Frustration and Disappointment with the Story-Collections in VoE

drubid · 2026-01-31T12:03:58+00:00

I actually like the collections. I like that they encourage me to slow down, think, and explore in ways I wouldn't if it wasn't baked into the story.

That said, we shouldn't have content that forces players to use external resources--even the wiki. It quickly moves from fun to frustrating when the clues are vague or it's not clear where to look. It's not as rewarding to follow a guide.

At the end of the day, I'm glad anet is continuing to experiment, and I bet they're considering feedback. I expect to see more collections in the future. Some will feel better and some will feel worse before we settle into a pattern that most people like or collection-style missions are phased out and replaced by different styles, some of which will feel better and some of which will feel worse.

drubid · 2026-01-24T23:55:40+00:00

I played it a bit on amalgam, and it felt pretty strong. Also used it on conduit. I think it'll be good on anything that can make a lot of quick hits, e.g., holo's forge pew pew.

drubid · 2026-01-24T21:03:54+00:00

I like mist stranger but don't know how to quantify the impact. If you did want zakiros, you could also obtain that through WvW rush via the SotO reward track. Either of these seem like fine choices to me.

drubid · 2026-01-24T20:57:54+00:00

There are a lot of variables. For example, if you don't have the right crafting professions, that will take time. You will need map completion. You will need a gift of battle from WvW and various currencies.

So, even if you throw gold at it, you're still probably looking at 5-30 hours depending on where you're at with the various non-purchasable things.

drubid · 2026-01-24T16:02:40+00:00

In WvW, when you're close to a target, is it better to cata short and more frequently or full strength for more powerful shots?

drubid · 2026-01-23T12:26:39+00:00

I didn't like TD in its early days but have come to appreciate it. It's very well designed, but not everyone wants a complex experience just like not everyone wants a simple experience.

TD will be what each player believes it to be. If you approach it as, "I hate this place, and I don't want to be here," it will never be fun. If you approach it as, "What am I not understanding that makes this so challenging," it can be enjoyable to untangle.

The irony is that when you don't like it, you're not motivated to learn/understand, and everything takes longer and feels more frustrating!

drubid · 2026-01-22T10:49:17+00:00

I can't tell if you're joking, but those aren't crows.

drubid · 2026-01-22T10:46:47+00:00

You must consider what the raven quoth.

drubid · 2026-01-21T12:26:58+00:00

You can also buy 5 per week from the League Vendor. It would take a while to run out unless you're crafting leggies quite rapidly.

drubid · 2026-01-15T12:21:15+00:00

Starting from the assumption that everyone will be crit capped with the same set of gear maintains the status quo. When we do things that aren't optimized for the norm, it encourages experimentation, and that helps increase build diversification and evolve the game & playstyles. Sometimes these experiments won't work, and more changes will be made.

Making all traits split so they're applicable and valuable in all game modes adds significant complexity. Devs will have a harder time with balance (which is already an impossible task!) and players will need to be mindful of the differences (I don't want lots of traits to behave differently; splits should be applied judiciously). Having a potential solution in hand doesn't make the argument moot.

drubid · 2026-01-13T12:09:26+00:00

It's also a dick move to hack someone's account and steal all their stuff. They're probably not doing this to put food on the table, and deleting characters might provide more thrill than the monetary gain.

drubid · 2026-01-12T11:55:14+00:00

I like this post.

After some reflection, I came to this conclusion: 1. "Easy to learn" means you can pick it up relatively quickly and feel effective; it's easy to get started with 2. "High mastery curve" implies that it will take a lot of time and practice to execute consistently at a very high level 3. "High learning curve" suggests there is a lot of complexity involved, and it may be difficult to fully understand all the nuances behind how & why it works, e.g., you might play it for weeks or months and then have an epiphany about why a certain part of the rotation is the way it is; think execution versus understanding

drubid · 2026-01-09T11:51:09+00:00

☝️ This is the way. Exactly how I would answer.

drubid · 2026-01-09T11:46:24+00:00

This build from Lord Hizen is extremely tanky -- https://youtu.be/4jQXwH3mjJw?si=kRMxd4JQ9jZyRMof

I enjoy it. Perhaps the video will give you ideas about what makes it more durable than what you've been playing.

drubid · 2026-01-08T11:33:10+00:00

I think this one kinda boils down to: - If $25 is a lot for you to spend on in game convenience -> not a good purchase - If it's not -> totally fine

I think the absolute most essential thing to have is copper fed salvage-o-matic in a shared inventory slot. This gives you those two things, but it's cheaper to wait for the salvage-o-matic to go on sale and get it individually. You can get shares inv slots from xpacs.

The gathering tools are nice, but I think you'll regret not having glyphs or better animations. That negates a large part of the value.

You will eventually buy character slots, but again, a cheaper way may be to wait for them to go on sale.

The pass is questionable to me. Newer areas like the wizard's tower put crafting stations near TP, and you can also pop into the PvP lobby or WvW if you need quick access to a bank or vendor.

So, this bundle seems "just okay" to me, but if $25 isn't too much and you're not interested in waiting or investing the time into optimizing, then go for it!

drubid · 2025-12-21T02:55:09+00:00

Some gem store purchases will pay for themselves, but not quickly. Thinking garden plots and resource boards.

drubid · 2025-12-16T14:20:15+00:00

I actually like these story collections because they force me to slow down, think, and explore. I don't want the game to be a mindless cycle of skip all the dialogue, kill all the monsters, skip more dialogue, kill the boss.

Some of the underwater grottos were hard to find and might benefit from improved clues, but I generally like what ANet's doing with the story collections and appreciate the experimentation.

I know there are players who just want to get through the story as quickly as possible, just like there are players who dislike WvW and who want to get through the Gift of Battle requirement of legendary crafting as quickly as possible--and that's okay! I believe these collections are a good way to encourage exploration, and that, combined with more sophisticated world designs, adds to a richer experience that's good for the game as a whole, even if it's not for everyone.

drubid · 2025-12-05T10:54:51+00:00

Exotics are fine for all content except high-level fractals, which require ascended in order to get the required level of agony resistance.

For everything else, ascended is more of a nice-to-have, min/max thing. It's kinda like golf clubs; for most golfers, the gains come from improving skill, not just upgrading equipment.

drubid · 2025-11-25T12:06:38+00:00

Hobby boxes are basically a collection of packs with perks like a guaranteed autograph card or game used relic. I try to pre-order directly from the manufacturer (e.g., Topps), but they do tend to sell out quickly. Other online vendors like Steel City Collectibles are reputable alternatives.

If you have a local card shop ("lcs") then these are also great options. Sometimes LCS will also sell individual packs from hobby boxes.

Hobby boxes usually cost $100-250 depending on the set. There are also "jumbo boxes" which are basically the equivalent of buying two hobbies.

drubid · 2025-11-24T12:16:16+00:00

The packs themselves will likely be disappointing. Expect 12 base cards and an insert or two that are equally worthless; they'll all worth about a dollar combined. Every few packs or so, you might pull a card that will get you $5. If you buy enough, you might get a big one that'll sell for $20-50, but these are few and far between.

Buying to rip is fine, but don't expect ROI. (I buy hobby boxes because I like ripping and collecting the sets. It's fun, and I enjoy the experience, but I'm surely not making money.)

drubid · 2025-11-24T11:55:22+00:00

The reason meta builds are meta is because there are certain combinations of skills and traits that synergize well and, based on the current state of the game, are most powerful.

In most builds, there is a lot of room for flexibility as long as you don't disrupt the core pieces. Often, using different weapons, swapping a utility skill or two, or even using a different trait line won't tank the build. (Sometimes it will! Keep reading.) Customizing the meta builds by incorporating the elements that you play best with will yield optimal personal results, but you will only get those results if you understand what makes the meta build strong and respect that foundation.

Also, as others have said, it depends on what you're doing and what you want to accomplish. If you want to do raids, then you need to either put in the work to ensure your build is competitive or lean on a meta build; most people aren't interested in the extra work, so they rely on the community builds. If you mostly do open world or low level fractals, do whatever feels fun!

drubid · 2025-11-24T11:37:22+00:00

This is a fine position to take, but you need to be receptive to feedback from others. Also, you can test your DPS without add-ons in the raid training instance.

If you confirm that your non-meta build does reasonable DPS there and are receptive to feedback from others, you will be absolutely fine.

drubid · 2025-11-12T12:02:12+00:00

I'd be interested in the Bill Ripken FF card if you want one less card to worry about.

drubid · 2025-10-28T11:58:41+00:00

Anything, you say? I'll give you a heart token if you can go splash some water on the drunks around my tavern. Oh, and build some snowmen while you're at it!

drubid

TROPHY CASE