POLL : Do you prefer PoF Expansion (casual/explorer) or HoT expansion (group/meta)

[Ayrilana.1396]

@buntalanlucu.4036 said:I think people misunderstand that HoT is very difficult for casuals for the first time , and it become 'tolerable' when one got a mount.. but a HOT as it is , when you first entered it (without any masteries) , is a badly designed and badly tuned place that make many people quit GW2..

not everyone play GW2 in large zerg group doing endless meta for loot while following a zerg mindlessly

zone wide meta event should not a be all end all for GW2 and im glad POF rectify the mistake of HOT of catering for hardcores only , and go back to GW2 roots that is friendly to casuals and meta event is OPTIONAL not mandatory

The meta event is optional except for a few locations located behind it if going for map completion.

The maps are not very difficult to navigate. If someone with a level 1 character can go around and do map completion then it can’t be all that bad. This is of course assuming they group up with others to do the HP’s that require you to kill things and to be on a map that has the meta progressed although you’re involvement isn’t required.

[AliamRationem.5172]

@"buntalanlucu.4036" said:I think people misunderstand that HoT is very difficult for casuals for the first time , and it become 'tolerable' when one got a mount.. but a HOT as it is , when you first entered it (without any masteries) , is a badly designed and badly tuned place that make many people quit GW2..

not everyone play GW2 in large zerg group doing endless meta for loot while following a zerg mindlessly

zone wide meta event should not a be all end all for GW2 and im glad POF rectify the mistake of HOT of catering for hardcores only , and go back to GW2 roots that is friendly to casuals and meta event is OPTIONAL not mandatory

What are you talking about? There is nothing "hardcore" about running with the zerg. We don't even need to go through the usual (pointless) discussion over the definition of casual vs. hardcore. Whether you only play for a few hours per week or you're so awful at combat that Queensdale seems challenging, absolutely everyone is capable of joining a squad and getting credit for an event. You've done it in the core game and nothing changes in HoT with regard to zerging bosses.

It's only badly designed when you lack masteries? Well, good news! You only need to unlock updrafts and bounce mushrooms to get around the jungle (No, really. And if you disagree it's because you don't know these maps at all!). You'll need more for full map completion, but that's not what we're talking about here, is it? If anything, the fact that you start out on foot takes the confusion out of it as VB is very much designed to funnel foot traffic toward the various waypoints. There is nowhere else to go! Just follow the path in any direction and it will take you somewhere. There's no guesswork here because you can't use gliding to explore. Very simple.

Further, the meta only occurs once every 2 hours on each map. The rest of the time it's just smaller events. Do you hate events in general?? What exactly do you do with your time in open world? Pick flowers? And how is the meta "mandatory"? By that measure isn't PoF for "hardcores" because you need to kill bounty bosses for certain things? I'm going to take a wild guess that you don't solo those. So don't you do them in a zerg?

You're welcome to feel however you want to feel about HoT, but your explanations as to why make zero sense.

[Dreadshow.9320]

Missing All of the above options.

[Duncanmix.5238]

I would like mix of both. Maybe first 2 or 3 maps exploration, rest of them should have good metas. Final map could be something like dragon stand.

[milomilome.6837]

OP , there's people who enjoyed the meta events and love doing it repeatedly for loot and for fun .. after all it is a matter of taste and no one can hold monopoly on categorizing what can be called fun.

that said , i agree HoT is not very casual friendly and it is in fact the reason many guildmates quit few months after HoT launch. Coincidence ? i think not..

I think PoF is the right way of doing things for an expansion.. A piece for casuals . a piece for explorers , a piece for those seeking challenge in bounties , a piece of those who want meta events in certain maps..

[Eramonster.2718]

Revisited PoF maps in the pass few days for collections and stuff. Find it scarce and dry like the desert. Bounties are untouched(makes me wonder why LS still have them) and meta events are ignored (Forge Foundry and Desolation's Maw). Its sad in comparison to HoT map's activity. PoF have some nice places to explore eg. Jackal portals and the small section of dwarven ruins at the snowy mountain but too small to leave an impression(?). PoF maps is beautiful, yes. But please no, it's boring to explore (there's no excitement to explore flat maps, we have mounts now. But PoF is ok overall with quicksand and cliffs).

HoT is not perfect. The maps is hard to navigate at start, especially for TD being 4 layers. The mini-map is not reliable/user friendly for it (really wish it's 3D and made able to rotate different angles). It will take time to learn the jungle path and prove difficult to do so with the map uncharted.(isn't that part of exploring?) PoF map is very much similar to HoT in some aspects(things hidden behind masteries, Jackal portal etc and the infamous I don't have enough mastery for my Raptor to proceed to Bunny). The difference is PoF is more linient after that, and those hidden zones are "hidden" well until no players try them or ignored/forgotten untill later. Mastery is arranged progressively helps (move to the next in sequence), while for HoT; all masteries is given leading to players confused and fustrated being kept in hunger for mastery points. The screams :scream: when a player found a mastery node but unable or doesn't know how to obtain it, and fear of wasting it on the wrong mastery line.

[Evil.1580]

Far Shiverpeaks would be perfect multilayer themed expansion, with big mountains and icebergs. Good opportunity to mix the things up with 1 underwater map and the rest of them should have underground layers too. Then head east of them to Bloodlegion Homeland with some sort of a mix maps between HoT and PoF. Add some nice global epic metas with good rewards and collections + some super epic legendary collections for trinkets, like Aurora. This would be the best expansion ever and I would gladly pay 70-80$ for it. Since Anet may be already working on the next expansion I can only pray it is something like this.Thumbs up if you like this idea :)

[FrizzFreston.5290]

@"maddoctor.2738" said:I'm not sure about your poll choices here. Heart of Thorns is about exploration, Path of Fire is about roaming around, there is very little to explore. Heart of Thorns rewards explorers as they find creative ways to get to spots that might be hard without specific masteries. It rewards actual exploration. Meanwhile, only the Desolation has enough passages, multiple ways to reach a destination and a design that favors exploration and experimentation. Oh and the "snowy" part of Desert Highlands, especially the dwarven ruin, that was fun to EXPLORE. The rest of Path of Fire is barren desert, where is the exploration in that?

Heart of Thorns is an explorer's "dream", it challenges you to find new places and new ways to reach certain places. Path of Fire for the most part does not reward exploration at all. Combined with the limited number of events at weird places and the lack of incentive to even do that, there is very little exploration involved in the second expansion.

Hot is more about finding your way, PoF is more about finding things along the way.

You can consider both as exploring really.

[maddoctor.2738]

@"Eramonster.2718" said:Bounties are untouched(makes me wonder why LS still have them)

To be fair, in Long live the lich they removed the achievements from specific bounties (there is no "finish all bounties on the bounty board" achievement), so that's "progress" and some kind of proof that the bounty system failed. I expect they'll keep adding them but only as completely side activities.

[Kevluna.3921]

when i want meta , i go HoT

when i want fun , i go PoF

both complement each other

but if i have to choose which exp add more to the game

i choose PoF , because .. mounts .. nuff said

[Keriana.9635]

I voted for HoT because I like the metas a lot. I also prefer jungle to desert. However, I didn't like how confusing the HoT maps were to navigate or the adventures.

[cweker.7824]

HoT is the best expansion of the mmorpgs in history imo. It is how it should be... Like in the jungle.... hard, lost, fighting to survive.. smth i didnt experience in any other mmo game. After the PoF expansion mounts did broke the hot conent,, they should not let us use mounts there.. im happy that i did the jungle content without it, it was nice ecperience and i will always remember it ;)Ps sry for my eng

[Amaranthe.3578]

Just thought about tangled depths and puked

[Ardid.7203]

I think the best days I've got playing GW2 (or any MMO) were when I first explored the core maps (When they were not "core maps" but just "all the world out there"), and that glorious month I first put a foot on Verdant Brink. I explored SO much, I discovered SO much, I followed groups, I played alone, I fought, I ran away, I died SO much. I had SO MUCH KITTEN FUN. Please notice I don't mention rewards, not because they were bad or good (I don't remember at all), but because I never play for rewards, only for fun.

I still got a lot of fun from the HoT maps and from GW2 in general, but those first days were just incredible. PoF is just jogging when I compare it to HoT.Tourism is not Exploration, after all...

[Dante.1763]

None of the above: I like a mix of both. I like being able to solo explore maps up to and including Hero points which i cant do in HoT due to the champions they spawn. But i like HoTs meta events over Pofs...nothing.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

I prefer PoF maps because they're more solo friendly and relaxing, which is how I usually like to play.

[Zaklex.6308]

I'd prefer a combination of all of the above, maps that are conducive to exploration/casual/group/meta all neatly woven together...unfortunately you didn't provide that option.

[maddoctor.2738]

@Eekasqueak.7850 said:I prefer PoF maps because they're more solo friendly and relaxing, which is how I usually like to play.

Have you ever been to the Desolation?

[starlinvf.1358]

@Zaklex.6308 said:I'd prefer a combination of all of the above, maps that are conducive to exploration/casual/group/meta all neatly woven together...unfortunately you didn't provide that option.

Member when it was ok to like multiple things? I member

[Eekasqueak.7850]

@maddoctor.2738 said:

@Eekasqueak.7850 said:I prefer PoF maps because they're more solo friendly and relaxing, which is how I usually like to play.

Have you ever been to the Desolation?

Yeah and I finished the map solo.

[qbalrog.8017]

I really hated HOT at first but have to say after a break mostly due to hating HOT I've really come to like it. I like POF well enough and like that they didn't make HOT useless with POF but I wish they made returning to POF zones a little more interesting.

As for why, I like the HOT metas, enjoy soloing my way through trash and prefer the HOT aesthetics. That said POF is nice just not as nice as HOT

[Katsuki.1674]

This poll does not have "I love all" option, IMO ArenaNet is doing a good job allowing Core, PoF, and HoT content to coexist because they are different.

[Bunny.9834]

I like having both for those reasons the OP mentioned. HoT is fun with group oriented maps, I do like there are existing trains (HP/Masteries) as your group goes through all three maps to unlock your spec. The Metas in VD, AB, TD and especially DS are so much fun when people participate. It’s the beauty of Open World PVE, it promotes team work and you dont have to worry about competetitiveness.

PoF is great once you have a good idea of how the game works. Like what people here mentioned, the casualness allows you to explore the maps without the fear of getting lost or murdered by OP mobs. Also lets you pretty much do HPs solo with every profession if you understand the mechanic of each bosses. I do wish, atleast the end map of Vabbo that is has the same appeal as Dragon Stand, where it draws a lot of people to form groups and solve the map.

[Oglaf.1074]

In terms of lasting appeal, the HoT event structure simply cannot be beat. It is a stroke of genius, game design-wise.

[Kelly.7019]

i disagree on your title "PoF Expansion (casual/explorer) or HoT expansion (group/meta)"HoT was much more an exploration xpac then the simplified straight forward maps of PoF.& The Istan meta should have been the Vabbi meta.