I’m with Karmajay, I’d strongly recommend getting Path of Fire for the mounts alone. They throw HoT in pretty regularly. You could wait for a sale, but getting the raptor mount at the very least really improves game traversal.
Heart of Thorns is now permanently bundled with Path of Fire.
if you have the full core version of the game (rather than the free-to-play one), I would recommend just diving back in and playing a new character up to lvl80 before buying the expansion.
Perfect - thanks! I have the full core version - time to start a new toon. When do mounts come into play? Is that a level 80 thing?
Yes. Once you have Heart of Thorns you get gliding, and then Path of Fire gives you your first real mount. Take your time, enjoy the system, watch for content sales. It's a great game that you can play for years.
Definitely see if you can find a decent group to play with. Having folks around can greatly accelerate your progress as well as your understanding of the mechanisms. This game has a lot of mechanisms lol.
So the very first mission in Path of Fire gives you a mount. I highly recommend jumping to Path of Fire immediately when you hit 80 and do the first mission to get a mount and then feel free to go back and do whatever. Makes life so much easier. Mounts are also unlocked account wide so you will then always have one for every new character.
I actually recommend doing HoF through, without the mount, until you naturally get to Path of Fire. Follow the path of development as intended, take the challenges as they come, become an expert glider. That's my take, but I'm a traditionalist in these things. Still, it's rare to have part of a game preserved like that for so many years, and be able to experience the original challenge still intact. I think that's worthwhile.
I wish the same had been done to preserve the original challenge of Moria in LotRO (and that it had been fully developed as intended). But while it was a unique experience for the time, it's just become a quick waystation in the game, rather than a terrifyingly complex underground experience. At least Heart of Thorns can still be played in the original way.
I actually recommend doing HoF through, without the mount, until you naturally get to Path of Fire. Follow the path of development as intended, take the challenges as they come, become an expert glider. That's my take, but I'm a traditionalist in these things. Still, it's rare to have part of a game preserved like that for so many years, and be able to experience the original challenge still intact. I think that's worthwhile.
I wish the same had been done to preserve the original challenge of Moria in LotRO (and that it had been fully developed as intended). But while it was a unique experience for the time, it's just become a quick waystation in the game, rather than a terrifyingly complex underground experience. At least Heart of Thorns can still be played in the original way.
I hated Moria with the deepest of passions. Because of the multiple levels and pathing you could never count on the minimap arrow to get you to a quest area. I don't know what it's fate has become in the game, but I'd have no problems if it suffered a massive cave-in and was simply removed from the game.
...And in the original version, the lighting was about 30% less, and there were no quest location arrows. You were literally wondering when you were going to fall off a cliff or whether you were delving into some area completely unrelated to your quest, and potentially well above your level. It was nerve-wracking to explore, just like in the books, and for me that greatly added to the game. It took *work* to find your way through, and that's rare enough in MMOs.
Also, the 3D nature of the environment was the first time I'd seen caves done accurately in the MMO space. The map was mind-bending.
Sorry, Robert, but hard, hard disagree on the advice to wait. Some falls in the core game were deadly without the glider and then you had to port out or wait for a kind soul to pick you back up. The glider and mounts have been incredible “quality of gaming” improvements, and I’m not sure that it’s necessary that new players be compelled to suffer the growing pains of past. Level a character to learn its mechanics, sure. But go without a raptor and glider? Unthinkable!
It only has to be done once, and what can I say? Sometimes I just like a bit more difficulty in an MMO. You make good points, though.
But go without a raptor and glider? Unthinkable!
I'm in the "don't skip to the glider and raptor right away" camp.
yes, they are both really, really handy. they are great QoL improvements.
..but they also trivialise a lot of core content.
many Vistas go from mini jumping puzzles to just another PoI.
the natural exploration of just walking around, investigating features you see from a distance, disappears as you raptor run from point to point. same goes for killing ambient mobs, why stop for a fight when you can run and leap past everything.
In fact, when I got my first mount (after a lot of work in HoT), I found myself exploring, and then backtracking to actually level. That was the first time in my game experience that I really could spend time in areas that would otherwise have killed me. It changed the way the game revealed itself. I feel that some of the later areas take that into account, with areas where mounts don’t work and others that are just too dense to get through if you’re not close to level, but it does change the way the characters interact with the game, and I agree with GrandmaFunk that it can trivialize the first 80 levels of the game.
Remember, once you do this once, you don’t have to repeat it again. For me, that’s where the value comes in. Once you have played it through, you have an idea of how to play and you don’t need to progress and learn. Skipping becomes viable. But for the first character (or three lol), playing it through is an essential experience in the game that those of us who were there before gliding and mounts took for granted and, in fact, enjoyed enough to play through without complaint.
There is definitely a part of me that misses the utter viscousness of HoT at launch. Now you can just sprint past encounters that would have had you sweating before.
But on the other hand I don't enjoy the jumping puzzle aspect of many Vistas, so being able to jump up in one Springer bounce means a lot less frustration.
The jumping puzzles are maintained throughout the game, so you have to learn them sooner or later. And some are integral to quest lines...
I don't know that I've ever done an actual JP that didn't have a friendly Mesmer (Eleima) at the bottom.
Considering at launch we all played through Heart of Thorns without mounts and at the original difficulty, mounts aren't essential outside of Path of Fire (and I'm in the camp that thinks pre-PoF maps are better experienced first without mounts).
First time, mind you. I use mounts on all my new chars now.
I will say, the Christmas event is the best thing ever to master jumping. You get that down at the beginner level, you'll be able to do just about any jumping puzzle in the game with much less difficulty.
I *love* jumping puzzles. And jumping puzzles usually turn off mounts and gliders in their vicinity. But they can also be very frustrating and unforgiving. I love them. I’ve done all of those in the core game, I’ve gone out of my way. But some people hate them. Heck, I hated the HoT maps and spent as little time in them as possible.
I’m the end, it’s nice that both options are available. If you want to run around “as it was meant to be”, you can. If you want to zoom around on a jackal, you can. The opportunity to choose is paramount.
I agree.
Started a Guardian Plant Lady named Cherriah on Northern Shiverpeaks. On the Contacs screen it says 'Mixolyde.5839' if that helps. Would love an invite!
Sent you an invite! You should see it next time you're online. It'l be useful, if only for the roster and to find other goodjers.
Also, folks, we'll be running the Mad King event on Saturday, October 17th, at 9pm CET, 8pm UK, 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific. I hope to see you then!!
Does home world still matter? I am on Stormbluff Isle. Legoland Defender.6487
I think it only matters when doing WvW - normal PvE stuff you can be anywhere.
Sent you an invite! You should see it next time you're online. It'l be useful, if only for the roster and to find other goodjers.
Also, folks, we'll be running the Mad King event on Saturday, October 17th, at 9pm CET, 8pm UK, 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific. I hope to see you then!!
Accepted, thanks!
It does if you want to be able to do WvW together, I believe. Guild invite has been sent.
Ah cool (I do not do any of the pvp stuffs). Please send an invite to Francois.8152 also. Thanks
Invite sent!
When you're only dipping into the game periodically you really appreciate the horizontal progression. GW2 hasn't been 'the game' for me for years, but I can still log in on my characters, update their builds, and my gear is as good as it was when I stopped. I just started playing again to do the last couple of living world chapters, then got the bug and started working my way through HoT and PoF maps on my Daredevil. Even managed to finish a few of the specialisation collections I'd left uncompleted.
I'm not finding the Champions content all that gripping so will probably work on achievements and collections but I'm looking forward to a new expansion.
Oh, and finished all the masteries for the Griffon. Swooping around the maps is great!
Still need to get the griffon but will probably wait for Cantha before getting back into things. Love my skimmer so the new underwater mastery will likely hook me; I'm that person who likes the underwater stuff. Obviously too much Kedge Keep during my formative years.
I’ve decided to start over with a new character and not cheat with boosts this time. My problem though is it feels so boring to just level hearts in low areas. Anyone have suggestions for a faster experience? Should I run dungeons or jump over to WVW? Or does it get better at higher level maps?
It’s been so long since I leveled I’ve forgotten how to do this most efficiently. I also don’t know if there are new events or ways to level. Fractals are just for 80s right?
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