Lets put down some simple tips for new players to help them in getting and helping to create a good pvp experience in pvp. Nothing class specific, just general tips on the game.
-Solo Arena and Team Arena are not places to learn how to play. People will hate you and you will almost always drag a team to losing. If you have ever won in the past it was because the other team had more low level new players to the game than yours did. But this system mostly annoys people and will sour your experience in the long term anyway.
-Thief is not a good class to play if your new. I know I know you want to look like a ninja and do uberleetpsychoslipknotnumetalhaircut damage and that seems awesome. Problem is thieves are a nightmare when played well, and free points when not. Its actually a hard class to play and simple running around and opening up with a huge backstab and then spending the next 4 minutes always downed, its no good. Mesmer would also be a hard choice for a new player.
-Once you have a good understanding of your class, you will realise that the class choice is second to the role your playing. Thieves for example are kings of mobility, terrible at holding points. Guardians for the most part are amazing at holding points and supporting a team, and dreadful and mobility. Its always more important that you play to your strengths rather than trying to do everything.
-Hotjoin winning is less important. Try to use it though to learn how to fight. Learn what the maps look like and what aspects are involved (the trebs, the cannon on skyhammer if your in soloQ but of course teamQ doesnt play it.)
-Try out plenty of classes in hotjoin. As well as understanding your own class, its important to know what the others are going to be doing. You can also learn what moves look like. A warriors axe can hit like a truck, but if you learn to dodge that big burst attack you can really start to push yourself to being a much better player.
-Dodge is perhaps the single most important part of the game. Once you have a good understanding of how to use it, you will find yourself winning a lot more fights. Damage is good but avoiding it is even better.
-You cannot cap a point in stealth, when you have rallied as a warrior from your #3skill (although if you score a kill and are traited to stay alive, you will once the buff/debuff is gone). The Engies S Elixer which makes you tiny and immune, you will also not be able to cap with this but its only a short debuff. (if anyone else can add any that would be grand)
-Capping a point takes one person. Any more people in the point from the same team will not cap it faster. In hotjoin its fine as people want points, but once you move up from that its a very big no no. You will learn when to move the more you play. You will sometimes need to help cap if say the enemy are incoming and you need the numbers. Not always the case, but you will learn when to make that choice. Just never set on one and do it only, be tactical.
-Dont just attack anything, pick your targets. Typical example is 1 on each home point for each team, and a 4v4 in the middle. If you see 2 warriors and a guardian duking it out on the point, but just a little bit further back is an elementalist with a staff casting spells, target him. If you are a bunker hope and pray a thief or dps will take him down, if you are a more mobile or high damage class take him down.
-Bunkers are hard to kill. A very good one will be next to impossible for some classes and you need to accept that. Time and time again you will see a lone thief trying to burst down a guardian, never capping, not really troubling the guardian at all. If you are a bunker, then either bring back up or be prepared for a hideously long fight.
-On home point you are likely to get back up if you are in a fight. If you are on the far point your enemy will be likely to get back up. Take this into consideration when trying for a point.