Heart of Thorns metas are still packed, SoTo metas are now a ghost town

[gerberlyfe.9736]

All these years later and people still crowd to the HoT metas, maps are full all hours of the night, coordinating in map chat.

SoTo metas are already dead and usually fail due to low player populations.

Could this release be any more catastrophic? Could these new maps be any less inspired, more vapid, empty and lacking in S O U L ?

[Lucy.3728]

When I played EoD at release I though I play a single player game when I arrived in Kaineng 😉 Kaineng was so empty, the entire time I played there.

And now there are more ppl than I saw at release.

Give ppl time to reach there.

[Danikat.8537]

Partially by coincidence, partially because of the daily achievements I was in both Verdant Brink and Skywatch today. Bear in mind it's the middle of the day on a Tuesday so very much not peak time but my experience was the opposite of the OP. There were a few people around Verdant Brink, 2 others doing events alongside me but the one person asking in map chat about the meta got no replies.

About 10 minutes later I was in Skywatch and the meta happened to start up while I was doing the rift hunting story step, so I joined in and we had almost a full squad by the time the first phase ended, plus several people who didn't join the squad, and we completed it sucessfully.

Of course with all maps there's some luck involved in which copy of the map you land in, if you want to avoid that and get an organised one for any meta event you need to use the LFG tool, but that applies to the base game and older expansions just as much as the newer ones.

[Bingus.4236]

5 minutes ago, Lucy.3728 said:

When I played EoD at release I though I play a single player game when I arrived in Kaineng 😉 Kaineng was so empty, the entire time I played there.

And now there are more ppl than I saw at release.

Give ppl time to reach there.

IIRC, There was actually a bug at release that resulted in the EoD maps being empty.

[Danikat.8537]

5 minutes ago, Bingus.4236 said:

IIRC, There was actually a bug at release that resulted in the EoD maps being empty.

I know the Dragon's End map had a very low population cap (about 50 players I think), but I didn't realise it affected all of them.

[vares.8457]

I just made a quick check: about 20 groups in lfg for the first Soto meta, no groups in lfg for HoT metas. Only group in HoT was a hp train in auric basin 

[Freya.9075]

I think op logged in to the wrong mmo and got confused. We are definitely playing different games. 

[Trejgon.9367]

I am unsure where OP found those "ghost town" metas in SotO - sure I saw a number of low pop maps failing meta because nobody showed up, but most of the time when I see a meta, I see a healthy amount of people running it as well.

Btw, HoT metas around this time into HoT release were failing constantly, due to people not having faintest clue how they work, and taking slow to adapt.

I am yet to see SotO meta fail to people failing a mechanic....

[Rumpus.1234]

"Low pop" SotO maps stick around, too, because people are playing on those maps. They're just not working on the meta.

It's only been out for a week, there's a lot to do!

[Eekasqueak.7850]

Bruh I see tons of people doing these and I play on odd times because I'm a night shift worker. 

[Eekasqueak.7850]

6 minutes ago, Lord Trejgon.2809 said:

I am unsure where OP found those "ghost town" metas in SotO - sure I saw a number of low pop maps failing meta because nobody showed up, but most of the time when I see a meta, I see a healthy amount of people running it as well.

Btw, HoT metas around this time into HoT release were failing constantly, due to people not having faintest clue how they work, and taking slow to adapt.

I am yet to see SotO meta fail to people failing a mechanic....

I've seen the Amnytas one fail a couple of times because people don't do the tentacles you shoot with skyscales quick enough, and I've seen the skywatch one fail at least once but that was only on release day. The Amnytas one at least expects people to have skyscale masteries. 

[Trejgon.9367]

12 minutes ago, Eekasqueak.7850 said:

I've seen the Amnytas one fail a couple of times because people don't do the tentacles you shoot with skyscales quick enough, and I've seen the skywatch one fail at least once but that was only on release day. The Amnytas one at least expects people to have skyscale masteries. 

Fair about the Amnytas one, if you can actually fail it on skyscale bits, but as far as skywatch goes I saw some very bonker runs full of derps on big scale that still pulled through and succeeded 🙂

[ShadowCatz.8437]

1 hour ago, Eekasqueak.7850 said:

I've seen the Amnytas one fail a couple of times because people don't do the tentacles you shoot with skyscales quick enough, and I've seen the skywatch one fail at least once but that was only on release day. The Amnytas one at least expects people to have skyscale masteries. 

It depends more on what build and skills that random group of player have equipped then having a Skyscale with SoTO mastery, even if that helps. Don't forget that there are players that only have the basic version of Skyscale unlocked and lack Crystal Champion Mastery from PoF and maybe also have only basic Gliding.

Like every other map meta stacking is the key (with some exception where you need to split to avoid damage other player from debuff). There is the fact that IBS with Portable United Legion Waystations (ULW) and other feature from other mastery play in here when one look at how far random player have progressed. If they haven't been farming Drizzlewood enough to have War Supply (currency you can only get from Drizzlewood) to use ULW (as you need to purchase that Electromagical Pulse - CC ability) which helps with doing AoE damage and keep mobs down, and chip away Defiance bars.

It do also help when PUGs have group based healing, can cleanse other then just themselves, can give stab, protection, resistance and blind, weakness etc as those things adds up, but player need to stay in range of each other. Often meta that fail is due to player don't know what will happen, get stressed and too far group and get in downstate or die. At same time they don't use WP and those blue gates as they don't know that they can teleport back rather fast and rather wait for other to resurrect them as they are afraid to not get cred for being there, not to mention that navigation also take time learn even with a fully upgraded Skyscale.

There is a lot going on and players need to have some time to learn and understand both meta and how to make use of their skills (Fireball need to be aimed on ground and at same time avoid to get hit from enemies that hit them in air. Navigation in a 3D space is also more complicated as to see what range on need be to reach target and Skyscale can die which means you also will die from falling to ground (too close to ground and no time to enable gliding).

Fireballs damage isn't that high either, so sometimes it better to get to ground and use your normal skills (which also provide boons and condition to other players). You can not heal other players on Skyscale, so there is also that limit as you need use Dash (evade) or change mount or land.

Performance do also take a deep dive when there is a lot going in one spot, like a map meta event. If your client or computer crashes then there is also less active player which can fast make a meta go from  looking alright to have a lot of dead players as they couldn't react in time.

The reason HoT maps is populated is also due to less player concentrated in one spot (you are supposed to coordinate 4 groups each with communication about how far they are on killing each boss, so they don't reset map meta event  and have to start over from where those bosses will regenerate back HP (or reach a time limit where they fail).

This also prevent that performance drops down like it does on other meta where players are more or less in one place to fight a Dragon or Dragon parts, or like here tentacles or maw.

As a side note: wiki states that Fire field from Skyscale can actually damage Vines in Slay the octovine! event. Do Fireballs also damage Vines? In that case we will see a lot Vines get attacked with Skyscales instead of those turrets.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Slay_the_octovine!_(northgate)
(Bugs section in that link mention that Skyscales Fire fields can damage Vines) 

Edited August 29, 2023 by ShadowCatz.8437

[Farohna.6247]

I've had full metas in the middle of the day and at prime time...so not sure what you're seeing.  Also probably a lot of people were out doing dailies and weeklies for the start of a new week.  I spent my entire evening doing exactly that, and will be back into the new maps the rest of the week.

[WeightTrainer.3219]

3 hours ago, gkoogz.3089 said:

All these years later and people still crowd to the HoT metas, maps are full all hours of the night, coordinating in map chat.

SoTo metas are already dead and usually fail due to low player populations.

Could this release be any more catastrophic? Could these new maps be any less inspired, more vapid, empty and lacking in S O U L ?

Yes, new maps can be less inspired. They are getting released Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.

[Bladestrom.6425]

On 8/27/2023 at 8:34 AM, vesica tempestas.1563 said:

Its the same interface that's been in place for all the icons  on the top of your screen for 10 years (e.g you have loot/gold to collect, a skill is not set etc)  and is recognised and used globally as 'an important issue to address.'

 

 

3 hours ago, gkoogz.3089 said:

All these years later and people still crowd to the HoT metas, maps are full all hours of the night, coordinating in map chat.

SoTo metas are already dead and usually fail due to low player populations.

Could this release be any more catastrophic? Could these new maps be any less inspired, more vapid, empty and lacking in S O U L ?

Not sure what your playing, EOD was meh for me (that kind of green is never easy on the eye), but on the other other hand i'm loving soto and everywhere is busy.  I'm very much a fan of cosmic horror so the new meta is right up my street when I get there,  Maps are also interesting with tons to do and I have new legendary armor and masteries to work towards.  What exactly do you expect to get in new open world maps in a 11 year old game, is it perhaps that you are jaded?

[azorean.1850]

why people lie like this!!

[AliamRationem.5172]

9 hours ago, gkoogz.3089 said:

All these years later and people still crowd to the HoT metas, maps are full all hours of the night, coordinating in map chat.

SoTo metas are already dead and usually fail due to low player populations.

Could this release be any more catastrophic? Could these new maps be any less inspired, more vapid, empty and lacking in S O U L ?

Try this.  Tag up and list in LFG.  Enjoy your win.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

HoT will always be relevant since has infusions in two of the maps, the first map has easy exotic armor purchases, and even the HPs are good daily farm. EoD has none of that with the final meta being a risky time loss. SotO has plenty to do solo so not everyone is doing the metas.

[Gotejjeken.1267]

From someone who started in beta...

I think it's kind of objective fact the SoTO maps are possibly the most bland ones we've ever seen.  The first one is just annoying to navigate but obviously serves a purpose of enforcing skyscale = mandatory.  It's also uninspired, a bunch of fractal islands of other places in the game...

The Wizard Tower I'm not even sure why it's a map other than they needed some themed hub.  Compared to something like Arborstone in EoD its terrible.

I got like three feet into Amnytas so I could get the new ranger pet, but already it just reminds me of Edge of The Mists and I'm not really rushing to go back.

Newer players don't realize this but there is such a thing as no more soul left to a game.  Unfortunately for anyone starting now they won't get to experience what it was like doing heart quests and having each map crafted to be explored.  Now it's just blaze through everything with a mount and if the maps become any more basic, I'd expect a mobile version of GW2.

Really, call it jaded or whatnot but even IBS maps blow these out of the water.  That's saying a lot.  

[Freya.9075]

22 minutes ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

Newer players don't realize this but there is such a thing as no more soul left to a game.  Unfortunately for anyone starting now they won't get to experience what it was like doing heart quests and having each map crafted to be explored.  Now it's just blaze through everything with a mount and if the maps become any more basic, I'd expect a mobile version of GW2.

I started the game a few years ago. Your statement is simply not true. Just because I did this 8 years later then you, doesn’t mean I didn’t get the same experience while exploring the new game which got me hooked. Something no other games could achieve. Even if I did use mounts, I got to explore nooks and crannies of the world. And every time some npc was saying something that caught my eyes (or ears👀)  I got yoinked out of my current “mission” and kept listening to them and even follow them around to see what else they would do/say. And come across beautiful spots around the maps with so many details. You can do these things even on mounts you know.
 

The game has plenty soul to me and I enjoyed core Tyria and the expansions as I played further. Some people like to just zoom through the game and others don’t. This has nothing to do with being a new player. It’s about what you prefer individually as a gamer and what you see as valuable to a game. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Freya.9075

[vares.8457]

52 minutes ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

 

 

I think it's kind of objective fact the SoTO maps are possibly the most bland ones we've ever seen.  The first one is just annoying to navigate but obviously serves a purpose of enforcing skyscale = mandatory.  It's also uninspired, a bunch of fractal islands of other places in the game...

 

I couldn’t disagree more, the new maps are not bland and this is not an objective fact, it’s your personal opinion. I really like the new maps, they are full of small details and aesthetically very beautiful and full of fun events. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by vares.8457

[Tiamat.8254]

The amnytis meta is so much fun. The rewards are not great, but it felt more on the level of verdant brink for enjoyment.

[vares.8457]

6 minutes ago, Tiamat.8254 said:

The amnytis meta is so much fun. The rewards are not great, but it felt more on the level of verdant brink for enjoyment.

True, but if a meta is fun I don’t really care about the rewards. Having a good time is the best reward. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by vares.8457

[Hashberry.4510]

It was a blast in the jungle early last week, with light maps for a few days. Alas the dull kitten loot zergs are back. Maybe next year ...