Moyayuki.3619

A Ranger I currently play that I would want to get to level 80 has been using the Shortbow as their main weapon, mostly because it feels good (I've always liked both bows, but I choose SB or LB depending on my character). My question is, do the stat benefits of Soulbeast give any noticeable edge to using one weapon over another? I tested Soulbeast out in the PvP lobby, and saw that there is a trait that makes bleeding last longer, as well as increasing damage to enemies with health under 50%.

What are your thoughts on using the Soulbeast trait line for weapons other than the main hand Dagger? And is Soulbeast useful even if I have no interest in the pet-melding ability? Otherwise, I'll end up just sticking to Marksmanship, Skirmishing, and Beastmastery for my solo PvE adventures.

As someone who has been a strong critic of HoT and the Living Story to date . . . I am in LOVE with PoF! I haven't beaten the story or explored all maps yet, but so far I am preferring the maps and story by a wide margin. The environments are exactly what I've been wanting to see in this game (Dry Top and SW for desert zones were extremely lack-luster and frustrating to traverse). It's so beautiful to look at, and mobs are easier to take on compared to HoT's intense maps. I also am very happy that HPs can be solo'd for the most part. Music is AMAZING! Finally, I thought I would hate mounts (and wanted GW2 to stay original, since I played WoW for years), but I have been enjoying them more than I thought I would, and have gotten more and more used to controlling the two that I currently have.

EDIT: In regards to enemies, I really am loving the variety. Forged are annoying to fight, though, and remind me of the Prometheans from Halo 4 and 5. But the Choya and others are interesting to fight and have great designs.

No glaring complaints on my mind at this moment, especially since I only played for one weekend.

> @alceste.8712 said:

> I am not a huge fan of how much better the griffon is over the other mounts. I am not sure what the best way to fix the issue is thou.

That's the thing, though - it's not an "issue". There is not a bug causing the Gryphon to be what it is. And other people have pointed out that A) the Gryphon is more difficult to obtain than the others and B) is sub-par when using for ground travel. All mounts have their own pros and cons to balance them out.

I used to hate Taimi (and the rest of Dragon's Watch), but she's grown on me. Kasmeer also has slowly grown on me a little, and I've never had a huge problem with Marjory. However, I _hate_ Braham with a fiery passion, and Rox is so forgettable and is just Braham's groupie. I couldn't stand the member of DW being at each other's throats for petty reasons, but thankfully PoF's story has eased up on the stupid infighting.

I have no idea why the stone Dwarven thumb is an item that doesn't disappear from your inventory after you've done what you needed to with it in LWS3. Those are the types of inventory clutter that bug me. I never know if I should delete an item like that or hold onto it.

Like others have said, easiest way would be to go into your Story tab, and start PoF. I'm excited to try it out, myself.

Even though women IRL can ride in saddles perfectly fine like any man can, the only instance this would aesthetically look better is when a toon is wearing a skirt. As it is, the clothing gets artificially stretched out and it looks weird.

I personally hate the change. I've only gotten up to PoF with a Human female so far, and I hate how she has such a bitchy attitude when trying to be "tough" and "in control". I am a woman, and I don't think a woman needs to sound catty to be strong. It's really getting on my nerves. Not likable at all.

In my own personal experience, I haven't run into this problem. I actually find the enemies to be easier to deal with than HoT (man, those guys even today are hard-hitters and sponges for me). The most I have died in PoF is during story instances fighting bosses, but not so much in the world itself...and I'm playing a Necromancer with Rampager gear.

At least there are achievements for completing all the hearts once in each map, so that is one way the game tells you that you've done them all. You also don't need to complete them a second time to get map completion, I'm sure.

On the topic of the new armor set, can I just say that I am extremely happy that picking a piece of armor from the story rewards grants you the skin for ALL armor types? Unlike in the previous LW seasons where you could only pick one and unlock only one at a time. For people such as myself who don't play often, and may not play for extended periods of time in one sitting, this is very appreciated. I know I will be more than happy to play through PoF's story with other toons down the road, but now I don't have to worry about waiting until then to unlock the other weight skins. <3

I can understand how that would be frustrating. I, too, think that the PoF maps are gorgeous. However, I am not constantly fearing for my life in these maps like I did in HoT maps. Mob density may still be an issue, but their strength and health seems to be lessened, making them easier to kill in comparison.

> @"Miss Pink Floyd.9730" said:

> My problem with the expansion is that no matter what new map, there is no resting for your character. It seems like your position is homed in on and attacked. This is very upsetting. I also find it difficult to find things. Heart quests are hidden until xxx takes place is very confusing. I was very upset upon discovering these issues.

I'd argue that that was my experience with HoT. PoF maps feel much more relaxing than HoT maps for me, with less instances of getting ganked on. I also have not had any heart quests locked behind events yet.

I believe the key bind for walking speed is Ctrl+R. Hopefully that slows the mounts down enough.

> @Ashabhi.1365 said:

> When you say "easily accessable" do you mean that you can't just walk up to them and commune? Or do you mean that you can't get there period?

>

> The simple answer to the first part is that sometimes you have to take friends with you, such as most of the HP challenges and some of the mastery points in Verdant Brink, Auric Basin, etc. The answer to the second part is more difficult. **I found one mastery point where I was standing on the icon in the map, but it said that it was 12K above me... and there was only sky.** That is an issue.

If you are talking about the Mastery Point I think you are talking about...it appears to need the special skill of a mount you obtain later in the game. I got high enough up some cliffs to be able to see what was up there, and how I'd need to get there.

There is such a thing as changing your mind. You don't have to use mounts in cities if you don't want to, though. Just my thoughts. I thought I'd hate mounts in GW2, but they feel interesting/unique enough to set them apart from WoW's mounts.

> @Makai.3429 said:

> > @Moyayuki.3619 said:

> > The story so far (without spoilers) has been way less groan-worthy for me. I still can't put my finger on what it was about LWS1 onward that I hated so much, but I do know that the interactions between characters has improved a bit. Due to what happened in LWS3, I am happy that Braham isn't around yet to ruin a good thing. Rytlock is as curmudgeony as ever, and Canach is Cynic Central, but at least no one is exploding at each other, at each other's throats yet. That infighting was what I really hated about the story after HoT. My own character also seems to feel more "middle road" so far compared to past story seasons, less snarky (though I am really getting tired of how the female Human VA reads her lines. She's always sounding like a kitten to me, and that's from the PoV of me being a woman. Nothing wrong with being strong and having authority, but it's her voice and delivery that's making me annoyed. She doesn't have to have constant attitude to be in control!). Anyway, I don't want to give spoilers, but so far there have been some neat scenes and story instances, and I have a far more positive outlook on PoF. It really was the story and characters from LWS1 onward that threatened to drive me away from GW2....

>

> I'm liking the side characters in this expansion a lot more than the ones in HoT, and this extends to smaller roles like Zalambur. Most of HoT's NPCs were military, which makes sense given the situation, but after a while "talk to Corporal X; meet up with Sergeant Y" gets boring; and I'm burnt out on war themes in games. Echoing your opinions on the core cast, it seems our group is most respectful of our power and accomplishments - characters in S3 were so irritable and standoffish.

Agreed. I don't hate anyone so far or wish anyone would shut up. I do like that the story is giving us a new team dynamic with Kas, Rytlock, and Canach (I really hate Braham for his attitude and Rox for her being such a forgettable character. No complaints about Marjory so far). Just so happy there is no infighting this time! I wanted to mute the game so bad every time any member of Dragon's Watch opened their mouths until now.

The thing about mounts is that you don't need as many WPs if you are speeding along on your Raptor. That was one reason why many people were against mounts being introduced in the game because it would in ways make WPs unnecessary.

You will be given the first mount, the Raptor, fairly early as part of the PoF story. The rest you will have to purchase from an NPC. I only have the first two, so I can't say much about how to obtain the others. When in doubt, ask map or guild chat.

In a few weeks, I might still be playing the story on my main toon, depending on how often I play. Map completion, Mastery leveling, farming for items. I am loving the maps so I don't see any issue with returning again and again. I even will have other toons to bring in once they hit level 80.

> @Boysenberry.1869 said:

> I haven't run into a Hero Point in PoF that wasn't soloable (granted I haven't finished 100% in all maps yet). And servers are mega-server so what server you are on is irrelevant. Perhaps someone can help you out with a build or advise.

One of the many reasons why I am enjoying PoF more than HoT is that Hero Points are soloable at last. It's also helpful now that we have two Elite Specs to unlock, so the more HPs we can get on our own, the better.

One thing I also want to add to my feedback is that I love how it feels easier to get miniatures and unique items/skins than previously. I feel like the work I do in the maps will actually reward me in a realistic amount of time instead of grinding forever and ever.

> @Cyninja.2954 said:

> Couple of points to watch out for:

>

> - how many classes do you already have at 80? The less you have maxed, the more valuable the 80 boost will be so make sure you boost the correct class. Not end of the world if you boost something you dislike since leveling is fast enough, still this mistake can be avoided.

> - are you boosting for the class core, its HoT elite or PoF elite? Go to the spvp area and give a couple of elite specs a go. If you are interested in a core class and everything else, playing around in the Silverwastes are befor accepting the boost works too.

> - eventually you'll want to use the boost anyway to free up the shared slot. Make sure you don't want to delet the character 5 minutes in (no character appearance shenaningans)

> - realise that playing HoT and PoF on a class you have 0 experience with (and the bad exotic soldier gear) will be painful. Even should you boost, you might have to slowly work up to enjoying the class

Thanks for the advice. Here are my answers to your questions:

1. I currently only have two 80s (I had more in the past when I used to play more often, but have since deleted them since I got bored with them and am an "altaholic"). One is an Engineer, and the other is a Necromance, with the Necro (Reaper) being the one I am playing PoF with due to finishing LWS3 with her. The Engi used to be my main until I unlocked Reaper on my Necro. Love the GS!

2. I would primarily want to use the boost on a Ranger so they can go to the level 80 maps and get pets that are locked behind those maps (tiger and wyvern for the most part). The first elite spec for Ranger would be a nice addition, however. Not feeling the newest elite, however. If I hadn't deleted the Rangers I had in the past that I got bored with, I'd be loving to play them in PoF.

I played through the first act and halfway through the second (I think? I need to double-check), and so far my view of the maps, characters, and story of PoF is extremely positive compared to HoT. Don't worry, I won't post any spoilers, especially since I haven't finished the story yet! Here are some of the reasons why I have been loving PoF so far...

1. The MUSIC! Oh my goodness, I love the music in this expansion! Don't get me wrong, GW2 as a whole has always had good music, and HoT's soundtrack was enjoyable, but the themes and instruments used in the Elonian maps appeal to me a lot. Dynamic combat music is also great to listen to (even though in a perfect world I wouldn't want to get to that point in a standard battle to hear it come up, haha).

2. MAPS! I haven't explored them all, though I at least ran into each one near the beginning to have quick access in the future, but my impression of the maps in PoF is extremely positive. Not only am I fan of desert environments in games (the maps in World of Warcraft made a huge impression on me, though Dry Top and the Silverwastes were extremely boring and irritating), but they feel a lot less headache-inducing than HoT's core maps. I have not encountered many instances of being lost, or not knowing which plane I was on. The addition of the mount Masteries gives a more natural barrier, IMO, than, say, not being able to jump on a mushroom or unable to glide. You have to actually get to the NPC who deals in that mount, and then purchase one, which makes it feel, as I said, more _natural_. Therefore, I am looking at POIs, Vistas, and Mastery Insights as I explore and thinking of them in terms of which mount I will need to return with. I feel far less stressed out by these maps, and they are GORGEOUS.

3. The story so far (without spoilers) has been way less groan-worthy for me. I still can't put my finger on what it was about LWS1 onward that I hated so much, but I do know that the interactions between characters has improved a bit. Due to what happened in LWS3, I am happy that Braham isn't around yet to ruin a good thing. Rytlock is as curmudgeony as ever, and Canach is Cynic Central, but at least no one is exploding at each other, at each other's throats yet. That infighting was what I really hated about the story after HoT. My own character also seems to feel more "middle road" so far compared to past story seasons, less snarky (though I am really getting tired of how the female Human VA reads her lines. She's always sounding like a bitch to me, and that's from the PoV of me being a woman. Nothing wrong with being strong and having authority, but it's her voice and delivery that's making me annoyed. She doesn't have to have constant attitude to be in control!). Anyway, I don't want to give spoilers, but so far there have been some neat scenes and story instances, and I have a far more positive outlook on PoF. It really was the story and characters from LWS1 onward that threatened to drive me away from GW2....

4. Mounts. I thought I would hate them, especially since I was a WoW player originally and liked how GW2 did it's own thing, plus with how awkward the raptor in the demo felt, but...I've grown to love them. Only have the first two, but they feel so unique, and I've gotten more and more comfortable with how they move. It is a bit weird running around core Tyria with a raptor, though, more so than gliding. I can see map completion on lower-level toons being easier with them, and I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing in the long run.

Only thing I'm not 100% positive on are the new Elite Specs, and how we can only have one equipped.

Any chance separate sub-forums for HoT, PoF, and Living World/Story be created like the previous forums? It's resulting in the General Discussion feeling cluttered.