The Skyscale Quest Line Is WAY Too Grindy, And Insulting [Merged]

[Ultramex.1506]

1 hour ago, Drennon.7190 said:

That perfectly describes the person I originally responded to. I can open any complaint thread and find that person defending Anet. It’s creepy. 

Ya still here? I'm sure most have just done the quest already and move on to something else in their gaming time

And drop the "creepy" "stalking" crap, this is a forum primarily for discussion.

You like to use "stalking"? How about "predictable" from my perspective?  I know certain people will be here for "Skyscale is GrInDy"; "GW1 vs GW2"; "OW legendary armor"; "Gem store skin pride and accomplishment"; "PvE GoB" Ain't hard to remember who when they are very active with these tread popping up again from time to time, just normal thing in forum not stalking

Don't tell me you won't engage "new" Skyscale thread with same back and forth arguments like many before?

[Balgorath.2604]

I've been grinding the Skyscale for months now and it doesn't bother me.  With that being said, I don't know if I'm missing something while trying to grind difluorite crystals on the Sand Swept Isles as the daily yield seems awfully low.  And that's assuming I can get in on the event that gives the biggest yield.  Is there a faster way to get difluorite crystals?

[Gibson.4036]

10 minutes ago, Balgorath.2604 said:

I've been grinding the Skyscale for months now and it doesn't bother me.  With that being said, I don't know if I'm missing something while trying to grind difluorite crystals on the Sand Swept Isles as the daily yield seems awfully low.  And that's assuming I can get in on the event that gives the biggest yield.  Is there a faster way to get difluorite crystals?

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Return_to_A_Bug_in_the_System

You’ll get all 250 if you complete tier 3 of the achievement.

Edited October 11, 2022 by Gibson.4036

[Balgorath.2604]

1 minute ago, Gibson.4036 said:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Return_to_A_Bug_in_the_System

Thank you kind forum person.

[Cyninja.2954]

3 minutes ago, Balgorath.2604 said:

Thank you kind forum person.

 

While at it check up on the entire "Return to" achievements, covering the entire story from season 2 to the end of Icebrood Saga. If you are up for it, completing them yields both a ton of valuable materials (not only 250 of each Season 4 material for the Skyscale) and items as well as a legendary amulet at the end.

[Balgorath.2604]

22 hours ago, Cyninja.2954 said:

 

While at it check up on the entire "Return to" achievements, covering the entire story from season 2 to the end of Icebrood Saga. If you are up for it, completing them yields both a ton of valuable materials (not only 250 of each Season 4 material for the Skyscale) and items as well as a legendary amulet at the end.

So it appears I was only a bounty and some plant harvesting away from completing that achievement so I go that right away.  Thanks still.  However, as I'm still a 9 year veteran noob to GW2, I didn't know the shards were in itself their own currency and the only description for something such as "inscribed shards" was right-click to consume, I've apparently wasted my shards as now I have to buy some tar in the Domain of Kourna,  I've already done the achievement that gives the 250 inscribed shards and apparently "right-clicked to consume" them lol.  Is there a fast way to get the Inscribed shards now or am I kind of screwed and now doing the grind of shame?

Edited October 12, 2022 by Balgorath.2604

[Cyninja.2954]

15 minutes ago, Balgorath.2604 said:

So it appears I was only a bounty and some plant harvesting away from completing that achievement so I go that right away.  Thanks still.  However, as I'm still a 9 year veteran noob to GW2, I didn't know the shards were in itself their own currency and the only description for something such as "inscribed shards" was right-click to consume, I've apparently wasted my shards as now I have to buy some tar in the Domain of Kourna,  I've already done the achievement that gives the 250 inscribed shards and apparently "right-clicked to consume" them lol.  Is there a fast way to get the Inscribed shards now or am I kind of screwed and now doing the grind of shame?

There are multiple ways. If you are not in a rush, you can collect Eternal Ice Shards in Icebrood Saga maps (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Eternal_Ice_Shard) ideally opening the different chest of Valor, Resilience and Vigilance in Bjora Marches daily (per account, not character) and then converting to Season 4 materials.

Other ways would be run across the maps and mine daily from the nodes there (capped at 50-55 per day and random yield from nodes) or do events/meta events. In case of Inscirbed Shards, you can buy 25 per character per heart quest completed on that map per day.

There are a few videos and guides on how to acquire each of the materials, it probably easiest to hit one of those up and just watch it.

The main upside here: Inscribed Shards are actually treated as a more common materials, aka you get more than usual (25 instead of 5 at heart vendors for example) and while most recipes require more, the saddle actually only requires 250.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Cyninja.2954

[Balgorath.2604]

4 minutes ago, Cyninja.2954 said:

There are multiple ways. If you are not in a rush, you can collect Eternal Ice Shards in Icebrood Saga maps (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Eternal_Ice_Shard) ideally opening the different chest of Valor, Resilience and Vigilance in Bjora Marches daily (per account, not character) and then converting to Season 4 materials.

Other ways would be run across the maps and mine daily from the nodes there (capped at 50-55 per day and random yield from nodes) or do events/meta events. In case of Inscirbed Shards, you can buy 25 per character per heart quest completed on that map per day.

There are a few videos and guides on how to acquire each of the materials, it probably easiest to hit one of those up and just watch it.

The main upside here: Inscribed Shards are actually treated as a more common materials, aka you get more than usual (25 instead of 5 at heart vendors for example) and while most recipes require more, the saddle actually only requires 250.

Awesome.  Thank you so much for the response.  And ya, I'm definitely not in any rush as I've been doing this grind slowly for months lol.  From my understanding, the last bit I'm on is the least grindy part compared to all the earlier stuff I've done.

[Biermeister.4678]

It is a lot quicker to get now then when it first came out 

[SnackParty.3178]

Apologizes if I already replied to this one..

 

So, my tip is always live the in between and don't think much on the grind. What most of the achieves end up doing is putting you on a tour of a lot of overworld content. Get involved with metas, do some world bosses. Might run into a ley line or 2, meet some friends in jumping puzzles. Still might not be your thing, but I did catch myself being expose to content I prob would not have known existed.

[Balgorath.2604]

Just now, Allen.9310 said:

Apologizes if I already replied to this one..

 

So, my tip is always live the in between and don't think much on the grind. What most of the achieves end up doing is putting you on a tour of a lot of overworld content. Get involved with metas, do some world bosses. Might run into a ley line or 2, meet some friends in jumping puzzles. Still might not be your thing, but I did catch myself being expose to content I prob would not have known existed.

Heh, that's kind of why it's been taking me months.  I'll start the grind and then get distracted with events and whatever shenanigans are happening in the zone lol

[Gibson.4036]

5 hours ago, Balgorath.2604 said:

So it appears I was only a bounty and some plant harvesting away from completing that achievement so I go that right away.  Thanks still.  However, as I'm still a 9 year veteran noob to GW2, I didn't know the shards were in itself their own currency and the only description for something such as "inscribed shards" was right-click to consume, I've apparently wasted my shards as now I have to buy some tar in the Domain of Kourna,  I've already done the achievement that gives the 250 inscribed shards and apparently "right-clicked to consume" them lol.  Is there a fast way to get the Inscribed shards now or am I kind of screwed and now doing the grind of shame?

Before the return events, I got most of the currencies by parking a bunch of characters at the easiest heart in each zone and running through them all daily, buying the currency from the heart vendor on each character.

This will be more effective the more characters you have, of course.

[Sobx.1758]

3 hours ago, Balgorath.2604 said:

Heh, that's kind of why it's been taking me months.  I'll start the grind and then get distracted with events and whatever shenanigans are happening in the zone lol

Dragonbash vendor also offers 50 for 1 jorbreaker, weekly: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Dragon_Bash_Merchant_(Weekly) but it's a limited time option, only available during festival.

[Silent.6137]

Few complained about it being grindy , although it was harder when it was first released. We were all too busy doing the quests and trying to figure out the next steps. Helping each other along the way.

The quest for the Skyscale only became Grindy for those who got them later. Understandable when you're doing it solo, and wanting it right away while everywhere you go, everyone's on their skyscale. It is nothing more than a perception. All the legworks has been done. It is easier to obtain it now than it ever was before. Nothing else to figure out except refering to Wiki and video guides.

Perhaps try and treat it as a quest without using any guides (or just refering to them for hints but not to handhold you throughout) and you might find it more enjoyable. A puzzle to be solved.  And maybe check what you may need next and farm those while you wait so you'll be ready.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Silent.6137

[Khisanth.2948]

2 hours ago, Gibson.4036 said:

Before the return events, I got most of the currencies by parking a bunch of characters at the easiest heart in each zone and running through them all daily, buying the currency from the heart vendor on each character.

This will be more effective the more characters you have, of course.

Parking a character in Rata Sum and joining someone's home instance to gather the nodes would probably be more efficient since in the time it takes to finish a heart you can probably gather from all the nodes.

[Sobx.1758]

8 minutes ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

Parking a character in Rata Sum and joining someone's home instance to gather the nodes would probably be more efficient since in the time it takes to finish a heart you can probably gather from all the nodes.

Sure, but when we stick to the inscribed shards as an example, I think you get 3 per day from home instance, while you get 5 per heart per character. So it depends how fast you want to do it. If someone is ok with gathering stack of 250 by getting 3 a day then it's their choice. On the other hand if someone does 1 heart on 5 different characters, it's already 25 shards a day.

...also 5 per day for volatile magic from dragonfall trader (I think this one is per account though, as opposed to the hearts).

[kharmin.7683]

29 minutes ago, Sobx.1758 said:

 

...also 5 per day for volatile magic from dragonfall trader (I think this one is per account though, as opposed to the hearts).

That is correct.

[Gibson.4036]

1 hour ago, Khisanth.2948 said:

Parking a character in Rata Sum and joining someone's home instance to gather the nodes would probably be more efficient since in the time it takes to finish a heart you can probably gather from all the nodes.

I suppose, if you’re willing to beg a home instance mooch every day.

Some of the hearts are crazy quick to do. Rotating mirrors in Istan, or stomping beetle burrows in Sandswept.

There’re several ways to crack the nut, just sharing the one that worked for me.

For bundles of (5) inscribed shards, you can do a quick run and grab all messages in a bottle and turn them in to the heart vendor for half completion. Log through alts twice each, and it’s very quick to grab quite a few.

Of course, the downside of the heart method is it burns a significant amount of Karma if you don’t have a lot stored up.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Gibson.4036

[azorean.1850]

whats insulting is this post.

[DexterousGecko.6328]

4 minutes ago, azorean.1850 said:

whats insulting is this post.

Why is this post insulting?

[MashMash.1645]

Just make every item free from a vendor no effort. Then you can go play the game. /s

[SlayerXX.7138]

16 hours ago, MashMash.1645 said:

Just make every item free from a vendor no effort. Then you can go play the game. /s

Spot on! Collecting 20 scales is for entitled Millennials there should be at least 30, Probably 40. Increase the fun and exploration. Its also pretty weak to miss halve of Tyria while collecting rifts, they probably should add the missing maps too.

[Silent.6137]

On 5/1/2022 at 7:20 PM, Akisohida.8963 said:

And according to the wiki; even after I do all this; I have time-gated quests that total to 3 days & 8 hours? Why? Why?!..

...And, as far as I am aware; I still have to spend 3 days and 8 hours working towards this mount. Not counting however long it takes me to collect the 21 eggs.

This bloody quest is too grindy, too time-gated, and too insulting of the customer's time.

OP started the thread on May 1st, complaining about the 3 days & 8 hours to go before he/she obtained the Skyscale. Last time visited forum, May 4th. Time-gates expired.

Seems the quest is done and OP is happily flying around Drizzlewood and other maps on a Skyscale. And we're still here 5 months, later debating on it.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Silent.6137

[SlayerXX.7138]

55 minutes ago, Silent.6137 said:

OP started the thread on May 1st, complaining about the the 3 days & 8 hours to go before he/she obtained the Skyscale. Last time visited forum, May 4th. Time-gates expired.

Seems the quest is done and OP is happily flying around Drizzlewood and other maps on a Skyscale.

Or quit the game.

[Silent.6137]

1 hour ago, Albi.7250 said:

Or quit the game.

If OP quit because of a few days waiting, then MMOs definitely not for that person. Time-gates or not, you have to expect to spend a fair amount of time for achievements or to acquire items in MMOs.