Curse

freekedoutfish · Apr 23, 2007, 08:25 AM // 08:25

I did one Kudos post before thanking Anet for the storage updates and other little add-ons over the last few months.

But before anyone starts pointing out issues with Hard Mode (HM as its come to be known when PUGing), Id like to say thanks to Anet for adding this.

HM has completely re-invigorated the game.

You have people actively trying to PUG in Prophecies. It almost brings a tear to your eye to see it.

The best part is that HM doesn’t add more mobs to an area or make creatures over-powered. Their AI has actually been boosted, along with skills changes and lvl increases.

This is how the game should have become harder. I love the way that the chars are now formidable.

It also panders to the "anti AI" players, because trying to use AI in hard mode is just a bad idea. From my experience over the weekend, all the PUGs I joined who tried to use AI failed miserably.

Which is a good thing because you now have two sides to GWs in my view. You have the first part (normal mode), which you can complete using AI if you want to, and then you have the second part (hard mode), which you need to focus more on PUGing to complete.

Hardmode re-introduces the need for PUGs (I recognise I could be wrong, and I’m sure someone will complete HM just using AI).

So Kudus to Anet!

Hardmode has brought back PUGing and re-invigorated old areas.

Bankai · Apr 23, 2007, 08:44 AM // 08:44

Hurray.

More people who adore Hard mode.

I'm not the only one after all.

Edgar The Crosseyed · Apr 23, 2007, 08:47 AM // 08:47

big thumbs up Anet!! Enjoying every minute in hardmode, gives me enough stuff to do

Graci

" bit off topic, but i loved everything in the update that came with hard mode, like acces scrolls and such "

Anna Ryan · Apr 23, 2007, 08:59 AM // 08:59

No, you're not the only one enjoying HM

I had huge fun with my best friend vanquishing 12 Canthan areas this weekend (we were so busy with that we didn't farm any LB or sunspear points, fancy that ;p)
God knows I scolded my friend for having his Goren rush off to the far end of the map, or our lovely Tahlkora who is tank-aholic or screaming 'run away' when Olias dies with 10 Jagged horrors XD
But when you vanquish an area you really feel like you have achieved something. I also got 2 masters in HM : Minister Cho's Estate and Zen Daijun. took me 8 hours to find decent PUG's to get through this mission (we couldn't hero-way this one, not enough firepower to kill the monk boss at the end) but we did succeed

I love every aspect of the update, yeah, even those breaking picklocks, because, well, clearing an area nets you enough gold to rebuy the ones you used

Illuminus · Apr 23, 2007, 09:38 AM // 09:38

Hard Mode is indeed great! The challenge is refreshing and breaths new life into old areas. Taking D'Alessio Seaboard as an example... me and a few guildies had to rethink our build after failing three times at the first meeting with Confessor Dorian. After discussing how to counter the multiple earthquakes, we found a solution and succeeded in finishing the mission. Increased loot drops and lockpickable chests are a great motivation aswell. Farming have been a main income of gold for to long now and its refreshing to know that i can gain the same amount by playing the game normally again.

Kudos to Anet!

Takeko Nakano · Apr 23, 2007, 09:54 AM // 09:54

Please lock the thread - we already have one on HM.

Maybe the hard mode feedback thread should be pinned to the top of sub-forum for a while, mods?

cthulhu reborn · Apr 23, 2007, 09:58 AM // 09:58

Hard mode is good for farming LB points and beyond that I am back again to normal mode cause hard mode exposes too many players in the sense that their shortcomings are even more obvious...Hard mode is too frustrating for me and it's not because hard mode is technically too hard....I'll get back to it in a month or two...perhaps there will have been a significant learning curve by then.

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 10:05 AM // 10:05

Fvck you A-Net.

Hard Mode is the bane of my GW life now.
Not only because it locks away the only possibility of many items (at least at max damage) where I could never possibly reach it... nor because it has likewise locked away the only capable PuGs away from Normal Mode.... but because the new surge in activity made me lag-death so frequently (in Normal Mode, I might add) that I couldn't play all weekend.

I have nothing but resentment for the whole project.... and an especially unpleasant glare for all of those who support it.

SaucE · Apr 23, 2007, 10:15 AM // 10:15

After playing HM all weekend I don't think I could be more frustrated! But in the end I am lovin it! I was getting bored of GW and this has brought in a new challenge for me and friends. We are determined to finish everything in HM before the second expansion to GW3.

freekedoutfish · Apr 23, 2007, 10:58 AM // 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Fvck you A-Net.

Hard Mode is the bane of my GW life now.
Not only because it locks away the only possibility of many items (at least at max damage) where I could never possibly reach it...

Er.... Complete the game and then you can get into Hardmode. Jesus dude!

You only need to complete the campaign on one lvl20 and then all your lvl20s can use HM on that campaign. How much easier do you want Anet to make it to access?

Plus the golds havent all been sucked up and put into HM. They do still exist in NM ya know!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

nor because it has likewise locked away the only capable PuGs away from Normal Mode....

I saw lots of people, including myself, asking for normal mode over the weekend and I found PUGs. But there wasnt a staggering number of PUGs before this weekend! HM has actually brought them out and helped people play in PUGs.

Your still welcome to use henches!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

but because the new surge in activity made me lag-death so frequently (in Normal Mode, I might add) that I couldn't play all weekend.

Oh my dear god!!

Theres actual activity in the game? Thats awfull that is! How dare Anet introduce something that makes people want to play the game.

Shall we all leave the game, and give you a day to yourself, so the servers arent too busy for you?

Grow up!! HM had existed for 48 hours, and you honestly didnt think it would cause some lag for the odd player?

It makes me laugh when players complain that adding new patches, addons or campaigns, causes Lag!! Ofcourse it does. Its only been 48 hours FCS!! Give it time to settle down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

I have nothing but resentment for the whole project.... and an especially unpleasant glare for all of those who support it.

Why did you post that in a pro-HM thread?

Anet ignore this selfish player. We all love you for adding HardMode.

Takeko Nakano · Apr 23, 2007, 11:15 AM // 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

Why did you post that in a pro-HM thread?

1. You are actually breaking forum rules by opening a duplicate thread. As I pointed out, we have a thread on feedback for HM.

2. Do not be so arrogant as to say whether people can make positive/negative comments about a game feature. This is an open forum, and it is not a good idea for people to post mindless praise/rant threads. It is always best to have an open thread for discussion.

So I suggest you ask an admin to close the thread, as you opened it in ignorance, and redirect to the following discussion.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10145570

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 11:21 AM // 11:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

Er.... Complete the game and then you can get into Hardmode. Jesus dude!

You only need to complete the campaign on one lvl20 and then all your lvl20s can use HM on that campaign. How much easier do you want Anet to make it to access?

Plus the golds havent all been sucked up and put into HM. They do still exist in NM ya know!!!!

I know HOW to get to Hard Mode... though admittedly in Nightfall that is proving more difficult for me than you might imagine (I'm having to grind Nightfallen Jahai every day to get Lightbringer Points just to up my title enough to survive the other areas). And no, I haven't managed it with ANY characters yet.
The point is that I can't survive IN Hard Mode... No matter what I might WANT to do, it is far too hard for the likes of me... and all it gets me is frustration and failure.
It isn't about the golds; but about the titles. I need certain titles to prove I am competant and not a "n00b", as people very frequently like to call me.

Quote:

I saw lots of people, including myself, asking for normal mode over the weekend and I found PUGs. But there wasnt a staggering number of PUGs before this weekend! HM has actually brought them out and helped people play in PUGs.

Your still welcome to use henches!!!

While my Heroes are practically micro-managed almost to perfection... the henchies... are not. I need to have a Guildwiki window open constantly to even remind myself of their particular skill-sets for specific selection.... and even then the AI is annoyingly incapable in certain situations.

And lucky you for seeing those PuGs I'm sure. I couldn't get a group in Normal Mode Gate of Madness mission because everyone there was doing Hard Mode LB Farming.... except for the few who were doing the Mission itself in Hard Mode. ¬_¬ ... I tried with heroes and henchies... fought through mobs for ages... only to get wiped by Shiro... Typical. Sometimes I actually need human meatbag help, much as I hate to admit it.

Quote:

Oh my dear god!!

Theres actual activity in the game? Thats awfull that is! How dare Anet introduce something that makes people want to play the game.

Shall we all leave the game, and give you a day to yourself, so the servers arent too busy for you?

Grow up!! HM had existed for 48 hours, and you honestly didnt think it would cause some lag for the odd player?

It makes me laugh when players complain that adding new patches, addons or campaigns, causes Lag!! Ofcourse it does. Its only been 48 hours FCS!! Give it time to settle down.

It is partially the fact that a weekend event I REALLY needed happened at the same time as the release of Hard Mode... meaning serious server-spike... and twice as much grinding I'll have to do now that the weekend is over and activity has softened again.

But more importantly, the GW servers can't handle that kind of influx. I can't hold it against the people for actually coming online.... but I can hold it against A-Net for trying to put all their eggs in one basket in one swoop and ending up smashing a few as a result. It is downright ridiculous. They should either space their events out better or get more servers.

Quote:

Why did you post that in a pro-HM thread?

Because I represent the other side of the argument... to oppose your entirely biased view here. Show A-Net one side of the story alone and they'll think everyone approves... and that is definitely not the case.
Or would you sooner I start a separate thread opposing Hard Mode, get THAT flooded with pro Hard-Mode sentiment, locked and cast away into oblivion? THAT is what happens to certain views here...

Quote:

Anet ignore this selfish player. We all love you for adding HardMode.

Woe betide me for ever disapproving of something. ¬_¬

And no... we don't all love A-Net for it.
Not that I express utter hate based on this one thing, but it is NOT a universally approved addition to Guild Wars... make NO mistake on that. Both sides deserve representation here...

Patrick Smit · Apr 23, 2007, 11:37 AM // 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

...The best part is that HM doesn’t add more mobs to an area or make creatures over-powered. Their AI has actually been boosted, along with skills changes and lvl increases.

This is how the game should have become harder. I love the way that the chars are now formidable.

It also panders to the "anti AI" players, because trying to use AI in hard mode is just a bad idea. From my experience over the weekend, all the PUGs I joined who tried to use AI failed miserably...

On the first paragraph. Creatures are actually overpowered by boosting their output to nearly two times more damage (for melee at least). Now we didnt discuss issues on ignoring game mechanics as movement speed, activation speed and skill recharge besides their ever overflowing pool of energy. Mobs have become IMBA. And to my and many others opinion AI is still not "smart" (i will come back to this).

Chars are formidable, but other lvl 26 mobs have become deadly, 3-4 hits is a guaranteed and sometimes unpreventable death. With skills as corrupt enchantment in HM it's quite difficult to prot effectively. Each 5 seconds an enchant is removed and converted to substantial damage. I can deal with this but it aint easy with henchies and heroes. Its not the smart usage of these skills that HM became more difficult, but by sheer spam increase that it becomes extremely difficult. I attack both the cleric and the warlocks at the same time in order to kill the warlock and keep the clerics busy.

To finalize if u can use AI or not in HM, I say yes. U take a frost build, and you will have an easy time anywhere. it requires 2 players and 6 heroes. u put the spirits in the back and the AI is not smart enought to utterly wipe your build because they dont know how to deal with these spirits or to consider the impact on their attacks/spells. This is why the AI is still normal mode, and it is indeed just gimmick mode and not hard mode.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Ryan

....(we couldn't hero-way this one, not enough firepower to kill the monk boss at the end) but we did succeed

....

This is a typicall example of a generic, but to my opinion a "wrong" approach or reaction to hardmode. Instead it should have induced how to beat a monk not by sheer firepower, but by including skills that will detroy the monks effectiveness, diversion, shame, mark of subversion, E-denial (which only seems to work on players but not mobs), basic interupts, daze (BHA, headbutt-->plague touch, whatever) etc.

bhavv · Apr 23, 2007, 11:37 AM // 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

I know HOW to get to Hard Mode... though admittedly in Nightfall that is proving more difficult for me than you might imagine (I'm having to grind Nightfallen Jahai every day to get Lightbringer Points just to up my title enough to survive the other areas). And no, I haven't managed it with ANY characters yet.
The point is that I can't survive IN Hard Mode... No matter what I might WANT to do, it is far too hard for the likes of me... and all it gets me is frustration and failure.
It isn't about the golds; but about the titles. I need certain titles to prove I am competant and not a "n00b", as people very frequently like to call me.

While my Heroes are practically micro-managed almost to perfection..

I finished nightfall with rank 2 LB with ease, and farm hard mode without much difficulty, using all heros + hench, So I highy doubt your heroes are micro managed to perfection.

If your finding NF difficult, your obviously doing something wrong.

Kudos to Anet for HM and seperating the noobs from the people that actually know how to play the game.

glountz · Apr 23, 2007, 11:59 AM // 11:59

/signed.
The funniest thing about hard mode is that it is opitionnal. I don't think I will try to complete Vainquishing titles but seriusly, I love it.
Still able to do it with henchies, with well-synergised builds, excepted for Realm of Torment or Fire Island, but it is reaaaally fun!

Wtf Its A Monk · Apr 23, 2007, 12:00 PM // 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

I know HOW to get to Hard Mode... though admittedly in Nightfall that is proving more difficult for me than you might imagine (I'm having to grind Nightfallen Jahai every day to get Lightbringer Points just to up my title enough to survive the other areas). And no, I haven't managed it with ANY characters yet.
The point is that I can't survive IN Hard Mode... No matter what I might WANT to do, it is far too hard for the likes of me... and all it gets me is frustration and failure.
It isn't about the golds; but about the titles. I need certain titles to prove I am competant and not a "n00b", as people very frequently like to call me.

I beat Nightfall 2 days after it came out on my dervish with NO rank in lightbringer. Did the same on my ASSASSIN about 2 weeks after that. So please do not complain about the difficulty of normal.....as for getting groups...i guess you are just having bad luck because i have always been able to get a pug with nice people

I would also like to add that HARD MODE ROCKS!!!!!

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 12:00 PM // 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhavv

I finished nightfall with rank 2 LB with ease, and farm hard mode without much difficulty, using all heros + hench, So I highy doubt your heroes are micro managed to perfection.

If your finding NF difficult, your obviously doing something wrong.

Kudos to Anet for HM and seperating the noobs from the people that actually know how to play the game.

Had you failed to notice the part where I mentioned what was wrong was wrong with ME?

And ok... so my description was a rather inaccurate verbal burst...
What I meant to say was that I actually have effective and synergised builds on my heroes... NOT that I spend my entire time controlling all three of them at once in perfect time.

No... the weak cornerstone in the entire set-up is myself.

I find it difficult to cope with rubberbanding for one thing... and frequently mis-time my skills through a combination of weak reflexes and simple lag. The more stressed I get, the worse my play-style becomes.

But you try to make it sound as though I'm failing through lack of effort. Let me assure you I try my damnedest to succeed... but it just doesn't pay off for everyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wtf Its A Monk

I beat Nightfall 2 days after it came out on my dervish with NO rank in lightbringer. Did the same on my ASSASSIN about 2 weeks after that. So please do not complain about the difficulty of normal.....as for getting groups...i guess you are just having bad luck because i have always been able to get a pug with nice people

Well congratulations on having a NASA computer, 100mbit connection, viper reflexes, total awareness of your surroundings, and nigh-on-telepathic synergy with other people. But for the record... not everyone has that... and just because you don't find it hard doesn't mean there aren't countless people struggling just to try and keep up for whatever reason.
Perhaps when you're done you'd like to go to Ethiopia and eat chocolate-bars in front of starving children.

Illuminus · Apr 23, 2007, 12:06 PM // 12:06

Takeko Nakano, this thread was opened to thank ANet for adding Hard Mode.. i dont really see any connection between this one and the one you linked. Leave thread closing decisions to moderators?

Frankly i am really not impressed with the GW community. Coming to these forums is a real dread these days with all the unnecessary negativity.. and in an attempt to do something positive and thank ANet for giving us a huge update for FREE someone comes along and spoil it out of spite.

Sorry for going off topic, but i had to get it off my chest.

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 12:11 PM // 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illuminus

Frankly i am really not impressed with the GW community. Coming to these forums is a real dread these days with all the unnecessary negativity.. and in an attempt to do something positive and thank ANet for giving us a huge update for FREE someone comes along and spoil it out of spite.

Spite?
Hardly.
We just all have our personal bugbears that like to rear their nasty heads from time to time. One of my major ones is that Guild Wars is a highly elitist institution. And no matter how "optional" people might claim Hard Mode to be.... it now sections off well over half the entire game as unachievable for people like myself... as well as furthering the elitist attitude of the populace.

And negativity is never unnecessary.
Take away our ability to offer alternative views and you end up with a Big Brother community with enforced compliance and drone members.
Negativity is what gets problems identified, solutions put forward and things changed for the better.

Bryant Again · Apr 23, 2007, 12:18 PM // 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

The best part is that HM doesn’t add more mobs to an area or make creatures over-powered.

What??? They made every monster overpowered. Where are you playing Hard Mode at to not see this?

That aside, I'll give Hard Mode a "meh...it's alright". It's made me rethink my herohench team, that's for sure, and rethinking is always a little refreshing.