Guild Wars 2

After messing around in the beta, I have a few concerns about the new areas. First is the terrain. I have a terrible sense of direction and this map is a confusing mess to me. It’s probably a personal problem, but I do hope the map will be less confusing once the entire thing is opened up.

My other problem is with survivability in the new area. My favorite character to play is a mesmer, but the character I play the most is a ranger. Why? Because my ranger doesn’t have to worry whether there are other players around me. A sparsely populated map on my mesmer or elementalist can mean death. Again, maybe a personal problem, perhaps I’m not as pro as others, but this is something I’m concerned about in VB.

It won’t be an issue when the area is new, but you can already see this problem in areas like Dry Top, which is mostly abandoned. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

I completely agree with your first point, especially in this half of the map at least.

If this is just one map though then that is fine with me. I have no issue with one maze like, pathway dominated zone. Especially when the canopy and roots arent open to explore yet.

If all the zones are like this…its going to be heavy going.

On the plus side, the places to explore and delve are mind blowing compared to other maps. I love just leaping off and gliding to random structures and areas!

It is worth pointing out that they are end game maps. They are supposed to be hard and force you to know what you are doing.

The map system needs to be 3D if these are the types of zones to be expected in the expansion.

I find there is no point in looking at the map as it takes so long to figure out that mobs repop around you and serves little purpose.

Better would be a persistent transparent globe system that some other games use. As is, the map system is dire and of no use other than swift transport.

You learn your way around over time as with anything.

Ha, my sense of direction is not that good either, and the place is a maze. But I love it because of that! For me, it makes the experience and atmosphere of getting lost in the vast untamed jungle so much cooler. I’m sure it’ll get better once you’ve explored a bit, though I’m not doing too much of that myself, I don’t want to spoil it. :P

Ayrilana.1396:

You learn your way around over time as with anything.

What he said, glide and go after mastery point and you’ll start to know your way around. I only played for a few hours and I know the map well by now. What scares me are the Mordrem Guard Snipers that uses rangers Rapid Fire on you :P

the maps really are confusing and somehow at the same time railroady…go this way (and only this way) to a deadend…

i’ve quickly lost interest in verdant brink. the jungle setting just doesn’t capture my imagination/interest (the jumanji soundtrack playing in the background isn’t helping matters). i don’t like the creatures (wasps yay ^^;) and i just sprint past the mordrem (they don’t have visual impact like the thrashers and terragriffs from sw).

but i haven’t given up on expac yet…guild halls sound promising and hopefully we get some good city based content and new armor (not outfits) sets.

The new map was confusing for a couple minutes but once you follow an event chain you understand it.

Not sure if people are actually just terrible at playing the game or what but the new mobs are a refreshing change of pace. You actually have to press more than a single button to kill them and manage gasp your healing skill.

I’m sitting in the map, I think it is daytime, and there is literally not a single event running.

Oh yeah, the traversability of new map is kinda like Black Citadel — you generally can’t get from point A to point B even if it “seems” that you should be able to. I understand that it’s done to make grinding up of jumping/glinding/rushing abilities but it’s very annoying. Especially if everyone is out at event and you’re supposed to run through 20 packs of enemies with dead-ends and stuff. I bet it’s a map-designer’s revenge on non-pro players

Plus I also don’t want to play it on my elementalist — when events happening I get one-two-shot without any visibility to what/who/why one-shot me. Especially when other people are around and something ranged decides to nuke me and not a ranger. I guess it’s good for “challenging” content, but I don’t like not being able to see something that is about to insta-kill me.

Bugabuga.9721:

Plus I also don’t want to play it on my elementalist — when events happening I get one-two-shot without any visibility to what/who/why one-shot me. Especially when other people are around and something ranged decides to nuke me and not a ranger. I guess it’s good for “challenging” content, but I don’t like not being able to see something that is about to insta-kill me.

It’s very hard to play this map as a tempest. I keep wanting to go back to my staff but am just sticking with the warhorn and shouts because they’re new

i don’t get the mob difficulty thing . trash mobs should be trash mobs. increasing the difficulty of mobs makes little to no sense (i just run past them)…like putting speed bumps on the highway every 1/4 mile. only serves to irritate. increasing the power of bosses does make sense however.

i spent like 20 mins on map and then ran a sw event with my main…haven’t been back to verdant brink and won’t go back this weekend. there is nothing there that keeps my interest.

this doesn’t mean xpac is a failure (and i actually respect the conviction the designers are showing…pursuing wrong headed ideas at least shows some integrity). and there is hope for the rest of the maps.

it’s just vb is dull and irritating.. t i don’t like spending my time running down narrow paths getting harassed by ‘difficult’ trash mobs. and does every fall have to be 1000 feet…i mean couldn’t some of these cliff faces gradually descend. one wrong step and whoops you fall forever..

The Great Al.2546:

I’m sitting in the map, I think it is daytime, and there is literally not a single event running.

Likely because the two meta event chains finished. It’s be better once the expansion is released and you have the full map as there will be plenty of events.

Shiren.9532:

It’s not so bad once you have a couple masteries under your belt, specifically gliding and bouncing mushrooms. Before playing I thought bouncing mushrooms were horrible, but once you unlock them you see they are essential for enjoying the jungle. Those narrow winding paths usually have a mushroom on them you can bounce up and skip large areas.

So basically “map will be very sucky unless you grind up bouncy mastery” which is not that fun I am also getting unlucky with unlocking all of that stuff as mostly I get into empty map or killed while trying to run to the commander, so I don’t have enough to unlock bouncing

One tip I will offer people is that when carrying supplies (and some other stuff), there is a now skill on the toolbar that shoots a light beam towards the rally point, helping you locate it. It might not help you find the path up there though.

It is worth pointing out that they are end game maps. They are supposed to be hard and force you to know what you are doing.

No, that is not worth pointing out. The maps can and should contain hard areas, out of the way and for those who want to engage that sort of content, but the basic paths through the map should not be “hard and force you to know what you are doing.” The overall difficulty level should be comparable to the rest of the game, not ramped up just because it’s level 80 stuff.

The map system needs to be 3D if these are the types of zones to be expected in the expansion.

True. They even have the tools for it. Their city maps have multiple layers to them, and they have far less verticality than VB does. They definitely should have at least three “slices” just for the portion of the map we currently have access to, making it clear what layer bridges and other surfaces are on. It might also be a good idea for them to increase the size of the little “up” and “down” arrows next to objectives.

You learn your way around over time as with anything.

I have a fairly good sense of direction, so I have the map mostly sorted by now, and from your comment I assume you do as well, but not everyone does, and they need to make sure that the map isn’t completely useless to these people.

So basically “map will be very sucky unless you grind up bouncy mastery” which is not that fun

Yes, but grinding up gliding and bouncing mastery does not take all that long, they are both tier-1 abilities. I recommend everyone make those their first two choices though. The current map is NOT designed to be traveled without them. That said, remember that the current area is towards the back of the map, so you likely will have those skills by the time you get this far without having to make any special effort. I’ll also note that the easiest way so far to gain mastery XP is to complete the story chapter on as many characters as you can.

Wyndsong.9087:

After messing around in the beta, I have a few concerns about the new areas. First is the terrain. I have a terrible sense of direction and this map is a confusing mess to me. It’s probably a personal problem, but I do hope the map will be less confusing once the entire thing is opened up.

It won’t be an issue when the area is new, but you can already see this problem in areas like Dry Top, which is mostly abandoned. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

Too late to change it now, but I hate, hate how much Verdant Brink feels like Dry Top. Events that are there but I can’t get to. Winding paths that lead to the same areas I’ve been before.

It’s all poorly marked, and the map tools need to be much better. We have map layers in cities, but on world maps, we’re stuck not being able to see beyond the surface level, if at all.

Selkirk.4218:

i don’t get the mob difficulty thing . trash mobs should be trash mobs. increasing the difficulty of mobs makes little to no sense (i just run past them)…like putting speed bumps on the highway every 1/4 mile. only serves to irritate. increasing the power of bosses does make sense however.

~Snip~

They’re not supposed to be trash mobs, hence the higher difficulty level on the expac maps….trash mobs are in the core game, not the expansion…all mobs should be considered lethal and to be eliminated post haste.

As for the map itself, remember, this is only the second 25% of it we’ve seen, and this is only one quarter of the jungle floor, you still have the roots structure and on top of that…and additional 75% of map space. Part of the problem people are having with navigation is that the pathways are also truncated to 25% of the full route…that’s why you get so many dead ends.

yeah but we know these mobs will drop trash mob loot…i mean what’s the point of fighting? like going thru orr and fighting mobs every step of the way…no thanks i’d rather run past them and get to something interesting (faceless mordrem/giant beetles/ and wasps really don’t interest me).

to the map…just feels like such a huge gamble to have a love it or hate it map as the showcase. like i said i do respect the integrity of what the designers are going for (just because i don’t like it doesn’t mean i can’t respect it). but it is rather telling that on both beta weekends i went to the maps for all of 20 mins on each and never went back.

still as noted as long as i get some new skins and maybe have some fun in other areas the expac is still worth it…even if it’s not i’ve wasted 50 bucks on computer games before (yeah im looking at you dragon age).

They’re not supposed to be trash mobs, hence the higher difficulty level on the expac maps….trash mobs are in the core game, not the expansion…all mobs should be considered lethal and to be eliminated post haste.

No. Bad design.

yeah but we know these mobs will drop trash mob loot…i mean what’s the point of fighting? like going thru orr and fighting mobs every step of the way…no thanks i’d rather run past them and get to something interesting (faceless mordrem/giant beetles/ and wasps really don’t interest me).

Exactly. any mob that does not present a useful reason for the player to want to fight him, is and should be a “trash mob.”

Grimlin.4567:

Ayrilana.1396:

You learn your way around over time as with anything.

What he said, glide and go after mastery point and you’ll start to know your way around. I only played for a few hours and I know the map well by now. What scares me are the Mordrem Guard Snipers that uses rangers Rapid Fire on you :P

Reflect it and they die instantly. Just watch out for their unblockable kill shot. I’ve been lol360noscoped several times from completely offscreen.