Anyone else feel that we have stunning new environments but NOTHING to do in them?

The expansion LOOKS gorgeous, but where is the actual content? Outside of the story, its the same old fetch/escort/kill quests. There are no huge meta events that anyone has discovered so far , nor anything like the caldebog quest. It feels a bit unfinished to me. Its like we have maps and mounts, but they ran out of time to put any actual content in them?

I agree. The lack of the map-wide meta events feels like a step backwards. I agree that HoT was too dependent on them, but on the same note I enjoyed them and I think they could have been implemented (after improving upon) in this expansion. Also I am not a big fan of bounty boards. I much more enjoyed running into bosses on the map, joining people and helping them take them down, and now yes, maps feel bare outside of story progression, especially once you are done with map completion.

No, in fact I see so many events going on (and for some inane reason all of them group events in a map so large you rarely run into more than 1-2 people at a time) that only a quarter or so are ever completed.

I also agree. I already did some bounties and plan to one-and-done them for achievements, honestly. I didn't really feel like I got much in the way of rewards to want to redo them again and again. With how much stuff is actually happening in this area, I really hoped for some amazing meta events.

People complained about HoT being on timers and needed groups. Anet made changes based on the very loud complaints of a percentage of the playerbase. I know after I get done with the expansion I'll be spending time in HoT again, because that offers a different experience.

Both experiences are valid. Anet should have made 3 maps without metas and two with metas

My problem with the expansion is that no matter what new map, there is no resting for your character. It seems like your position is homed in on and attacked. This is very upsetting. I also find it difficult to find things. Heart quests are hidden until xxx takes place is very confusing. I was very upset upon discovering these issues.

I don't have the expansion but thought that must be the case when i see so many mounts around Tyria.Figured the content would have kept them in the desert.I was going to buy it Saturday after getting a new gpu working Friday but now I'll wait and see.

Congratulations TC, you've described the #1 problem open world games have. It's something I feel most open world games have a problem with, and few actually are able to pull off open world without it being large and desolate with little to do. It's a fine line to make it perfect, and sadly one that's incredibly hard to do.

Yea its actually kind of boring. Day 2 and Im already going back to Silverwastes to farm materials.

cmon anet you need to get some meta events going. Challening group content instead of just bounty trains and unconnected map events, which is about as exciting as making myself dizzy in my office chair.

other than that, beautiful maps tho, and condi soulbeast is like huh this is a new elite spec, it literally feels exactly like the previous iteration of condi rangerexcept with an active quickness skill and no pet. big deal. not very impressed.

the HoT meta events are actually fantastic its too bad anet listened to the chronic complainers, they could have made them even better.

This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

Judging buy the crash in prices seems a lot are benefiting from the faster pace of farming and that's about it hey \o/

My only other concern is now that any future maps will be designed around mounts. I don't know. The story is much better but open world HOT had more going on imo.

To me these seem to be pure Living Story maps. You get your new way to get across the map and and has a story line, isolated events and collections. With HoT the whole map and events was tied to the story. This expansion the events are like core Tyria events where, for example, you plug holes in water pipes. They are much less intense and and often separate from the main storyline.

@Rennie.6750 said:This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

this is very true but they will never get that. they do not even understand at all the fun they are missing out on even . and the fact they do not even know the joke is on them well ;) :p :3 B)

@WARIORSCHARGEING.2637 said:

@Rennie.6750 said:This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

We're doing the same expansion as you, so we know exactly what we're getting. Grinding mobs may be fun to you, but not all. I just think with such large, detailed and beautiful maps, there isn't enough events/quests or anything epic feeling compared to HOT. I have already mapped the entire expansion. Where is the incentive to keep staying there unless you want the armours?

@IseeU.4519 said:

@WARIORSCHARGEING.2637 said:

@Rennie.6750 said:This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

that is your own personal problem right their . I do not know this information but I can guess you might have never played guild wars at all. but on the off chance you have played guild wars. then you should already know too that these mobs are very normal and fitting for this new pack . and have no need at all of meta events at all

that is why you got the bounty system in place for meta they just got that turned off right now tho .

in the mean time you still got hot maps to enjoy they not shut them down . oh also too in guild wars maps just like the new path of fire maps they was the same size.

and a lot of us also role played enjoy them maps and spent many hours in them by our selfs and our friends any thing we wanted different at the time we all went and played world of war craft :p :3

@WARIORSCHARGEING.2637 said:

@IseeU.4519 said:

@WARIORSCHARGEING.2637 said:

@Rennie.6750 said:This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

Well you'd guess wrong. I played GW1 for 6 years and have been playing GW2 since launch. It also isn't my personal problem. The no 1 criticism of POF which I outlined in my op, is echoed by many on Reddit. Even look at some of the threads her eon this forum. There is a palpable disappointment that there is no meta event on any of the maps. We have 5 HUGE maps; couldn't there have been at least one large Meta? I'm not saying there isn't fun to be had or that there aren't other great things about it. It's an observation and a fair criticism, that compared to the dynamic and epic nature of HOT, POF feels a bit restrained and empty in comparison. Will it be fleshed out later? Possibly, but it's currently a bit underwhelming at the moment.

There are tons of small metas, like it was in core game. The event chains that goes one to another with the smallfinalle. Its way better than map wide meta events, where everyone shouts on each other etc.

well theres plenty of time in future to add in more polish.

Look at old forum on HoT section, the amount of hate ppl on metas(im big in favor of metas, love it).

i just saying , ppl get what they deserved, now they miss it lol.

@IseeU.4519 said:

@WARIORSCHARGEING.2637 said:

@Rennie.6750 said:This is an expansion about exploration and gathering t6 mats for the new gear, if any of these is your thing then you'll have plenty to do.

It's like in every MMO ever, if you don't want the rewards don't play the content. This works for HoT too, once you're done with the story, if you don't want the rewards there's 0 reason to keep playing it, especially if you didn't like the maps.

Maybe ANet should have added some legendaries to add fake longevity for people like you, but that's an entirely different request.

What do you do in the desert in real life? Nothing (just like in this expansion) :).

yea, there's not much to keep people entertained and attached to these regions. occasionally you might see groups gather for HP and mastery points. otherwise there's not much to do here. do the story, get the mounts, return to HOT and Tyria for dailies.

bounties are disappointing; not much draw to them. if i wanted to hunt bosses, i'd do a tour of the world bosses.

I'm standing in Mistlock trying to decide which new map to play in until I realize I'm already tired of them. We went from surviving a zone wide assault, liberating a city and hunting down a dragon to.. delivering barrels of apples and fixing water pumps. Its so disappointing.

Good buy big boss fight a la Claw of Jormag and Shatterer and welcome bountys made of simple NPC, less work for them faster profits. With big boss fights the expansion would have taken longer. Once I've mapped it all, the only entertainment left will be my overgrown furry taxi cabs. :/