Dungeons - Explorer Mode (Hardest thing I have ever done in a MMO)

[AdrianCC100]

Now I'm not one to complain about GW2 because lets face it, it's a great game. However, this is something that bothers me greatly. What's that? Dungeon Explorer mode. It's probably the hardest thing I have ever attempted in any MMO. You think 25 man heroic with no debuff in WoW is hard? You haven't seen anything yet. Let me share with you my experience.

Mini-Boss: The first encounter you will see in the explorer mode (Catacombs) is a massive Lizard that summons adds. This little boss was pretty much a push over. Once we beat him, then NPCs took us to their camp and we got to choose which path to take.

Traps! Oh my: Next you will encounter some annoying traps that will literally one shot you. No big deal, they were easy to avoid.

Second Mini-Boss: So the second little boss you encounter is a spider queen. Now this is where the pain starts to happen. You walk into this room with statue heads on the walls that shoot our fireballs that deal AoE damage. While we are trying to clear out this room, the spider boss randomly spawns on top of you. No problem, right? WRONG. The spider boss spawns with about 50 baby spider adds that literally one shot you. The second the spider boss spawned we all died because we had no time to react to it. After about 20 minutes trying to kill those small adds, we finally got the encounter to where only the spider boss was up. He had simple mechanics and we beat him.

More fucking traps: Yup, more traps that one shot you.

One of the main bosses: We finally reached one of the main bosses for the patch we choose. This is where the dungeon turned from very hard, but doable, to impossible to do. This boss is a human ghost. He has two adds that are Monks, these monks are a pain in the ass because they heal and deal a ton of damage and are hard to kill. So for our first attempt, like any sane person we decided to kill the monks straight away. So as a Ranger, I pulled the boss for my group and we started to focus one of the monks. About 5 seconds into the fight, our entire part gets pulled into the main boss and we get one shot. So after a few attempts, we learn that if you stand far enough from the boss, you can't get pulled into him and get one shot. By the way, you can't avoid dying once you get pulled in because the second you get pulled in, the boss instantly does a whirlwind. You are unable to dodge this after you get pulled. So by this time after we learned how to avoid his pull, we lasted about a minute into the fight. Still trying to kill the Monks.. We got one of the monks to 3% health and then next thing we know, the monk was healed back to full health. Oh, and we all got pulled into the boss and died again. Next few attempts, the boss started pulling us literally across the map. You know how in WoW Death Knights have that deathgrip? This is what the boss was doing to all of us one at a time. After about an hour of not getting anywhere with this boss, we gave up.


I feel like the explorer modes are way over tuned. I mean, I love a challenge, but this isn't a challenge at all. It's literally impossible to do these dungeons in explorer mode at the recommended level (35). Remember we had 3 level 40s and two level 35s. Yes we all get down leveled to 35, but we are still stronger then a normal 35. I'm just wondering if anyone has actually beat a path on explorer mode yet for Catacombs. If so, I'd like to hear your strategy.

[The Ogdru Jahad]

while I don't know arenanet at all, I'd say that the difficulty is a GOOD thing over anything. At least some things need to be difficult and a bit of a bitch to get past. If everything was a walk in the park there wouldn't be any fun or challenges to overcome. I'd say difficulty helps a games longevity.

[obdigore]

while I don't know arenanet at all, I'd say that the difficulty is a GOOD thing over anything. At least some things need to be difficult and a bit of a bitch to get past. If everything was a walk in the park there wouldn't be any fun or challenges to overcome. I'd say difficulty helps a games longevity.

Hopefully they don't go the way of certain other developers and nerf everything when people whine that 'its hard'.

[AdrianCC100]

while I don't know arenanet at all, I'd say that the difficulty is a GOOD thing over anything. At least some things need to be difficult and a bit of a bitch to get past. If everything was a walk in the park there wouldn't be any fun or challenges to overcome. I'd say difficulty helps a games longevity.

Again, as I have said in my original post, I love a challenge. However, from what I have experienced, it's way too much. Wait until you are able to do the explorer mode, you will see exactly what I am talking about. As a matter of fact, I will be making videos tomorrow of the explorer mode and will make sure I update my original post.

[NeonX]

I agree, I done my first explorable just a few hours ago and it was insanely difficult but I loved it, everything is a challenge in their including the smaller mobs.

Me and my friends kept trying to come up with new ways to take down bosses even mini bosses and it was incredibly fun, I hope they don't change it.

[AdrianCC100]

Hopefully they don't go the way of certain other developers and nerf everything when people whine that 'its hard'.

I like hard. I hate impossible. When a boss pulls you into him and then one shots your entire party it's hard and fun. Why? Because we figured out that if you stand close to the boss, you get pulled, but if you stand far you won't. However, once we all started to stand out of his AoE pull range, he started to pull us into him one at a time with a deathgrip ability, then one hitting anyone he pulled. Not to mention, on top of that you have two monks running around dealing a ton of damage themselves and also healing.

---------- Post added 2012-08-28 at 03:17 AM ----------

I agree, I done my first explorable just a few hours ago and it was insanely difficult but I loved it, everything is a challenge in their including the smaller mobs.

Me and my friends kept trying to come up with new ways to take down bosses even mini bosses and it was incredibly fun, I hope they don't change it.

Which path did you take? We did the middle path. Did you manage to kill any of the main bosses?

[melodramocracy]

Haven't done these yet, but can certainly say that there are some normal questing area things that are pretty difficult.... toying around in Dreamdark Enclave, for example.

[NeonX]

Which path did you take? We did the middle path. Did you manage to kill any of the main bosses?

I can't fully remember the choices but it was the one that was going to raise an army (3rd option).

After about an hour and a half in there we managed to finish the 2nd main boss but we gave up due to a new patch coming out + some of my friends needed a break they didn't know how tough it was going to be haha.

[obdigore]

And ive not been able to get into AC or the level 40 estate with a group yet. /sigh.

Hopefully its fixed tomorrow.

[AdrianCC100]

I can't fully remember the choices but it was the one that was going to raise an army (3rd option).

After about an hour and a half in there we managed to finish the 2nd main boss but we gave up due to a new patch coming out + some of my friends needed a break they didn't know how tough it was going to be haha.

If you give it another go, choose the 2nd option. After the spider queen boss, the next boss is the one we could even get past. Let me know how you do.. I will have to try the 3rd option and see if it's any easier.

[Solidito]

Guessing you haven't raided in Rift then? But anyway it's hard yes, but not in a good way. I like the game, but tbh the system for dungeons isn't great. This reddit post sums it up pretty well.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/c...e_and_here_is/

[rhandric]

Guessing you haven't raided in Rift then? But anyway it's hard yes, but not in a good way. I like the game, but tbh the system for dungeons isn't great. This reddit post sums it up pretty well.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/c...e_and_here_is/

Until you read it and realize the OP was level 25 and complaining that a dungeon, which is balanced around people being 30 (certain amount of traits, elite skill, actually being able to hit the target instead of glancing blows most of the time), was too difficult.

Better luck next time though

[Rife]

To each their own I suppose.

You hate the difficulty, I LOVE it.

[Hockeyhacker]

Now I'm not one to complain about GW2 because lets face it, it's a great game. However, this is something that bothers me greatly. What's that? Dungeon Explorer mode. It's probably the hardest thing I have ever attempted in any MMO. You think 25 man heroic with no debuff in WoW is hard? You haven't seen anything yet. Let me share with you my experience.

...

I feel like the explorer modes are way over tuned. I mean, I love a challenge, but this isn't a challenge at all. It's literally impossible to do these dungeons in explorer mode at the recommended level (35). Remember we had 3 level 40s and two level 35s. Yes we all get down leveled to 35, but we are still stronger then a normal 35. I'm just wondering if anyone has actually beat a path on explorer mode yet for Catacombs. If so, I'd like to hear your strategy.

Playing a game that just came out 3 days ago, playing with people who have not played it for a long time to learn the mechanics, and your complaining its to hard? Ever think maybe its designed around being challenging for level 80 players who KNOW their classes inside and out yet is avalible for 35s so a person who has been playing for a fair while can start playing said content on an alt of theirs?

For your example of Heroic 25 man raids no buff in WoW, think about how much harder that would be if you take 25 people who have never played WoW in their life before, give them a max level toon and tell them to go at it... its not a matter of being to hard, its a matter of its meant to be challenging even at level cap witho people who know their classes and being currently played with people who have no clue how how to play their class properly yet.

Replay it in a few months with people who have had time to learn their class inside and out and then see how it feels.

[Grable]

Make it even harder or we'll get people bitching they did all the PvE content in a week after launch.

[DrakeWurrum]

Now I'm not one to complain about GW2 because lets face it, it's a great game. However, this is something that bothers me greatly. What's that? Dungeon Explorer mode. It's probably the hardest thing I have ever attempted in any MMO. You think 25 man heroic with no debuff in WoW is hard? You haven't seen anything yet. Let me share with you my experience.

Only one thing to say: Good.

Frankly, no-debuff 25-man heroic is too freaking easy for me.

[Zogarth]

Don't pug it, but make an organized group. And if you are gonna pug it, make sure the group is good.

[Deleted]

I still remember wiping at Mimiron Firefighter for at least two weaks, 3 days a weak for several hours. It's one of my favorite hard modes in WoW.

Do you think you will be able to beat this boss you mentioned in a couple weeks? I would hardly call it even harder than WoW just because you couldn't beat it the very first time you got there. Though there are some really easy hard modes in WoW, too. I for one really like hard bosses. When you keep discussing new theoretical tactics with your friends and guild mates until early morning long after the raid ended.

[Grable]

I still remember wiping at Mimiron Firefighter for at least two weaks, 3 days a weak for several hours. It's one of my favorite hard modes in WoW.

You should've played Vanilla, it took months to complete raid instances.

[trakbob]

I hope they stay like this. The way I see it, is that these explorable modes are GW2's version of "raids", and it should be for organized guild/teams with high end gear to beat them. Go back when you are at a higher level with more traits etc, and try again. You will still be downscaled to 35 afterall.