Back again!!
Create a new character (don’t, if possible, delete your existing characters), and start from the beginning.
Don’t venture into Heart of Thorns (except to possibly unlock Masteries, and, perhaps, complete the first level of Gliding [you could try Lake Doric for HoT Mastery XP]), until you are familiar with the game.
That would be my advice. Welcome return, and good luck.
I wholeheartedly agree. Don’t remove what you already have, just make a new one and work yourself back into the content. Once you find yourself on familiar ground, you’ll be able to work with the characters you have.
Do make sure to understand that for the ones you do have, changes may have been made to the skills/spec lines. Rework to your fancy.
In short, just slowly reintroduce yourself.
Part of the [PORT] mystical tour – “Marilee Mangletooth.” What main?
Something something Autechre fanatic.
What level are your existing characters, out of curiosity? If you take them back to the 1-15 zones, it should be less overwhelming for you and an opportunity to relearn all the mechanics.
Unlike the aboves, I don’t encourage making a new character just to relearn the mechanics, but if you want to make a new character anyway, go right ahead. Each class is a little bit different, though, so take that into consideration if you go that route.
I actually did the same… returned after being gone a couple of years. I played around with my legacy character (made at headstart) and I found that within a few days, I was almost as proficient as I was when I left. It didn’t take long to remember what I was doing at all.
Once I bought HoT, I dove into the new content with both feet and now I am cooking along pretty well.
If you make a new character, the story goes pretty fast. I recommend you make one exactly like your level 80 “main” and learn it. Once you’re comfortable, go back to your level 80 character and play on.
Good luck to you!
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Everyone experiences a game somewhat differently, but there are so many subtle things in Tyria, I’d start over, personally.
And hey, welcome back!
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I also did the same thing – came back to the game after a couple years. But I only ever had one toon, so I didn’t have trouble remembering how to play him for the most part.
It’s not a bad idea to try out a new character and give yourself a chance to relearn the systems from level 1. Maybe try a Revenant if you get HoT (the only way HoT really effects the early game). Then when you feel comfortable, you can always pop back to one of your higher level characters. They’ll still be there.
I also like to mention: if you go direct to 80, skipping all the core Tyria content … you get to do that content later, anyway, for world completion, or at least for obtaining all the waypoints, etc, for world bosses and personal story stuff.
Thanks everyone for the responses!
I actually started over as a had one champ and that was a Necro. So started over with a new champ and i pretty much enjoy the experience so far, I guess it was the right way at least for me. Gonna purchase HoT in the next couple of weeks too.
See you all in Tyria!! And thank you all again!!
Glad you decided how you wanted to proceed :-)
I took a 3.5 year break myself. I kept my toons, but I played a low-level toon first to relearn navigating the game itself, and then took my main back to do map completion in the racial starting zones to relearn that profession. That worked pretty well for me :-)