What's with all the solo story quests?

[A Mouse]

Umm, so, I tend to play my main character with one or more friends and really enjoyed the game up to 45.  However, one of the biggest issues I've seen so far past the patch are these solo story quests.  Now, I am presently maining a summoner, so yes, I have my kitty tank and yes, I use her all the time for aggro.  So, I haven't had that much issue with many of the fights.  This however can not be said for a friend I play with all the time.  So much so that fights I found challenging, my friend is finding almost impossible.

 

Why?  Well, for one thing there's no one to take some of the aggro and run with it for a bit, or to share out some of the damage from the mobs.  Now, I can understand NCSoft and their friends wanting to make games that don't have the 1-1-3 mix of tank-heal-3xDPS.  However, they have put in mobs and classes that have a lot of down time for players both on self heals and mobs knocking them down.  Yes, we have escape skills, yes, we have self heals, yes, they all have cooldowns once you use the first escape skill, the second one 2 seconds later and are screwed for the next 8 seconds of mob cc on us.  Not to mention that the self heals aren't for a lot long term because they have cooldowns too.

 

Yes, it comes down to managing the cooldowns, but the biggest issue is really this.  What is with all the solo story quests?  Up to level 45 there were a few that we had to do solo, fair enough.  But there are some fights I have seen that the only reason I pass them is because I have someone to trade aggro with so I can step back and do some DPS before I go back to managing cooldowns and playing "Brave Sir Robin".  If you don't know, that means running away.  Now, I'm all for learning ones class and all that stuff, but honestly, if I spend 8 seconds on the ground in a 10 second period and can't use a skill to save my life, what's the point?  I don't think that having solo story quests as the main source of XP for leveling was a wise choice, I've found little to no secondary quests save for dailies that sometimes you don't even get quest credit for completing even though you get achievement credit for finishing the fight.  I mean seriously, that's some Whiskey Tango Foxtrotting right there.

 

Fix your questing soon please, stupid has already left the station.

[Zedonia]

So what exactly is the problem with the quests? During the story quests from last patch there are no difficult or hard enemies you have to beat alone. Did you just reached 45 before with no Soul shields wearing and now trying to finish the Story or how can it be that anything in the story is hard for youor your friends? Everything should be possible with very low gear.

[Nilkemios]

Seeing as it's meant to be "your story", I would hope it is soloable. I'm guessing you mean there's no option to bring friends along for story stuff? That would be a nice addition, but story quests should not suddenly require grouping.

[Nutrient]

Blade & Soul storyline says you're the last hongmoon student. It'd be kind of weird to have a tagalong. The content is easily soloed.

[Darkness]

yeah... why would you have party since you are the last hongmoon student as nutrient typed above. also if you DIDNT just hit 45 with cinderlands gear you can solo it no problem. its very easy

[A Mouse]

Actually we did just hit 45 before the patch and yes, I agree that the concept of being the last hongmoon student would imply story quests are solo.  I guess I would put it down to the style of the bosses has changed and the almost complete lack of other quests save for dailies that you don't always even get credit for.  I'm guessing that everyone that's replied probably has SS's that give them twice the amount of HP's I'm trying to do this with.  That apparently has made a huge difference, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that that's fine for people playing from launch, BUT that has a huge leap for people just joining the game to have the same experience that you've been enjoying.

 

It really boils down to if you didn't do the grind before, guess you have to do it now, and then again at the new end game.  Guess that's just the way they want it, little hope for new players and the old ones are happy.

[Rylaiz]

Then, I would kinda like to know what exactly ur gear is cause I got my main to 45 ages ago, but never rlly played withe it afterwards and instead did some stuff on other characters. So by the time of the patch I was basically like a completely new Lv 45, with True Infernal weapon and the SS u can buy in Hogshead. If that's the gear u try to go with it will probably be hard, but I know from experience that it was relatively easy for me to get True Profane and Supply Chain SS, and I guarantee u that u can easily do the story with that.

B4 u continue I'd recommend u to just upgrade ur weapon, it's not hard at all to get True Profane, but u should start doing dailies regularly to get money, and maybe run Supply Chain 6 man a few times, no one there rlly cares for the SS anymore so u can get like 6 pieces in 1 run for 1 copper each bc no one bids on them. But it's a very good basic SS to get started, and it will allow u to do the story and at least the Moonwater Heroic Dungeons where u can get a better SS (it's probably not good enough for Silverfrost dungeons tho, maybe someone who's already 50 can give u advice on what u need for those?)

[Titania Zero]

I had issue with the Iron... Giant guy with my FM.  That stun and kill move decimated me into frustration until I could finally destroy him, by moving more carefully.  But that point of this is... that frustration colored my desire to see less Solo story parts and more story parts that allow one or two others, like most of the others before Act 4.  I am aware there were solo story parts back then, but point two... the difficulty curve, acquisition of things (Upgrades) curve sky rocketed up from Mid of Act 3.  I mean really... my choice was move forward and struggle or not move at all... 

 

Thankfully I did pass it, and I managed not one but two upgrades on my weapon.  Brightstone ruins hates me though, and I'm not sure I can convince my unhappy partners in crime to help me continue that particular grind, much less Solo it.

 

Still it would be nice to pepper the experience with more multi-capable parts than Act 4 did.

 

I should mention the whole auction deal kinda is a turn off for running things with strangers.

[Nilkemios]

13 hours ago, Titania Zero said:

I should mention the whole auction deal kinda is a turn off for running things with strangers.

Oh yes. It's why I'd rather solo dungeons than bother with others...

 

It saddens me that Guild Wars 2 seems to be the only game that had enough sense to realize "hey, making people fight over loot is stupid, let's just give everyone their own".

 

While I'd certainly love the ability to have friends come along on story quests, knowing NCSoft, they'd force you to party up for story quests if that ever became a possiblilty, and that would kill this game off faster than it's already going.