Just for clarity my game doesn't crash in case there ends up being separate issues. I've narrowed the problem down using the -maploadinfo argument in that when changing maps it just never starts the process of loading. It stays at 0% indefinitely; it seems to never receive a response from the server to begin loading in the first place. Using alt+f4 and trying again is something I've had to do constantly anytime I try to switch maps. Largely this makes the game unplayable since I'm primarily a WvW player and switching maps is a very common occurrence.
My only hope is that maybe it'll get fixed before the Steam launch so I can participate in the community building events I had planned to bring in new players.