Event Requirement for POI Access Revisited

[sprhavkdogi.9408]

Asked this in the last forum chat and never got a response on this from a dev so I thought I'd ask about it again with updated information and thoughts since it's still relevant to the new map.

 

While I have enjoyed exploring the recent maps (as a GW1 vet I enjoyed exploring Jahai a lot), I've noticed a rather annoying trend. One poi in each map is getting locked behind events completely preventing people from getting map completion if they happen to be around when that event is not up. Examples include Warden's Quarters in Istan requiring the Great Hall meta, Specimen Chamber in Sandswept requiring its eponymous meta event, Research Vault Beta in Kourna requiring a random event from halfway across the map, and now the Inner Keep requiring a timed race event (which is annoying for its own reasons).

 

I do not believe it's logical to punish a player by making them wait for an event to finish a map because they weren't at the right place at the right time; furthermore, I'd guess it also isn't an enjoyable experience for someone that has no idea how to reach the poi so they spend a not so insignificant amount of time running around everywhere trying to pick it up before having to look abroad or pray someone else on the map will tell them what to do. While this hasn't been a problem in the two newest maps, Istan and Sandswept locked their pois behind a group event, meaning you also need help from others for something that gives individual rewards (before someone mentions Istan's meta's popularity as a counterargument, what happens when the next big money making meta pops up and steals people away). For the Inner Keep in Jahai, yes you can get the poi through the story that gives you the map which is nice for one toon and I was happy that my first toon didn't get their map completion stalled, but the same could not be said for alts using a portal scroll (which is important to recognize because map completing on alts is an effective way to get currency such as mistonium).

 

Having said that, my question is: what is the reasoning behind this and would it be possible to curb it? (i.e. give exploration credit when reaching the front door). Nothing else has derailed map completion more for me.

[Ayrilana.1396]

Doing the first story instance unlocks the POI. The race isn’t required.

[sprhavkdogi.9408]

> @"Ayrilana.1396" said:

> Doing the first story instance unlocks the POI. The race isn’t required.

 

Double check the post, I addressed that already

[Lord Dumpling.7914]

oh no, the game wants me to things and play the content for rewards, what a horror

youre acting like these events only spawn once in a blue moon, literally spend 20 minutes on sandswept and youll get the bit "THE SPECIMEN CHAMBER IS OPEN" notification, no problem

the race also spawns often enough, the only problem there was that it was broken before (plus, the damn thing also gives you rewards, and also mistonium i think)

and great hall, i might be mistaken but cant you also springer over the wall and just get it?

[Pifil.5193]

> @"Lord Dumpling.7914" said:

> oh no, the game wants me to things and play the content for rewards, what a horror

 

The issue is that the OP's map completion progression hits a road block until a specific event occurs. So he's not playing the content he wants to play, he's left waiting for a particular event that spawns on some unknown timer.

 

> and great hall, i might be mistaken but cant you also springer over the wall and just get it?

 

No, you can't, the POI in the hall can only be unlocked during the final phase of the Great Hall event or during the Story.

 

@"sprhavkdogi.9408"

I think that they've designed this as a means to keep people on the map, as you say this is the fourth episode in a row where a PoI is locked behind some event so I doubt it's coincidence. At least _this_ one isn't gated by a group event. What I do these days is park my alts just outside the area where the PoI is when it occurs I log as many of them in as I can to run through to the PoI at the same time. That way I tend to miss out on a reward or two but I'm free to do map completion on my characters whenever I want.

 

 

 

 

[Connor Fallon.9408]

So, I don't think there was ever a conversation about doing this deliberately to keep people on the map - we have more interesting ways to do that. I think it's more an issue of... when there are locked off areas of a map, what is inside those locked up areas is often interesting or notable in some way, so it often makes sense to make it a POI.

 

But the feedback is good to have, and I know I at least will keep this in mind in the future!

[sprhavkdogi.9408]

> @"Connor Fallon.9408" said:

> So, I don't think there was ever a conversation about doing this deliberately to keep people on the map - we have more interesting ways to do that. I think it's more an issue of... when there are locked off areas of a map, what is inside those locked up areas is often interesting or notable in some way, so it often makes sense to make it a POI.

>

> But the feedback is good to have, and I know I at least will keep this in mind in the future!

 

Thanks for the insight!

[narwhalsbend.7059]

I'm also the type who likes to do map exploration before completing everything, so this annoyed me in Kourna plenty.

[ReaverKane.7598]

> @"Connor Fallon.9408" said:

> So, I don't think there was ever a conversation about doing this deliberately to keep people on the map - we have more interesting ways to do that. I think it's more an issue of... when there are locked off areas of a map, what is inside those locked up areas is often interesting or notable in some way, so it often makes sense to make it a POI.

>

> But the feedback is good to have, and I know I at least will keep this in mind in the future!

 

Pretty sure there's instances of areas in core Tyria that are only available from specific story instances that have the POI unlock just from proximity of the entrance, or have a POI but that doesn't matter for exploration, so i have to agree with OP, there should be a better consideration for these things. You should probably take edge cases into consideration more when designing content.

[Majosea.2487]

Been waiting for 4 hours for the Kill Mutated Rats event to start to get the poi that opens...this is ridiculous

 

[Dante.1763]

> @"ReaverKane.7598" said:

> > @"Connor Fallon.9408" said:

> > So, I don't think there was ever a conversation about doing this deliberately to keep people on the map - we have more interesting ways to do that. I think it's more an issue of... when there are locked off areas of a map, what is inside those locked up areas is often interesting or notable in some way, so it often makes sense to make it a POI.

> >

> > But the feedback is good to have, and I know I at least will keep this in mind in the future!

>

> Pretty sure there's instances of areas in core Tyria that are only available from specific story instances that have the POI unlock just from proximity of the entrance, or have a POI but that doesn't matter for exploration, so i have to agree with OP, there should be a better consideration for these things. You should probably take edge cases into consideration more when designing content.

 

The only one i can think of is the Order of Shadows HQ. The areas that usually get locked off in open world until events are done can now be bypassed with mounts so thats a good thing.

[MatthewMedina.5419]

Just as a follow up on this, in the next regular release scheduled for 10/2 this POI should be able to be unlocked from the open world by walking up to the gate to the courtyard, the one that you exited from at the end of the "A Shattered Nation" story instance.