Guild Wars 2

I have tried running different classes. Close to all of them and I have found that it doesn’t matter what class it is, I die very easily. Defensive ( sword and shield ) warriors and guardians seem to be able to take a little bit more, but without solid heals they are just as bad. If you are totally dps, you are literally a glasscannon ( I like this term ). So I keep asking myself, “Is this game totally reliant on grouping?” If it is, why in the world did I buy it? And I keep asking myself this over and over, after every single death. I find myself getting angry and logging out. I don’t play any other mmo’s, this one was my final hope and it seems like it came up short.

This game is in no way, shape, or form reliant on grouping. Actually, quite the contrary is true (almost to GW2’s detriment). If you are dying in PvE solo content, you are playing very poorly or aggro-ing too many mobs at once for your class / level / gear setup. If you are dying in dungeons, your team doesn’t know what they are doing / running build-wise, or you are under-leveled (the number scaling of player attributes is very junked up and dungeons are not truly balanced for the level group they state, AC for example). If you are experiencing this in sPvP, it’s because there are a few elite teams that run coordinated setups and pub stomp players very easliy. If you are experiencing this in WvW, stop zerging.

That said, the classes and roles aren’t very distinct and the lack of traditional roles hurts the game’s integrity, in MY OPINION.

Ok it seems like lothe you are an expert, so i ask you, how am I playing pooly? Explain to me what I must be doing wrong? Am I suppose to be constantly running around with my head cut off? Rolling every couple of seconds to try and survive? Guess what, I have tried this and still die with ease. I even gear up my toons at each level up or every 2. So I ask you again, what am I doing so poorly?!

What you’ll find is that in this game learning to use the dodge ability is much more important than anything else.

Since that’s the same for every class, not doing so, inevitably leads to much dying. You need to gear up and try to avoid being under level and dodge dodge dodge.

Then you’ll be fine for most leveling stuff but yes some things you better do with other players.

There is no such thing as a tank or proper healer in this game. It’s a choice in design but I agree with lothefallen that it didn’t work out well for them.

But everyone here is dps and support. It’s just a matter of how much of each, ranging from sort of full dps glass cannon to full support. A bit too simplistic in my view.

I don’t pvp, ( Not yet ) Can’t seem to get past lvl 13 on any toon, unless I run the same lousy event multiple times to level and still die after three hits. Story missions, you die so easily because of the level balance. I am a pve’er, I like to solo things on my own where I don’t rely on others to accomplish something. But if this game is all about rolling, changing stances, picking a 5 sec stun ( like it matters when your trying to get some distance ) or anything to that nature. But thanks loathe, again you show me that it doesn’t matter what kind of game I play there is always some elitist swine out there to always bash someone to point they quit. Good strategy!

I felt exactly like you did when i first started running dungeons…it felt like a ridiculous mess. When you play longer and get a feel for damage capabilities, diffierences in encounters, when and what to dodge…yeah, point is, it’s very messy when you first get into it, but i assure you it’s very much a l2p issue.

If i could look over your shoulder, i could tell you for certain, but that’s really all i can say.

Not that i think the current systems are well designed in the slightest. Combat is a mess.

I have probably played all the mmo’s on the market now and I must say that this game has such a high learning curve for gameplay, that I guess I just wasted 60 bucks. I’m not talking about dungeons, I havent even ran one yet. Im talking about 1-15 levels, on how I die alot. Am i suppose to do a roll when it says “dodge” or “block” on my screen? There is so much on this game I just don’t understand, and coming from an mmo background this just be meant for those who can figure out stuff faster than me….

lothefallen.7081:

I felt exactly like you did when i first started running dungeons…it felt like a ridiculous mess. When you play longer and get a feel for damage capabilities, diffierences in encounters, when and what to dodge…yeah, point is, it’s very messy when you first get into it, but i assure you it’s very much a l2p issue.

If i could look over your shoulder, i could tell you for certain, but that’s really all i can say.

Not that i think the current systems are well designed in the slightest. Combat is a mess.

Anyways, if that was directed at me as some sarcastic comment, i don’t understand your intent. If you want some pointers, i’d be happy to help you. Come to Sea Of Sorrows server and add me. I have a guild spot open and would be happy to help you get into the game a bit easier.

My ranger is a glass cannon for the most part, and can still take a few hits and survive even in harder maps. If you’re not taking hits well, then you’re doing one of a list of things wrong (take your pick based on which apply to you):

1. Your gear is too weak for your level.
2. You’re running content intended for players above your level (I’ve done that on accident before).
3. You’re standing still far too much, instead of dodging obvious tells.
4. You’re overaggroing mobs or trying to fight mobs that you’re not experienced enough to beat on your own.
5. You’re making the sad mistake of trying to run an explorable mode dungeon (they’re absolutely full of that cheap shot garbage right now).

This game takes practice. I was dying a lot at first, too. But now I’ve gotten so much better at the game’s combat system that I can face off against lots of mobs, or even vet/champ mobs and still survive. Practice makes perfect. Get used to the combat and you’ll get better at it.

Lich, this game is very braindead simple… i think it’s just a matter of having someone make sense of it for you and help you, feel free to contact me in-game by adding my account name to your friend roster and whispering me a message.

I have more fun with a warrior swinging a 2hd GS and yet when 3 or more are on me I cannot even back off or escape without dying. I have blown every cd I have had and still die. I have tried to roll and avoid with no avail. So I don’t know loathe if this game is for me. I cannot survive at low levels and if I cannot survive in low levels, then there is no way I will survive high levels.

omw to sea of sorrows, just don’t know if you can help or not. probably going to be a norn warrior.

Dodge and Block are just informing you what just happened. They are not cues to use any kind of ability.

Hitting a direction twice (W, A, S, D) will make you dodge in that direction, allowing you to evade all damage. This is useful pretty much all of the time. You can only dodge twice before it needs to recharge. There’s a bar above your health globe.

You should not be dying in this game nearly as much as you are. Something is terribly wrong.

Pick a weapon, master the skills for that weapon set, and then attack one thing at a time. You heal once you leave combat so if things get hairy, just run until your regen starts.

I suggest a Warrior or Guardian for a new character. Survivable survivable.

Don’t even waste your time on shield. In this game shields are mostly useless. You would be much better off with a better offhand or just a greatsword.

You can buy good gear from the trade broker for cheap. Make sure you’ve got decent gear to start if you are having trouble surviving.

You should really only have to upgrade your gear every 10 levels or so. Once you hit 80 you can focus on Exotics.

All classes have a ranged weapon choice. If you die in melee range, pick a ranged weapon and keep things at a distance.

Monsters called Veteran so and so are stronger than regular monsters. Monsters called Champion so and so are extremely difficult and require a group, STAY AWAY, they will kill you fast.

Each monster’s portrait also will tell you what level monster they are. The more elaborate the portrait, the more powerful the monster.

Also, did you have healing signet yet, Lichbane? Warriors are kind of a pain until you save up the three skill points for healing signet, but after that they’re probably the easiest class to level.

The other heals can be useful at high levels, but the signet is the best by far early on.

Lichbane.3952:

I have more fun with a warrior swinging a 2hd GS and yet when 3 or more are on me I cannot even back off or escape without dying. I have blown every cd I have had and still die. I have tried to roll and avoid with no avail. So I don’t know loathe if this game is for me. I cannot survive at low levels and if I cannot survive in low levels, then there is no way I will survive high levels.

I’ve run into the same situation on my warrior. It’s not you, believe me. You just can’t sit still in this game. Here’s something that will help. Unlock the Heal Sig skill and equip that. The passive should keep you alive. Also, try a weapon swap like rifle to kite and pick off low hp foes after a GS attack. This isn’t like traditional MMOs, you have to move and make use of weapon swap among other things. If you keep playing, you’ll find that its really braindead simple then you’ll be on this forum complaining about how weakly designed the skills, classes, and group integrity are. I’m not really happy with this game at the moment, but it has the most potential out of any current MMO and i was a GW1 player for 6+ years. I enjoy the game, but it’s not anywhere near done. I understand if it’s not for you, but there really isnt anything better out there right now, just my opinion.

This game is not easy. The first couple levels can be very hard on new gamers. And the game does a kitten poor job at explaining a lot of things. However once u get the hang of it you will experience a pretty good game.

Also I dont agree with whats been said about the trinity. IMO i think the game does what it needs to just fine. It has some issues but they can be resolved over time.

lothefallen.7081:

Lich, this game is very braindead simple… i think it’s just a matter of having someone make sense of it for you and help you, feel free to contact me in-game by adding my account name to your friend roster and whispering me a message.

^this
I guess most MMO’s have really simple combat mechanics compared to GW2. Coming from action games, i found this game’s combat mechanic too simple to be called “action-based combat”. You just have to get used to the idea of moving constantly even while attacking. You don’t need to dodge every attack, you can avoid most of them by just simply moving out of the way. Also use skills that stun, cripple, knock back your enemy and just circle strafe, kite your enemies.

Sry loathe your server is full. Thanks for the thought. I’m just aggravated is all. I’m just not understanding what people are saying is all. Every game has “lingo” I just don’t understand. If it says block or dodge, does that mean to leap or roll out of the way? I tried running a story instance earlier on my elementalist and it said recommended lvl 8 and I was 8 and entered. Then I was suppose to fight a lvl 10 elite on my own and kept getting 3 shotted, would survive, get back on my feet only to get 1 shotted. I get all the better gear I can get every level and try different tactics to get through it and fail everytime. And this keep happening every class I try. It seems like I cannot even get past lvl 13 and most areas are always 2 levels higher than me, so I guess I still don’t get “HOW” to level….

Guess this game isn’t for me then kura, I could never grasp the concept of constantly moving the whole time, hence the reason I never got into pvp on other mmo’s.

I just want to add that the first 20-30 lvls can be challenging for some due to lack of utility skill options and traits. Try getting one class to lvl 30 at least, and you might find it gets easier.

For example, on my guardian, I had to be mindful at first due to my low hp, and little else to work with. Now at 80 though, I can take tons of damage with no issue. Not that you have to wait till 80, just saying that it does get easier.

My advice is to stop making new characters until you learn the basics of your current one. How to dps, manage health, dodge etc. Creating a ton of alts doesn’t help. it will become repetitive, and you will be extremely bored and unmotivated by the game. Whatever your main is, stick to that, and get it to 80.

Become familiar with the game mechanics, how to aggro, and when to aggro. How many mobs at a time can you take?

Just give it some time and effort.

Lichbane.3952:

Guess this game isn’t for me then kura, I could never grasp the concept of constantly moving the whole time, hence the reason I never got into pvp on other mmo’s.

just press wasd to move around, hold the right mouse button down and point your character towards the enemy my moving your mouse, while hitting 1-0 to activate your skills. I remapped 6-0 to RFVTG cause reaching over to 6-0 is annoying. Also I use shift for dodge.

To be far lothefallen this game did take a huge hit from the nurf bat in the beta, because most players are like this guy. I wouldnt be supprised if that same nurfing hit the higher level content that many of us are at now.

Lichbane.3952:

I cannot survive at low levels and if I cannot survive in low levels, then there is no way I will survive high levels.

Not really. At low levels you don’t have most of your skills and traits. Higher level equipment has more boosts. Rare equipment starts at level 35 (as I recall) and exotic starts near level 80. As a starting point, take a warrior, get equipment with power, toughness and/or vitality, run the famous (or infamous) 5 signet build, and use a greatsword/rifle. If you aren’t familiar with the 5 signet build, as you add traits and skills to your warrior you choose signets for all your skill slots. They grant passive boosts and have an active state also. The 5 signet build is selfish, you are primarily boosting yourself. As such it is not the preferred build for running dungeons, but it is an easy beginners build for PvE. Finally, as a reality check, just go ingame and look at the players killing things solo. If they can do it, you can too.

It just takes a while to get into the flow of how GW2 combat works. My first few characters died constantly. After four months my most recent alt made it to lvl 18 before suffering her first (and only so far) death getting a skill point and that was only because I dodged behind a rock and got stuck. heh. So stick to it and you’ll eventually figure it out.

GW2 combat survival relies on a couple of key things.

• Watch for red rings on the ground and avoid those
• Watch out for big charge up abilities (a glow will be seen on the attackers hands typically). You can dodge out of these or sometimes just move out of range or behind the attacker
• Utilize defensive measure to block/avoid damage when dodge is not available like guardian aegis, warrior shield block, or thief roll attacks
• Not every skill on your action bar is meant for on cooldown dps, some are utility that you should save for a setup for burst or protection from damage

Combat is fairly simple, knowing how to avoid damage is the key. To avoid damage you need to watch the enemy’s animations and learn them. Sometimes a foot will raise up like when fighting giants. This mean a stomp is incoming and you have about 2 seconds to respond. Or when fighting centaurs they will reel back on their hind legs, this means a knockdown/charge is incoming and you should move/dodge (they go in a straight line).

When you see pop up messages like block that means you just performed a block, not a cue that you should try to block.

It makes me giggle every time some one says that combat is brain dead easy and yet i look back at the mob in the charr starter zone in beta that use to reflect dammage back at his attackers….

That mob wiped hole zergs because players would keep killing them self.
Needles to say he was nerfed.

And people wonder why the jade golems in the fractuls are the first mob to have any true resistance.

Check out this video. He does a good job of explaining mobility in GW2.

Lichbane.3952:

I have tried running different classes. Close to all of them and I have found that it doesn’t matter what class it is, I die very easily. Defensive ( sword and shield ) warriors and guardians seem to be able to take a little bit more, but without solid heals they are just as bad. If you are totally dps, you are literally a glasscannon ( I like this term ). So I keep asking myself, “Is this game totally reliant on grouping?” If it is, why in the world did I buy it? And I keep asking myself this over and over, after every single death. I find myself getting angry and logging out. I don’t play any other mmo’s, this one was my final hope and it seems like it came up short.

“I can’t do it so it doesn’t work”

Yet there are a great many people who manage to play this game.

Where do you think the fault lies? It might be worth looking into some YouTube videos for general instruction before setting foot in Tyria again. Movement is a huge aspect of this game.

I am legitimately curious as to how you die often in this game, most would consider this game too easy if anything.

If you want help show us some videos or something. Rolling around and staying mobile isn’t required.

If you can’t level in this game using guardians or warriors you are doing something really really wrong, these classes could quite easily auto attack their way to 80.

Lichbane.3952:

I have more fun with a warrior swinging a 2hd GS and yet when 3 or more are on me I cannot even back off or escape without dying.

This seems to be the key in all this whine.

This game is NOT one where you can aggro mobs to your hearts content or even HAVE to, to “tag” them.

Again, L2P.
The above Youtube guide is actually the BEST introduction to this game you can find.
Ditch keyboard turning and learn to somewhat circlestrafe. And that dodge isn´t your default escape, but the way to avoid a “finishing move” from your enemy.
These ALWAYS have tells. Learn to recognize them.

But really, don´t ever fight more than 2 mobs at the same time as a noob.

If you can´t do this or it isn´t fun for you, then you have indeed wasted 60$.
So about the equivalent of watching 2-3 crappy movies, tough.

Sometimes I feel like mobs hit too hard or respawn too quickly. Like I was making my way into a cave to get a skill point and I would be making progress but then mobs behind me would just respawn really fast and all gang up on me and kill me. I think that could be tweaked at least a little.

Don’t do quests over your level on your first char. There are more than enough zones in the game with quests so that you could always be even higher in level than the quests are.

If you can’t beat quests on your level or lower than sorry but you need to spend more time with learnng the very basics- like pressing the skill buttons 1-5 in the right order.

To the OP: Only tackle mobs that are your level or below. Enemies above your level are much stronger. Especially if you’re coming from WoW you have to shift your mindset when it comes to mob-levels.

if you can’t get past level 1 to 15 then it’s definitely a learn to play issue. Maybe join a guild and have someone train you for a bit? We were training a noob in our guild and at level 20 she seems to have gotten the hang on it.
I would suggest you to look builds up online, but at levels 1 to 15 builds don’t really come into play that strongly yet.

It seems to me that in an effort to enhance difficulty so that experienced players face a challenge and most players might feel a need to spend money on gems, they have overdone it a bit. That is coupled with PvP-motivated skill reductions that make PvE harder for many professions and ruin previously good build options.

Given the many hours of enjoyment I have received, I’d say I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth from this game and do not feel the purchase was at all wasted. But I do feel somewhat betrayed by what I see as the direction of the game. I naively thought this game might break the pattern of constant nerfing that seems to be the only tactic used in balancing MMO games. I can’t help feeling that such reliance is lazy and uncreative and punishes the many to reward the few.

So while I can still enjoy the game, I am not going to reward them with more money when I see my characters get weaker with many patches and make a mockery of the weeks I spent building them up. And the lowering of loot has made too much of my time feel like a grind instead of a pleasurable past-time.

You bought an mmo and then had regrets because you realized you had to group in it?

Really?

I think robber said it best. And plus, if you cant survive levels 1-15 on every class because you die a lot then I call into question your MMO experience or gaming experience so to speak.

Are you sufficiently geared? If a quest is hard at level have you tried being 1 or 2 levels above the required level? So many people have played this game and very few of them complain of difficulty at the lower levels. Is it the game or is it you? Have you never hit a brick wall in any game where it takes time to figure out what you’re doing wrong and change and evolve your playstyle to win the game?

Then you make a forum post that you think you wasted your money because you think the game is too hard? Here’s the short answer … probably you did. Find easier games than this in the future I would recommend.

I actually would like to see some recording of Lich’s gameplay because I’ve found that on ANY class, with no armour at all, dodging and moving around isn’t even necessary to beat mobs in those starter zones.

I’m sure that what he is doing is attacking mobs 3-4 levels higher than him and getting constantly crit to death.

This game is not about standing still and trading blows with your opponent, while you spam all your skills one by one. This game requires some movement (not a lot at level 13 though) to avoid certain attacks, and it requires that you read all your skills and use them for the right situations. A good way to practice movement is to equip a ranged damage weapon (like a bow for instance), and then try your best to keep the mob you’re attacking from getting close to you, by using the skills you have available on your weapon. Try to categorize your skills in damage, defense (‘block’, or a boon like ‘protection’), and movement (‘leap’, ‘knock back’, or ‘roll behind’).

I suggest you play in an area where there are other players, and then try to learn by looking at what they are doing. If you aren’t already, you should also follow the heart quests and your personal story (when you are at the right level) as much as possible, as they will level you up faster then just killing random mobs.

I think you are just struggling with new game mechanics. If you are new to the game, stick to 1 or 2 mobs per pull. Also, if you are not moving, you are dying in GW2.

And I’ve played 7 classes to 80 and crafted my engineer to 80…some classes are easier than others, but all are perfectly viable (though i hate my ranger…idk y).

No Lichbane, you didn’t waste your money. But this game can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the mechanics, so you can expect to die a lot until you figure everything out.

You complain a lot for nothing. As other people have stated, you’re playing wrong. This is my very first 3D MMORPG, and I died a little when I first started, but it’s about learning your class and how to play it. I have played many “Up close and personal” classes (Warrior, Gaurdian, ranger, and Necro) and I’ve died very little. You need to learn how to play your class and learn how to play it correctly. Stop whining about nothing and just play.

If you’re dying more than once in a bluemoon, in a “woops..my bad” kinda situation, in PvE as a guardian or warrior, you’re doing something horribly wrong…

ProxyDamage.9826:

If you’re dying more than once in a bluemoon, in a “woops..my bad” kinda situation, in PvE as a guardian or warrior, you’re doing something horribly wrong…

I was playing twin daggers elementalist before I quit… and I was playing it like a PBAOE suicide bomber…. and i didn’t really die that much.

I notice a lot of elitists in this thread that don’t (or can’t?) take into consideration that other people have different play styles, and that play style can, and often does, affect the difficulty of learning and/or playing of some games.

Lich, I can’t agree that you wasted your money. If this was a subscription based game I would say you did, but it’s a “buy and forget” title. You buy it and, short of expansions, you never have to pay anything more on it (the “forget” part).

GW2 is a solid game. I think ANet did an outstanding job with it. But it’s not my game. As many have said in this thread, combat is very heavy on mobility. That’s actually part of what I don’t like about the game (personal taste), but it’s also part of what sets GW2 apart from most other MMOs and makes it the amazing game it is. That heavy reliance on mobility works for GW2. The only drawback to that is many veteran MMO players are not used to such a play style. Some of us can adapt better than others. I was able to adapt well enough, but I knew I’d never be great at it (might have something to do with just not liking the need to constantly move shrug).

Again, I don’t believe you wasted your money. There’s no sub. You can always return to the game. Perhaps in a few months, a year or some other time you’ll return and it’ll suddenly “click” for whatever reason and you’ll plow through mobs like they were nothing. Or you might have some friends that all want to give it a try and together you’ll all have an amazing time and stay. Or, like me, you’ll pop in now and then because you like world in the game (or some other reason) and you’ll play for a bit and then not log in again for a few months at a time.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to how the game play and your play style mesh. If they don’t, you’ll likely not enjoy it much, even though you like many other aspects. If they do, you’ll take for granted the difficulty of learning a different style of play (as many people have proven in this thread) and/or enjoy the game.

:)

Really, really don’t fight mobs that are even 1 level higher than you.

Lichbane.3952:

I have tried running different classes. Close to all of them and I have found that it doesn’t matter what class it is, I die very easily. Defensive ( sword and shield ) warriors and guardians seem to be able to take a little bit more, but without solid heals they are just as bad. If you are totally dps, you are literally a glasscannon ( I like this term ). So I keep asking myself, “Is this game totally reliant on grouping?” If it is, why in the world did I buy it? And I keep asking myself this over and over, after every single death. I find myself getting angry and logging out. I don’t play any other mmo’s, this one was my final hope and it seems like it came up short.

.

The simple answer; YES -you wasted your money -

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.

You’re just noob. I played my elementalist, which has the hardest start game I think, all the way to lvl 80 solo. Of course I died here and there, but not that often, never had any problems solo with any content, even killed veterans and their armies alone. Need group only for champions and dungeons. My alt is Warrior and never died with that wtf, they are so easy to play, high dmg high hp.

CazzT.1870:

I notice a lot of elitists in this thread that don’t (or can’t?) take into consideration that other people have different play styles, and that play style can, and often does, affect the difficulty of learning and/or playing of some games.

Lich, I can’t agree that you wasted your money. If this was a subscription based game I would say you did, but it’s a “buy and forget” title. You buy it and, short of expansions, you never have to pay anything more on it (the “forget” part).

GW2 is a solid game. I think ANet did an outstanding job with it. But it’s not my game. As many have said in this thread, combat is very heavy on mobility. That’s actually part of what I don’t like about the game (personal taste), but it’s also part of what sets GW2 apart from most other MMOs and makes it the amazing game it is. That heavy reliance on mobility works for GW2. The only drawback to that is many veteran MMO players are not used to such a play style. Some of us can adapt better than others. I was able to adapt well enough, but I knew I’d never be great at it (might have something to do with just not liking the need to constantly move shrug).

Again, I don’t believe you wasted your money. There’s no sub. You can always return to the game. Perhaps in a few months, a year or some other time you’ll return and it’ll suddenly “click” for whatever reason and you’ll plow through mobs like they were nothing. Or you might have some friends that all want to give it a try and together you’ll all have an amazing time and stay. Or, like me, you’ll pop in now and then because you like world in the game (or some other reason) and you’ll play for a bit and then not log in again for a few months at a time.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to how the game play and your play style mesh. If they don’t, you’ll likely not enjoy it much, even though you like many other aspects. If they do, you’ll take for granted the difficulty of learning a different style of play (as many people have proven in this thread) and/or enjoy the game.

:)

Oh come on, not being able to get out of noob zones isn’t “different playstyles” it’s nothing short of doing something completely wrong.