Fractals - Remove Mistlock Instabilities Altogether

[Meehael.8240]

Hi,

 

may I suggest removing Mistlock Instabilities from fractals completely?

 

They are really annoying and boring, and they make fractals only artificially more difficult with those random and nonsensical mechanics thrown in and mixed together, which make them actually absurd in the end.

 

Instead, make end-tier fractals more challenging by adding more thematic or meaningful mechanics like turning every player into a frog without abilities until they reach Mossman in the swamp fractal.

Another example which comes to my mind is being under constant burning condition in Molten Boss fractal.

Those are only silly suggestions off top of my head.

 

This way each fractal would have its own specific challenges at higher tiers, which aren't as random, needlessly chaotic or annoying.

 

 

Thanks

[VanWilder.6923]

Hi,

 

May I suggest you not to use Mistlock Instanbilities completly for your own challenge?

 

No one will ever bother to check or ask if you are using Mistlock or not.

 

And also, if Fractal T4 is already too easy for you, have you considered solo?

 

Good luck and have your own fun!

[Meehael.8240]

> @"VanWilder.6923" said:

> Hi,

>

> May I suggest you not to use Mistlock Instanbilities completly for your own challenge?

>

> No one will ever bother to check or ask if you are using Mistlock or not.

>

> And also, if Fractal T4 is already too easy for you, have you considered solo?

>

> Good luck and have your own fun!

 

Hi,

 

you were probably thinking about Mistlock Singularities, but I'm talking about the Mistlock Instabilities :)

[VanWilder.6923]

My bad, then change Fractal to Dungeons! Because the current Dungeons is so dead

[zealex.9410]

> @"VanWilder.6923" said:

> Hi,

>

> May I suggest you not to use Mistlock Instanbilities completly for your own challenge?

>

> No one will ever bother to check or ask if you are using Mistlock or not.

>

> And also, if Fractal T4 is already too easy for you, have you considered solo?

>

> Good luck and have your own fun!

 

T4 is the highest tier of difficulty and unless they plan to consistely add something else harder they might as well keep t4 at a respectable lvl of challenge.

 

Thats what tiers are for anyways.

[Ojimaru.8970]

> @"Meehael.8240" said:

> They are really annoying and boring, and they make fractals only artificially more difficult... which make them actually absurd in the end.

> Instead... mechanics like turning every player into a frog without abilities until they reach Mossman in the swamp fractal.

> Another example which comes to my mind is being under constant burning condition in Molten Boss fractal...

 

I fail to see how any of your suggestions don't make Fractals even more "annoying" and "artificially more difficult." Hell, your suggestions would simply make them even **more** "absurd."

 

Yes, there is certainly room to improve in regards to the current Mistlock Instabilities. These Instabilities were originally introduced to give Fractals, especially the higher tiers, more ["variation to gameplay"](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/30453/fractal-random-mistlock-instabilities/p1), with the goal to "promote new playstyles." However, these Instabilities are either annoying (e.g. Mistlock Convergence), at best, or create massive spikes in difficulty (e.g. Social Awkwardness, Afflicted, and Adrenaline Rush for Twilight Oasis, or Captain Mai Trin), and have done little to no impact to how groups approach Fractals, i.e. Chaos Chronomancer, Druid, and DPS, with the option for a Banner Slave. As a matter of fact, due to how punishing some Instabilities are to the non-meta compositions (e.g. a group with no Boon strips versus No Pain No Gain), playstyles have been more limited.

 

Beyond even that, there is the question of what @"Benjamin Arnold.3457" meant by "playstyles" in the first place. Due to the non-trivial nature of obtaining and keeping multiple sets of gear with sufficient Agony Resistance, let alone mastering and gearing a totally different profession, on-the-fly changes to playstyles would have to be limited to changing Utility Skills, and maybe shifting some Traits around. Yet, that decision making doesn't go any further than "Do I bring Condition Cleanse?" or "Can my build even allow for Boon strips?"

 

That being said, should we simply throw the baby out with the bath water? I wouldn't say so. I think Mistlock Instabilities can be interesting, but it is inherently much, much, much more difficult to design for an MMORPG like GW2, than it is for other single-player games that have successfully implemented similar systems, like Slay the Spire.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I like the _idea_ of the instabilities. I like the _idea_ of a random challenge. Both of these helps increase the difficulty level of T4 and makes it more interesting to play for those of us who tackle them every day.

 

I agree with Ojimaru that the actual implementation ends up being more on the "annoying" side and less on the challenge side. Part of that is on us: we like paths of least resistance, so we look at, "how can we deal with today's instab, while still running what we usually do." And a lot of it is on the design: there's no particular fun or joy in needing to change builds for every encounter or after each dungeon, especially without build templates.

 

@"Benjamin Arnold.3457" has said that he's looking at a major overhaul, so that each instability offers a trade off. Instead of awkwardness just punishing stacking, he's running with the idea of a player suggestion to have it provide a bonus + agony when overlapping, giving groups an incentive to figure out how to deal with it. I'd like to see what he & his colleagues come up with before even suggesting that the instabilities be removed.

[phs.6089]

As far as we revamping fractals, Remove 4 tiers and 2 layers in each, leave 3 tiers with one of each fractal in it, thank you. Kitten annoying do the same thing 8 times. 8 Kitten Times.

[Ubi.4136]

> @"Meehael.8240" said:

> Hi,

>

> may I suggest removing Mistlock Instabilities from fractals completely?

>

> They are really annoying and boring, and they make fractals only artificially more difficult with those random and nonsensical mechanics thrown in and mixed together, which make them actually absurd in the end.

>

> Instead, make end-tier fractals more challenging by adding more thematic or meaningful mechanics like turning every player into a frog without abilities until they reach Mossman in the swamp fractal.

> Another example which comes to my mind is being under constant burning condition in Molten Boss fractal.

> Those are only silly suggestions off top of my head.

>

> This way each fractal would have its own specific challenges at higher tiers, which aren't as random, needlessly chaotic or annoying.

>

>

> Thanks

 

I honestly agree, and think if they would just stop with the half-ass trinity stuff they could make more challenging and engaging content. Put in actual tanking and single target primary healing, get rid of the aritifical "instabilities" and fractals (and all high end pve content) would be far more worth it.

[Bugabuga.9721]

Just turn them into Gambits/Instabilities mote with bonus rewards :) For regular pugs, T4s will remain T4s (still probably will see a drop in players when Twilight Oasis or Observatory is daily). For those who want a "higher challenge" the mote will provide their favorite combo (hello last laugh + toxic + social awkwardness and, like, five people who looooove instabilities and regularly complain that they won't play fractals unless the most disruptive and annoying combo is present). More happy players, what's not to like?

[Ojimaru.8970]

> @"Bugabuga.9721" said:

> Just turn them into Gambits/Instabilities mote with bonus rewards :) For regular pugs, T4s will remain T4s (still probably will see a drop in players when Twilight Oasis or Observatory is daily). For those who want a "higher challenge" the mote will provide their favorite combo (hello last laugh + toxic + social awkwardness and, like, five people who looooove instabilities and regularly complain that they won't play fractals unless the most disruptive and annoying combo is present). More happy players, what's not to like?

 

If each Instability has the same weight when calculating rewards, then you would see a meta where players would only choose three of the mildest Instabilities, and repeat them for all their dailies. This would make Instabilities totally irrelevant, and defeat its designed purpose to add variability to gameplay.

 

If each Instability gave different rewards, where "harder" ones give more, then you would, again, see a meta where players pick the highest rewarding Instabilities, and repeat them for all their dailies. Worst yet, the demand for a set meta composition would likely see more prevalence amongst LFGs and recruitment, which would be a further detriment to build diversity.

[Bugabuga.9721]

> @"Ojimaru.8970" said:

> > @"Bugabuga.9721" said:

> > Just turn them into Gambits/Instabilities mote with bonus rewards :) For regular pugs, T4s will remain T4s (still probably will see a drop in players when Twilight Oasis or Observatory is daily). For those who want a "higher challenge" the mote will provide their favorite combo (hello last laugh + toxic + social awkwardness and, like, five people who looooove instabilities and regularly complain that they won't play fractals unless the most disruptive and annoying combo is present). More happy players, what's not to like?

>

> If each Instability has the same weight when calculating rewards, then you would see a meta where players would only choose three of the mildest Instabilities, and repeat them for all their dailies. This would make Instabilities totally irrelevant, and defeat its designed purpose to add variability to gameplay.

>

> If each Instability gave different rewards, where "harder" ones give more, then you would, again, see a meta where players pick the highest rewarding Instabilities, and repeat them for all their dailies. Worst yet, the demand for a set meta composition would likely see more prevalence amongst LFGs and recruitment, which would be a further detriment to build diversity.

 

Why have 3 instabilities when you can have _all of them at once_ :) Just like with queen's gauntlet. Want 5 at the same time? No problems. They are selectable. Snow Crows will have duo chrono 100CM all instabilities while with no armor for memes :)

 

Instability-infused fractal can give different colored infusion pieces, for example (similar how CM gives that fancy cosmic infusion). Regular players _do not like instabilities_ as right now they're not adding anything good to the game, it's all downside and no upside, so things would be harder and more annoying. People play _despite_ them, not because of them.

 

Having separate challenge-style mote would nullify complains from people who want everything to be harder (and want to play for the mechanics and not rewards -- hurray, you have you own personal hell, while unsuspecting pugs continue to skip merrily on landscape that doesn't stun you twice per second because _last laugh_ or have one pug strategically kill the rest with social awkwardness -- of course their desire to make life harder for _everyone else_ would not come true, but I vote for nicer game for pugs, thank you very much)

 

Current T4 with Twilight Oasis or Observatory already demands meta comp. So for "Run with instabilities" LFGs won't change. I don't believe in pugs actually _changing build for instabilities_ anyway. And if someone grew up into having multiple sets of ascended equipment with AR infusions, and all trinkets properly arranged, that person probably doesn't qualify as a pug anyway ;)

 

[Dante.1763]

> @"Bugabuga.9721" said:

 

>

> Current T4 with Twilight Oasis or Observatory already demands meta comp. So for "Run with instabilities" LFGs won't change. I don't believe in pugs actually _changing build for instabilities_ anyway. And if someone grew up into having multiple sets of ascended equipment with AR infusions, and all trinkets properly arranged, that person probably doesn't qualify as a pug anyway ;)

>

 

Ive...rarely needed a meta group for either TO or SO, it helps alot..but its not "demanded".

 

I however wouldnt mind seeing the instabilitys turned into something that adds greater rewards if turned on, and the harder instabilities add better drops. They could even add more with varying effects.

[Hot Boy.7138]

I agree. Mistlock instabilities is a very lazy way to increase difficulty. The encounters should be designed to be difficult. throwing on instabilities after the fact is a piss-poor way to do it. I've never been a fractals for that reason. If they got rid of instabilities, i would probably do them more frequently.

[Ayakaru.6583]

Or design instabilities that are unique per fractal instead of a few default ones