Guild Wars 2

I just spent 2 weeks trying my hardest to get into this game. New player onboarding in this game is more frustrating than any other game and with almost zero population in most zones I never could get help from anyone or ask questions. Game documentation and tutorials were very brief and borderline useless.

Playing an elementalist I constantly struggled, constantly died, was constantly running back, constantly running from aggro, etc… I spent $100 on gems and now at 80 have all exotic gear (whatever the second most rare type gear is) I’ve tried dagger/dagger, I’ve tried staff. Every single fight was a constant near death experience, constantly running off aggro, etc…

For example, trying to discover the entire map I may need to grind into a cave or something but the respawn rate is so high and it takes me so long to grind down a mob I can’t even grind my way in because respawn gets me before I can even clear a path.

I’ve tried stacking toughness, toughness + vitality. I’ve tried full power/precision builds. I’ve tried about a dozen other builds I’ve seen people post online.

I’m a long time veteran of MMO’s.. played nearly all since M59 and spent years playing MUDs before that and have never, ever had and close to so much difficulty enjoying a game as this.

I figured ok just gut thru the PVE content, get to 80 and start WvW. Ok doing that now. But where to go? What to do? I got to WvW I have no idea what all the pie graphs mean. No idea what anything in the WvW Join screene means. Ok course I’ve tried asking in various zones and just crickets. No one even talks in this game it seems. So I just randomly enter some WVW areas. Where do I go? Where is the PVP? What do I do? Just ran around for literally 2 hrs last night trying to find something

I really tried, I wanted to like this game so bad but after 2 weeks I just can’t find the desire anymore. This game just seems so unbalanced or untested, at least for the elementalist class. Just a single mob encounter just seems like a painful grind. I’d almost be convinced to try another class but from the few people I have managed to dialog with in game said all classes are like this except maybe Guardian but don’t really like that type class.

Just some helpful advice from someone who really wanted to like and continue playing this game but just scratching my head at some things in this game.

This can be solved in about 3 steps.

1. Join a medium sized HELPFUL guild.. The reason I say this is because a lot of people don’t even have their local or map chat on in many cases because they have guild/party chats up because those are the people they constantly socialize with. Just don’t bombard them with questions at first because that can be quite obnoxious (though an initial question or two can really help you judge just how helpful the guild will end up being), just be polite about it and kinda let them bring you into the fold. Join in on guild activities, ask for suggestions on how you can improve and most importantly make connections with other players because the more close friends you have the easier it is to get by in this game whether it be asking questions or maybe exchanging materials or borrowing stuff.

2. Elementalist is too squishy for you? Make a warrior or guardian (I much prefer warrior) to learn the finer points of the game (dodging, kiting, casting and attacking while staying mobile) because they have dramatically better means of staying alive for a new player. Then switch back to ele when you have a better handle of those basic mechanics.

3. As for WvW, I would reference this http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_vs_world it should have all the info you need to begin your experience in WvW.

hope this will help, good luck and happy hunting!

EDIT: also check out these links for help with finding a guild

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/guilds/guilds
http://www.reddit.com/r/GuildRecruitment

I’ve tried finding a guild. I’m actually in one now that claims to be social and active. It sometimes gets active around peak with maybe 20 people on both most are just AFK a lot of the time using this game mostly for chatting with their friends from time to time.

I’m on Devona’s Rest if anyone has an active/social guild. Its hard finding a guild when you maybe encounter 1 other person per hour out questing. My occasional questions to /map almost never get a response.. sometimes in a major city but never out in a zone.

Coopziana.1802:

Well Reciprocity, I’d love to help but I’m on Ring of Fire, though my guild is one of the best on the server it doesn’t really help you out.

Feel free to friend me in-game and whisper me if you need any help.

I’m not sure if this is something that will help you, but here is a link to my guild forum and it’s the ele build I use for PvE and WvW, so may help you out, may not!

http://gw2gods.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=12

That link is not working for me. It says the requested topic does not exist.

Is Ring of Fire more populated than Dev. Rest? I’d consider moving for the right server or guild. Right now its very hard to enjoy this game not having a good guild and not seeing much population in the zones.

Coopziana.1802:

Strange…

http://www.gw2gods.com/forum

Then go to “Builds” and then “Elementalist” It’s the only build in that forum, can’t miss it lol

Ok I got to it that way. I’ll try it out. That’s the first build I’ve seen with points in Arcane. I’ll give it a shot.

Thx

Reciprocity.8021:

I’m a long time veteran of MMO’s.. played nearly all since M59 and spent years playing MUDs before that and have never, ever had and close to so much difficulty enjoying a game as this.

Step 1 of Guild Wars 2.
Forget how you played every other MMO, because this isn’t any other MMO, this is GW2.

You’re an Elementalist. You have the Lowest HP and Armor possibilities.
You should be focusing on keeping your range, saving your dodges for projectiles, figuring out a way to gain Vigor, or other ways to increase your Dodge Recovery rate, and stack on Power and Critical/Condition Damage. Everything you look at will be on fire or bleeding. Play to your strengths. And above all, keep moving.

P.S. I have about 10 years of MMORPG experience. I currently main a warrior in this game. Every profession plays differently.. If I was to stack all power as a warrior It’d be suicide. I’m up in a Mobs face, as you’re not. You’re far back, you have time to dodge incoming projectiles / Ground Fields.

Just stick with it, and you’ll be addicted. You’re just not playing right. It’l take time to adjust from standing there trying to not move while you cast and such.. Kiting or at least evasive playing is key.

I really hate to ask this because of what it implies, but you are both new to Guild Wars 2 and a veteran of past MMOs, so we should really make sure we’re covering all the basics here. Just know I’m not being insulting or anything, this actually is a problem I’ve seen A LOT of new players having, and the only reason I can think of why you’re having so much difficulty with basic PvE mobs (I can face-roll all but the most difficult mobs with every class, and I am far, far, far from a pro-player with an expertly crafted build).

Are you just standing still while you use your skills? Because you can move while casting most of them, and even dodge-cast some.

If OP is willing to go through all this work you may as well try other classes. I can say, it’s not like that for all classes. A lot just has to do with the type of playing you tend to do. If you like to kite there are classes that do better than jumping into the mix in a pack of mobs.

I tried ele and couldn’t get into it. I tried warrior and also couldn’t get into it but I did discover they can jump into pack of mobs and survive.

Basically, ele may not be suitable for your play style. Check out some of the others. A-net gave us multiple character slots so you might as well.