Getting other characters to the desert

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

How do you get your other characters to the desert once one has been there in the story? Unlike for HoT, there is no non-story bound path you can use, like running out the back end of the silverwastes, to get characters there. The desert is completely disconnected from the rest of the map, since we skipped over the scavengers causeway and the gate at Ebonhawk is still closed.

[Excellent Name.9574]

Use the Teleport to a friend who is already in Elona. Or if You pre-purchased You can use Lilly Of Elon with the same result.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

Not everyone has the Lily pass. There needs to be a way for people who didn't preorder to get their alts to the desert without needing gemstore items.

[Excellent Name.9574]

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:Not everyone has the Lily pass. There needs to be a way for people who didn't preorder to get their alts to the desert without needing gemstore items.

Teleport to a fried, while attainable through the gem store is a reward on many of routine tasks in Guild Wars 2, but I agree that there should be a gate of some kind that leads to PoF maps just like for HoT ones.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

It appears you have to do the first story instance to get in without T2F or a Pass. I checked on a level 80, activated the first PoF story in my Hero Panel and got the prompt to go visit Kiel in Lion's Arch. There doesn't seem to be a non-story, non-gizmo way to get there.

[Vladish.3940]

Get to 80 and play the story on those characters? Not like there is benefit to getting non-80s there, and the prologue doesn't take long.

[Corrada.7304]

ATM? NO! after FIX sure for HP only ;s

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:It appears you have to do the first story instance to get in without T2F or a Pass. I checked on a level 80, activated the first PoF story in my Hero Panel and got the prompt to go visit Kiel in Lion's Arch. There doesn't seem to be a non-story, non-gizmo way to get there.

This is precisely the point. Until now there has ALWAYS been some way to get alts to a map, either by walking in or by portal scroll. While I am not a big fan of portal scrolls, that would still be an acceptable compromise method of alts to the desert. Replaying the beginning of the story over and over will rapidly become extremely tedious, and is impractical for some alts who may be in the middle of story and would lose progress if they switch.

[Oenanthe.6549]

I'm in the same boat, I've done the story on one of my characters and I don't particularly want to have to do it on the other 35. It may not be long, but after the first few times it would certainly get boring. I was hoping someone near the airship could teleport me in, but apparently not.

I think the VIP thing in the Deluxe upgrade available on the Gem Store is the same as the Lily of Elon Pass, but I'm not sure, unless they put another option in soon, it looks like I will be having to save up for a lot of Gems and hope.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

It should not require gems to get your alts to content you paid real money to access already.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:It appears you have to do the first story instance to get in without T2F or a Pass. I checked on a level 80, activated the first PoF story in my Hero Panel and got the prompt to go visit Kiel in Lion's Arch. There doesn't seem to be a non-story, non-gizmo way to get there.

This is precisely the point. Until now there has ALWAYS been some way to get alts to a map, either by walking in or by portal scroll. While I am not a big fan of portal scrolls, that would still be an acceptable compromise method of alts to the desert. Replaying the beginning of the story over and over will rapidly become extremely tedious, and is impractical for some alts who may be in the middle of story and would lose progress if they switch.

I absolutely agree. I attempted to bypass the first story instance by getting to the first map in the instance and then logging out and back in, but that only returned my char to Lion's Arch. What they need to put in is, after you've done the first story instance you can talk to First Mate Fidos Foecrush and get the option to be ported to that map.

As a thought, the HoT maps were accessible to alts without the story through portals from the guild halls. It's possible that will also be an option. Maybe your guild can get the Crystal Desert guild halls or you can ask to join someone's guild just to move them all there, then leave.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

Only an option for those in guilds who decide to move to the desert. Still not a general solution.

[Vladish.3940]

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:It should not require gems to get your alts to content you paid real money to access already.

It doesn't, it's called play the story. It doesn't take long. The game just came out and people seem to be in a hurry to finish all the content on the first day.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

@Vladish.3940 said:

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:It should not require gems to get your alts to content you paid real money to access already.

It doesn't, it's called play the story. It doesn't take long. The game just came out and people seem to be in a hurry to finish all the content on the first day.

Tell that to someone with 30 or more alts they need to get access. Do you want to play that opening instance for EVERY ONE OF THEM?

[Khisanth.2948]

Joining a guild with the new GH should work as well.

[GreyWolf.8670]

You don't even need a guild to get to HoT maps. Just walk straight through the portal in SW Silverwastes.

[Hesacon.8735]

@Khisanth.2948 said:Joining a guild with the new GH should work as well.

This. I skipped VB on most of my toons (hardest to navigate end to end) by exiting the guilded hollow.

[Drecien.4508]

You can start the story and then leave and you should be in the area.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

@Drecien.4508 said:You can start the story and then leave and you should be in the area.

Nope, dumps you back to Lion's Arch, where the instance starts. Instance aborts always return you to where you entered the instance. That only worked in the demo because the "entry" for the instance was temporarily in Amnoon square.

[Lunarlife.5128]

Also, isn't there a gate that lets you in? However, I think that gate requires a letter from that one person/etc.

[Rognik.2579]

@Lunarlife.5128 said:Also, isn't there a gate that lets you in? However, I think that gate requires a letter from that one person/etc.The Gate in Field of Ruins is not close enough to any of the PoF stuff that you could go through it directly. Perhaps there will be a connector that way in LS4, but currently, the only way is through the story.

[Vladish.3940]

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:

@Vladish.3940 said:

@Boogiepop Void.6473 said:It should not require gems to get your alts to content you paid real money to access already.

It doesn't, it's called play the story. It doesn't take long. The game just came out and people seem to be in a hurry to finish all the content on the first day.

Tell that to someone with 30 or more alts they need to get access. Do you want to play that opening instance for EVERY ONE OF THEM?

Actually yes. If you can't play them all what's the point of making them other than having too much money :/

[Ashabhi.1365]

I understand that you want to get your other characters to the desert without having to do the instance, but keep in mind that the instance is where you get your raptor, and get your first mastery. At least I am not aware of where else you can get a raptor without doing the instance. If you don't get your raptor, you can't get the rest. The raptor is requisite.

I can't imagine a character in the desert without mounts, but hey, it's your choice. May not seem like much reward from a horribly annoying instance, but once you've done it once or twice, it goes much faster.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:It appears you have to do the first story instance to get in without T2F or a Pass. I checked on a level 80, activated the first PoF story in my Hero Panel and got the prompt to go visit Kiel in Lion's Arch. There doesn't seem to be a non-story, non-gizmo way to get there.

It's possible one of the NPCs is selling some sort of portal scroll. I haven't seen it yet, but the maps are vast & I am slow.

I definitely don't like this kind of gating, especially if the initial story involves a lot of waiting for people to complete their speeches.

[Zaltys.7649]

@Ashabhi.1365 said:I understand that you want to get your other characters to the desert without having to do the instance, but keep in mind that the instance is where you get your raptor, and get your first mastery.

Once you get the raptor, all your alts have it automatically. Since it's a mastery, and masteries are account-wide. So that's not a good argument for forcing alts to go through the story.