Heart of thorns is like a dream

[Invoker.5462]

I started with EOD, then HOF. 

My expectation for HOT was lower since it was the oldest expansion.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The other 2 expansions pale in comparison. And for the first time since my teen WoW days I was overwhelmingly fascinated, lost, and felt a true sense of wanderlust.

Such an artistic achievement, the world itself deserves a place in an art gallery. And the creatures fit in so well I actually believe they live there. 

I can't fathom how anyone had given this less than a 9/10 (IGN gave it kitten 7.8??) I doubt I'll see anything this stunning again in my lifetime in terms of art in a game

[Sanus.3502]

The beauty, craftsmanship, and environmental emersion definitely hold up against the passage of time.  I think lower ratings on HoT stem from the tremendous jump it took in game play when it was first released. If you approach from the original release, GW2 forward progression, the leap in game play and map layout is staggering.  By approaching it from reverse, you have the benefit of experiencing the content with the latest specialization builds and the inevitable power creep, putting you in a better position to handle the maps complexity and challenges. In addition there is the invaluable assistance mounts give for navigating the maps.  Imagine starting out those maps on foot. No gliding (although basic gliding was picked up pretty quickly), or mushroom bounce abilities, or nurloch wallows, etc..

All that said, there are still many that question the mental stability of those responsible for the tangled depths map. 🙂

Edited May 19, 2023 by Sanus.3502

[AliamRationem.5172]

Agree 100%.  I signed up for this game after reading about HoT and it didn't disappoint!

[vares.8457]

19 minutes ago, Sanus.3502 said:

All that said, there are still many that question the mental stability of those responsible for the tangled depths map. 🙂

I never understood why some doesn’t like Tangled Depth. It is one of the best maps in the game. I recently made map completion there with a character and it’s such a great map. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by vares.8457

[Dayra.7405]

I played it at release, it was harder, but not as hard as it appears, if you rush there to fast, we already played several years, and most did

• dungeons
• fractals
• LS1 & LS2
• WvW/PvP

before, it's not that we rushed in directly after killing Zhaitan. I also had full Ascended Gear (on all 9 classes, my rev leveled immediately to 80 and took the asc gear I made for her before hoT came out) when HoT came out.

The only thing I really remember as frustrating was the limited gliding. There were a lot MPs you could see, but couldn't reach. The moment when your glding exhausted just centimeters from goal/updrift I really hated.

But yeah, it's still my favoured expansion.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Dayra.7405

[Randulf.7614]

I understand why people hate it - the lack of variety, the confusing maps, the intensity of the combat (which was tuned down heavily post launch after complaints). But, in its day it was revolutionary for the game and showed how creative the devs could get.

7.8 was a fair score. The story is still rubbish. Mostly because it’s far, far too short (a lot was cut from HoT to get it out in time). 
 

It is my most played expansion of the three by far

[Vavume.8065]

Agreed, HoT maps are actual masterpieces.

[Bladestrom.6425]

Agree, mmorpg maps are typically 1 dimensional with a castle on a corner or 2 and some caves. HOT was very different and interesting.

[Loboling.5293]

HoT was an amazing experience when it came out and even now it's still very good. I found the nerfs a bit heavy handed, but I realize that more people wanted it than not. Still PoF and EoD pale in comparison to HoT. 

 

The only thing I didn't like about HoT was the effects it had on PvP, but that got fixed over time and the game found this perfect rhythm that will probably never be recreated. That was also before I hit the daily cap, or knew about it, so my motivation to log in daily was stronger, so my attachment to my character was stronger as well.

I went in with an engineer, mostly because the idea of fighting a plant dragon with a flamethrower seemed like a match made it heaven. I loved the idea of building little droids you could send out to carry out tasks. Good times for sure.

Glad new players are still enjoying discovering that expansion. It'll always be my favorite expansion in any MMO to date. Again minus shield Chrono season 1😵

[Loboling.5293]

7 hours ago, Randulf.7614 said:

I understand why people hate it - the lack of variety, the confusing maps, the intensity of the combat (which was tuned down heavily post launch after complaints). But, in its day it was revolutionary for the game and showed how creative the devs could get.

7.8 was a fair score. The story is still rubbish. Mostly because it’s far, far too short (a lot was cut from HoT to get it out in time). 
 

It is my most played expansion of the three by far

In spite of what I just said, ya the story was weak towards the end. It just didn't pay off well, but the start was great. Although I seriously questioned Traherns decision making in that first cutscene.

[Randulf.7614]

18 minutes ago, Loboling.5293 said:

In spite of what I just said, ya the story was weak towards the end. It just didn't pay off well, but the start was great. Although I seriously questioned Traherns decision making in that first cutscene.

I admired his Kilroy Stonekin tribute though

[AliamRationem.5172]

35 minutes ago, Loboling.5293 said:

In spite of what I just said, ya the story was weak towards the end. It just didn't pay off well, but the start was great. Although I seriously questioned Traherns decision making in that first cutscene.

Trahearne be like...

 

[Shadowmoon.7986]

If you watch the release trailer, it was clear the entire theme of the xpac is to feel oppressed the entire time while playing. Personally i really enjoyed hot, the only thing i dislike was how the mastery system and how unlocking especs worked. At the time i wish mastery points worked like a metroidvania system, and your espec was locked around delivering the egg to tanir (kinda like ascension and closer to the stars were locked behind story missions in gw1)

[leila.7962]

I feel like i appreciate PoF and EoD less because HoT came first. Hot is awesome and challenging at the same time, even if you were playing in groups. It had the oh-oh-ah-ah sensation that I missed on PoF and EoD.. HoT is definitely a masterpiece.

Edited May 19, 2023 by leila.7962

[Zzik.5873]

Hot release week was one of my best memory in term of gaming! The map is awesome, visually and gameplay wise. I actually really enjoy the mastery progression and the fact that some part of the map where blocked and felt like a jp!

[Smiley.5698]

Could not agree less! This has to be the worst map I have ever played in a game. The level of frustration to not be able to get anywhere you want is insane. Nothing works, not the minimap, nor no logic behind anything.. This map has made me want to stop playing the game on numerous occasions, about every time I have to go somewhere in this piece of steaming kitten!

[Kenneth.7536]

46 minutes ago, Smiley.5698 said:

Could not agree less! This has to be the worst map I have ever played in a game. The level of frustration to not be able to get anywhere you want is insane. Nothing works, not the minimap, nor no logic behind anything.. This map has made me want to stop playing the game on numerous occasions, about every time I have to go somewhere in this piece of steaming kitten!

Sounds like a skill issue.

No seriously, if you don't have the masteries like gliding and ley-line gliding, HoT maps were designed to be a inconvenience because remember, people complained that the core game was too easy. HoT definitely ramps up the difficulty, but in this day and age, you have access to mounts and other goodies in masteries which make the experience in HoT maps much more enjoyable than it was on release.

I still remember how cute pocket raptors are only to be insta-killed by them. Also the frustration in 2015 was out of this world. But as you progress through your masteries (taking that you don't have most masteries), it gets easier tenfold.

[costepj.5120]

TD navigation is meant to be challenging; it's a jungle after all. Once you get used to the places where you can move between the different map levels, it is easier. But I think it's a good thing that I can still get myself lost, even after all these years. The nuhoch wallows are usually my saviour; find one of those and you can generally get back to Rara Novus at least. I just did the rift hunting weekly in TD and was able to reach all the active rifts in good time.

[Randulf.7614]

Loved Tangled Depths when it came. Exploration took time, used the masteries well and had some nice spelunking cave areas. Really high quality map 

[Axelteas.7192]

Compared to other maps, Hot feels like a horror movie where every living being tries to kill you, even plants.

Too hostile environment for the player +lot of people hates jumping puzzles or vertical maps in general.

[SeTect.5918]

HoT is beautiful yes, my Favourite expansion.

Every single day i go there to kill all heropoints in verdant brink, auric basin and Tangled Depths. They actually give decent rewards (aside from the fact that its hella fun for me). 

But not only that, the expansion actually offers a good environment for (almost) every mount. 

Its so fun to go with rollerbeetle in auric basin! 

The enemies are also not so loaded with annoying-sh** conditions like "slow". Yes, i m talking to you PoF with your Branded and awakened slow-spam enemies. Tho its also a pretty nice expansion. 

In EoD i felt like you are not able to travel through the map fast without using waypoints due to the inability to find good spots to fly with your griffon or Roller Beetle, especially in seitung, which is "imo" the most beautiful of the EoD maps.

[SeTect.5918]

On 5/19/2023 at 2:23 PM, AliamRationem.5172 said:

Agree 100%.  I signed up for this game after reading about HoT and it didn't disappoint!

Ah, of course you are also in this post my fellow HoT solo ele haha

Although i m a bit late to this post, but i was inactive when it was created.

[Futa.4375]

If EoD was released first the game would have been quickly abandoned. The game's foundation and HoT are mostly what keep it alive to this day.

[Solvar.7953]

To me, the biggest problem with Tangled Depth (and any similar maps) is that the map (brought up via the M command) still makes navigation difficult, even if you have explored the entire map.  It is just hard to tell where blocking walls/paths are, how to get from point A to point B, etc.

That may be the point of the map, but figuring out how to navigate maps is not something I find particular fun.  If the full size map somehow conveyed better information, this wouldn't be as much a problem.

 

[Zera.9435]

On 5/19/2023 at 5:25 AM, Dayra.7405 said:

The only thing I really remember as frustrating was the limited gliding. There were a lot MPs you could see, but couldn't reach. The moment when your glding exhausted just centimeters from goal/updrift I really hated.

This was absolutely intentional in what they called 'horizontal progression'. They borrowed from the progression concept of games like Super Metroid, where you needed to acquire particular power-ups (masteries in GW2) to reach new areas. It was very well implemented. Sure, mesmer portals made it a moot point, but it was still done very well from a pure gameplay standpoint.