Guild Wars Guru

These whippersnappers don't know the meaning of ascension! (spoilers)

1 pages • Page 1
creelie
creelie
Wilds Pathfinder
• #1
Why, when *I* was raising up a monk, we had to run all over a desert infested with horrible burrowing scarabs, hordes of flying mesmer-things, and meteor-summoning three-headed lizards! We didn't even have primary quests to point the way! We had to pander to the endless bizarre requests of a ghost with all the movement AI of a slug! I - a healer by trade - had to find a way to kill something equipped with my own unlocked skills, and boy hecky that was no picnic. And we did it all without anywhere NEAR maximum-strength armor.

In Kaineng City we were gunning for Weh No Su mighty early by comparison, but everything moves fast there, and defeating the Celestials still felt like a major accomplishment.

Fast-forward to Elona. My paragon works her way across Istan, getting stronger and meeting heroes, enjoying the scenic pace. Finally she's ready to leave the island and enter the big leagues. She gets to know Kourna, and I wonder what the ascension challenge will be this time!

Turns out I already did it! Clearing out a little cave of bugs before rescuing Koss - that was the Elonian ascension!

Double-you.
Tee.
Eff.

Now get off my porch!

P.S. Wurm-riding is more wonderful than Barrage and Word of Healing put together, and more than makes up for this disappointment. I just felt like a little cane-shaking.
Relnor
Relnor
Lion's Arch Merchant
• #2
Quote: Originally Posted by creelie
Why, when *I* was raising up a monk, we had to run all over a desert infested with horrible burrowing scarabs, hordes of flying mesmer-things, and meteor-summoning three-headed lizards! We didn't even have primary quests to point the way! We had to pander to the endless bizarre requests of a ghost with all the movement AI of a slug! I - a healer by trade - had to find a way to kill something equipped with my own unlocked skills, and boy hecky that was no picnic. And we did it all without anywhere NEAR maximum-strength armor.

In Kaineng City we were gunning for Weh No Su mighty early by comparison, but everything moves fast there, and defeating the Celestials still felt like a major accomplishment.

Fast-forward to Elona. My paragon works her way across Istan, getting stronger and meeting heroes, enjoying the scenic pace. Finally she's ready to leave the island and enter the big leagues. She gets to know Kourna, and I wonder what the ascension challenge will be this time!

Turns out I already did it! Clearing out a little cave of bugs before rescuing Koss - that was the Elonian ascension!

Double-you.
Tee.
Eff.

Now get off my porch!

P.S. Wurm-riding is more wonderful than Barrage and Word of Healing put together, and more than makes up for this disappointment. I just felt like a little cane-shaking. This is why Prophicies is still the best out of the three. In Prophicies, there were chalanges strung throughout the entire game. I always (even still now) had something to do. In Nightfall, I beat everything (with the exception of DoA) within a very short ammount of time--with little or no effort. Now all I have left is the option of grinding for hours to beat an "elite" area.
GrendelScout1
GrendelScout1
Ascalonian Squire
• #3
Quote: Originally Posted by creelie Why, when *I* was raising up a monk, we had to run all over a desert infested with horrible burrowing scarabs, hordes of flying mesmer-things, and meteor-summoning three-headed lizards! We didn't even have primary quests to point the way! We had to pander to the endless bizarre requests of a ghost with all the movement AI of a slug! I - a healer by trade - had to find a way to kill something equipped with my own unlocked skills, and boy hecky that was no picnic. And we did it all without anywhere NEAR maximum-strength armor. You forgot:
That's the way it was, and we liked it! We loved it!
Taala
Taala
Krytan Explorer
• #4
Quote: Originally Posted by Relnor
In Prophicies, there were chalanges strung throughout the entire game. Challenges? Prophecies felt like a dragged on tutorial until Crystal Desert, even on my first time through the game. It was just so damn easy.
When things got interesting, there weren't many quests to do and only handful of missions left until it was over.
G
Grais
Frost Gate Guardian
• #5
Okay, I was just beginning to wonder if there was ascension in NF(nevr bought Factions, just started NF), can someone clarify what, or how it(Ascending) takes place. Thanks much appreciated.
ShadowStorm
ShadowStorm
Wilds Pathfinder
• #6
Ascention in Nightfall is essentially the completion of a specific quest right before you go rescue Koss from the Kournans. The quest doesn't even tell you you're ascending.

Oh, and if anyone at Arena-Net is reading this: For chapter 4, could you please make the equivalent of Ascending noticable? Also, wait to reward the characters with the bonus 15 attribute point quests until after ascention. That way it makes us feel like we've actually earned something. Thanks.
isamu kurosawa
isamu kurosawa
Desert Nomad
• #7
Well it fits in with the story of you being a "hero".

In the previous two you had to prove you where a hero, but in nightfall its pretty much stated after the attack on gandara by every npc that you are a hero.

...Didn't like how my foreign character'd where referenced as "from istan though", and at one point in vabbi my mesmer was referred to as poor and in shabby clothing......That npc is lucky there is no friendly fire in GW.
Hyper Cutter
Hyper Cutter
Desert Nomad
• #8
One thing I like about Factions and NF is that they give you your 30 points much earlier and don't make you jump through hoops for them like Prophecies did...

It's worth noting, though, NF "ascension" only counts for Elonians for some reason...
artay
artay
Wilds Pathfinder
• #9
What ticks me off is that if your a proph or canthan character, you cant ascend in elona! Sucks for my sin! (i brought him over without doing anything in cantha)
k
kazjun
Desert Nomad
• #10
Quote: Originally Posted by creelie
Why, when *I* was raising up a monk, we had to run all over a desert infested with horrible burrowing scarabs, hordes of flying mesmer-things, and meteor-summoning three-headed lizards! We didn't even have primary quests to point the way! We had to pander to the endless bizarre requests of a ghost with all the movement AI of a slug! I - a healer by trade - had to find a way to kill something equipped with my own unlocked skills, and boy hecky that was no picnic. And we did it all without anywhere NEAR maximum-strength armor.

In Kaineng City we were gunning for Weh No Su mighty early by comparison, but everything moves fast there, and defeating the Celestials still felt like a major accomplishment.

Fast-forward to Elona. My paragon works her way across Istan, getting stronger and meeting heroes, enjoying the scenic pace. Finally she's ready to leave the island and enter the big leagues. She gets to know Kourna, and I wonder what the ascension challenge will be this time!

Turns out I already did it! Clearing out a little cave of bugs before rescuing Koss - that was the Elonian ascension!

Double-you.
Tee.
Eff.

Now get off my porch!

P.S. Wurm-riding is more wonderful than Barrage and Word of Healing put together, and more than makes up for this disappointment. I just felt like a little cane-shaking. Lol, funniest post I seen in ages. Though you're right about ascension. Gotten easier and quicker every chapter.
Lord-UWR
Lord-UWR
Krytan Explorer
• #11
I totally agree, the "fact-paced adventure" slogan of GW is a litte too fast now, and too easy, and suddenly they drop a Elite area, which is now HARD.
Its like going through elementry and middle school without learning anything, and suddenly high school feels like a heavy weight, not the case for me of course, I came to North America in grade 8.
Jesse
Jesse
Krytan Explorer
• #12
AMEN to that brother. Your my new best friend...ha....they never believed me when i said great minds think alike, and now heres proof of it. PROOF I SAY!!!!!
Paperfly
Paperfly
Krytan Explorer
• #13
I had actually assumed Dasha Vestibule was the Ascension mission until I went through with a toon who'd picked the Master of Whispers instead (and found out you could branch the other way).

...Think about it, it makes more sense! You're killing ethereal-type critters, you're answering questions about the nature of the gods, the whole thing has more of a transcendent feel to it...
Fallen Hunter
Fallen Hunter
I Saw That
• #14
Just to let you know, nightfall ascension does not count for foreign characters because you have to ascend in your home continent. A canthan char cannot ascend in tyria, a tyrian char cannot ascent in nightfall......
Marth Reynolds
Marth Reynolds
Wilds Pathfinder
• #15
Quote: Originally Posted by Fallen Hunter
Just to let you know, nightfall ascension does not count for foreign characters because you have to ascend in your home continent. A canthan char cannot ascend in tyria, a tyrian char cannot ascent in nightfall...... Canthan characters can ascend in Tyria but so far they can't ascend in elona,
dunno how it is with Tyrian to elona and vica versa tough
N
Neven15
Ascalonian Squire
• #16
tyrian chars can ascend in elona ...
Hengis
Hengis
Wilds Pathfinder
• #17
I remember my first time through Prophecies well. Becoming ascended was a huge milestone in the game.

The three ascension missions seemed SO damn hard! I remember almost quitting after what felt like my 20th attempt at Elona's Reach.

The feeling of achievement when I finally did finish the missions and beat the doppleganger has not been equalled for me since then.

I am currently taking my latest chararacter through Prophecies. An Ele, born and levelled in Cantha, then taken to Elona to get the heros. I finished Nightfall with him already.

Heros just make the Crystal Desert missions seem so simple now, as well as the fact that the routes you need to take and the order to kill the mobs in are now ingrained into my mind LOL.

I agree with one of the previous posters that in chapter 4 it would be nice if we could have some clear milestones during the game.
G
Grais
Frost Gate Guardian
• #18
Thanks for the answers.
I agreee that its a shame it is so easy, forme as well in Prophecies, Ascending my first couple of toons was a real achievment, even my third toon I felt pretty good when I whipped my Dopps ass, I thought it was a novel way to mark the passage into the later areas of the game.
RPGmaniac
RPGmaniac
Desert Nomad
• #19
Seeing this post reminds me just how long I've had my ranger (18 months now). I also agree with every bit of it too. It took me forever to find the 3 ascension missions (he's right, there were NO primary quests at all). If I didn't get a run to the town in between them actually, I probably never would've found them. It also took me a while to figure out how to beat that stupid dopple going through the first time, but when I figured it out, I was so happy. I was happy to because I felt like I was getting a reward. I could finally get the last 15 attribute points I was missing, and I could finally get my max armor. Even going through on other characters is still a challenge somewhat because it requires different strategies each time. It also reminds me about this thread I saw a while ago about how easy the newer players had it, like a time before balthazar faction and before switching attributes was free (remember attribute refund points?). Thank you for posting this.
V
Valshia
Academy Page
• #20
Quote: Originally Posted by Neven15
tyrian chars can ascend in elona ... No, they can't. I've done Hunted! and the Command Post quests before reaching the desert, and the prof changer told me to get lost cause I wasn't Ascended.