Guild Wars 2

This happened to me tonight. I have two activities to do before I can get Bitter Harvest, my Reaper Greatsword. One of them is a timed jumping mini game called Fallen Masks. I am lousy at these games. I avoid them. If I had known this was in my future I would never have tried to get Bitter Harvest. I have worked for months. Basically, if I was good at this game I could do it lickety split and not have to “volunteer” for another activity I dislike, the Auric Basin meta. And btw, if you demand someone do something in exchange for something else, that isn’t “volunteering”, that is hostage taking. My greatsword is being held hostage behind so many gates I can’t get past them all. I am beyond upset.

I belong to another all female guild wars 2 group and asked them about what I should do to finish Fallen Masks, because I had tried and tried to do it, and I keep failing. The advice I got, have one of my guildies log into my account and complete it for me, several people replied that they had done just that. So maybe anet thinks that this activity isn’t so bad because so many people are doing it, but they aren’t doing it, many players are doing it for other players. So basically I am faced with a choice, give up playing this game or compromise my online security by having someone I don’t really know log into my account and do this activity. I can’t continue on with this undone, it has me so mad after the attempt to force me to play a meta. I don’t do force very well. The expansion is so different from the original game, it is so sad. Every time I turn around the game is being designed to corral players into content they don’t want to take part in. The core game isn’t like this.

I actually have to admit I had found myself in the exact spot, a while back, while working on Dark harvest as well…
I can understand and sympathize with everything you describe here, and I most certainly hope arenanet does change their stance regarding this, because so far raids, adventures, constant timers on maps, few mastery points etc etc. just keep forcing players to do content they do not want to , and have to adapt their own schedule for what, may I ask? a game…..that we are supposed to enjoy… pathetic really….
(that coming from someone with a mastery rank of 163 , in order to craft nevermore…and I have to admit, I h-a-t-e-d a lot of adventures, had it not been for a friend supporting me through them, I’d probably have given up)
Anyhow, now that my rant is over and my mutual agreement and feelings of sympathy with what you describe, have been expressed, If I can permit to give you some advice…..it’s a method that worked for me (and I admit I did nt expect it to work after 3 days)
Don’t try this adventure more than 3 times per day on average ….if you can’t make it on the first, try a second time, if you do better try a third, and maybe if it felt really close once again. If however your second try is worse than the first, just stop for the day.
Try doing this everyday, it does not take long, and keeps your frustration levels at a minimum. I am pretty sure, sooner or later, you will manage this just due to sheer muscle memory effect, since you will notice that, even if seemingly random, the patterns are very similar and often repeat themselves.
Best of luck and don’t lose hope

it’d be unreasonable if it was the only way of getting an ascended greatsword.
i personally found it quite fun.

Ophidia Moonstone.2587:

The core game isn’t like this.

For the optionals, yes it is. There have only been a few cases in the past however where, like adventures, a group couldn’t carry you (SAB and the gauntlet).

Silver on all but a few is easy enough that I’d expect it shouldn’t be a problem for the average player. As an alternative however, they could count attempts based on completing the objectives, which in this case would be something like 300 masks.

If you want to cheat, you don’t need to compromise your account information. If you have a decent connection, you can stream it and allow someone else to take the controls, though they’ll have to deal with a higher latency.

As for the meta event, simply AFK through it.

The Tarir adventures (Fallen Masks and Sanctum Scramble) are open all through the pillars phase and closed for the challenges and octovine phases. Since those are on a fixed schedule, this means that you can access those adventures from 30 minutes past every even hour (UTC) to 45 minutes past the odd hour. There’s no need to take part in the meta events, since the outcome of those doesn’t influence the opening times of the adventures. Check the wiki if you are unsure about how those times relate to your local time.

If you don’t enjoy the Auric Basin meta events, log onto another character and do something else in-game (or even out of game ) for the 45 minutes out of every two hours that the adventure is not available, then come back to the character parked in the adventure area when the pillars phase starts up again.

Although, like somebody else posted above, I wouldn’t advise spending too much time at once in there. Personally, I only try most adventures a couple of times before moving on and coming back another day. I’ve been in Fallen Masks several times, and actually gotten close to silver once or twice already, but I make sure to go do something else whenever I start getting frustrated by it (for me that’s around 5-ish tries with this adventure, different with others) because I find my “performance” to degrade at that point, which in turn increases frustration.

I’m honestly confused as to how you didn’t know that it was a requirement prior to starting. Doesn’t it tell you what every requirement is on the collectibles tab? If it doesn’t, a simple google search for GW2 + Dark Harvest yields exactly what is needed to complete the sword.

That’s like starting to craft a legendary, getting to the end and saying “Wait, I need a precursor to finish my legendary? What the heck!”

Almost every unique item in every MMO is gated behind something. Otherwise you would go to a merchant and buy it. Either it will be gated behind a specific dungeon, or specific boss, or specific achievement, or specific crafting recipe, or really anything. I don’t really see anything out of the ordinary here. GW2 just has a “scavenger” hunt system to get items.

Healix.5819:

Ophidia Moonstone.2587:

The core game isn’t like this.

For the optionals, yes it is. There have only been a few cases in the past however where, like adventures, a group couldn’t carry you (SAB and the gauntlet).

Silver on all but a few is easy enough that I’d expect it shouldn’t be a problem for the average player. As an alternative however, they could count attempts based on completing the objectives, which in this case would be something like 300 masks.

If you want to cheat, you don’t need to compromise your account information. If you have a decent connection, you can stream it and allow someone else to take the controls, though they’ll have to deal with a higher latency.

As for the meta event, simply AFK through it.

So if I can’t do a timed jumping event I am a below average player??? Snarky much? I don’t have a graphics card and that impacts this content and how I do it. It is why I don’t attempt it, because sometimes I miss landing in exactly the right place because of the frames per second that my computer processes. And as I explained, lots of people are having other players complete this task for them.

Mirtis.6847:

it’d be unreasonable if it was the only way of getting an ascended greatsword.
i personally found it quite fun.

I have an ascended greatsword. Tell me, what does flying around gathering objects have to do with being a Reaper, which that is what Bitter Harvest is, a Reaper’s Greatsword, with the title of Reaper. It has nothing to do with the exalted (characters that are a turn off for me). Those other achievements give you things related to them, like Winter’s Presence, etc. Achieving the top achievement of my profession has nothing to do with that adventure, nothing.

I certainly would not risk having my account permanently terminated by allowing someone else to use it. No skin/gear is worth that…to me.

Of course, the choice is yours. /shrug

nanael the angel.2659:

Anyhow, now that my rant is over and my mutual agreement and feelings of sympathy with what you describe, have been expressed, If I can permit to give you some advice…..it’s a method that worked for me (and I admit I did nt expect it to work after 3 days)
Don’t try this adventure more than 3 times per day on average ….if you can’t make it on the first, try a second time, if you do better try a third, and maybe if it felt really close once again. If however your second try is worse than the first, just stop for the day.
Try doing this everyday, it does not take long, and keeps your frustration levels at a minimum. I am pretty sure, sooner or later, you will manage this just due to sheer muscle memory effect, since you will notice that, even if seemingly random, the patterns are very similar and often repeat themselves.
Best of luck and don’t lose hope

I will try this. When I start getting to the point that I have muscle memory I will only try it a few times and then walk away, but I need the muscle memory and that takes repetition

I will say the last straw for me was the interruption. I decided to do this thing for as long as I could stomach it, let my mind wander while I did it, and then come back in a few days and try it again and again and again until I somehow memorized the pattern and had one of the easier patterns come up, hoping that my body would remember. It is pretty hard to do that when you get interrupted to do a meta. I love Dragon Stand,, but something about Auric Basin is a real turn off for me. I don’t like the way the meta is organized as well. But as was mentioned, I can go afk for it, and I think I will go up and hit one of the monsters, get bronze and go back down and try more.

The really galling thing is that there hasn’t been one personal story I needed help with. I am always willing help others even though I solo most of the content, but the one time I need help and I can’t have any.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I certainly would not risk having my account permanently terminated by allowing someone else to use it. No skin/gear is worth that…to me.

Of course, the choice is yours. /shrug

Did you skip the part where I said I would probably end up quitting the game if it came to it? This game isn’t fun anymore all of a sudden.

Draknar.5748:

I’m honestly confused as to how you didn’t know that it was a requirement prior to starting. Doesn’t it tell you what every requirement is on the collectibles tab? If it doesn’t, a simple google search for GW2 + Dark Harvest yields exactly what is needed to complete the sword.

That’s like starting to craft a legendary, getting to the end and saying “Wait, I need a precursor to finish my legendary? What the heck!”

Almost every unique item in every MMO is gated behind something. Otherwise you would go to a merchant and buy it. Either it will be gated behind a specific dungeon, or specific boss, or specific achievement, or specific crafting recipe, or really anything. I don’t really see anything out of the ordinary here. GW2 just has a “scavenger” hunt system to get items.

All content that people can have others help them with. This content you can receive no help. I see this as a crucial difference.

Random Wax Orc.7695:

Here is what Anet should do, because they already dug this hole. First, have each minigame become permanently unlocked by completing the nearby meta achieve for completion. This will allow players to choose when they play this non-MMO content. Second, change the gating for the collections that require minigames… probably by adding an alternative way of completing that part of the collection. Third, omit all minigames from future maps and expansions. The only minigame in GW2 should be SAB because that is an MMO within an MMO.

• requires PvP reward potions for upgrades that have nothing to do with PvP

I agree with your entire comment, but I am quoting this because it seems a very fair compromise. You won’t catch me complaining about PvE content, even PvE content that I don’t prefer, because even if I don’t like it I should only have to do it once. If I like it I will come back. I repeat lots of content that I like. If I liked mini games I would play the games on facebook, many of them free of charge. I have angry birds on my phone if I want to play a mini game. All I can think of when I am playing these things is how I have to run around doing the same thing wasting my life one click at a time, no guarantee I will ever finish it.

And it isn’t the same as complaining about the cost of crafting a legendary. Crafting a legendary is self explanatory, crafting something “legendary” should be expensive and/or time consuming. If you don’t like that sort of activity, don’t do it. I love crafting and gathering and looking for items I need. But if I didn’t enjoy that I wouldn’t do it. This isn’t about the “skin” of the greatsword, it is about collecting things for a greatsword that goes with a character I love and I happen to be pretty good at playing her and I have mastered her mechanics.

ANET should have stayed with the philosophy they started with SAB, it fit perfectly.

If you wanted a SAB skin you played SAB, not WvW or PvP etc.

The new mini games having nothing to do with the new elite specializations, lore, flavor or even style wise.

Your greatsword isn’t being “held hostage”

It is a reward for completing specific content designed to present a challenging barrier between you and that reward so that the reward has intrinsic value as a result of the required challenge

This is perfectly fine for an optional prestige reward that is completely cosmetic in nature