Heart of Thorns Hero Challenges

Barely anyone is doing them anymore. Map completion in HoT areas is getting increasingly more annoying over time, and it was pretty annoying to begin with.

Please solve the problem, and allow the hero challenges in HoT to scale down to a difficulty level that's intended for solo play, similarly to how they're designed in Path of Fire.

Thanks!

When are you playing? I've seen no indications to support this assertion.

I run about in the HoT maps usually 4 times a week and their are always people in the maps running HPs. Plus I see HP trains in LFG regularly. Perhaps you could join one of those? If you were trying for HPs this past week they were likely low population due to the episode release.

@Kal Spiro.9745 said:When are you playing? I've seen no indications to support this assertion.

I can attest that when i can play, outside of the weekends i have had tons of issues getting people to help with hero points. (east coast time US, from around 3pm-6 pm), and even on the weekends i usually end up begging for help in guild chat due to lack of response on map. Honestly i see no reason why the couldnt just ahve them scale down to elites or veterans.

I've been easily able to run several characters through the HoT challenges - VB, AB, and TD - just in the last 2-3 months.
I checked the LFG tool often, looking in those specific zones for HP runs. Most will state that they only require a glider mastery or some may require a mushroom mastery or bunny mount. There were usually about 30+ people in each group I joined. I checked during typical 'peak' hours (evenings and weekends). Yes, I wasn't able to do them exactly on my timetable; however, doing them in these HoT runs made it totally worth any wait. Always tipped the commander, too because they are providing a great value with these events. Highly recommended!

Like most people said here already, HP and Mastery Trains are still happening in HoT Maps. Use LFG Tool. Otherwise, ANET won't nerf these boses unless they see a change in numbers of people doing them.

Fully unlocking your elite spec in PoF requires unlocking 25/26(might be 28) available HP.

Fully unlocking your elite spec in HoT requires unlocking 25/40. There are a lot more "spares" in HoT.

They are not quite comparable.

I spend the majority of my play time in VB and there is not a day that goes by where I don't see at least one HP train going through. This is on NA so I have no idea how things are in EU.

You may not be seeing people doing them because of the new episode last week. Things should start to improve this week.

That's the thing, though. I don't want to sit there staring at the LFG tool for long periods of time in order to do map completion. Map completion has always been a comfortably soloable task in all of GW2 except in HoT. Why? It's just an annoyance to deal with when I'm trying to get things done. I've already done all the hero challenges in HoT on like 12 of 19 characters, and it was annoying every single time. But it's definitely worse now.

And sure, maybe it's the new episode, but that's no excuse. This is only going to get worse over time as the game grows in territory and the population of old maps gets smaller.

@"Adul.1520" said:That's the thing, though. I don't want to sit there staring at the LFG tool for long periods of time in order to do map completion. Map completion has always been a comfortably soloable task in all of GW2 except in HoT. Why? It's just an annoyance to deal with when I'm trying to get things done. I've already done all the hero challenges in HoT on like 12 of 19 characters, and it was annoying every single time. But it's definitely worse now.

And sure, maybe it's the new episode, but that's no excuse. This is only going to get worse over time as the game grows in territory and the population of old maps gets smaller.

All you will get from people on the forums is "Well, i dont have problems doing it cause when im playing there are groups running it." So....

@Dante.1763 said:

@"Adul.1520" said:That's the thing, though. I don't want to sit there staring at the LFG tool for long periods of time in order to do map completion. Map completion has always been a comfortably soloable task in

all

of GW2

except

in HoT. Why? It's just an annoyance to deal with when I'm trying to get things done. I've already done all the hero challenges in HoT on like 12 of 19 characters, and it was annoying every single time. But it's definitely worse now.

And sure, maybe it's the new episode, but that's no excuse. This is only going to get worse over time as the game grows in territory and the population of old maps gets smaller.

People play at different times, in different time zones, and on different servers. What's an issue for some is smooth sailing for others.

@Dante.1763 said:

@Kal Spiro.9745 said:When are you playing? I've seen no indications to support this assertion.

That's the problem alright. activity doesn't pick up until 6PM EST, you're leaving before people are even showing up

You can unlock the entire spec in HoT without fighting anything because it has alot of extra ones.

@Hannelore.8153 said:You can unlock the entire spec in HoT without fighting anything because it has alot of extra ones.

The OP's issue is map completion.

I can't agree that it's a problem that needs to be solved. It's one of the things I like about HoT maps, that they include some things that are challenging to complete alone.

Since you claim to be something of an expert, why don't you organize a group to do some HP? Even just posting in map, "I'm at [challenge] near [landmark], starting it up at :10 past this hour," I usually get a few people, especially right after AB or TD metas. (VB is a little more variable, due its nature.)

Some day, it might turn out to be difficult to find people, if ANet keeps adding one map per episode. At that point, ANet can invest some time into figuring out how to make these more easily accessible. Even then, there are plenty of things they can do besides nerfing the difficulty, including changing the rewards, adding incentives to visit the maps certain days or weeks, or even just with skill creep affecting their difficulty. (Orr used to be hard for a lot of people to solo; it mostly isn't any longer.)

There's nothing to fix; apart from several HP's (Itzel frog (vb), mushroom queen (TD), Balthazaar (AB), all of the dragons stand HP) most are readily avalable and easily soloable in berserk/scholars armour, so long as you're willing to mess around with some traits. I prefer HoT hero points to PoF, on the merit that they're closer together, easier to access and not that difficult after you do them a few times.

If you need help, call out on map chat (politely). Someone will usually come to help within 5 minutes or so, depending on your timezone and when you ask (for example, don't ask durring the meta).

The majority of HP in HoT are "commune with a place of power"There are 40 HP, and only 12 include fighting a champion. 11 if you don't count Balthazar since it's technically a commune that he guards and killing him isn't the requirement for the HP. It's also possible to stealth to it.On those 11 champions, there's a few easy one like the spider queen in TG, or the vinetooth and tarnished sage in AB.And the other are usually very easy to find help for by just asking in map.

@Adul.1520 said:Barely anyone is doing them anymore.

I did HoT map completion again just a couple of weeks ago, and I always found people to help me using map chat and/or LFG.

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@Adul.1520 said:Barely anyone is doing them anymore.

I agree and timing might be the issue. I started a new toon last month, jumped to HoT and called out for help on hero points. I always had 3-5 people show up (sometimes more) in VB and AB. Then, I hopped over to PoF maps and did the points there and was able to get my elite unlocked within a matter of hours.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the response to my calling out for help in the HoT maps. I appreciate those players who hang out there and are willing to take a few minutes to help out.

@"Haishao.6851" said:The majority of HP in HoT are "commune with a place of power"There are 40 HP, and only 12 include fighting a champion. 11 if you don't count Balthazar since it's technically a commune that he guards and killing him isn't the requirement for the HP. It's also possible to stealth to it.On those 11 champions, there's a few easy one like the spider queen in TG, or the vinetooth and tarnished sage in AB.And the other are usually very easy to find help for by just asking in map.

There is also the toxic bacon which is neither combat nor commune :)

@Khisanth.2948 said:

There is also the toxic bacon which is neither combat nor commune :)

I throw up a lot when trying to keep that down, though.

Last 3 times i did HoT map completion these past few months i caught a hp train of 40+ around 11pm gmt - in EST, that's 7am if i did my math right, a time when most americans are asleep no matter what, and i play on NA. Population isn't the problem...

Waiting hp completion into existence won't make it happen - i've rarely seen peoples call for help unanswered, and most HPs are doable with two people on bad gear if they aren't easily soloable. Only exception - mushroom queen (TD) which needs a third person, a 4th if no one is vaguely aware of kiting. Then, balthazar's rest (AB) is also pretty tricky with 2 people if they don't know fight mechanics...and that's really it for hard hp. Remember that CC is your best friend and most of these hard fights become easy.

People actually do it very often. Atleast on EU server I see them all the time.

@kharmin.7683 said:

@Khisanth.2948 said:

There is also the toxic bacon which is neither combat nor commune :)

Don't use your heal until right when you'll actually get the full amount from it.Or get Adrenal Mushrooms, that's easy mode.

Sometimes people also pick very awful timing to ask. Like right before VB canopy boss spawns. Sure some people might still respond but don't be surprised if people going to go do the boss(es) first.