Waypoint

Example of a waypoint in Metrica Province.

A waypoint, or a magi-matter-transportive device, is a floating stone marker that players can instantly travel to by using the map. In lore, it is an asuran creation. Before a character can use a particular waypoint for map travel, it must be discovered through exploration. Undiscovered waypoints will be displayed on the compass and map, and approaching the waypoint will unlock it for that character. Map travel within a city is free, but travel to waypoints in other cities or the rest of the world costs a fee in coin based on the distance between the character's current location and the destination waypoint and the character's non-scaled level. During and after dynamic events, waypoints can become contested if the area is taken over by enemies. These waypoints will be unavailable for map travel until they have been liberated. A normal zone typically has between 10 and 20 waypoints.

Map travel is not available while in combat. Defeated players can choose to be revived at a waypoint for the same fee as regular map travel. If a character is defeated with no coin, coin will be taken from their account vault. If their account vault is also empty, they can be revived for free at the nearest waypoint.

Along with points of interest, Shift-clicking or Ctrl-clicking on a discovered waypoint on the compass or map creates a clickable link in chat. Double-clicking on a discovered waypoint allows to bypass confirmation window.

Map icons

- active waypoint.

- locked waypoint.

- contested waypoint

Personal Waypoint

Players can create a personal waypoint on the map by Alt+Click a point on the map. This point has a gray star and labeled Personal Waypoint. The waypoint is viewable by other members of the party. You can view other party member's waypoints as indicated by a blue version of the star and the player's name. This provides a useful way to communicate position or goals to other players. These waypoints are only map markers.

Map Icons

What you see:

, what party members see:

Cost

Formula

The total cost of traveling to a waypoint depends on your level and the distance traveled and is made up of two components:

• A base fee that is strictly dependent on your level
• A distance fee that depends both on your level and the distance.

At lower levels, the distance fee dominates, making it more expensive to get too far away from your starting city. At higher levels, the base fee reaches a few silver, making it expensive to travel short distances using waypoints.

Base fee ^{[verification requested]}

• The base fee scales nearly exponentially with your level (below) with costs ranging from 4  to 1  39 .
• You pay the base fee even if standing next to the waypoint.

Distance fee ^{[verification requested]}

This fee depends both on distance traveled and player level. It appears to be linear to the distance of the straight-line distance between the current location and the destination. It scales with your level, but uses a different formula than used for the base fee. For example, the distance fee from Hoelbrak to Rata Sum ranges from 24  to 2  42  — 700% versus 174% of the respective base costs.

Maximum costs when defeated, but broke.

If you are defeated, you can always travel to the nearest waypoint.

• If you have no money in inventory, the cost will be deducted from your bank.
• If you also have no money in the bank, you will not be charged beyond what you had left in inventory.
• If the waypoint is contested, you will have to wait to travel (or have someone mail you the cost to travel to the next nearest waypoint).
• You cannot travel to the mists while defeated.

Base fee

Character Level	Base Fee
1	3
2	4
3	5
4	5
5	5
6	6
7	6
8	7
9	8
10	8
11	9
12	9
13	9
14	9
15	10
16	11
17	11
18	12
19	12
20	12

Character Level	Base Fee
21	12
22	13
23	13
24	14
25	15
26	15
27	16
28	16
29	16
30	16
31	19
32	22
33	24
34	27
35	29
36	32
37	34
38	36
39	38
40	41

Character Level	Base Fee
41	44
42	46
43	49
44	51
45	53
46	55
47	58
48	61
49	63
50	66
51	68
52	71
53	73
54	75
55	77
56	80
57	83
58	85
59	88
60	90

Character Level	Base Fee
61	92
62	94
63	97
64	1   0
65	1   2
66	1   5
67	1   7
68	1   10
69	1   12
70	1   14
71	1   16
72	1   19
73	1   22
74	1   24
75	1   26
76	1   29
77	1   31
78	1   33
79	1   36
80	1   39

Reducing travel costs

Guild upgrades

• Guilds can activate an upgrade to temporarily reduce waypoint costs by 15% for representing members.

Travel through the mists to reach Lion's Arch

You can reduce the fees paid for fast travel primarily by going through the mists to get to Lion's Arch:

• Open the PvP interface and click Go to the Heart of the Mists and take the asura gate. (Requires completion of the PvP tutorials.)
• Open the World versus World panel (shortcut: B) and enter any of the four maps; take the asura gate to LA.

Travel to other cities via Lion's Arch

• From Lion's Arch, you can travel to any other city for free via the asura gates at Gate Hub Plaza Waypoint.
• You can travel back to LA using the gate located at your arrival point from LA.

Travel to the Hall of Monuments with the Hall of Monuments Portal Stone for no charge.

• Takes you to a point north of Fireheart Rise from where you can map travel to many of the northern waypoints more cheaply than from The Black Citadel or Hoelbrak.

Other free waypoints

• Inside each of the major cities.
• Inside dungeons.
• Inside World versus World. (Contains Merchants, Crafting Stations, Banks, Trading Posts, and once left will return you to your original location in PvE).

Other tips

• To travel to a specific location in the city without going through the mists, use the internal waypoints after using one of the following methods:
  • Aim for the waypoint just outside the city and then walk across the portal.
  • Aim for the nearest waypoint in the city first.
• To travel to non-city destinations, travel for free via LA to the city nearest your destination, step outside the city, and then use the waypoints.
• To travel to Orr, you can use the asura gate in your chosen order's headquarters; this is unlocked during your personal story.

Notes

• There are 512 waypoints that count towards world completion.
• Dungeons have waypoints in them, but they do not count toward map completion.

Trivia

• Waypoints have been added to the map over time, ignoring waypoints added to dungeons:
  • Beta Weekend Event 1 — 477 waypoints
  • Beta Weekend Event 2 — 480 waypoints
  • Beta Weekend Event 3 — 503 waypoints
  • 28 January 2013 update — 509 waypoints
  • 26 February 2013 update — 511 waypoints
  • 26 March 2013 update — 512 waypoints

See also

• Asura gate