Next Expac

[thiago.5608]

So, u guys think they will announce the next xpac at the end of episode 4 as they did in the last season with a cinematic trailer?

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Dunno but i hope it'll be more HoT like - more verticality, mazes, fun adventures, crazy good living story maps. If i see another inch of desert i'm gonna start puking sand..

[Tanner Blackfeather.6509]

> @"thiago.5608" said:

> So, u guys think they will announce the next xpac at the end of episode 4 as they did in the last season with a cinematic trailer?

 

The PoF teaser was at the end of episode **6**, not 4. After the last episode, just like with LS2 and HoT if I understand correctly.

[lokh.2695]

> @"ZeftheWicked.3076" said:

> Dunno but i hope it'll be more HoT like - more verticality, mazes, fun adventures, crazy good living story maps. If i see another inch of desert i'm gonna start puking sand..

 

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

[Shanna.4762]

> @"ZeftheWicked.3076" said:

> Dunno but i hope it'll be more HoT like - more verticality, mazes, fun adventures, crazy good living story maps. If i see another inch of desert i'm gonna start puking sand..

 

Goodness I hope not, what a dreadful expansion. PoF has been even more diverse than HoT, which was just a jungle full of a million events and nothing particularly interesting to see, imo. It all looked the same and I personally don't think the verticality added much to the game other than inconvenience.

[derd.6413]

So soon, it hasn't been a year

[Nuka Cola.8520]

The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

[Rysdude.3824]

> @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

 

What do you consider a stale state?

[Ayrilana.1396]

> @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

>

> What do you consider a stale state?

 

“Lack of content that I want” probably.

[Plautze.6290]

> @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

>

> What do you consider a stale state?

 

Perhaps a state where the game can't be played 24/7 without running out of content.

[Rysdude.3824]

> @"Plautze.6290" said:

> > @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

> >

> > What do you consider a stale state?

>

> Perhaps a state where the game can't be played 24/7 without running out of content.

 

Is there any game like that?

[Plautze.6290]

> @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > @"Plautze.6290" said:

> > > @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > > > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > > > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

> > >

> > > What do you consider a stale state?

> >

> > Perhaps a state where the game can't be played 24/7 without running out of content.

>

> Is there any game like that?

 

Dunno, for me as a filthy casul, there is enough to do =)

[LucianDK.8615]

Hot was all about developing your glider to get around with, as well progressing through the maps by unlocking new masteries to pass through previously impassable spots. Quite metroidvania like. But as far I know, it was quite frustrating to many., especially so when you only could take a very limited path through the maps, as you were severely restricted in were to go. Combined with OP mordrem with their deadly lava lines in tight spaces. Pof is far more open, and while you now need mounts to progress with, it is far less masteries needed to unlock other parts of the maps compared to hot.

 

Hot had far too many masteries acting as keys before you could have fun.

[Blocki.4931]

Sadly the mounts kinda ruined any future map. Without mechanics in place to stop mounts (oh and people are not gonna enjoy that) they will all have to be either extremely open and wide or very closed off, with high walls you can't just jump on to make them interesting at all. What was cool in HoT was how you had to think of ways to get somewhere. You see a Vista on a high cliff and you know you can't just walk straight up, then you find that cave entrance on the back that leads you there over a few twists and turns, maybe you have to use a bouncing mushroom. That exploration was slower, but it felt so much more rewarding. Mounts are incredible, but they dumbed down one of the games strongest aspects, the exploration, completely.

 

They try to make up for that by making lots of the map visually impressive but that only works so many times before sand gets boring and mountain cliffs turn into an annoyance rather than a landmark.

 

Let's hope the next maps have something interesting on them

[MokahTGS.7850]

> @"Blocki.4931" said:

>Mounts are incredible, but they dumbed down one of the games strongest aspects, the exploration, completely.

 

I actually disagree with this in that I think the presence of mounts in the design opens up more design creativity, not less. The more movement options we have the more the maps can open up into more than just one way of getting to places. This is better, IMO, not worse.

[GreyWolf.8670]

> @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

>

> What do you consider a stale state?

 

Not playing except when there's a new story episode every 3-4 months?

[Diak Atoli.2085]

> @"GreyWolf.8670" said:

> > @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

> >

> > What do you consider a stale state?

>

> Not playing except when there's a new story episode every 3-4 months?

 

By that definition, it is only a stale state for him.

 

That is a personal opinion, yet it seems as if he's trying to pass it off as fact. I disagree with that.

 

As to the original topic, I doubt ANet will announce another expansion after only four LW episodes.

[Blocki.4931]

> @"MokahTGS.7850" said:

> > @"Blocki.4931" said:

> >Mounts are incredible, but they dumbed down one of the games strongest aspects, the exploration, completely.

>

> I actually disagree with this in that I think the presence of mounts in the design opens up more design creativity, not less. The more movement options we have the more the maps can open up into more than just one way of getting to places. This is better, IMO, not worse.

 

In an ideal world, yes.

 

Have we seen any of that in action yet? No. Not since the PoF story. We were very gated at first, then the entire maps opened up to us as we unlocked more and more mounts and skills. Something crucial like the high jump for the springer. Now that we already have it this sense of progression is lost entirely on maps. You can't have areas that are unreachable anymore and get the feeling of joy when you finally get to go there. I believe the sealed off areas in the new map were an attempt to revive that feeling, but sadly it didn't go very well because too many people get angry that it breaks their immersion or ruins their fun to not go everywhere at any time.

 

What I'm saying is that having a springer opens up a lot of the world, but walking down a corridor and wondering how to get somewhere are now things of the past - which is more of a loss than what we gain imo. The "area is too instable for mounts" thing Sandswept Isles did was good for that. I enjoyed exploring and using the mechanics of the different labs. Sadly it felt too restrictive at that point (mostly because it was all indoors).

 

There's just nothing special anymore about a cliff with a few rocks you can jump on to get to the top. There is no sense of progression anymore. Environmental puzzles do not exist anymore. If they don't want the maps to stay as boring as they are right now, they will have to find a way to balance it out or step it up in terms of what you can actually do on them.

[GreyWolf.8670]

> @"Diak Atoli.2085" said:

> > @"GreyWolf.8670" said:

> > > @"Rysdude.3824" said:

> > > > @"Nuka Cola.8520" said:

> > > > The game is in a very stale state. Expansion or not, they better announce big things.

> > >

> > > What do you consider a stale state?

> >

> > Not playing except when there's a new story episode every 3-4 months?

>

> By that definition, it is only a stale state for him.

>

> That is a personal opinion, yet it seems as if he's trying to pass it off as fact. I disagree with that.

>

> As to the original topic, I doubt ANet will announce another expansion after only four LW episodes.

 

I was speaking for myself, not the other poster.

[Ashantara.8731]

> @"ZeftheWicked.3076" said:

> Dunno but i hope it'll be more HoT like - more verticality, mazes, fun adventures, crazy good living story maps. If i see another inch of desert i'm gonna start puking sand..

 

I hope not. I love the direction the content has been taking since PoF, but especially with Season 4 (and the last episode in particular). I prefer quality writing over "fun" (_that's code for "boring" here_) physical challenges to cover up mediocre (or, in the case of LWS3, mostly downright bad) writing.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

One does not have to exclude the other. I agree that story - wise it PoF **was** looking good

until the most fun and charismatic villain ends up as dog food for a overgrown lizard we're supposed to care about. Hint: I don't.

 

 

But that doesn't mean we can't have maps closer to HoT, you know...with more vegetation? Bigger event density? More crazy hard to find secret spots? New and fun map unique mechanics? (like Bloodstone Fen glider masteries or Draconis Mons spider-man mode).

 

I will praise this episode's map though - there's a nice underwater zone - that I like. A much needed break from desert and overall "dry" approach to recent maps. Also loved the puzzles leading to Joko and Joko fight itself. I have no problem with fun during the story part. I have issues with the regular map, considering what post-HoT ones offered.

[Randulf.7614]

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > @"ZeftheWicked.3076" said:

> > Dunno but i hope it'll be more HoT like - more verticality, mazes, fun adventures, crazy good living story maps. If i see another inch of desert i'm gonna start puking sand..

>

> I hope not. I love the direction the content has been taking since PoF, but especially with Season 4 (and the last episode in particular). I prefer quality writing over "fun" (_that's code for "boring" here_) physical challenges to cover up mediocre (or, in the case of LWS3, mostly downright bad) writing.

 

The issue finding a balance. I for one like quality writing, but given I found the latest episode one of the worst written episodes since LS1 and the episode heavily dividing the community, it will be difficult for them to find a good medium. For me, I hope they do return to some of the map making of HoT and LS3. Where they have deviated off and done something new, I have generally found they have scored a big winner. Episode 2 went off the beaten track for example and was outstanding for me in all regards and Draconis Mons (despite the ridiculous Balthazar reveal) was a brilliant map. Then I look at Kourna and see a map that wasn't very interesting from a story or gameplay perspective and was always going to have an uphill struggle given GW1 Kourna was fairly bland too.

 

Whilst LS3 got a lot wrong and I did hate the bouncing around the World, a great side effect was how much variety existed in the maps. And whilst HoT was hit and miss, the verticality and crazy ideas is something I def want a lot more of, even if it's only the odd map.

[Brother.1504]

> @"Blocki.4931" said:

> Sadly the mounts kinda ruined any future map. Without mechanics in place to stop mounts (oh and people are not gonna enjoy that) they will all have to be either extremely open and wide or very closed off, with high walls you can't just jump on to make them interesting at all. What was cool in HoT was how you had to think of ways to get somewhere. You see a Vista on a high cliff and you know you can't just walk straight up, then you find that cave entrance on the back that leads you there over a few twists and turns, maybe you have to use a bouncing mushroom. That exploration was slower, but it felt so much more rewarding. Mounts are incredible, but they dumbed down one of the games strongest aspects, the exploration, completely.

>

> They try to make up for that by making lots of the map visually impressive but that only works so many times before sand gets boring and mountain cliffs turn into an annoyance rather than a landmark.

>

> Let's hope the next maps have something interesting on them

 

I disagree. In a nutshell mounts are just fancy movement skills. They definitely add to my enjoyment of exploration. I can understand the nostalgia of the first time exploring the world but most of us have numerous max lvl toons. The mounts made gw2 fresh in the open world for me.

[particlepinata.9865]

Its not even been a year, much to early. And isn't the Living story in itself episoded expac content, i think so. Why still the archaic mindset of expacs? I personally dont get it.

[zealex.9410]

I hope they take the full 2 years (a long running lw season if not 2 small ones) before they announce expac n3.

 

I also hope its more like hot or at least a mix between pof and hot that leens more towards hot. Metas, maps, replayability and rewards in hot made the game more of a worthwhile purchase and experience than pof has done not to say that pof is bad but generally expansions should expand the endgame.

 

 

Pof failed imo where hot a feature based expansions succeded. Making gw2 more of an mmo and expanding its endgame. Also no metas/ world bosses in pof was criminal.