How does explorable mode work?

[killidan]

I read about story mode and explorable mode for dungeons. Each dungeon has one easy story mode and 3 difficult explorable modes.

Are the 3 explorable modes for the same dungeon all very different? Do they have different layout, different mobs, different loot? When I zone in, do I get to choose which explorable mode to play or is it random one of the three? Has anyone tested a dungeon in explorable mode multiple times on the beta and answer these questions?

Thank you.

[zito]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...tiated-READ-ME!

big thread for ya!

[Dodrin]

I read about story mode and explorable mode for dungeons. Each dungeon has one easy story mode and 3 difficult explorable modes.

Are the 3 explorable modes for the same dungeon all very different? Do they have different layout, different mobs, different loot? When I zone in, do I get to choose which explorable mode to play or is it random one of the three? Has anyone tested a dungeon in explorable mode multiple times on the beta and answer these questions?

Thank you.

Different layouts (we know there will be at least 3 for each dungeon), different bosses for each path (which I'll assume means different loot) and you select (as the player) which path you take by listening to NPCs stories at the beginning and deciding which to follow.

[grandpab]

Yup, different layout and loot. Some mobs may actually be the same/similar since you're still in the same dungeon, same setting. The bosses are different though.

You vote to pick which one of the 3 routes you want to do and the route with the most votes opens up.

[killidan]

Thanks!

The vote stuff sounds interesting.

[zito]

Also good to mention dungeons are starting at 3 routes. Actually all we know is catacombs has 3 routes, they could of added more in the later dungeons and they plan on adding more in the future.

[Merendel]

Also good to mention dungeons are starting at 3 routes. Actually all we know is catacombs has 3 routes, they could of added more in the later dungeons and they plan on adding more in the future.

devs said that all the dungeons consist of 1 story and 3 explore paths.

@ Killidan. The way they work is you must compleat story mode at least once to unlock explorable mode. Once you've compleated story mode if you try to enter the dungeon agian it will give you the option of launching the instance in either story or explorable mode. The entry way is the same but there will be different NPC's will be there to give you the intro RP and such. At least for AC (and presumably the other dungeons as well) you get to the decision point where you vote on the path very quickly.

The explorable mode takes place in the same building/ruin/complex as the story mode but sections you passed through in story mode will be blocked off and new paths forward will be open. For example if a tunnle colapsed in storymode after you passed through that tunnle will be blocked with rubble and your group will have to find a different path around in explorable mode. Explorable mode is effectivly the aftermath of story mode. You may or may not pass through the same room in both modes but different stuff to fight will be there and there may or may not be changes to the rooms layout if the storyline calls for it.

[Deleted]

They said there will be 25 paths across the 8 dungeons, so 8 story + 17 explorable paths.

[Zeek Daniels]

Explorable mode dungeons are basically the story after the story. You cleared out an initial problem but new creatures have taken hold and are causing issues. At the start of the dungeon your party talks to NPC's inside and decides how they should proceed to defeat the new threat. Each NPC has a different idea about how they should progress and will take you along a different path. Paths do crisscross but you will see different bosses at certain parts and the same bosses at parts that crisscross.

[Squirrelbanes]

How do they work?
To cause you endless misery and pain.
It will be glorious.

[rhandric]

They said there will be 25 paths across the 8 dungeons, so 8 story + 17 explorable paths.

They said there are 25 explorable paths across the 8 dungeons, so 8 story + 25 explorable (meaning, assuming all hit the average, all have 3 and one has 4)

[WorldofWorkcraft]

Does anyone have examples of the dynamic events within AC's explorable? AKA has done it a few times and has seen the events? Or perhaps knows of any, or the intricacies therein? Sanks!

[terrahero]

Does anyone have examples of the dynamic events within AC's explorable? AKA has done it a few times and has seen the events? Or perhaps knows of any, or the intricacies therein? Sanks!

Only from gameplay footage. Once there were some mobs tunneling into the dungeon, and they had to be killed and their tunnel destroyed. Another time i saw a champion troll bust through the Wall.

It was a gameplay with the devs, and the commentator (iirc it was TB) said that the devs said these were dynamic. And dont always happen, and that there were other events that didnt happen now but could in another run.

[Fencers]

Does anyone have examples of the dynamic events within AC's explorable? AKA has done it a few times and has seen the events? Or perhaps knows of any, or the intricacies therein? Sanks!

I've run xAC more than a few times. DEs were not all that varied, to be honest. Didn't even seem like DEs aside from the fact the game drew a orange circle on the minimap. More like just regular encounters and the y happened about 2/3rds of the time.

-- Troll breaking through the wall after the long bridge
-- Spider burrows
-- Circular pit with more burrows
-- Some champion boss guy w/ 3-4 goons (down a side passage through a section once closed)
-- Room with traps

Some of things happened like all the time basically and weren't really avoidable. Like just had to do 'em as it was the only route. So it felt more like a gimmick calling them DEs for xAC- it just seemed like typical encounter design.

Spider event was a train wreck under the best of circumstances. Basically had to OOC or die and swap out to a full DPS spec to kill the spawners. Troll was insignificant, he just spawns when you kill the first mob in the pull like 90% of the time. Burrow pits can be difficult. More due to the fact you really can't deal with all those mobs. So burn/zerg.

Trap room was... challenging. There are actual mobs in there and they cast conditions that make the traps far more difficult. Need to be very careful, play tactically and so on.

Champion guy was the rarest as we only saw him once. But he and his good fought no different from normal packs of mobs. Just more HP//damage.

Exploration mode was quite difficult actually. The normal mob packs are the hardest thing in the dungeon bar none. Bosses are rather simple w/ little mechanical depth. Dodge this, don't stand there type of tactics. Trash packs? Holy flippin' balls!

A Monk, Mesmers, 2x Necromancer pull could easily be 5+ wipes. 2x Rangers, Monk, 2 Warrior pull will be a totally different set of "wtf??? dead??" than the pull before.

It was just like Guild Wars 1; understand the puzzle, beat the encounter.

At the end of the weekend my guildies & I were roughly 20 levels above the requirement for the dungeon. It was tough. It was great fun. I would describe Expo mode as a chaotic romp.

[WorldofWorkcraft]

I've run xAC more than a few times. The DE were not all that varied to be honest. They didn't even seem like DEs aside from the fact the game drew a orange circle on the minimap. They seemed like just regular encounters and happened about 2/3rds of the time.

-- Troll breaking through the wall after the long bridge
-- Spider burrows
-- Circular pit with more burrows
-- Some champion boss guy w/ 3-4 goons (down a side passage through a section once closed)
-- Room with traps

Some of things happened like all the time basically and weren't really avoidable. Like just had to do 'em as it was the only route. So it felt more like a gimmick calling them DEs for xAC- it just seemed like typical encounter design.

Spider event was a train wreck under the best of circumstances. Basically had to OOC or die and swap out to a full DPS spec to kill the spawners. Troll was insignificant, he just spawns when you kill the first mob in the pull like 90% of the time.

Burrow pits can be difficult. More due to the fact you really can't deal with all those mobs. So burn/zerg.

Trap room was... challenging. There are actual mobs in there and they cast conditions that make the traps far more difficult. Need to be very careful, play tactically and so on.

Champion guy was the rarest as we only saw him once. But he and his good fought no different from normal packs of mobs. Just more HP//damage.

Exploration mode was quite difficult actually. The normal mob packs are the hardest thing in the dungeon bar none. Bosses are rather simple w/ little mechanical depth. Dodge this, don't stand there type of tactics. Trash packs? Holy flippin' balls!

A Monk, Mesmers, 2x Necromancer pull could easily be 5+ wipes. 2x Rangers, Monk, 2 Warrior pull will be a totally different set of "wtf??? im dead??" than the pull before.

It was just like Guild Wars 1; understand the puzzle, beat the encounter.

At the end of the weekend my guildies & I were roughly 20 levels above the requirement for the dungeon. It was tough. It was great fun. I would describe Expo mode as a chaotic romp.

Cool, thanks for the info!

Were the bosses varied enough per path (did you do all 3 paths?)? And were any significantly...well, significant/complicated? I think seeing as how it's the first dungeon, I'd tip-toe around the idea of an "introductory explorable mode", basically a step above story mode as opposed to a jump we may see in later dungeons. No merit, of course, but just speculation. We can only assume, as with DEs, that other things become more complicated/intricate/harder as the levels increase, to some extent.

So are you saying you were level 55 doing AC Explorable and it was really tough with the level down-scaling, enough so that you think at level 80 it will still be tough (after a few playthroughs/gear upgrades/skills set)?

[Fencers]

Cool, thanks for the info!

Were the bosses varied enough per path (did you do all 3 paths?)? And were any significantly...well, significant/complicated? I think seeing as how it's the first dungeon, I'd tip-toe around the idea of an "introductory explorable mode", basically a step above story mode as opposed to a jump we may see in later dungeons. No merit, of course, but just speculation. We can only assume, as with DEs, that other things become more complicated/intricate/harder as the levels increase, to some extent.

So are you saying you were level 55 doing AC Explorable and it was really tough with the level down-scaling, enough so that you think at level 80 it will still be tough (after a few playthroughs/gear upgrades/skills set)?

We did all that was available to us. But some areas/mobs were buggy, such as the king getting stuck in one animation over & over. Not sure that was suppose to happen.

Bosses were, simple. Just hit hard. There wasn't a lot of mechanics really. It was pretty straightforward- use the cannons, throw rocks, dodge left when the spider twitches it's legs, ghost guy pulls you in/run out, etc. As I said, the gen pop was far more punishing.

Yea, I was a level 55 Engineer by the end of the beta with most of my guildies being in the mid to high 40s. My sister at 51, Brother-in-law at 53ish? Something like that. Though I did run the dungeon as a level 30+ Guardian, Warrior, Elementalist, Thief and Mesmer. All workable. Can't speak for L80.

Story mode was easy, expo mode was a challenge regardless of level. There is simply more damage & conditions flying around than anyone person can handle. It forces a fair amount of teamwork. Support players are needed. For example, a group will wipe on the regular Necromancers in what is literally seconds if not working to actually bring them down together. Seconds.

Quite the challenge. I would say the expo modes are tougher than the average player can handle. That mode is definitely geared toward capable & organized groups. Maybe there will be balance passes, no doubt. Based on just xAC beta? GW2 dungeons are hard.

[Valeron]

GW2 dungeons are hard.

that doesn't surprise me, ArenaNet knows how to make hard content

[Fencers]

Should say I think Anet did a good job with story mode too. Overall, SM is pretty forgiving. Yet SM does have a fair amount of level appropriate challenge for what I would say is an average, casual group.

So I think there might be a nice balance between casual content. SM content which isn't necessarily "faceroll" & the more serious content of EM in the final game. In particular as dungeons progress if you allow GW1 missions & hard mode progression as a reasonable template.

Pretty solid game.

[Maarius]

Yea, I was a level 55 Engineer by the end of the beta with most of my guildies being in the mid to high 40s. My sister at 51, Brother-in-law at 53ish? Something like that. Though I did run the dungeon as a level 30+ Guardian, Warrior, Elementalist, Thief and Mesmer. All workable. Can't speak for L80.

did you actually wear lv.55ish gear? would be interesting for me to know the gear-details that you guys were playing with.

[Hockeyhacker]

I read about story mode and explorable mode for dungeons. Each dungeon has one easy story mode and 3 difficult explorable modes.

Are the 3 explorable modes for the same dungeon all very different? Do they have different layout, different mobs, different loot? When I zone in, do I get to choose which explorable mode to play or is it random one of the three? Has anyone tested a dungeon in explorable mode multiple times on the beta and answer these questions?

Thank you.

After completing story mode you unlock explorable mode, all modes take place in the same aesthetics of a dungeon with some overlapping paths but different paths for the most part. Explorable mode has different bosses then story mode and for the most part different bosses between the different paths besides may a few "rare" random boss DEs which you may consider mini bosses. As for which exploable version you do when you enter and talk to the NPC in the dungeon to kick it off the NPC will ask you which threat you want to take down and give you the options of the different paths in which all 5 party members vote on and the one with the most votes wins (not sure in the case of there being a tie).

Aesthetics and probably trap designs will be the same between all versions, but paths, bosses and boss mechanics will vary between them all with some overlaps here and there because well there are not 1,000,000 different boss mechanics to where you can have every single boss be a unique snowflake.