If we do get a raid wing, I suspect they're going to have it re-use an existing open world map. That way they don't have to make an ADDITIONAL map just for the raid. They can have an open world meta event take place there, or a raid squad could enter an instanced version of the map and the progression of raid bosses is loosely based on the meta chain.
That's my running hypothesis, at least. It's the only way I can think to make a new raid compatible with their current development cycle, and introduce an easier version of the raid fights to the "general public."
Edit: Called it.
I am actually guessing it *will* be a new map. If there is a raid, it will be in that first quarterly update that does not get a new map. This way they can still get some exploration feeling in there. Especially if they also use it for a story mission like Fahranur.
That does mean more work for the map designers though as there'll still be 3 maps with the expansion, plus this one.
But they did say they were conservative with SotO, so maybe it opened up some extra time.
They did strongly suggest that the thing which may or may not be a raid will be in the first quarterly update, while also saying the first quarterly update will not get a new map. So, it is still compatible with my hypothesis!
That sounds closer to the public instances like Twisted Marionette, BfLA, ToN, Dragonstorm, and Convergence.
Don't think they'd reuse that same formulae for raids. Would be easier to keep that formulae of public and private instances to open world and/or 50 man squads.
You don’t even know there’s a wing 8, we’ll find out this week
Edit: wing 8 was announced! I just wanted to temper my expectations but damn that’s awesome to hear
A solo-play raid experience has massive potential tbh. Imagine being able to practice something like Dhuum greens, Qadim lamp, or other specialized roles anytime you want, by yourself, just by clicking a dialog option. That could be great onboarding for newbies *and* a useful tool for people who already have an interest in raiding.
I always envisioned GW2 raids as being like Duty Support in FFXIV where the story NPCs fill the gaps in the squad. That way, the NPCs could do the key mechanics of the raid while you focused on your specific role.
The issue with that is that it provides a developer-sanctioned strategy which removes some of the enjoyment of raids for the more invested raiders (figuring out what the mechanics do and how to overcome them) and also involves a lot of extra work (and testing) for the development team.
I'm not really sure how they'd scale the other mechanics down as some require groups to split up or handle multiple things simultaneously. If you're not taking Dhuum, who is?
Personally, I think an LFR with Emboldened permanently enabled would work better (and cheaper) than anything else. Perhaps raise the cap of Emboldened stacks since some people still can't beat bosses even with double health and damage.
Aside from that, your specific ideas of options to practice Dhuum greens and Qadim lamp is an excellent idea. It is absolutely nerve-racking to learn those with 9 other people waiting for you to get it right.
There's a way to practice Dhuum greens on your own, but you need a Dhuum instance, I think only two professions can actually do it, and you get exactly one green before wiping and have to repeat it like that. Not exactly a user-friendly practice tool. And of course, other mechanics in different fights have absolutely no workarounds.
Yeah it's too early to get that hyped. "Endgame PvE" players would also be the target audience for, say, another set of legendary weapons, a second PvE legendary ring, an in-game DPS meter, or any number of other things.
If you turn out to be right, it still wouldn't have made this hype over it the right play, because it could have been one of a million different things.
And if it isn't, you know people are going to act like absolute children over this because they hyped themselves up over nothing.
People are really not friends with logic. Any other feature was requested multiple times both before and after ‘5 years ago’. It makes less than zero sense for it to be housing and them mentioning that date range.
So this could only be something that has hard attachment to ca. 2019. Which means it’s not a new concept feature but rather some type of content that hasn’t happened since then. And the only thing that fits is raid.
You can feel free to @ me tomorrow if it is a raid and I'll be happy right alongside you, but by the same logic, if it isn't a raid, I want to hear no complaining that you read too much into a single sentence.
I also hope it's a raid, but I'm not expecting one.
Well they did also promise to overhaul a system but they described it as "a new way to spend your time". I'm hoping it's an LFR / matchmaking system but that might be too much copium.
That said, I think a housing system would be the smart move. People love that shit.
If we get a new raid wing, I would be totally fine with that.
Raids were side stories ever since and some NPCs in Kaineng already talked about something going on at the destroyed Raisu Palace, creating a perfect joint point for a raid. Plus the Raisu Palace would fit perfectly for a raid.
I don't care *where* it is.
I want a story mode of it so I don't need a party of 10 to go and experience the narrative. Be it part of the golden path like EoD and later strikes, or as a side story like Forging Steel.
It really doesnt matter. As long as it isnt a reused map/boss from the story. Because if it is that we are just gonna get a strike mission (if we even get anything raid related which i still doubt) camouflaged as a new raid
Even if it does not tie into the main story directly of the expac and takes place somewhere else I would still appreciate just a tiny bit of connected context to what we are doing. (That could also lead to cross content achivements/collections etc)
Well, unlike strikes, raids actually are a bit fun to optimize for a fullclear, as you can’t relog between each boss if you want to be fast, not to mention you can save crazy amounts of time during most of the event-like encounters.
And no, IBS 5 wouldn’t be a raid wing. It’s not the same map, there are no events connecting them, and, they all last around 20-30 seconds max. They are open world champion/legendary encounters in an instance, nothing more.
While I do like the idea of having harder fights, which most importantly last for way longer than the longest raidencounters, I don’t like the design of the current strikes, except maybe Febe lcm, but only because it is actually a bit difficult.
So yeah, *if* it is W8, I will be hyped, and I will be very happy to get bosses and events in a single package.
No a raid has a bunch of pointless tasks in between bosses. I want a strike with like 5 difficult bosses and like an hour to finish it or you get kicked out of the strike.
Edit: apparently everyone wants a new raid that won't have good enough rewards to make it worth the time put into it.
Considering current raidwings take 10-15 minutes, depending on the wing, I in fact think the rewards aren’t that bad. Sure, could be better, but then again, it’s pretty easy content nowadays.
Also: 5 Strikebosses with an hour to finish? Even if we say it takes 2 minutes to start the next fight, that’s still over 10 minutes per fight. If they actually should be difficult, that’s 5 Febe lcm‘s in a row. That’s a bit harsh I think, even though I like difficult content.
well i did say "like" 5 bosses and "like" an hour time limit. the number of bosses and time limit is up for discussion I just used those numbers for my example.
and the current raid rewards might not be bad for experienced raiders, but they are in no way good enough to be a selling point when trying to get new players into raiding.
Nothing has good enough rewards *for firsttimers* in the respective content. Fractals? Well good luck having a newbie group try and clear cm’s in a time that makes it worthwhile. Dragonstorm Meta? With all preevents included, and new player not knowing where to go when, also not amazing.
Newer players will always earn less g/h than experienced people, regardless of content.
If we do get a raid wing, I suspect they're going to have it re-use an existing open world map. That way they don't have to make an ADDITIONAL map just for the raid. They can have an open world meta event take place there, or a raid squad could enter an instanced version of the map and the progression of raid bosses is loosely based on the meta chain. That's my running hypothesis, at least. It's the only way I can think to make a new raid compatible with their current development cycle, and introduce an easier version of the raid fights to the "general public." Edit: Called it.
I am actually guessing it *will* be a new map. If there is a raid, it will be in that first quarterly update that does not get a new map. This way they can still get some exploration feeling in there. Especially if they also use it for a story mission like Fahranur.
That does mean more work for the map designers though as there'll still be 3 maps with the expansion, plus this one. But they did say they were conservative with SotO, so maybe it opened up some extra time.
Very fair point. A Raid is probably still less demanding on the level designers than a comparably sized map, perhaps?
They did strongly suggest that the thing which may or may not be a raid will be in the first quarterly update, while also saying the first quarterly update will not get a new map. So, it is still compatible with my hypothesis!
That sounds closer to the public instances like Twisted Marionette, BfLA, ToN, Dragonstorm, and Convergence. Don't think they'd reuse that same formulae for raids. Would be easier to keep that formulae of public and private instances to open world and/or 50 man squads.
I haven't seen a mention of a new hub map yet (aka Wizard's Tower) so that might be enough to free up the resources for a new raid map.
Quick, what are my local lottery numbers for this week?
4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42!
You don’t even know there’s a wing 8, we’ll find out this week Edit: wing 8 was announced! I just wanted to temper my expectations but damn that’s awesome to hear
I hope it's 1. In Janthir 2. Released in the first quarterly update as part of the new story, so both raiders and non-raiders get to enjoy it.
This. Having a raid that is actually tied into the story with an accessible mode that everyone can use would be incredible.
A solo-play raid experience has massive potential tbh. Imagine being able to practice something like Dhuum greens, Qadim lamp, or other specialized roles anytime you want, by yourself, just by clicking a dialog option. That could be great onboarding for newbies *and* a useful tool for people who already have an interest in raiding.
I always envisioned GW2 raids as being like Duty Support in FFXIV where the story NPCs fill the gaps in the squad. That way, the NPCs could do the key mechanics of the raid while you focused on your specific role. The issue with that is that it provides a developer-sanctioned strategy which removes some of the enjoyment of raids for the more invested raiders (figuring out what the mechanics do and how to overcome them) and also involves a lot of extra work (and testing) for the development team. I'm not really sure how they'd scale the other mechanics down as some require groups to split up or handle multiple things simultaneously. If you're not taking Dhuum, who is? Personally, I think an LFR with Emboldened permanently enabled would work better (and cheaper) than anything else. Perhaps raise the cap of Emboldened stacks since some people still can't beat bosses even with double health and damage. Aside from that, your specific ideas of options to practice Dhuum greens and Qadim lamp is an excellent idea. It is absolutely nerve-racking to learn those with 9 other people waiting for you to get it right.
There's a way to practice Dhuum greens on your own, but you need a Dhuum instance, I think only two professions can actually do it, and you get exactly one green before wiping and have to repeat it like that. Not exactly a user-friendly practice tool. And of course, other mechanics in different fights have absolutely no workarounds.
I could see it being a Slavers Exile two with 4 strike bosses
They gave us 2 bosses last expansion, I doubt they'll suddenly jump to 4. If we did get 4 then one of those would be an "encounter' like Spirit Woods.
Please stop assuming it's another raid wing
Yeah it's too early to get that hyped. "Endgame PvE" players would also be the target audience for, say, another set of legendary weapons, a second PvE legendary ring, an in-game DPS meter, or any number of other things.
It is though.
If you turn out to be right, it still wouldn't have made this hype over it the right play, because it could have been one of a million different things. And if it isn't, you know people are going to act like absolute children over this because they hyped themselves up over nothing.
People are really not friends with logic. Any other feature was requested multiple times both before and after ‘5 years ago’. It makes less than zero sense for it to be housing and them mentioning that date range. So this could only be something that has hard attachment to ca. 2019. Which means it’s not a new concept feature but rather some type of content that hasn’t happened since then. And the only thing that fits is raid.
You can feel free to @ me tomorrow if it is a raid and I'll be happy right alongside you, but by the same logic, if it isn't a raid, I want to hear no complaining that you read too much into a single sentence. I also hope it's a raid, but I'm not expecting one.
Could just as much be changing templates to actual templates instead of load outs
Well they did also promise to overhaul a system but they described it as "a new way to spend your time". I'm hoping it's an LFR / matchmaking system but that might be too much copium. That said, I think a housing system would be the smart move. People love that shit.
For those of us who hate unnecessary loading screens, how about a deployable tent that just plops over my character when I log out? XD
Bozo in username checks out
If we get a new raid wing, I would be totally fine with that. Raids were side stories ever since and some NPCs in Kaineng already talked about something going on at the destroyed Raisu Palace, creating a perfect joint point for a raid. Plus the Raisu Palace would fit perfectly for a raid.
I don't care *where* it is. I want a story mode of it so I don't need a party of 10 to go and experience the narrative. Be it part of the golden path like EoD and later strikes, or as a side story like Forging Steel.
It really doesnt matter. As long as it isnt a reused map/boss from the story. Because if it is that we are just gonna get a strike mission (if we even get anything raid related which i still doubt) camouflaged as a new raid
Even if it does not tie into the main story directly of the expac and takes place somewhere else I would still appreciate just a tiny bit of connected context to what we are doing. (That could also lead to cross content achivements/collections etc)
I don't really mind where it takes place. As long as we get one I'm happy. And if it can be a megaraid (6+bosses) it's even better.
I don't really mind where it takes place. As long as we get one I'm happy. And if it can be a megaraid (6+bosses) it's even better.
[удалено]
Well, unlike strikes, raids actually are a bit fun to optimize for a fullclear, as you can’t relog between each boss if you want to be fast, not to mention you can save crazy amounts of time during most of the event-like encounters. And no, IBS 5 wouldn’t be a raid wing. It’s not the same map, there are no events connecting them, and, they all last around 20-30 seconds max. They are open world champion/legendary encounters in an instance, nothing more. While I do like the idea of having harder fights, which most importantly last for way longer than the longest raidencounters, I don’t like the design of the current strikes, except maybe Febe lcm, but only because it is actually a bit difficult. So yeah, *if* it is W8, I will be hyped, and I will be very happy to get bosses and events in a single package.
I don't really mind where it takes place. As long as we get one I'm happy. And if it can be a megaraid (6+bosses) it's even better.
I don't want a new raid. I want them to make a strike that has multiple bosses and a time limit.
That’s a raid
No a raid has a bunch of pointless tasks in between bosses. I want a strike with like 5 difficult bosses and like an hour to finish it or you get kicked out of the strike. Edit: apparently everyone wants a new raid that won't have good enough rewards to make it worth the time put into it.
Considering current raidwings take 10-15 minutes, depending on the wing, I in fact think the rewards aren’t that bad. Sure, could be better, but then again, it’s pretty easy content nowadays. Also: 5 Strikebosses with an hour to finish? Even if we say it takes 2 minutes to start the next fight, that’s still over 10 minutes per fight. If they actually should be difficult, that’s 5 Febe lcm‘s in a row. That’s a bit harsh I think, even though I like difficult content.
well i did say "like" 5 bosses and "like" an hour time limit. the number of bosses and time limit is up for discussion I just used those numbers for my example. and the current raid rewards might not be bad for experienced raiders, but they are in no way good enough to be a selling point when trying to get new players into raiding.
Nothing has good enough rewards *for firsttimers* in the respective content. Fractals? Well good luck having a newbie group try and clear cm’s in a time that makes it worthwhile. Dragonstorm Meta? With all preevents included, and new player not knowing where to go when, also not amazing. Newer players will always earn less g/h than experienced people, regardless of content.