In summary:
from Kaineng all the way up to Maatu = mindnumbing
from Sunjiang onwards = interesting (provided you already has 10K factions so your character can advance through without a hitch)
after Imperial Sanctum = no more content
What's your take on the new PvE conten? For some reason I *really* dread the content prior to Maatu.
I've taken 2 characters through Factions and with all the boring city stuff and the needing 10k luxon faction and not enough unique quests to get it I can't see me bothering to take my other 3 characters through Factions, let alone try one of the two new professions.
oh dear... more single minded solo pve'ing opinions.
upto maatu was just the same as the jungle, everyone hated it and dreaded it, but when they had rushed through the game and got bored they went back to maguuma ... and suprise suprise, the jungle is probably the most interesting place with really rich in scenery and the missions are actually fun and challenging and everytime you play it people enjoy it.
Keieng seemed like hardwork the first time, but the second time around, I really enjoyed it! its really atmospheric and interesting.. and it was all done with before I knew it.. oh and this time around, there are LOADS more people to play with.
I've got a good guild a good alliance and good friends.. its amazing how much better a multi-player game gets when you actually play it MULTI PLAYER!
people always say the dread doing keieng, but when you get some good players together its really easy and great fun!
I would have to agree that the fun stuff doesnt really begin until Maatu. The claustrophobic feeling of the city just plain sucks to me. It's no fun pulling one group and 2 more suddenly running full speed down some alley to kill my party. The spots after maatu are just more fun to hunt in for me. and dont worry generik, I doubt you're alone in hating the maps before maatu.
Erm where did I say I solo'ed it all? FYI I'm in a large guild and alliance and a lot of them feel the same way - way too much back tracking and covering the same ground and stupid time limits.
Kaieng isn't hard work because its a challange it's hard work because it's so bloody boring, unlike the maguuma jungles which I actually enjoyed - worst part of propechies for me was the desert, but even that pisses over factions.
i think mr snowman with his narrow minded 'i know how all people play the game' opinion doesnt realise we dont all think the same as him. general feeling from looking at this forum is that the people who hate the city area more than outweigh the few who like it.
as with the post above me, i have not seen an area as bad as the city in prophecies even though i do hate the jungle even after returning to it a couple of times.
in my opinion the city area is a mindless boring grind with no reward other than progressing and its a shame this is the only way someone who has finished the missions already can actually get another character through.
and the 10k faction to proceed and the nerfed missions that made getting it easier? what can i say, anet you know how to put people off from playing your game dont you, did you do market research for that. some of us would actually like to do both sides missions without having to faction farm to get through.
oh dear... more single minded solo pve'ing opinions.
upto maatu was just the same as the jungle, everyone hated it and dreaded it, but when they had rushed through the game and got bored they went back to maguuma ... and suprise suprise, the jungle is probably the most interesting place with really rich in scenery and the missions are actually fun and challenging and everytime you play it people enjoy it.
Keieng seemed like hardwork the first time, but the second time around, I really enjoyed it! its really atmospheric and interesting.. and it was all done with before I knew it.. oh and this time around, there are LOADS more people to play with.
I've got a good guild a good alliance and good friends.. its amazing how much better a multi-player game gets when you actually play it MULTI PLAYER!
people always say the dread doing keieng, but when you get some good players together its really easy and great fun!
So not to be a single minded, i need to agree with the bull that you on about?
Before Maatu Keep it Sucks, this is my opinion, and if u not happy stick a sock on it.
You the narrow minded if you cant understand and dont want to understand people opinions.
Playing through the first time is pretty good. The 10k faction quest wasn't any trouble since I had already 12v12ed in the preview to 10k faction. Now the second time through I'm avoiding playing altogether cause of that quest.
I don't think theres any part of prophecies anyone really dreads besides the jungle, and you can skip that completely by getting run to riverside or sanctum cay and not miss much, but the city to matuu, UGH man I literally breathed in the fresh air of pong mei (fat little sister in chinese lol) valley as soon as I escaped the stench of asian ghetto
Sigh, actually before Maatu is the best part of the game, IMHO. I loved the cityscape so much than when they finally get around to letting us buy character slots I'm going to buy a slot for a character to run around the city doing the quests, then delete her and remake.
Snow's single minded players reference was written in response to:
1) The fact that a lot of you seem to think you speak for the majority of us, when that clearly isn't the case. I know a number of people who love the city area as much as I do.
AND
2) The fact that a lot of players don't like running around with other players and if they can't do it with solo or with henchies it must be too hard, too boring etc.
I loved the city, I loved getting out of the city. The landscape in Factions was incredible, every single part of it.
I actually like the feel of the cities, but running past the illusionist for the 29085th time on the same character is... annoying. People would appreciate the landscape more if we didn't have to appreciate it again and again and again and again and...
I enjoyed the quests in Keineng and the Kurzik quests and the Luxton quests. Some got a bit boring, but that was an indication to take a break and do something else/play a different character/do a mission instead of questing. Did I feel like strangling the ministry? hell yeah! Then again, if you really want to know what the civil service is about in any country, those quests give a great insight into it.
Most memorable were the ministry quests for their frustration with the ministry, the part where you drink the corrupted challise, and the luxton quest where you get to do the expedition with the sea monster. Oh.. and on the island, the assassin's quest Panaku gives you.
On the other hand, my Tyria ranger walked into the city and pretty much freaked out. A ranger isn't designed for a city, and the city feel is a little too much for her, so.. looking forward to getting her out of the city asap.
Instead of being eager to get one character through the entire game, to then dread doing it all over again 5 (or 3) times, how about picking one side, accumulate your 10K faction, have all 5 (or 3) of your characters accept the befriending portion of the faction (without trading in your faction for amber/jade, if you can resist), then enjoy the second half of the game for a longer period of time. (Rather than having to feel like you are backtracking with your other 5, or 3, characters). You don't need to farm any faction, ever, to progress all your characters. One character alone can get the rest of your characters through to the end. And if all else fails, set your own goals, rather than relying on ANet's team to create your imagination every step of the way. Of course, this is my opinion, but Factions is a very refreshing element to a world I came to enjoy over a year ago, and I'm still finding new goals (no, not the titles) for myself every day. And as far as the amount of content Factions provided compared to Prophecies, look at it as simple math: A new chapter every six months, Prophecies took 1 year (25 missions), Factions is going to take 6 months (13 missions). Relatively, this is the same amount of content given the time span. And we got Sorrow's Furnace in Prophecies to tide us over, which I feel was a very nice gesture on Anet's part. Oh, and don't forget the holiday events!