Hello Flett, I understand your frustration. I think it may come from predefined expectations of an MMO. In my experience GW2 has done a good job of breaking the mold. I’ll try to address some of the issues you mentioned with a different way to approach them.
- It’s kind of cliche, but joining an active guild will provide opportunities to explore the world with a group. Dungeons start at level 30, but a better approach is to think of the dynamic events as impromptu dungeons that appear in the world. The events with champion bosses usually take around 5 players to complete, and the karma received from them is used to purchase the “good drops” from heart vendors.
-The fighting style greatly changes with each weapon equipped as this changes your skills. All of the classes can be setup to be melee or ranged. I would suggest playing around with the weapon combinations as well as your other skills to accommodate the style of play you are looking for. At level 35 if you are fighting a level 8 champion you level is reduced to 1 level above the cap for that area. Chances are you are fighting this champion at an effective level of 9. The champions are intended to be group events.
-There are a few different ways to acquire gear looks, each way has a few sets with unique looks. The common ways are world drops, crafting, and karma. A good source to view these sets is http://www.gw2armorgallery.com
-You can have all of the crafting professions on a single character, but only two active at a time. When you switch crafting professions you don’t lose the progress made in level or recipes learned. It does cost coin based on skill level to change back though. Crafting is also much different in GW2, and takes some getting use to. Looking up a guide on crafting might be beneficial, once you get the hang of it I think you will find it very dynamic.
-I hope this helps you take a new look at GW2 so you can enjoy it as much as I do. I also work full-time and my wife hates video games too. I’ve found this MMO fits into my available playtime/style better than any other on the market right now.