Guild Wars 2

Like a lot of people, I have some issues with the most recent LS chapter. But there were some things I enjoyed as well, and I don’t want them to get buried in negativity. After all, if we don’t point out the parts they got right, they’ll only hear the negative and have no idea what we want, just what we don’t. So, feel free to chime in with any parts of it you liked as well.

• Waypoints. Yes, I know there was only one. But… there wasn’t only one. There were five. The difference is that you had to pay to unlock the other four. It sounds bad, but the price wasn’t too expensive, and once you’re in the zone and able to use them, they’re free once unlocked. Also, you don’t have to go there to unlock them. By the time I was ready for the Balthazar part of the map, I was able to just unlock that WP and teleport there. That was kind of neat, and I hope to see more of that in the future. Just keep the prices of the unlocks reasonable.

• The Lazarus conclusion. Yes, I have some issues with how it was done, but I’m thrilled that it WAS done. When the earlier parts of the season made us think Lazarus was back, a lot of people were thrilled to get some possible closure on his story. And some of them were upset that this closure was pulled out from beneath them when it turned out to be an illusion. Now, suddenly, we get some closure after all with a fight over 200 years in the making.

• Taimi in the back seat. Finally, she’s no longer running ‘mission control’ for us. Yes, someone else does it, and they’re even more annoying than Taimi ever was, but it’s good to see her having to take a step back finally.

Even though it wasn’t perfect, this was decidedly one of my favorite zones from season 3. The art is beautifully done (especially in Lyssa’s Reliquary), and I thought the new jp was a blast. I also felt that the renown hearts were much better tuned to the amount of content, and the variety of non-combat options for them were a lot more unique than others (and they fit the feel of the map).

I really liked the balthazar priest in the beginning.
The mechanics of the map are cool, I like the waypoint and the favor of the gods system (especially the “you are unworthy” warning you get when you enter the place of abaddon :P). Not only the map, but also the instances look really good. The white mantle instance looked amazing. The gameplay of the heart quest of the gods is also very nice, i like the lyssa portals and the dwayna gliding relics.

Oddly, I am sad that Lazarus is gone and the Mursaat story finished. I absolutely adored them in the original Guild Wars but, seeing how the overarching plot of the original game was based around them, I can understand why we now have closure. Still, I cannot help but feel empty. I guess this is what it feels like to finally exact revenge – it really isn’t as satisfying as people claim.

Aside from that, this episode is dripping with beauty. From the environments to the reliquaries, I am absolutely tickled pink with the patch.

Very sad that Lazarus and the mursaat are now dead. Genocide ftw? I guess its okay if you think they are evil. I mean if it weren’t for them, Kryta would be another dead kingdom like Orr and Ascalon.

Palador.2170:

After all, if we don’t point out the parts they got right, they’ll only hear the negative and have no idea what we want, just what we don’t.

I agree 100%. I was going to make a positive feedback thread myself if none would appear. Here is my feedback about what I like about this episode.

~The map again is very well done. It involves new mechanics (like the new monster you have to defeat to obtain abilities that help you explore the map and complete hearts/storyline) while also maintaining older mechanics (like gliding/mushrooms/etc..). What I like most about the new monster ability (I forgot the name) is that you can fight with it by pressing the first ability and then it switches over to you weapon set and after combat you have the abilities again. Very clever and creative. I haven’t had a chance to defeat larger monsters in the map so I will update my post and give feedback on that later.

~I enjoyed the story and the combat with Lazarus. I like that ArenaNet is continuing to challenge players with new boss mechanics. In Lazarus’ fight for example the dialogue said “find a way to destroy Lazarus” instead of just spelling it out for you. The puzzles that lead to the fight were constructed well.

~I’m curious about how the story develops in the near future (expansion). Maybe we see the Elder Dragons playing a role in it, maybe not. I don’t mind if they abandon that story line, if we can fight a God in return! I suspect that Aurene will play a part in it as well.

All in all I think this episode was 9/10

I really liked the way they handled the followers of Balthasar. I was really afraid that they would just make them either “evil” or abandon Balthasar. In GW Lore it was well established that Balthasar is by no means a nice god. He is the god of war, so of course his followers dont expect him to be a softy.

So picturing them as more defiant, more thrilled for battles and more brutal in their ways of honoring their returned god was a good idea. The next logical step would be for them to reevaluate the peace contract with the charr and trying to push the krytan (or elonian) government to retake lost land (like ascalon) by military means. That would generate enough conflict with peace-loving faction our characters are member of. Especially now where the thread of the dragons is falling to the bottom.

I really like stories where the protagonist and his/her enemies are acting smart.

So, hopefully Arenanet dont decide to let them make stupid thing (like burning same innocent villages down for the lulz) just to find a good excuse for the player character to fight them.

I liked the mechanic of the fight against guilt. That was a cleverly symbolic way to do it, slowing your recharges for the longer you didnt “face” your fears, like doubts and fears stop you from doing anything. Also, possibly a test for some new/returning mesmer mechanic?

Abbadon’s Ascent. Normally I hate jumping puzzles, but I found this to be awesome due to the retry points. Nice work on this JP.

First of all, A HUGE THANKS FOR MAKING THIS THREAD.
I don’t know whats happening, it seems like people are losing it everytime ANET don’t deliver exactly what they were hoping for. I’m so tired of hate threads point the same problems (which to me are so minor close to the whole piece they are delivering) and all that threatening of “this is your last chance to make it right or I will leave the game forever” etc.

I’m not done with this episode just yet, been liking what I’ve seen so far, specially the puzzles (the first one with the bloodstones took me a few minutes to understand but I really enjoyed figuring it out, kind of reminded me of the times I used to google all over for the riddles and quest from The Secret World, not that I’m comparing both), I would like to see more of those in the future.
I didnt like the first Orrians related map from the fight with Zhaitan, but this one I’m really enjoying it all. I’ve got some spoilers on whats to come and I’m excited to see it all in game.

mad props to the artists, orr is beautiful this time around, especially the lyssia zone. and loved the giant waterfall.

now if they can just fix the lag and dc bugs so i can actually finish laz off fairly ^^ (keep dc’ing after i beat him)

The good things about episode 6 are the maps, encounters and puzzles. Basically everything BUT the story.

Orr looks fantastic! It’s as how I envisioned it. Lush green with some gray. It’s a land in transition. It’s also much more friendly to explore than Draconic Mons. The new fractal is pretty good too.

Unfortunately, season 3 story just fell apart. Too many plot elements. You had Balthazar, Lazarus, Jormag/Primordus, Rytlock, Taimi, Dragon’s Watch, Shining Blade. The story is just incoherent and all over the place. There’s no central focus. It just keeps shifting around. Lazarus > Primordus/Jormag > Balthazar > back to Lazarus

I don’t know why anyone has a bad thing to say. I experienced lag. I didnt like it at first because I couldn’t just Bow Bear my way through it. But then I remembered I wanted something a little more challenging.

I’ve played since Factions. Anet made some deep cuts and I appreciate that. The story was very satisfying. It tied up plot points that were hanging for 10 years. But it gave me new questions, in a good way. Orr looks less dreary, but still keeps its character. The map is more difficult in parts if you are alone. I like that. Now off to the Crystal Desert! I’m ready!

Palador.2170:

• Taimi in the back seat. Finally, she’s no longer running ‘mission control’ for us.

That’s because there was nothing to run! This episode was void of actual content — “all filler, no thriller.”

To me, there was only one good thing about this whole episode: the tome in which you can store all your S3 teleportation scrolls.

As much as I’m sick of the story and writing itself, there are some good points:

• The jumping puzzle is great, easily one of my favourites.
• The additions to the material storage, especially from a cook and scribe POV! Big kudos to Lindsey.
• The portal tome. Anything that frees up inventory/bank space is most welcome.
• … so the Gleam of Sentience goes on the list too, of course.
• I liked returning to Orr and seeing both the fact that our actions in the Personal Story had a positive impact and that there is still much more to be done.
• Letting the sylvari team up with the royal ghosts to (try to) heal the land and free the “Unchained” is by far the best thing, story-wise, that has come out of the season IMO. It makes perfect sense and I wish I could get involved with that instead of any of the main story beats from LS3.

Donutdude.9582:

Oddly, I am sad that Lazarus is gone and the Mursaat story finished. I absolutely adored them in the original Guild Wars but, seeing how the overarching plot of the original game was based around them, I can understand why we now have closure.

MO seems to like talking about moving forward in his articles.. I guess the last story episode very pointedly stated the extinction of the Mursaat because ArenaNet would like people to shut up about them? I dunno, that’s what I took from that story step. The story didn’t go at all where I thought it might so that surprised me, and not in a bad way.

I think the Mursaat could easily be written back in somehow in any case.

I reckon this was more a plot device to allow the Eye of Janthir to move off to the next most powerful / influential source. Not necessarily Balthazar. This could be a setup for several years time.

What did I like most about the current living world release? The Jumping Puzzle is a classic and was very satisfying. The inclusion of (ruins of) ordinary buildings along the new Orrian coastline. It helps to give more of a sense of history to the area, like it’s not just a map full of reliquaries. I also really liked the story instance in Brisban Wildlands. It was very pretty, interesting, and again – not what I had expected. A happy surprise.

From the PoV of a female Sylvari: I loved her “Wait WHAT!?” reaction to several conversation topics. And the overdrawn dialogue before the Trial started, which sounded like a drama act, felt like it was comically intended that way. The fight against your inner shadow was imho a nice enough idea with the spirits badmouthing you lol.

I liked that the map was from its size well enough so that you don’t need the additional waypoint shrines (even though they would’ve been handy), and that the overworld mobs weren’t as stupidly annoying as the ones on the Episode 3 map (the area for which you need the elixir, to be precise), except the big magma thingies.
Just played the map for the story, so there’s nothing more positive to add.