Jumping Puzzles

I know that Steven has definitely brought up/shown some elements of Jumping Puzzles/Parkouring your way to access places in the game, but I just want a place to express your interest (or not) - and why - for or against Jumping Puzzles.

Guild Wars 2 for me will always be the gold standard - open world Jumping Puzzles with rewards at the end. I think tying it to something like Cartography would also be a nice touch. They were always pretty creative and it was just a fun way to make exploring the world more fun. I think that because Ashes of Creation will have little to no flying mounts, the environment will suit it well. You could even put them in places which restrict mounts altogether (or design them in a way which would require i.e. the gliding mount).

Imagine if while scaling the Tower of Carphin, there's an optional element to climb the outside to reach a secret room (secret boss?) - you'd get the added bonus of the amazing views and a potential reward.

It also doesn't just have to be jumping puzzles. Puzzle elements akin to games like the Tomb Raider Series would suit really well. The world will be full of ruins and adding creative methods to progress through certain areas will keep the exploration feeling less homogenous.

I know this will be a small part of the game, but I think it's something that could help add those layers of creativity that some newer games are missing - giving you a reason to explore the world (and rewarding you somewhat for doing so).

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Comments

Otr

I would like to see shortcuts to/from under-realm in form of jumping puzzles.
But mules should not teleport to players.

Kilion

I agree that having elements of terrain obstruction to access certain areas will make a good addition to the game, not only because it would be fun to have such thrill in your exploration, but also because it is a great element for PvP. Imagine a monastery carved into a cliff as an open dungeon. A group as part of a raid could prevent others from accessing the dungeon while they take on a boss that spawns in the entrance area of the dungeon.

AidanKD

Kilion wrote: »

I agree that having elements of terrain obstruction to access certain areas will make a good addition to the game, not only because it would be fun to have such thrill in your exploration, but also because it is a great element for PvP. Imagine a monastery carved into a cliff as an open dungeon. A group as part of a raid could prevent others from accessing the dungeon while they take on a boss that spawns in the entrance area of the dungeon.

Yeah that should add an element of excitement. I think that Jumping Puzzles in these kind of PvP objectives will be an interesting point of balance. I know some people hold a view that they wouldn't want it intruding too much into certain elements of "core gameplay". For example, if you had a main Raid boss behind a jumping puzzle, will it serve as more of an annoyance waiting for players to progress through the puzzle? And would it be nigh impossible to get everyone through if you have two guilds competing against each other? Does it stop being fun at that point?

Personally I think there is space for a small amount of key game objectives like that to have it - but by linking it more to optional side content - it allows it to shine at being something fun and less so of a nuisance. I.e. let it be the main challenge and not a gateway.

arkileo

I love jumping puzzles, unironically I think they're my favorite thing from GW2. That said, I don't think they should be the gate to any content. Some people are extremely bad at them. Imagine a whole raid waiting for one person because they keep failing a jump. That would be very annoying.

Jumping puzzles should be self-contained or act as a secondary path/shortcut to already accessible content.

Arya_Yeshe

i never liked jumping puzzles before GW2 and then in GW2 i slowly started liking jumping puzzles

Aszkalon

AidanKD wrote: »

Guild Wars 2 for me will always be the gold standard - open world Jumping Puzzles with rewards at the end.

And they looked " beautiful - as - HELL " !! (*_*)

Guild Wars 2 had such wonderfully pretty Jumping Puzzles at times. I didn't play the Game for very long, but it was still a cool Experience.

Chunka

Yes please, GW2 jumping puzzles were amazing!

AidanKD

Aszkalon wrote: »

AidanKD wrote: »

Guild Wars 2 for me will always be the gold standard - open world Jumping Puzzles with rewards at the end.

And they looked " beautiful - as - HELL " !! (*_*)

Guild Wars 2 had such wonderfully pretty Jumping Puzzles at times. I didn't play the Game for very long, but it was still a cool Experience.

I think the fact that GW2 had a "Vista" system where you could have a nice panoramic view across a stunning landscape and bundled it somewhat with the Puzzle locations goes to show the benefit of designing a landscape around a puzzle as well as the other way round can be a win!

ReLamas

I love the idea of incorporating jumping puzzles and parkour elements into Ashes of Creation! It adds a dynamic layer to exploration, encouraging players to engage more deeply with the environment. The suggestion to tie it with Cartography is brilliant, as it not only enhances the exploration experience but also provides tangible rewards and incentives for those who enjoy uncovering secrets.

Guild Wars 2 indeed set a high standard with its open-world jumping puzzles, offering both challenge and reward. Implementing something similar in Ashes of Creation, especially in a world without flying mounts, would make ground-based exploration more engaging. Restricting mounts in specific areas or designing puzzles that require particular mount abilities, like gliding, could add even more depth.

Including puzzle elements like those found in the Tomb Raider series would be an excellent addition. The game’s rich lore and ruins offer perfect settings for creative and immersive challenges, providing players with varied and meaningful experiences. This not only diversifies gameplay but also rewards players who take the time to explore and interact with the world, making it feel more alive and mysterious.

Dolyem

They're cool, but one thing to consider in terms of puzzles to access certain content can be easily griefed in a setting with character collision.

Arya_Yeshe

Dolyem wrote: »

They're cool, but one thing to consider in terms of puzzles to access certain content can be easily griefed in a setting with character collision.

Yeah, as I always ask: why being affraid of pvp "griefing" while pve griefing is the real problem?

Halae

I'd personally prefer if some things were locked off behind a jumping puzzle, but that they be exclusively optional things. No dungeons, no major content, but like... rare resource spawns? Special mutant animals? Special events or NPCs? Those could be a fun reward for a player that manages to get up there.

Yoh

Agreed. If GW2 didn't anything right, it was the jumping puzzles.
It's great side content that makes you want to explore.

AidanKD

Halae wrote: »

I'd personally prefer if some things were locked off behind a jumping puzzle, but that they be exclusively optional things. No dungeons, no major content, but like... rare resource spawns? Special mutant animals? Special events or NPCs? Those could be a fun reward for a player that manages to get up there.

Yes all of the above! I posted on another thread about emotes/idle animations and suggested that there could be achievements tied to unlockables. This could be one such thing.

Ace1234

This was my favorite implementation of jump puzzles.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk9OEt02aDE&t=4s

Iskiab

I've always disliked jumping puzzles, or puzzles in general. They work for single player games maybe, but everywhere else I've never found they added nothing and only took away from the game.

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