Guild Wars 2

I’v been 80 for a few months and there’s still so much stuff I don’t get. So if someone could help and explain what these things are/do/why they’re important, etc. that would be great!

-Ascended gear (how to get it, why it’s important, what slots can it fill)
-Legendary weapons (how to get them, why are they such a big deal)
-What AR should I have for which fractal levels?
-What are the best places to farm champions?
-What are the best ways to make money?
-What is the Shatterer?
-What do most level 80’s do to have fun besides PvP and WvW?
-What is the Mystic Forge (how is it used, what most people use it for)

I’m sure I’ll come up with more, but those are just the ones that came to mind. Thanks!

1.) Ascended gear is available as accessories, amulets, rings (all available from the laurel vendor), and some back items (purchased from fractals of the mists or created in the mystic forge). As well there are now ascended weapons; you farm the crafting materials from e.g. champion loot bags, world bosses, keeps/towers in WvW, jumping puzzles, dungeons, mini-dungeons, then you raise an appropriate weapon craft to 500 to create them. Also available as tremendously rare drops anywhere you can get the materials.

2.) They’re highest-level weapons (were comparable to exotics before, now have been boosted to be comparable to ascended) that have unique visual effects. They’ll always be comparable to the highest-level items, but they’re vanity items. They’re prohibitively expensive. You must craft, purchase, or forge several different “gifts” which require you to get 100% world completion, collect lots of badges of honor and karma, collect or purchase lots of high level crafting materials, run whatever dungeon your specific legendary requires, and find or purchase the precursor exotic weapon. Once you have all your gifts and the precursor you can forge them into the legendary in the mystic forge (check the wiki for specific recipes, it lays it out quite nicely).

3.) http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Agony
The mechanics page shows you what each amount of agony resist gets you at different levels. I can’t commend on how much you need, but at least that’ll give you some context.

4.) Queensdale if you don’t mind lower level stuff. Frostgorge Sound if you want mostly 80s. Popular loop that starts at drakkar waypoint in the far northwest.

5.) Many different options, don’t want to comment on a “best” (unless you’re good at playing the trading post, that’d have to be the quickest way to make cash if you’re a good investor). Farming champions and events is not bad, though. Do Scarlet’s invasions if they pop up (I only see one, maybe two per day now though).

6.) World boss for the Kralkatorrik’s Legacy meta-event (he’s Kralkatorrik’s champion). Lowland Burns waypoint in Blazeridge Steppes.

7.) Anything. I farm world events and jumping puzzles (which I love) right now. Keep up with living world content if you like it. Play the daily activity til you can’t stand it anymore. Go for 100% world completion on at least one character.

8.) You can use it to combine 4 of a given item (4 pieces or equipment, 4 sigils, 4 runes, 4 crests/jewels, 4 mini pets, OR 3 of those and a mystic forge stone if you have them) of a given rarity to get a new one of equal or higher rarity… basically gambling on getting something more valuable out. You can use it to promote crafting materials to a higher tier. You can use it to craft specific weapons. You can use it to created infused versions of ascended items. Check wiki for all the details, there’s a lot of possibilities.

Wow, thank you so much for taking all the time to type that out, very informative! Also, just to be clear, there isn’t any ascended armor? It’s just accessories, amulets, weapons, back items, and rings?

No armor yet. It will be added eventually, presumably through crafting as the weapons are.