Golden Firestarter achievement unfair to base players

Unless I'm crazy, it seems that getting the "Golden Firestarter" achievement is impossible unless you own a bunny or griffon mount. If you don't own the xpac and rent a mount, your only option is the raptor, which cannot jump high enough to reach several of the firecrackers, won't go up stairs such as in the mayor's building, and disappears forever once you get off it, costing you 10 silver and any chance at finishing in time. Anet, please allow us to choose which mount to rent! Either that or lock achievements when you can only get them with PoF expansion.

Edit: If anyone's been able to get this achievement using only the rented raptor mount, please let me know (and tell me how!)

I like to think that for all the many things avilable in the game, there's always a consensus for what's fair.note that, no matter how many achievements, collections and activities are open for core players, as long as there is something aimed at the expansion owners, people without the expansions will complain.And from my point of view, it's not a bad thing. It's to coerce people to buy the expansions, and frankly, if you don't have the full game, and there's always small things anywhere and everywhere you're missing out on.In this case I think it's okay because there's still plenty of other things to do besides this one achievement.Now I'm not saying your concern isn't warranted, you, as much as everyone else, wants to do all the available content. But again, it is my believe it's okay for anet to make content for expansion holders as well, under the premise there's plenty else to do.

it's almost like...

If you want to play mount based content you should by the expansions.

@TexZero.7910 said:it's almost like...

If you want to play mount based content you should by the expansions.

Or at least the one that gives you access to mounts.

To clarify, I have no problem with content for expansion holders. However, I feel that such content should be marked as only available for expansion holders. I mentioned this in my initial post. If it's only available for expansion holders, then, have it locked or marked so that only expansion holders can see that achievement.

The way it is set up now in the achievements panel looks like anyone should be able to do it. In fact, dialog with the mount rental agent indicates that the mount you're renting will help you do the LNY achievements. So, you pay 10 silver, and then you find out you can't do the achievement anyway. Feels like a bit of a hustle. After all, they let you rent a mount to do the race - they could just as easily have made race achievements only available to xpac owners, but they didn't.

Personally I think having more mount options available to rent will only help coerce people to buy the expansion. You can only use them inside the city anyway and they disappear when you get off. You only get a little taste anyway. If they don't want to give multiple options, maybe just changing the single one available to bunny instead would be a good solution.

A friend of mine just completed this without alts at silver level. They think it can probably be done at gold, but haven't had a chance to test it.

edit: today, they managed 4:05 on core thief alone, and 4:11 on core mesmer

I am able to do it as a Daredevil without any mounts. You should make use of the utility skill "Shadowstep" and Shortbow 5 skill "Infiltrator's Arrow. You can bypass some stair climbing by shadow stepping, and you might want to also use the "Dash" trait for faster travel since you have 3 dodge bars. My times are about 4:10 minutes -4:20 minutes so I am barely scrapping by for gold.

This doesn't seem like it should be a complaint. It seems like what you should be complaining about are the achievements from the base game that you can no longer obtain.

note: I don't complain about not being able to obtain them, I'm just sayin.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:A friend of mine just completed this without alts at silver level. They think it can probably be done at gold, but haven't had a chance to test it.

edit: today, they managed 4:05 on core thief alone, and 4:11 on core mesmer

Thanks! I will try it with my mesmer alt. I was able to get silver before as well. Did your friend use any specific skills to help (blink, anything else)?

@"Soul.1378" said:I am able to do it as a Daredevil without any mounts. You should make use of the utility skill "Shadowstep" and Shortbow 5 skill "Infiltrator's Arrow. You can bypass some stair climbing by shadow stepping, and you might want to also use the "Dash" trait for faster travel since you have 3 dodge bars. My times are about 4:10 minutes -4:20 minutes so I am barely scrapping by for gold.

Thanks. I don't have a daredevil, but seems like mesmers can do it as well. In any case, all complaints are withdrawn since it's doable.

@"celticdragon.9370" wrote:Thanks!You're welcome.

I will try it with my mesmer alt. I was able to get silver before as well. Did your friend use any specific skills to help (blink, anything else)?Yes, you'll want to use Mimic → Blink → Blink, with the Manipulation trait equipped.

You can also use a Portal, but it's trickier to figure out where best to use it.

You can also use GW2 Taco. The route assumes you have a mount, so you'll have to make a couple of adjustments to reach a couple of the locations. Alternatively, Use Paint or a similar program to mark the locations on the wiki's map of DR and set up your own route that you can follow.

Good luck and please let us know when you get the chieve.

As mentioned, there's an achievement in the race where you just run. You will need a speed enhance as well as some kind of teleport.

It can be tricky with some classes, but I did it with mine. Not sure about the rented mount, but it's there for a reason.

Good luck.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

Good luck and please let us know when you get the chieve.

Thanks so much for your pointers! I just got the achievement. I used the skills and trait you recommended, along with Signet of Inspiration. I also equipped a focus and made use of Temporal Curtain. After watching the taco video about the route, I noticed I was doing it in the opposite direction, so I switched that. I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

What I actually wound up doing was using the rented mount to take me halfway and then ditching him at the mayor's house where he can't go up the stairs. That gave me just enough extra edge to get there in time. After about 10 tries where I got it down to 4:45, I decided to try that and got it the first time. Gliding from the top of the falcon wing to the central firecrackers at the end is key. Trying to climb up the head takes way too long.

It would be nice if we could auto-cast Blink. I guess it doesn't work because it's a targeted effect?

Well done, @celticdragon.9370 . Nice work (and something the rest of us can reference when someone with Core only wants to complete the achievement).

Actually, for the way I did it, you do need gliding, so having HoT is useful. There might be ways to do it without gliding if you can give yourself enough extra time to climb up the falcon head. From above comments, looks like Thief might be the way to go for that.

@celticdragon.9370 said:Actually, for the way I did it, you do need gliding, so having HoT is useful. There might be ways to do it without gliding if you can give yourself enough extra time to climb up the falcon head. From above comments, looks like Thief might be the way to go for that.

You can reach that firework without gliding. The problem is that you die shortly after (unless you traited for fall damage). There was something in the same location for one of the 2012-2013 era festivals and I remember people trying to figure out how to get it without dying.

@TexZero.7910 said:it's almost like...

If you want to play mount based content you should by the expansions.

Yes and definitely yes, mount is a key feature of PoF, what is the reason for players to buy the expansion if every key feature of the expansion is not exclusive?

Anet is kind enough to allow mount rent for players that without mount, yet players still find a way to complain, what’s the matter with players nowsdays? Maybe we should cut all the mount rental because they will complain anyway.

well, its an event, a holiday event, should be opened for all, for everyone.living story however, should not be the same.

@TexZero.7910 said:it's almost like...

If you want to play mount based content you should by the expansions.

We spent money to move the game forward. Those who did not should not have access. Simple as that? Should you be able to glide if you did not buy HoT? Nope. Neither should you have access to mounts without PoF. Just my opinion.

@Crossaber.8934 said:what’s the matter with players nowsdays? Maybe we should cut all the mount rental because they will complain anyway.

Folks, no one is complaining any more. My original issue stemmed from my opinion that if an achievement isn't specifically marked as expansion-specific, it should be available to everyone. I have no problem with expansion-based content that is only available for expansion owners.

In any case, turns out this achievement is doable - in more than one way, for people who have no expansions, one, or both expansions. Regardless, there's no need to get offended. Instead, let's help others enjoy the game!

You can rent a mount to participate in the races. However, what you are suggesting is having access to Adventure type content too which are exclusive to both expansion type activities.

Adventures are mini-games that do not tie into the personal story. In this case, getting Gold in the firecracker adventure.

Please be satisfied that you can participate in the races. If you love the mounts, should really consider buying the expansion for $30. In fact, a tank of gas costs more than the expansion :)

@OutOfOrder.3719 said:However, what you are suggesting is having access to Adventure type content too which are exclusive to both expansion type activities.What the OP suggested (later on) was that ANet make it more clear when a festival activity is intended for people who own this expansion or that. They didn't say they were fundamentally against the concept; they just want it to be clear.

What's confusing about this one is that while it is clearly available to everyone, it seemed (at first blush) to be only possible with mounts.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:What's confusing about this one is that while it is clearly available to everyone, it seemed (at first blush) to be only possible with mounts.

But that is also to be expected whe you don't own the full game. If the game advances and you decide not to advance with it, you might not reach 100% in said game. I do not think that simple causal connection is difficult to be figured out.

Excelsior.

@Zedek.8932 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:What's confusing about this one is that while it is clearly

available

to everyone, it

seemed

(at first blush) to be only possible with mounts.

You make that statement as if it's obvious to everyone that everything in the game is going to change because of an expansion. It's not and never will be. People expect, reasonably or unreasonably, that core parts of the game will remain accessible to core players. People also expect, reasonably or not, that festivals (especially since they take place in core areas) are similarly accessible to core players.

All the OP suggested was: make it clear when that assumption is unwarranted. They aren't saying it's unfair or even unreasonable. They are simply saying: please don't make us find out the hard way. Maybe it's not worth the effort to you, but I hope you understand why those who haven't yet paid for PoF think it is.

Well core players shouldn't have everything. Anet needs to make money to keep the game alive. Can't you ask a nice mesmer to port you?