GW2 HoT before PoF

Hi,A while back, right before HoT launched, I quit gw2. And I wish to know is it really worth/required buying it as well. I checked around for some opinions, but those were before PoF launched and before griffon was revealed (vs gliding mastery.). Because I am a bit of on the edge with money heh.So now I want to know, if I don't really need the elite specs, care too much about the story (I can google it, watch some yt videos..etc), do I have to buy it? Is there something else I'm missing that is really important?

You don't NEED HoT just to play through PoF and the core game content. However, I think HoT is worth it for gliding alone. Yes, the griffon mount is really fun and handy, but there are times when gliding is more useful (ie. when you're in combat you can jump off a ledge and glide, and certain areas don't allow for enough room to mount up). Also, if you're interested in making the 2nd generation legendary weapons, you'll have to own HoT to do those.

I found Hart of Thorns more difficult and sometimes frustrating which made Path of Fire the better experience to me. I also think the Path of Fire maps are far more beautiful than the claustrophobic jungle environment of HoT and navigation through PoF is more enjoyable because of less verticality and of course the mounts.

So, if story is not your main concern, I would tend to recommend Path of Fire first, and when you finished PoF and got your griffon mount, venture into the jungle.