Hello everyone, i do believe that embark bay has almost no use the way it's made , apart of being able to craft consets quite easily, but i guess that wasn't at all the point of the outpost....
Besides, it was supposed to help making team easier and get to a location faster but that's not really what happened because people still form in the outpost itself and affording 1 more click isn't hard
Too many things are missing in my opinion and here are my suggestions :
- If people automatically logged on that outpost( wherever they were on their last log), it could have had a little impact
- No access to elite areas : the most important could have been a faster access between ToA and DoA and there isn't any... we should just be able to teleport on any outpost we unlocked
- Nothing about PvP : a facilitator indicating the number of players in each format or maybe merging all pvp outposts in it so that there wouldn't be 3 players in each outpost leading to inactivity...
Embark Bay should be more useful
Missing HB
Turk The Legendary
It's very useful... You can scroll into elite areas from there, bring parties there from guild hall to gate of anguish for doa incase you arent parked, easy consets... yada yada... there are bigger issues anet could be dealing with other than this. I feel people complain just for the sake of complaining these days..
Yol
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Originally Posted by Missing HB
Hello everyone, i do believe that embark bay has almost no use the way it's made , apart of being able to craft consets quite easily, but i guess that wasn't at all the point of the outpost....
Besides, it was supposed to help making team easier and get to a location faster but that's not really what happened because people still form in the outpost itself and affording 1 more click isn't hard Too many things are missing in my opinion and here are my suggestions : - If people automatically logged on that outpost( wherever they were on their last log), it could have had a little impact - No access to elite areas : the most important could have been a faster access between ToA and DoA and there isn't any... we should just be able to teleport on any outpost we unlocked - Nothing about PvP : a facilitator indicating the number of players in each format or maybe merging all pvp outposts in it so that there wouldn't be 3 players in each outpost leading to inactivity... |
[edit] Turk is correct, forgot about scrolls working there.
wilebill
Your suggestions are good. Why is there no crafter for the summoning stones for siege turtle, gaki, oni, or dream rider. At least the siege turtle!
Sad fact of the matter is that we need the time and energy from the live team to do more pressing tasks. Such as a rework for the elementalist and the Ranger that they have mentioned (?). And adjustments for hard mode. Much better they work on what is most vital rather than tweak Embark Beach.
I visit Embark Beach almost every day. What is there is good, and it is a pleasant outpost. Could be better but unless GW 2 gets delayed for another year, think we can forget tweaks.
Sad fact of the matter is that we need the time and energy from the live team to do more pressing tasks. Such as a rework for the elementalist and the Ranger that they have mentioned (?). And adjustments for hard mode. Much better they work on what is most vital rather than tweak Embark Beach.
I visit Embark Beach almost every day. What is there is good, and it is a pleasant outpost. Could be better but unless GW 2 gets delayed for another year, think we can forget tweaks.
Del
I don't see why EB should have anything to do with pvp. It was designed for PvE, and all the PvP outposts, aside from factions pseudo PvP, show up when you hit M so it doesn't really matter anyways.
Random Namos
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Originally Posted by Missing HB
- If people automatically logged on that outpost( wherever they were on their last log), it could have had a little impact
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gremlin
Embark beach is a pain imo so have been sticking with temple of balthazar and multi jumps to get to where I am heading.
I like a home base where when I appear I can see instantly where everything is without too much effort.
When I appear I can see the zaishen missions straight ahead the traders are just up some stairs slightly to the right and hard right is my storage.
I think they put as much as anyone could wish for in embark beach but because its divided up into game areas you have to stand there like a tourist till you find your bearings.
Keep it simple All travel in one place traders another place Xunlai near the traders and so on.
I think it was created by a committee on a Friday afternoon when they all wanted to get off early for the weekend.
I like a home base where when I appear I can see instantly where everything is without too much effort.
When I appear I can see the zaishen missions straight ahead the traders are just up some stairs slightly to the right and hard right is my storage.
I think they put as much as anyone could wish for in embark beach but because its divided up into game areas you have to stand there like a tourist till you find your bearings.
Keep it simple All travel in one place traders another place Xunlai near the traders and so on.
I think it was created by a committee on a Friday afternoon when they all wanted to get off early for the weekend.
Mireles
EB would of made more since for grouping if John did not eliminate the need for grouping in the same update with 7 heroes.
Dewshine Wildclaw
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Originally Posted by Missing HB
Too many things are missing in my opinion and here are my suggestions :
- If people automatically logged on that outpost( wherever they were on their last log), it could have had a little impact - No access to elite areas : the most important could have been a faster access between ToA and DoA and there isn't any... we should just be able to teleport on any outpost we unlocked - Nothing about PvP : a facilitator indicating the number of players in each format or maybe merging all pvp outposts in it so that there wouldn't be 3 players in each outpost leading to inactivity... |
As for your suggestions.
1. Please no, the guild hall is my base and I want it to stay that way. I like Embark Beach, but being put there regardless of where I was before I would not like.
2. Someone mentioned that you can use scrolls there, so not nearly that bad, I do however agree that adding more/all outposts there could be nice. Here it becoming a too long list may be why they didn't do that?
3. Embark Beach is as others said a PvE outpost/hub, so adding the PvP post there isn't really on top of the list of things that Embark needs.
Embark Beach is definitely not as active or handy as was the hopes for it, but it is not completely failed. I think its biggest problem is the size, how things are too spread out and that you can only get to mission outposts.
Premium Unleaded
It's been mentioned already - Embark is just so poorly designed imo, particularly for mapping convenience/efficiency.
Going through the whole process to travel via EB is much more annoying than just meeting up at the place and grouping up at the outpost/town most of the time. It's even worse if you're using a 7h party; eg. it's consistently much faster to go 8ppl zone > kamadan > 8 ppl zone > add heroes than travel via EB unless you get lucky and are put next to the correct region camp.
Going through the whole process to travel via EB is much more annoying than just meeting up at the place and grouping up at the outpost/town most of the time. It's even worse if you're using a 7h party; eg. it's consistently much faster to go 8ppl zone > kamadan > 8 ppl zone > add heroes than travel via EB unless you get lucky and are put next to the correct region camp.
cosyfiep
I only use EB for 2 things: getting the daily vanquish and getting to areas past kamadan in nightfall. For everything else I use gtob--its more convenient (as was mentioned--smaller, stuff put together in user friendly grouping, etc). If I want to get to eye I go thru kaineng, factions-kaineng, prophecies-LA (so I loose 2--easily added back in).
I wish they had spent more time on the set up than making double and triples of stuff there.
I wish they had spent more time on the set up than making double and triples of stuff there.
Del
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Originally Posted by cosyfiep
I wish they had spent more time on the set up than making double and triples of stuff there.
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Venganza
Embark is an utter failure in terms of its intended purpose, but that is down to our preferences as much as any innate quality of the place itself, so while we can critique the designers, I doubt it would have succeeded without major changes which would mean a replica and amalgamation of several other places and attendant "stuff": something I doubt the developers wanted in any case.
Most people use it to grab the daily ZV or make a few cons, and that is about it, rarely does anyone bother to try to form a group there.
We choose to cluster in certain places for various endeavors, pets in EoTN, dungeon runs in Doomlore etc, and habits die hard.
The Zaishan bounties have kept human pugging alive, and Embark was a nice idea, but one we did not embrace for a plethora of reasons.
The developers earn kudos for providing something which attempted to achieve some lofty goals, but it isn't wholly down to them that is doesn't work.
I simply accept it for what it is, and life goes on
Most people use it to grab the daily ZV or make a few cons, and that is about it, rarely does anyone bother to try to form a group there.
We choose to cluster in certain places for various endeavors, pets in EoTN, dungeon runs in Doomlore etc, and habits die hard.
The Zaishan bounties have kept human pugging alive, and Embark was a nice idea, but one we did not embrace for a plethora of reasons.
The developers earn kudos for providing something which attempted to achieve some lofty goals, but it isn't wholly down to them that is doesn't work.
I simply accept it for what it is, and life goes on
PurpleFission
imho, EB is just way too big. Finding the NPC you have been looking for is just too much of a struggle. The idea is great, just not as well planned out as I would have liked
??iljo
+1 on above
It should have been atleast 3 times smaller with campaign zones right next to each other.
Also,I expected to have instant entry to all the dungeons,but that didnt happen...
It should have been atleast 3 times smaller with campaign zones right next to each other.
Also,I expected to have instant entry to all the dungeons,but that didnt happen...
Fluffy Kittens
I have no reason at all to use EB. Buying consets from players in ToA and I'm not lazy to zone to house/cavalon and use the passage scroll to urgoz/deep there
chuckles79
Things could be better.
A. the layout kinda sucks with the rocks and round about ways to get to each camp. It would have been more practical if they had put all 4 travel agents right next to each other. What point is convenience if it's not convenient?
B. They really SHOULD add Temple of Ages to Tyrian Travel.
C. Automatically enter mission for ZM, automatic transport to nearest outpost for ZB and ZVq
EB isn't bad, I like that I'm able to zoom in, get my quests and sell items quickly, but that was an option with GToB as well.
The only nice thing is being able to keep 8 players and the advantages of that go away when you tele in at the furthest point from the travel agent you want (see A.)
A. the layout kinda sucks with the rocks and round about ways to get to each camp. It would have been more practical if they had put all 4 travel agents right next to each other. What point is convenience if it's not convenient?
B. They really SHOULD add Temple of Ages to Tyrian Travel.
C. Automatically enter mission for ZM, automatic transport to nearest outpost for ZB and ZVq
EB isn't bad, I like that I'm able to zoom in, get my quests and sell items quickly, but that was an option with GToB as well.
The only nice thing is being able to keep 8 players and the advantages of that go away when you tele in at the furthest point from the travel agent you want (see A.)
DolyakJockey
Hard to say how much resources were wasted on EB, since the outpost was planned at one time to be a market hub. Would of been better received if it happened a couple years earlier and before 7 heroes came along and filled the need to pug missions. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.
HawkofStorms
The problem is, it takes longer to walk to a Travel NPC then it does to map travel twice.
MithranArkanere
Hm... I think Embark Beach could use the Mercenary NPC, plus the hat maker and the costume tailor, and the PvE signposts should be removed from the Great Temple, so the only place to take those quests is Embark Beach.
A Guild NPCs could come in handy too.
Then add a Guild Registrar to the Great Temple. And we have two separate PvE and PvP hubs.
Then... some 50...90% speedups between areas wouldn't hurt.
You know, while you stand in the place with the NPCs you walk normally. But if you leave that, you get a speed buff and can walk way faster to the next spot.
An in all, it would be livelier if it was a better trade hub.
I will never stop wishing for the Xunlai Marketplace. No matter how futile.
A Guild NPCs could come in handy too.
Then add a Guild Registrar to the Great Temple. And we have two separate PvE and PvP hubs.
Then... some 50...90% speedups between areas wouldn't hurt.
You know, while you stand in the place with the NPCs you walk normally. But if you leave that, you get a speed buff and can walk way faster to the next spot.
An in all, it would be livelier if it was a better trade hub.
I will never stop wishing for the Xunlai Marketplace. No matter how futile.
Del
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Originally Posted by MithranArkanere
the PvE signposts should be removed from the Great Temple, so the only place to take those quests is Embark Beach.
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MithranArkanere
It's not dumb. The Great Temple is the PvP hub, embark beach is the PvE hub.
Each one has its purposes.
Now that Embarch beach is here, keeping them there is like adding them to the Guild Hall.
That would be counter-productive, and dumb.
It would be more like removing male urinals from the female bathrooms.
On top of that, only embark beach has the Vanquish ones, and only the Great Temple has the PvP one.
So there are two that are in both, but not all. That's inconsistent. Inconsistencies are to be removed.
Each one has its purposes.
Now that Embarch beach is here, keeping them there is like adding them to the Guild Hall.
That would be counter-productive, and dumb.
It would be more like removing male urinals from the female bathrooms.
On top of that, only embark beach has the Vanquish ones, and only the Great Temple has the PvP one.
So there are two that are in both, but not all. That's inconsistent. Inconsistencies are to be removed.
Del
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Originally Posted by MithranArkanere
It's not dumb. The Great Temple is the PvP hub, embark beach is the PvE hub.
Each one has its purposes. Now that Embarch beach is here, keeping them there is like adding them to the Guild Hall. That would be counter-productive, and dumb. It would be more like removing male urinals from the female bathrooms. On top of that, only embark beach has the Vanquish ones, and only the Great Temple has the PvP one. So there are two that are in both, but not all. That's inconsistent. Inconsistencies are to be removed. |
MithranArkanere
A good outpost is not one in which everything is right around you without barely having to move at all.
That makes player stick to one place instead moving around.
An outpost in which you have to walk around to get to places is better. It makes people walk around and makes it livelier.
If what you want is something more like Front Mission menus in which everything is accessed without actually having a character moving around, then sorry, but you won't find that.
That makes player stick to one place instead moving around.
An outpost in which you have to walk around to get to places is better. It makes people walk around and makes it livelier.
If what you want is something more like Front Mission menus in which everything is accessed without actually having a character moving around, then sorry, but you won't find that.
Del
The outpost was implemented for forming parties, and the agents were implemented for leaving to missions conveniently. I'm not saying I want everything accessed without having to move around, but that gtob is a better outpost because you don't waste time running across a big ass outpost just to get to a particular NPC. And for an outpost designed for convenience, it defeats the purpose if in the time you can run to the travel agent you're looking, you could just map 2-3 times and get where you're going faster.
The "liveliness" of the outpost is also shit reasoning for why a big spread out outpost like EB is good, because no one plays games to stare in awe of how lively an outpost is, but to get out of the outpost and actually play. Forcing people to use EB by removing the bounty and mission signs is also asinine because it's basically just asking the live team to go out of their way to inconvenience players for no better reason than to make them use a shitty outpost.
The "liveliness" of the outpost is also shit reasoning for why a big spread out outpost like EB is good, because no one plays games to stare in awe of how lively an outpost is, but to get out of the outpost and actually play. Forcing people to use EB by removing the bounty and mission signs is also asinine because it's basically just asking the live team to go out of their way to inconvenience players for no better reason than to make them use a shitty outpost.
Premium Unleaded
The whole concept of map travel, one of the core features in this game, is to remove the barrier of having to waste time travelling from outpost to outpost. Embark's design at the moment is the antithesis of this.
cosyfiep
ease of use is also a part of outposts....take a look at henge of denravi--its HUGE and almost always TOTALLY EMPTY...Ammmoon Oasis--huge, usually empty. heck even Dorknars is usually pretty sparse (except during holidays)....and its not all because everyone is trading in kamadan....LA, Kaineng and Kamadan are the right size for getting around, stuff is pretty much set it good locations (minus a few--hence the extra added storage at either ends). gtob is small--but everything is only a second or two away for you--this makes it very easy to use--user friendly. embark beach is NOT user friendly...first you have to figure out where you popped in (2 seconds lost), then chances are you are not near what you popped in to get (2+ seconds lost running)...
would have made more sense to put all the silly travel npcs together, have only ONE set of other npcs (I know its a bigger place, but none of the large outposts have triple npcs!)...if you think about it---the triple npcs---if it were a good plan would NOT have been needed AT ALL! The fact that they put 3 of just about every npc in makes me believe that even they thought the place wasnt well thought out either.
would have made more sense to put all the silly travel npcs together, have only ONE set of other npcs (I know its a bigger place, but none of the large outposts have triple npcs!)...if you think about it---the triple npcs---if it were a good plan would NOT have been needed AT ALL! The fact that they put 3 of just about every npc in makes me believe that even they thought the place wasnt well thought out either.
Slayer Frost
The should just have updated the ship icon on the travel map to include all outposts, would be so much better then running all over Embark to find the right guy that can take you where you need to go.
The Drunkard
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Originally Posted by MithranArkanere
A good outpost is not one in which everything is right around you without barely having to move at all.
That makes player stick to one place instead moving around. An outpost in which you have to walk around to get to places is better. It makes people walk around and makes it livelier. |
Tbh the only time I go to embark is to grab the vanquish quests- otherwise I use the portal when going to tyria to bypass LA. It takes more time running around the outpost finding the scouts than it does just map travelling. However, the ideas suggested by the OP might help embark actually see some use.
/signed
Vampire of Bone
Its embark beach (you probably know that now but meh)
Also the idea was that you could more easily access most areas:
Embark Beach would be better if it was a box with a guy that could craft all the consets and another guy that could take you to:
Goa
Prophecies missions
Factions missions
Nightfall missions
maybe a material trader or two, sure it wouldnt look as nice but itd be a hell of a lot easier.
Also the idea was that you could more easily access most areas:
- You cant travel to DoA
- all of the [Campaign Travel] people are miles away from wherever you spawn making it easier and faster to just do the extra map
Embark Beach would be better if it was a box with a guy that could craft all the consets and another guy that could take you to:
Goa
Prophecies missions
Factions missions
Nightfall missions
maybe a material trader or two, sure it wouldnt look as nice but itd be a hell of a lot easier.
gremlin
The problem for me with embark Beach is one of navigation.
The other trading centres are just as spread out but they have a central focus area usually an open courtyard, a gate to the outside world and a harbour area.
I know in Kamadan that the merchant, skills rune and dye traders are by the gate so is storage.
Opposite end of the town has weapons and armour another merchant and some storage just down by the harbour.
Kaining centre similar with a lot of traders in a lower open area armour and weapons in their own little nich, you get lost a couple of times but it quickly becomes familiar.
Lions arch has been updated since the early days with more storage but again the architecture and gate makes orientation easy.
You have to move around a fair bit in all of them but at least you know instantly where you are running.
Embark beach is a loose collection of wooden structures pretty much the same as each other and set amongst some small hills.
It has the feel of being recently set up so I would hope that over time the traders get some permanent structures set up and move a few of the resources around.
If only the game remembered where you were at eb when you last visited and always returned you there it would be a big help.
The other trading centres are just as spread out but they have a central focus area usually an open courtyard, a gate to the outside world and a harbour area.
I know in Kamadan that the merchant, skills rune and dye traders are by the gate so is storage.
Opposite end of the town has weapons and armour another merchant and some storage just down by the harbour.
Kaining centre similar with a lot of traders in a lower open area armour and weapons in their own little nich, you get lost a couple of times but it quickly becomes familiar.
Lions arch has been updated since the early days with more storage but again the architecture and gate makes orientation easy.
You have to move around a fair bit in all of them but at least you know instantly where you are running.
Embark beach is a loose collection of wooden structures pretty much the same as each other and set amongst some small hills.
It has the feel of being recently set up so I would hope that over time the traders get some permanent structures set up and move a few of the resources around.
If only the game remembered where you were at eb when you last visited and always returned you there it would be a big help.
Cuilan
I still find new players getting stuck there asking me questions like "how I do quest." Their only option is to really make a new character if nobody answers them well.
Star_Jewel
The size and spread of Embark Beach has kept me away. I can't stand having to orient myself, holding down all names and turning my camera to find which blob of NPCs I need to head towards. I could probably deal with that if we had a constant environmental effect to make running from camp to camp a bit faster. But as it is, I only go there when I absolutely have to: To pick up the ZV or buy consumables. The consumable crafters are handy -- it's easier to go there than have to map all over North -- but for Zaishen quests, I personally would prefer 4 signposts in both EB and GToB. Drives me batty having to map PvX characters to both outposts to pick up all the quests, mainly because it just smacks of lazy programming.
And God help me if I want to turn in a ZQ and happen to map in at the Elonian camp.
This is the biggest EB fail on ANet's part. As little time as I spend at EB, every occasion I'm there, I see at least one newbie in Local asking, "Um, how do I leave this place?"
They either need to make the directions more explicit or create a "Leave Embark Beach" button on the party panel to return one to their last outpost, similar to the Guild Hall tab. I realize it's probably not the same programming mechanic as for the GH tab, since EB is itself an outpost, but something really needs to be done. I feel sorry for these lost newbies, especially when they get smartass tips like "Press Alt+F4."
And God help me if I want to turn in a ZQ and happen to map in at the Elonian camp.
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Originally Posted by Cuilan
I still find new players getting stuck there asking me questions like "how I do quest."
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They either need to make the directions more explicit or create a "Leave Embark Beach" button on the party panel to return one to their last outpost, similar to the Guild Hall tab. I realize it's probably not the same programming mechanic as for the GH tab, since EB is itself an outpost, but something really needs to be done. I feel sorry for these lost newbies, especially when they get smartass tips like "Press Alt+F4."
Skyy High
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Originally Posted by Cuilan
I still find new players getting stuck there asking me questions like "how I do quest." Their only option is to really make a new character if nobody answers them well.
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Miteshu
I don't really care about your suggestions but I agree that Embark Bay should be more useful.
I prefer if teleport NPC are parked closer to each other. The time to get from Zenchu to the Elona NPC is pathetic. I find that using map travel is easier, with Heroes being better organized, it makes map traveling easier due to adding party members.
I prefer if teleport NPC are parked closer to each other. The time to get from Zenchu to the Elona NPC is pathetic. I find that using map travel is easier, with Heroes being better organized, it makes map traveling easier due to adding party members.
ErinMaelranaidh
Murphy's Law being what it is, you can be sure to spawn at the opposite side of the NPC you want to speak to, each time you zone into EB. Nine times out ten. x)
Otherwise, maybe suggested before but anyway... Even if we don't have to speak to them much often, I think that putting Storybooks NPC in Embark Beach would not be a bad idea. At least, it would not be inconsistent with its purpose.
Otherwise, maybe suggested before but anyway... Even if we don't have to speak to them much often, I think that putting Storybooks NPC in Embark Beach would not be a bad idea. At least, it would not be inconsistent with its purpose.
Aviator The Hunter
Well I disagree to make it more useful than now.. It'll kill the travels between the major cities..
Tactical-Dillusions
More usefulness can never be a bad thing!
I'd have thought portals, like the ones leading to the next levels in Dragons lair, but each leading to ToA etc might have been better than NPC's with big lists of locations. Even one NPC with an interactive map of all continents would be better.
It's been mentioned, but i agree with a speed buff in EB. Perhaps less cliffs and rocks too. A cool feature would be to allow weapons and ranger pets to be shown in Embark Beach. It would add an extra attraction.
I'd have thought portals, like the ones leading to the next levels in Dragons lair, but each leading to ToA etc might have been better than NPC's with big lists of locations. Even one NPC with an interactive map of all continents would be better.
It's been mentioned, but i agree with a speed buff in EB. Perhaps less cliffs and rocks too. A cool feature would be to allow weapons and ranger pets to be shown in Embark Beach. It would add an extra attraction.
The Super Chilli
Im relatively neutral about EB. Time could have been better spent delevoping weaker sections of the game (but thats another tread).
The thing that gets me is that no effort has been made to integrate it into this years Halloween festivals. If some quests too part there or even started forming there it could give EB the much needed kick its been waiting for.
I remember how april fools took place there, and it brought the place to life...seems a long time ago though
The thing that gets me is that no effort has been made to integrate it into this years Halloween festivals. If some quests too part there or even started forming there it could give EB the much needed kick its been waiting for.
I remember how april fools took place there, and it brought the place to life...seems a long time ago though
Outerworld
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Originally Posted by The Super Chilli
Im relatively neutral about EB. Time could have been better spent delevoping weaker sections of the game (but thats another tread).
The thing that gets me is that no effort has been made to integrate it into this years Halloween festivals. If some quests too part there or even started forming there it could give EB the much needed kick its been waiting for. I remember how april fools took place there, and it brought the place to life...seems a long time ago though |