Guild Wars 2

My gf & I have been playing for a couple weeks and we’re level 15 & 14. We’ve just completed the Queensdale area. (She’s been playing MMOs for years. I just started.)

We like just exploring around and doing quests and gathering loot Occasionally partying with other players who happen to be around.

We’ve poked into a few adjoining areas, but the monsters in them were all ten levels or so above us, so we couldn’t survive in there.

Any suggestions for where to go next?

South to Kessex Hills. But you could always go through the portal to Lion’s Arch in Divinity’s Reach, then go from Lion’s Arch to another race’s starting area, which are all lvl 1-15 areas.

This map might help you out.

http://gw2.mmorpg-life.com/interactive-maps/

Yes..this. I didn’t get the whole LA asura gate thing for a while either.

Do all the 1-15 maps (Plains of Ashford,Wayfarer Foothills, Caledon Forest). That should lvl and gear you up. Then do all the 15-25 maps—then the next lvl of maps etc. Add some living story instances as you progress.

Hit the ‘crossed swords’ icon near the top of the GUI. This will take you to PVP. You can quickly run to an asuran gate that will take you to Lion’s Arch. (This is helpful to use ANY where in the game to get back to LA)

From Lion’s Arch, take one of the asuran gates to another city. Then do another level 1-15 zone. One is right next to every major city.

But to continue in the same region, go to the waypoint in the Godslost swamp and head south though the circular portal thing. (I think it’s Swamplost Haven Waypoint)

This will take you to Kessex Hills. Do the heart here and head east.

To comment further, I disagree with the other posts who recommend checking out other 1-15 areas. You’re already ready for the next zone (maybe a little underleveled). The way experience works in the game, I think it’s more efficient to do content at your correct level. Plus it makes the story feel more natural.

TooBz.3065:

But to continue in the same region, go to the waypoint in the Godslost swamp and head south though the circular portal thing. (I think it’s Swamplost Haven Waypoint)

This will take you to Kessex Hills. Do the heart here and head east.

To comment further, I disagree with the other posts who recommend checking out other 1-15 areas. You’re already ready for the next zone (maybe a little underleveled). The way experience works in the game, I think it’s more efficient to do content at your correct level. Plus it makes the story feel more natural.

I agree with this, especially if there are two of you and you aren’t alone. And that’s where you want to go into Kessex. If you go in by that town in the SW corner of Queensdale, that will seem higher. The mobs are maybe 17-18 through Godslost.

notebene.3190:

TooBz.3065:

But to continue in the same region, go to the waypoint in the Godslost swamp and head south though the circular portal thing. (I think it’s Swamplost Haven Waypoint)

This will take you to Kessex Hills. Do the heart here and head east.

To comment further, I disagree with the other posts who recommend checking out other 1-15 areas. You’re already ready for the next zone (maybe a little underleveled). The way experience works in the game, I think it’s more efficient to do content at your correct level. Plus it makes the story feel more natural.

I agree with this, especially if there are two of you and you aren’t alone. And that’s where you want to go into Kessex. If you go in by that town in the SW corner of Queensdale, that will seem higher. The mobs are maybe 17-18 through Godslost.

Agreed. Playing areas level appropiate is the most fun. True you get down scaled in lower areas, but not completely. There is much more challenge doing content at the same levels.

Mad Rasputin.7809:

Hit the ‘crossed swords’ icon near the top of the GUI. This will take you to PVP. You can quickly run to an asuran gate that will take you to Lion’s Arch. (This is helpful to use ANY where in the game to get back to LA)

From Lion’s Arch, take one of the asuran gates to another city. Then do another level 1-15 zone. One is right next to every major city.

Hi Rasputin,

These players are really fresh and I know your trick. but for new players it doesn’t work like this. They end up on the pvp tutorial isle and have to find their way through to the real heart of the mists. though its an awesome way for experienced players to get there, for the purpose of helping these people i would suggest the more conventional route.

To get to lion’s arch got to your home town (divinity’s reach). In the center is a portal to lion’sarch. you will end up at the portal island. each portal takes you to a different starter town, from each starter town you can go to a different starter area.

This technique helps great to get above level so you don’t have to worry where your going. Off course it takes some time to get above level. but the leleving system is really great so you will get an advantage to take the safer and less dangerous route.

Thanks a lot everyone for the info. I didn’t know about the portals in Divinity’s Reach. That will be a big help for exploring. Really looking forward to checking that out.

I guess we’ll probably take the advice and try Kessex Hills next.

Ranger Valden Harkenstorm & Necromancer Vysseria. We’re usually playing in the evenings, U.S. Pacific time. Give us a shout if you see us

I would do all the starter zones myself then work my way out.

Personally I much prefer completing all the zones in a particular level band (1 – 15, 15 – 25 etc.) before moving on. Not only is this a great way to gain experience, but it’s also helpful for gathering up materials for crafting. Unless you’re extremely lucky or have multiple alts, you probably won’t be able to find enough materials in a single pass through a map.

The downside to this method is that you will outlevel the zone band very quickly, and you’ll probably need to upgrade your gear with level-appropriate items if you ever find yourself poking into high level zones for festivals or special events. (This isn’t hard though. Level 78 – 79 gear is entirely adequate for level 80 characters that aren’t looking to do dungeons and it can be purchased for a few silver each on the Trading Post.)

You can either mooch around the lowest level areas til they’re all done, then step up, or you can do enough of the low level areas to achieve two things: getting to a power level that you’re comfortable moving up to the 15-25 areas; getting tough enough to complete your personal stories. If you follow the personal stories, they’ll drag you around the world a bit, with yellow stars as your guides, and at some point if you do “mostly” personal story, they’ll jump in difficulty and you’ll need to go off to one of the places you’ve found and do some “ordinary” missions to improve.

With all the XP from “non-quest” sources (crafting and gathering mostly), I found I was well past 15 with my first character by the time I’d got zone completion on the first zone; I still have most of the other continents to explore with my alts.

For those that say doing content more ‘level appropriate’ is the most fun, you have to realize that you will eventually need to do the other 4 starter zones (Map level 1-15).

Personally, I’d rather do all the level 1-15 zones while I am still lower in levels then having to come back at level 80 and clear these zones. Based on your responses, this would be more fun this way.

But either moving on to another 1-15 zone or moving up to a 15-25 zone you will be fine. Whichever brings you the most enjoyment.

And thanks for that info Mercury. It’s been a while, so I forgot about the PVP tutorial isle. But this trick is really handy once players move past it to say cost on Waypoints which will get expensive at higher levels.

Mad Rasputin.7809:

For those that say doing content more ‘level appropriate’ is the most fun, you have to realize that you will eventually need to do the other 4 starter zones (Map level 1-15).

Personally, I’d rather do all the level 1-15 zones while I am still lower in levels then having to come back at level 80 and clear these zones. Based on your responses, this would be more fun this way.

But either moving on to another 1-15 zone or moving up to a 15-25 zone you will be fine. Whichever brings you the most enjoyment.

And thanks for that info Mercury. It’s been a while, so I forgot about the PVP tutorial isle. But this trick is really handy once players move past it to say cost on Waypoints which will get expensive at higher levels.

Only if you want to get world exploration. I have never done all 1-15 zones on any of my toons. I guess the question is for a first time player, how would you like to do it.

Generally, I followed the story and did the zones in that order, and I was very happy with the story (up to a point)

But I can see the benefit to power leveling a little bit at the beginning. There are lulls in the leveling where you’ve finished the level appropriate zone for your path, and aren’t yet ready to move to the next area or story mission.

On my most recent toon, I finished Queensdale at level 12, but got slaughtered in kessex hills. So I went to the plains of ashford for a while, but I don’t think the OP is there yet.

That’s when I would move to a new starter area.

On my first run I did queensdale, kessex hills, gendarran fields, hitathi hinterlands, bloodtide coast, sparkle fly fen, mt maelstrom, straights of devestaton, malchor’s leap, and then cursed shore.

When I encountered the Sylvari, Asura, Norn, and Char areas later I had had very little exposure to them, so they seemed new and exciting.

TooBz.3065:

On my first run I did queensdale, kessex hills, gendarran fields, hitathi hinterlands, bloodtide coast, sparkle fly fen, mt maelstrom, straights of devestaton, malchor’s leap, and then cursed shore.

When I encountered the Sylvari, Asura, Norn, and Char areas later I had had very little exposure to them, so they seemed new and exciting.

That’s the experience I had. I started a new character with a differenct race and profession and started out in a fresh new starter zone.

I cleared through my asuran starting area and followed my personal story to whatever zone was next in the level range and explored those until it led me to Lion’s Arch. Then I went back to explore other places.

A great way to have fun and get exp rather easily is to go sightseeing on higher level maps: collecting wp and poi and possibly skill poi too while trying to stay alive