Guild Wars 2

Perhaps this is a stupid question, but I’m just about to start playing so I’m wondering. If I can enter PVP on max level and I have gear also from the very beggining. Why should I level up? (besides going through the lore of course)

I mean, can I get better gear than the one they give by default if I play the whole story?

If you only play pvp there is little reason to level up. But when you go back to PVE or go to WvW you are using what you have unlocked, which means if you are level 1 won’t be much.

I mean, usually MMORPG games have all sorts of stuff you can get when reaching max level. Like start crafting cool gear, get mounts, some vanity, etc. Is this the case? Or playing PvP will allways be the same despite my PVE path.

MatiDiez.1537:

I mean, usually MMORPG games have all sorts of stuff you can get when reaching max level. Like start crafting cool gear, get mounts, some vanity, etc. Is this the case? Or playing PvP will allways be the same despite my PVE path.

When you go to the Heart of the Mists where the structured pvp aspect of the game takes place you get the same gear and skills as everyone else who has been there for years (with some exceptions, some rare few skills aren’t unlocked by default)

What changes is the skins you are using, you have to play pvp to unlock better looking skins. As I said if you go back to PVE-land you lose all the pvp-default abilities including your levels, so if you want to fight monsters you must level up. If you are only interested in pvp and only pvp you play more pvp to unlock more pretty skins.

MatiDiez.1537:

I mean, usually MMORPG games have all sorts of stuff you can get when reaching max level. Like start crafting cool gear, get mounts, some vanity, etc. Is this the case? Or playing PvP will allways be the same despite my PVE path.

Structured PvP in this game is set up in a way so that everybody is on equal terms as far as stats goes. This allows things to be based around skill and builds rather than “I spend 23 hours a day in this game so my gear is superior to yours and you have no chance.”

You can unlock better looking gear by running dungeons, etc. And dungeons unlock at certain levels. But if you’re just going to be PvPing and not WvWing or PvEing then there really isn’t a need to level.

If you are doing sPvP then it doesn’t matter if you level or not, max level just gives options for cosmetics. WvW you are still bound by your level/gear even if you are upscaled, it it matters more but sticking to EoTM you shouldn’t have issues.

There is no real endgame, so leveling is somewhat pointless, from a PVE standpoint it is needed, but for sPvp and EoTM not really.

Awesome, thanks man! I hope the entire community is like this. Helpful comments instead of insults for new players is a whole new experience coming here after 4 years of league of kittens hehe.

Well you are getting into PvP which is the more toxic area, and being upscaled you will probably get insulted. However even that isn’t as bad as the toxicity of other games.

Crafting is required for ascended armor and weapons unless you get very lucky and somehow acquire all armor pieces and some weapons boxes. You can buy some components, but you have to craft it yourself. You also gain exp through crafting (7 levels total for each craft you get to 400). Of course, if you only PvP, you really would have no desire for ascended gear.

GW2 is all about vanity. There are some weapons and armor you can only get in level 80 maps (and partially through PvP)- http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Ambrite_weapons
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Luminescent_armor
as well as karma armor, bought from karma merchants in the Orr maps.

But largely, PvP will always be the same despite your PvE path.

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

Thanatos.2691:

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

My level 55 necro got an exotic level 80 weapon the other day from PvP rewards (in an exotic quality champ box). I’m not sure if it’s dependent on having an 80 on your account, or the same for anyone.

Thanatos.2691:

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

I think it does. When I open champ bags/containers from PvP on low level chars I get level appropriate items. When I give those same champ bags/containers to a level 80 they get level 80 appropriate items. So that would be a good reason for someone who only does PvP to level his char. (The low level chars I do PvP on are in the level 20s)

rhapsody.3615:

Thanatos.2691:

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

My level 55 necro got an exotic level 80 weapon the other day from PvP rewards (in an exotic quality champ box). I’m not sure if it’s dependent on having an 80 on your account, or the same for anyone.

Was it a dungeon track weapon case? I think those are level locked at 80. Btw op you will hit 80 in PvP anyways with reward track tomes of knowledge and login ones. http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Tome_of_Knowledge

rhapsody.3615:

Thanatos.2691:

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

My level 55 necro got an exotic level 80 weapon the other day from PvP rewards (in an exotic quality champ box). I’m not sure if it’s dependent on having an 80 on your account, or the same for anyone.

This might be wrong, but IIRC the special exotic weapons (bonetti’s rapier for instance) are random from their containers regardless of level. The rest of the stuff however will be level appropriate. That could be beneficial for instance being lvl 45ish and getting Linen, but then you also don’t get your possible rares to salvage for ecto’s, not sure how the math works out on that for which is more efficient.

Jerus.4350:

rhapsody.3615:

Thanatos.2691:

Doesn’t your character level determine the level of rewards you get in sPvP? Higher level = higher quality loot boxes ranging from basic to exotic. In terms of combat, sPvP relies on skill and not gear/level which is really nice for balancing imo.

My level 55 necro got an exotic level 80 weapon the other day from PvP rewards (in an exotic quality champ box). I’m not sure if it’s dependent on having an 80 on your account, or the same for anyone.

This might be wrong, but IIRC the special exotic weapons (bonetti’s rapier for instance) are random from their containers regardless of level. The rest of the stuff however will be level appropriate.

Yeah that’s probably the case. It works the same way with WvW champ bags- you can get a named exotic <80. And yes, TheGuy, it was a dungeon reward track.

Leveling up and doing story/appreciating lore are really separate issues. There really is no need for leveling in an MMO. To me, it would be preferable to have a longish tutorial that got you gear, familiarity with your character and skills, basic lore (like a story line), and then just turned you loose on the world. Then you could do what you want to do in the game.

This won’t happen here but someday, somewhere there will be a game without levels.

Raine.1394:

Leveling up and doing story/appreciating lore are really separate issues. There really is no need for leveling in an MMO. To me, it would be preferable to have a longish tutorial that got you gear, familiarity with your character and skills, basic lore (like a story line), and then just turned you loose on the world. Then you could do what you want to do in the game.

This won’t happen here but someday, somewhere there will be a game without levels.

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This. Levels are pretty pointless, at least for the reasons I play a game like this.

I play for:

Adventure / Exploration
PvP / Competition
Story / Lore
Social aspect (even as an introvert, it’s something I value)

At no point in this do I require a “ding”. Watching arbitrary numbers go up is not a reason to play. It’s about the other things. In fact, all too often, features and content are locked behind those dings. In that sense they do not add to the experience, but instead hinder it.

I prefer a situation where there are either no levels, or if there are, it’s not many and they are pretty superfluous and don’t “get in the way”. Levels were less of an issue in GW1 and imo they really went in the wrong direction with the sequel …quadrupling the number and locking so much more behind them. Should have gone the other way.

If someone feels dings and numbers going up is vital to enjoy a game, maybe they should re-evaluate how enjoyable the game actually is.

MatiDiez.1537:

Perhaps this is a stupid question, but I’m just about to start playing so I’m wondering. If I can enter PVP on max level and I have gear also from the very beggining. Why should I level up? (besides going through the lore of course)

I mean, can I get better gear than the one they give by default if I play the whole story?

Pretty much for PvE content. You also get a better advantage in WvW. In HoT elite specs will only be available at 80… again probably only relevant for PvE content.

Kartel.2561:

Raine.1394:

Leveling up and doing story/appreciating lore are really separate issues. There really is no need for leveling in an MMO. To me, it would be preferable to have a longish tutorial that got you gear, familiarity with your character and skills, basic lore (like a story line), and then just turned you loose on the world. Then you could do what you want to do in the game.

This won’t happen here but someday, somewhere there will be a game without levels.

^
^
This. Levels are pretty pointless, at least for the reasons I play a game like this.

I play for:

Adventure / Exploration
PvP / Competition
Story / Lore
Social aspect (even as an introvert, it’s something I value)

At no point in this do I require a “ding”. Watching arbitrary numbers go up is not a reason to play. It’s about the other things. In fact, all too often, features and content are locked behind those dings. In that sense they do not add to the experience, but instead hinder it.

I prefer a situation where there are either no levels, or if there are, it’s not many and they are pretty superfluous and don’t “get in the way”. Levels were less of an issue in GW1 and imo they really went in the wrong direction with the sequel …quadrupling the number and locking so much more behind them. Should have gone the other way.

If someone feels dings and numbers going up is vital to enjoy a game, maybe they should re-evaluate how enjoyable the game actually is.

While I completely agree with both of you, my OCD and I cannot help but point out this is off topic. It is a topic I have a big investment in though, as this is something I have felt for years, so if you start or find a thread about this subject I will glady join you there.

On topic: Welcome to GW2, MatiDiez, I hope you have as much fun as I have over the years. Regarding leveling in PvP, as has already been mentioned, everyone in PvP is set to the same capabilities to ensure the fights are fair from a stat and gear standpoint. There are some newer skills you will need to unlock, but this can be done in PvP, and will likely not take too long to do if you are active.

Your gear stats come from selecting an amulet, some of which you will need to unlock, as well as runes and sigils. And the great thing is you are free to change your gear (and your entire build) at will while out of combat (though some matches lock you in your gear while it is running, so it is wise to set your gear before a match).

You only really need to worry about leveling, and all it entails, if you play a lot of PvE or if you want to participate in the large scale PvP game mode, WvW.

The community in this game, for the most part, is great, and much better than many other games I have played. And the balance is also a lot better than other games I have played. Its not perfect, but no game ever can be. I think GW2 does a great job, and it keeps getting better. Dispite what many on the forums might tell you, the devs listen to the players, and if they can, or feel it is good to do so, they will make changes based on player feedback.

Anyway, have fun.

If you only want to play PvP then you don’t need to level up as the mode is designed to be a level playing field where everyone has access to the same skills and equipment. (And where you can start playing immediately instead of having to play PvE to level up so you can access the mode you actually want to play.)

But if you want to play PvE or WvW you will need to level up for the same reasons as in other games – it allows you access to higher tier weapons, armour and other equipment, a larger range of skills and abilities and increases your base stats and (as a result of that) to be able to survive in a wider range of PvE maps.

Conveniently one of the common PvP rewards is Tomes of Knowledge, which grant you 1 level. So you can jump straight into PvP and play as you want without having to level up first, then use the tomes to level up so if you do want to play PvE or WvW you won’t be starting from scratch.

Message Body length must at least be 15.

If you’re pvp only, there’s absolutely no reason. Also as pvp rewards you level up tomes, if you play enough, you can level to 80 for pve/wvw anyways. There’s a good chance you’ll level faster via pvp anyways.

Well, if you are talking about pvp, your level is nonexistent, and insignificant. However in wvw and pve they are quite necessary. In wvw being upleveled really sucks, because your 1v1s are very hard, usually regardless of skill level. Though, I didn’t read the whole thread and I don’t know if you mean that you are doing only pvp, because in that case, you can activate a track and get tomes of knowledge, so you don’t have to do pve at all, if you put your mind to it, or if you get good at pvp.