Guild Wars 2

Thinking about why HoT does not feel comfortable, I suddenly thought that it may, in part, be because there are no really good hangouts like there are in old Tyria.

Old Tyria has

• cities and maps with crafting and BLTP trade areas.
• safe areas where NPCs sometimes have ridiculous crises or stories of their own.
• large spaces people can go afk for a break and not worry about the camp flipping.
• features and areas with enough “lore” that can be used for role playing.

I do not want to detract from Lion’s Arch but not one of the maps in Heart of Thorns has much in the way to sustain a casual, relaxing, “do something leisurely” atmosphere. Each of the species’ home areas have places in beginner areas for crafting and light PvE and there are plenty of hidden gem areas scattered around old Tyria.

There are also mini grind areas, for those who know where to look, that can be taken as a small bite of PvE.

Does anyone have opinions to share on this? I realize that is an open invitation for critique but I am trying to understand why I keep leaving HoT areas for core Tyria even though I really like the increased difficulty.

The Heart of Maguuma is a war zone full of Mordrems and many other aggressive creatures. It’s not meant to be a safe place for hanging out, and that’s how it should be. The immersion would be completely ruined otherwise. If you are looking for a place to go afk in the Hot maps, just stay near the entrance waypoint of each map. No enemy ever attacks there.

Anchoku.8142:

Thinking about why HoT does not feel comfortable, I suddenly thought that it may, in part, be because there are no really good hangouts like there are in old Tyria.

Old Tyria has

• cities and maps with crafting and BLTP trade areas.
• safe areas where NPCs sometimes have ridiculous crises or stories of their own.
• large spaces people can go afk for a break and not worry about the camp flipping.
• features and areas with enough “lore” that can be used for role playing.

I do not want to detract from Lion’s Arch but not one of the maps in Heart of Thorns has much in the way to sustain a casual, relaxing, “do something leisurely” atmosphere. Each of the species’ home areas have places in beginner areas for crafting and light PvE and there are plenty of hidden gem areas scattered around old Tyria.

There are also mini grind areas, for those who know where to look, that can be taken as a small bite of PvE.

Does anyone have opinions to share on this? I realize that is an open invitation for critique but I am trying to understand why I keep leaving HoT areas for core Tyria even though I really like the increased difficulty.

I really don’t understand why you want to hang out in a place that is supposed to be dangerous. Besides, the expansion doesn’t provide a core tyria levelling experience in which you learn how to play the game, it is supposed to be a war zone that we have never explored before. Even with that, quiet zone do exist in the maps where you can afk. In verdant brink, you have the flax farming spot, the entrance of the guild hall, the entrance of the first raid wing or any other field that you can glide/walk to that foes do not occupy. Also not every WP are part of a dangerous threat/event that come up in the game. You can also park characters at the beginning of a mini game I would say

for me in a mmorpg i want to hang about in a home city, somewhere where I have a connection over time, somewhere where i can have some routine and familiarity. Also, Having a new location for everyone to gather every expansion just does not work – do you try and force people who want to gather in the older locations to move over to a new location simply because its new? If not your spreading the population and losing atmosphere.

It’s definitely meant to be that way. The biggest hang-out I’ve seen was in Dragon’s Stand. I was amazed at all of the players standing at the entrance, and then 10 seconds later, the map gets blasted by Mordremoth and all of the players died, including myself.

I really enjoy the fact that I have to stay on my toes in HoT and that I could die at any moment if I’m not careful. It definitely adds to the authenticity of the “dangerous” factor that Mordremoth is supposed to bring to the jungle.

To be fair, the reason all those players were there was specifically to get blasted and die while in a squad so they’d all show up in the same map together to organize and do a complete meta.

The first time that blast gets you is shocking; thereafter it’s a planned part of your play. (Note: Reapers traited to auto-shroud on a killing blow will survive the blast, very handy).

I like hanging out in Tarir, as long as monstrous 8-legged plants aren’t trying to invade the city.

Besides that there are always guild halls.

That said, I was somewhat hoping that Tarir would be an actual city.

Imo it’s a missed opportunity not to include a main town for HOT – or rather a larger encampment with all the stuff you need like in LA and other bigger cities. But they wanted to keep that in LA which I understand.

I think this is a tough one really… Ya, adding an exclusive town to HoT would have been awesome, but on the same token…. it would give the appearance of an empty game in the vanilla areas. Such as Lions Arch, which has not really recovered population wise since it was removed as a main social hub for numerous months.

What do you all think about adding one encampment with crafting stations, a BLTP, and guild banker to somewhere in VB to start? Maybe add another in, say, AB some months later on?

It would be nice to not to have to leave a map just to manage inventory, craft, or take a break from the action.

I do not mean to make HoT easier, just reduce my reasons for leaving a map.

I pretty much hang out in Rata Sum in HoT. And, while having HoT, I avoid it like the plague. Here’s hoping the next expansion gives us something to play and places to hang (though it will continue to be RS for me).