We still cannot progress in story - or is it a bug?

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

When I logged in last night, I was looking forward to the changes. Quickly checked the patch-notes, no LW content!?

 

Went to the Eye of the North, checked the NPCs. Ebon Vanguard arrived and the old badge-vendor had a new Dragon Mastery Crystal. Bought that and ... nothing happened. I think I received a little karma, but tier 3 of the mastery track was still locked. After some chat in the map, I learned the **Dragon Mastery Crystal I** re-spawned in the vendor for unknown reasons, but I would need **Dragon Mastery Crystal II** to unlock the next tier. So I basically wasted 20 badges, among many others who did the same mistake xD.

 

Note: If you have Crystal Forger unlocked, **do not buy the Dragon Mastery Crystal I** that returned to the vendor!

 

Quickly checked the Asura Gate, same DRM as pre-patch. So I assumed they only added the Ebon Vanguard as communty-event. Checked the Event ticker, true. Then I looked for the new skins and stuff, realized that Ebon Vanguard Weapons are also sold in the City of Ebonhawke and I missed to unlock them until today. So I went there, purchased the remaining skins with karma and went back to the EotN.

 

There are four skins worth to unlock:

- Ebon Shoulders

- Ebon Epaulets

- Ebon Pauldrons

- Hawk Trident

 

The Hawk Trident appears to be a brand new skin, added to the Weapon Set. Looking at this, the skimmer-dive ability and the underwater-skill-rework we had a while ago, I think we may see some more underwater-content in the near future. At least I hope so.

 

The shoulders are nothing new. There was a chance to get a Shoulders of the Ebon Vanguard Choice Chest from the Shiverpeaks Strike Mission. I did not own any of the skins so far, so I welcome this alternative method.

 

A really positive development: Ebon Vanguard dailies are really user-friendly. Both Enemies and Special can be done in Fields of Ruin.

- Ogres are found around Hunter's Gorge

- There are plenty of Events on the map, including the Guildmissions why may (Bountys tested = work) count as well. In addition, there is the Ogre Wars meta-event chain that contains several events and plenty of Ogres to slay. Opposite to many other meta-event chains, this one resets within 20 minutes after completion.

 

The balance-patch was a little bigger this time. The Gemstore stuff also looks nice. Content wise, the patch was a little lack-luster. But they did not really announce anything big. Looking forward to the Wintersday 2020, which should arrive in a week or two.

[Fueki.4753]

> @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" said:

> There are four skins worth to unlock:

> - Ebon Shoulders

> - Ebon Epaulets

> - Ebon Pauldrons

> - Hawk Trident

 

You probably didn't see them, because you already unlocked them years prior, but the Ebon Vanguard weapon set from the Karma Merchants in Ebonhawke is available for one token per skin as well.

 

> The Hawk Trident appears to be a brand new skin, added to the Weapon Set.

The Hawk Trident is an old pvp skin.

 

> Looking at this, the skimmer-dive ability and the underwater-skill-rework we had a while ago, I think we may see some more underwater-content in the near future.

The Trident is more an indicator of making unavailable skins available again, than any indicator for more underwater content.

The Skimmer Diving ability can be interpreted as Arenanet wanting us to be quicker underwater, so we can finish our businesses there faster and thus be back on land faster.

[finkle.9513]

What kind of business plan, is annoying and pushing away current player base.. a we are getting towards a new expansion.. Anet should be ramping up, communicating more ..just going backwards. I m not going to buy the new expansion I see absolutely no reason to so far!

[Pifil.5193]

> @"finkle.9513" said:

> What kind of business plan, is annoying and pushing away current player base.. a we are getting towards a new expansion.. Anet should be ramping up, communicating more ..just going backwards. I m not going to buy the new expansion I see absolutely no reason to so far!

 

My guess is that they they are relying on stringing people along with this kind of limp content and the festivals and then hoping everyone forgets how weak these releases were once they see the new expansion. It may work - after all gamers are fickle - or it may blow up in their faces.

 

I suspect that after this LS season finishes - not with a bang but with a whimper - and before the expansion ships we'll see another content drought like the one before HoT came out but _this_ time with Boss Rush weeks and Fractal weeks and other boring, recycled bonus weeks for weak rewards.

[Naxos.2503]

There's simply not enough ogres... I mean, it can be refreshing to see players in old maps, but keep in mind the players you're sending there have on average 3 to 4 years in play within the game. Those mobs die in 2 to 3 hits, and that's -with- the scaling. They dont even respawn fast enough, and that's not to mention the numerous crashes that force players to redo events.

Biggest crime ? Nothing new was added to the Eye of the North merchants. Atleast the Crystal Bloom had an axe.

[lare.5129]

> @"pareth.3847" said:

> I assumed "The next event, mobilizing the Ebon Vanguard, will begin on December 1." would have some way to actually progress in the story.

you assume properly and we can do it now for progress .. All that we need do events and buy box's from vanguard vendor !

 

> There's no incentive at all to participate in that.

if the want close tha achiv - they can participate.

 

 

[lare.5129]

> @"Galmac.4680" said:

> But, was is new with this update?

I hope next year. We still have 2 big and not cheap and fast weapon collection. So first we need complete them. Aslo I suggest make next story awailable only for persons who complete all prev achievements ..

 

>Only some nerfs for WvW.

this is I think preparation for EoD, nerf old, and make new more cool. So we should be happy !

 

 

[Jilora.9524]

> @"Naxos.2503" said:

> There's simply not enough ogres... I mean, it can be refreshing to see players in old maps, but keep in mind the players you're sending there have on average 3 to 4 years in play within the game. Those mobs die in 2 to 3 hits, and that's -with- the scaling. They dont even respawn fast enough, and that's not to mention the numerous crashes that force players to redo events.

> Biggest crime ? Nothing new was added to the Eye of the North merchants. Atleast the Crystal Bloom had an axe.

 

There are. There just aren't enough in fields of ruin because we 90 players doing the quest. There's ogres in other maps and even the ogres in EBG in WvW count

[pareth.3847]

> @"lare.5129" said:

 

> I hope next year. We still have 2 big and not cheap and fast weapon collection. So first we need complete them. Aslo I suggest make next story awailable only for persons who complete all prev achievements ..

 

They never did something stupid like that before - imagine if everyone would have had to complete ALL the previous weapon achievements in each chapter to be allowed to progress the story. That's not going to happen - and if it did, the game would lose a lot of players.

[Randulf.7614]

> @"pareth.3847" said:

> > @"lare.5129" said:

>

> > I hope next year. We still have 2 big and not cheap and fast weapon collection. So first we need complete them. Aslo I suggest make next story awailable only for persons who complete all prev achievements ..

>

> They never did something stupid like that before - imagine if everyone would have had to complete ALL the previous weapon achievements in each chapter to be allowed to progress the story. That's not going to happen - and if it did, the game would lose a lot of players.

 

Pretty certain the poster isn't being serious

[lare.5129]

> @"pareth.3847" said:

> They never did something stupid like that before - imagine if everyone would have had to complete ALL the previous weapon achievements in each chapter to be allowed to progress the story. That's not going to happen - and if it did, the game would lose a lot of players.

for me it is ok. On other mmo what I play now in paralleled have maps area aprox 50% as in gw2 and 300 players online ..

But not escape context = we have 2 wep collection, most player not open 1 wep, and puch something more is very strange thing ..

 

[lare.5129]

> @"Randulf.7614" said:

> Pretty certain the poster isn't being serious

ofc some part of grotesque exists .. but main idea - we still not complete many thing.

[deatine.2498]

I may be getting old and stupid but I didn't even understand what to do. How do you know that you have to slay ogres or whatever in the fields of ruin? I see the progress for the community event in the eye of the north, but no info on what to do for it.

[Randulf.7614]

> @"deatine.2498" said:

> I may be getting old and stupid but I didn't even understand what to do. How do you know that you have to slay ogres or whatever in the fields of ruin? I see the progress for the community event in the eye of the north, but no info on what to do for it.

 

The NPC with the orange icon above her head will direct you via dialogue to achievements.

 

For ease there are two sets outside of the story journal

 

- Daily: Champion. This is where the ogre stuff is

- Bonus Events. The first achievement is for spending 5 seal tokens if memory serves. That unlocks the tiered community ones where you contribute by spending tokens on the ebon vanguard bags at the ebon vanguard token vendor

 

It's all there, but as usual Anet have not made it as clear as they could have. Yes the NPC gives you a vgaue idea, but there is no reason not to have been explicit. It simply comes down to their complete disregard for communicatioon in and out of game.

[Fueki.4753]

> @"deatine.2498" said:

> I may be getting old and stupid but I didn't even understand what to do. How do you know that you have to slay ogres or whatever in the fields of ruin? I see the progress for the community event in the eye of the north, but no info on what to do for it.

 

There is an achievement for slaying 20 ogres **on any maps,** that rewards you one Ebon Vnaguard token, which you can collect and exchange for rewards at the new Ebon Vanguard Vendor at the eye of the North.

 

There also is an Achievement for doing any four events in Fields of Ruin that awards you five of said tokens.

 

People just stay in the Fields of Ruin for the Ogres because it's more convenient than moving to other maps.