Skyscale collection

[Mungrul.9358]

@Vayne.8563, sorry, meant no offense, just that the whole idea of being a monogamer confuses me.

I play a lot of different games, across multiple genres, single and multi-player, and couldn't contemplate restricting myself to only one!

 

Similarly, @Tyncale.1629, I didn't mean to offend, but your reply highlights another interesting gamer sub-type I've noticed, in that there's a significant subsection of MMO gamers who only ever play MMOs. Again, something I struggle to wrap my mind around. It's like limiting your movie viewing to Musicals or War movies only!

 

If nothing else, how will you know your favourite game is doing something wrong unless you've experienced another game doing the same thing better?

The cynical side of me thinks that MMO developers specifically design their games to prevent you from experiencing other games, so that you never realise you're being taken advantage of.

But the realistic side of me realises that even if that's the case, the decision not to play other games is ultimately that of the gamer.

[Tyncale.1629]

30 minutes ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

@Vayne.8563, sorry, meant no offense, just that the whole idea of being a monogamer confuses me.

I play a lot of different games, across multiple genres, single and multi-player, and couldn't contemplate restricting myself to only one!

 

Similarly, @Tyncale.1629, I didn't mean to offend, but your reply highlights another interesting gamer sub-type I've noticed, in that there's a significant subsection of MMO gamers who only ever play MMOs. Again, something I struggle to wrap my mind around. It's like limiting your movie viewing to Musicals or War movies only!

 

If nothing else, how will you know your favourite game is doing something wrong unless you've experienced another game doing the same thing better?

The cynical side of me thinks that MMO developers specifically design their games to prevent you from experiencing other games, so that you never realise you're being taken advantage of.

But the realistic side of me realises that even if that's the case, the decision not to play other games is ultimately that of the gamer.

Definitely not offended, I understand it does look a bit weird having so many alt accounts from a single mmo. 

I do play singleplayer games too, but I will admit that I do not often finish them, and I certainly play them less in the last 15 years. But I do have fun with them. And as far as gameplay goes, they are often better then a MMO. But I like bumping into people now and then, that is something that MMO's brought to my gaming experience.  I was thinking of posting a pic of my current desktop to show you how many Singleplayer games(and MMO's) I have currently installed but that seems a bit too personal so I will just list them.  

Original Doom

Divinity Original Sin 1

Divinity Original Sin 2

Hexen

Heretic

The Bard's Tale IV

SWtoR

Everquest

Horizons Zero Dawn (pc version)

Runescape

Champions Online

Hearthstone

Wing Commander

Pathfinder Online (now defunct)

Pillars of Eternity

Lands of Lore

Genshin Impact

Final Fantasy Online IVX

Pirates of the Burning Sea

WoW

Shroud of the Avatar

Star Citizen

Kingdom Come Deliverance

Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition

Fallout 4

Morrowind

Epic Tavern

Lord of the RIngs Online

TESO

Flatout

 

Lots of variety there so I am definitely not a one trick pony.  I guess there are people who only play mmo's but I am thinking many of them maybe are younger?  I started gaming in 91 so no MMO's then. Did not play muds though, I missed that. Some pixelated Prince of Persia game was the first thing I ever played I think.

 

Lots of nostalgia installs obviously, my desktop is a complete mess, and I probably should spend less time behind the computer 😲  This has gone completely on a tangent so I will stop now.

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Tyncale.1629

[kharmin.7683]

45 minutes ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

 there's a significant subsection of MMO gamers who only ever play MMOs. Again, something I struggle to wrap my mind around.

Some of us are older players who have limited time for gaming, so we tend to stick with what we most enjoy for the greatest degree of entertainment value.

[Vayne.8563]

51 minutes ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

@Vayne.8563, sorry, meant no offense, just that the whole idea of being a monogamer confuses me.

I play a lot of different games, across multiple genres, single and multi-player, and couldn't contemplate restricting myself to only one!

 

Similarly, @Tyncale.1629, I didn't mean to offend, but your reply highlights another interesting gamer sub-type I've noticed, in that there's a significant subsection of MMO gamers who only ever play MMOs. Again, something I struggle to wrap my mind around. It's like limiting your movie viewing to Musicals or War movies only!

 

If nothing else, how will you know your favourite game is doing something wrong unless you've experienced another game doing the same thing better?

The cynical side of me thinks that MMO developers specifically design their games to prevent you from experiencing other games, so that you never realise you're being taken advantage of.

But the realistic side of me realises that even if that's the case, the decision not to play other games is ultimately that of the gamer.

As I said I've played thousands of games, including a dozen or so MMOs.  WoW, Rift, Lotro, Aion, DDO, TSW,  AoC (Age of Conan not Ashes of Creation)  I tried a few others like FFXIV, BAD, BDO and ESO.  Of those last, I only liked ESO enough to give it more time at some point. 

The thing with MMOs in particular is that very often the experience at 80 differs substantially from the leveling experience and you can't just play the game for 20 or 30 hours and think, we'll I know what end game would be like. So when I'm having fun, I'm having fun.

I guy that plays baseball or chess all the time, sitting at chess tables in the park or playing on a team every day and training in between, people don't usually tell them they need to play football and basketball too or they won't know they're having fun. I'm having fun, so why would I stop having fun?  To do what? Experience another game for a hundred hours that I might or might not like better. Without the friends I've made here?  They're not coming with me.

I could go there and make new friends, I suppose, but then I'm taking a risk. This is a sure thing. I KNOW I'm having fun here. I'm having a lot of fun.

 

I don't know what world you live in, but in mine, when I'm having fun, I don't quantify it by saying maybe I can have more fun here.  Because I might waste a hundred hours and have less fun, and my time is important to me, even if it seems like it's not.

 

Anyway you do you. I'll do me.   If I hadn't already played a couple of thousand games to have some idea of what I like and what's out there, I probably wouldn't be just playing this game, but you know...I've looked at New World and...yeah, no thanks. 

 

You tell me, what else is out there. I'm not into raiding at all. I love making alts. I'm not a PvPer and don't like open world PvP.  I don't want to be forced into a raiding end game. I don't like gear grind. I don't particularly like cartoony graphic styles.  I like active combat and a lot of voice acting.  What MMO would you suggest I play. 

 

As I've said ESO comes the closest but I don't dig the combat. It doesn't feel impactful to me. The jumping physics feels off too.  I recently started playing a new character in Lotro since I was unable to unlock all the quest packs free, but that game is definitely showing it's age.

 

So yeah, I know what I like.  Trying stuff I don't like just to see if I might have more fun elsewhere seems a bit daft to me.

[Mungrul.9358]

@Tyncale.1629, thanks for the reply 🙂

Sounds like I'd like to sit down with you some time with a bevvy or two and have a good chin-wag about the history of games and how the industry has changed over the years.

 

@kharmin.7683 & @Vayne.8563, sorry if I offended you. I'm no spring-chicken myself!

But when it comes to gaming, I'm very much a "Variety is the spice of life!" kind of gamer.

I'm also aware that I go through phases where I just can't face playing a particular game any more, or indeed, sometimes even burn out on games full-stop.

 

So, I'm happy that you can get so much enjoyment out of one game, and will stop suggesting you play anything else.

 

It still doesn't alter the fact that I think it's a shame you're limiting your range of experience so much.

[costepj.5120]

I play games for the social interaction. I play board games with friends in the real world and MMOs online. I don't play single-player games or watch movies because there is no interaction. I have played other MMOs on the past, but settled on GW2 primarily because it is a co-operative game.

[kharmin.7683]

2 hours ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

 

@kharmin.7683 & @Vayne.8563, sorry if I offended you. I'm no spring-chicken myself!

But when it comes to gaming, I'm very much a "Variety is the spice of life!" kind of gamer.

I'm also aware that I go through phases where I just can't face playing a particular game any more, or indeed, sometimes even burn out on games full-stop.

 

So, I'm happy that you can get so much enjoyment out of one game, and will stop suggesting you play anything else.

 

It still doesn't alter the fact that I think it's a shame you're limiting your range of experience so much.

No offense taken.  Just posing my experience in response to your point.

[Faridah.8431]

16 hours ago, ArchonWing.9480 said:

Did rhem before mounts even existed, so don't see the problem. 

Right, obviously everyone that did them before PoF came out didn't have mounts... What's your point here?

I am referring to newer accounts since PoF that might have played in story order or might be going back to do HP trains but only have the basic mounts. Commanders have a tendency to really rush their trains through as if everyone has a skyscale, and at least for me personally that was a pain in the behind on a couple of the maps as I fell far behind on some of them due to a lack of a skyscale.

Admittedly, more of a call out on commanders and some of them not waiting than anything else. But given that it is clear in-game that many treat the skyscale as something everyone should have.

It was a bit of a slog, but personally I didn't find it all that hard to do the collection and don't see the problem there. But if you don't have one yet, there is definitely some situations that may feel rather bad as a player. This was just an example of one I experienced prior to getting mine.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Faridah.8431

[ThaKrulll.4150]

On 12/6/2021 at 8:19 PM, Gibson.4036 said:

.I wonder if people's loathing of the Skyscale chain is directly related to how quickly they try to push through it. I'd suggest not taking "Waiting for Gorrik" as a 2 hour cooldown, but instead letting it be at least 24 hour. Take it as a cue to go do something else, and come back to your skyscale pursuit next time you play.

Like it was when the episode released. After each step there was a 24 hour cooldown until you could do the next part. I did 1 step each day and I did not have a guide so it felt like a proper collection. I had to use the hints for each collection and really look around the map. I remember that it was really fun.

[ArchonWing.9480]

45 minutes ago, Faridah.8431 said:

Right, obviously everyone that did them before PoF came out didn't have mounts... What's your point here?

Skyscale's completely unnecessary to do those maps by design. It's just overkill .

The fact that you can get non-skyscale mounts makes it much easier.  Also I don't get the point of having to bother with TD hero point trains because there's more than enough points elsewhere. And even if you did, it's like once a character, if even, unless you intend to do every single character through this.

 

Quote

I am referring to newer accounts since PoF that might have played in story order or might be going back to do HP trains but only have the basic mounts. Commanders have a tendency to really rush their trains through as if everyone has a skyscale, and at least for me personally that was a pain in the behind on a couple of the maps as I fell far behind on some of them due to a lack of a skyscale.

Admittedly, more of a call out on commanders and some of them not waiting than anything else. But given that it is clear in-game that many treat the skyscale as something everyone should have.

It was a bit of a slog, but personally I didn't find it all that hard to do the collection and don't see the problem there. But if you don't have one yet, there is definitely some situations that may feel rather bad as a player. This was just an example of one I experienced prior to getting mine.

That's probably because you don't know the map well. The only map where it's hard to catch up without Skyscale is Dragonfall which is a map specifically designed to encourage its use.

Yea I'm sure there's some bad commanders that willingly leave most of their zerg behind, but considering more players don't have a skyscale or not, it would be foolish and not worth following.

Edited December 8, 2021 by ArchonWing.9480

[Faridah.8431]

4 minutes ago, ArchonWing.9480 said:

Skyscale's completely unnecessary to do those maps by design.

The fact that you can get non-skyscale mounts makes it much easier.  Also I don't get the point of having to bother with TD hero point trains because there's more than enough points elsewhere. And even if you did, it's like once a character, if even, unless you intend to do every single character through this.

 

That's probably because you don't know the map well. The only map where it's hard to catch up without Skyscale is Dragonfall which is a map specifically designed to encourage its use.

Yea I'm sure there's some bad commanders that willingly leave most of their zerg behind, but considering more players don't have a skyscale or not, it would be foolish and not worth following.

That's fair, I know the maps a heck of a lot better than I did then. Again, I agree in principle that skyscale is not a requirement and I find the collection process to be fine. It took time but wasn't overly difficult.

 

My point was that there just are situations where not having one can feel like it is a requirement, but I don't mean that as an indictment on the collection.

[Fallesafe.5932]

I can't believe people are still crying about this. Just download GW2 taco, bang it out in 2 weeks max and never think about it again...

[ArchonWing.9480]

18 minutes ago, Faridah.8431 said:

That's fair, I know the maps a heck of a lot better than I did then. Again, I agree in principle that skyscale is not a requirement and I find the collection process to be fine. It took time but wasn't overly difficult.

 

My point was that there just are situations where not having one can feel like it is a requirement, but I don't mean that as an indictment on the collection.

The biggest disparity is probably with Vanilla/HoT owners with no mount in Core Tyria/HoT maps. Bunny with High Vault closes the gap but fortunately the game makes it so you can't really go far without that.

Dragonfall in particular was designed to make you want a Skyscale since there's many spots that deliberately make it hard for other mounts.  But then there are those people who say Griffon is better. I wouldn't know; I don't have one.  I probably would head for the Beetle next anyways. 

But yea, about the whole train thing. I want to point out that just because someone has a tag doesn't mean they know how to lead. Some people play it as a solo player who happens to be leading a crowd and that's not often a good experience for a new player at all. So sometimes it's not really a problem on you, but the tag-- and you should just shop for a better group. Now obviously getting more mounts will give more power to yourself, and maybe you won't need a train at all with them.

On the other  hand, popular farming spots like Istan and Silverwastes are very flat, sooo..... maybe you do have a point. It minimizes the idiocy of leaving 2/3 your squad behind. According to Gw2efficiency, only 1/3 of players own a skyscale, and usually that has the more hardcore types on that site and not the general populace. Assuming everyone has a Skyscale is a really bad idea IMO.

Edited December 8, 2021 by ArchonWing.9480

[Vayne.8563]

5 hours ago, Mungrul.9358 said:

@Tyncale.1629, thanks for the reply 🙂

Sounds like I'd like to sit down with you some time with a bevvy or two and have a good chin-wag about the history of games and how the industry has changed over the years.

 

@kharmin.7683 & @Vayne.8563, sorry if I offended you. I'm no spring-chicken myself!

But when it comes to gaming, I'm very much a "Variety is the spice of life!" kind of gamer.

I'm also aware that I go through phases where I just can't face playing a particular game any more, or indeed, sometimes even burn out on games full-stop.

 

So, I'm happy that you can get so much enjoyment out of one game, and will stop suggesting you play anything else.

 

It still doesn't alter the fact that I think it's a shame you're limiting your range of experience so much.

As I said, my experience isn't limited.  I've simply found something I like with a group of people I like. When I was younger I was able to play more with real life friends, and now I have friends online. Some started as in game friends and we've met in real life. I even attended a couple of guildies weddings.  Those relationships are greater than games. 

I still say in touch with people I played Guild Wars 1 with that don't play Guild Wars 2, but we're not nearly as close as the people I play with every day for years.  I place more value on those friendships than just getting more experience playing another game. That you value the experience (an experience I've pretty much already had by playing thousands of games) indicates your focus. My focus is the social aspect.

[Artemis.8034]

7 hours ago, kharmin.7683 said:

Some of us are older players who have limited time for gaming, so we tend to stick with what we most enjoy for the greatest degree of entertainment value.

Same I play this game now, and dont have time for any others esp if I want to accomplish anything in this game.

[Trepidation Lost.3469]

On 12/6/2021 at 2:22 PM, Borked.6824 said:

I'm sure there's not a single person who went through the chain that hadn't thought the same.  There is some unprecedented levels of tedium in there, but once you've got it completed, you will understand the value of your time and the reward given.  Try forgetting that you're sacrificing your time for other things, and immerse yourself in the context of the quest.  It's actually really really well done.

I will never agree that ‘run to arbitrary points on the map 100 times’ being ‘well done’ 🤷🏽‍♂️

[Trepidation Lost.3469]

So.
A week later, I finally did it…

i got the Skyscale without first acquiring any other mount other than the wvw one.

if I new how much of a pain this would be I wouldn’t have embarked but I’m stubborn 😂

[Alcatraznc.3869]

The skyscale is arguably one of the best mount to explore and reach peak. A bit sad it gets trashtalked a lot but whatever, that's just my opinion.

 

As for the collection, the first "fetch this" are boring I'll give you that.  However it gets interesting (if you're in that sort of stuff I guess) as you progress because out of all the mount available, this is the second one you basically raise from a baby (first one being the beattle).

 

I would recommend you finish the "Return to []" achievement since it gives 250 map currency and you'll need 250 of each season 4 map (well basically Jahai, Kourna, Thunderhead peak, Dragonsfall, Istan...). 

[Friday.7864]

Skyscale is nothing compare to doing either Aurora or Vision or HOPE. At least that was the case for me.
I do agree some parts are repetitive and mind numbing, but there are worse things out there.

[Trepidation Lost.3469]

2 hours ago, Friday.7864 said:

Skyscale is nothing compare to doing either Aurora or Vision or HOPE. At least that was the case for me.
I do agree some parts are repetitive and mind numbing, but there are worse things out there.

Nah, I’ve made never more and dozen other legendarys. This was the worst thing.

if it was a legendary mount skin, sure. But for a base mount. Trash collection. 

[Gibson.4036]

11 hours ago, Trepidation Lost.3469 said:

 

i got the Skyscale without first acquiring any other mount other than the wvw one.

Well, now I can understand your frustration.

Not why in the world you’d choose to do that, though.

How did you possibly do Skyscale of Fear without a Springer?

[Ashantara.8731]

On 12/6/2021 at 3:22 AM, Trepidation Lost.3469 said:

Now I have a 2 hour cooldown [...]

You shouldn't be complaining. It used to be a day before they reduced it to the in-game day and night cycle of 2 hours.

[kharmin.7683]

5 hours ago, Trepidation Lost.3469 said:

Nah, I’ve made never more and dozen other legendarys. This was the worst thing.

if it was a legendary mount skin, sure. But for a base mount. Trash collection. 

Skyscale is not a base mount.

[ArchonWing.9480]

19 hours ago, Trepidation Lost.3469 said:

So.
A week later, I finally did it…

i got the Skyscale without first acquiring any other mount other than the wvw one.

if I new how much of a pain this would be I wouldn’t have embarked but I’m stubborn 😂

You did it without any other mounts? I thought there were some spots that weren't reachable without one. How did you get so high for some spots?

[Vayne.8563]

5 minutes ago, ArchonWing.9480 said:

You did it without any other mounts? I thought there were some spots that weren't reachable without one. How did you get so high for some spots?

Portals is my guess.