ANet, please don't lock new maps behind story progress for the character [merged]

[DarcShriek.5829]

On 11/8/2023 at 6:30 AM, Parasite.5389 said:

yes, because 'Access' helps with map population, thats why Gyala is a ghost town

Access does help with map population.  Gyala's problem is design.  No one goes to Gyala due to terrible design.  There can be more than one reason why certain maps are desolate.

[ShadowKatt.6740]

1 hour ago, DarcShriek.5829 said:

Access does help with map population.  Gyala's problem is design.  No one goes to Gyala due to terrible design.  There can be more than one reason why certain maps are desolate.

I thought no one went to Gyala because it's pointless.

No, seriously, work with me here. Why should you go there? There's a meta chain, sure, but there's a meta chain on every map, so that's not a draw. Is there a unique resource and vendor there? No. Is there an awesome collection achievement there? SOmething with ascended gear or shiny items? As far as I know, no. So why would you go there?

The map design for Gyala Delve is fine. It's by FAR not the worst (That still goes to the Tangled Depths). The problem with Gyala is that the entire map exists for exactly ONE purpose: Story. After EoD you go there to see what the consequences were of Aurene assuming her position and as a prelude to SotO showing there's something else out there. And that's it. Once you've played the missions and heard the logs there is nothing left there. So everyone that's done it has no reason to go back, and everyone new walking into it finds a dead map with just them and the other people like them that wandered in and have no idea what's going on.

[Manpag.6421]

1 minute ago, ShadowKatt.6740 said:

Is there an awesome collection achievement there? SOmething with ascended gear or shiny items? As far as I know, no. So why would you go there?

Technically yes, there are several collections/achievements that take place in Gyala Delve or have a component only found there (Grinning Tahkayun Mask, Minister’s Hat, Holo Cape, Manifest weapons, Special Ops skins), as well as an ascended dagger or sword, but I agree that the comparative emptiness of that map is at least partially about a perceived lack of rewards to make it worthwhile over other content.

Personally, I’d rather do metas like Gyala Delve where I have something like ~1% chance per chest of a drop worth 40–50g than something with a ~0.001% chance of an infusion worth 3000g from the end boss, but peoples’ perception of reward is different. The time commitment puts a lot of people off, and it isn’t helped by being a rolling meta. People are more likely to block out time for other long metas like Dragon’s End because they know when it is, rather than  needing at least 10 people to decide they have a free hour at the same time.

So yeah, access is a factor but far from the only one when it comes to which meats are active.

[Rose Solane.1027]

5 hours ago, Doghouse.1562 said:

You said that there was no way to do it. I pointed one out. Not wanting to use it is a different issue to the one you raised. Plus Recharging Teleport to Friend is a non-expiring QoL account upgrade that, personally, I use all the time (and that also happens to be on discount in the gemstore right now).

If you want to be pedantic: Neathra hasn't said anything about "there was no way to do it". Neathra asked for a way to access the content already paid for without engaging with the game's other monetization features. I think that is a valid request. OP asked for access for alts to an open world PVE map, mentioned the option of Teleport to Friend and hoped that is not the way forward for AreneNet. I do hope we keep access to open world PvE maps for alts without having to do the story, Teleport to Friend is not a valid alternative for me.

[Rose Solane.1027]

double post

Edited November 10, 2023 by Rose Solane.1027
stupid system

[ShadowKatt.6740]

4 hours ago, Manpag.6421 said:

Technically yes, there are several collections/achievements that take place in Gyala Delve or have a component only found there (Grinning Tahkayun Mask, Minister’s Hat, Holo Cape, Manifest weapons, Special Ops skins), as well as an ascended dagger or sword, but I agree that the comparative emptiness of that map is at least partially about a perceived lack of rewards to make it worthwhile over other content.

Personally, I’d rather do metas like Gyala Delve where I have something like ~1% chance per chest of a drop worth 40–50g than something with a ~0.001% chance of an infusion worth 3000g from the end boss, but peoples’ perception of reward is different. The time commitment puts a lot of people off, and it isn’t helped by being a rolling meta. People are more likely to block out time for other long metas like Dragon’s End because they know when it is, rather than  needing at least 10 people to decide they have a free hour at the same time.

So yeah, access is a factor but far from the only one when it comes to which meats are active.

You know, that also bring up a more personal point. The ascended dagger/sword I'll look into, because I like stabby things as much as the next purrson. But I've been playing this game since beta. Been here a long time. Being here a long time, there's not a lot that I really want. When they release all these skins I look at them and...shrug. And I feel like I'm not the only one. When SotO released a lot of people played it, got to the end and went "What now?" because SotO is an unfinished expansion without a goal. So the only thing we had to do was rifts to collect essences, metas to collect stardust, and the like. There were lamps to light all over both maps and that's fine, I guess, but the only real goal was....collect the two armor sets and the 4 weapons sets that were introduced.

I dunno about you, but I have all the weapons I need. I have more skins than I could use if I used a different one every day of the week for a year, and those are the skins I like. I find myself struggling to justify why I need to put in the effort to collect the cultural armors from the Wizards Tower that I'm never going to wear, or collect all the skyscale weapons with their abyssmally low drop rate from a meta I'm sleepwalking through at this point AND AGAIN will never, ever use. Maybe this is just the condition of a game thats been running for coming up on 12 years, but Gyala Delve is a wonderful confluence of everything kinda just....wrong. Even the things that are there no one wants. You talk about an infusion worth 3000g, and maybe that's true if you can find the right buyer. But I already have the infusions I want, on the armor I want, with the weapons I want. So of course there's no one doing Gyala. There's actually a lot of metas that don't get done. There's just not a lot to offer a lot of people.

[knives.6345]

On 11/9/2023 at 9:07 AM, Widebody.5071 said:

 This thread is strange.😒

It really isn't.

I don't want to do same story on 5 more characters. lol.

I hope if they lock it, if atleast one character unlocks the map, it unlocks it for the entire account instead.

[IndigoSundown.5419]

ANet has been "sensitive" about players completing story since the original Guild Wars, which featured players "running" new characters to the highest level areas in the original map.  It's been up and down since the days of Droknar's Forge runs, but the first access-tied-to-story came with Guild Wars: Factions.

[knives.6345]

I now really wish that reacting "confused" should merit a response. lol

 

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

On 11/8/2023 at 4:07 AM, Manpag.6421 said:

IBS maps: As above, but no alt access outside scrolls.

You can get into the maps through Eye of the North by going into a Strike and using the exit to enter the maps where they are physically located.

Also yes, they are making it much harder to freely enter maps from the core game. Things are becoming increasingly disconnected. It was apparent when they didn't connect Fields of Ruin with Desert Highlands.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

22 hours ago, knives.6345 said:

I now really wish that reacting "confused" should merit a response. lol

 

Using that reaction is an admittance of stupidity that they must live with internally.

[Westenev.5289]

I thought Gw2 already solved this problem with map scrolls. I wonder why they've stopped using them.

[Claudia De Anar.6304]

Totally agree with the OP, Would love to see map completion just an account wide thing to start with, If you've been there, you've been there. And its not like I don't like to explore, I generally start a new game every January, after the Wintersdays Celebrations specifically to explore a new world; but again if you've seen LA, well you have, and so its just not new to you on any number of alts. Nuff said. 

[notebene.3190]

Topic adjacent: We really need a compendium book to store all teleportation devices, scrolls, including but not limited to magical hub locations, old lions arch, etc.

They could literally repurpose a copy of the LFG interface with categories and locations. Filter in ones you have. Heck, even would serve as an advertisement to buy more teleportation (“Look at these other places I can’t go yet”).

Free the … shared space!

[Teknomancer.4895]

1 hour ago, Claudia De Anar.6304 said:

Would love to see map completion just an account wide thing to start with

The problem with that is: Gift of Exploration

[Lord Trejgon.2809]

On 11/8/2023 at 2:14 PM, Fleabite.7528 said:

Perhaps, perhaps not! When you speak with the wizard overseeing construction, they hint that that new left hand gate will be a multi-portal to all Tyria zones (like the one in EOTN). 

Isgarren promised me to open a more permament portal to Nayos once we secure proper foothold. I thought we did secure the foothold between story bits and map's meta, but I guess not proper enough for big old seer >.>

EotN-like portal would be nice, if it could also go to home instance like the one in EotN does 🤔 While at it, it would be nice if EotN could be updated with upgrade option to unlock the offline resting mechanic there.

6 hours ago, Teknomancer.4895 said:

The problem with that is: Gift of Exploration

I wonder how much work would it be to refit core tyria with lantern system similar post-EoD maps 🤔

[Neathra.1950]

On 11/12/2023 at 4:46 AM, Westenev.5289 said:

I thought Gw2 already solved this problem with map scrolls. I wonder why they've stopped using them.

In this case its probably because they're waiting for the full Nayos map to be released. And it is likely that that "under construction" portal will be turned into a Nayos portal.  So the Wizard Tower portal scroll would cover it. 

but lets just say that Anet is still re-earning my trust.

[ShadowCatz.8437]

23 hours ago, Teknomancer.4895 said:

The problem with that is: Gift of Exploration

Another issue would be that ArenaNet are selling unlocks for map zone Waypoints in Gem Store so that sale would be nill, if they made map completion account wide, and don't forget permanent Teleport 2 Friend as that also are often being used to get players into maps they have not yet had their character to go and unlock Waypoint to enter.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

Anet having to relearn lessons shifted from every other expansion to every expansion.

The piece meal release schedule of content that Champions did soured the IBS experience. They repeated the same mistakes with Gyala Delve. It could very well happen here, too.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

7 hours ago, ShadowCatz.8437 said:

Another issue would be that ArenaNet are selling unlocks for map zone Waypoints in Gem Store so that sale would be nill, if they made map completion account wide, and don't forget permanent Teleport 2 Friend as that also are often being used to get players into maps they have not yet had their character to go and unlock Waypoint to enter.

They never should have put that in the Gem store. It could have been an item like heroic notaries, but for waypoints.

[Spook.5847]

I really hate having to slog through the living story to access new content maps, etc.  I pay for that content, and I want to use it - but without dealing with the living story junk that me and my wife both hate with a passion.  If I had my choice, I would never have played even one single chapter of that trash.

[Ariurotl.3718]

I'm not really the sort of person to make things personal but I looked at your recent post history and it's astounding enough to comment on. You professed to hate JPs, fractals, WvW, metas, the entire SotO expansion, Wizard's vault and dailies in general, and now story.

What do you LIKE about the game, Spook? Why are you here?

Edited November 25, 2023 by Ariurotl.3718

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

The problem is that most locations after HoT are gated behind story with no real way to get to a location on your own. You can get a brand new character all the way to Dragon's Stand before doing anything else. All content after this appears to be designed to prevent that from happening.

There is serious inconsistency about making the maps all connected in some way. You can get to PoF with the ship in Lion's Arch as long as you beat the main story. Then LW4 did this by connecting Vabbi, Jahai Bluffs, and Kourna. There is also the boat that can take you to Istan, but not Sandswept Isles.

You can get to Grothmar Valley and some IBS maps with the chopper at the Citadel.

They should make all starting waypoints in the expansions unlock account wide after reaching it at least.

[Ashantara.8731]

13 hours ago, Ariurotl.3718 said:

I'm not really the sort of person to make things personal but I looked at your recent post history and it's astounding enough to comment on. You professed to hate JPs, fractals, WvW, metas, the entire SotO expansion, Wizard's vault and dailies in general, and now story.

What do you LIKE about the game, Spook? Why are you here?

Maybe he and his wife love to hate the game, and that's their driving factor. 😂

[Gerebos.1065]

If there's no part of the current GW2 which you like or love just sell your account and never look back or put it on hold for some time and pick up again when it seems ok for you to play.

There's lot of place for improvement in the game from all points of view that's sure but it won't change just because a few complain.Majority likes it and loves it.

Adapt or leave,complaining won't solve a thing.