Wintersday Jumping Puzzle Tips

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

Also good tips from @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" above. Navigating "toothpicks" (as my guild refers to them) can be the most frustrating bit of JPs for many people. As shown in the diagram, the diagonal leap (as opposed to ordinary jump) provides a wider landing space; you don't have to be as careful (or as skilled) to make it work.

[Pifil.5193]

I never knew that some of the presents in the last "present stairs" didn't have collision, I just instinctively followed the blue present path.

 

I suppose it is the path of least resistance though, so that's probably not that surprising.

[Kanok.3027]

Honestly, when I did this last year (first year doing it), I went straight hard mode thanks to the practice I gained from both SAB Trib and Halloween Clock Tower, which were also my firsts last year. For SAB, I looked at videos for the paths, but did not use TaCO and just got better at it. When it came to Clock Tower, I only needed to know where to go after reaching a certain point (didn't know you had to drop DOWN to the next part) and I got better by trial and error after. Wintersday, I took everything I learned and just applied it here and while frustrating at first, I've become a lot more proficient at it and I couldn't be happier about it.

 

That being said, guides like this can either help or not. Sometimes people just learn from doing, but those that learn from guides like this, it's nice. I know the frustration of wanting to finish and not being able to. Kudos on making this and I hope to see more people doing the Gingerbread path along with me and others.

 

See ya there! ;D

[splat.8169]

If you're feeling like Winter Wonderland is hard, I'd suggest a different approach.

 

Winter Wonderland is one of the Best teaching JP's.

Why?

High cyclic rate. If you screw up and fall it teleports you immediately back to the beginning and within 15seconds you can try again.

 

Jumping tempo. The snowflakes are evenly spaced and on a mostly gradual path. Running at full speed and just tapping jump at the right times works.

 

The disintegrating snowflakes are largely a psychological pressure, if you're dying to them you were probably jumping slow enough that the health degeneration would have killed you before the middle platform anyway. So let it go, you will either make the next jump or you won't and you'll restart. Amuse yourself with new heights of interesting fails, refamiliarize yourself with old favorite fails, in jumping puzzles everyone falls.

 

I agree however, that before all of that, get your controls in order, if you have a control departure in a jumping puzzle it will usually end badly, which admittedly can be hilarious, but one of your goals should also be to simplify the available points of failure.

[Elspereth.1280]

I find it a bit amusing that someone named splat is giving advice about jumping puzzles :)

[Kal Spiro.9745]

> @"Danikat.8537" said:

> > @"Shagaliscious.6281" said:

> > If you are good at it, using jump+dodge when jumping to the presents gives you a bit more distance (to be specific, the presents at the first rest stop), allowing you to land directly on the white/red presents, skipping the blue ones. I can make it up the presents quite a bit faster than most.

>

> I've never been able to get the hang of jump dodging. I know how it's supposed to work, but it never happens for me.

 

Jump dodging it not simple, especially if you're using your keyboard. It's downright impossible if you're using double move for dodge.

I'm running a mouse with an excess of thumb buttons. I have Space and V bound right next to each other so I can hit both buttons simultaneously and it's just a little effort to roll my finger to jump then dodge in a single move.

 

There are no basic path maneuvers that require jump dodging. Nothing on any of the three paths at all. The only places where jump dodging are useful is while contending with giant snowballs, and there are only two places:

 

The first is on the first platform across from candy cane bridge. While standing at the highest point on the platform, you can jump dodge past the snowball. You need to be careful of attacks from the skritt, but what this allows you to do is run up the path and cut the corner just before the next snowball reaches it. This skips the floating platform to the right, as well as the platform at the top of the turn. From here run straight for the Platform on left and wait for the next snowball to pass. This is absolutely the most advanced run on this section and even when done perfectly has a good chance of failure due to having to potentially dodge four separate skritt attacks with only two dodges.

 

The second point where dodge rolling is useful, but not vital is at the platform at the top of the turn. If you ended up on the floating platform to the right of the path you will want to jump back onto the path as close behind the snowball as possible and run up to the next platform. From here run about halfway up the platform and all the way to the edge. If you're timing is right the snowball should not have passed yet and is still blocking the way. Dodge jump right into the back of it, effectively aiming behind it. The front half of the snowballs is dangerous, the back half is not. Once you're on the platform make the rush for the next floating platform on the right, you should have just enough time to jump to it before the next snowball get through. This is the method most of the advanced runners use. It is worthwhile to mention here that it isn't entirely necessary to do this in order to make it to the floating platform. As long as you're getting behind the snowball as quickly as possible two dodge rolls should push you enough up the path to make the platform before the snowball reaches you.

 

I would add pictures for this, like the OP, but I'm at work right now and don't have the ability. I may do so later, though.

 

> @"DiabolicalHamSandwich.8756" said:

> Folks need to stop trying to be fancy. I would see so many people trying to do wide jumps/jump dodging just to fall off. See people trying to squeeze by the snowball when it was already coming, or jump too early thinking they could squeeze by as it was rolling past, just to get hit. #2 is too true. Folks gotta stop trying to keep up with everyone else. Jump on that extra snowflake instead of trying to bypass it. Pause and think about if your going to make it before the snowball hits you. There is a timer but you don't need to try and NASCAR it.

>

> Also I was confused why I saw people zig-zagging up the presents, when everyone else was going straight up.

 

I always jump to the present just to the left of center. Short of the third from last present they last just as long and it allows me to see my character jumping rather than just hoping I'm where I think I am while I go because I can't see through the crowd. And I've been doing it that way for so long that I can't easily do it otherwise anymore. Also, back when Gingerbread was bugged and would pop some of the presents early it was the more consistent path.

[CharterforGw.3149]

My tip would be, Use a human (preferably one that has the standard height) avoid tall Norn, small asura and Charr. Their jumps can confuse you. All characters have the same jump distance. The size of the character however makes it sometimes look a bit weird.

 

**Tall characters**

A really tall character (such as the Norn) seem to jump normally, then they end up only moving a little bit. It's visually confusing (it feels very unnatural), For these characters, what worked best for me was to really wait until the very last moment to jump, that way you are certain you are going to reach (it won't look as strange visually and doesn't throw you of as quickly in any consecutive jumps)

 

**Small characters**

A really small character (mainly asura, small humans and sylvari) seem to jump really far, but in reality don't jump as far as you'd expect. Just as with the tall characters wait until the very last moment with jumping, with smaller characters it's more vital to do this, in a lot of cases it can seem like you would make it, but instead you don't. You seem to slip of just on the edge (candy canes are especially tricky with small characters)

 

**Charr**

The Charr. Their running animation can really throw you of with certain jumps. such as the candy cane jumps. The best way I found to jump on the candy cane, is to diagonally jump onto them, this allows for a wider area to land, since with the Charr it can be hard to judge the "point of impact".

 

This also works for normal JP's, but since there isn't a time limit to most of those it's not as obvious that the character height has some form of influence on **when** you jump with your character.

[Nightshade.5924]

> @"Taygus.4571" said:

> > @"Larenc.1269" said:

> > > @"Taygus.4571" said:

> > > > @"Larenc.1269" said:

> > > > No matter what you do 99% of the players will never beat this jp. Its just like the clock tower.

> > >

> > > 99%?

> > > I don't think ping is an issue for the majority of players.

> > >

> > >

> > > You can't be "placed" in EU servers unless you chose EU region at the very beginning. If so, I'm sure Devs can help you switch region.

> > >

> > > This JP does not need to be solo, it would be sad if it became so and wouldn't help with your ping anyway).

> >

> > Funny All i see in chat is people complaining about this jp Also you have no clue about ping so don't bring it up again. Also due to mega servers you can and will be mixed with eu players. Its not in debate when you can track the locations of the servers/ relays.

> >

> > Have you not seen the spam in chat? everyone is ticked except the select few lucky ones who meet all the correct requirements. Good computer [x] good internet [x] correct server [?]

>

> No need to be rude. I understand you're frustrated.

> but

>

> Megaservers do not combine regions, only servers within the region. So no NA can not mix or play with EU, so you're not being thrown into EU servers.

>

> And no, Ive not seen anyone complain about this JP.

>

> And yes, a good computer and good internet connection will help. But that's not Anets problem to solve.

 

I've complained about this evil JP for four years running. And still the devs have not removed it as a requirement to Winter's Presence, nor have they done anything to make the JP more possible for me to complete. NOR have they provided ANY alternate way to get credit for the step that the JP is linked to. YET.. you can complete the Halloween collections by BUYING recipes, obviating the need to complete the incredibly insane MKCT JP to get the boots.

 

Now, for the record, I didn't even try this year. My laptop is six year old, and I am saving up to replace it. Just going into DR and participating in the race or even the Choir bells instance I'm seeing lag and having screen graphics issues, so I know that the JP Is going to be a dead letter. That said... my biggest issues w/ this JP are:

 

1) Instanced. Right there that is a knife to the gut. You cannot get/find someone in game to help you... because you can't use the TP thing in an instance. Mesmers can't help you because powers are gone. IMHO, NO JP should EVER be instanced. Period.

2) Timed. There's a part of me that would really like to strangle the sick individuals that EVER came up with the idea of a TIMED JP. It's just SADISTIC. It's just PLAIN EVIL. And it shouldn't EXIST. But sadly, it does, and according to my notes I HAVE tried the WD JP over 300 times. THREE HUNDRED. AND.. not once, not ONE time, have I got to the fire in front of the Presents Stairs. NOT ONE TIME. Why? Because EVERY SINGLE TIME I EITHER FALL OFF OR FREEZE TO DEATH.

3) Personal skill. I SUCK at JP's. Bad. Thusly I DO NOT do them for fun. I in fact avoid or ignore them unless one of my guildies or gaming friends wants to do one. And I HAVE, in the past, tried to work on my deficiency. I quit trying about two years ago after two years of falling falling FALLING and dying every time I did ANY JP, and taking anywhere from three to TEN times the amount of time to complete a JP that anyone else I was with did.

 

I have read the guides, I've watched the UTube run-throughs, I've put up w/ people that are always saying "anyone can do it". Funny that. I have four IRL friends that have played and tried the WD JP. NONE of them have completed it either. This requirement to complete the Winter's Presence collection NEEDS to have an alternate method of completion, OR the TIMED element of the JP flatly NEEDS TO GO AWAY. This is a VERY dissatisfied customer TELLING the DEVS... Improve your game. Make it more reasonable and NOT just for the jumping athletes. If I had my druthers, there would BE NO JP's anywhere in the game. Puzzles with some easy jumps, sure. But none of this you have to make this super duper tricky jump or go back to start and spend five minutes to get back to said jump to try and FAIL again NONSENSE.

Nuff' Said.

[Infusion.7149]

Thanks for the guide, this combined with the advice from some other people that told me to take it slow allowed me to finally finish the JP part of the collection this year.

 

I didn't know that the candy cane beams could be easier with diagonal jumping , but that's in retrospect after reading through this entire thread.

 

Best tips from the guide: action cam (so you don't need to hold right mouse button), use middle path for the gift boxes, don't rush the snowball parts , and use the blue boxes for the ending.

 

If the quaggan path didn't exist I probably wouldn't have made it though and it still took me many tries (on Norn).