[VOTE] What is the best Expansion overall? HoT, PoF or EoD?

[pallas.8150]

PoF wins hands down for mounts alone.

[Hashberry.4510]

The tone and flavor of the game changed for the worse with mounts, though they were wildly fun, if clunky. HoT nailed the joy of movement for me. Really the best they did.

[Asum.4960]

10 hours ago, idpersona.3810 said:

Personally, I'm not surprised that HoT is winning the poll. Lots of players on the forums seem to have a real soft spot for it. I like PoF in general better than HoT. I think if PoF had better metas it would be much better comparatively. As is, for me, PoF wins by a tony amount. Mounts are just too good of masteries. Gliding is great. Mounts are just more versatile.
And I know opinions vary, but Tangled Depths is one of my least favorite maps in the game. HoT does have the best metas though.

EoD is....fine. It has some real enjoyable aspects to it, but far too many stumbles to really be good.

What many people seem to have forgotten about HoT (or joined after the fact) is how it was primarily a systems expansion, which the following expacs merely had to follow and expand upon, yet still seems to compete, if not clearly win for most, in terms of content. 

From Masteries to Guild Halls and Elite Specs as systems themselves, to 10 player instanced Endgame content, to a new Profession in Revenant, to (even if it didn't really work out) Stronghold as new PvP gamemode, an entire new map for WvW, Legendary Backpieces&Armor, complete system reworks like Fractals how we know them today, all the way to endless little reworks and additions like being able to chat across different guilds and so on. 

HoT didn't just arguably add the most repeatable and engaging content, it also developed and delivered all of the systems all future updates and expansions merely slotted additions into. 

It's not really Mounts (which were a highlight feature for PoF for sure) vs. Gliding. It's more the game and almost all of the systems as we know them today, plus HoT's content vs. what other expansions delivered. 

Revenant is a good example for this - sure we could argue about which Expac delivered the best Elite Spec for it, but HoT delivered the Profession itself, the Elite Spec system itself, plus it's Elite Spec.

Imo there isn't even really a comparison in that regard, if each expansion is a metaphoric city, HoT isn't just the capital, but also the hill they were all build upon.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Asum.4960

[Pooh.6897]

I’ve wanted mounts since gw1, so I’m going to stick with PoF. Aside from that i love the PoF maps, they’re very nice. And we got a bit of story surrounding human gods which is always nice

[jaif.3518]

In broad terms, I suspect you'll find that HOT generally appeals more to the hardcore LFGers while POF tends to be favored by the more casual open-worlders.

 

[Killthehealersffs.8940]

8 hours ago, Asum.4960 said:

HoT didn't just arguably add the most repeatable and engaging content ...

.... plus HoT's content vs. what other expansions delivered.

Yeah too bad the company listened to the wrong minority  , about OW events like Soo Won and Clearring Ire(those minority told other  people that they should do more dps to complete the content  , rather than survive like HoT)  , limiting their content the GW2 population  can play

Edited June 27, 2023 by Killthehealersffs.8940

[Aylpse.6280]

Personally, PoF. I liked the big open maps, the introduction of mounts, and while I wasn't happy Balthazar was the main antagonist, the story was very good and I liked the way it flowed. Elona is beautiful, the concept of a sea drying up into a desert (can happen in real life) and the aquatic life adapting to living in a sea of sand rather then water (can't happen in real life) makes the brain happy. Kralk was also my favorite dragon by the end of it all.

HoT wasn't bad, and gave us Druid, unique landscapes like the glittering Auric Basin, cool races the rainforest Hyleck and Chak, but the rest of the maps, poor espec balance (in pvp, no idea what pve was like) and the introduction of rev left a sour taste in my mouth.

[Myrkkin.7921]

PoF... but really LS4.  I still feel like LS4 is one of the best stories in any game I've ever played.

[Mppa.3250]

While I ve tried only few other MMOs , I would bet that Octovine may easily be one of the best Metas (if not the best) in MMO history. A meta for everyone, from the leechers/newbies at east to the one shot and picnic at south. The trolls that taking armors to push flowers towards players and/or that put portals and merchants on chests after the meta. The agony, the fun., the drama, the toxicity, people that tagged meta and soloing mushi/vets while waiting. Its all there. And all that for a good minimum amount of gold and a chance to get an infusion. Plus, the luxury to just change instance in case your meta failed and farm a succesful one instead (even if its only for once per day for the whole loot).

Regarding mounts, yes they are the best in genre and each one feels trully unique. I will never forget the day I completed my skyscale and I couldnt stop flying everywhere and taking screenshots. Like for real, the day that I got my skysnail>day I lost my virginity>day I graduated>day I ate my first pizza with blue cheese.

The above, I think are the strongest points of each expansion (in my opinion) and my vote went for HoT as this whole Auric Basin experience (yes other HoT metas are also good, gliding and etc)  I dont think is possible to remake to such extent that utilizes so many aspects of the game, the mechanics and the community itself.... Maybe not even by the same people that created it.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Mppa.3250

[Lizardguard.2860]

HoT, without a doubt.
I like the desert maps, but they are not even close to the jungle maps.
I like mounts, but they invalidate soooo much of what came before (and sometimes, after).
The mastery system that came with HoT is good to this day.
Raids still win over Strikes, and always will win, because they are just vastly superior in about every category (lore, map design, encounter design, buggyness, replayability and so on and so forth).

Its honestly just an unfair comparison, in my opinion.
 

[Valfar.3761]

Heart of Thorns was fantastic!

• I liked the theme and it was cohesive: bushwhacking into a hostile jungle to fight an evil plant dragon. Everything tied into this. All of the events you join are you helping the Pact army push into the jungle and fight Mordremoth's forces.
• The maps were multilayered, packing them with more content than ordinary maps. Adventures were fun.
• Difficulty. The mobs were threatening enough to force you to respect their mechanics. Also incentivized you to group up with other players. The design of the geometry and the multilayered maps also made navigating the maps challenging, which is good. Managing to climb up into those crashed airships in Verdant Brink felt satisfying.
• Fun fights. The Wyverns in Verdant Brink that take place high in the sky and you getting blown off the platform and having to climb back up. The Chak Gerrant in the tunnels in Tangled Depths. Pushing down the tree lanes towards Mordremoth's tree, and the Mouth of Mordremoth fight.

 

I didn't like PoF very much. 

• I didn't like the themes. The two main enemies, the Forged (generic firey/metal guys), and the Awakened (generic egyptian zombies) felt meh. The Branded (purple crystal monsters) were okay. The events in the zones felt random and did not feel motivating like HoT where every event has you help out your army in the fight against Mordremoth.
• Aside from the Desolation, every map was boring. Flat deserts, or generic snowy mountains. The desolation had the yellow sulfur areas which were cool. Furthermore, the maps were not packed with content like HoT's maps.
• The mobs were not challenging.
• No fun meta events.

 

I didn't enjoy End of Dragons content very much.

• The mobs are braindead easy.
• The maps are not interesting to navigate. They are not packed with content nor multilayered. No adventures.
• The maps also suffer from missed potential in the aesthetic department. Seitung Province looks like a generic Asian game area. New Kaineng does not feel like a packed city to adventure in (contrast that with Suramar or Boralus from WoW),  and the buildings are samey. Echovald Forest looks incredibly generic. Anet did not utilize those concept arts that they commissioned from Salvatorre Yazzie that depicted an interesting fantasy environment. And then the top 2/3rds of Dragon's End - the area you spend the most time in - is again more generic grass and rocks. The only interesting area is the Jade Sea in the last 1/3rd of the map, but you are only on the surface of the sea for 5 minutes when fighting the minibosses or travelling to help out another lane's fight against a miniboss. Again compare that how much time you spent on the Jade Sea in GW1. Also GW2's version of the Jade Sea looks like neon green plastic and is not pleasing to look at. The underground tunnels are not used for content at all.
• The constant instance changing disincentives me to play on the maps, knowing that I might be building up stacks of toughness or fishing stacks or progressing an event changing only for the instance to be closed and I have to start all over again.
• The metas aren't as fun as the HoT ones IMO.

[Bankrotas.8215]

Icebrood Saga. 

[Daniyyel.3428]

I chose HoT.  I love to explore.  With HoT, at first I didn't know if I was coming or going. Loved it.

 

[melquiades.7540]

EoD is objectively trash, i am glad i didn't buy it with my alt accounts. Tiresome maps with kitten spread-out or always contested WPs, verticality with no mobility as in spread out and/or useless zip lines, constantly needing to use flying mounts to traverse, boring af hearts, lackluster metas and kitten kitten grind-fest of a living world season with only one map. Broken at launch elites to justify having to buy the new expansion with no regard to competitive play.

Hot is the content i play the most and that i enjoy the most, all the elites i play are either from HoT of PoF (only play virtuoso a bit). PoF was saved by the living world and somehow Anet managed not to exploit its whole potential.

They banked on the nostalgia of Cantha, and they are really excited that they THINK they will leech out from the next mid expansion.

[Fueki.4753]

10 minutes ago, melquiades.7540 said:

constantly needing to use flying mounts to traverse

This is objectively false.

While I agree that the Skyscale makes it easier, one doesn't need it.

It's very much possible to play through EoD just using gliding, the Springer and the Raptor.

I only used those and the Skimmer (because I dislike the boat) on my first run through EoD.

[melquiades.7540]

Just now, Fueki.4753 said:

While I agree that the Skyscale makes it easier, one doesn't need it.

Are you shitting me? have you been in Kaineng? Why would i subject myself to such painful experience without the skyscale? I can also not use any mount at all. It doesn't have to be like that.

[Ruisenior.6342]

HoT by a large margin

[TexZero.7910]

HoT felt the most to me like an expansion experience.

Everyone suffered through that and came out better for it. Communities actually grew instead of shrinking and there was just more systems to interact with.
Each progressive expansion feels more conservative and thus like you're getting less milage out of it.

[Linken.6345]

7 hours ago, melquiades.7540 said:

Are you shitting me? have you been in Kaineng? Why would i subject myself to such painful experience without the skyscale? I can also not use any mount at all. It doesn't have to be like that.

There are teleporters in NK

[Dante.1508]

I didn't like any of them to be honest.. The stories were ok the mechanics were abysmal..

Hot - Was a nightmare CC wise, Solo is crazy town, you cannot get skill points without "Skill point Trains to help you" 99% of the time.. Hot release made me Quit GW2 for 2 years or more, i can't remember exactly.

PoF - was better the story was great, the CC was still some what toxic, the mounts were grindy.. and i hate deserts personally.. This was the one i disliked the least.

EoD - was inane story wise.. The maps were atrocious, the Forced raiding and That End map was even more atrocious, the mount was an even worse grind.. The lack of waypoints was annoying, EoD actually made me quit GW2 for a year. Its only saving grace was a few of the professions.

Living Stories - were hit and miss but very hard bosses made them grindy and forced team ups killed the later ones for me.. The mounts felt like slave labor.

Tyria was my favorite early on.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Dante.1508

[Fueki.4753]

9 hours ago, melquiades.7540 said:

Why would i subject myself to such painful experience without the skyscale? I can also not use any mount at all. It doesn't have to be like that.

Using only Glider, Springer, Raptor and the boat were the experience Arenanet intended for players to have, so I went close to that on my Warrior.

The combat not really aligning with Warrior's gameplay (for example, many enemies constantly stepping backwards, just out of my melee range) was worse to me than not using the Skyscale.

[Xperiment.6923]

Haven't completed a single one! I like them all for different reasons... I rather not HoT if I can help it. HoT as a new player just made me mad! Games shouldn't do that. PoF ...so much easier to navigate. Unlocking the mounts felt so rewarding! EoD is probably the easiest xp for a new player to start after 80. Had to do most if the story to unlock fishing, skiffs and jade bot. The story is the best for me all the humor and character  beats hit and I'm so outta the loop on what's happened prior.  I still laugh when I  think about the dredge character saying... "its Ivan, you know...from work"!

[Val.7826]

On 6/30/2023 at 6:06 AM, Dante.1508 said:

I didn't like any of them to be honest.. The stories were ok the mechanics were abysmal..

Hot - Was a nightmare CC wise, Solo is crazy town, you cannot get skill points without "Skill point Trains to help you" 99% of the time.. Hot release made me Quit GW2 for 2 years or more, i can't remember exactly.

PoF - was better the story was great, the CC was still some what toxic, the mounts were grindy.. and i hate deserts personally.. This was the one i disliked the least.

EoD - was inane story wise.. The maps were atrocious, the Forced raiding and That End map was even more atrocious, the mount was an even worse grind.. The lack of waypoints was annoying, EoD actually made me quit GW2 for a year. Its only saving grace was a few of the professions.

Living Stories - were hit and miss but very hard bosses made them grindy and forced team ups killed the later ones for me.. The mounts felt like slave labor.

Tyria was my favorite early on.

W... Why are you here? All I read here is pain xD

Edited July 2, 2023 by Val.7826

[Liewec.2896]

HoT imho,

i loved that it was more challenging than the vanilla game, my only criticism was the verticality of it often became annoying, with things being gated behind masteries.

[Endaris.1452]

On 6/30/2023 at 12:02 AM, Xperiment.6923 said:

The story is the best for me all the humor and character  beats hit and I'm so outta the loop on what's happened prior.  I still laugh when I  think about the dredge character saying... "its Ivan, you know...from work"!

Sadly it's not nearly that funny if you actually know what happened prior 😞