Too many new maps?

[Blaeys.3102]

As someone in a guild that enjoys doing things together in the open world, the current model is perfect. It gives us a lot of choices when looking for something to do.

 

I love that they are adding new max level maps every couple of months.

[Menadena.7482]

> @"Hannelore.8153" said:

> The downside is, I have noticed the Central Tyria maps are very barren and something needs to be done about that. While the game's max-level player population is strong, it seems to be having alot of trouble with the uptake of new players especially in the F2P areas.

 

I would *love* to see a new map that was not level 80. Sure, most players are 80 but not everyone is. It feels like "we will play every song at max volume" (I was going to say 11 but too many people would not get the reference). It also makes me wonder why so much of a fuss was made about dynamic leveling when it gets used less and less every day.

 

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Solvar.7953" said:

> I don't mind the new maps as much, or the fact they are level 80, but it would be nice if some of the maps were sprinkled with some nodes that are less than level 80. I tend to get more mithril & elder wood than I can use, but end up being on the short side of things like iron & hard wood. It is a design decision that those nodes don't exist on level 80 maps - there is no reason you couldn't have an iron mine on a level 80 map, for example. And while I could play the lower level maps to get those materials (which may be the intention), that is old content and the rest of the rewards are that lower quality.

>

 

That is already covered by the trade caches in PoF maps.

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Menadena.7482" said:

> > @"Hannelore.8153" said:

> > The downside is, I have noticed the Central Tyria maps are very barren and something needs to be done about that. While the game's max-level player population is strong, it seems to be having alot of trouble with the uptake of new players especially in the F2P areas.

>

> I would *love* to see a new map that was not level 80. Sure, most players are 80 but not everyone is. It feels like "we will play every song at max volume" (I was going to say 11 but too many people would not get the reference). It also makes me wonder why so much of a fuss was made about dynamic leveling when it gets used less and less every day.

>

 

That solves nothing if the map doesn't contain things people are interested in. Level is irrelevant.

 

Dynamic leveling just meant that you *can* go to low level areas and still get meaningful stuff from them. That wasn't always true but it has been true for at least the last couple of years.

 

Oh right ... people complaining about not having a lv80 is also why they added the lv80 boost but then people started complaining about people using the boost -_-

[Orpheal.8263]

Id really like to know of people her,e what they would think of it, if ANet woudl go after my proposal of implementating Phasing Technology into the game to enable the game designers responsbile for story content and map design to rework this way all maps in the future with time phased versions of the present by lettign us use technically improved Asura Gates as Timespace Gates to move between one and the same map content between the past, which is basicalyl how the maps function right now - and the future present how the map would be like now several years later in the tyrian time line with completely different content playing in the map, new events happenign there that are completely different from the events that happenedcin the games story, when the time line was back a few years.

 

imagine a time phased map version of all the Arah Maps how the maps could be like now years after the death of Zhaitan, ohw the land could have regenerated over time and returned partically by now back to normal after the land gaining its health and magic balance back from the help of the cleansing ritual that you performend with the help of Trahearne. The maps could have in a phase version now a completely different design with completely different flora and fauna on it, not anymore full of this death theme everywhere there fullly overun with zombies, undeads and ghosts theres, back to a more lifeful arah, that has ben eventually started to become rebuild by the pact, building up there a completely NEW TOWN eventually to called NEO ARAH for example ..

All this potential that lies in Phasing Technoloigy to simulaty that time does not stop flowing, but keeps on running permanently, leading to changes and alteration, which is the essence of dynamic events, leading tol changing environments and new events becoming part of the game as part of the changes on the maps over time.

Anet tried to simulated this halfheartedly within the first two seasons of LW, doing it always only with maps which were kept from that moment on in their practical instanced "timeloops", so that they had not to work with phasing, because Anet thought back in time, that this technology would split up too much the community and owudl lead to problems like people becoming not able to play with their friends - what is illogical, if the person who has further progressed in the story than someone else would easily have with his "Chronometer Device" the ability to run to a next by Chronomancy alchemagically enhanced Asura Gate, to travel with them as Timespace Gates back in time to the timeline, in which their friends are to play with them together.

 

With chronomancers being part of this game, there exit no excuses anymore to implement also somehow the feature of time traveling into the game into the past at least (not into the future, that would be too powerful of a task and woudl literally kill the person who'd try this as a kind of reasonign ,why it shoudl work only in a 1 way direction ...fortunetelling as a weakened version of having visions is the only not life threatenign form of at least viewing into the future for a glimpse of time which is somethign only the most powerful seers - grandmasters of chronomancy - are able to do, or gifted people with a natural born talent for chronomancy maybe - miracle childs so to say)

 

phasign woudl enable Anet so much more design freedom to improve this game, especialyl the older content to revive it and to give peopel reasons to revisit also all the older maps continously, because whith phased maps, you would see then beginner maps turning in their present form into high end content maps that are designed then with their content for max level charactters and not for characters ranging between level 1-70+ where everythign is designed around players being not perfect and much much weaker, than beign a highend charactr with max level and bis gear ...

 

I find it woudl be a very welcoming change for this game, to use phasing as an alternative to improve old content and to brign it this way up to date with the game mechanics and designs of the current game design style and features we have, which hasn#t existed back at when the main game was everythign we had and there existed no masteries ect. - which i can understand woudl be hard to implement and design into the outdated old map versions.. but definetely not for new designed phased versions of older maps that are made as endgame content then anmd reflect back ,how the maps should be liek now in the present, years after what happened in them the last time, when it was relevant to be there, compared what could happen in them all by now, when alot of things have changed in the meantime...

Things that can be shown to us only, if phasing gets implemented and used as part of map and storytelling work.

Timelooped maps which are always the same need to stop... this is so much outdated like 2000 or older game design.. we have 2018 now with technology beign there, that allows it game develoers by not to design and make much better map designs that give players better the impression, that time really affects continously all maps , whikle stil lgiving players cionstantly access to all the content via phasing so that the player can freely decide by himself, in which timeline version of a map wants to play in at the moment.

By lore there is nothign that would stop anet from implementign this great feature, which would allow ANet instantly much more map desing freedom, instead of having to flee permanently only forward by making now only always new maps. Don't misunderstand me. new maps are also fine too and great, but in my impinion it woudl be much greater and more diversive, if Anet also wouldn't forget and update their old maps from the maingame every now and then.

But as long as they stay level 1-70 maps it will always feel like gettign crippled back and becoming weaker, than you are in real by now due to the scaling system , if the map design doesn#t get phased to a vrsion, where

 

Am I here the only person who'd like Phasing becoming part of GW2, or are others out there too ,which do agree with me, that it would be a nice addition for the future of GW2 and that anet doesn't have to make always only new maps, but can also make updates for older maps via Phasign them into the present day of tyrian history?

[usnedward.9023]

One reason I will not go back to prior MMOs I have played is because of so much content release. However maps can get boring and the LS maps are not all that big and can be mapped in a very short time. The HoT and PoF maps are huge but the story must continue. I am torn over this subject as I see valid points on both sides but say in 5 years we have another 20 maps...ug..hard to seduce a beginner.....

[Drew.1865]

I’m ok with adding new maps but I wish they would include some of the older items you could get from older maps into the new map merchants. I’d love to see viper gear at these maps so newer players would have an easier way to get them.

 

Coming from WOW back to GW2 trust me this game’s population is doing great compared to the other mmos. With the megaservers we should have plenty of people for new maps.

 

New maps but please no new currencies.

[Menadena.7482]

Especially no new currencies that do not go right into the wallet!

[Doctor.1384]

I agree Id rather have a few new maps that are really dense with meta events and mechanics kind of like SW and dry top than have a bunch of barren maps released back to back to back. We dont need a new map per living world chapter, Id have no problem with them adding to older maps, or releasing a new map and continually adding events to it as the story progresses.

[AliamRationem.5172]

> @"Orpheal.8263" said:

> Id really like to know of people her,e what they would think of it, if ANet woudl go after my proposal of implementating Phasing Technology into the game to enable the game designers responsbile for story content and map design to rework this way all maps in the future with time phased versions of the present by lettign us use technically improved Asura Gates as Timespace Gates to move between one and the same map content between the past, which is basicalyl how the maps function right now - and the future present how the map would be like now several years later in the tyrian time line with completely different content playing in the map, new events happenign there that are completely different from the events that happenedcin the games story, when the time line was back a few years.

>

> imagine a time phased map version of all the Arah Maps how the maps could be like now years after the death of Zhaitan, ohw the land could have regenerated over time and returned partically by now back to normal after the land gaining its health and magic balance back from the help of the cleansing ritual that you performend with the help of Trahearne. The maps could have in a phase version now a completely different design with completely different flora and fauna on it, not anymore full of this death theme everywhere there fullly overun with zombies, undeads and ghosts theres, back to a more lifeful arah, that has ben eventually started to become rebuild by the pact, building up there a completely NEW TOWN eventually to called NEO ARAH for example ..

> All this potential that lies in Phasing Technoloigy to simulaty that time does not stop flowing, but keeps on running permanently, leading to changes and alteration, which is the essence of dynamic events, leading tol changing environments and new events becoming part of the game as part of the changes on the maps over time.

> Anet tried to simulated this halfheartedly within the first two seasons of LW, doing it always only with maps which were kept from that moment on in their practical instanced "timeloops", so that they had not to work with phasing, because Anet thought back in time, that this technology would split up too much the community and owudl lead to problems like people becoming not able to play with their friends - what is illogical, if the person who has further progressed in the story than someone else would easily have with his "Chronometer Device" the ability to run to a next by Chronomancy alchemagically enhanced Asura Gate, to travel with them as Timespace Gates back in time to the timeline, in which their friends are to play with them together.

>

> With chronomancers being part of this game, there exit no excuses anymore to implement also somehow the feature of time traveling into the game into the past at least (not into the future, that would be too powerful of a task and woudl literally kill the person who'd try this as a kind of reasonign ,why it shoudl work only in a 1 way direction ...fortunetelling as a weakened version of having visions is the only not life threatenign form of at least viewing into the future for a glimpse of time which is somethign only the most powerful seers - grandmasters of chronomancy - are able to do, or gifted people with a natural born talent for chronomancy maybe - miracle childs so to say)

>

> phasign woudl enable Anet so much more design freedom to improve this game, especialyl the older content to revive it and to give peopel reasons to revisit also all the older maps continously, because whith phased maps, you would see then beginner maps turning in their present form into high end content maps that are designed then with their content for max level charactters and not for characters ranging between level 1-70+ where everythign is designed around players being not perfect and much much weaker, than beign a highend charactr with max level and bis gear ...

>

> I find it woudl be a very welcoming change for this game, to use phasing as an alternative to improve old content and to brign it this way up to date with the game mechanics and designs of the current game design style and features we have, which hasn#t existed back at when the main game was everythign we had and there existed no masteries ect. - which i can understand woudl be hard to implement and design into the outdated old map versions.. but definetely not for new designed phased versions of older maps that are made as endgame content then anmd reflect back ,how the maps should be liek now in the present, years after what happened in them the last time, when it was relevant to be there, compared what could happen in them all by now, when alot of things have changed in the meantime...

> Things that can be shown to us only, if phasing gets implemented and used as part of map and storytelling work.

> Timelooped maps which are always the same need to stop... this is so much outdated like 2000 or older game design.. we have 2018 now with technology beign there, that allows it game develoers by not to design and make much better map designs that give players better the impression, that time really affects continously all maps , whikle stil lgiving players cionstantly access to all the content via phasing so that the player can freely decide by himself, in which timeline version of a map wants to play in at the moment.

> By lore there is nothign that would stop anet from implementign this great feature, which would allow ANet instantly much more map desing freedom, instead of having to flee permanently only forward by making now only always new maps. Don't misunderstand me. new maps are also fine too and great, but in my impinion it woudl be much greater and more diversive, if Anet also wouldn't forget and update their old maps from the maingame every now and then.

> But as long as they stay level 1-70 maps it will always feel like gettign crippled back and becoming weaker, than you are in real by now due to the scaling system , if the map design doesn#t get phased to a vrsion, where

>

> Am I here the only person who'd like Phasing becoming part of GW2, or are others out there too ,which do agree with me, that it would be a nice addition for the future of GW2 and that anet doesn't have to make always only new maps, but can also make updates for older maps via Phasign them into the present day of tyrian history?

 

As I recall, the idea behind phasing is that players can be present on the same map instance yet be unable to interact with one another. The potential issue with this in GW2 is that each map instance has a player limit. If we carve that population up into different phases, it may create an issue where the map is full, yet not enough players are in the same phase to complete the bigger events. In other words, population is fine, but due to phasing we can't get enough players in the same phase to coordinate meta events.

[Nick Lentz.6982]

> @"sorudo.9054" said:

> the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

 

This is actually my main gripe. Too much and redundant use of currency. All of season 3 currency is moot now. I'm glad they added them to the material tab.

 

But the maps they are adding just feel like they are added for the sake of "content". Last season was just a cluster fuck of bad direction with no coherent reason for map placement. Plus, they fell into the PoF map dilemma, no real reason to return to most of them.

[Klipso.8653]

We've already passed the event horizon. They introduced mega servers to fill up maps, but at this point in the games life i believe they have accepted the fact that older maps will have low population. So they are focusing on giving us new content instead of wasting resources on old maps.

 

The current game population can't fill all the maps (old and new at the same time) anyway, we were already at that point when mega servers came into play.

[witcher.3197]

I liked how they did it with Dry top for example. They unlocked the map in bits so we got new locations with every patch, and even existing places on it changed sometimes, and it meant thatwe weren't facing a bloat of maps.

 

Not a fan of Anet's new "consume and abandon" design these days when most players will not spend time in a map for more than a week before forever leaving it.

[costepj.5120]

> @"Klipso.8653" said:

> We've already passed the event horizon. They introduced mega servers to fill up maps, but at this point in the games life i believe they have accepted the fact that older maps will have low population. So they are focusing on giving us new content instead of wasting resources on old maps.

>

> The current game population can't fill all the maps (old and new at the same time) anyway, we were already at that point when mega servers came into play.

 

I count 51 maps (including cities). With a max pop of around 100, it would take only 5000 players to fill every map, assuming they had reasons to visit those maps. So you reckon the active GW2 population is below 10,000 (across NA/Europe)?

[Turin.6921]

I had similar worries but the population is strong and i have not seen an important map that would require ppl to do what you need into them that did not have a good enough population. I randomly found a Fen map 1.30 in the morning doing Jades. A map that is almost 2 years old and at that time with so many people is impressive to see. The megaservers and the population is strong enough to still support the maps easily. It might be a problem in the future at the end of the games lifetime but for now it seems fine and easy to support even more maps.

[sorudo.9054]

> @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> >

> > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

>

> Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

 

the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

[Zaklex.6308]

> @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> > >

> > > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

> >

> > Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

>

> the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

> if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

> then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

 

Simple question...can you see any map from end to end, by that I mean can you enter one portal and see the portal at the other end(not counting the main cities)?

[zealex.9410]

> @"DaRoto.9684" said:

> Hi,

> First I'd like to say, that developers are doing an excellent work by releasing map each episode (at least in Season 3). But that makes me think if this trend of adding new maps is sustainable in the future. If they will continue with this trend, we can have like 5-6 new maps for Living World and then 4-5 maps with new expansion. I'm afraid this would lead to more dispersed population, making the maps more empty and maybe make some maps "unplayable". I think, that current state is OK and it's possible to meet someone doing events. After releasing new expansion almost everyone will be doing new maps, than the population will be decreasing until the next expansion, and then you will have same population for like 30 maps (80 lvl), as now for like 20 maps and of course players in Capital cities.

> Wouldn't it be better to add new content to existing maps (new events, new Adventures - like in HoT maps)?

> Wouldn't it be better to add one big map, starting with smaller map and then expand it with adding new areas each episode?

>

> Am I being to pessimistic? What's your opinion on this?

 

Story wise staying inolder maps and current ones than always going to new ones is better imo. Dont get me wrong i like new maps but having always a new one make the old ones feel like thrown games. Like i went there did that now im gone forever.

 

Id love the story tk go back to old maps or stay longer to current ones. If that also played into gameplay, for example like dry top the map could be expanded with future releases adding more landmass and content. Id love that.

 

But not only that, more of a balance of going back to old/current maps, expnading current/old maps and going to new ones.

[Orpheal.8263]

I'm pretty sure, there can exist a solution to the that kind of problenm,m if it is realyl so that player population woukld be shared between the phases of a map.

If currently can be like 150 people on a map "instance", because thats in fact still basically what maps are in this game - instanced zones which you can enter or leave persistently to switch between maps, i think a kind of "District System" like in GW1 could be used to solve the problem, where every district has its very own 150 player limit.

 

So the very moment where the first district of a map gets full with players, the game will create for the map a new district that allows another up to 150 players to play on that district copy version of the same map.

 

Phasing is just switchiing between an older version of a map to a more current version of a map that displays the player that time has progressed meanwhile.

 

Example:

Current System:

 

Map A gets generated, Map A gets full and the game creates basically already a district of said map the moment player 151+ wants to enter the same map and the game closes automatically empty "districts" that are too empty for a certain time. So whats different between GW1 and GW2 now?

The player has now in GW2 sadly not the option to ACTIVELY decide when to switch between these districts, we can't see unlike in GW1, how many carbon copies of the sam map instances have been generated.

So we have basically now Map A (xx) with in brackets the districts to which we can't have actively access to to switch between them, like we could do that back in GW1.

 

My proposal with districts working like in GW1 and Phasing coming together woudl be then compared to that like this:

 

Map A 1,2,3,4,5 .. ongoing in regard of how many districts are there where the players are now allowed to switch between them again actively, with each district having its own individual Player Limit

 

Map A+ 1,2,3,4,5 and ongonging. Map A+ with its districts is then the phased version of a map and in regard of how many + are behind the A - this decides then which phased version of the map you enter, should there ever be multiple phases in a map.

 

If a Player switches from a Map A version to a MapA+ version that is phased, that player becomes subtracted from Map A's amoutn of players and becomes added to the amount of players on the MapA+ side and their districts.

Brief said.. a phased map would basically work internally like a new map, despite beign actualyl no new map, but more like just an UPDATE of an already existign map, which acts for the game like being a new map that has its very own player limits and creates its own districts whenever a phased map version gets full, then it will create the moment wher player 151+ wants to phase into that map version its own district of it and also here the empty ones will get closed with players gettign asked to go into a more fuller district of a phased map, if the one you play on gets too empty of players.

 

Phasing should absolutely happen, it needs to happen, if this game ever wants to have a real dynamic world, with constant changing content on the maps, insteat of keeping all the core game maps permanently like frozen in time in their own timeloop.

If anet ever wants that their players jhave a reason to revisit older maps, then they have to refresh them with new phased in content, which is the olny way how it is possible to keep older content, while addign also new content in the same map practically.

 

Phasing would have been the perfect solution to keep Season 1 of Living World, without completely removing it fro mthe game, create with this season this mess, that we have now, cause phasign would have allowed us to play the content still, like it would be still just normally part of the game by travelign back into the past phased map versions, where all events ect. are still running then as if LW season woudl would be freshly released and when you travel back to the present, then you have the events ect on the maps running that we have now in the present, where are the season 1 stuff is already long over

 

[sorudo.9054]

> @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > > > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> > > >

> > > > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > > > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > > > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

> > >

> > > Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

> >

> > the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

> > if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

> > then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

>

> Simple question...can you see any map from end to end, by that I mean can you enter one portal and see the portal at the other end(not counting the main cities)?

nope, the game reduces the draw quality in every map so when you get on a really high place everything you see is really ugly and distorted till you get closer.

 

[Zaklex.6308]

> @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > > > > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> > > > >

> > > > > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > > > > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > > > > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

> > > >

> > > > Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

> > >

> > > the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

> > > if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

> > > then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

> >

> > Simple question...can you see any map from end to end, by that I mean can you enter one portal and see the portal at the other end(not counting the main cities)?

> nope, the game reduces the draw quality in every map so when you get on a really high place everything you see is really ugly and distorted till you get closer.

>

 

So, how do you feel claustrophobic in a map that you can't see the other end of...or even the portal the next map?

[AliamRationem.5172]

Sure. If they didn't create any additional problems with the use of phasing (population issues, etc.) . I liked it well enough in WoW. It can be interesting to see the world change in reaction to events the player participates in.

[Hexinx.1872]

@OP: I believe the reason they don't do dynamic events in existing maps, is because they already have done dynamic maps in existing zones, it was part of living world season 1 where existing maps were changed by scarlet. Hell even Lion's arch got rebuilt. My bet is anet's data and analytics team tracks the LS1, LS2, LS3 and found certain aspects being more popular easier to put out, and less development time - and this meant new smaller maps., easier content to push out.

 

I would like to see some existing maps get some great dynamic event facelifts ... but I believe that team that would handle that is the same team that handles the event timers on existing maps, and they manage a lot of existing events. I like the idea of bring more game evolution into the mix, but if it takes to much time to invest, with little chances at Anet reaping some benfit, I just don't see them focusing time on doing it that way. They have a system in place which works well, and you may call it thinning out the population, but players should have options at playing what they enjoy most.

 

It's not like they totally abandoned old maps, they have added random bloodstone monster appearances alongside some remakes of dragon timer encounters.

 

A nice hybrid was the southsun release... that was a new map, unlocked with a great event chain. Similar to dry top.

[sorudo.9054]

> @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > > > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > > > > > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > > > > > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > > > > > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

> > > > >

> > > > > Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

> > > >

> > > > the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

> > > > if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

> > > > then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

> > >

> > > Simple question...can you see any map from end to end, by that I mean can you enter one portal and see the portal at the other end(not counting the main cities)?

> > nope, the game reduces the draw quality in every map so when you get on a really high place everything you see is really ugly and distorted till you get closer.

> >

>

> So, how do you feel claustrophobic in a map that you can't see the other end of...or even the portal the next map?

 

because the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel and i know most maps like the back of my hand, if the portals are not there then the map opens up and it feels much bigger.

in GW2 i always think "that's ether walk there with 2 loading screens or port there with 1 loading screen" while i want to stay immersive, so i ether break the immersion a little bit twice or break it in one go.

in WoW and LotRo there is no other choice, you ether get there with or without mount or you get a ride.

if it had portals it would break that immersion but it doesn't, it's one big world with only the underground and "extra" parts being instances (like dungeons, skirmish and raids)

 

i just prefer a big open world rather then a world with small maps connected with portals, in GW1 i can understand this but GW2 has absolutely no reason for having portals.

[Zaklex.6308]

> @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > > > @"Zaklex.6308" said:

> > > > > > > @"sorudo.9054" said:

> > > > > > > the problem i see with new maps is that it adds only more problems, every single new map adds yet another currency and every new map is only made for the maxers.

> > > > > > > it's time they added new maps to expand the map instead of adding a pet project, i want to see lover level maps so scaling is actually used for a change and it can fit somewhere anyone can go.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > IMO the biggest problem is the fact that everything is still behind portals, they don't really expand the map they just place a new instance and that's it.

> > > > > > > if they removed some of the unnecessary portals the world would feel bigger, they need to add maps that expands instead of adding to it.

> > > > > > > i play GW2 and feel quite choked, the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel, the portals only enforce that feeling.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Those portals are a staple of ArenaNet design, they were in GW1 and I think most people expected them in GW2. They aren't going anywhere and they actually improve performance for a game based on CPU usage against GPU, by reducing the draw distance needed if you had maps 10x the size of current ones. When you look at the World Map it doesn't just show a tiny little world with a bunch of instances, instead it shows each individual zone that make up a region.

> > > > >

> > > > > the draw distance can be reduced regardless of map size so that's a moot point, any map can be 20X the size and still have the same effect and load.

> > > > > if the portals are a stamp of Anet then instance play and henchmen are too, i don't see ether.

> > > > > then again, if the whole portal thing is the stamp of Anet then it's a horrible one, claustrophobic is the first word i can think of every time i look at each and every map.

> > > >

> > > > Simple question...can you see any map from end to end, by that I mean can you enter one portal and see the portal at the other end(not counting the main cities)?

> > > nope, the game reduces the draw quality in every map so when you get on a really high place everything you see is really ugly and distorted till you get closer.

> > >

> >

> > So, how do you feel claustrophobic in a map that you can't see the other end of...or even the portal the next map?

>

> because the better i know the map the smaller it starts to feel and i know most maps like the back of my hand, if the portals are not there then the map opens up and it feels much bigger.

> in GW2 i always think "that's ether walk there with 2 loading screens or port there with 1 loading screen" while i want to stay immersive, so i ether break the immersion a little bit twice or break it in one go.

> in WoW and LotRo there is no other choice, you ether get there with or without mount or you get a ride.

> if it had portals it would break that immersion but it doesn't, it's one big world with only the underground and "extra" parts being instances (like dungeons, skirmish and raids)

>

> i just prefer a big open world rather then a world with small maps connected with portals, in GW1 i can understand this but GW2 has absolutely no reason for having portals.

 

I can understand that, I know the maps too so I get that part, but there's one other reason ArenaNet does it this way...and that's allowing the game to be played on the most systems possible. In other words by not having a huge open world single map you're allowing people with not so great computers to still play the game, the same can't be said of a game with a single or just two or three huge open world maps...at least I haven't seen one yet that allows it(and I'm talking just single player games with huge open world maps).