Guild Wars 2

So I bought GW2 back in 2012 when it first launched, but due to personal reasons I was only able to play for a couple of days. I’m off school for the summer and my dusty copy of GW2 is still sitting on the shelf…

Comments on youtube videos have been generally positive, and a solid majority of the people rolling in recommend giving it a try.

I played a lot of LoL over the past year, year and a half, and while it was fun I’m completely burnt out now. I played WoW during vanilla, heavily during TBC and quit like a lot of people did after Cataclysm. I came back for about a month or 2 for Mists, but after so many years staring at the same graphics, I feel like my WoW days are – for the most part – behind me.

The resounding consensus on TESO (a game I was looking forward to) is that the game is bugged all to heck and not currently worth the money. And Wildstar is just not my flavor.

Would it be worth giving GW2 another shot? I basically just want to know if the leveling experience is good and if the game is still fun to play. The last piece of my new PC arrives today and I definitely want to try this game on full blast (highest settings) because the graphics look great. Would you guys recommend a total noob jumping in at this time?

you already bought it, why not give it a go

i am wondering also, seems to have some hype

Yes.

/15 charrs

It’s a great time to return. Today is the Season Two opener, and the base game is a lot of fun the first time through.

If you are worried about being left behind, the game doesn’t really work that way, so…

…since you already purchased the game, why not enjoy it?

You should definitely give it a go. I’d say that even if you hadn’t already shelled out the purchase price, but since you have? It’s a no brainer. You have literally nothing to lose. Come explore this beautiful and interesting world AN has created!

If you’re wanting to try out GW2, this is probably one of the best times to start.

The game is fun, most complaints I’ve heard are more related to the long term appeal. But with Season 2 starting you’ll have enough content to keep yourself busy. At the very least you’ll get your money’s worth from it.

Thanks for all the input, guys, I really appreciate it. :] As soon as I get my system all set up I’ll be installing.

My only other question would be: How should I go about leveling? I’m not worried about “the fastest” method; on the contrary I’d like to know what’s the best way to “take it all in.”

For reference I just wanted to say I understand how heart quests work, so no need to break that down. I was just wondering if you guys prefer Skyrim-style open world exploration, or if you think I would get a better feel of the game by following the Personal Story.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just would like to know what’s the best way to experience the lore and better understand the game.

Thanks again guys, I’ll see you in game soon. :]

Do everything, clear maps by doing hearts poi’s vistas, do every event you run into, and keep up with your personal story. For people playing GW2 first time, its super fun and there’s a ton to do, so do it all. There’s no best way to level unless you already have a level 80 and are trying to power level alts. For your first toon to 80 just do everything thats in front of you.

aceboogie.4031:

Do everything, clear maps by doing hearts poi’s vistas, do every event you run into, and keep up with your personal story. For people playing GW2 first time, its super fun and there’s a ton to do, so do it all. There’s no best way to level unless you already have a level 80 and are trying to power level alts. For your first toon to 80 just do everything thats in front of you.

Will do man, sounds like solid advice. Thanks for the response. (y)

Swami.4691:

Thanks for all the input, guys, I really appreciate it. :] As soon as I get my system all set up I’ll be installing.

My only other question would be: How should I go about leveling? I’m not worried about “the fastest” method; more concerned about which way is most enjoyable.

For reference I just wanted to say I understand how heart quests work, so no need to break that down. I was just wondering if you guys prefer Skyrim-style open world exploration, or if you think I would get a better feel of the game by following the Personal Story.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just would like to know what’s the best way to experience the lore and better understand the game.

Thanks again guys, I’ll see you in game soon. :]

Just wander around and try anything that sounds fun to you. You get leveled by just about everything you do, so there’s no wrong way:

Heart quests – These are ok and the experience is decent.

Map exploration – This gives a pretty decent amount of experience for just getting waypoints and points of interest. Opening up waypoints will be useful later, particularly if you join a guild and do Guild Missions.

WvW – I would recommend waiting a bit before jumping in this. You get leveled up to 80, but you don’t have a large number of skills and traits to help you until later. If you do jump in without being 80, just try to find a big zerg group and stick with them.

sPvP – Your level doesn’t matter at all for this, although I believe you may not have all the skills/traits open at first. You don’t gain experience from doing sPvP, but Tomes of Knowledge are rewards which are frequently granted and these can be used to instantly level your character 1 level.

Dungeons – Finding a group for players below level 80 can be a bit tough since so much of the player base now focuses on just taking geared 80s for speed runs, but these can be a lot of fun. Your first dungeon gets unlocked at level 80 (Ascalon Catacombs – Story Mode) and this can be a nice way to get into some more engaging PvE combat if you find a good group. The LFG tool can help you find a pick-up-group, but I recommend joining a guild with new player-friendly people who enjoy running dungeons if you want to do this.

Swami.4691:

Thanks for all the input, guys, I really appreciate it. :] As soon as I get my system all set up I’ll be installing.

My only other question would be: How should I go about leveling? I’m not worried about “the fastest” method; more concerned about which way is most enjoyable.

For reference I just wanted to say I understand how heart quests work, so no need to break that down. I was just wondering if you guys prefer Skyrim-style open world exploration, or if you think I would get a better feel of the game by following the Personal Story.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just would like to know what’s the best way to experience the lore and better understand the game.

Thanks again guys, I’ll see you in game soon. :]

I think doing the personal story your first time through is a great way to experience the game, but open world content is a big part of it, epecially since now new characters can unlock traits for free by exploring locations and defeating zone bosses, which is a really fun concept. Map completion also gives great rewards and is required if you want to craft a legendary weapon, a big goal of players at endgame, so starting it a long the way to 80 is very helpful!

Other than that if you want to level fast and efficiently but not really immerse yourself in the game, you can hop into the edge of the mists and run with the karma train for easy levels and badges of honor (for easy gear at 80). Other than that, I recomend doing your dailys/monthlys so you can be a nice and shiny ascended amulet (power, prec and ferocity stats are ideal) for when you hit 80 (30 laurels or 20+500 badges of honor if bought in WvW). Then I would also reccomend getting into fractals if you have the interest, since they are the best source of easy ascended rings and the grindiest but cheapest way to get 20 slot bags and an ascended backpiece. Joining a nice established guild on your server will net you ways to complete guild missions easily, for an ascended accessory every 2 weeks.

Once you accumulate enough gold through just having fun at 80, I’d recommend getting into crafting ascended weapons/armors or working on a legendary weapon. Other than that play however you want to play, theres so much to do for a new player at 80, from pvp to wvw to dungeons and experiencing all of the game’s content, and all of that content is very much accessible for new players as long as they can communicate and are willing to practice and learn.

Feel free to whisper me in game (Phaedra Lotus and Lady Svedka are my mains) and I can answer any questions you may have about anything and offer any advice. I can also teach you the easier dungeon paths once you reach the level they require.

Dahkeus.8243:

Just wander around and try anything that sounds fun to you. You get leveled by just about everything you do, so there’s no wrong way:

Heart quests – These are ok and the experience is decent.

Map exploration – This gives a pretty decent amount of experience for just getting waypoints and points of interest. Opening up waypoints will be useful later, particularly if you join a guild and do Guild Missions.

WvW – I would recommend waiting a bit before jumping in this. You get leveled up to 80, but you don’t have a large number of skills and traits to help you until later. If you do jump in without being 80, just try to find a big zerg group and stick with them.

sPvP – Your level doesn’t matter at all for this, although I believe you may not have all the skills/traits open at first. You don’t gain experience from doing sPvP, but Tomes of Knowledge are rewards which are frequently granted and these can be used to instantly level your character 1 level.

Dungeons – Finding a group for players below level 80 can be a bit tough since so much of the player base now focuses on just taking geared 80s for speed runs, but these can be a lot of fun. Your first dungeon gets unlocked at level 80 (Ascalon Catacombs – Story Mode) and this can be a nice way to get into some more engaging PvE combat if you find a good group. The LFG tool can help you find a pick-up-group, but I recommend joining a guild with new player-friendly people who enjoy running dungeons if you want to do this.

Awesome info, man. Thanks very much for spelling that all out, I will definitely follow these tips.

nearlight.3064:

I think doing the personal story your first time through is a great way to experience the game, but open world content is a big part of it, epecially since now new characters can unlock traits for free by exploring locations and defeating zone bosses, which is a really fun concept. Map completion also gives great rewards and is required if you want to craft a legendary weapon, a big goal of players at endgame, so starting it a long the way to 80 is very helpful!

Other than that if you want to level fast and efficiently but not really immerse yourself in the game, you can hop into the edge of the mists and run with the karma train for easy levels and badges of honor (for easy gear at 80). Other than that, I recomend doing your dailys/monthlys so you can be a nice and shiny ascended amulet (power, prec and ferocity stats are ideal) for when you hit 80 (30 laurels or 20+500 badges of honor if bought in WvW). Then I would also reccomend getting into fractals if you have the interest, since they are the best source of easy ascended rings and the grindiest but cheapest way to get 20 slot bags and an ascended backpiece. Joining a nice established guild on your server will net you ways to complete guild missions easily, for an ascended accessory every 2 weeks.

Once you accumulate enough gold through just having fun at 80, I’d recommend getting into crafting ascended weapons/armors or working on a legendary weapon. Other than that play however you want to play, theres so much to do for a new player at 80, from pvp to wvw to dungeons and experiencing all of the game’s content, and all of that content is very much accessible for new players as long as they can communicate and are willing to practice and learn.

Feel free to whisper me in game (Phaedra Lotus and Lady Svedka are my mains) and I can answer any questions you may have about anything and offer any advice. I can also teach you the easier dungeon paths once you reach the level they require.

I read every word! Thank you very much for taking the time to write that out, seriously. I really appreciate it. I think I have a good idea about how I’ll go about leveling now. I will definitely take you up on your offer and PM you if I get stuck. :}

-sWaMi

Oh yea, I totally forgot the personal story. Good stuff there as well. You can do all of it on your own up until the last part that involves Arah Story Mode as one of the last steps.

You’ll run into a part where you choose between one of three orders: Vigil, Priory, Whispers. I’d personally recommend Whispers for reasons I won’t spoiler here, but they all run a relatively similar route and there’s no real wrong choice with what you choose.

Swami.4691:

So I bought GW2 back in 2012 when it first launched, but due to personal reasons I was only able to play for a couple of days. I’m off school for the summer and my dusty copy of GW2 is still sitting on the shelf…

Comments on youtube videos have been generally positive, and a solid majority of the people rolling in recommend giving it a try.

I played a lot of LoL over the past year, year and a half, and while it was fun I’m completely burnt out now. I played WoW during vanilla, heavily during TBC and quit like a lot of people did after Cataclysm. I came back for about a month or 2 for Mists, but after so many years staring at the same graphics, I feel like my WoW days are – for the most part – behind me.

The resounding consensus on TESO (a game I was looking forward to) is that the game is bugged all to heck and not currently worth the money. And Wildstar is just not my flavor.

Would it be worth giving GW2 another shot? I basically just want to know if the leveling experience is good and if the game is still fun to play. The last piece of my new PC arrives today and I definitely want to try this game on full blast (highest settings) because the graphics look great. Would you guys recommend a total noob jumping in at this time?

Depends.

The game is F2P and you already own it, that said, it depends what you’re into. If you are or were into WvW, then I would say absolutely not, its a lost cause.

I have actually stopped playing, switched over to Rift, another game with not so good PvP, but the PvE is absolutely awesome and far, far more indepth then this. And its also totally F2P, you don’t even need to purchase it to play making both their price equal even if you own GW2. Admitedly, Rift was kinda crappy when it launched too, but its great now, I’m glad I gave it a try after the WvW disappointment at least for the PvE.

So ….

Should I play an F2P MMO with crappy PvE and crappy PvP ?
Or should I play an F2P MMO with crappy PvP but at least good PvE ?

Just sayin ….

yes give it a go… the 3100hrs Ive logged here indicate that it may be good in spite of my complaining

I started playing about 6 weeks ago and am totally loving it. It’s got fresh takes on so many stale MMO concepts and the whole leveling experience is really fun—more fun than in any game I’ve ever played. I will clarify one thing: earlier someone said your first dungeon unlocks at level 80 (Ascalonian Catacombs). That was a typo. He meant level 30. At that level the “story mode” opens up, which adds to your personal story (so good idea to be up to date on that). 5 levels after each dungeon’s story mode opens up, the “explorable mode” opens up, which significantly ups the difficulty level further. That’s where you generally find level 80’s doing the speed runs, but you can sometimes get into those at low level. Dungeons give great exp and up the difficulty level compared to open world content. But in reality you should just do some of everything leveling up so you get to experience everything the game has to offer.

Oh, and be sure to farm all of the resources you see! It’s decent exp and you’ll want to keep those resources for when you decide to start crafting.

Definitely, that is the good thing about horizontal progression. Start whenever you like and take your time. Nobody will be more powerful because they played longer. They will only have more content/skins unlocked but regarding what you can do, you will be on par with everyone else.

Swami.4691:

So I bought GW2 back in 2012 when it first launched, but due to personal reasons I was only able to play for a couple of days. I’m off school for the summer and my dusty copy of GW2 is still sitting on the shelf…

Comments on youtube videos have been generally positive, and a solid majority of the people rolling in recommend giving it a try.

I played a lot of LoL over the past year, year and a half, and while it was fun I’m completely burnt out now. I played WoW during vanilla, heavily during TBC and quit like a lot of people did after Cataclysm. I came back for about a month or 2 for Mists, but after so many years staring at the same graphics, I feel like my WoW days are – for the most part – behind me.

The resounding consensus on TESO (a game I was looking forward to) is that the game is bugged all to heck and not currently worth the money. And Wildstar is just not my flavor.

Would it be worth giving GW2 another shot? I basically just want to know if the leveling experience is good and if the game is still fun to play. The last piece of my new PC arrives today and I definitely want to try this game on full blast (highest settings) because the graphics look great. Would you guys recommend a total noob jumping in at this time?

If you want to power level – Use XP boosters and run around in Edge of the Mists. Doing that I was able to gain a level about every 15-20min on my latest character

Anytime to start is good but now is ideal as a new living story is starting and you can unlock all of them for when you hit 80.

The best way to level your first time through is to just explore each and every map and try to get 100% map completion. You get very good rewards for completing each map, and you get a lot of experience. You will hit level 80 long before you get 100% world completion.

Season 2 of the living story just started this week. There will be an update to the story every 2 weeks. You need to be level 80 to get access to the story, but you can unlock it just by logging in while it is happening on any level character. Then once you hit level 80 you can play it at your leisure. You picked a good time to start playing again.

As ZudetGambeous stated.

Edge of the Mist might be the quick way to level but as your first character you would taking away a lot of what the game has to offer if you didn’t do the map exploration.

Swami.4691:

So I bought GW2 back in 2012 when it first launched, but due to personal reasons I was only able to play for a couple of days. I’m off school for the summer and my dusty copy of GW2 is still sitting on the shelf…

Comments on youtube videos have been generally positive, and a solid majority of the people rolling in recommend giving it a try.

I played a lot of LoL over the past year, year and a half, and while it was fun I’m completely burnt out now. I played WoW during vanilla, heavily during TBC and quit like a lot of people did after Cataclysm. I came back for about a month or 2 for Mists, but after so many years staring at the same graphics, I feel like my WoW days are – for the most part – behind me.

The resounding consensus on TESO (a game I was looking forward to) is that the game is bugged all to heck and not currently worth the money. And Wildstar is just not my flavor.

Would it be worth giving GW2 another shot? I basically just want to know if the leveling experience is good and if the game is still fun to play. The last piece of my new PC arrives today and I definitely want to try this game on full blast (highest settings) because the graphics look great. Would you guys recommend a total noob jumping in at this time?

Always a good time to start. The game has plenty of QoL features and the core gameplay is definitely worth experiencing. I play this and WoW now – I feel you on Wildstar – and they’re two very different games. Both can be fun, but don’t expect this to scratch every itch WoW did.