Anyone else play without Fast Travel / Waypoints?

[Faction.4013]

With the exception of Asura Gates.

Just wondering if anyone else is doing this. I was rolling through Kessex Hills a couple months ago, and was actually shocked how many events and how much great scenery I'm missing by simply hopping all over the map using Waypoints. So I decided to just start taking my Raptor everywhere I needed to go unless it was Group Content. I played Skyrim and a few more Open-World games the same way but never even thought to try it here.

Curious as to wheather or not anyone else has tried this before / is doing this.

[DiabolicalHamSandwich.8756]

Only time I do that is when I want to slow down and take it all in. And when I do that, I walk or run without mounts, with everything max. And the only times that all happens is when I bring a character to a place I haven't done with them. Which makes me unable to teleport to begin with. So yes, I do it at times. By both choice, and the fact that I can't port anyway.

[kharmin.7683]

I often times have slow map loads so I would run across a map with a mount quicker than waypointing. Sometimes I will stop and smell the proverbial roses.

[Boysenberry.1869]

I limit the amount of waypointing I do but not because I wish to see/replay old content. I do it so save gold. As someone who rarely farms, saving even just 20 silver a day adds up to hundreds of gold over the lifetime of my gameplay.

[Danikat.8537]

Most of the time I don't use waypoints, unless I want to get to my destination quickly or I don't feel like doing the journey (for example when doing the level 30 story you have to go back and forth between your home city and the same area of the map several times and it gets boring). Sometimes I don't even use mounts because it's harder to look around when you're going that fast. Although sometimes they can be fun too, especially the griffon - literally gives a different perspective on a lot of the core game maps.

For me it's a combination of enjoying the journey and not wanting to get into the habit of using them and ending up doing it all the time and wasting money. I really like having the option there for when I do want it, but you do miss a lot that way.

[Gop.8713]

When I'm actually playing the game I usually just wp to the place I want to go, but when I'm keyrunning I used to run everywhere so I could enjoy the early maps again. Then once mount vigor made beetle movement so convenient I started doing that, then once I was doing that I figured may as just use the waypoints again, I was flying by everything so fast anyway. I can't say I don't miss running around the maps with a low-level toon, but my keyruns are a lot faster now :/

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

On the same map, I usually don't use Waypoints, unless I'm pressed for time for a Daily, or some such. Traveling across Tyria, I usually use a Portal Scroll or VIP Lounge Scroll to get to the nearest City, then Waypoint into the map.

[Elothar.4382]

For me, it's situational. I do a lot of mapping so, of necessity, I actually travel. Other times, I use the waypoints, especially if I'm going to a specific place for a specific reason. Example, I often go down to Mount Maelstrom to get some eggplant from a heart vendor. I waypoint in, make the purchase, and waypoint back. What I value most is having the option. I like having the waypoints and mounts when I want to use them. But when I choose, I also can avoid them.

[Rauderi.8706]

@Boysenberry.1869 said:I limit the amount of waypointing I do but not because I wish to see/replay old content. I do it so save gold. As someone who rarely farms, saving even just 20 silver a day adds up to hundreds of gold over the lifetime of my gameplay.

And stopping to do events or gather materials is extra cash. :)

[Fallesafe.5932]

@Faction.4013 said:With the exception of Asura Gates.

Just wondering if anyone else is doing this. I was rolling through Kessex Hills a couple months ago, and was actually shocked how many events and how much great scenery I'm missing by simply hopping all over the map using Waypoints. So I decided to just start taking my Raptor everywhere I needed to go unless it was Group Content. I played Skyrim and a few more Open-World games the same way but never even thought to try it here.

Curious as to wheather or not anyone else has tried this before / is doing this.

I can't think of a reason why. It IS a beautiful game. No argument there... But the sight of the scenery isn't so fulfilling that I'd want to make 20 minute runs through it as part of my normal gameplay.

[Lindaklingomat.1253]

Yes, I do this on some of my chosen characters. It is a different experience.

[DietPepsi.4371]

I typically avoid using WPs as I feel they are immersion breaking, and take away the point of playing the game. Exploration is a large part of the GW2 PvE experience, so using a WP and just skipping it all seems immensely stupid to me. If it's a map that's only accessible via WP, I typically travel to the nearest map to that map, and WP from the closest point, so that as little of the journey is lost as is possible.

It's part of the reason why I think Mounts were such a beneficial addition to GW2. The faster overall travel speed meant that WPs are less of a necessity for players who need to get from A to B quickly, and as a result the amount of WPs in PoF and LS4 maps is significantly reduced, which in turn encourages the player to engage in the explorative gameplay.

[Cyanchiv.2583]

Unless I'm doing map exploration on alts, or feeling cheap and trying to get to a nearby location, I will typically always use waypoints. However in games such as Skyrim I will almost never use any fast travel options. I think I see games like Skyrim as a more roleplay heavy experience for me, so I value immersion more, but in GW2 I value the gameplay and mechanics a bit more. When initially exploring maps I'll still appreciate the scenery, and even stop to listen to NPC chatter.

[Scar.1793]

Only in Fallout 4 survival mode but no point here :-/

[Faction.4013]

@DietPepsi.4371 said:I typically avoid using WPs as I feel they are immersion breaking, and take away the point of playing the game. Exploration is a large part of the GW2 PvE experience, so using a WP and just skipping it all seems immensely stupid to me. If it's a map that's only accessible via WP, I typically travel to the nearest map to that map, and WP from the closest point, so that as little of the journey is lost as is possible.

It's part of the reason why I think Mounts were such a beneficial addition to GW2. The faster overall travel speed meant that WPs are less of a necessity for players who need to get from A to B quickly, and as a result the amount of WPs in PoF and LS4 maps is significantly reduced, which in turn encourages the player to engage in the explorative gameplay.

Pretty much my sentiments now.

I even do the thing with maps accessible via WP. Like the Crystal Desert for example - get there by taking the Zeppelin in LA, but getting out of there? I just run to the Docks, and WP up the Elon River to Mount Maelstrom, then carve my way back North. Or any of the Domain Maps really, excluding Vabbi. Although I haven't explored them all completely. Getting my Beetle Mount as we speak.

@Elothar.4382 said:For me, it's situational. I do a lot of mapping so, of necessity, I actually travel. Other times, I use the waypoints, especially if I'm going to a specific place for a specific reason. Example, I often go down to Mount Maelstrom to get some eggplant from a heart vendor. I waypoint in, make the purchase, and waypoint back. What I value most is having the option. I like having the waypoints and mounts when I want to use them. But when I choose, I also can avoid them.

That's also a good point. The choice to use them or not is always there. So in the time of urgency - like being in a group for example - you can fly anyplace you want, as fast as you want. Then taking your time to enjoy the world and take it all in when it's just you.

[Aigleborgne.2981]

I never, ever, use waypoints, period. I'm not even using mounts. I'm a runner, and I do run a lot obviously.

Waypoints just kill immersion for me and immersion is everything. As I also don't use send materials to bank cheat (although it is really pratical, it is just... too much!), I spent a lot of times running to towns or craft stations to empty my bags.

I do use Asura gates, only if I have discovered the other side, or if no other options.

Yeah, I'm old-school ?

[Jimbru.6014]

I freely use all the travel mechanisms which are available to me. Especially when I'm in a hurry, like trying to do all my daily stuff. But I also slow down to enjoy the scenery and explore, especially when leveling new alts, because the PVE leveling game is highly replayable. Every time I run a new alt through an old map, I find something I didn't find before. An event, an obscure location, bits of NPC dialogue and lore, whatever. There are always new things to find, even in the old world.

[Dibdabs.3410]

I sometimes just indulge an exploration whim and tour two or three zones for the relaxation of it, but other than that I am a Fast Travel addict. I use mounts all the time too, even while exploring for the fun of it.

[ParaNoidAndroid.1406]

Unless I am pressed for time, I like to travel on my raptor. Simply because I love the Raptor mount, and most of Tyria is beautifully made. Waypoint travel is great when you have a specific activity in mind, but simply roaming around is a very rewarding experience,.

[Scud.5067]

If it is a minute or so away - or playing with guildees, I'll ride.

Because I'm a tight bastard and not paying a few silver to the Asura war machine.

[Danikat.8537]

@Cyanchiv.2583 said:Unless I'm doing map exploration on alts, or feeling cheap and trying to get to a nearby location, I will typically always use waypoints. However in games such as Skyrim I will almost never use any fast travel options. I think I see games like Skyrim as a more roleplay heavy experience for me, so I value immersion more, but in GW2 I value the gameplay and mechanics a bit more. When initially exploring maps I'll still appreciate the scenery, and even stop to listen to NPC chatter.

I think games like Skyrim are part of why I don't like using waypoints. I remember various games 'warning' you that if you use fast travel you'll miss out on the XP you gain fighting things along the way and may miss finding some quests etc. and that mentality stuck with me. That and exploration is a big part of any RPG for me, and even when you've already gone through an area once there can be stuff to find which you missed the first time.

[TheGrimm.5624]

Ah no, lets leave the waypoints there. That's the beauty of having both, people can pick an choose as they want to. Plus there are people that didn't buy into PoF who still need the waypoints for fast travel.

[Faction.4013]

@Danikat.8537 said:I think games like Skyrim are part of why I don't like using waypoints. I remember various games 'warning' you that if you use fast travel you'll miss out on the XP you gain fighting things along the way and may miss finding some quests etc. and that mentality stuck with me. That and exploration is a big part of any RPG for me, and even when you've already gone through an area once there can be stuff to find which you missed the first time.

I agree 100%

Just today, I ran across an event I NEVER seen before right outside Divinity's Reach. On a hill behind the Windmill, there was a Bear harassing a lady trying to have a picnic.

I've been playing since a week after launch, ran COUNTLESS characters through that area long before the Tomes of Knowledge were a thing, and never noticed that.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I still have the bad habit of preferring to walk everywhere because I still remember how poor I was when the game launched, and I was deciding between using waypoints or buying a tome to unlock master traits. Nowadays, I try to cross maps on either beetle or griffon, because it's a lot of fun (even though i'm really bad at both).