Guild Wars 2

In various blog posts and interviews they’ve talked about how some of the features for hang gliding. More specifically they’ve talked about things like up-drafts and wind currents.

I’d like it if areas around vistas had these elements incorporated into them. Then I’d be able to use the hang glider to see the panoramic view instead of just an in game camera movie. I’m not saying to replace the vista mechanic, I’m saying to add this.

That way I could watch a vista, then jump off the ledge with my hang glider and catch the wind currents to see the area in a slightly different manner.

Maybe add this to a few notable high altitude places on the maps that aren’t vistas. Such as in Rata Sum near the docks, Divinity Reach over the labrynth, the top of Mt. Maelstrom, some of the overhangs around the Temples in Orr, etc.

They cannot put gliding in the old world. It will break the maps. They have said so. Thus all the updrafts in the world won’t let you soar.

Donari.5237:

They cannot put gliding in the old world. It will break the maps. They have said so. Thus all the updrafts in the world won’t let you soar.

I think he is advocating something slightly different – basically allowing hanggliding only in very select, scenic locations – kind of like the diving goggles. Not as a way to explore, but rather as a way to take in the sights.

I think it could work without breaking anything. It really just would be a controlled fall. I dont see them putting the time into it with everything else going on right now, though.

That makes more sense. Feasibility would depend on how controlled they have to be with the vista camera paths in the first place, though. If there is any angle in the viewing area that a glider could reach that would show the wrong side of the terrain, we’re back to breaking the map.

Yes, I was thinking of very select, scenic locations. I don’t want hang gliders to be a means of exploration, just sight seeing.

I don’t recall there being any vistas at risk of breaking the map like this, but you’re right, it would be an issue to consider.

I’ve been thinking of something along the same lines. “Updraft Points”, if you will, where you can glide from in old world maps.

Let’s take the top of the eagle statue in the Queen’s Pavilion in DR for an example. If you jump from there, and can’t gain altitude, then there’s a fairly limited range of places you can go.

Heck, they could even institute “Gliding Puzzles”. You start at Updraft Point A, and you have to reach goal platform B. Imagine trying to glide through Windrock Maze in Ascalon.

I’d say that the odds of this happening in the future depends on how popular the gliding turns out to be once the players get to try it.

I’d be happy with a parachute that toggles after a certain height and just saves you from certain death without additional movement that could break the map.

Palador.2170:

I’ve been thinking of something along the same lines. “Updraft Points”, if you will, where you can glide from in old world maps.

Let’s take the top of the eagle statue in the Queen’s Pavilion in DR for an example. If you jump from there, and can’t gain altitude, then there’s a fairly limited range of places you can go.

Heck, they could even institute “Gliding Puzzles”. You start at Updraft Point A, and you have to reach goal platform B. Imagine trying to glide through Windrock Maze in Ascalon.

I’d say that the odds of this happening in the future depends on how popular the gliding turns out to be once the players get to try it.

If they added gliding puzzles, I’d be all over that. Who knows, maybe they will add some gliding puzzles in the new map(s)?

And people sometimes forget that it’s already possible to break out of many maps and areas with the current mechanics. Adding a glider to those areas wouldn’t really help them at all, since the current mechanics make it easy as it is now. It would just be another cool feature to play around with.

The gliding could unlock after you get map completion for a certain area..so things like vistas won’t be obselete and you still have to do all in order to unlock gliding

Or they could indeed add gliding “tracks”

Donari.5237:

They cannot put gliding in the old world. It will break the maps. They have said so. Thus all the updrafts in the world won’t let you soar.

I don’t care if they don’t add updrafts but they should absolutely add slowfall elements to the hang gliders because it’s a must. There are several places in which you are on a high area and you need hang gliders to get down or a parachute! (missed my parachute as an engineer)