Guild Wars 2

I’m having the worst time trying to attend the TD meta. No matter what time I join the squad, I seem to zone to an overflow wasteland and just listen to everyone else having fun. Any tips for actually getting onto a populated map? Is there a window before the meta starts when I can guarantee zoning to the “main” map and then just park my butt and wait for the timer to roll over?

I haven’t done it in months but squads used to start at about :50 right before it began. I sometimes was able to do a VB boss to get the daily chest and then spam join to hop over to the correct map instance.

The TD meta is alive and well, however it generally requires 4 commanders advertising in LFG and coordinating sufficiently to have the right number of players in each squad. Having sufficient numbers of players doesn’t seem to be the issue so much as achieving that level of organization.

In fact, when I and one of my guildmates ended up on an overflow IP the other day, she took the initiative, tagged up, taxi’d, and we ended up with a second full IP that also succeeded in defeating the chak gerent.

My advice is to check LFG 15-20 minutes ahead of the start time. If you end up on an overflow map and have the means, tag up, taxi, and begin coordinating a second IP. I think many players are of the opinion that this map has insufficient players to support multiple organized maps. That doesn’t appear to be the case, in my experience. The issue is getting enough commanders to organize the lanes when everyone in map chat is complaining about how the “meta map” is full!

I’d be more inclined to make my own group if I could experience the event even once first. I’ve never seen it. It’s like a myth to me. But I can try talking people on the overflow map into saddling up.

Just to be sure, you do know about taxi right? About right clicking on the commander and picking “join in xxx map”. Not being sarcastic

Else as stated, its more often a lack of commanders then people (often the commander dont even need to do anything, just be a tag). I blame it on “/how many others are in this map” mentality, 99% of people will asume that a map is emty if there are no tags, even if its a 95% full map

Zoning in to any map will always put you on a dead map. You cant get on active maps without the LFG tool, thats how its designed, apparantly

Sigfodr.9576:

Just to be sure, you do know about taxi right? About right clicking on the commander and picking “join in xxx map”. Not being sarcastic

Else as stated, its more often a lack of commanders then people (often the commander dont even need to do anything, just be a tag). I blame it on “/how many others are in this map” mentality, 99% of people will asume that a map is emty if there are no tags, even if its a 95% full map

Oh THAT’S what taxiing is! Thank you! I knew about the right-clicking but not that that’s the only way to get onto a populated map.

Here’s a followup question: is it true that the only way to have a tag, make a squad, and otherwise have access to the “commander” toolbox is to shell out 300 gold? And, can impoverished little me just start a normal group and hand leadership to someone with these tools if they join, turning it into a proper commanded squad?

Also, is “IP” In Progress, or a map ID, like as in IP address?

You can get a mentor tag which is free from the core masteries. It doesn’t have the same functionality as a comm tag though, but if the lanes have enough ppl, generally a mentor tag will work fine.

Beyond taxiing, you ideally have to be there half early at least and then you have a better (but not guaranteed chance) that map will populate up quickly into a meta map.

The next map you pretty much have to taxi into to do the meta. If get there at the exact point of reset, it is possible, but you will pretty much be relying on the lfg/taxi

Sister Saxifrage.7361:

Sigfodr.9576:

Just to be sure, you do know about taxi right? About right clicking on the commander and picking “join in xxx map”. Not being sarcastic

Else as stated, its more often a lack of commanders then people (often the commander dont even need to do anything, just be a tag). I blame it on “/how many others are in this map” mentality, 99% of people will asume that a map is emty if there are no tags, even if its a 95% full map

Oh THAT’S what taxiing is! Thank you! I knew about the right-clicking but not that that’s the only way to get onto a populated map.

Here’s a followup question: is it true that the only way to have a tag, make a squad, and otherwise have access to the “commander” toolbox is to shell out 300 gold? And, can impoverished little me just start a normal group and hand leadership to someone with these tools if they join, turning it into a proper commanded squad?

Also, is “IP” In Progress, or a map ID, like as in IP address?

IP refers to a specific map ID, yes. So if you found yourself on an overflow map because the map that’s organizing is full, you would ideally differentiate your map’s squads by advertising your group in LFG with the map ID. That way other players will know a second map is organizing. If you can manage to get 4 people to form squads and post in LFG this way, you have a good chance of filling a second map for the meta.

But your easiest route as a solo player is to show up 15-20 minutes early in a map that is already organizing by checking LFG, joining a squad for a specific lane, then jumping to that map before they fill up.

Thanks for these replies! I’ve gotten in several times now :-D Apparently the other reason I’d never seen it happen is it’s so quick, especially compared to, say, Dragon’s Stand.

AliamRationem.5172:

Sister Saxifrage.7361:

Also, is “IP” In Progress, or a map ID, like as in IP address?

IP refers to a specific map ID, yes.

IP, as in, the IP address of the machine that is running this instance of the map. (Also, /ip in that.)

When going for the main metas it’s advised you should be present about 20-30 minutes in advance, so you don’t wind up being shoved to overflow and put in a low-population map. That way, you’re often able to participate in the metas with an organised crowd.

I advise the same for LFG, check for starting meta in the maps, and once you’re in squad on the map, you can right-click on a “vacant” (not in your map) participant and use the “Join in …” command. If you advertise for meta early and don’t feel like jumping hoops, chances are that your crowd may quite well come along.

Having gone through the meta hoopla myself I agree it’s frustrating, but I suggest a bit of patience — and the early bird does quite get the worm, so perhaps join up about half-hour before the main burn.

Sigfodr.9576:

Just to be sure, you do know about taxi right? About right clicking on the commander and picking “join in xxx map”. Not being sarcastic

Else as stated, its more often a lack of commanders then people (often the commander dont even need to do anything, just be a tag). I blame it on “/how many others are in this map” mentality, 99% of people will asume that a map is emty if there are no tags, even if its a 95% full map

I didn’t know that either.

I’ve seen these a few times, in full pelt. They seemed fun but I didn’t know how to join or who to ask.

May I ask though, you say, be there 15 mins before start.

What time is the 15 mins before?

Where do these things usually start?

Thanks in advance.

Spacial.1683:

Sigfodr.9576:

Just to be sure, you do know about taxi right? About right clicking on the commander and picking “join in xxx map”. Not being sarcastic

Else as stated, its more often a lack of commanders then people (often the commander dont even need to do anything, just be a tag). I blame it on “/how many others are in this map” mentality, 99% of people will asume that a map is emty if there are no tags, even if its a 95% full map

I didn’t know that either.

I’ve seen these a few times, in full pelt. They seemed fun but I didn’t know how to join or who to ask.

May I ask though, you say, be there 15 mins before start.

What time is the 15 mins before?

Where do these things usually start?

Thanks in advance.

This is a good place to start to research it. Besides showing the current timer, you can click on the headers of the events and read more detailed information about the events and area.

When you gain some more confidence, you can turn your lower-population overflow into a meta map as well. You’re not the only person who shows up late and can’t get onto the main map that everyone is using LFG for, after all. If you have your own tag, or even just the motivation, you can turn your current map into a second Gerent meta map, encourage other people to tag up, and LFG your own people in. All it takes is 40-60 players split up wisely among the lanes to succeed at the meta, and you’re far from the only person who arrives just a bit too late to join the primary map!