Southsun Cove Zone

[Celtic Lady]

I believe the new zone, Southsun Cove, opens today at 12 pm pacific. I missed the Lion's Arch DE for today, but I finally got the mailing for going to the new area. It's been fun seeing the new zone, though at level 77, I'm having a hard time surviving the karka there. I've been able to open up most of my map, but I haven't found any way into the Bakestone Caverns yet.

I'll need to go back with a few friends, I think, in order to solve this mystery since I die every time I try to run across to the general area. There are 2 POIs inside the cavern I'd like to discover. Aside from that, the new zone seems to be a large event area where several DEs are going on.

[Cariad]

It's quite a tough area, even with level 80 Warrior they hit quite hard (though I am in MF gear). Personally I'm not so impressed by it. Only a few new mobs to fight and the level itself feels like something you'd find in WvW - a huge open space with little attention to detail or atmosphere.

[Celtic Lady]

I was sort of disappointed there wasn't a list of map items to find like vistas, POIs, and hearts, etc, but someone said there were other maps like that already. Perhaps WvW is what they were talking about, too. I'm also hoping that once I'm 80 with exotic level 80 gear, the zone mobs will be more comfortable. Maybe the lack of map items to find means it's not supposed to be a soloable zone and is a group-only zone? I don't really know since my experience with high-end content is really limited.

[Vayne]

There are definitely points of interest and jumping puzzles, but the POIs don't count toward map completion, which makes sense. Some people already have 100% map completion...it would be silly to take it away from them. Someone in my guild said there was an achievement for fully exploring the new zone, but I can't find it anywhere.

[Celtic Lady]

Hmm. Yeah, I found all but one POI, I believe. The left POI inside the cavern I still can't figure out how to get to. I found the right one, though. Ember something, I think it was. I see your point about map completion, but I still missed the list, which I treat as a sort of checklist for the zones.

I wonder if some of the future maps will feature these again or if that was only for the leveling part of the game and therefore 80 content and up won't have them (listed hearts to complete, etc).

[Vayne]

I don't think you can expect new zones to up map completion. It's like what they did in Eye of the North.

Originally each game had it's own mapping title. If you mapped a game you got a title and if you mapped all three, you'd get Legendary Cartographer. Then Eye of the North came out.

They couldn't very well take the title away, so they added a new title called Legendary Conquerer of the North, incorporating a number of individual titles into one. To get that title you had to do a lot more than just explore Eye of the North. But exploration was included as part of that larger title.

[Izzy]

Someone in my guild said there was an achievement for fully exploring the new zone, but I can't find it anywhere.

Yeah that isn't possible right now. There is a point of interest that is unobtainable until, I suspect, after the last one time event.

Also according to the wiki,

This area does not currently have a map completion achievement or count towards world completion.

[meglobob]

There are at least 2 jumping puzzles, one getting on for clocktower difficulty. A new ranger pet to obtain.

For event chains follow the inspector around he spawns a constant event chain with side events too. Theres a constant zerg following him, so should be easier for sidekicks.

I found the island to be fairly easy except for Bakestone Caverns where resistance seems to increase. Think they are defending there big boss?

Got to say, overall I wasn't that impressed compared to some of the other zones (lower level ones) which have far more humour, stories, more well thought out content etc...

Are hearts coming after the event is over and its just a lvl 80 only zone or will it forever remain heart/vista free?

[Vayne]

No one knows what the future will hold, possibly not even Anet. I think the zone is presented for a very specific reason. To give people an alternative to Orr and Frostgorge Sound that's a bit harder, because some people wanted the greater challenge. And I did find it more challenging than Orr.

I don't think it was meant to be a replacement for Orr though. I still prefer Orr, but there are people in my guild who prefer the new island and people who even prefer Frostgorge Sound. I think Anet is just giving people another option.