Guild Wars 2 | Colin and MO Talk Heart of Thorns, Raids, and Free to Play | MMORPG

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Guild Wars 2 | Colin and MO Talk Heart of Thorns, Raids, and Free to Play | MMORPG

During PAX Prime 2015, ArenaNet announced that not only is Guild Wars 2 (the base game) becoming free to play, not only is Heart of Thorns launching on October 23rd, but raids, legendary armor, and more are coming as part of the end-game experience in Heart of Thorns. We chatted with Colin Johanson and Mike O’Brien after the presentation to go deeper into all things HoT.

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Avarix

Still confused on how many maps. Is it just going to be the one? I understand it has lots of layers and wings, but is it just the one that they are counting as 3 because of it's layers?

BillMurphy

Avarix said:

Still confused on how many maps. Is it just going to be the one? I understand it has lots of layers and wings, but is it just the one that they are counting as 3 because of it's layers?

They're counting it as four big maps, plus the raid and guild halls. All part of the Maguuma region.

Katriz

@BillMurphy Thanks for asking about guilds hall, but i bet they havent invite any guilds who are interested especially in pvp arena. This pvp arena has all mechanic people were asking for (especially gvg deathmatch people from wvw). But the size of playable arena is way too small and we still dont know the max number of people able to play in same time. They are giving us such a big guild halls and only small place for pvp. They could have added upgrades to arena, which would increase the size. Maybe you will have a chance to ask them next time. Next problem is WvW, which is being neglected for 3 years, wvw has same core issues for 3 years and expansion wont change it. Even on pax panel they havent mentioned wvw, shows how they are interested in improving wvw.

Gaia_Hunter

Katriz said:

@BillMurphy Thanks for asking about guilds hall, but i bet they havent invite any guilds who are interested especially in pvp arena. This pvp arena has all mechanic people were asking for (especially gvg deathmatch people from wvw). But the size of playable arena is way too small and we still dont know the max number of people able to play in same time. They are giving us such a big guild halls and only small place for pvp. They could have added upgrades to arena, which would increase the size. Maybe you will have a chance to ask them next time. Next problem is WvW, which is being neglected for 3 years, wvw has same core issues for 3 years and expansion wont change it. Even on pax panel they havent mentioned wvw, shows how they are interested in improving wvw.

They do have new borderland maps for WvW.

Katriz

After 3 years of doing nothing? Wasting resources on edge of the mist map, which is being used by pve karma trains. There are really big core wvw issues, which are more important than new map. Also look what wvw is getting: new map, guild claiming system from guild halls. That is all. Where is our legendary backpiece item? pve and spvp are getting it, and here is next issue, REWARDS in WvW.

Smokey42356

@billmurphy I think your post to Avarix may be a bit confusing. People are seeing the map used for the beta weekends and asking is that the only map. From what I have seen HOT will have 4 distinct maps with any combination of the 3 layers existing inside those maps some will have all three some may just have one. So @Avarix that map that we have seen in the BWEs is 25% of one layer of one of four distinct PVE maps (this is not counting raids, wvw, or guild halls.

Diovid

Katriz said:

After 3 years of doing nothing? Wasting resources on edge of the mist map, which is being used by pve karma trains. There are really big core wvw issues, which are more important than new map. Also look what wvw is getting: new map, guild claiming system from guild halls. That is all. Where is our legendary backpiece item? pve and spvp are getting it, and here is next issue, REWARDS in WvW.

They are actually doing a lot more. See here: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_Heart_of_Thorns#World_versus_World (note: those additions are changes are coming to all players, not just to those with HoT).

Thupli

Compared to a map the size of silverwastes, or to something like lornars pass?

Kalmporos

Smokey42356 said:

@billmurphy I think your post to Avarix may be a bit confusing. People are seeing the map used for the beta weekends and asking is that the only map. From what I have seen HOT will have 4 distinct maps with any combination of the 3 layers existing inside those maps some will have all three some may just have one. So @Avarix that map that we have seen in the BWEs is 25% of one layer of one of four distinct PVE maps (this is not counting raids, wvw, or guild halls.

You may dream of that but its not what they are saying.
They are counting each "biome" as a map (Roots, Floor, Canopy).
The fourth map is a mystery but from the interview I believe it is the raid and I quote:

MMORPG: When you say “these huge maps” do you have a comparison?

Colin: They’re three distinct biomes, if you will.  The jungle floor, the core lush experience. The canopy, way up high where the airships are crashed and all of that. And you’ll use helicopters, gliding and mushrooms to get there. And then under the jungle there are the roots. And then the raid (and its 3 wings) are a whole different region in a sense.

Diovid

Kalmporos said:

Smokey42356 said:

@billmurphy I think your post to Avarix may be a bit confusing. People are seeing the map used for the beta weekends and asking is that the only map. From what I have seen HOT will have 4 distinct maps with any combination of the 3 layers existing inside those maps some will have all three some may just have one. So @Avarix that map that we have seen in the BWEs is 25% of one layer of one of four distinct PVE maps (this is not counting raids, wvw, or guild halls.

You may dream of that but its not what they are saying.
They are counting each "biome" as a map (Roots, Floor, Canopy).
The fourth map is a mystery but from the interview I believe it is the raid and I quote:

MMORPG: When you say “these huge maps” do you have a comparison?

Colin: They’re three distinct biomes, if you will.  The jungle floor, the core lush experience. The canopy, way up high where the airships are crashed and all of that. And you’ll use helicopters, gliding and mushrooms to get there. And then under the jungle there are the roots. And then the raid (and its 3 wings) are a whole different region in a sense.

No, you misunderstood. They are saying that there are 4 zones (seperate from raids, guild halls and so on) and each of these 4 zones has 3 biomes i.e. they are vertically larger than normal zones.

Kalmporos

Diovid said:

Kalmporos said:

Smokey42356 said:

No, you misunderstood. They are saying that there are 4 zones (seperate from raids, guild halls and so on) and each of these 4 zones has 3 biomes i.e. they are vertically larger than normal zones.

I know that " you want to believe" but the unclear way they present things, the unclear way they answer in interviews says otherwise.

Nowhere is stated clearly that each on these 4 zones are separated in 3 biomes and believe me, if your game has a landmass that big you WANT to advertise it.

Instead we get half answers, and how the maps are replayable and how they are vertical and cool.
I'll quote again:

MMORPG: When you say “these huge maps” do you have a comparison?
Colin: They’re three distinct biomes, if you will. 

"They (these huge maps the maps) are three distinct biomes..."

JackDamian

@Kalmporos No you really are wrong and i made this account to tell you why, 4 MAPS where datamined AND in the anouncement for the next beta weekend they said: ''For our second beta weekend test, you’ll be landing in a different part of the map than the one we showed in our first beta weekend, and you’ll be able to explore a new area: the jungle-floor biome'' proving the fact that MAPS consist of BIOMES and that they are obviously not the same thing, please pay more attention next time you get into an argument.

Smokey42356

@billmurphy I think your post to Avarix may be a bit confusing. People are seeing the map used for the beta weekends and asking is that the only map. From what I have seen HOT will have 4 distinct maps with any combination of the 3 layers existing inside those maps some will have all three some may just have one. So @Avarix that map that we have seen in the BWEs is 25% of one layer of one of four distinct PVE maps (this is not counting raids, wvw, or guild halls.

Kalmporos said:

Diovid said:

Kalmporos said:

Smokey42356 said:

No, you misunderstood. They are saying that there are 4 zones (seperate from raids, guild halls and so on) and each of these 4 zones has 3 biomes i.e. they are vertically larger than normal zones.

I know that " you want to believe" but the unclear way they present things, the unclear way they answer in interviews says otherwise.

Nowhere is stated clearly that each on these 4 zones are separated in 3 biomes and believe me, if your game has a landmass that big you WANT to advertise it.

Instead we get half answers, and how the maps are replayable and how they are vertical and cool.
I'll quote again:

MMORPG: When you say “these huge maps” do you have a comparison?
Colin: They’re three distinct biomes, if you will. 

"They (these huge maps the maps) are three distinct biomes..."

You'll journey through four of the largest, most diverse and replayable maps ever built in the world of Guild Wars®; maps in Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns are designed as three-dimensional volumes rather than traditional flat planes. You'll have more to explore as you travel through the jungle biomes, from the canopy heights to the jungle floor and deep below into the jungle roots. Source http://heartofthorns.guildwars2.com/game/maguuma

JackDamian

Smokey42356 said:

@billmurphy I think your post to Avarix may be a bit confusing. People are seeing the map used for the beta weekends and asking is that the only map. From what I have seen HOT will have 4 distinct maps with any combination of the 3 layers existing inside those maps some will have all three some may just have one. So @Avarix that map that we have seen in the BWEs is 25% of one layer of one of four distinct PVE maps (this is not counting raids, wvw, or guild halls.

And btw @smokey42356 they said that not all maps have all 3 biomes, and I believe it is 25% of the full map and not 25% of the biome. And to add they also said that the layers don't fill up all of the map, it's not 3 or 2 big ''squares'' under/over each other.

Dakeru

So much confusion about the number of maps because Anet is being so damn vague.

monarc333

BillMurphy said:

Avarix said:

Still confused on how many maps. Is it just going to be the one? I understand it has lots of layers and wings, but is it just the one that they are counting as 3 because of it's layers?

They're counting it as four big maps, plus the raid and guild halls. All part of the Maguuma region.

So its 4 maps but each map has 3 biomes in it? So we are really getting 12 areas to explore? If so that's a healthy chunk of exploring. I'm cautiosly excited about the raiding. As someone who has a kid coming and works long hours I would love to raid but not if its the same type of raiding I used to do in WoW. Meaning a couple hours at a time. Hopefully they took the concept of 1 Fractal at a time and reduced the time needed in raids as well. Not speaking from a casual perspective but more from a time consumption perspective.

Kalmporos

JackDamian said:

@Kalmporos No you really are wrong and i made this account to tell you why, 4 MAPS where datamined AND in the anouncement for the next beta weekend they said: ''For our second beta weekend test, you’ll be landing in a different part of the map than the one we showed in our first beta weekend, and you’ll be able to explore a new area: the jungle-floor biome'' proving the fact that MAPS consist of BIOMES and that they are obviously not the same thing, please pay more attention next time you get into an argument.

I'd love to see source of that datamine....
Because you know, without sources my "opinion" is as valid as your "opinion".

Dakeru said:

So much confusion about the number of maps because Anet is being so damn vague.

They are vague because they know that if they reveal the truth "fans" wont like it.

JackDamian

Kalmporos said:

JackDamian said:

@Kalmporos No you really are wrong and i made this account to tell you why, 4 MAPS where datamined AND in the anouncement for the next beta weekend they said: ''For our second beta weekend test, you’ll be landing in a different part of the map than the one we showed in our first beta weekend, and you’ll be able to explore a new area: the jungle-floor biome'' proving the fact that MAPS consist of BIOMES and that they are obviously not the same thing, please pay more attention next time you get into an argument.

I'd love to see source of that datamine....
Because you know, without sources my "opinion" is as valid as your "opinion".

Dakeru said:

So much confusion about the number of maps because Anet is being so damn vague.

They are vague because they know that if they reveal the truth "fans" wont like it.

if you're ignoring the direct quote i gave from the main blog, and the link smokey linked.

Kalmporos

JackDamian said:

if you're ignoring the direct quote i gave from the main blog, and the link smokey linked.

Not the website. I have access to that, and its full of vague terms.

I'm asking about the datamine you made an account to make me aware of?

Does it even exist? Guess not...

Diovid

Kalmporos said:

JackDamian said:

if you're ignoring the direct quote i gave from the main blog, and the link smokey linked.

Not the website. I have access to that, and its full of vague terms.

I'm asking about the datamine you made an account to make me aware of?

Does it even exist? Guess not...

I think this is what he refers to: https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/3gjs8g/datamining_hot_map_reward_tracks/

JackDamian

Diovid said:

Kalmporos said:

JackDamian said:

if you're ignoring the direct quote i gave from the main blog, and the link smokey linked.

Not the website. I have access to that, and its full of vague terms.

I'm asking about the datamine you made an account to make me aware of?

Does it even exist? Guess not...

I think this is what he refers to: https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/3gjs8g/datamining_hot_map_reward_tracks/

yup! thanks! And @kalmporos I was talking about how what I said has atleast more FACT than your ''opinions'' which has 0 in your terms against my 1. and could you be less snarky please, since you still don't have any proof for the things you stated as fact and didn't give any apology for spreading false information.

lilHeala

For me the wiki states the number of maps most clearly. https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_Heart_of_Thorns#The_Heart_of_Maguuma

Four open world maps made up of three distinct biomes The roots, which run deep beneath the jungle The floor of the jungle itself The canopy heights, where the Pact fleet is scattered across the top of the jungle

It would be a little bit clearer if they added "each" to the first sentence as it's still not clear wether each map contains 3 biomes but at least it contradicts the assumption of an earlier poster that 1 biome would count as 1 map as then there would be only 3 maps. It's at least 0.75 biome per map or 1.33 map per biome

Gaia_Hunter

lilHeala said:

For me the wiki states the number of maps most clearly. https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_2:_Heart_of_Thorns#The_Heart_of_Maguuma

Four open world maps made up of three distinct biomes The roots, which run deep beneath the jungle The floor of the jungle itself The canopy heights, where the Pact fleet is scattered across the top of the jungle

It would be a little bit clearer if they added "each" to the first sentence as it's still not clear wether each map contains 3 biomes but at least it contradicts the assumption of an earlier poster that 1 biome would count as 1 map as then there would be only 3 maps. It's at least 0.75 biome per map or 1.33 map per biome

They have always said that each heart of thorns map will have the roots level, ground level and canopy level.

Now they said there will be 4 of those maps.

Stuka1000

I play GW2 at the moment but I just find it hard to get excited about HoT. Nothing they have announced appeals to me and raids have never interested me ( yup, I'm one of the 95% ). I hope it does ok for Anet but I for one will not be buying it.

Kalmporos

But all these dreams of 4 maps with 3 level each are false because:

ArenaColin: We said the jungle is made up of those layers, not that all maps have all three These maps are huge, but I don't want to give the impression it's more than it is.

source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/3g5rpe/hot_map_is_huge_there_is_a_underground_area/ctvawvp

JackDamian said:
yup! thanks! And @kalmporos I was talking about how what I said has atleast more FACT than your ''opinions'' which has 0 in your terms against my 1. and could you be less snarky please, since you still don't have any proof for the things you stated as fact and didn't give any apology for spreading false information.

Proof? Why should I present any proof? I'm just stating my opinion from the start.

Its just that you GW2 fanboys get over-defensive. Can't blame you though. The game needs it.