Guild Wars 2

and ad hominem is often used to avoid the truth.

‘I’ve determined that the current game is unplayable solo.’ is factually and evidently incorrect.

‘I’ve determined that the current game is unplayable for me solo.’ is better and correct, but then it wouldn’t be blaming the game. This is the minority opinion here, proven by the fact the majority of players do in fact play solo, and the fact that no-one actually complains about this in game.

vesica tempestas.1563:

and ad hominem is often used to avoid the truth.

‘I’ve determined that the current game is unplayable solo.’ is factually and evidently incorrect.

‘I’ve determined that the current game is unplayable for me solo.’ is better and correct, but then it wouldn’t be blaming the game. This is the minority opinion here, proven by the fact the majority of players do in fact play solo, and the fact that no-one actually complains about this in game.

I was with you right up until you offered up your own anecdotal evidence as a ‘fact’. People do complain in the game about not being to solo. I see it mostly in the cities — those that feel HoT maps are too difficult to solo are unlikely to spend much time there.

The HoT maps are differently challenging than the core maps; it takes some adjustment for a lot of people and I’m sympathetic to those who might find that difficult. All the same, it’s not impossible and, as vesica says, most people seem to manage it.

well i accept that, i’ve never seen any complaints in chat or in guild, or not noticed which is perhaps fairer then. my main point is simply the assertion that is is unplayable solo, which is incorrect.

My other point from elsewhere is that 90+% of zones in GW2 are already trivially easy, and in fact made easier by HOT. the game needs harder zones because many veterans look for it (as well as easy zones) and 3 zones out of 35 or so is already massively favoring those looking for easy zones. The alternative is making every single zone in the game easy, which would not make sense.

Raine.1394:

Vayne.8563:

Raine.1394:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

To be fair, at the very least, it says that a vocal minority feel passionately that the new zones are too difficult to solo.

In ANet’s shoes, I would take note and start communicatating more clearly that expansions change the game in all sorts of ways and that people need to be ready to adapt.

Well, adapt or leave; I’ve chosen the later. And, I’d be careful when using the term “vocal minority” as it’s usually merely a rhetorical device used to bolster an actual minority opinion on the forums. There is no vocal minority on the forums, there are merely voices—and, they are either in the minority or the majority. Do they represent all player voices—no. They merely represent all the voices on the forums.

I’ve determined that the current game is unplayable solo. And, let me be more precise in my definition: it is unplayable solo while having fun playing it. You see, one of my gaming principles in that the time I play should feel like play and be fun. I’m always returning to the forums every few months or so looking for changes in the games direction.

I don’t know I think vocal minority is a very important concept. Let’s say a small group of people make so much noise that people think they’re a larger group than they are. It’ causes a chain reaction.

You’re not having fun soloing HoT and you said so loudly before you left, I’m sure. Other people are saying they can’t solo HoT as well. This is in spite of the fact that there are people who enjoy soloing HoT. But of course, complaints get more air time and they’re usually louder.

So people read this over and over again and they believe, rightly or wrongly that HoT isn’t soloable. They don’t then buy HOT to try it themselves.

I’ve seen more than one post by someone who’s hesitated buying HOT because of people saying it was so hard, but they didn’t find it that hard and they were enjoying it.

So yes, vocal minority can be an issue and saying it’s all just opinions and numbers don’t matter, probaby isn’t the whole story.

I must admit that you are probably the best case for there actually being a vocal minority. If you review threads in which you have participated over the years you will find that your posts can represent 30% or more of the posts in that thread. This would certainly serve to bolster your notion of the importance of the concept “vocal minority”.

I, however, can see that you have posted 10%, 20%, or 30% of the posts in cases where you actually represent a minority opinion. In reality you are simply a single voice whether you are in the minority or majority and humans can understand and adjust for the spamming of ideas.

What I notice is that those who love the concept of a vocal minority usually are using it as a rhetorical device to prop up a minority opinion. And, so, I return to my original thesis: there is no such thing as a vocal minority; there are simply voices and they are either in the minority or the majority. And, additionally: the voices do not represent the entire player base, simply those who participate on the forums. And, they may in fact be quite atypical, especially those who could account for a majority of posts in any given thread.

Except you’re completely ignoring the fact that more people complain than compliment. People who are aggrieved almost always have a stronger voice. If I represent 30% then it’s very likely that I’m not a minority at all.

Just saying.

vesica tempestas.1563:

well i accept that, i’ve never seen any complaints in chat or in guild, or not noticed which is perhaps fairer then. my main point is simply the assertion that is is unplayable solo, which is incorrect.

My other point from elsewhere is that 90+% of zones in GW2 are already trivially easy, and in fact made easier by HOT. the game needs harder zones because many veterans look for it (as well as easy zones) and 3 zones out of 35 or so is already massively favoring those looking for easy zones. The alternative is making every single zone in the game easy, which would not make sense.

There are a couple of problems with the “core is easy” and thus 90% of the game is easy, so we need harder zones. One problem is that anyone can get tired of doing the same content for years. You don’t have to be someone who wants challenge to be burned out. The second is that access to ongoing development is obtained by purchasing a product that otherwise does not fit a given player’s taste. That leaves those players with two options: purchase that product only to get access to the ongoing stuff, wasting part of the product in the process; or boycott HoT and lose touch with the ongoing game. The answer, going forward, is perhaps for ANet to try to cater to both groups going forward. It’s too late with HoT.

This is the first mmorpg where I get to the end-game (tried others before but just for a few days before getting bored of them), and find HoT maps reasonably balanced. Just been playing for 3 months but the only content I struggled with was Mordremoth’s fight and some HPs when we were less than 4 players to do them.

Agree there should be maps with low skill requirement for players who want it easy, but saying HoT is unplayable solo is just a big lie. There are many events that can be done alone like defending rally points in Verdant Brink, escorting pact soldiers, and others in Auric during Pylons and Tangled Depths during outposts. But chances are you’ll never be alone during those.

Those who can’t even move around in HoT without dying should consider the possibility that maybe the game is not to blame for that…

The HoT and lws3 stuff is absolutely soloable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I do it on a kittening thief. It’s definitely a big jump from core Tyria, however, and takes some training/getting used to. I also feel that difficulty jump was necessary, as everything in core now feels like I’m always playing on godmode. Plus, once you learn the maps, the HoT maps are absolutely gorgeous pieces of design.

JonnyForgotten.4276:

The HoT and lws3 stuff is absolutely soloable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I do it on a kittening thief. It’s definitely a big jump from core Tyria, however, and takes some training/getting used to. I also feel that difficulty jump was necessary, as everything in core now feels like I’m always playing on godmode. Plus, once you learn the maps, the HoT maps are absolutely gorgeous pieces of design.

Yeah, going through LS2 makes the ramp much more gradual, but it’s also something that requires spending real money (or significant gameplay time => gold => gems) to acquire, so you get the much sharper jump into HoT.

If I had any advice on this for anet, it would be that if the players skill level desired for the next xpac is comparable to Lake Doric &c., consider making it part of the price of the expansion, so that people do get the ramp up in challenge.

SlippyCheeze.5483:

JonnyForgotten.4276:

The HoT and lws3 stuff is absolutely soloable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I do it on a kittening thief. It’s definitely a big jump from core Tyria, however, and takes some training/getting used to. I also feel that difficulty jump was necessary, as everything in core now feels like I’m always playing on godmode. Plus, once you learn the maps, the HoT maps are absolutely gorgeous pieces of design.

Yeah, going through LS2 makes the ramp much more gradual, but it’s also something that requires spending real money (or significant gameplay time => gold => gems) to acquire, so you get the much sharper jump into HoT.

If I had any advice on this for anet, it would be that if the players skill level desired for the next xpac is comparable to Lake Doric &c., consider making it part of the price of the expansion, so that people do get the ramp up in challenge.

You can get most of the experience just playing on the DT and SW maps by doing the metas as the mobs are the same there as in the story.

I initially had a lot of trouble soloing HoT (Oh those nasty pocket raptors!). I had the perception from the base game which was very easy in comparison. HoT was different and it frustrated me. You certainly die more regardless but then I tried some different builds adding in more toughness and vitality or steel life foods etc and enjoyed theory crafting again to try new things that worked for me

HoT content is certainly more group focused but I also enjoy that to. Being a solo player mainly, its nice to just join in the larger meta events as and when I come across them. It gives me the feeling of a more drastic war scenario of HoT where you genuinely feel in danger when travelling alone, but I can now travel with less danger. The masteries certainly make things a lot easier which mean the starting experience is even harder (which is backwards really) but you can crack it and once you do start making progress it feels like a refreshing advance but very different from the base game. I’ve learnt to see dying as not a “failure” but it can still be annoying

I have to say Auric Basin meta event blew me away. I saw everyone heading of the forgotten city and just followed. A lot of adrenaline later and I’m presented with an underground labyrinth full of treasure chest. Very memorable to me and an example of how HoT draws you into play in groups yet still makes me feel I have the freedom to solo. (I don’t raid as I find it too restrictive) HoT has just been a different game to crack than the base game which has been hard after 400+ hours of just base game familiarity.

I hope you manage to find something that works for you in HoT, I sympathise with the frustration though. If you can find some enjoyment to stick with it there is a solo game there, but for me at least its certainly been much more of a “hard mode”, certainly different enough to have something on the store page to warn folks.

Another thing to keep in mind for anyone struggling when they are new to HoT is that it gets a lot easier as you get more of the masteries, specifically the gliding ability that lets you glide without using energy. Verdant Brink used to be my least favorite of all the HoT maps because of the verticality, but now it is by far the easiest, ironically enough because of the verticality with gliding fully unlocked.

I know it takes time to get there, but the masteries end up making the jungle maps a lot more fun / doable.

vesica tempestas.1563:

the majority of players do in fact play solo, and the fact that no-one actually complains about this in game.

I do both!

I’m a multi-tasker.

You know I still cannot understand how people say HoT is impossible to solo. With H&M I understand it is harder, but I soloed every single step of the way up to Hearts and Minds multiple times without issues.

HoT was a cakewalk, but then I have always had a different play style than most.

moonstarmac.4603:

You know I still cannot understand how people say HoT is impossible to solo. With H&M I understand it is harder, but I soloed every single step of the way up to Hearts and Minds multiple times without issues.

HoT was a cakewalk, but then I have always had a different play style than most.

…then you should be able to understand why they say that, if you just put together the pieces that you have at the start, and the end, of your comment. You have “a different play style than most.”, which means that most people don’t have the experience you do.

“impossible”, in this case, should be taken as “literally” as many things are now, which is to say, it’s something they find difficult or frustrating enough they do not want to do it.

Perhaps you should, instead, share more about how your approach to playing the game differs, and people who currently find it too hard can benefit from them, hrm?

moonstarmac.4603:

You know I still cannot understand how people say HoT is impossible to solo. With H&M I understand it is harder, but I soloed every single step of the way up to Hearts and Minds multiple times without issues.

HoT was a cakewalk, but then I have always had a different play style than most.

HOT is very hard for players that don’t know the new mops and the area that you need the new skills to move on like gliding and jumping mushrooms and poison lore

not to mention that some mops hit like a ten ton hammer like those snipers
was for me ok you hit very very hard need to watch out for that

angry mushrooms that knock you down run you over slow you down and so on

those dam fast pocket raptors very nice -.-

for some classes its easy to run true everything like thiefs np for them

and for me ranger i have a bodyguard with me that can argo the mops
when i am ad a save distance killing them

but again players are very very shy and don’t ask much for help sadly
i see many downed players ress them and they only say ty

i keep a eye on them and see the have a very hard time and again they are down -.-

don’t be shy and ask for help gw2 players are mostly friendly and willing to help you out

moonstarmac.4603:

You know I still cannot understand how people say HoT is impossible to solo.

Try playing using only the mouse, and only a standard one (left, right, scroll) without using any additional software. Disable auto cast and lower your cursor speed so it takes roughly a foot to move from skill 1 to dodge. You’re now likely playing at the level of the average player with a slow reaction time. Alternatively, only use the mouse to use skills and WASD to control movement (keyboard turner).

To further increase authenticity, unequip your backpack, rings, accessories (earrings), chest and boots. A new player fresh out of the personal story is likely going to enter HoT wearing zerker rares with no accessories and low level rings, which is what the questing experience provides you with.