Why is cartography still this way even after years of doing it in other games.

I'm sick of games that require you to hug the edge of the map to get 100%, to me if I have the edge of the map on my agro bubble I should be able to map it completly, why must a part of the map I can't even walk to need to be filled in to get 100%? I remember this in other games and always hated it.

1) ANET has provided some leeway, I think TCFISH has said that in Cantha for example it is possible to obtain as much as 100.3%+. Hence there is not instance where you cannot obtain 100% because you have to an explore an area you cannot get to.

2) The primary reason...is to make it hard, silly. You wouldn't value a title if it was easy to get now would you? The Lightbringer title for example takes a lot longer to max out.

All you need is a good image editor where you can place your screeny directly over the 100% explored map (you can download) as a layer and turn the visibility on and off repeatedly and you can very quickly identify (assuming you have lined them up right) what you have missed. Took me no more than a couple days on each continent (assuming you have completed all the missions and already have a decent amount like 40% explored).

Well I downloaded the cartographer map mod that should help, but I noticed even areas I thought I was careful to go over every square inch of the map there is like 2-4 points that require you to move over 1/4 inch edge of the map or you don't get it registered.

The edge hugging thing IS a little silly IMO, but it's manageable. In an ideal world, though, a cartography title would be about having been everywhere and seen everything, not necessarily about scraping the walls everywhere you go.

Lets hope that GW2 Cartography title is about visiting check points.

It's not hard at all, it's just annoying and takes awhile.

Well it's really impossible unless you walk around like a idiot at the edge of the map, as I've said I walked around the entire edge of the starting island for NF, and with the map mod I can see a dozen places I missed, and these places when I go there and get 100% in these areas...are a very small 1 square foot area I missed, it's like STUPID. I can understand making it hard, but requiring you to hit every single inch of the edge is a bit much, plus some of these areas don't look like you can walk there, like why is it I can't walk through the jungle in one, spot but have to magickally realize I need to a few feet over to uncover the map?

This is certainly true. I created a character in Tyria the day EotN went live, and I was extremely diligent in my wall-hugging. As it turned out, I did not need to map Hell's Precipice at all: I started Abaddon's Mouth at 98.9%, and that mission had enough area to give me GMC even before finishing it.

the good news is...

you don't have to do it!

What about Cantha/Elonia? :>

I've actually found that since the release of Hard Mode, cartography titles are much easier to get. After you vanquish an area, just run along the edge of the map without having to worry about aggroing enemies. It makes it just a bit easier. Of course, missions in Tyria and challenge missions can still be a pain to clear, but when you're going for two titles at the same time, it makes it more worth while to get that last few percent.

I agree, I'm at 99% of elona, laggy computer, takes ages for me to do that map comparing thing...
and I hate most that I can't get 100% tyria now..cause of the map change, I am hoping anet fixes this, this makes alot of palyers miss 2 titles.

And btw, starscythe...lightbringer might take longer, but it's not annoying as the cartographer...

Use Texmod for mapping, makes it 200% easier. And you can still get 100% tyria with or without GW:EN....

cantha you can get above 100% because there is a bug that gives you roughly .5% of the map, in an area that shouldn't be explorable.

I should rephrase my second statement. Indeed, getting GMC is not difficult with some research, the proper tools, and of course a moderate investment of time, LOL. And I do agree, it can be annoying, which is why many people choose not to do it, which makes it (by virtue of annoyance) a less common title . And I might add a profitable one, I usually make over 30k a GMC through the process of mapping.

Knowing that, I felt a stronger sense of pride for every GMC title I achieved, knowing that through (what some might call a waste of time) my accomplishment meant a bit more to me. And that, wolfwing, is why GW has a GMC title track, because there are people who do not think they are idiots (as you state) for investing their time in mapping.

As for everything else, this is all really just a bunch of ranting over mapping frustration. And the only reason this topic is here is because you got emotional over a title and decided to share with everyone.

Really...if you don't like it, don't do it. No one is forcing you to complete the GMC title track for Elona. Otherwise, if your pushing yourself to complete it, I have to say...suck it up and take it like a man.

Actually the reason you can get over 100.0% on any map is because ANET had to leave leeway for foreign characters who can't access certain arenas, training areas, or (in Cantha) guild member specific areas.

That being said, I think TCFISH said 103.0%, which I find mind boggling! But please note this could only be achived with a native Canthan character. From what I have read, there is at least a full 1.0% leeway on any continent for the GMC, which I can confirm as I have Canthan GMC and Elonan GMC, and there was still fog I could have uncovered, totaling at least .4%. Although I did find uncover some fog that TCFISH's map had not.

So keep in mind the 100% maps are a guide, but even they may not have the complete maximum of 100.0%+ so a little luck and diligence is required.

P.S. Texture mapping for Elona will not reveal 100% of the map. I found at least .2% that was too subtle for the difference layer of the image editor to distinguish.

Its not difficult, especially with the use of a mod or an image editing program, but I do agree its quite annoying to have to hug literal edges for hours on end.

You know, we REALLY shouldn't have to use an outside program. I mean, I'm sick of having to compare screeenshots of my map to other ones to find the last 2.5%. It gets really annoying sometimes. A.net should just have some indication in the game that tells you where you need to map. Its not like it would be "cheating" since we already "cheat" by using the outside programs to compare and find missing areas to defog.

I agree with post 1 ... it is annoying having to edge the map to get 100% ....

Both are correct. There is indeed the leeway to give more than 100%, but there is also an area in Cantha that wouldn't normally be explorable to any character that allows a small percentage towards the title.