Does Heart of Thorns get any easier after Verdant Blink?

[Realmjumper.8432]

So I'm playing one of the beta characters and they do so so in Verdant Blink but I really think it's because HoT is tailored to group content. Does it get any easier after Verdant Blink? Also what is up with these mushrooms, they get to spam AOE attacks that last a long time and kill you so fast. Why was HoT made so difficult it's no fun at all. 

[LucianDK.8615]

Hot have been nerfed multiple times now.  But yes, hot is dominated by the meta events, relatively little story to be had in comparision to pof.

But i will say auric basin is quite a breath of fresh air. But tangled depths will make or break you.

Dragons stand have nearly nothing to be done there outside the meta.

Once you reach Dragons stand in the story, I strongly advise getting buddies along for the final fight against Mordy. Its punishing solo.

 

But hot becomes a lot easier once you get the masteries done, more of the maps opening up.

[AliamRationem.5172]

1 hour ago, Realmjumper.8432 said:

So I'm playing one of the beta characters and they do so so in Verdant Blink but I really think it's because HoT is tailored to group content. Does it get any easier after Verdant Blink? Also what is up with these mushrooms, they get to spam AOE attacks that last a long time and kill you so fast. Why was HoT made so difficult it's no fun at all. 

 

Unfortunately, no, it doesn't.  At least, not until you have some familiarity with the enemies and how to deal with them.  A solid build with good synergy that you're comfortable with helps immensely.

On the mushrooms, I assume you're referring to the bombers that throw the little mushrooms that chase after you and explode into puddles of blue goo?  The trick here is that they don't have a lot of health and those little mushrooms explode on a delay.  You should be able to take them out in just a few seconds, but it's safest to just open with a CC (stun, etc.) and just take them out before they can throw anything at you.

What you don't want to do is run around like a chicken with your head cut off, not dealing any damage.  That bomber isn't going to stop throwing little mushrooms at you until you kill it!  So kill it quickly!

Edited September 23, 2021 by AliamRationem.5172

[Donari.5237]

If you are new to the HoT maps I would suggest that you not use them for your beta testing unless you are trying to get a feel for them before actually exploring there.  Nothing you do on a beta character will stick to your account, so you can't advance masteries such as gliding.  Also HoT is tuned for players that know their profession skills and rotations.  I can go in there on my Reaper and just zen my way through clumps of enemies but on any of the six beta elites so far I've been super squish because I don't know the skills yet.  Nor have the beta elites been iterated based on player feedback yet, so you're using rough draft specs.

The maps will get harder past Verdant Brink, especially if you haven't got the travel masteries needed to traverse them.  Updrafts, Advanced Gliding, Bouncing Mushrooms, Poison, Wallows, Ley Line Gliding, these all help you get around the maps without having to wade through every mob, and some spots you can't even get to without the masteries.  There's a learning curve to HoT and the maps are a progression of skill and story.  Played organically over the three years it was out before PoF, it was quite doable, but jumping into it new with a beta character is going to be a harsh experience.

Also yes the mushrooms can diaf ten thousand times.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Donari.5237
Darn those double spaces on returns, I will put in my own paragraph spacers thank you.

[Jin.8501]

Hot is fun. I hope EoD brings that fun back what PoF lacked 

[costepj.5120]

I don't know about Verdant Blink, but Verdant Brink is fine 🙂

Verdant Brink and Auric Basin are two of my favourite maps; Tangled Depths less so - but that's because I'm navigationally challenged by the verticality and the limitations of the 2D mini map. However, it became a lot less frustrating with access to mounts.

I have alts parked in each of the HoT maps for joining in metas. By contrast, I rarely visit the PoF maps.

[araegona.2481]

There’s no more level grind or gear grind.

 

so the only way to get stronger is through your own input.

 

Stats, weapons, skills, traits, sockets.

 

In Gw2 we’re not handed a tool box, we’re handed a whole arsenal.

 

Make your choices wisely, we’re granted many choices, meaning the difference between good and bad choices become drastic.

 

if something is hard, chances are there are choices in your set up that can be bettered.

 

And i am not sure whether they’re made to be group contents, for i have prepared myself to solo almost all of them, through making good choices.

[ArchonWing.9480]

It's pretty much the easiest map of HoT, so nope. Try not to bring too many enemies together, and single them out.

Having some mounts would help quite a bit though, since it can be pretty annoying to get around without the masteries.

[mythical.6315]

On 9/22/2021 at 8:20 PM, LucianDK.8615 said:

But yes, hot is dominated by the meta events, relatively little story to be had in comparision to pof.

What story in PoF?

[Cuks.8241]

Does it get easier after Verdant Brink? No and yes.

The enemies don't get easier. Auric Basin is a bit easier to navigate but Tangled Depths is much more tricky. So the difficulty will stay at about the same level,  even increase a bit.

But the maps challenge you. Which means you will get better and so naturally everything will become easier.  And this is a good thing in a game or you could say it is integral part of what a game actually is - overcoming challenges

[Randulf.7614]

Verdant and Auric are the most solo friendly, albeit I use that term loosely because they are still group orientated. 

Dragonstand is a fully group based meta map. It’s got very little for the solo player and is almost entirely designed as one big event for a full map.

Tangled Depths will either break you or make you stronger. 
 

It was made more difficult to cater for feedback asking for harder open world content. It was initially deemed too hard and was altered to be more accessible, but still retains much of that original design. Path of Fire later sought to be more forgiving

[Tekoneiric.6817]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:47 PM, Realmjumper.8432 said:

So I'm playing one of the beta characters and they do so so in Verdant Blink but I really think it's because HoT is tailored to group content. Does it get any easier after Verdant Blink? Also what is up with these mushrooms, they get to spam AOE attacks that last a long time and kill you so fast. Why was HoT made so difficult it's no fun at all. 

There is a learning curve with the map. It's a bit of a shocker when you first go there but you'll get used to it and maybe even find it fun.

 

I love the verticality on that map. Just yesterday I entered the map with from Auric Basin headed to the flax farm. I got as high as I could quickly then blasted through it on my griffon; flying through the mid-level vines and foliage that you can't see through. I was surprised I didn't hit anything.

[Vancho.8750]

 

[Batel.9206]

Nah, the entire jungle's like this. 🤪

...ahem. On a serious note: it's not a good idea to take the beta characters into HoT if it's your first time going through that content. Nothing you do on the beta characters will be reflected on your actual account, so if you unlock any masteries with a beta character...you have to do them all over again with your real account once the beta's over.

Secondly, as others have said - it's not that the maps get easier (or harder), it's that the player adjusts. My first time through HoT was with my thief, whom I had been playing for about a year...and still didn't quite get the hang of. Core Tyria was fairly easy, so I didn't feel the need to truly learn my class. HoT, and training the Daredevil elite spec, hammered home that I really did NEED to learn. So I did. After getting smeared across the golden cobblestones in Auric Basin, and accidentally yeeting myself off of cliffs in Verdant Brink, I headed into Tangled Depths and practiced being a Daredevil on lone Mordrem, or small groups of them, over and over until I solidly had the feel for that class. Tangled Depths was...difficult...but I got through it.

The content didn't get easier - my poor Daredevil has died countless times since then since I have the reflexes of a catatonic sloth - but I adjusted and got better. Daredevil remains my main and most beloved class to this day.

You can do it: just practice, practice, practice.

[Rogue.8235]

On 9/23/2021 at 12:09 AM, AliamRationem.5172 said:

What you don't want to do is run around like a chicken with your head cut off, not dealing any damage.  That bomber isn't going to stop throwing little mushrooms at you until you kill it!  So kill it quickly!

......so.... you're saying I can run around like a chicken with my head cut off while doing a lot of damage?

This is my default method of ... was going to say playing the game but really life in general.  It does cause some minor issues when I deal lots of damage around the neighborhood, though.

[Ashantara.8731]

On 9/23/2021 at 4:47 AM, Realmjumper.8432 said:

Does Heart of Thorns get any easier after Verdant Brink?

No.

...at least not until you have several Masteries max'd out. I suggest you start with Gliding, though you might need to do others along the way as your ability to progress in the story depends on it.

On 9/23/2021 at 4:47 AM, Realmjumper.8432 said:

but I really think it's because HoT is tailored to group content.

That is an incorrect assumption. You can get through most of the content just fine all by yourself. You only require other players for the map meta cycles as well as for certain Hero Challenges.

The difficulty level is higher than the core campaign's, but that goes for all Level 80 content. HoT has even been toned down several years ago, it was way harder when it was first released.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

[Mizuira.8245]

HoT maps were the best open world content before the multiple nerfs. Old good times 😢

 

 

[Noah Salazar.5430]

Get 25g then buy full berserk exotic gear in ah, it schold make thinks easier, also take solider weapons, so you have extra life and dmg reduction inaf to survive much longer as new player

Dont go hot pof eod wichou forming a small team to explore togheter around untin you fill inaf geared/comfortable with class to walk alone

You can get gold in map before hot doing riba farm, then selling mats, inaf if you follow 50ppl for 2h

And dont forget to eat damm food!

Edited September 26, 2021 by Noah Salazar.5430

[LSD.4673]

After Verdant Blink comes Auric Bison, which is generally a little easier; then comes Tangled Debts, which is very challenging; and finally there's Dragon's Stones which is on par with Verdant Blink.

[Dante.1508]

Nope op, it really doesn't.. Snipers, CC and AOE you can't avoid seems to be the thing with GW2.

 

I try to avoid HoT as much as possible.. Sadly PoF is only a tad slightly better..

Try those builds for a somewhat ok experience.

Edited September 26, 2021 by Dante.1508