GW2 – HoT Chapters 12-14

Contrary to expectations, I was able to get my Nuhoch Mastery point and continue to chapter 12 in record time (one day). I got the Mastery point while I was running around on my Ranger, incidentally. My mastery level is now at the earth-shattering level of-you might want to sit down for this-10!

I returned to my Necro for the story. He’s been my main guy for all these years and I have a decent feel for the class-as best as I’ll probably ever get in GW2, at least. I abandoned the Greatsword and went back to Axe/Warhorn and Staff.

One thing I’ve noticed: The more I’ve been playing, the more comfortable I feel with the game, and the more fun it gets. It’s a game that requires sitting down and making a conscious decision to push through the learning curve. It’s a bit like Dark Souls in that regard, and once I make that connection in my mind, it gets a little easier to deal with.

Still, it’s ridiculous how hard they make you work just to watch some stupid cut scenes.

Previously I wanted to nominate Chapter 9 as the most annoying chapter. Now I would like to nominate Chapter 14.

It might also have been Chapter 12, “The Way In.” The map markings on where to go and what to do to get that chak enzyme (pronounced “chalk” but for some reason spelled “chak”) were extremely confusing. Not to mention the maze of verticality in that region.

Chapter 13, “Buried Insight”-discovering the underground ruins of Rata Novus- was okay, almost a welcome respite. Taimi whined and scampered around impetuously and then complained that the team didn’t take her seriously. Welcome to real life, Taimi. Act like a professional, and people tend to treat you like a professional.

By the way, how exactly did Rata Novus get “lost” when it’s, like, right next to Rata Sum on the map? Just one more of the many suspensions of disbelief one needs to make in the GW2 story.

Anyway, next we come to Chapter 14, “Sign Cutting.” Another episode that is really nothing more than running from Point A to Point B on the world map. But since this is HoT it has to be as difficult as an endgame raid. First there’s navigating the maze of roads that go up and down and spiral around on themselves. Then there are the hordes of mobs everywhere. You can barely stop long enough to open the map before a mob finds and attacks you. There are several chokepoints guarded by those nasty veteran mobs blocking the way. Sometimes mobs literally appear out of thin air to gang up on you. I still haven’t quite figured that out.

It took about an hour and three deaths to reach the portal to the next zone. (Each death meant returning to the starting point because there are fewer waypoints in HoT-to make it more hardcore I guess. God forbid anything be convenient in there.) I tried to fight my way through but those last Mordrem mobs were too tough. They kept ganging up on me, and those bleepity-bleeping Rolling Devils! Ugh! They are worse than the Skeleton Wheels in Dark Souls! Way worse, because you can only reliably dodge twice in GW2. I had to make a run for it and hope for the best, and on the third try I finally made it through and unlocked that Waypoint.

I am rather surprised to learn that there are only two chapters left in Heart of Thorns. That seems awfully short for an expansion.