Orr is Dead & Needs a Redesign

[Oglaf.1074]

Been trying all day to get Temple of Balthazar open to buy some Obsidian Shards but it just isn't happening. The player population in these open areas is literally zero. It is a sad state of affairs to see old content abandoned like this, but understandable. As such all these big group events like securing temples need to be toned down to the point where you can solo them.

[Abakk.9176]

Maybe they need their scaling ajusted to tone down automatically based on number of people on the map or in the area. That way their original state could be preserved indefinitely.

[DakotaCoty.5721]

I saw the "Orr is dead" and thought, yes, it is literally dead. :D

[Dante.1763]

@Abakk.9176 said:Maybe they need their scaling ajusted to tone down automatically based on number of people on the map or in the area. That way their original state could be preserved indefinitely.

If scaling was to be adjusted, i would maybe hope they also bring back some of the original original orr difficulty, i think it would be a nice way to get players into the mindset of what they need to do for HoT.

[DBZVelena.5186]

What you need is to get on a diff version of the Orr map. Orr is not as dead as you might think. Try looking through the LFG's for the map. you might find a squad looking for more people to help on a diff map.Or create your own squad and put it in the LFG. That usually helps. Since its sunday you prob got stuck on a overflow map.

[Vayne.8563]

Orr isn't dead, people need to be more proactive. Pop a tag, start a group. that's how you get the Temple of Balthazar done. Most people don't even buy shards their anymore, because they have HOT and use the currencies of the new zones to defer karma costs. I know I buy my obby shards in AB and VB. The currency is easier to get and costs less karma.

[Abakk.9176]

@Dante.1763 said:

@Abakk.9176 said:Maybe they need their scaling ajusted to tone down automatically based on number of people on the map or in the area. That way their original state could be preserved indefinitely.

If scaling was to be adjusted, i would maybe hope they also bring back some of the original original orr difficulty, i think it would be a nice way to get players into the mindset of what they need to do for HoT.

Sure, whatever. I have no idea what that would be since i wasn't around at that time. But i am greatly opposed to destroying older content in favor of new. A bit like some other big developer is quite famous for. ;)

[Dante.1763]

@Abakk.9176 said:

@Dante.1763 said:

@Abakk.9176 said:Maybe they need their scaling ajusted to tone down automatically based on number of people on the map or in the area. That way their original state could be preserved indefinitely.

If scaling was to be adjusted, i would maybe hope they also bring back some of the original original orr difficulty, i think it would be a nice way to get players into the mindset of what they need to do for HoT.

Sure, whatever. I have no idea what that would be since i wasn't around at that time. But i am greatly opposed to destroying older content in favor of new. A bit like some other big developer is quite famous for. ;)

It was a great deal harder than it was now, the mobs where more numerous etc, they nerfed it hard because it was getting impossible to explore on some of the less populated servers(before mega server), they dont need to completely bring it back, but at the moment its soooo easy to just..avoid everything and i dont think it should be that way.

[DBZVelena.5186]

@Dante.1763 said:

@Abakk.9176 said:

@Dante.1763 said:

@Abakk.9176 said:Maybe they need their scaling ajusted to tone down automatically based on number of people on the map or in the area. That way their original state could be preserved indefinitely.

If scaling was to be adjusted, i would maybe hope they also bring back some of the original original orr difficulty, i think it would be a nice way to get players into the mindset of what they need to do for HoT.

Sure, whatever. I have no idea what that would be since i wasn't around at that time. But i am greatly opposed to destroying older content in favor of new. A bit like some other big developer is quite famous for. ;)

It was a great deal harder than it was now, the mobs where more numerous etc, they nerfed it hard because it was getting impossible to explore on some of the less populated servers(before mega server), they dont need to completely bring it back, but at the moment its soooo easy to just..avoid everything and i dont think it should be that way.

its not easy because they nerfed it. but you got better at the game!!

[Dante.1763]

@DBZVelena.5186 said:

its not easy because they nerfed it. but you got better at the game!!

No. Its easy because they nerfed it, and they nerfed it hard.

[Oglaf.1074]

Difficulty is irrelevant for a group event when nobody is doing it anyway-

[DBZVelena.5186]

@Oglaf.1074 said:Difficulty is irrelevant for a group event when nobody is doing it anyway-

which is why you should try the lfg tool in your friends list ui.

[MithranArkanere.8957]

One of the main changes it could use is more predictable event progress so players known when to gather at any of the maps without having to make all the scheduling themselves.

Something working a bit more like Silverwastes with an overall buildup of forces then assaults at the temples, or like Dragon's Stand with a fixed starting time and a time to complete it.

Since the events do not ever reset and instead depend on defense events failing. players can't just open an LFG with something like "Straits Meta" or "Straits 60%"

[Oglaf.1074]

@DBZVelena.5186 said:

@Oglaf.1074 said:Difficulty is irrelevant for a group event when nobody is doing it anyway-

which is why you should try the lfg tool in your friends list ui.

You know what they say about assuming and what it makes out of you...

That's the first thing I looked at, obviously. Nobody is interested in retaking these Temples. Heck, how many players even remember them being a thing, honestly?

[Wolfheart.7483]

@Oglaf.1074 said:

@DBZVelena.5186 said:

@Oglaf.1074 said:Difficulty is irrelevant for a group event when nobody is doing it anyway-

which is why you should try the lfg tool in your friends list ui.

You know what they say about assuming and what it makes out of you...

That's the first thing I looked at, obviously. Nobody is interested in retaking these Temples. Heck, how many players even remember them being a thing, honestly?

I have been doing map completion for one of my characters and have seen groups doing all the temple events just during the last week. You were just not lucky with the timing of when you went to do it. Keep trying at different times and I am sure you'll find a group doing the event.

[Healix.5819]

@Dante.1763 said:If scaling was to be adjusted, i would maybe hope they also bring back some of the original original orr difficulty, i think it would be a nice way to get players into the mindset of what they need to do for HoT.

Orr is actually more challenging today than it was at launch, you just don't notice due to vertical progression. The original nerfs to Orr did nerf a few of the more powerful enemies, like Risen sharks dealing 5x the damage they do today, but for the most part, they only culled enemies and removed CC to make running through everything easier. A few months later, they began the anti-zerg mindset and gave enemies new and more powerful attacks, like the abom's charge, the lich's leech and the noble's marks.

I remember Orr being very challenging at the start, but I also remember lacking traits, being forced into stats with traits, being in level 50 gear at 80 and not having accessories. I also remember caving after reaching Malchor's, crafting a full set of rares and then effortlessly soloing everything. I was always in empty maps back then and commonly did the temples solo, which were far easier back then, and in some cases while a group sat and watched because they assumed 20+ was required.

Keep in mind that Orr isn't endgame content, it was one of the paths to acquire endgame gear. If you want a challenge, go back to leveling through it.

[Oglaf.1074]

I never remember Orr being difficulty as much as I remember it being just annoying to get around!

gets anchor with 9001 seconds Imob thrown on me

:D

[Terra.9506]

I still remember the first tme when my character arrive to Orr I feel like this area hard as hell even just try to move from point A to point B when I stop playing the game and come back about year later with my new character some how this area become walk in the park for me specialize when compare to HoT Tangled depths.never know they've nerf this area...

[PookieDaWombat.6209]

Not sure when you're playing but its been my experience that there always seem to be people keeping those temples flipped these days.

That being said, I rather like Orr at times because its not as crowded as other maps can be and the loots decent.

[Ojimaru.8970]

Considering the context of original post, which is in regards to the Temple of Balthazar and therefore centered around the Straits of Devastation, I would say event scaling is not an issue. The entire map-wide event can be done with 2-3 people rather easily, up until the final escort.

To explain, the final escort involves protecting a group of Pact Soldiers as they march towards the Temple of Balthazar. The death of each Pact Soldier will deplete their over "morale," which is indicated by a bar in the Event Assistant. Once completely depleted, the event will fail and go on a significant cooldown. The problem here isn't that there are too many enemies, or even too many high-tier enemies. Each wave that spawns has about three veteran mobs, four at most that are relatively easy to dispatch. However, since day one the failure rate of this escort event is higher than normal specifically because of enemy design. I've seen 3-person parties fail just as often as 20-person squads. And it all comes down to the Veteran mobs.

Enemies like the Veteran Risen Preservers and Veteran Risen Ravagers execute AOE attacks that deal tremendous damage to players, let alone measly Pact Soldier NPCs. Where most groups fail is when they allow one of these Veterans near the NPCs (although sometimes to no fault of their own), and the AOE attacks kill the NPCs. It has nothing to do with enemy scaling, because enemy attacks do not scale with player participation, nor are there too many.

Escort or Defense NPC health and enemy attacks have never been well-balanced, even in the game's latest content. We've seen ANet scale NPC health up, but NPCs like the Pact Supply Soldier in Verdant Brink's night phase will still pop if two Modrem Terragriffs charge them, or even when a Mushroom Bomber looks at them funny. But that's a separate matter.

On the other hand, excluding Siren's Landing, Malchor's Leap and, especially, Cursed Shore have healthy player bases running events, even Temple defenses, so I think the OP's complaint is really just centered around a singular event chain in one of the three original Orr zones. So I would say it's rather exaggerated to ask for a complete redesign of Orr based on a single example.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Perhaps, if OP is having difficulties acquiring Obsidian Shards there, OP could acquire them in one of the myriad other ways afforded players.

Here's a list: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Obsidian_Shard#Acquisition

Good luck.

[rapthorne.7345]

It would actually be super awesome if they could update Orr in the future so show the progress of the cleansing you do within the personal story

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Oglaf.1074 said:Been trying all day to get Temple of Balthazar open to buy some Obsidian Shards but it just isn't happening. The player population in these open areas is literally zero. It is a sad state of affairs to see old content abandoned like this, but understandable. As such all these big group events like securing temples need to be toned down to the point where you can solo them.

The temple is often open, especially not too longer after reset. There are a couple of ad hoc (and organized groups) that go after all the temples regularly for the loot. The player popl isn't literally zero -- at worst, it might not be enough to pull off a successful offense, but every time I visit, there are always people there.

But for the sake of argument, let's say that Balth temple isn't open often enough or easily enough. Then wouldn't it be a far, far more sensible idea to, you know, offer obsidian for karma at another vendor? Revamping an entire map's meta seems like an extreme solution to a simple problem, sort of like enlisting in the military during wartime, just to avoid a term paper.

[Thelgar.7214]

I've pretty much always been able to find someone in Cursed Shore to play and do events with. There have been a couple times i haven't been able to get obsidian shards at Balthazar. But the only times I've gone there to buy them was when I had everything else I needed to make something, so they stuck out and were pretty annoying. I wouldn't mind if the event chain was a little more frequent. Since reward tracks were introduced in WvW, I have a couple thousand Obsidian shards, so I don't really have a problem with the shards anymore. But I like doing the event, so it spawning more would be fun for me.