Am I making the right decision?
The first most important thing is to do what -you- want to do in a game. Don’t let other people sway you from questing if questing is what you enjoy, or even from playing WoW if WoW is what you enjoy. That being said:
What is the approximate population for GW2 players? How many active accounts are there?
I have a took on Yaks Bend I believe the server is called. Is that a decent place to play?
I can’t find a current estimate of player population, nor have I been on Yak’s Bend for a long time. I can say that I always see people around on my server (Tarnished Coast). The game itself is well-populated, though most players will be dungeoning/doing the Living Story/fighting in WvW/farming in the Queensdale or Frostgorge Sound maps, which will make certain zones feel empty.
In WoW I LOVE doing my quests and exploring new areas, and then doing quests WITH fellow guild members if they become challenging, such as if I start to die during them.
What is the same in GW2 and WoW, and what is different?
The nature of questing is much different in GW2 (where they are called “events”) than WoW. The best way to illustrate it- in WoW, a random villager gives you a quest to go ten centaurs wandering around just outside the gates not doing anything, because they’ve apparently been “menacing the town.” In GW2, you’ll be passing by the town when suddenly, an alarm sounds. Centaurs will swarm over the hills and bash down the gates of the town and begin killing villagers, and you must save them. If you fail, the town is taken over by centaurs and you must retake it. The world is much more dynamic.
My big concern / question I want answered is exactly what you do in GW2. I would appreciate it if someone actually took the time to spell it out to me, as far as what you do, objectives, basically what there is to do (in simple terms, well explained), and the such.
What you do in GW2… is entirely up to you. I realize that’s a trite answer, but GW2 is about finding what you want to do and doing it, setting your own goals and going about them at whatever rate you choose. People who need objectives handed to them tend to get lost in GW2.
Here are some of the things you can do in GW2:
-Get a legendary weapon
-Level multiple characters of different classes/races
-Do Fractals (a dungeon that gets harder as you progress) and get to scale 50
-Master every dungeon. Or just do every dungeon.
-Train newcomers and do community events with a guild
-Fight for your server in World vs World
-Fight in structured Player versus Player arenas
-Hunt achievements and titles
-Set personal challenges (solo a champion or a dungeon) and do them
-Participate in the Living Story (the two-week updates)
-Explore the world. There’s a lot of it to explore, and a LOT of detail put into it.
In addition, I wanted to know if the GW2 population is growing, or decreasing…
Also wanted to know if it is easier to get in groups in GW2 than WoW.
The game itself has been growing- they’ve needed to up server population caps several times.
It is easier to get groups in GW2 in that you don’t have to wait hours for a healer or tank (there is no healer/tank/DPS trinity here). Many LFG groups I see fill up fast.
I read there are bi-weekly updates… Could someone let me know a bit more as to what is in these updates, as well as an approximate total count of quests in GW2?
The biweekly updates (Living Story) progress the story of the world. They contain a mix of things, usually some temporary activities with permanent additions and improvements. There have been both temporary and permanent dungeons (with the next update adding several new mini-dungeons to Fractals and revamping it), maps, and quality-of-life changes such as the account wallet.
As for quests, there are tons of quests. I’ve been playing since launch and still find events I’ve never seen before.
I love getting on EQ2/WoW and just doing quest after quest… Wanted to know if you can do that in GW2, or if you do something different?
Are there even a lot of quests in GW2? I really enjoy questing, and questing with people in the guilds… Someone in GW2 earlier when I logged in prior told me that questing is not a big objective in GW2, and, the main thing you do is just do map completion. That really turned me off. I can’t imagine that is true – is it?
You absolutely can get on GW2 and just spend your time exploring and questing. I know a number of people who do, and I’ve done it myself.
Regarding map completion, it’s a very effective way to level, but not required. I leveled via dungeoning on my first elementalist, structured map completion and crafting on my second, and just exploration on my third, running around the map as I pleased and doing events I came across. So it is entirely up to you.
Falunel – Sylvari Elementalist | Falche Graysong – Human Mesmer | Tarnished Coast
Ember Solace [SOL] – A guild welcoming of newbies and those at the margins.
New Player Outreach Thread
Ember Solace [SOL] – A guild welcoming of newbies and those at the margins.
New Player Outreach Thread
Falunel.7645
is 100% correct.
Here are some of the Contents you can expect to do in GW2:
((Dynamic Events)),
((Personal Story))
((Story Dungeons))
((Explorable Dungeons))
((Fractcal of Mists))
((Open-World Dungeons))
((Heart Tasks))
((Jumping Puzzles))
((Vista Challenges))
((Skill Challenges))
((Minigames))
((Exploring))
((Gathering))
((Crafting))
((World Boss Events))
((Guild: Puzzles))
((Guild: Rush))
((Guild: Bounty Hunting))
((Living Story))
((Holiday Events))
((S-PvP))
((T-PvP))
((WvWvW))
etc…. You can do any of these Contents and level up and enjoy the game how you want! Endgame is pretty much the whole game starting at level1
What is the approximate population for GW2 players? How many active accounts are there?
Over 3 million copies of the game have been sold, but I don’t know how you’d find an accurate count of the number of active accounts.
I have a took on Yaks Bend I believe the server is called. Is that a decent place to play?
I don’t know, I’m on the EU servers. But you can play PvE on any server in your region via guesting. On the Character Select screen click the button labelled ‘World Selection’, pick a World and click ‘Guest’. The log into a character and you’ll be playing exactly as if you were on that server. So if you don’t like the one you’re on you can try any of the others.
In WoW I LOVE doing my quests and exploring new areas, and then doing quests WITH fellow guild members if they become challenging, such as if I start to die during them. What is the same in GW2 and WoW, and what is different?
I’ve never played WoW so I can’t say for sure, but I can tell you almost all the content in this game can be done either solo or with a group. If you’re not already in a guild I recommend joining one because it makes it easier to find people to play with.
My big concern / question I want answered is exactly what you do in GW2. I would appreciate it if someone actually took the time to spell it out to me, as far as what you do, objectives, basically what there is to do (in simple terms, well explained), and the such.
This isn’t really a simple question to answer because there are a lot of different options.
Some people almost exclusively play Player vs Player (PvP), which I know nothing about, or World vs World (WvW) which is about large groups of players fighting each other to control various structures and locations on a map.
Even in Player vs Environment (PvE) there are a lot of options. There’s map completion which includes finding new areas, and vistas and points of interest but also doing Renown Hearts which are a lot like quests from other games.
There’s also Dynamic Events which are also a lot like quests but with the important difference that they start, and continue, regardless of whether you or anyone else is helping. They often chain together, so when one completes another one will start, and following complete chains can give you an insight into the story and lore of the area. They’re also one of the best ways of getting drops, gold and karma (another currency) so you’ll want to get into the habit of doing them when you come across them.
There’s no kill tagging or whatever in this game – everyone who helps kill an enemy or complete and event is rewarded based on their own participation and events scale up or down to suit the number of people joining in. So don’t worry about stepping on anyone’s toes, you can drop in and out of events and chains as it suits you and it won’t affect their ability to complete it or the loot they get or anything like that. Likewise other players around you won’t affect your loot and XP.
There’s also dungeons, which are instanced and designed for a group of 5 players, the Living Story which is a whole bunch of extra (usually temporary) PvE content released every 2 weeks, various farming tricks and locations, Guild Missions which are like dynamic events but run by a guild, mini-games and probably other stuff I’m missing.
Early on though you’ll probably want to focus on map completion and following your Personal Story (the quests with the green markers) because that serves as a good introduction to the game.
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
I read there are bi-weekly updates… Could someone let me know a bit more as to what is in these updates, as well as an approximate total count of quests in GW2?
Lots of different things. They often include some bug fixes and balance updates – changes to skills and abilities which are intended to keep everyone on an equal footing. Also new items for the Gem Store (in-game store), new features like the LFG tool and achievement tracking and other assorted changes.
But usually the focus of each one is the Living Story: a chunk of new PvE content which is usually only available for 2-4 weeks, although some have been permanent. This can be pretty much anything – a new dungeon, new events, new story instances, a whole new zone….
What’s available in each one is tracked in the Achievements tab (open up the Hero Panel, click on the round Anet logo on the left-hand side then open up the Living World category).
At the moment for example we’ve got the Tower of Nightmares and The Nightmare Within which consists of a bunch of new events and story instances in Kessex Hills and a new map – the Tower of Nightmares – ending with an instanced, repeatable boss fight. The next update is going to be adding extra levels to a dungeon called Fractals of the Mists which is made up of lots of short levels played in a random order.
You can get a summary of each release here: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Release/Features
(Oh and I can’t tell you how many quests there are. Well, I can tell you there’s 301 Renown Hearts and 42 Personal Story quests per character (there are many more, but you have to pick between them) but there’s hundreds of dynamic events on top of that and the number is always changing.)
I love getting on EQ2/WoW and just doing quest after quest… Wanted to know if you can do that in GW2, or if you do something different?
If you include Dynamic Events as quests, which they pretty much are, then yes you can.
Are there even a lot of quests in GW2? I really enjoy questing, and questing with people in the guilds… Someone in GW2 earlier when I logged in prior told me that questing is not a big objective in GW2, and, the main thing you do is just do map completion. That really turned me off. I can’t imagine that is true – is it?
See earlier answers. I imagine they were not counting Dynamic Events as quests. Also while they’re right that map completion is a major goal in PvE that includes doing all the Heart Quests, and unless you actively avoid them you’ll do a lot of the Dynamic Events along the way too.
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
Top servers are quite active but the less populated ones are deserted.
Level 60 pvp
Ele & thief main (full ascended)
Down with the braindead faceroll classes.
Ele & thief main (full ascended)
Down with the braindead faceroll classes.
Quests in Guild Wars 2 are not handed out by NPCs, stored in a quest log, and do not need to be “reported” anywhere to receive rewards.
Dynamic events automatically appear on the top right of your screen whenever you are near them when they are active. Complete an event, and you will automatically receive a reward. Most events are suitable for solo play, but can also be done in small groups (and large groups). (Note: “Group Events” are not meant to be done solo.) The event system is set up so that players should always be happy to see each other; “kill stealing” is mostly impossible, “spawn camping” is mostly pointless, and everybody can revive a downed or defeated player (which even yields experience points).
Heart events are a special sub-category that is more like old-fashioned quests. Perform certain activities in a certain area (again, displayed on the top-right corner of your screen) until a progress bar fills up. Then, you receive a reward with in-game mail, and an NPC with a heart icon can be visited in that area (selling level-appropriate gear).
If the progess bar is not yet full, the NPC’s shop will not be open, but it will still be there to explain the task that needs doing. (This can be done solo without problem.)
Personal story is an overarching plot for your character, based on decisions you make during character creation and during the personal story itself. All personal story entries are instanced. It is balanced for solo play (except the last step), but you can invite friends to help.
Guild Wars 2 does NOT have a subscription model. You pay once for the game, and do not need to pay a monthly fee. You can buy “gems” for real money, which can be used for microtransactions (including some vanity and novelty items), and can also be exchanged for in-game gold (and vice versa). The conversion rate is based on real player supply and demand of gold and gems. Yes, Guild Wars 2 has its own legitimate in-game goldselling service.
Don’t want to pay extra money, but still want the exclusive gemshop items? Then simply buy gems with in-game gold.
You say you have already bought the game, so as you have already made the only payment you need to to play, my advise is jump in and try it. You might have to check around the servers to find one with a population level you like but I am on Piken Square (EU) and there is normally someone else around, even in the less populated mid level zones. To my understanding (hopefully someone will correct me if I’m wrong) as long as you are willing to delete your characters you can change server for free, which gives you a chance to play around guesting on servers and make a disission before you get too attached to a character. You can pay to change server as well and keep any character you have.
I gave up WoW about 6 months ago as I realised that all my game time was being spent on GW2. I enjoy open world exploration and questing, but I don’t enjoy being railroaded along quests. GW2 is very open, you have to go out and find the quests, keeping an eye on map chat is always worth while and if you start an event mention it in the chat and link the nearest waypoint and you will soon have people turn up to help out. Don’t worry if no one invites you to a party, if one person wins an event then everyone who took part wins. I frequently end up with bronze or silver rewards for events I didn’t even realise I took part in.
And one other thing, learn to dodge, my gnome rogue may have been able to stand toe to toe with ogres, in this game you have to learn to move and avoid the attacks aimed at you.
Have fun.
Yak’s Bend is still pretty well populated (I think last I looked it’s listed as HIGH or VERY HIGH when guesting or transferring). I rarely go into areas and find them deserted (tho you can go to some remote areas and not see any other players for some time). We are currently 3rd in NA-SILVER WvW league play (so solidly in the mid field).
We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That’s the way that lady luck dances
I concur with everything that everyone has said!
Guild Wars 2 is more of a fluid game. In WoW a lot quests would start, and then stop. Some would have further quests afterwards that would advance the story. Guild Wars 2 allows some insight into more than the “be a hero” campaign.
In just the personal story alone there are some difficult choices, and I can tell you that they are not all happy ones. I have one character that I am very reluctant to advance his personal story because in the process of helping out a guildmate I found out something that I do not want that character to go through. At times the stories have weight here, and I became invested in them.
Many of the other “quests” (aka hearts!) are similar. You spend time increasing the morale of the troops and citizens of the town, out in the fields you help rescue the wounded, and then you have the events that pop up where you go to secure strongholds. Yes you can lose strongholds here, and you have to take them back.
Some servers are a little less populated. On Anvil Rock I felt like I was playing a solo game most of the time. I moved to a different server (for the sake of a great guild) and I am always running into people. A great guild is a wonderful resource in experiencing the game in a good way.
I can also say that the community as a whole of Guild Wars 2 is more about teamwork and helping. People help each other out more here than I have seen in other games.
The game is also a little more casual. You can easily hop in for 30 minutes and get things done. Whether that is quests or exploration, crafting, or such things as jumping puzzles or finding those diving locations…there is a wide variety of things to do.
There is no trinity here and combat is dynamic. There are no set healers and tanks. You can change your traits and gear around to be more tanky or healy, but you are not locked in a specific role. Different weapons change entire playstyles more so than WoW when it was Mortal Strike/Fury/Protection for warriors. Each playstyle is valuable, and skill is greater than gear. Even legendary weapons (which have fantastic skins) are not too much stronger than relatively easily gained exotic gear. Let’s not forget about dodging…it is an important aspect of the game. Positioning matters moreso than “don’t step on these squares”, “hide behind pillars”, or things of the sort. Combat is fluid and changing. Even when you get fight dynamics down it takes a long while to get stale.
Each class has a vastly different feel, approach to combat, and general dynamics.
One thing that I really enjoy about Guild Wars 2 is that it’s a more open sandboxy game. Whereas games like SW:TOR really guide you where to go, this game gives you some ideas, but lets you go where you want. Want to keep fighting against the Nightmare court?…you can. Or you can go fight Jormag!
What I like about GW2 as a former career WoW player:
Partial list:
- I can play for an hour, make noticeable progress, then stop.
- I don’t have to park myself at an inn. I can just pick up where I left off. It makes things more fun.
- I don’t have to manage 30 quests or collect drops for quest givers. You just run around, interesting events happen, you go, participate, get credit.
- The art is better. The art is significantly better. It’s a pretty game and less cartoony.
- Travel is significantly easier, making the game more fun.
- Inventory management is significantly easier, making the game more fun.
- The leveling curve is quite different, making the game more fun.
- The system of classes and weapons-based skills is significantly more fun, and can provide a much more varied play style. I’m far from end-game with any character, but there does not seem to be a single correct way to play.
- The personal story feature is engaging, interesting, and breaks up the game play.
- The system of leveling you down to the zone you are in means more fun. The world is your oyster.
- The UI is not customizable, which means I don’t spend hours upon hours (upon hours) making it just right. Instead I play the game.
- The world is not as huge, and is therefore more interesting. There’s nothing more depressing that old world WoW zones with vast expanses of nothing going on.
- Banks and currency are shared between characters. Less hassle. To some degree it seems your put your time in once, and benefit down the road with other characters you level.
- Profession/class system is much more interesting. No more locking yourself in to tanking/healing/DPS. Again, more fun.
- Frankly, I don’t miss the Alliance vs. Horde business. Not at all.
- I find other players in this game significantly more enjoyable than I did for most of my many years in WoW.
Having said all this, I still find a number of things about this game confusing. I’m still pretty new with it, but overall I find it enjoyable, flexible, and not so tedious as my previous gaming experience.
I played WoW for many years from very near the beginning when raids were 40-man. I quit in horror during guild meltdown, then returned for expansions, then quit, then returned. Then quit again. I got GW2 when it first came out and played for a short time. Then I went back to WoW for 2 months and quit (for good this time).