With the addon for Guild Wars 2, Heart of Thorns, there will be plenty of new landscapes to discover. Hidden among them are also the locations of the adventures, where players can compete against time and their friends.
Only mastered through constant repetition
In the latest developer blog, the creators of Guild Wars 2 spoke a bit more extensively about the upcoming content for solo players that is on the way with the first expansion Heart of Thorns. One reason for introducing such content was that many players complained that the world felt empty and lifeless as soon as all events (“hearts” quests) had been completed. Unless there was an active event, like a dragon attack, there would be little for solo players to do. This gap is to be filled by the adventures from now on.
What exactly is an adventure?
The adventures are repeatable, short scenarios in which characters must complete different tasks. Many player skills come into play here, not just how quickly damage can be inflicted. Players need to memorize certain sequences within an adventure, as only through much practice and gradual perfection of their playstyle can they achieve a high rank on the leaderboard.
The better your time or the more points you earn, the higher your name appears on the leaderboards. The respective performance can be compared with friends, guild members, and all other players, encouraging active exchange about tips and tricks of the respective adventure.
An example: The shooting gallery adventure
A flying ship with nobles has crashed in the jungle. To defend themselves against the wilderness, the shipwrecked have crafted training dummies and are now trying to improve their own skills with the rifles in order to defend themselves in case of emergency. Players are supposed to lend a helping hand to the lords and ladies and “show them exactly” how to handle such a gun. Throughout the entire area of the adventure, the training dummies are now scattered, which you must shoot at with dwindling ammunition. The difficulties of the matter:
- Not all training dummies appear at the same time. You must memorize the order of their appearance to achieve maximum efficiency.
- The training dummies only stay for a short time. It will not be possible to hit them all – so you have to quickly decide which ones to shoot and which ones to leave standing.
- Ammunition is limited: It can be collected at certain locations of the adventure, but you need to plan these locations into your route.
The above-mentioned factors must always be considered. It takes many attempts to become truly effective and know where to stand at what time to hit as many training dummies as possible without running out of ammunition.
The adventures are automatically unlocked by your progress in Heart of Thorns – that is, by completing events – and can then be repeated an endless number of times until you are satisfied with your performance… only to be beaten by an ambitious friend the next day. Other players will not be able to interfere in your adventure! No one can take things from you or assist you in battles.
