.

The original story isn’t really linear, though you’re exposed to it that way. It’s more of a web, with different races providing different pieces of the puzzle.

Who is Professor Gor. For most races, he comes out of nowhere, but he’s in one of the early Asuran stories. Playing that arc first and the later arc with him completely changes how the end of the story plays. Traheane is introduced in the Sylvari story much earlier as not only a first born but as an expert on Orr. Many of the characters you meet later in the game, you’ll meet earlier in the game depending on which race you choose first.

With the HoT story, a lot of people say the story is short, but they’re completely ignoring half the story, because half the story is in the zones. The story of HoT is not only told through instances.

For example, the second HoT story chapter tells the story of the Pale Reavers. As soon as you leave the instance, the first event chain you’d run into continues the story of the Pale Reavers.

There are examples like this throughout the story and the new zones. If you’re only looking at instances, you’re cheating yourself out of a pretty good story.

That said, any good single player game is going to trump an MMO in story.

That’s interesting. With one exception, I never detected that a side-story started in an instance is continued in the open world. It’s obvious now you say it, but I almost never felt it myself. The only exception is the Dragon Stand map with its meta event.
There is something missing in the storytelling mechanics: it should somehow connect the two story parts. In a game with a quest log, an additional secondary quest would open while you play the instance, and if you review the quest log afterwards, you see that there is some continuation of that part of the story in addition to the main quest.

In HoT, you are thrown back into the open map, with their difficult enemies, and most certainly the Pale Reaver event chain is not in a stage where you can just continue that part of the story. There are probably no Pale Reavers at the moment and no immediate event pending, so you move on with the next instance and forget about the Pale Reavers. Later, if you do more exploration of the map, you certainly get back to the Pale Reavers, but in the meantime I forgot about their part in the story instance.

Silmar Alech.4305:

That’s interesting. With one exception, I never detected that a side-story started in an instance is continued in the open world. It’s obvious now you say it, but I almost never felt it myself. The only exception is the Dragon Stand map with its meta event.
There is something missing in the storytelling mechanics: it should somehow connect the two story parts. In a game with a quest log, an additional secondary quest would open while you play the instance, and if you review the quest log afterwards, you see that there is some continuation of that part of the story in addition to the main quest.

In HoT, you are thrown back into the open map, with their difficult enemies, and most certainly the Pale Reaver event chain is not in a stage where you can just continue that part of the story. There are probably no Pale Reavers at the moment and no immediate event pending, so you move on with the next instance and forget about the Pale Reavers. Later, if you do more exploration of the map, you certainly get back to the Pale Reavers, but in the meantime I forgot about their part in the story instance.

I don’t know if you have a story about the Pale Reavers and a Pale Reavers event chain, not sure how you wouldn’t connect it. There are other examples as well, such as how the TD meta ends, and gives you the entrance to Dragon Stand. Or pretty much all of AB.

It’s not spoonfed….and I like that.