Guild Wars 2

Hello! I’m new to this game. I have been wondering this one thing. How do I know if somebody is a good player or really committed? Everyone looks the same and you can’t inspect players, or see any stats or achievements or anything anywhere? Am I wrong or is this the case? So how do I know if somebody (or some guild) is really good in PvP or PvE?

PvP – generally titles

PvE – it’s a crapshoot really. But the one thing I look for is achievement points since that’s the closest thing. If I see a lvl 80 with 3000 achievement points vs. one with 800 points, I’ll take the former. If you can’t see that, then armor set.

If the guy has a full Arah set, he’s good (Arah is the ‘hardest’ dungeon)

Good, as in skilled? Good, as in fun to play with? Good, as in efficient in making gold? I guess you can only ask them (or others around), and either believe what they say, or play with them and make your own decision. Nothing in the game really tells much about another person, except for a few titles….but, even those can be obtained in various ways.

Just my opinion, of course…I am sure there will be plenty of others. Welcome to Tyria!

tubi.9021:

Hello! I’m new to this game. I have been wondering this one thing. How do I know if somebody is a good player or really committed? Everyone looks the same and you can’t inspect players, or see any stats or achievements or anything anywhere? Am I wrong or is this the case? So how do I know if somebody (or some guild) is really good in PvP or PvE?

Other then the leaderboards, you can’t.
Titles can simply be more time to play, legendary weapons/armor can be purchased from the TP.

tubi.9021:

Hello! I’m new to this game. I have been wondering this one thing. How do I know if somebody is a good player or really committed? Everyone looks the same and you can’t inspect players, or see any stats or achievements or anything anywhere? Am I wrong or is this the case? So how do I know if somebody (or some guild) is really good in PvP or PvE?

For PvE, I usually look at achievement score.

When I form a team for a dungeon or fractals or whatnot….
In my personal experiences:
Players with 6k+ AP almost always have an understanding of the game that is above the average player, and I usually tend to keep an eye on players with less than 2k AP.

PvP ranks are a little different, but I’d say that anyone rank 30 or above has done enough sPvP to not simply be grinding glory, and actually has at least some understanding of how it works.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Good, as in skilled? Good, as in fun to play with? Good, as in efficient in making gold?

I mean skilled and/or dedicated.

Okay, thanks for answers, how do I see someone’s achievement points?

You really can’t.

And achievement score is highly misleading as you can rack it up super quick by just doing dailies and killing the same mob a few hundred thousand times.

Take a player who takes a month off – that could knock them behind the curve on achievement points from others by as much as 500-1000 if enough content comes out that month. A simple 300 just from folks who did the daily every day for the 30 days…

Honestly just talk to people, and from their conversations you can get a feel for things. This isn’t really a game with a ‘score’ that has any meaning.

You can see people’s achievement points by mousing over their portrait when in a party with them. Now if I’m not rude, why are you asking this…peculiar question?

P.s. Any title with “champion” followed by anything but slayer i.e. Champion Paragon or Champion Shadow indicate someone who’s quite proficient with his profession in PvP.

Find the person that tells everyone they are the best, the richest and just super good. That is a perfect example of who is not any good at all. Look for guilds that are relaxed and willing to teach, and take pointers from them. A good guild will have good players. Learn from mistakes and if you are not having fun find something that is fun.

The cool kids walk and know what Eye of the North looks like on the inside.

Okay, that’s kinda disappointing. Now I feel that everyone is just the same. One big mass. Feels like there’s not much point to do anything, because there is no reward (yeah having fun is the point and blabla). Well atleast guild chat is fun, and the community overall. Maybe I’ll learn to like it. The titles are a good start

I anticipate an incoming crucifixion.

Ps. I’m an extremely casual player and would never achieve anything in the game but it would be nice if there was some goals to dream about :P

You really just got to watch them play. And you can normally tell by how they talk on if they understand the game.

I go by how much I have to pick them up during events. :-)

And as stated up thread, any one aggressively telling anyone how to play is usually terrible and should be avoided even if they aren’t.

Meleeing Lupicus is a start. Someone that does Fractal 48 regularly is probably up there in terms of skill as well.

I dont mean like recognizing them in action, but if i meet someone in a town or somewhere. I thought it was a competitive PvP-heavy game, there should be some stats or rankings or halls of fame or something. To see what guilds are good etc. But maybe I’ve misunderstood something, and the point is that everyone is equal whether they are good/dedicated or not, it feels kinda dull. But that’s just my opinion

There is no measuring stick for skill in this game until you set foot in WvW. Until then you are just clobbering loot biscuits for dungeon tokens.

I’m kidding of course, everyone views skills differently, but this is how I would measure it.

The really good players will be died all in black and carrying Twilight, probably wearing CoF or Arah armor. They will be standing there (right in front of the Bank on the ledge) trying to look inconspicuous.

In Lions Arch obviously. They will be probably be spamming chat and you will think they are little children by their words and their use of grammar and spelling, but they aren’t, they are just “special”.

In this game there is no real way to stand out. The really good players are most likely going to look the same as the bad players that had more time on there hands. As stated above Legendary weapons can be bought on the TP so that isn’t a way to tell either.

The best suggestion is just to talk to people and everything. People wearing the Arah armor are most likely pretty good because of the skill it takes to do that dungeon unless they are in a guild that carried them through it. There are a lot of good guilds though on all servers.

As for your statement about everyone being equal, yes that is pretty much true in looks, but not in play style.

The really good players will answer your questions in a friendly manner, help you out of a difficult situation and pick you up if you need it Generally they will not be called xxsmashyourfacexx. Op I think the kind of thing you are asking for is not a feature in this game. Your best bet is just to play with people and decide for yourself if you think they are good or not.

Thanks for answers everyone The community is really friendly and amazing and I havent seen a single assface on any chat channel so far, so that’s a big plus Maybe I just wanted a bit more…competitiveness (is that a word) or something. Or maybe I will find it, im still only level 30 :P

A glowing fractal back with a wvw title, a legendary or 2 & full culturual tier 3 usually means the player at least plays various aspects and does them with a good amount of interest. PvP titles are usually good too. Unless you are overly knowledgeable about skins, how you obtain them, and titles as well... there really is no way to identify a player; and even then, all it is just "oh this person has played/farmed a lot", not "dang they must be good".

Go do stuff with them?

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

If they ride a broomstick.

Elbegast.6970:

The cool kids walk and know what Eye of the North looks like on the inside.

Anyone can go to EotN, it’s about having pets and items there.

There is as you can see between all the trash up here no true way of telling. Recognising high level gear can be a tell, but you can buy them, and you can buy them with real money.

Titles only show that they are good at a certain aspect of the game (and many times it’s still only an indication, leechers can get e.g. dungeonmaster)

Achievement points is an indication how addicted someone is and how long they have played, but it doesnt tell much bout how succesfull one is.

You are asking however bout the lack of inspection. This game isn’t really bout stats either. Don’t get me wrong, they do matter, but not as much as in many other games.

To find the really good players talk with people. This is an mmo, doing an anonymous inspection of someone doesnt tell a lot in any game. Talk to the person. most people, specially the good ones are not afraid to help you and share their knowledge. there is some healthy competition in sPvP and WvW but in PvE this game is all bout cooperation and helping and being friendly.

if you have any questions bout the game feel free to whisper me. I don’t claim im any good but i might be able to help you.

tubi.9021:

I thought it was a competitive PvP-heavy game,

They have PvP in this game?

…

…

Almost every “tell” other than talking to folks has a counter-tell / counter-stance.
There are opposing perspectives on many things:
1. zerker gear / CoF makes you ‘epix’ vs. anyone in zerker gear is a fool / needs to L2P.
- A day on the forums will encounter both sides of this, and in-game they travel in completely different circles that back up their different opinions.

WvW pros always follow an organized commander vs. WvW pros use voice and avoid anywhere on the map with a commander.
- A recent surprise to me was finding that second community, a very successful WvW group that holds to a belief of ‘commanders lead to failure’. They’re right, in their circle. But the view that not following a commander leads to failure is… also right.

Wearing gear set X shows you’re pro vs. people in themed gear sets lack perspective on the game and experts mix/match.
- Right, and right.

Casual hardcores vs hardcore casuals…

PvP vs. PvE…

Titles vs. anyone can get a title.
- both true if you think about it.

Must run classes X, Y, and Z. for efficiency vs. run a wide variety to cover bases.

- Backers of any stance above will often vehemently flame those disagreeing with them (self included :p).

I feel that you can distinguish a “skilled” or “dedicated” player by how much they know about the game or how well they perform in various game activities. Achievement points, titles, and aesthetics can be misleading. You have no way of determining their method of acquisition. Did they play for it or did they pay for/rely on the services of other players?

arah gear. legendaries. titles. achivement points. fractal weps.

Vol.5241:

PvP – generally titles

PvE – it’s a crapshoot really. But the one thing I look for is achievement points since that’s the closest thing. If I see a lvl 80 with 3000 achievement points vs. one with 800 points, I’ll take the former. If you can’t see that, then armor set.

If the guy has a full Arah set, he’s good (Arah is the ‘hardest’ dungeon)

that is an elitist answer.

It is not the armor that makes the character good or bad is the person at the KB.

You have have a full set of the best armor and be a terrible player. Mostly because this type of player thinks of one thing. Themselves. Not the other guy

Gear and achievement points can give you a little indication, but you really would have to watch them in action and see how well they do in a dung/match. I’ve seen warriors in full arah gear get downed over and over in SE. I’ve seen rangers in rares be a large asset to the party. It just comes down to skill… which you really can’t quantify.

Anna Kruse.3941:

arah gear. legendaries. titles. achivement points. fractal weps.

can be “bought”, can be bought, some can be bought, some can be bought, RNG

Aberrant.6749:

Gear and achievement points can give you a little indication, but you really would have to watch them in action and see how well they do in a dung/match. I’ve seen warriors in full arah gear get downed over and over in SE. I’ve seen rangers in rares be a large asset to the party. It just comes down to skill… which you really can’t quantify.

You have no way of knowing if that ranger’s alt is in full arah gear and multiple legendaries either and while arah can be long and possibly more difficult than some of the other dungeons it is not as hard as some people seem to be trying to imply. Some paths are also easier than others. You can get a full set of arah gear by doing nothing but easiest path.

I only run dungeons with my guild/friends nowqdays, after a while you get to know whose good and stuff.
Generally: i just ask what kind of gear someone is using. If thyre using berserker’s but never go down, then its safe to assume theyre really good.
As for pvp: duelling someone is a good way to find out how skilled they are
But duels are something completely different than team play ofcourse.

Is this a new thing or why didn’t anyone mention it? https://leaderboards.guildwars2.com/en/eu/

Leaderboards! There you see top achievement points, top pvp ratings, win/loss ratios etc I think that’s cool. Wish that was implemented in-game with little tweaks here and there though :P But I’m happy now hehe

Guns and Giblets.9308:

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

Wow, I must SUCK! lol

About the achievement points, i played 600 hours so far and I have about 4300 points. Another player likes to salvage and has 6k points and 2000 hours of time ig. Who is the better player?

Answer:
We both suck I just play more efficiently…

There’s nothing conclusive that shows someone is a good player. Some are very knowledgeable, but can’t even dodge a tree. Other players know crap, but anticipate very well in combat…

Haven’t done arah exp, but story was nothing, mb my PUG was just really good, dunno.

Kootje.9271:

Haven’t done arah exp, but story was nothing, mb my PUG was just really good, dunno.

Arah XP is nothing like Arah story. The story was allready rather easy and got repolished to make it even easier. An Eye of Zhaithan that can be one-hitted is ridicilious.

Explorable mode asks a lot of group communication, skilled players and is harder then any other dungeon. However, having an Arah dungeon set doesnt make one a succesfull player.

Armour is a ‘sign’ of a player skill now??

I happen to think most of the armour in this game looks horrendous, particularly the dungeon sets, including Arah. I would never, ever kit any of my toons in Arah skins regardless of how many tokens I have and whatever ‘prestige’ they might bring.

Going by posts here if terrible-looking armour means you are a skilled player, I must be a pretty bad player! lol!

To me a successful player is one, who has fun in the game and makes it fun for others too. I have been fortunate to meet a few of these.

They cannot be recognized with a glance. They come in all races, professions, levels and a great variety of gear. A couple even wielded Legendaries!

I’d like to send my thanks to these unsung heroes. They have made my game thrice the fun it would have been alone.

They actually know what they’re doing, and are willing to help others.

Vol.5241:

PvP – generally titles

PvE – it’s a crapshoot really. But the one thing I look for is achievement points since that’s the closest thing. If I see a lvl 80 with 3000 achievement points vs. one with 800 points, I’ll take the former. If you can’t see that, then armor set.

If the guy has a full Arah set, he’s good (Arah is the ‘hardest’ dungeon)

achv points is basically time played…not a level of skill.

You won’t see any distinction in game other than titles (that mean relatively little), but great commanders will be known server-wide if you WvW, and dedicated PvP players are high on the ladder. Would be cool to give people that have distinguished themselves in PvP unique rewards, but it seems that rewarding skill is really low in Arenanet’s priorities.

As far as competitiveness goes I’m afraid you’ll only find it in structured PvP. WvW matchups are largely decided by numbers and coverage, and PvE isn’t particularly hard unless you start wanting to solo bosses.

Edit: nevermind you found the ladder :P

A guild tag might give a hint of player’s skill/succesfulness. So far I haven’t seen such ‘uber’ guilds though.

Vayne.8563:

Guns and Giblets.9308:

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

Wow, I must SUCK! lol

With 3,000 hours since launch, I expect you have at least a modicum of skill.

Guns and Giblets.9308:

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

This is the answer to your question

Krosslite.1950:

Guns and Giblets.9308:

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

This is the answer to your question

Not really It’s a noble viewpoint, and obvious really. But I was looking for more of a superficial things, maybe my question was badly set :P but I got many good answers, thanks

Yeah, yeah
When I walk on by, mobs be looking like kitten he fly
I kill to the beat, walking Orr patrol in my new T3, yeah
This is how I dodge, animal print, warrior outta control,
It’s Rouven’s charr with the big afro
And like Bruce Lee I got the claw

Oops – sorry, got distracted. so – you can tell a successful player by the way they dodge

tubi.9021:

Krosslite.1950:

Guns and Giblets.9308:

The best players tend to be humble. They have a quiet confidence in their own abilities, learn from their mistakes, and accept correction and criticism from others. Overtime this leads them to be masters of their class.

This also makes it near-impossible to find them. People who constantly talk about themselves or brag tend to have something to hide—usually their own incompetence.

This is the answer to your question

Not really It’s a noble viewpoint, and obvious really. But I was looking for more of a superficial things, maybe my question was badly set :P but I got many good answers, thanks

The problem is there isn’t really an answer to your question. There aren’t any items, titles etc. in this game which genuinely set good players apart. It was a deliberate part of the games design – that everything should be accessible to everyone, not locked behind an impossibly long series of content gates and RNG so only a few people would ever have the time, willingness and enough like-minded friends to grind through it.

The Commander icon was probably intended that way and many commanders are more experienced players who use it to help direct other people. But anyone with 100g can buy one and a lot of people do use it just as a badge to say that they used to have 100g before they wasted it on a tag they’ll never really use, hoping someone would be impressed.

Legendary weapons take a lot of time, money and effort to get. Or you can convert real money to gold (if you can afford it) and buy one from the Trading Post.

Dungeon armor and weapons are arguably more reliable because the tokens are account bound so you can only get them from running the dungeon. But dungeons aren’t really that difficult, so the vast majority of players are able to get the gear they want. And all it really tells you is that they did that one dungeon a few times over.

There’s a few titles which are hard to get, but again all the tell you is that person has spent a lot of time on one particular type of content. Someone with a PvP title isn’t necessarily any good at dungeons, or even WvW and someone with Dungeon Master might have never set foot in PvP.

Esplen.3940:

Elbegast.6970:

The cool kids walk and know what Eye of the North looks like on the inside.

Anyone can go to EotN, it’s about having pets and items there.

No, not everyone can go, not in GW2.

Kootje.9271:

About the achievement points, i played 600 hours so far and I have about 4300 points. Another player likes to salvage and has 6k points and 2000 hours of time ig. Who is the better player?

Answer:
We both suck I just play more efficiently…

There’s nothing conclusive that shows someone is a good player. Some are very knowledgeable, but can’t even dodge a tree. Other players know crap, but anticipate very well in combat…

Haven’t done arah exp, but story was nothing, mb my PUG was just really good, dunno.

Dungeon Master and Agent of Entropy are both the “infinite” achievements. They were recenlty changed to give a max of 150 achievement points each. After a while your only source of achievement points are the 14 dailies if you do every one of them. It’s more of a sign of who is a dedicated player, however you can use low achievement points to spot bad players.

Anyone at around 3k+, in my opinion, has the capacity to be good. Not including secondary accounts (which are technically against the EULA), having 3k+ means you’ve played enough to know what you are doing and not have had to grind anything. If you’re under 3k, you’re most likely a relatively new player, however I won’t hold anything against you (unless you have a commander tag, in which case I will watch you with harsh scrutiny).

Elbegast.6970:

Esplen.3940:

Elbegast.6970:

The cool kids walk and know what Eye of the North looks like on the inside.

Anyone can go to EotN, it’s about having pets and items there.

No, not everyone can go, not in GW2.

Everyone can. The Hall of Monuments Portal Stone is available for sale in Lion’s Arch for 0c from an NPC. You may not have any rewards available, but you are still able to visit. If you talk to the Historian, he will tell you that you have a legacy but no heirlooms, or something.