Coming Back for LS3, what are the Essentials?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

So apparently new maps were added alongside the new story updates. I presume the new story quests take place in the new maps, so are there any new masteries I need to get to play through the story? I'm not here for 100% map completion, just the plot. If I find the maps interesting, I'll get the new masteries to 100% them, but just want to know if there's any must-haves before I start binging the episodes tomorrow and get frustrated because I hit another mastery grind.

[PACOX]

Leyline gliding. I think thats they only semi-requirement. New masteries become available as you play through the episodes. I think the first of the new one is the only required one, the others are helpful but you could get away with not having them.

[Deleted]

Hmmm...

Gliding seems to be the main requirement; but you probably have that one already anyway.

I've only played episode 3 thus far; last time i played was when i finished the HoT story.
It didn't require any masteries to be pre-farmed or farmed in the 1st place.

Planning to go trough episode 4 this weekend; thus far it looks like the 4th episode didn't add any masteries.

[PACOX]

Hmmm...

Gliding seems to be the main requirement; but you probably have that one already anyway.

I've only played episode 3 thus far; last time i played was when i finished the HoT story.
It didn't require any masteries to be pre-farmed or farmed in the 1st place.

Planning to go trough episode 4 this weekend; thus far it looks like the 4th episode didn't add any masteries.

There is a new mastery that gives you a skill in the downed state.

Living story 3 masteries:

Ep 1: Special skill - just hit it when it pops up
Ep 2: Allows you to use lava flows to travel
Ep 3: Allows you to use a mechanic in the ice map
Ep 4: Gives you a new downstate skill

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Well, just finished scouting Bloodstone Fen as apart of the story (episode 1), and am told to grind 500k exp for Counter Magic. Anyone know how to farm exp quickly outside of the adventures (which I'm currently doing)?

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Wow, even with my most optimal build, dealing with the veteran mobs in the living story takes upwards of two minutes each!

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Am I doing something wrong? It just took me five minutes to kill the Justiciar (Confessor's Stronghold instance). Rytlock just stood there the entire time too.

[Valeron]

Am I doing something wrong? It just took me five minutes to kill the Justiciar (Confessor's Stronghold instance). Rytlock just stood there the entire time too.

A bit late, didn't see this until now. I assume you are talking about Justiciar Adrienne? You have to remove her shield or yeah, it will take forever. Once her shield is down, you have to onload the damage. For low damage characters, it might take some extra rounds of knocking her shield off.

[LilSaihah]

Am I doing something wrong? It just took me five minutes to kill the Justiciar (Confessor's Stronghold instance). Rytlock just stood there the entire time too.

Lots of encounters are bugged like this. It's shit.

[Arlee]

A bit late, didn't see this until now. I assume you are talking about Justiciar Adrienne? You have to remove her shield or yeah, it will take forever. Once her shield is down, you have to onload the damage. For low damage characters, it might take some extra rounds of knocking her shield off.

Yea that fight has been routinely an issue >< It's really frustrating, though I think the last boss in the newest update is worse than that one ><

Anywho, about needed masteries Leyline helps a lot in the fire islands because getting around that map can be a pain in the butt. I'd also say the one that lets you glide forever but I think you have to get that before leyline anyway. All of the new maps have a few mastery points in them as well so you don't need to go back to the old HoT maps to get the points for them. As for gaining the xp, I used XP boosters and just ran around doing events and the story quests (you get a nice xp boost at the end of the chapters). As for the events though idk how feasible those are now that fewer people are likely running around those maps.

[Valeron]

The last boss in the newest one has two main issues. One is that it is too small of an area for that much stuff going on. And two, adding the Jade Armor with all of the CC just makes it a real pain. I'd be ok with it if they just removed the Jade Armor, that's what really makes it a PITA.

[Arlee]

The last boss in the newest one has two main issues. One is that it is too small of an area for that much stuff going on. And two, adding the Jade Armor with all of the CC just makes it a real pain. I'd be ok with it if they just removed the Jade Armor, that's what really makes it a PITA.

Yea, I think it's accurate to say most of the issue on the last boss in the current update is the Jade Armor in the tiny tiny room ><

[Svifnymr]

The last boss in the newest one has two main issues. One is that it is too small of an area for that much stuff going on. And two, adding the Jade Armor with all of the CC just makes it a real pain. I'd be ok with it if they just removed the Jade Armor, that's what really makes it a PITA.

My issue with all of their "boss fights" in Living Story, is that they are too repetitive for a story element. If you want some kind of long-term challenge/ achievement, whatever, but just to finish the story it should require all these repeats of the stupid mechanics. Adding to that if you're not really built for damage, or targeting issues, or whatever else really reduces the fun...

[PACOX]

My issue with all of their "boss fights" in Living Story, is that they are too repetitive for a story element. If you want some kind of long-term challenge/ achievement, whatever, but just to finish the story it should require all these repeats of the stupid mechanics. Adding to that if you're not really built for damage, or targeting issues, or whatever else really reduces the fun...

I'm a bit of the opposite, I wish more ls instances required group play. A lot of them can be tweaked into fractals, especially some of the LS2 ones.

[Valeron]

I like the different mechanics in the story. I just wish they had more of them (and a bit more polish in some of the encounters).

[Svifnymr]

I'm a bit of the opposite, I wish more ls instances required group play. A lot of them can be tweaked into fractals, especially some of the LS2 ones.

I could see group VERSIONS of the story stuff, certainly, but mandatory grouping to complete LS wouldn't add anything of value. It would be cool if there was a fractal or dungeon version of each episode. They could make a dungeon that was an abbreviated version of Season1 even.

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I like the different mechanics in the story. I just wish they had more of them (and a bit more polish in some of the encounters).

More polish would be great, but I'm not really against different mechanics, so much as the repetition of the mechanics. Like the frozen episode, drag the stupid monster through groups of worms. Not too bad, really, but why do we need to do 8 groups rather than 3 groups or whatever? Stupid charging monster with the icicles with force fields... How many times do we need to repeat the same procedure over and over?

The final battle this go, if he'd have had 1/3 the health/ duration, would anyone care?

[Jngizu]

I could see group VERSIONS of the story stuff, certainly, but mandatory grouping to complete LS wouldn't add anything of value. It would be cool if there was a fractal or dungeon version of each episode. They could make a dungeon that was an abbreviated version of Season1 even.

I think that GW2 could have benefited a lot from using the co-op system of GW for the story elements. That being said, probably not doable in GW2, but it would have been great I feel.

[Svifnymr]

I think that GW2 could have benefited a lot from using the co-op system of GW for the story elements. That being said, probably not doable in GW2, but it would have been great I feel.

I remember Henchmen being fairly dumb, Heroes being a bit better.

GW2 though, NPCs all seem utterly useless. Rytlock will sometimes just stand their during combats, not that it matters since all 30 enemies on the screen will focus fire on my mesmer while clones dance a jig over in the corner...

Ranger pets are okay, Necro Minions are also random in their usefulness. My minion master has pirate runes, because they were in my bank at the time, and the little summoned bird is more responsive than any of the normal minions.


The point being, I could see a group story that had some NPC's to fill empty slots, but the NPCs are too dumb to help so it wouldn't work.

[Valeron]

Heroes made GW too easy. Still I enjoyed them due to being able to customize the comp going into a mission or map clear.

[Svifnymr]

Heroes made GW too easy. Still I enjoyed them due to being able to customize the comp going into a mission or map clear.

Yeah, I don't want NPCs that will finish the mission for you, but I do think it'd be a nice option for making group content solo-able for story purposes.

[Jngizu]

Yeah, I don't want NPCs that will finish the mission for you, but I do think it'd be a nice option for making group content solo-able for story purposes.

At the same time, it was great to have that option if you didn't have a guild or just wanted to play solo for a while. Or if you just didn't have enough members for a dungeon etc. But yeah so far the NPC have been horrible in LS3, fights are tuned with them helping you in mind but they don't so you end up dying constantly because you have 10 mobs on your ass. I found that calling target usually helps, as it did in GW.