The Skyscale Epidemic in Open World

[Tren.5120]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:24 AM, Luthan.5236 said:

I played everything in order of release. And I wouldn't mind if there was a system that allowed mounts/glliding only in maps that got released later after the specific gameplay function got released. But I can see why this is a major selling point and they want new players to directly go for those mounts. (+ veteran players can faster get map/world completion in core with the use of mounts - which is convenient)

Wanting to play "as intended" - that is up to the player. (I liked it. Though for EoD I played with Skyscale even though the maps also seem to partly have been intended to be played without flying mounts. At least the Kaineng and Echovald. I do not even know how to quickly move around without skyscale there lol.)

For most older content and people rushing it: Outside the special events that give you tasks to to "5 events in a beginner zone" it should not be a major problem. World bosses if you know where to be - you can be there fast enough before it starts. Certain longer metas later ... might be a problem. In the past I think I heard this for Drizzlewood and running for the champs with the hidden caches. Where skyscale is very convenient. (Though you have the drop parachute mechanics there.)

Skyscale issue is a result of bad level design.  GW2 crutches on masteries to enable efficient movement through a lot of expansion maps.  The Skyscale goes around this because of its verticality and ability to cross large gaps with ease.  You don't have to worry about bouncing mushrooms or hitting the perfect series of updrafts.  You just fly up and glide to where you want in most cases - hitting an updraft "occasionally."

In classic zones, which were not designed with flying mounts in mind, you can scale and cross mountain ranges with ease because the map was not designed to prohibit this.

If someone goes to SoTo and gets the Skyscale, then a lot of the masteries for HoT and PoF are obsoleted instantly, which also damages the replay value of anything in those expansions' overland content.  There is hardly a reason to use anything other than the Skyscale, unless you want to go through a Jackal portal or an event requires Turtle artillery.

IMO, this had already started with mounts in PoF, the Springer in particular.  However, the Skyscale really has zoomed it from Point C to Z.

[raykor.6723]

Compromise. Let the skyscale fireballs award event participation but implement a scaling loot mechanic based on participation. Minimal (fireball) participation; minimal chance at the top loot. Some zone metas already have this mechanic.

[kharmin.7683]

I think that goes against ANet's vision for how the game plays and how participation matters.

[Valaraukar.7652]

Please arenanet, @Rubi Bayer.8493

I reup the topic because seriously it's become REALLY annoying to see some people spamming fireball on a boss on a meta or other. I would rater even more to see them going afk than seeing them spamming fireball.

It's almost daily that we have people at meta who spam fireball. And when you have by exemple just 2 or 4 people, you have the effect of fireball spamming your screen literally every 0.5 seconds.

A lot of suggestion was say in the topic. I add one more.

Maybe adding an option to graphic to desactivate effect of fireball of skyscale of other player.

But please, do something about that.  

Edited March 18 by Valaraukar.7652

[Surelia.2651]

To be perfectly honest, the only time whatsoever when I have found this somewhat annoying has been when doing Nayos public convergences where maybe one person now and then, at the most, has for some reason decided to try and just fireball Sorrow instead of joining the crowd fighting on the ground -- but Sorrow himself takes care of that issue eventually, lol, so it is really a non issue in the end.   

More annoying is actually the people in said public convergences who come in and then park somewhere on the map, and do not have the decency to do anything at all.  They just sit there the whole time doing absolutely nothing.  I still can't understand how that is not addressed, but meh... it happens.  Have seen that unfortunately about 10 times out of all the times I have done them; a disproportionately high number I would say, when you consider the achievement is only for 100 completions.

[Valaraukar.7652]

About convergence, i personally join private convergence (when i want to do some) to avoid these kind of problem as you was explaining. In general with private, you haven't these kind of problem.

Edited March 18 by Valaraukar.7652

[Noidea Incognito.9607]

Stuff like the Skyscale / hovering / fireballs are a feature, and it will remain a feature untill the majority of the community  would consider it a very big nuisance and gets vocal about it... But who knows... Maybe they might tweak it a little.

So... *shrugs*

Edited March 18 by Noidea Incognito.9607

[AIex.4105]

Skyskale live matters

[AIex.4105]

On 1/29/2024 at 11:42 PM, A Hamster.2580 said:

I agree with OP. This is what happens when you keep catering to the ultra casuals. I think Anet will eventually introduce an "auto-play" mode that will allow players to afk while their characters continue playing the game and progressing their account (automated open world completion, automated Gift of Battle farming in WvW, auto battle in PvP, automated fractals/raids/strikes completion, etc.)

 

I avoid playing Open World for more than a year now because of leechers and afk botters that scale up meta events and discourage tagging up, but I still see these types of players in competitive modes. Just two days ago, I was running open tag in WvW and had someone continuously whispering me asking for shared participation so that they can afk and still farm their Gift of Battle. They even offered to pay me.

 

Please Anet if you are reading this, stop catering to the ultra casuals. Do you really want the game to head the way of those auto-play mobile games? I just want to play the game but these casual leechers are getting real annoying. 

Those ultra casuals, are adults that has jobs and a life and cant stay in a game 24/7. Guess what, those "ultra casuals" brings most of the money.

[Thalies.7609]

It has the same logic if ppl wanted to make players use more skills. The dmg provided via skyscale is almost the same as usual AA. So they were basically the same players as AA-enjoyers but now they are flying. Bad coincidence, that's all. Graphical eye issues are the same when bunch of ppl casts the skills. Do not want it - 'Effect LOD' option is your best friend

... and make skyscale for yourself already. It's just fun. 

Edited March 19 by Thalies.7609

[Epsilon Indi.2031]

On 1/24/2024 at 5:22 PM, Healix.5819 said:

They probably can't, otherwise they would have made all pets and passives have 0 contribution, which is something other MMOs figured out decades ago to combat the simple pet bots. If you want to solve this, what you're going to end up with is no mount areas dynamically added to events.

No mounts zones at events? 🤔Actually big brain thoughts.  Every mob that's champion or higher has a 5000 range attack that dismounts targets that get hit.

[ShadowKatt.6740]

37 minutes ago, Epsilon Indi.2031 said:

No mounts zones at events? 🤔Actually big brain thoughts.  Every mob that's champion or higher has a 5000 range attack that dismounts targets that get hit.

Can't mount in combat anyway, unless it's the skyscale because again Anet shits the bed when it comes to skyscales and just decides the rules don't apply. No-Fly zone inside of the event circle? I'm game.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

I wish I had so little problems with the game that a dude shooting fireballs from the sky sparks such outrage. 

I envy you all.