Getting from Zone to Zone

As dumb as this sounds, I'm baffled how to go to different maps? I'm currently in Verdant, the troll map of all maps. So I thought I would check out Hearts of Maguuma where there is a group. Starting at Verdant or Silver Wastes I can find no way to get there. I've come from Elder Scrolls. You start in one zone, head say west, and keep discovering new zone after new zone. I seem to get blocked in here in GW2. What am I missing?

I assume you mean Verdant Brink. Auric Basin is the south, and wiki has a map that you can use for a reference.https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Verdant_Brink#Interactive_map

In particular, the portal to the next zone can be found here:https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Noble_Ledges

The end-game content is some of the most complex in the game, and you should be familiar with navigating Central Tyria maps before moving on, because the maps themselves as well as the ways of reaching them only become more complex as you move on as the expansion areas are all designed to be navigated with both gliders and mounts, and masteries which you level up.

This comes long after anything a new player would experience.

Short answer: The path from Verdant Brink into the next Heart of Maguuma map (Auric Basin) is in the bottom left corner. You can probably get there without gliding, but I strongly recommend you unlock at least the first tier of gliding before getting there because it makes it much easier to navigate the jungle.

Long answer:

Broadly speaking it's the same as ESO: somewhere along the edge between two maps there will be a point where you can go from one to the other. Looking at the map they're not all as obvious as in ESO because they don't all have roads leading to them and gates or whatever when you get there, but in the world you can spot them by looking out for faint blue swirling portals.

Heart of Thorns maps are more complicated than core Tyria, for two reasons: firstly in lore it's a largely unexplored jungle with no roads and several different layers (like Valenwood should be, but that's another topic) so routes are not clearly marked on the map and secondly that carries over into the game design: navigating the jungle is part of the challenge, so it's a bit of a maze and difficult to find your way around until you get to know the maps and will require gliding and in some cases bouncing mushrooms. The story will lead you through the maps, or you can use the Wiki to find out where the paths from one map to the next are.

If you're new to GW2 and finding the jungle really difficult it might be worth heading back to the base game maps and spending some time there while you get used to how things work, before moving on to the more difficult expansion content.

Also not to bear in mind: "Heart of the Maguuma" is not the name of the map, but the region, and Verdant Brink is part of that region.

Since most people already answered, I will just chime in and wish you a pleasant stay in the heart of the maguuma jungle. Also if you think Verdant Brink is a troll map, wait til Tangled Depths. That map is like Durian. You either love it, or hate it. :P

@Jackson.9307 said:Since most people already answered, I will just chime in and wish you a pleasant stay in the heart of the maguuma jungle. Also if you think Verdant Brink is a troll map, wait til Tangled Depths. That map is like Durian. You either love it, or hate it. :P

That's not encouraging.

I'm doing a little better recently. More time spent on the stories helps me get around. Also, when I am trying to get from point A to point B, and I don't know exacctly where point B is, I will fight my way through mobs more. Rather than running through them and ending up at a dead end with 30 snarling beasts on me. Slower, but safer.

Part of the issue sounds like where you started. The game isn't really meant to be started from HoT, but from Core Tyria. PoF (Path of Fire expansion) corrected this a little by being easier to navigate, but HoT is smack bang in the middle of a story arc and is a unique setting which uses unique mechanics and map design not found up until that point.

In Core Tyria you have a big World map with many zones you can move between naturally like you would eslewhere. HoT is a poor place to jump in since it is designed as a continuation and assumes knowledge of the game whilst teaching some new things.

In HoT you have maps that progress one after the after (same as PoF), but maps are designed vertically as well as horizontally to give a greater experience of depth and utilise the gliding mechanic effectively. Tangled Depths is more maze like than any other to encourage uses of other abilities you learn to traverse the map (Nuhoch Wallows for example). Great for explorers, not great for everyone else (I really loved it, esp all the spelunking). The verticality is used a lot less in subsequent maps and only a couple use it in a significant way

It changes again with Living World maps (DLCS between expansions you will need to buy) which tend to be stand alones and only a few can be reached from map to another and only then if you bought that episode and map.

Just to clarify, Heart of Maguuma isn't a map. It is a region which encompasses all the HoT maps and a couple of Living World ones. Things are split into regions for categorisation of objectives like dailies, but are largely unimportant otherwise. Your next map is Auric Basin which the story will lead you to and is in the bottom left corner.

Something also to add is that you can switch between stories at will without loss of progress. If you wanted to go back and play through Core Tyria you can. If you want to do Core Tyrias story, you just select it from the Story Journal. And when you want to go back to HoT's story, you just select the chapter you were on.

Same with any Living World stories. Although it is one continuous story (although the Core Tyria story is largely self contained) and you will have major spoilers jumping in/out, there is nothing stopping you from doing so otherwise. Many people do this to get their mounts from PoF for example.

The game is well set up to go and do what you please for the most part, I personally just find it more natural to play it from the start and learning as you go. Things like HoT will feel less jarring that way.

Just as an extra final FYI, the story and maps are listed in order below

Personal StoryAll Core Tyria maps

Living World Season 1 (no longer playable - deleted for good)Southson Island (still accessible)

Living World Season 2 (should be able to access maps without needing to buy the story/DLC via the map Brisbane)Dry TopSilverwastes

Heart of Thorns (First map links straight from Silverwastes)Verdant BrinkAuric BasinTangled DepthsDragonstand

Living World Season 3 (needs purchasing each episode or full arc)Bloodstone FenEmber BayBitterfrost Frontier (links from Frostgorge Sound)Lake Doric (Links from Divinitys Reach)Draconis MonsSirens Landing

Path of Fire (No maps link to Core Tyria)Crystal OasisDesert HighlandsElon RiverlandsThe DesolationDomain of Vabbi

Living World Season 4 (needs purchasing each episode or full arc, 2 maps either link from PoF or each other. None link to Core Tyria)Domain of IstanSandswept IslesDomain of KournaJahai BluffsThunderhead PeaksDragonfall

Living World Season 5: The Icebrood Saga (Currently free per episode as long as you log in once during their release window and no current links to other maps)Grothmar ValleyBjora Marches

Just wait til you get to Tangled Depths! MWAHAHAHAHA!

@Forzani.2584 said:What am I missing?

You are missing some time on the Vanilla maps. You jumped straight to the Hot expansion which has the most complex maps in GW2.New players are recommended to play at least one character through the story which will teach you the basics and lead you through the maps.Hot maps may seem like troll maps to you but for some of us those are the best maps out there because of the different layers and verticality. Getting mounts in Pof first will ease the travelling by a lot although you will miss the thrill of first time exploration of Hot maps. This depends on what you like in a game.

@Randulf.7614 said:Something also to add is that you can switch between stories at will without loss of progress. If you wanted to go back and play through Core Tyria you can. If you want to do Core Tyrias story, you just select it from the Story Journal. And when you want to go back to HoT's story, you just select the chapter you were on.

Same with any Living World stories. Although it is one continuous story (although the Core Tyria story is largely self contained) and you will have major spoilers jumping in/out, there is nothing stopping you from doing so otherwise. Many people do this to get their mounts from PoF for example.

The game is well set up to go and do what you please for the most part, I personally just find it more natural to play it from the start and learning as you go. Things like HoT will feel less jarring that way.

Just as an extra final FYI, the story and maps are listed in order below

Personal StoryAll Core Tyria maps

Living World Season 1 (no longer playable - deleted for good)Southson Island (still accessible)

Living World Season 2 (should be able to access maps without needing to buy the story/DLC via the map Brisbane)Dry TopSilverwastes

Heart of Thorns (First map links straight from Silverwastes)Verdant BrinkAuric BasinTangled DepthsDragonstand

Living World Season 3 (needs purchasing each episode or full arc)Bloodstone FenEmber BayBitterfrost Frontier (links from Frostgorge Sound)Lake Doric (Links from Divinitys Reach)Draconis MonsSirens Landing

Path of Fire (No maps link to Core Tyria)Crystal OasisDesert HighlandsElon RiverlandsThe DesolationDomain of Vabbi

Living World Season 4 (needs purchasing each episode or full arc, 2 maps either link from PoF or each other. None link to Core Tyria)Domain of IstanSandswept IslesDomain of KournaJahai BluffsThunderhead PeaksDragonfall

Living World Season 5: The Icebrood Saga (Currently free per episode as long as you log in once during their release window and no current links to other maps)Grothmar ValleyBjora Marches

I believe Hirathi Hinterlands links to Lake Doric, as well.

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@Randulf.7614 said:Something also to add is that you can switch between stories at will without loss of progress. If you wanted to go back and play through Core Tyria you can. If you want to do Core Tyrias story, you just select it from the Story Journal. And when you want to go back to HoT's story, you just select the chapter you were on.

Same with any Living World stories. Although it is one continuous story (although the Core Tyria story is largely self contained) and you will have major spoilers jumping in/out, there is nothing stopping you from doing so otherwise. Many people do this to get their mounts from PoF for example.

The game is well set up to go and do what you please for the most part, I personally just find it more natural to play it from the start and learning as you go. Things like HoT will feel less jarring that way.

Just as an extra final FYI, the story and maps are listed in order below

Personal Story

All Core Tyria maps

Living World Season 1

(no longer playable - deleted for good)Southson Island (still accessible)

Living World Season 2

(should be able to access maps without needing to buy the story/DLC via the map Brisbane)Dry TopSilverwastes

Heart of Thorns

(First map links straight from Silverwastes)Verdant BrinkAuric BasinTangled DepthsDragonstand

Living World Season 3

(needs purchasing each episode or full arc)Bloodstone FenEmber BayBitterfrost Frontier (links from Frostgorge Sound)Lake Doric (Links from Divinitys Reach)Draconis MonsSirens Landing

Path of Fire

(No maps link to Core Tyria)Crystal OasisDesert HighlandsElon RiverlandsThe DesolationDomain of Vabbi

Living World Season 4

(needs purchasing each episode or full arc, 2 maps either link from PoF or each other. None link to Core Tyria)Domain of IstanSandswept IslesDomain of KournaJahai BluffsThunderhead PeaksDragonfall

Living World Season 5: The Icebrood Saga

(Currently free per episode as long as you log in once during their release window and no current links to other maps)Grothmar ValleyBjora Marches

Only one way, iirc - I don't think you can go from Harathi to Lake Doric.

@Cuks.8241 said:

@Forzani.2584 said:What am I missing?

It has been years since I last played. I have 4 level 80s. Leveled a rev until level 40 and jumped him to 80 with a token. I had a level 40 Necro, and I took your advice and leveled him to 80 in Vanilla maps. I can see how the stories help by directing you to portals with the green markers.

After saying all that, I'm still paralyzed with apprehension to enter the new zones to get my hero points. I logged in earlier today and just stood there for 10 minutes knowing that the death train would start anew if I started looking for the points. ( I do have Raptor, Rabbit and glider level 3)

Likely I should just do the stories with the core classes and forget about the Elite specs

@"Forzani.2584" said:It has been years since I last played. I have 4 level 80s. Leveled a rev until level 40 and jumped him to 80 with a token. I had a level 40 Necro, and I took your advice and leveled him to 80 in Vanilla maps. I can see how the stories help by directing you to portals with the green markers.

After saying all that, I'm still paralyzed with apprehension to enter the new zones to get my hero points. I logged in earlier today and just stood there for 10 minutes knowing that the death train would start anew if I started looking for the points. ( I do have Raptor, Rabbit and glider level 3)

Likely I should just do the stories with the core classes and forget about the Elite specs

The PoF Hero challenges are generally a lot easier to solo, though there are less "spare" points there. I also find the maps less confusing as they're generally more open. If you can't get somewhere, you can usually still see how you're supposed to get there.

Also - while it is a lot more tedious you can still get HPs in Core maps - there's 200 HP spread over Core and Maguuma Wastes (Dry Top+Silverwastes) - almost an entire Elite Spec!

Once unlocked, don't slot the elite spec until it's mostly unlocked - you don't want to go with a partly filled in trait line!

I'm surprised no one's offered help (that I noticed, appologies if I missed it) - are you on NA or EU servers?

Have you looked on LFG for a hero point train? There is often some running on weekends on the NA server at least. I think my guild does them every other week. One week HoT, next PoF.

@whoeverxwins.1279 said:Have you looked on LFG for a hero point train? There is often some running on weekends on the NA server at least. I think my guild does them every other week. One week HoT, next PoF.

Someone mentioned this earlier, so now I do check lfg when I log on. It will happen!