What's your favourite episode of Icebrood Saga so far?

[voidek.5738]

Mine is Grothmar Valley (episode number #1, titled Bound by Blood). Maybe it's nostalgia already, since in September 2019 world was like usual... Also, i really liked whole atmosphere of celebration, yet it was quite sinister from very beginning with all the accidents. The events of episode was happening behind our backs, we as Commander didn't really were in epicenter of them. Secondary, "The Metal Concert Meta" was something really unusual and cool, not your regular MMO meta event. I liked Ooze event as well. And in general there wasn't much events, but this fact added to calmer mood, storm on the horizon feel. Map was bigger also, unlike others we had it all in one package. Exploring it with rented Skyscale was easy, but i really loved last POI (had to view guides online and made party for it, but this was memorable). I think jp of Khan-Ur is only HUGE side thing i did from all episodes of Saga too.Now, by no means i say rest of Saga is bad or something, especially i liked Visions of the Past, which takes place 2 in my list. But upcoming 2 episodes after the Bound by Blood was more usual stuff and with all the creepiness when you have to explore empty keep - wasn't very light. However i was kidding, that Bjora Marches is mine WotLK since i haven't played it originally. I had a blast in Whisper in the Dark honestly, but in old-school kill stuff/do quests manner.And i havent played none Drizlewood Cascades yet, but spoiled myself for almost everything (waiting for VA).

[Ashantara.8731]

Favorite story: Can't decide, each episode has had highlights and downsides in writing. [Edit: NOT "Champions", though!]Favorite map: Bjora Marches (the JP dungeons, the spooky forest, the music <3 )Most rewarding meta: Drizzlewood Coast (it's one big reward map, although extremely exhausting to play as well)

[Randulf.7614]

Prologue by a long way. Best story, by far the best map, best ambience, a wonderful mix of things to do solo and group - it got very little wrong. Not only is it the best of the saga, I regard it as one if the best LW episodes full stop.

Bjora works better as a whole, but feels very inorganic for a map. Story was severely under utilised.

Ep3 was a bit more return to form despite being needing some refinements to the meta. The story was meatier than ep1/2. And despite the single minded map, it was quite beautiful.

Ep4 was poor. The story had all the right bits, but lacked a lot of depth and more importantly, a lot of deeper gameplay elements. The meta and map held no interest for me at all due to the length and lack of interesting mechanics.

Visions gets an honorary mention for two fantastic instances and some well thought out features.

[Raknar.4735]

Shadow in the Ice.Drakkar, the JPs, the Light puzzles, the Boneskinner forest and the first rendition of the "Flight of the Eagle Spirit"-theme during the trailer were the highlights for me.

[Galmac.4680]

None so far. Have to confess that. Perhaps the next one.

[hugo.4705]

Prologue, grothmar yeah. After, south drizzle.

Bjora is a nope because: copy pasted event, underused potential for shrines and boss fights. (bjora west)East one was correct apart almorra death imho. Good creepy ambiance.

North drizzle: nothing to do outside of meta, very empty ice waste, charrs act better but nothing about the machine shown in trailer, no norn, tengu or whatever settlements. No fortifications, no need of sieges like the south path, no barricades.... like.. really, bangar not reinforcing the north? Ryland and varinia even stated in e3 that a lot of iron is with dominion, why no fortifications? No iron remparts, no catapults, not that mush elite frost troops outside of the fortress.... very cheap overall, you can't count on map look alone anymore.Worst than bjora. Wow.

I just conclude that they are bad at "expanding" maps, better to have 1 specific map each episode.

[coso.9173]

Favorite episode for me would be Bjora 1. The creepy ambience and mood is simply awesome. I like the darker tone this season has in general. The part with a certain someone getting headshot was brutal and I didn't expected it.

[Fueki.4753]

the prologue

The actual, numbered chapters have all been let downs to me.

[Fenella.2634]

Yes, the prologue by far.Bjora was a huge disappointment and even though the following episodes got better in comparison, they are still... Well...We know Anet can do much better than that.

[Yasai.3549]

Prologue.

Each passing episode just makes me hate the entire direction of this season.Not only are the metas not fun, they aren't rewarding, are extremely time consuming, with tons of really long and dreary achievements.

THIS IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO MAKE PLAYERS KEEP PLAYING.This will drive players so far away, and now the casual PvE playerbase is going to be driven away as well.

An MMO shouldn't aim to keep their players STUCK to their game, a game should aim to ENCOURAGE PLAYERS TO RETURN.I have no doubt in my mind most players who "quit" the game are finding lesser and lesser reason to log back into Gw2 because there just isn't any draw to it, and inversely, there is just so much more annoying aspects that people hate being introduced by the boatload with each episode.

[voidek.5738]

And of course i forgot to mention Strike Mission thing in first post. Newest type of content at that time. Im not huge dungeons/fractals/raids runner myself, so liked it. However i didn't participate in latest ones somehow somehow.

[Ogwom.7940]

Favorite by far is the Prologue.I agree with all your points, especially the "calm before the storm". That specifically reminds me of Pre-Searing Ascalon as well as the map and the colours.I still go there to this day. Perhaps we they can make hatched chilies a form of getting ls4 map currencies like eternal ice shards? This would make people have choice of coming to Grothmar or Bjora.

I would love if they expanded on the Charr Homelands.I find that the southern part of North Drizzlewood looks like Sacnoth Valley from GW1, which I like. Maybe they can make a Sacnoth Valley in GW2 for the future lol?

[Zok.4956]

@"voidek.5738" said:Mine is Grothmar Valley (episode number #1, titled Bound by Blood).

"Bound by Blood" has in-game not an episode number but is named "Prologue: Bound by Blood" (so we could maybe call it episode #0)

The Prologue is my favourite episode of season 5 by far. It was not a very big map, but it was mostly fun to play, like a festival, and we could take a small look into charr culture.

[Blude.6812]

@"Yasai.3549" said:Prologue.

Each passing episode just makes me hate the entire direction of this season.Not only are the metas not fun, they aren't rewarding, are extremely time consuming, with tons of really long and dreary achievements.

THIS IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO MAKE PLAYERS KEEP PLAYING.This will drive players so far away, and now the casual PvE playerbase is going to be driven away as well.

An MMO shouldn't aim to keep their players STUCK to their game, a game should aim to ENCOURAGE PLAYERS TO RETURN.I have no doubt in my mind most players who "quit" the game are finding lesser and lesser reason to log back into Gw2 because there just isn't any draw to it, and inversely, there is just so much more annoying aspects that people hate being introduced by the boatload with each episode.

Agree 100%. Been around since GW1. Drizzlewood may be the final straw for me if the new team doesn't figure out how to get back to the games roots.

[Valtanders.5032]

@"Yasai.3549" said:Prologue.

Each passing episode just makes me hate the entire direction of this season.Not only are the metas not fun, they aren't rewarding, are extremely time consuming, with tons of really long and dreary achievements.

THIS IS NOT THE CORRECT WAY TO MAKE PLAYERS KEEP PLAYING.This will drive players so far away, and now the casual PvE playerbase is going to be driven away as well.

An MMO shouldn't aim to keep their players STUCK to their game, a game should aim to ENCOURAGE PLAYERS TO RETURN.I have no doubt in my mind most players who "quit" the game are finding lesser and lesser reason to log back into Gw2 because there just isn't any draw to it, and inversely, there is just so much more annoying aspects that people hate being introduced by the boatload with each episode.

this soo much this

[Atomos.7593]

Definitely the prologue and Grothmar Valley. Maybe it was so good that the rest seems poor in comparison.

[Ayrilana.1396]

None of them were my favorite because they all suffer from the same issues.

[Rihar.3465]

Grothmar Valley prologue. An interesting mixture of celebration mood and upcoming threat. Meta events are well designed (Metal concert beats everything no doubt), as well as smaller ones - not just kill X mobs and win. Jumping puzzle, race and adventures are included. Good idea with "secret area". I'd say that GV map is on of those which is a pleasure to return, well balanced and designed overall. The only annoying disadvantage is unhealthy achievements grinding. Most of them are based on raising kill numbers which is a brainless and boring things with crappy reward behind.

South Drizzlewood is the next favorite - something refreshing I'd say. While northern part is a total fail on my opinion. I expected real team work, HUGE siege and epic battle. But instead got annoying "kill bosses and try to keep up with others", "smash X mobs in, ahem, citadel" and "kill icy dragon which is even more boring that the original". Oh yes, and try not to die and constant snipers shooting. It feels like it was designed by a different team.

[White Kitsunee.4620]

Grothmar by a pretty big margin.Its a really unique map and I don't think saying the prolog was the best episode so far as very controversial.

[Ayrilana.1396]

If Grothmar didn't have the rock band event, would the people claiming it to be their favorite map still feel the same?

[Tyson.5160]

I’ve been satisfied by all the episodes so far with the saga.

[Randulf.7614]

@Ayrilana.1396 said:If Grothmar didn't have the rock band event, would the people claiming it to be their favorite map still feel the same?

For me yes absolutely. It is still vastly better than subsequent episodes

[hugo.4705]

Grothmar still best even without the concert: so many different events all around, and awesome ambient dialogues.... and Auris of course!

A new map, with a Core gw2 feeling to me, reminding plains of ashford with more trees.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

Definitely have to say the prologue, it's got the only map with fun events.. Plus I'm biased against snowy terrain which it has the least of.

[Chichimec.9364]

@Yasai.3549 said:Prologue.

Each passing episode just makes me hate the entire direction of this season.

This. The prologue was great fun. Each episode since then though just seems to have gotten drearier and drearier. By the first Drizzlewood episode, I dabbled with it a bit but not much else. I haven't even bothered with the latest episode yet. Maybe I'll try it after the World Boss and the WvW events, if I get bored. Maybe not though. It just feels tedious.