What do PvE players think is reasonable for Gift of Battle

I've seen this flare every time a new Legendary comes out, and I'm curious to see what PvE (particularly open world) players think is a reasonably gated system for obtaining Gift Of Battle from non-raid PvE content. And to open the collections back in the opposite direction, what do PvE players think WvW is lacking in the rewards department to not be worth the time? (At what point would you actually be willing to farm there)

And don't make me disclaimer this thing....... it always ends up in the salt mines.

I play PVE, mostly open world, very casual. I do some fractals with guild mates but not often.

About GoB. I'm okay with it as is, pretty much. I have made a number of legendaries. So, when I'm ready, I just go into WvW (usually EOTM...because it's less intense) and run with a Zerg until I'm done. I typically have great luck hooking up with a good commander and I just follow their orders and keep my mouth shut.

I also use WvW reward tracks to get my dungeon tokens for the appropriate gift. I find it easier than trying to pug into dungeon groups.

In looking again at the OP, it seems to ask what kind of non-raid PVE gated content would be suitable for GoB. To answer that, I'm not against it since WvW is not my favorite content. But it's not a big deal to me. Not sure if my response is what you're looking for.

I don't think there's anything wrong with how it works getting it now.

The reward track goes pretty quick even if you were to do it in the EoTMs and quicker still if you do fairly simple things in EB and the borderlands like snipe supply yaks, take camps, flip sentry locations. There are several websites that offer easy meta builds to roll with in WvW for roaming to that end.

If you're a lower pop server you'll never really see much of anyone if you avoid the larger gatherings and on larger pop servers you'll always see someone with an open party to roll with. Might even make a buddy! Or if you're on an absolutely packed server? Just zerg surf. You'll get it before the day is over.

I'm a PvX player though so I have no qualms jumping between game modes and I don't really understand people who religiously limit themselves to one game mode when the other ones offer tangible rewards for the game mode you'd prefer anyway with often lesser time investment. But that's neither here nor there.

Even an inexperienced PvE-only player should be able to get the Gift of Battle with minimal WvW investment. I don't see it as a problem. If you're an elementalist or a ranger I could give you some simple cheesy build to run for doing what I just mentioned.

I prefer the current system for obtaining a Gift of Battle.

Why? It encourages me to play a different game mode, introducing a welcome change to my usual PvE/sPvP cycles.

Current system for GoB is fine, I am a PvX player with higher towards PvE. The reward track is not bad and is pretty good for mats and stuff to sell so its win win really.

I wouldn't touch WvW at all if not for GoB so getting alternative way (e.g. PvP reward track) would improve my experience with GW2 in about 5-7%.

@starlinvf.1358 said:I've seen this flare every time a new Legendary comes out, and I'm curious to see what PvE (particularly open world) players think is a reasonably gated system for obtaining Gift Of Battle from non-raid PvE content. And to open the collections back in the opposite direction, what do PvE players think WvW is lacking in the rewards department to not be worth the time? (At what point would you actually be willing to farm there)

And don't make me disclaimer this thing....... it always ends up in the salt mines.

The current system is already reasonable.

@Donutdude.9582 said:I prefer the current system for obtaining a Gift of Battle.

Why? It encourages me to play a different game mode, introducing a welcome change to my usual PvE/sPvP cycles.

Exactly this. I was always a PvE only player, and always avoided WvW as I didn't really understand it, and was put off by the thought of the PvP part of it. But in the process of going for a Gift of Battle I ended up learning a lot about WvW, and now it's a mode I really enjoy and spend a lot of time in. Without the Gift of Battle I'd never have made that jump, and would still be missing out on a really fun part of the game.

As big players WvW can I ask for a wvw only gift of exploration ? Lol

I find what we currently have to be fine tbh

@foarequiem.9013 said:As big players WvW can I ask for a wvw only gift of exploration ? Lol

As weird as it sounds, GoE would be a crap ton harder in WvW if you had to get all the map elements. I remember it being an issue in the first place, since certain locations could be inaccessible for weeks (if not months) depending on how your server is for taking keeps. Might not be as bad now with the server linking... but T4 (being what it is) can be one sided in a bad way. I'm curious if this would encourage pugs to form up on a K-train if the intent was to get map exploration.

@Donutdude.9582 said:I prefer the current system for obtaining a Gift of Battle.

Why? It encourages me to play a different game mode, introducing a welcome change to my usual PvE/sPvP cycles.

Same here. I like that it exposes you to the different game environments. Same with having to do fractals for leggys. Or PvP for guild upgrade potions. Not my cup of tea but it was an interesting experience. Tbh getting my first Gift of Battle is what made me into a 95% WvW player nowadays.

@starlinvf.1358 said:

@foarequiem.9013 said:As big players WvW can I ask for a wvw only gift of exploration ? Lol

Well we did it back in the days, so it was possible ;-)

As a mostly PvE player, I think the Gift of Battle acquisition is fine as it is. It doesn't take too long, and even for people who want to avoid battles with other players, getting participation in WvW or EoTM and then maintaining it by killing some random guard every few minutes is pretty easy. Out of all the time-consuming or time-gated hurdles in the way of legendarily, this is pretty far down on the list for me.

I think one issue with the GoB is that it can be acquired in quite an afk fashion.This hurts both the value and integrity of it being a legendary item, AND the wvw integrity itself.PvE players, with zero interest in WvW, are coming to wvw, taking up slots in the limited roster, preventing people actually interesting in WvW from playing.My point; GoB is bad for both legendary integrity, WvW AND PvE.

GoB shouldn't be removed, it's a valid WvW method of getting legendary equipment.But maybe 2 alternative methods would be:

1. PvP reward track as well
2. a crafting collection: one item from fractals, one item from dungeons (costing 150 of every dungeon's tokens), one item from greater (lv 65+) world events, and something else that proves your character can handle itself in a fight (it's the gift of battle after all)

the first time I made a legendary, WvW was needed for world completion, so I'd already been exposed to it, and found that it was really enjoyable (even though I didn't play it much after). so when GoB was added to the reward tracks, I didn't have an issue with it, and still don't. it gives me a reason to go play some WvW, whereas usually I wouldn't. not because of rewards, not because I don't enjoy it when I do jump in there, but because I am more interested in doing other things.

in short, I like how it is now, and wouldn't want it changed.

Personally, I enjoyed so much the time when this item was purchasable for 500 Badges of Honor

Even if I dont like the fact that each time I wanna make a legendary weapon, as a PvE player, I'm kinda forced to go to WvW and move my as* to get the gift, I do agree with the principle "A legendary Item or weapon, should also be the result of the successful exploration of a lot of game modes, and not only PvE"

And so, I endure it. The system is pretty fine as it is I believe.

@Stalkingwolf.6035 said:

@starlinvf.1358 said:

@foarequiem.9013 said:As big players WvW can I ask for a wvw only gift of exploration ? Lol

Yes, but WvW matchups were changing weekly and you could always count to swap colors every week which allowed for easier exploration. It's much harder these days, not mentioning a horror that is desert borderlands without mounts.

I like GoB the way it is as it has shown me that WvW ain't that bad and I even enjoyed myself in the end.

I didn’t go to wvw because of GoB but because of the world exploration (you had to do all wvw maps for gift of exploration). I’ve never thought I’ll ever play some kind of pvp and I panicked as soon I’ve seen a red name, but I wanted to have the Gift of Exploration.As this was quite difficult (you had to wait till you own the right keeps), I had to go to wvw quite often. Once I decided to join ts (didn't even really know what ts is at this time but commanders where always telling in chat to join ts). It was great and finally many things made sense (commanders explained stuff like combo fields, that I never needed as casual solo open world player, so I really learned to play because I joined wvw and ts). The first guild I joined in GW2 was a wvw guild.

Because I was “forced” to wvw, I began to like this game mode very much and I think I spend half of my play time there and learned a lot about builds, positioning, what skills to use that I never would have otherwise. Without the need to go there regularly, I may have never started to play wvw.

By the way: It wasn’t always easier in the past. The matches where often very stale and it could be weeks until you got another color. You had to win by a high margin to rise or fall a tier if I remember correctly.

I don't think GoB should be changed. GoB can be done with doing non pvp dailies like flipping camps, killing the veteran or yaks...GoB is definitely much easier than getting gift of exploration in the past.

@Stalkingwolf.6035 said:

@starlinvf.1358 said:

@foarequiem.9013 said:As big players WvW can I ask for a wvw only gift of exploration ? Lol

Just going to take a few weeks at worst when you rotate through the sides lol

It's fine the way it is now, imo. If you want it ASAP, you can stack boosters and follow a zerg and be done in ~6 hours, which is way faster than GoE is. There is no cost to you outside of time, unlike many steps that require hundreds of gold to complete (using Silverwastes as a measurement of gold-per-hour, a step that requires 100g of mats equals ~5 hours of farming). It's not timegated like some parts of collections (see: anything requiring Orr temples), or relies on luck/camping a spot waiting for an event (again, see: Orr temples). And it doesn't require relying on other people to get it done -- you can get it by solo roaming in WvW, but you can't casually solo all the fractal collection items.

Or, if you know you're going to work on a legendary/start working on a legendary, start doing the easy dailies to stock up on potions. 1-3 WvW dailies every day are easy and can be solo'd even during high activity times. 80 potions will net you the GoB, so if you average 2 per day you can get it in 40 days for minimal work. The Badge of Tribute you buy from the guild vendor gets you Big Spender, so even if you get that every time it comes up until you actually need GoB you're still making a big dent in the reward track. You can also sell the badge on the TP and earn silver to put towards the legendary.

Or you can combine the two and go at your own pace without burning out on a full run from 0 to GoB.

Making a legendary is rarely a snap decision that gets done in a day and the GoE requires, much, much more time than buying an item, killing a yak, standing in one spot for a minute, slaying a veteran mob, or killing a sentry. In short, if you're working on a legendary it makes sense to start working on the end parts in addition to your immediate step. It's why so many people start hording mats/coins/gemstones when they start a legendary even when they're several steps away from actually needing them.

I'm almost entirely a PvE player (I only go to WvW rarely, when I want one or more of the rewards, and never play PvP) and I think the way the Gift of Battle is obtained is fine. No it's not quick and sometimes it can take several attempts or going at the right time of day/week, but the same is true of Fractals and world bosses and lots of other things required for legendaries. Making a legendary is not supposed to be quick or easy.

I also don't think it's the rewards which put most PvE players off playing WvW. From discussions I've had it's often the fact that you're fighting other people that makes it seem intimidating. I know in some ways the difference between "this computer controlled enemy is trying to kill me" and "this player controlled enemy is trying to kill me" is minimal, but it doesn't feel that way at first. Some differences are obvious - players don't have predictable routines and mechanics, they can adapt instantly to counter what you're doing (they don't always do that, but they can) and they'll do things like start to attack you from way outside any NPCs aggro range and chase you all the way across the map if they have to instead of breaking off at some point. But also just the idea of this being a real person somewhere in the world who has chosen you as their target can be intimidating.

That and the fact that you're fighting with other people. One thing that really worried me when I first started WvW was the idea that I was on 'the team' by default as soon as I was on the map and I didn't know what I was doing. At first I literally had no idea how WvW worked - there were all these colours and markers and moving things (dolyaks) on the map and announcements popping up and none of it meant anything to me. I was worried I'd do something wrong and sabotage my team, or simply wouldn't be "pulling my weight" while taking up a slot on the map, something I'd often heard WvW players complain about.

There's no easy way around that, you just have to get on and do it and over time you'll get used to it. Or use some of the slower non-combat methods to get the Gift of Battle like capping ruins, or doing PvE dailies like Big Spender and killing veterans. But again the same is true of other things - Fractals can seem very intimidating when you first go in because it's presented as harder dungeons (nothing in game tells you the lower tiers are actually easier) and it seems like everyone will expect you to know what to do before you start. The entire game can seem like that to people who don't currently play. That's not a reason to refuse to do it.

I, also, think it's fine the way it is.

As a mainly Open World PvE player, I think the process for a Gift of Battle is fine, it's like Open World, with other players. And the way GW2 handled PvP in WvW, makes it feel more like PvE then dealing with the typical toxic nature of PvP games. Outside the massive balance issues among the classes, where like an Ele and a Thief can do things like one shot kill me, which is kinda stupid from a class design point, it's not bad at all.