Guild Wars 2

So I loved the original Guild Wars and I thought this would be the same, being that it’s sort of a sequel, but I’m really not finding the big deal about the game. I mean the original GW really felt unique, the instancing was great, bar a few times, and the multi class system was great, you could do 2 things at once. I had a Monk/Warrior and I loved playing it.

I’d seen the review for the game so I bought it and started playing, and it seems like it takes forever to level and absolutely everything can kill you. I can dodge twice and that is it, I’m also an elementalist (which I know can’t take hits) but everything does like 3-10 damage on a mob at level 10 which I think is totally ridiculous. Clearly I’m doing something wrong but I don’t know what.

PvP I love, the whole equipment thing is really a good idea, except when I want to play WvW and I’m stuck with my level 10 eq.

The community is great and one of the friendliest I’ve ever seen, so I’m hoping you guys can tell me some things that make you wanna play the game, and maybe if I hear from other players it will make me want to play and actually put some effort in to the game.

Let me be clear, this isn’t an “I want an easymode class” or a “This game is too hard” thread. This is one of those “I’ve been playing for 3 days and I don’t see anything interesting about the game” thread. So, what makes you play and stay, and what can you suggest to bring a little fun to my experience?

Also, I have to add, part of my disappointment is that I’m used to playing, and have fun playing, healing classes, and none exist here.

I’m currently in progress of making a beginners tutorial/walkthrough for GW2. I think I just have to upload it to Youtube anyways, This is also my first GW game and I started off and currently capped with my Elementalist. It is different than most games I played and does take some getting used to. What I would like to know is what weapons are you using? and where do you explore? You should be doing some good damage at 10 and not struggle so much.

Go on at a peak time. Press ‘B’ to join WvW. do a /team and ask where the main zerg is. join the posse and wreak havoc on the enemy!

:)

Zenonium.6852:

I’m currently in progress of making a beginners tutorial/walkthrough for GW2. I think I just have to upload it to Youtube anyways, This is also my first GW game and I started off and currently capped with my Elementalist. It is different than most games I played and does take some getting used to. What I would like to know is what weapons are you using? and where do you explore? You should be doing some good damage at 10 and not struggle so much.

I’ve used dual daggers but getting in close is almost certain death, I’ve used a staff but heard the AoE was basically useless, so now I’m using a scepter and a focus.

Try using a Scepter/Dagger or Scepter/Focus and use Air element, the lighting tends to increase in dmg with each tick, you’ll be able to kite and keep some distance from the mobs and be able to use a knock down, though it is best to switch between elements and know what each skill does with a certain weapon. learning and mastering these combos is key for an elementalist’s survivability.

Alaric.3980:

… it seems like it takes forever to level and absolutely everything can kill you. I can dodge twice and that is it, I’m also an elementalist (which I know can’t take hits) but everything does like 3-10 damage on a mob at level 10 which I think is totally ridiculous. Clearly I’m doing something wrong but I don’t know what.

Baby elementalists are squishier than those little rabbits and raccoons you see running around. I died a lot with my elementalist below level 40. From what I’ve learned (and seen on the forums), here’s how the weapons are for new eles:

• Dagger/Dagger: Pure melee weapon. If you learn D/D well, you are an unstoppable wrecking machine. For mediocre players like myself, D/D also gives you enough mobility to run away when things are hairy. Turn off auto-targeting options and melee assist to help with the retreating process. If you can and if they’re cheap, grab a minor sigil of bloodlust and a minor sigil of hydromancy to give yourself a boost and to help control mobs.
• Scepter/Dagger: Solid build with some ranged options for opening battles. Not as mobile as D/D but can handle multiple enemies with less need to clump them up in melee range. Same sigils as above.
• Dagger/Focus and Scepter/Focus: Some people swear by their focus. I honestly never got it.
• Staff: The ranged AoE weapon. Hard to level with because AoE damage means no single-target burst, but I did it. Most of your spells can be cast while moving so you will have to learn how to put down an AoE circle while moving and then move in that circle to stay alive but use the spell. Use a minor sigil of bloodlust or corruption.

Alaric.3980:

PvP I love, the whole equipment thing is really a good idea, except when I want to play WvW and I’m stuck with my level 10 eq.

Do you mean sPvP or WvW? sPvP has a completely different gear set and everything’s level 80. In WvW, both you and your gear are roughly kicked up to level 80 equivalents. You won’t be as powerful as a level 80, but you can still contribute. Strap on a staff, find the zerg, and Meteor Storm down some doors and lava pots (and throw in some heals up front for your meaty friends).

Alaric.3980:

So, what makes you play and stay, and what can you suggest to bring a little fun to my experience? Also, I have to add, part of my disappointment is that I’m used to playing, and have fun playing, healing classes, and none exist here.

I enjoy crafting, and it’s a good way to gain some quick levels. So that can help you through the awkward ele phase. Another thing is that I started a thief, got her to 65 and then realized that I didn’t enjoy it. So I started an elementalist, and she’s the first one to hit 80. Maybe put your ele on the back burner for a bit and try a couple other classes? Necromancers and Mesmers (though bugged right now) are both really interesting, and guardians do have a lot of healing options to support their general tankiness (though they can be built for damage too). There is no dedicated tank/support/deeps class, but each class can be built to do any one of those three things.

Ping me in-game if you ever need any help! If you still want to continue with an elementalist, I can give you some tips on what skills and traits to focus on, but I think I’m running out of characters for this post!

Some incentive? Vistas. They are beautiful and well done, getting to them all requires some effort so you’ll level, and I found them to be a great goal when I started. I love to explore in MMO’s, and this game has done an amazing job of making exploring worthwhile. run though your home city, unlock as much as you can, then go to another city and do it again.

Play in all the newbie zones. Doing so, even if they level you down to play there, lets you earn more skill points and fight with some advantages, making it a bit easier.

Unlock all your weapon skills. I loved discovering each new option with the various weapons my Guardian got, and even though you only have a few weapons, you get to unlock each one 4 times.

lastly, as mentioned before, try a different class. I tried an Ele, and while I see how amazing they are, I couldn’t keep weapons/ attunments straight, and I had to give it up. I leveled my Guardian to 80, and since then fell in love with Nercos and Engineers.

Definitely try a few other classes. My mains in GW1 were a Necro and an Elememtalist, both of which played VERY different in GW2. By comparison, I HATED Rangers in GW1, but when I started playing with them in GW2 I liked them much, much more, and leveled one to 80. If you try several and nothing’s “clicking” I’m not sure what to recommend, sorry.

Unfortunately you’ve picked one of, if not arguably the WORST, class for a new player to start with. Everything is 3-5 times more difficult on an ele then any other class.

I would roll a warrior or a guardian until you get used to the game and then go back to your ele. You’ll see; it’s like night and day.

Alaric,

As much as you prefer Elementalists, give a chance to another class, trying to discover the one who suits you better. I don’t know if you have tried create one and go to sPvP.. that way you can try all skills and traits in any class.

As mentioned before, Engineers seems pretty fun, and they even have healing devices.. maybe you can build your traits in a more healer profile.

- Jump into sPvP and try to gather folks around to capture minor areas;

- I PvE maybe you can use the daily achievements as a “guide”… when you are trying to complete it, many things will happen and the time really goes by!! Besides, you have instant goals;

- Don’t bother in leveling too fast or reach higher areas as fast as possible… this is our behaviour in another mmo’s… In my case for instance, I’m still playing in zones -10 lvls below me… with delevel feature, the content still enjoyable! I also try to keep my gear update through crafting.

I hope you can have a nice time around Tyria! See ya!

This is not directed at you, but I’m convinced 90-95% of the population don’t know how to play the game in terms of events. People think that just because an event is over, that’s it, when the reality could be nothing further from the truth. The NPC world is alive and many times there’s hint/starters to events/event-chains that people never find simply because they don’t take the time to read a book, inspect an odd looking creature, talk to an NPC (even without the event marker overhead). Anet’s done a great job at providing a whole range of ways events happen, and how they’re tied into NPCs lives or the map theme. If I had a silver every time a person ran off straight after an event and missed the chest/pre-cursor to the following event simply because they didn’t take the time to listen/talk to the NPC talking to them, well I’d have enough coin for a second T2 cultural armour set.

Alternatively people seem to think nothing goes on before an event takes place. NPCs talk out loud to themselves or other NPCs (or even us) all the time and wander off and do things that will lead to an event, but no one ever seem to pay attention. I’m simply amazed.

So my suggestion: Take your time and really pay attention to the world around you. If you’re all about leveling and just play the game as a barbie doll dress-ups for little boys to show off how ‘leet’ your character is compared to others, then this will fall on deaf ears, but the world really is alive and there’s a font of knowledge, hints and insight out there to be had, all one has to do is open their eyes and ears to it, take their time, and enjoy the world.

GW2 is very different, but if you just play it the same way you played other MMOs, it will feel the same.

Tarn.1374:

This is not directed at you, but I’m convinced 90-95% of the population don’t know how to play the game in terms of events. People think that just because an event is over, that’s it, when the reality could be nothing further from the truth. The NPC world is alive and many times there’s hint/starters to events/event-chains that people never find simply because they don’t take the time to read a book, inspect an odd looking creature, talk to an NPC (even without the event marker overhead). Anet’s done a great job at providing a whole range of ways events happen, and how they’re tied into NPCs lives or the map theme. If I had a silver every time a person ran off straight after an event and missed the chest/pre-cursor to the following event simply because they didn’t take the time to listen/talk to the NPC talking to them, well I’d have enough coin for a second T2 cultural armour set.

Alternatively people seem to think nothing goes on before an event takes place. NPCs talk out loud to themselves or other NPCs (or even us) all the time and wander off and do things that will lead to an event, but no one ever seem to pay attention. I’m simply amazed.

So my suggestion: Take your time and really pay attention to the world around you. If you’re all about leveling and just play the game as a barbie doll dress-ups for little boys to show off how ‘leet’ your character is compared to others, then this will fall on deaf ears, but the world really is alive and there’s a font of knowledge, hints and insight out there to be had, all one has to do is open their eyes and ears to it, take their time, and enjoy the world.

GW2 is very different, but if you just play it the same way you played other MMOs, it will feel the same.

Very well said!!

I ‘d like to add that here we don’t need an explicit endgame.. it’s a nowgame! In other mmo’s we are all used to play an area, level up and then go away.. never looking back, since all got grayed, there’s no quests, there’s no drop, there’s no challenge. You can’t even help a friend, because of exp. GW2 is indeed the opposite!

Once, I talked to an npc without any signs above her head (just like you said). She complained about some bears attacking her honey… then, there they are! They came from bushes and start to attack us! When you get the farm back from bandits too… it’s nice see all cows running back..:) These and much more cool stuff happened in Queensdale… very first human area.

Well the bears come without having to talk to the lady. That was just a lucky coincidence.

I started with and am still playing an ele. I think it is a difficult class, until you get it learned, and I think that there are people who will never like it. I did a bunch of research online to hear what people were saying about eles and I think that helped a lot. I try to put most of my focus into power and secondly into healing/vitality, rather than toughness. I have tried all the weapon combos, but scepter/dagger is my favorite. It’s tricky finding the combo of spells to do the most damage; I’m constantly altering between fire/air/earth/water attunements. If I get a big guy or too many enemies on me, I have to kite then, which really isn’t so hard. But generally I have so much power that I kill them before they kill me.

Anyway, it probably was more difficult at first with the ele, and I actually didn’t like the game at first, either. It was nothing like I expected, and nothing like GW1 and it took me a long time to get used to it. But once I did, I love it! I just work on my Personal Story and exploring mostly.

If you still don’t like it, I agree that it may be helpful to try a different profession. I think with any of them, though, it’s important to remember this game is more involved, and you are going to have to MOVE sometimes, instead of just standing there casting spells.

Hope that helps!

Alaric, I also should let you know that I have found builds for eles where they CAN focus on healing, on area healing, which is what your water attunement does. So there are builds out there where you can be a great help for area healing.

I have to disagree with Erthrak…I HATE the vistas. Oh I think they’re beautiful once you find them and enter the scene, but I hate trying to get up there! I fall so much. Could be b/c I’m playing on a laptop with a crappy graphics card so everything is kinda jerky, but still. Probably my least favorite thing from the game.