Official Feedback Thread: LWS4 Episode 4: A Star to Guide Us

[Rauderi.8706]

@PookieDaWombat.6209 said:Bad guy suddenly becomes biggest badkitten in the world with some unstoppable something that locks everyone downBad guy gives pithy speechRandom other NPC comes in from stage right or left and one shots bad guy and saves the day (Or enter in any number of other deus Ex nonsense)

It got old ages ago and now its just upsetting and feels like lazy writing.

I almost accepted that slop with Joko. He met the qualifiers: strong, ancient enemy and a flair for the dramatic. It was annoying, but I could shrug it off.Rando Joko-minion doing the same thing and me having to sit-stun through pithy monologue isn't fun.

At this point i'm fully expecting the major climax to all of this being that we will go through absolute hell just to face down Kralk, fight in some hour long keyboard smashing cluster that will require the twitchiest of reflexes to even do, only for his health bar to return to full and just before he eats us after telling us how futile our attempts are to beat him, Bubbles will come from the depths of the ocean with a Largos and Zomoros on its back and bite Kralk's head off before going back into the ocean and Aurene will absorb his power, become an elder dragon then go to sleep after warning us that they will rise again.

Better yet, Zommoros swinging a Largos like a new legendary weapon. :3

[Klipso.8653]

I enjoyed it, but it feels like through all PoF we might meet some random NPC in passing, or only once or twice and suddenly our character is pretty much long time friends with them. Always remembering who everyone is regardless of if we only saw them 1 time for a few minutes.

This episode had alot of that, from the opening mission to suns refuge. I'm just standing there looking at these NPC and I have no idea who any of them are, but the game treats them like we've done so many things together.

[Plautze.6290]

Trying to do the content while it was still hot ant steaming, ended up disconnecting all the time.Now I know why I always used to wait before I played the newest content. Maybe I should return to doing just that.A more qualified feedback will follow in this spot, but as of now it's Disconnectopia.

[Quasko.3491]

What I loved:

• Politics: I find it amazing that there are factions now and especially the heart quest where you have to show people from different factions that they actually care about the same things! I'm so excited about those Free Awakened, I really loved Vabbi and I was a bit afraid that
  killing Joko

  would kinda remove all those undead. But no, they're awesome now. Like, I think the friendly undead are literaly my favourite part of the game now xD

• Commander's sick burns in first instance, omg
• This sylvari Sunspear
  

• THIS MAZE RACE EVENT THING, it's so awesome!!! Not just another race, this is amazing <3
• Flying up in the tornado!
• Whole new map is so pretty
• Rytlock's fur
• I'm always a bit sceptical with time traver theme but this piece with Orr warr was really nice, like this endless loop, awesome. ~~Also thank you for pointing out AGAIN that Trahearne is dead :'( ~~
• YOU CAN PLAY PRICKLEPATCH HOLLOW THEME IN SUN'S REFUGE

What I liked:

• Aurene vision video. I mean, it was sad, alright, but it was showing the vision of future nicely. Because to be honest I wasn't complete fan of that HoT kaleidoscope vision video. This one was amazing though!
• Sun's refuge. It's lovely, also I missed that, I think. It's like home instance but fresh and amazing. I started those upgrades collections, I love that idea. I'm hoping in future we'll be able to upgrade it more and more, to make it cozy c:
• I like that a priest of Balthazar is a sniper! Eventhough first thought is warrior, I think it's pretty interesting that she's stealthy

What I disliked:

• Surprise terminal condition. Ok so this might be a bit personal for me. But the thing is we're in world full of magic, with healing spells, amazing technology and all that but suddenly there's this deus ex machina illness that we can do absolutely nothing about. Why can we eat god but not cure some illness? Like, commander freaking DIED and got better but this illness is deadlier than death. please don't let my smol baby die
• Why does this dolly have a name but the other doesn't :(
  

  Hey look, those are my cute pets, Tegon and a dog.

• I have to be honest, this Storm Tracking platformer wasn't that bad for me cuz I have a griffon. But many people don't, and yeah, it was pretty sick xD I kept dying anyways cuz of that bug with instance borders

What I really disliked:

• Zafirah: So I already mentioned how I loved sick burns. Why can commander be awesomely assertive and just cool in one instance and then in another she's such a pushover. I like the idea that you're showing that priests of Balthazar can be nice too, not only evil overlords "muahaha fight me" but this was pretty bad... Zafirah has awesome design, sniper snooper, her outfit is amazing, she seems interesting, alright. BUT OMG why does commander let her be suck a jerk. Idk I kinda wish we had a choice, it seems kinda stupid for us to let her stay in our shelter, like, she's still being so awfully rude, she keeps humiliating us while we do absolutely nothing, I don't know what she might do next, I don't know anything about her and to be honest I don't know if she won't backstab us any second she wants. Why can commander stand up to leader of faction but not to some deadeye. I think it makes perfect sense that commander has enemies and it's nice when they are good at being bad. But this, this is Livia all over again. I see absolutely no reason for us to stand her, we don't need anything from her and why are we even helping her? I feel like we're loosing agency here, go awai zafirah.
• Zafirah's fight: I feel like it was really unfair, idk, she was really OP compared to everything else we faced and then she'd just use finisher on us while we couldn't even interrupt her with 2nd rally skill. It was frustrating and I never want to do it again. Like honestly, she was way more OP than Balthazar, it was ridiculous.
• Also she kept crying out her tragic backstory during the fight but then we actually ask her what the hell is she about and she's like "No.", well okay but get the hell out of my instance then x.x What's that Balthie's family trope anyways, idk, I guess I'm just really furious at her xD

I'm so sorry, this ended up not being 50 words :s

[Stephen.4938]

Hi, at the Storm Tracking quest after you finished the mist part and you're back at the sunspear refuge. After Caithe shows up and you talk to Braham, taimi, and deadshot girl my game won't progress. Tried looking for Blish but he's nowhere to be found. There are no other "green star dialogues" on the map and the option to leave the instance isn't available. I also wasn't awarded for the completion of the story

[zealex.9410]

In the final instance i think the devs could do better than just have us both run from kralk while also having blish's emotional moment.

One takes away the focus from onther and it leads to both situations feeling weaker imo.

Id have tj3 run sequence alone and then when we leave the mists have blish's dialogue kick in or something.

[Nash.3974]

I‘m quite annoyed by how many enemies there are in addition to the brand parts of the map. I constantly find myself in combat and that’s really annoying since you can’t mount up while being in combat. I don’t know why you tryna force us to fight trash mobs when we simply don’t want to do so. I rather find myself relogging to get out of combat rather than fighting every mob. It’s really sad that after all the negative feedback regarding this on PoF maps you continue to overload the map with trash mobs. Please stop this for future maps!!

[meks.6951]

i cant help it, but continue hearing the music from "nausicaa of the valley of the wind" in the mushroom location in jahai.....thank you....... <3

[AlenaVolkova.8179]

I want more options, other than simply just "Offer Mercy" in that Deadeye instance.

For all the troubles she pulled me through, I DEMAND HER BLOOD BE SPLATTERED ALL OVER.

Make it happen, please.

[Randulf.7614]

@zealex.9410 said:In the final instance i think the devs could do better than just have us both run from kralk while also having blish's emotional moment.

One takes away the focus from onther and it leads to both situations feeling weaker imo.

Id have tj3 run sequence alone and then when we leave the mists have blish's dialogue kick in or something.

Totally agree. Combined with the number of glitches, it was a messy ending and the impact of any emotion was pretty much lost

[LegendaryDoyd.3127]

Still disconnecting after beating the Deadeye in From the Ashes. I have beaten it 7 times now, no one else I know seems to have this issue?!?!? She asks to join her family, says "Do it" then nothing, I just disconnect.

[dmone.5631]

Honestly, this was the most enjoyable episode for me so far, the storytelling was extremely nice. I expect to see this level of attention going forward in the next episode. The Deadeye encounter was awesome and disappointing in that the cat and mouse game of moving across the open area was perfect, the range of the Deadeye showed what one would expect and will never happen for the class (disappointing part).

I would suggest looking at better rewards, maybe do a rewards track like WvW/PvP for PVE content. 9/10 rating for this episode.

[Jski.6180]

Thank you for making it easy to get the wvw reward track and to get into the new map. As little pve as can be! Now to see if there any new items to be used in wvw food etc...

[SaraBaracuda.3081]

@Donari.5237 said:

@SaraBaracuda.3081 said:I've tried everything suggested to finish the Storm Tracker story line and it still just keeps killing me and sending me backwards, even after all dialogue is finished as some suggested I still can't go further, says I'm leaving the map and I'm following the arrow.

Apparently hugging the left or right side of the instance gets you by? Way I ended up doing it was to use a revive orb after dying under the arch. Had to stay on foot to charge forward a ways before I could mount again but I was able to proceed. Make sure you have an orb on you, or wait for the fix they've promised is coming soon.

Feedback:I really really enjoyed this episode. I thought the vision from Aurene would be the climax (and wow, without narrative or dialogue it was perfectly clear what it was showing and it had tears welling in my eyes, I think it's the single most impactful on me cinematic you've done) and then it just kept going. I adored the mechanic in Deadeye from the Ashes once I figured it out, I didn't really mind all the death plummets as I figured out the trippy puzzle past the Storm Tracking bug. Now I have a zillion collections to do. I haven't even seen all the map events yet! The unexpected cameos of a couple of special message-carriers pleased me too. Oh, and I was laughing so hard at the part with Rytlock's fur.

Hopefully that is all vague enough not to spoil anything for those not yet through the story.

I finally found the same to be true, I stayed left and waited for dialogue to end, once I was past the first building I was able to mount and move better, thanks so much for the reply!

[Aerinndis.2730]

I really liked the new map - such an interesting combination of biomes! Well done. I had a great time exploring and am still not done. I did find one sort of hidden area that is not really that hard to find and enjoyed talking to any NPC that would talk to me. There are lots of little things to find and enjoy on these maps. Kudos to the Devs for these small touches that bring the maps alive.

I also enjoyed the story. I really disliked the Deadeye even though I finally got through it. But I tend to dislike those type of mechanics as it is difficult for me to focus that long. It was frustrating with the poison, the one shot, the adds which would take you down almost before the Deadeye got you.... It was one of those that you get through and never go back to again moments, lol.

I managed the Storm Tracker once I figured out the pathing. It wasn't so hard with a Raptor and you do need to keep moving and not stop. I am usually not good at hopping from rock to rock but I think the mechanics there were not too bad. As long as I kept moving forward I was making each rock. The last bits I did not think I would make it but the mechanics changed (you move forward and sort of drift as you go in a very trippy way) and I was still making the rocks. I did have trouble in the beginning of that part with the leaving the instance but once I got going again I did not have any issues. I do like that there were checkpoints. If I died I would come back to a certain point and not have to start over again. Good job there too.

The mobs in some areas were a bit much but I have to assume they were ramped up due to population. I did find picking up the brand shards that were dropping and throwing them really helped in culling the mobs. I did not see a lot of folk doing that, most were just trying to melee. The big Shatter boss mechanics were a bit hard to figure out, though I am sure once everyone gets them down he will go down much quicker. I did like the Tornado 'ride' - it was very uplifting, LOL.

I spent quite a bit of time going around Sun's Refuge and trying to talk to every NPC I could find. Again great job there! I am looking forward to how some of these collections round out that area.

Overall, other than a lot of frustration with the Deadeye, a bit of learning where to go with Storm Tracker and figuring out the mechanics of the Shatter Boss fight overall I liked the map, the story and look forward to the next one.

[Cragga the Eighty Third.60]

Excellent update!I have the map only half-explored, but it is fun and interesting so far. For a long time we've been grumbling about why can't we have some updrafts and mushrooms and things in more maps, and you listened, and we got that little Maguuma patch with all the bells and whistles. Yay! Most appreciated, and while I may be the only person in the game to EVER say this to you, it was nice to see chak again. XD

I noticed, the vistas were very impressively done on this map, too. :)

The story was also excellent, and it was fun getting to see some old friends back again. All very dramatic at the ending, too. I did not find Z overly frustrating, though I appreciated the 'hint' that popped up after I had died a couple of times indicating that there might be some skills that would help me get through the sniping range. I don't think it helped a lot per se, but it did make me stop and think rather than just rushing out again.

My biggest criticism is about the ending, and I will put it in spoiler tags for those who may not yet have got past the bugs.

! So this is the grand climax: you have left Blish behind, and he has just informed you that he lied and he is gonna be dead soon. Meanwhile, a killer brandstorm is riding your butt and you have no choice but to go on, and quickly.!! This is not about the buggy map which will kill you for being 'out of bounds' when you're exactly where the map tells you to go. (But that helped.)!! Tragedy and pathos and suspense are abounding. You are rushing ahead of the big purple brand-cloud, hearing Blish's last words. This is SO NOT the time for an arcadey jumping test that is going to kill you repeatedly and make you go through endless do-overs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about killing the mood. Admittedly, it was not an insane grind for only the great arcade masters, but for those of us who are not especially quick and who use keyboard controls instead of a gaming mouse, it still means die, do over, die, do over, etc. I'm not saying the raptor thing wasn't good, or wasn't fun (under other circumstances, I'd have enjoyed it as a mildly frustrating challenge) it's just that it destroyed the drama of what was happening in the story by interrupting it repeatedly.!! But I will say also: thank you so much for making checkpoints a part of this! The first time I quit out due to the buggy part, and read on the forum how to get through it, I fully expected to be forced to start the instance from the beginning and fight all the Branded again. There were, I think at least three checkpoints during the JP part, too, so at least when I managed to make some progress (but not enough) it didn't stick me all the way back to the beginning again.

[Tiny Doom.4380]

High level feedback as requested. Not going to make it in 50 words though...

Best new map since Heart of Thorns era. Partly because it strongly ressembles a HoT map (in design, not looks, although...). The Path of Fire era has been tedious in the extreme and it's wonderful to see it coming to an end.New Shatterer event is great fun. Could do with more proper World Boss events like that, please.Best narrative/story for a very long time indeed. A major change in style. Far less joky, almost no inappropriate pop culture references or terms, everyone stayed in character.Gameplay/mechanics in story vastly improved. No ridiculous, overdone boss fight! Not too much repetition. Actually seemed as though someone had been listening to the (same) complaints that come after every LS and decided to do something about them!New instance a lot better than I expected. It's not proper housing but it's something.Still unfortunately buggy. I did manage to finish by using workarounds but it's not really good enough.

Overall, best LS chapter since Season 3. Still far too much reliance on Mounts, though. I loathe mounts.

[Ashabhi.1365]

Short version: Loved it. Loved the maps, really loved the flow, it felt good, and I didn't get caught up in some of the glitches others have had. (thankfully.)

Long version:

! When the Shatterer showed up in the first chapter, I was kind of disappointed. I thought "Gee, here we go with a lieutenant again and we're not actually going after Kralk..." But then, when I saw how it fit into the story, and escaping the fortress was more important than killing the Shatterer (again) my spirits started to lift. Then, when I came across the different "rifted" areas it was a blast! The shroom room was unreal! Thanks, Anet! Finally, my race to escape the mists felt epic. It wasn't something cobbled together to try to expedite the episode, but a real race for my life. On the whole, I am happy with the episode, and I have high hopes for the rest of Season 4. Sorry this is over 50 words...

 

[edoera.1985]

There is glitch with achievements i cant get the reward for them

[Devildoc.6721]

I had 2 issues with the storm tracker race at the end... #1 the bug at the beginning where if you follow the arrow it kicks you out. #2. The rift at the end wouldn't render for me for several tries. I'd get to the end of the platforms and... just... nothing.. no indication of where to go. I was just complaining about how unfair it was and asking what I was supposed to do since flying to the end of the instance just kicked me and going anywhere to the sides got me killed. but this last time the damn rift rendered so I knew where to go.

[Iroh.9671]

This has been one of my favorite Living Story Episodes to date! the story was amazing, and the map is incredible! thank you for the awesome Episode! looking forward to getting the achievements and building Suns Refuge!

[kharmin.7683]

@Tiny Doom.4380 said:Gameplay/mechanics in story vastly improved. No ridiculous, overdone boss fight! Not too much repetition. Actually seemed as though someone had been listening to the (same) complaints that come after every LS and decided to do something about them!So much this. Thank you.

[pomp.7314]

Anybody else have a problem in that Braham doesnt engage a single enemy in the Sunspear cave?

[Orion Templar.4589]

Really enjoying this episode.

• Map is beautiful and has a lot of variety and places to explore
• Story was engaging and really enjoyed the character interactions
• Like the new mastery - it helps get the beetle going a lot faster when starting from zero endurance

I haven't been in a successful Shatterer fight yet, but I'm sure that will come in time. So far the groups I've been in couldn't break his CC bar, so too many champ healers spawned.

[Randulf.7614]

@Orion Templar.4589 said:Really enjoying this episode.

• Map is beautiful and has a lot of variety and places to explore
• Story was engaging and really enjoyed the character interactions
• Like the new mastery - it helps get the beetle going a lot faster when starting from zero endurance

I haven't been in a successful Shatterer fight yet, but I'm sure that will come in time. So far the groups I've been in couldn't break his CC bar, so too many champ healers spawned.

You don't need to break his cc bar. The healers spawn in set groups - first 1 rift, then 2, then 3 then no more healers. As long as you have about 5mins left on the timer and a reasonable group, it can be zerged from about 70/75% to 0 fairly quickly after the final rift healer wave is gone