Would you buy a mapless expansion?

[Teratus.2859]

Well we know the next expansion is in Cantha so it's impossible for the next expansion not to include new maps.

 

As for would I buy an expansion without any new maps.. it really depends but right of the bat i'd say no.

 

If the expansion introduced a ton of new content and upgrades to existing maps then yes, i'd be ok with that.

If the expansion didn't add new maps but expanded old maps with new areas and made them bigger then yes, i'd be ok with that as well.

[Thornwolf.9721]

> @"Zergs.9715" said:

> I'll be first to admit that I was among the people who clamored for more maps when Anet thought of it as a bad idea as it would wear the population thin. Both sides were sort of right.

> Having new maps is all well and good... In moderation. Anet went overboard with the idea. Now we have a lot of maps but not high enough population to support them all as I very often get asked to switch the map. Expansion 3 would bring new maps and new people, but in the long run it'll only exacerbate the problem (unless you're content with doing only one super efficient meta map). Maybe Anet should rethink way forward after Exp3 and start working on what game already has.

>

> Since they would be free from constantly designing new maps and complex metas, all the fluff NPC dialogue, etc etc, we could have 2 elite specs per profession, maybe new weapon types, new smaller events and event chains sprinkled across neglected maps. You'd still have a main story, but it'd take place in already existing maps. I'd agree that exploration is fun, but there's also something to returning to familiar places.

>

> Vote and if you agree write what would you like to see in that sort of package.

 

1. It would have to be a competitive expansion, which brought tons to WvW and PvP

2. It would need E-specs

3. It would likely need more than what other expansions have given in the past outside of hot. (Masteries in said modes, new classes or something along those lines. Because those then could "potentially" wiggle into PvE and be useful for those game modes.)

4. It would need to offer something for PvE players such as more raids/strikes/fractals... which a huge content dump for those modes likely wouldn't be bad in the slightest.

5. It would need more than just gimmicks to sell itself upon.

[Vavume.8065]

What was the point in this question? we already know there will be new maps...

[Seera.5916]

If there is enough content to warrant it then yes.

 

Elite specs. Major WvW and PvP overhaul. New content for current maps that doesn't negatively affect non-80 players.

 

Fractal, dungeon, strikes, raid overhaul.

[otto.5684]

I would not put it as definitive no. If I have to select between 2 elites or new maps, I most definitely will choose elites. But this ain’t gonna happen. Maps is the highest priority item after elites for me.

 

And of course, we already know next expansion is going to Cantha.

[Ashen.2907]

I do not care for the large meta-event approach in much of the game's recent content. Without new maps to explore the expansion seems likely to have little playable content to suit me. Now, if the expansion included a bunch of dungeons and the like, technically new maps but not new open world maps, that would be something else entirely.

[Carnius Magius.8091]

How would they separate the content of an expansion without a new map? For instance, I would hate to run into invisible barriers of areas if I didn't have the expansion. Look at Living story Season One. There are before and after maps of affected areas. The before maps are history and never to be played again.

[Tyncale.1629]

Too few options in this poll, but I voted yes. If the Expansion, apart from lacking new maps, would offer new features that really have my interest, then I would buy it, can not kid myself about that.

 

But that would have to be something like the best Housing implementation of all MMO's together with a transformation of the Loot system, based on the myriad of items you would need for that Housing feature. For one, I like Housing (if done well) and secondly, I think Loot in GW2 is the most boring implementation in any mmo, simply due to the fact that ALL loot, even stuff that yields like 10k gold on the TP, just buys you Fashion skins in the end. Even Gold --> gems is just more pretties you can buy in the Gem store. I want to loot that ol' Chesterfield Couch from a boss as an ultra rare drop! (Let us leave the discussion about how realistic that would be for another time). Or at least the ultra rare recipe (account bound) from that mob! They could do a nice mix of materials, recipes, whole items and then balance it with account bound and sellable. Finally a reason to do that obscure DE in that abandoned zone again, simply because there is a chance that this DE drops a certain Housing item. And nobody can complain about stuff being ultra rare sometimes, since we are not talking stuff that effects a players powercurve. Also, no Everquest drama because players are hogging a certain Boss or event: Gw2 does not work that way.

 

Even though Loot catering to the Housing system is still more "shinies" in the end (That nice garden statue which needs rare drops from multiple bosses), it is at least another area where people can strive for progression. And this would be an area that I am more interested in, rather then more armor or weaponskins (Or mount skins).

[Raizel.1839]

No, and this won't happen since next exp is set in Cantha (and I think it'll be the last).

[kharmin.7683]

> @"Blocki.4931" said:

> Only if it 100% reworked core Tyria.

 

That's not an expansion. That's an overhaul.

[lare.5129]

I get sleep today, and mind open for me what we sill be have new raid wing very soon ...

So if it come as common update exp patch will be great anyway.

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

If it was a wvw and pvp expansion that fixed issues like skill lag, class design, bugs, then yes.

[BunjiKugashira.9754]

First of all I think your pretext is wrong in one aspect: Being forced to switch the map is not a sign of no one playing the map. Well, your map-instance in particular might be empty, but the map is popular enough to have several instances at the same time. If a map feels empty and does NOT offer to switch to another instance, then it's really empty.

 

If this was a vote whether we would like a mapless expansion I would have voted no. However the question is whether we would buy a mapless expansion and unless something drastically changes I would buy any GW2 expansion...

[brenda.9723]

I would buy an expansion without extra maps. I would be fine with new content in older maps. I would prefer something like a traditional questing system then a new map (bc hearts feel like only a game mechanic, that adds almost nothing to the story. ). But i am pretty sure that the next expansion will have new maps.

[WorldofBay.8160]

if i look at the past expansions that i bought (and i consider the LSs as expansions as i had to pay gems for new content) only very few wow moments from maps come to my mind. HoT definitely got me with the jungle environment but i love playing rev, especially herald and that's PoF as well. also my so far only legendary is a HoT legendary. after that, the maps never were a selling point to, me neither **before** nor **after** buying. i didn't expect a lot and didn't get a lot. vabbi is the worst map imo, kourna, jahai, thunderhead peaks, lake doric and especially istan come close. oh they're mostly PoF/LS4, but dragonfall, sandswept isles and the desert highlands are actually good ones.

 

so would i buy an expansion without maps?

why not? maps after HoT weren't even close to core levels, though a big part of that is their design for mounts which made at least half of the PoF and later maps ugly and unfun. why does kourna only offer 2 wps even though there are at least 2 more obvious wp spots and the map is big enough for 10+? because rollerbeetle. why is istan packed with annoying enemies in every single spot? because on a mount it doesn't matter. et cetera et cetera.

 

i would instantly buy a new expansion which offers maps that never allow mounts because i believe those maps will be beautiful and fun.

i would, however, also buy an expansion without maps, those aren't any selling point to me.

 

i do agree on previous posts that an expansion that clutters old maps even more would do more harm than good. be new to the game, start playing some story and whoosh there comes an awakened invasion! who are these, where do they come from? hey and look at that boss marker on the map! oh it's a bloodstone crazed creature that instant-downs you because you lack the mastery from 10+ years in the future (ingame..). more of that is not good, especially since the story told by those events is only present for us who have been active when it was added. the context is lost to anyone in the future.

 

what would be the biggest instant selling point for me?

imagine an expansion that adds a new UI entry to character creation to create a non-commander. that character has no access to LS2, HoT, LS3, Pof, LS4, IBS stories but it has a new lvl 1-80 personal story that is woven around the old story, maybe you see a commander that looks like your most played character at some point as you'll be someone in the pact to best zhaitan. that story can then continue after core tyria and expand on expansion maps _in any imaginable order_. it might be that you're not part of the pact fleet but instead travel to bitterfrost for a kodan quest, then visit elona just to hear that a bloodstone exploded and rush back north to bloodstone fen, finding the pact in an awful condition so you move into the heart of maguuma to help out. it's all possible and every non-legendary story is welcome. just a traveler/adventurer that finds itself thrown into the normal story from time to time by totally unrelated reasons.

[Naxos.2503]

It wouldn't be an expansion, so no. I'd probably still grab whatever else it adds, but I certainly wouldn't consider it an expansion based on past ones.

 

When you set a standard, you keep it. If you dont, you cannot call it the same thing.

[Smoosh.2718]

Depends really, If the expansion made some huge changes, new mobs, new dungeons, challenging content heck maybe even tough bosses to fight in openworld (not 'world boss level' since a blindfolded kitten can beat those.) But a real challenge, so players can make the world feel great again, everyone's saying it.

 

The one thing it would lack however, is the sense of exploration, which for many is big, seeing something new is amazing, seeing something old for the 50th time is not.

[Vavume.8065]

> @"Smoosh.2718" said:

> heck maybe even tough bosses to fight in openworld (not 'world boss level' since a blindfolded kitten can beat those.) But a real challenge, so players can make the world feel great again, everyone's saying it.

>

This game could use some rare spawn bosses with interesting loot, that you actually get excited for when you find them.

[Dayra.7405]

Not really a question, it’s hardly possible to get cantha without new maps.

 

Only question is: will they be as boring as PoF or as interesting as hot?

[Smoosh.2718]

> @"Dayra.7405" said:

> Not really a question, it’s hardly possible to get canrha without new maps.

>

> Only question is: will they be as boring as PoF or as interesting as hot?

 

HoT was made good with the challenge's you had to fight, PoF maps were.. easy.. too easy. Oh and the complexity of HoT, exploring those maps was fun! Pof was, flat and dry (well it was a desert).

[White Kitsunee.4620]

Id buy it because its GW2 and I buy GW2 xpacs.

Id even try to mentally defend it by thinking about how many new features they can put in as opposed to maps im not going to revists.

But all in all its a bad idea for story reasons. Maps are stuck in a time period because MMO players hate things becoming unavailable, but there's no way you could do a full xpac in previous maps without doing a massive overhaul.

 

Now of were talking about a core GW2 rework packaged as an xpac, then im super down.

[Obfuscate.6430]

If by expansion you meant more personal story content, more npc content (example updates on loose threads like Zojja) updates to existing maps (ie: new dynamic events, finishing or updating current dungeons for example including new difficulties to cope with power creep and restore interest) Adding new activities or masteries to old map (ie: some variant of fishing?, new mount activities) or - maybe even update the current home instance to include achievement/skin displays.

the expansion could also include quality of life changes like giving us more UI customization and updating the block and follow feature.

This would also add some replayability to existing material to keep current maps fresh.

It's a win/win.

 

 

[mercury ranique.2170]

To explain a bit. To me there can be many formats to release DLC's. Such formats are different from studio and studio, but it should be the same in a studio. An expansion will have the expectation that there will be new maps. If they do something else, it should be names differently.

 

And to answer if it is needed. I see your issue, but I doubt it will be the solution. I think that we need to replace current options with newer ones. Abandan the original games and put it on full maintainance. So add new starter and levelling zones in the expansions to come. keep the current maps in the original game, but remove them from the dailies. remove the incentives to go there and use them as an advertisement to play the newer parts of the game. The main population will move on and the problem will be solved while we still move forward.

[knite.1542]

If there were significant changes to existing maps (like the LA destruction) or if the expansion had a major overhaul to WvW I would.

[Kelly.7019]

anet will only introdue 4-5 new maps at the top of an expansion which was a huge beummer for me from the base game that had tons! I was expecting double that! but it makes sense inf no new races are introduced to not have new lowbie maps to explore. Personal when PoF was launched I though the Desolations would be double the size it is. Luckily its a pretty big map as is so i wasn't to unhappy. It prolly comes down to their spagehtti code though. I could see having massive maps where it takes a full minute to cross on a rollerbeetle! :D I like both the size of the bigger PoF maps and density+ layers of Tangled Depths! If they keep going in this direction I will love future maps. It'll be interesting if they dive into water worlds and fully explore/ design underwater sea cave areas!