Palador.2170

SotO is dissatisfying. Is it too small? Yes, and no. Too much was given out right at the start, and not enough in the updates. We should have started with the first two zones, then done the third in the first update, second in the second update. We're not slamming into the "No Content" wall, but we're stubbing our toes on the "No Content" table leg every few months. Is it the lack of an Elite spec for each class? No. We've gotten expanded weapon options with all classes, so we've still gotten some added stuff to play with there. It won't work for the next expansion, though. Is it the writing? Huge YES on that one. This story has the commander not just carrying the Idiot Ball, but using it as a suppository. And despite all the Commander has been through, done, and accomplished; most of that is being ignored. The Commander is being written as if they've just come out of the personal story, when they've got a decade long history of doing the impossible and bending the very fate of the world around them. And they brought Zojja back! ...only to have her There's so much that could have been done here. So many old plot threads to resolve, so many old faces to revisit. That's all gone, just thrown out to give us a "new" threat that's really just a remix of old threat ideas we've already dealt with.

New Mastery Line: Become One Each mastery is for a different mount, starting with the Raptor. Use it while mounted, and your character disappears but the mount remains. You basically become the mount. Now someone else can hop on, but you control the movement and can carry them around. (Might have to skip the turtle, as I'm not sure how well that would work with the idea.) The main benefit of this idea is that it gives what the OP requests, but at the same time doesn't require new models or animations. Bonus: Give all of the mounts a version of their normal dismount attack you can use while you are merged with the mount. That way, you can run around and fight (somewhat) in that form. Since all mounts will have more or less standardized stats, it should be easier to balance them to be good, but still below expected power for PCs. Bonus 2: A new zone (or at least an adventure) can be made that requires using this mastery, as only mounts can enter the area.

Look at how a charr sits in the club chair, then in the volcanic throne. It's two different poses, and emotes while seated would have to work with both. I'm sure other races also have chairs where they sit differently. It gets worse when you add in the bed-chairs, like the one where you sleep on a huge stuffed toy. They'd need to find a way to block those animations entirely on chairs like that. We do have a couple of chairs with built in emotes. It might be better to ask for more of those?

I just have my 12 spots planted with saffron. Saffron bread takes saffron, and three other ingredients you can buy in bulk from the vendor right next to the cooking stations. Each one can be salvaged into a research note. When I run out, I'll have my saffron stockpile built back up, and can rattle out a ton of them with no hassle.

Once upon a time I wanted them to add Tengu as a player race. I wanted to see more about their culture, and then see it interacting with the other cultures in Tyria. However, ANet's quality has ... suffered. If they tried it now, it would only be a cruel parody of what I wanted, while taking away far too many resources. No. Let the idea rest in its grave.

Leaves? Is it possibly tied to race, and only sylvari can hear it?

I'll echo what the others have said about all of the mounts having a use. That said.... The Skyscale does outclass them all for general use once you have it. I'm sure there are improvements they could make for all of the other mounts to help them to stand out a bit more, but I'm not sure everyone would agree to just what needs to be changed on them.

I never said otherwise? This is just why I, personally, am not enjoying the expansion. It's not the only reason, mind you, but it's the big one.

What's important is that we faced the very thing they're supposedly working so hard to contain, and they did NOTHING! While we walked into it blind, they sat back and watched. The solution found involved revisiting emotional trauma upon the Commander, and Zojja's too wrapped up in her own little drama to care. And that doesn't even get into the horror show the fractals are. Beyond that, there's even more issues. Let's be clear, the Wizards are NOT good people. The storyline forces you to act like they are.

The skyscale line is ... okay. Improvements need to be made, like a Leyline Ride On/Off toggle. The other two have issues. Both of them really, REALLY lean into mistakes I thought they learned to avoid after HoT, in that the Mastery lines are mostly about just getting to access the expansion and rewards. There's no "Mastery" in a merchant finally deciding to talk to you. Earning their trust should be part of the story, maybe a heart you have to complete, but not a Mastery. Same with someone finally deciding to tell you how to craft the things you're using to fight their enemies for them! If they're too stuck up themselves to tell you how to craft what you need, maybe they SHOULD die! And if the challenge for a treasure chest is to reach the area and find it, then it's insulting to hide opening it behind a Mastery that unlocks it, and that's ALL it does. We can do better than that in a wolf den in Queensdale. If they want to fix them... Well, it's too late to do that, really. They can patch them somewhat, but they're out and it's too late to avoid that mistake any more. First, they need to add Updraft Generators and Ley Looms to other zones. A LOT of other zones. One Ley Loom in an obscure place could lead to a few more that make a high-up network to quickly cross zones. Then they could be useful in other maps, like mounts and gliding are, but not really disrupt the zones themselves. Second, they need to make the chests worth opening. Put Kryptis Motivations into them, with the rares only appearing in the big chests. Not every chest, but a decent chance, so it's worth looking for the chests if you want some. Finally, The Astral Ward Mastery line is beyond saving. Scrap it, make the features automatic, and come up with something better.

Plot-wise, it would make no sense for new races to come out of SotO.

Just did some testing. It seems I can't see the line unless I'm aiming WAY off to the side/down. Otherwise, the skyscale's head and fireball charge-up effects hide it from me. Also, if I'm not actively moving at the time I start to charge, then the moment I hit the left mouse key, it fires. If I do this on the ground, it fires and uses the dismount skill at the same time. Annoying.

I had the line the first time I used it, but never after. I assumed I was wrong about seeing such a line, but if it's supposed to be there then I guess I'm bugged?

Could we at least get a better targeting indicator? It's so easy to lose the dot when you need it the most.

True, but this is the part they ... well, "broke" isn't the right word. "Downgraded" might be better. Of course people will talk about the part of the game that's gotten the Downgrade.

I would like to add that I was really, REALLY looking forward to having an in-combat Rock Dog pet for my Daredevil. Now that he has a rifle to use, it's about the one thing he was missing. But don't worry! I'm sure we have a pet Relic (and a lot of the other missing ones) coming up in the next release or two of this Expantrickle. We'll get the functionality back... as long as we pay for the expansion.

I'm up to the point where it expects you to gain the first level in a specific mastery line, and I'm HATING the story. There is not a single character I've met in this that I've not wanted to drop-kick into the nearest rift or bottomless pit. ESPECIALLY Zojja. (Newsflash Zojja, Logan never fully healed either, but he didn't wander off to whine about it and leave friends wondering if he's even alive any more.) Oh, and look! A monster that feeds on feelings! Gee, it's not like we've not seen THAT recently. And things coming from rifts? Yeah, been there and done that one, too. There's more I could say, but it would become spoilers. I just... WHY is the Commander LISTENING to these people? There is a threat, ignore these self-important idiots and deal with it like you usually do.. <Kitten> their secrets. Add on everything else they've made a mess of, and this expansion is ... Okay, I'll see it through for now, and give it the year. But as things stand now, I'm more likely to pick up a new game than I am the next expansion.

Ah, you're right! I missed that... Well, now I'm worried too.

Where are the sand portals? I mean, flying is great and everything, but... This is an IDEAL place to put some sand portals to make shortcuts from area to area. You wouldn't need to use them, but they'd be a nice bonus for those that have the jackal. And it would make sense that this group would both know about them, and use them. Right?

Those are from the log-in reward. This doesn't appear to change the log-in reward system at all. It replaces the other dailies, like "Kryta Harvester".

So, half of this is ANet dumping glitter onto an old idea and bringing it back. For that, I'm unimpressed. However... I have to admit they appear to be doing it better this time with regards to the rewards and how you pick what you get. Heck, if they add Potions of WvW reward into it, then they'll even have the long sought after way for PvE players to get the stuff to make a legendary without doing WvW.

Yes, and two skills get an improvement if you own both. However... you're UNDERstating the issue. IF we're going to be using the skyscale for aerial combat, most of the mount lines contain something that boosts all mounts once you earn it. And while some may not matter (fall distance survival for Springer, for example), to do the best at this new form of combat you're going to want all the masteries that DO boost your skyscale, as well as the additional mastery line that gives added mount abilities like the flying dismount.

I'm kind of fond of the Wintersday slingshot skin, myself. Personally, I'm hoping they do something interesting/odd with Engineer shortbow. Say, an auto attack, and then the remaining attacks actually launch devices that turn into 2-3 shot turrets where they land. No traits to improve shortbow, but the turrets can be improved by traits for an indirect buff.

The recent article they posted shows it as a level 5 skill from the new mastery line alone.

I've been thinking about this, and why they're adding it in. I THINK they're adding it in mostly because of arial combat becoming more of a thing going forward. The assumption seems to be that you'll be using the Skyscale for said combat, possibly with the glider as an emergency backup to keep from splattering onto the ground if your skyscale takes too much damage. But recovering from that will require being able to remount in air, while carrying aggro. When using a mount is the only way to do some fights, they kind of have to relax the rules on mounting in combat. I'm expecting a cooldown timer, though.