Guild Wars 2

Can I say how amazed I am at the overwhelmingly positive response my post received.
I used to play and post a lot in WoT and there the community was toxic.
Thank you, I am encouraged to keep enjoying the game by all this helpful advice!

Vayne.8563:

Yep, you jumped from A to D without having experienced B or C. It’s a big problem with the game.

If you’re on a US server, I can help you get through HoT and show you what you need to know to enjoy the new zones.

Thank you, for such a helpful and positive post. Really sorry I am not on the NA server.

To be honest though I like the exploring and discovery part of these games, and in the past tagging round with experienced players just makes things boring (this is experience from WoW).

I’d go back to exploring the core maps, but somehow that just feels stale without the leveling.

Thanks though, appreciate your feedback

Having recently got my first Level 80 Character my reaction is frustration and bafflement in equal measure.
The simple level progression is gone, replaced by Masteries (I think)
Zones that are impossible to just simply navigate, with areas closed off and only opened by special events which are totally opaque to the newcomer. Sudden changes of objectives with PvE enemies that swarm the player and kill in seconds. Maps that are near impossible to work out simply how to get from A to B.
The sense that there is so much going on, but that as a newbie you are just excluded from it.
The instadeath encounters suggesting that your treasured equipment is now just so much junk.
I have really enjoyed the core game but now I just fell like the desire to explore these level 80 areas is sapped by the frustration of not being able to get to everything, and constantly dying when ambushed by special events.
So right now more likely to give up than keep playing.