Guild Wars 2

Hi all, I just got this game 2 weeks ago and loving but, um well… I really suck. I’m a complete noob to MMO’s. So, I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips. I tried pvp and got absolutley destroyed and I feel as if I’m leveling really slow. I rolled a theif since that’s my type of character which is now level 16. I’ve also looked up alot of builds but they just aren’t that appealing. also the traits just confuse the heck out of me, I just can’t tell which ones sound the best.I really want to do a max damage character for PVP, but this is sounding harder and harder. Also, I’d like to use dual daggers with dual pistols as my secondary. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Beaumont

well first of all , you will not have an fair chance on WvW as an lvl 16 player vs lvl 80 players with full traits and exotic items. Yes your lvl do scale, but you get no traits, and items are still low.
An full damage thief will require : an fast hand and an Pc to back you up. If you aim for full glass cannon make sure you can react in maximum half second or you will die a lot.
Damage is splited intro : psihical damage: increased by power /critical rate/power and condition damage.
For burst damage you will have to invest intro power /critical , and you will look for stats like power /precision critical power. as for traits : 30 / 30 /5 /5/ 0. As for utility’s shadow refuge, singet of assasin / singet of shadows / basilik is most common glass cannon build.

First thing I’d say if this is your first MMOG is get used to the playstyle in PvE. It’s much more forgiving and gives you a lot of leeway to figure out mechanics such as dodge and heal timing.

WvW will be rough without an elite skill or traits. You will get rocked a lot so make yourself a build that is intended for support. Shortbow and pistol/dagger or pistol/pistol will keep you out of the fray and bring skills like Caltrops, Shadow Refuge, and Smoke Screen to support your team. Find a group and use your skills to keep them from taking damage, slow your enemies, set up combo fields, and revive fallen comrades.

sPvP will be difficult to jump into. I remember the first time I tried MMO PvP, thinking, “I am generally top 3 on any CounterStrike server I join so this slow paced combat should be a breeze……I mean, if I can register a shot to the back, jump in the air, spin around, land in a crouch, and target that terrorist’s head in under a second, how hard can this be?”

The answer is it’s a different beast altogether. sPvP is not about reflexes so much as it’s about knowledge. A person who reacts a little slower than you but knows what every condition/boon icon means as well as what skill animations lead up to will be infinitely better at this game. I practiced a bit with this mini-game and it helped me immensely.

Whatever the case, Thief is a very viable class in any arena if played correctly. You will die a lot while learning to use it but don’t let that deter you. Use each death as a lesson and become a better player from them. Learn your opponents’ strategies and the AI’s weaknesses and use those to your advantage. Use stealth as a battle advantage and as a utility for reviving, harvesting, speed running, and a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ anti-death card. Play with every weapon set for at least a week and really learn what is worth-while and what is not so that you can recognize what ANet’s updates are doing to your class. Play with skills you think are useless, try out interesting tactics using them, and surprise yourself.

I’ve had a hard time leveling alts simply because Thief is so adaptable and it’s gameplay is rather high-paced. There really is no tanky Thief build that I’ve found which is worth a kitten Every build I’ve found to be fun and effective relies on a slippery and nimble concept, able to move from one point of the battlefield to another with relative ease and either select targets intelligently or manipulate the combatants into an arena of my choosing.

Try out the gimmicky builds, meant to do one thing and one thing only (whether it’s going invisible and shooting a pistol or killing one person every 45-60 seconds), but don’t get too attached. It’s good to know these but, in the end, they generally do not make you a better player. What playing them will do, however, is teach you to destroy the majority of the Thief population…….as well as allow you to incorporate aspects of them into your own builds.

I wish you a ton of luck and hope you have a ton of fun! This game has a lot to offer and, most importantly, it’s free to play so you never have to feel like there’s a rush to do anything. You will have a great time if you slow down and take a moment to enjoy the view every once in a while, if you catch my drift :-)

-Judas