Guild Wars 2

Thank you both for the replies! I think I’ll go with Thief for my first character, perhaps Ranger for the next.

I’m new to the game (yet to make my character) and it’s been some time since I played an MMO, so I offer my apologies in advance for my complete “noobness” (or “noobiness”?).

I’m unsure which profession to choose. I’m certainly set on Sylvari for my race, and am currently feeling drawn to either Ranger or Thief, but I’m definitely open to suggestions. I read through a few topics/general guides to professions, watched a few videos and so forth, but I still cannot make up my mind.

I’m far more interested in PvE than PvP (or any of the other available forms of this), though PvP may be given some casual play on occasion in the future. In most RPGs I favour mage classes and occasionally warriors; so I’m hoping for a new experience.

I will be playing the game with a friend (just the one), who is mostly leaning toward playing as a Mesmer.

My reason for interest in the Thief profession is probably (quite obviously) the stealth, I think it would be interesting to move around a lot, be evasive, be attentive for the correct opportunity to attack; I guess I like the idea of being cautious, patient, and skillfull more than relying on auto-attacks and so on. Although I have had no experience with thieves/rogues in the past, and I’m sure it’s one of the more complicated (and harder to master [,though that does attract me]) classes, I also feel confident that I will grow accustomed to playing as such over time. The doubts I have are from uncertainty over the profession’s viability in PvE.

My interest in the ranger is not just from it being a new class to me, but the nice “matching” of a nature-oriented race and a nature-oriented Profession, as well as a slight admiration for archery/shooting from afar (though I have more of an interest in the quick movements/stealth of a thief). I have fewer doubts about the PvE viability of the profession, but am slightly discouraged by the use of pets; although I like the combination of melee (from the pet, which would also distract the enemy), and range (from myself of course), I would not want to become reliant upon the pet, nor engage in any kind of monotonous combat of simply shooting arrows while my pet strikes up close.

I guess to summarise, I would like to play a class with variable and active combat, that is enjoyable to play in terms of PvE (though hopefully would not be completely “done for” in PvP).

Any other classes that you would like to recommend (and reasons for doing so) would be greatly appreciated; as would further comments on these two professions in relation to my preferences. If you feel a guide would be necessary to enjoy PvE with either of these classes, then please do say so.

Thank you very much for reading!