Guild Wars 2

Finally, a system that DOES NOT reward players for hitting empty, undefended keeps and towers. \o/

At the moment, a handful of people can take entire maps in a couple of hours with little to no resistance – simply because the defenders in that time zone are asleep. Then, those objectives tick for them over an 8-10 hour period, massively influencing the scoreboard and basically negating anything I might have achieved in the few hours I was able to play the game.

That’s a nightcap. It’s demotivating, demoralising and downright broken.

The actions of a very, very few amount of people now dictate an entire matchup. Why should anyone be rewarded for hitting doors of empty towers and keeps? It doesn’t require skill, it doesn’t require strategy or any measure of brain power, yet it has a MASSIVE influence on the scoreboard, and ultimately your server ranking. The fights that people want are scarce to non-existent because the same people hitting doors at night are nowhere to be found, likely catching up on their beauty sleep during prime time.

So, as a WvW player, in a game mode supposedly based around competitive team gameplay, I currently get no fights, plus all my efforts are undone and negated the moment I log off to go to sleep. Someone here said WvW has more important issues than this?? Pull the other one.

Players should have to fight for every point they get, not beat it out of an inanimate door in an empty time zone. Then it actually means something.

About organisation: you can be as organised as you like, but if the majority of the players on your server lead normal lives, with day-time jobs who mostly play at prime time, there’s nothing and no-one to organise. Unless you’re willing to ‘organise’ people to wake up in the early hours of the morning and hit doors of empty towers/keeps themselves to ‘morning cap’ the ‘night cap’.

I, for one, applaud this suggestion – and any other that makes an effort to fix a game mode where something is very clearly very wrong.

This sounds incredibly over-powered to me. Surely it can’t have been Anet’s intention to allow for players to run around with a (near) permanent immunity to damage?

Why, I’d never need to fight anyone ever again – I’ll just pull out my magic banner… :\

Always glad to help.

If you’re not fond of dungeons or fractals (like me), you could also do a round of World Boss events. Nowadays, each World Boss chest gives at least guaranteed rare item (sometimes, very rarely, an exotic).

The Silverwastes is the highest yielding farming area right now, as I understand it. If you’re looking to do some serious stocking up on gold.

Good luck!

Hi there,

1) There isn’t really any one OP profession right now. You’ll still find a lot of Ele’s and Warriors running around, as they’re two of the highest dps dealing professions, but you could totally choose your own play style to differ from the others. Check out the recommended builds then tweak them to find the right balance between fun and effectiveness for you. For e.g. I’ve just levelled a Warrior to 80 and the meta build is Full Berserker with GS/axe+mace. But, I love running dual axe, so that’s what I run as my second weapon set even though it isn’t as effective or hard-hitting. The fun I’m getting out of it is worth the slight dps loss for me.

2) This is a tough one, it really depends on your play style and what type of game play you prefer – PvE, PvP, WvW or all three? In PvE you can pretty much run what you like, it’s great for experimenting with your play style. I run Staff Ele and GS/Scepter+Focus Guardian as my mains. The Ele for the versatility in play style (so many different rotations and combos to master means I don’t get bored easily). My Guard is a great balance between dps, tankiness and group support which means I can take him anywhere. I don’t play PvP or WvW, so can’t offer any advice there.

3) Now that GW2 is on the megaserver systyem, you don’t need to be on the same server as your friends in order to play together – unless you want to play WvW.

From Wiki: “There will be a limit of one transfer every seven days per account; each transfer will cost 1,800 gems. After a transfer, all existing and future characters on your account will play in the new world. You can also delete all characters and it will allow you to transfer for free. Your gold, bank, achievement points and titles will not be affected if you delete all characters.”

I would NOT recommend deleting characters right now, though (see below answer to question no. 5)

4) It’s a numbers game, but it makes my head hurt, so I haven’t delved into it. Sorry… Try a google search though ‘GW2 calculate dps’ or something like. You’re bound to get some hits.

5) Unless absolutely necessary, deleting characters at this point is not recommended as the new trait system is very frustrating for levelling new characters. You now have to unlock each and every trait (even the lowest ones) by either buying it from a Profession Trainer or completing quests/achievements in open world. This used to be only the Grand Master traits – now, it’s every single one. Anet has said this will change when the Heart of Thorns expansion comes out, thankfully.

If you do choose to delete a character, gold, karma, laurels, etc. are now shared between all your characters on the same account, so you don’t have to worry about that.

Hope this helps some. Enjoy getting back into the game, and welcome back to Tyria!

Hi Elronor,

You’ve got some good responses already, but if you’re interested in a fun and informative overview of major changes in the game, check out these series of summary vids made especially for GW2 Boomerangs a.k.a. returning players (I’m a ‘Boomerang’ myself and found these extremely helpful): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

Try not to absorb all the changes at once, just watch a few videos or read the recommended blog posts for a general idea – then just take one of your characters into the world to encounter the change first-hand. I’d recommend starting with PvE, so there’s no pressure on you as you’re re-familiarising yourself with things.

If you run into something confusing in-game, just ask about it on map chat or even another player in your vicinity, there’s bound to be someone who’ll know the answer.

Good luck and welcome back to Tyria!

Have you guys tried setting your status to ‘Invisible’ in the LFG tool before leaving party? It’s worked for me as a work-around, haven’t crashed since.

Of course – a more permanent solution would be nice…

Hi there, I’d also strongly suggest posting in the Warrior profession section of the forum, you should get some solid advice there from veteran Warriors.

Before you can decide on a build (armour, weapons, runes, sigils, etc.) you need to know a few things about yourself:
- What is your play style? Do you to rush in and kill everything you encounter before it kills you? (Choose Berserker, max dps offensive stats: power+precision+ferocity) Or do you hang back and swoop in at the opportune moment? (more defensive gear: Knights, Soldier’s or Valkyrie armour)
- What kind of game play are you interested in? Do you want to mainly play alone and roam open world (PvE)? Would you prefer to do group PvE events (dungeons, fractals)? Do you want to venture into PvP of WvW? Your build will need to be adjusted for all these areas of the game.

Hi Hope, I’m one of those who managed to get a precursor from MF, but it was a complete fluke, totally unplanned. I’m a GW1 and GW2 veteran and just dumped in 4 random rares and – presto! First time ever, hasn’t happened since.

As you may have figured out the only sure-fire way to get a precursor right now is to buy it off TP. But, if, like me, you fancy a gamble every now and then you could spread your chances a bit. I currently do the following:
- Salvage all fine armour of all rarities except exotics (the resell prices on TP are too good to pass up)
- Dump all other level 80 greens into MF in the hope of a rare
- Sell any rares I get if the price is 30 silver or more on TP
- Rares that sell for under 30 silver I dump into MF for a chance at an exotic or precursor

I would never, ever take the gamble with 4 exotics, it’s just not worth it. Bear in mind, the method I’m using is not the best chance or most effective – far from it!

It’s just my way of finding the balance between a reasonably steady gold income and soothing the gambling bug.

Hi Braxxis,

For a fun and informative overview of the major changes in the game, check out these videos made especially for GW2 Boomerangs a.k.a. returning players (I’m ‘Boomerang’ myself and found these extremely helpful): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

I’m afraid Thief is one of the few professions I haven’t tried, so I can’t help you there. I can recommend (after taking in the main changes/updates) just venturing back into the world a familiarising yourself with things.

Take your characters out for a spin and find out firsthand what it’s like to run them now. There have been a lot of ‘balance changes’, as Anet likes to call them, and there’s really only one way to find out how they affect your gameplay.

Remember, above all, to have fun!

Or, if prefer to watch videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

Especially for Guild Wars 2 ‘boomerangs’ (returning players). Was a great help to me after a year away. Welcome back!

So… this is still an issue, then. Have been suffering from this every day this past week. My fingers ache from the many – MANY – bug reports I’ve sent after the game crashed upon leaving a party.

A possible workaround for those who don’t know yet: open your LFG window, set your status to ‘invisible’ while still in party. Then leave party and switch back to ‘online’.

Haven’t crashed yet using this method, but it’s a bandaid solution – a more permanent fix would be nice Anet!

This is a video summarising the changes in the September 2014 feature pack: https://youtu.be/Y312p68sK4k?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

It’s a preview, but obviously the changes have been implemented now. The vid is by Bog Otter, whose videos are always light-hearted and informative.

I’d suggest checking out more videos made by him, or game bloggers like him (e.g. Wooden Potatoes, Matt Visual, AuroraPeachy). If you’re interested in the upcoming expack, they were also recently at ArenaNet for a Heart of Thorns preview demo day – and they recorded all of their gameplay.

Welcome back!

Starbird, I see what you mean about being indecisive.

Glad to hear you’re enjoying levelling with your GS Ranger, having fun is a very important aspect of this game, and something many people seem to lose along the way, unfortunately.

Just be aware of a couple of things with your current chosen profession. As you face higher level enemies and participate in larger (boss) events, your pesky medium armour can become your downfall. GS requires you to be right up close, but your medium armour will often not give you adequate protection. Until you’ve mastered the game mechanics enough to keep moving and dodging while dealing damage, you’ll be dead before you can blink twice.

Remember also that your pet is a significant part of your dps capability and if it dies in combat, your dps tanks with it. This means keeping your pet alive in combat becomes a major priority and will divide your focus while fighting – not a good thing while you’re levelling.

I’ve levelled both Ranger and Guardian to 80 and my Guardian beats all my other alts hands-down. But – this is because he suits my natural play style : defensive + supportive. I’m not one of those ‘rush in and kill before i"m killed’ players, I prefer to hang back a bit and swoop in at the opportune moment.

Course, once I do, it’ll be with my Greatsword which allows met to hit hard enough to take down the necessary nasties. For me, the additional support capablities (read: virtues) of the Guardian are what wins it over Warrior for me. Warriors are actually way less tanky than new players expect, because they don’t have the extra heal+support skills the Guardian carries with the F1-3 skills.

Keep at it, though. As you play, you learn what does and doesn’t work for you – no one else can tell you that.

If you want the gold, keep doing what you’re doing with the heavy crafting bags.

Don’t knock Ascended trinkets, though. I play only PvE and am buying as many Ascended trinkets as I can afford for my two mains. If you’ve taken a look at the stats, you will have noticed they’re a significant step up from exotic jewellery and worth the purchase, even for PvE. And you don’t need to use the agony infusion slots, the trinkets work fine with them empty.

Also, bear in mind, a lot of the forum posts bemoaning the Warrior profession are comparing it to what it was before and, to be fair, it has been stripped of some raw power and damage capabilities. But – none of that affects you if you’re new the game.

Warrior still hit like a mack truck and deal massive damage… just not as much as they used to.

I’m also in NL on KPN. Got back in after router reset, have had about an hour’s stable gameplay now – so far, so good.

Just to check – have all you guys also been having that problem with the game crashing after leaving a party? Wondering if (but hoping it’s not) related…

Oh dear lord, please don’t let it be location bound. I’ve been terrified to join a party the past few days because the game crashed every time I left it and now I can’t even log in.

Guess it’s time to give the good old tele another chance… will try again in a few hours and hope for a fix by then.

Ditto.

This is the howmanyeth problem since the last patch? It is not a good sign…

How many laurels do you have? Can you afford to get an ascended amulet or ring from the laurel merchant? It’s worth it for the stats, plus they’re account bound so you can switch them to different characters later if you want.

If you can’t afford ascended trinkets, I’d suggest getting exotic trinkets to optimise your build (if you haven’t already). Also, exotic armour and weapons if you don’t have them yet.

What build are you running? Get a superior rune set that complements your build and superior sigils for your weapons. Most Warriors are running Strength or Hoelbrak runes, I believe, but they are pricey (would use up most of your 50g). I wouldn’t recommend such an investment if you’ve just reached level 80.

There is a way to convert karma into gold, that would give you a few more options – maybe check wiki or google for that?

If you’re only going to level one crafting profession at the moment, I would actually suggest Jeweller or Chef. Armorsmith crafts only heavy armour, Leatherworker only medium armour, Tailor only light armour, but the trinkets or food you craft can be used for all your characters, regardless of their profession.

Loot drops won’t slow down, but you might not always get the gear with the stats you want. Still, if you don’t have much crafting material in storage yet it’s probably cheaper to buy your gear off Trading Post until you’ve reached level 80. Otherwise, you might find yourself getting gear drops every now and then with better stats than something you’ve just crafted – verrry frustrating.

Be careful when equipping armour from karma merchants because you won’t be able to salvage any runes you equip with that gear.

Hi Benie,

I just levelled a warrior to 80 and ‘tanky’ is definitely not how I’d describe them. You may hit like a two ton truck, but your own survival is directly related to how well you can dodge, especially below level 30. If you’re looking for a tanky character, I suggest levelling a Guardian.

What level is your Warrior now? I see advice to equip Signet of Rage, but that’s an elite skill that only unlocks at level 31, i believe. Until then, I support the suggestions to take Signet of Dolyak for the extra toughness on passive. Many choose to take ‘Balanced Stance’ because of its shorter cooldown, but that doesn’t give you the +180 toughness. I’d recommend SoD until you’ve mastered the game mechanics and nailed down your Warrior game play.

For your other utilities, I’d suggest taking ‘For Great Justice’ for the extra might and ‘Shake It Off’ to get you out of those sticky situations you tend to find yourself in. SIO is an amazing cleanse+stun breaker on a remarklably short cooldown.

When I was levelling, I tried different rotations based on other players’ recommendations, but you really just need to try a few because everyone’s play style is different. Most stuff is common sense, anyhow. Lead with weapons skills that deal vulnerability or condition damage, then follow up with your hard-hitters. Swap between your weapon sets while your skills are on cooldown.

Just remember to keep moving in combat. You cannot affort to stay rooted in one spot and just take the hits. Try to flank your enemy or get behind them since PvE baddies tend to aim their attacks at whatever is directly in front of them. Most telegraph their attacks before they hit so you can dodge out of the way.

For your gear, you can go a couple of different ways. Most choose Berserker gear combined with weapons and trinkets that maximise damage + precision, but I personally think that’s not the best option if you’re still levelling.

You could choose to go for vit+toughness armour and combine with Berserker (ruby) trinkets but as you’ve seen yourself, you sacrifice dps. In my personal opinion, it’s worth it. You might have the potential to deal max damage, but if you die before you can deliver that damage it’s no good to you.

Thanks Poitus, will give it a go. Really hoping a fix is on the way though.

Yeah, it’s most definitely still a problem. Happened to me 3 times in a row just now, game crashes whether I leave the party or get kicked. It is beyond frustrating…

DzikWojny.6098:

I think I will end up with warrior or guardian(yay, monk+warrior). Does guardian differ much from warrior? He is more defensive and that’s all, more support class or how the things look in this game?

Guardian has a lot more group healing and protection skills, making him tankier than the warrior and allows you the option of a more defensive play style in addition to the more obvious ‘go forth and do damage’ take on things. As a Guardian in direct comparison to Warrior, you might not hit as hard, but your dps is nothing to sneeze at.

I’ve levelled both now, but I prefer my Guard, hands-down, because he just suits my natural play style better- which is defensive. That’s why figuring out your play style and what you like is so important. Seek out all the advice you think you need, but don’t take it as gospel and, when all’s said and done… don’t forget to have fun! (ooh, that rhymes…)

I know that the community consensus seems to be the Warrior has been nerfed badly, but hey – if this is your first venture into the game you won’t notice any of that!

I just levelled a warrior to 80 and I can tell you they still hit pretty darn hard, and are a lot more dodge-reliant than I would have thought. Standing around waiting to get hit just won’t cut it. With not many heal/support skills, the key to staying alive is either kill everything before it kills you, or dodge/evade the big hits before they land.

Elementalist is very rewarding high level, though I think it’s one of the toughest (or challenging) professions at the lower levels. Especially below 30 when you haven’t mastered game mechanics or have access to traits to bolster your build.

But – once you do reach level 30+ and you manage to wrap your head around the 20 odd skills each weapon set gives you… well, now – then the fun really begins.

I’d say, go for the Warrior and Elementalist. You sound as if you like the
Warrior play style and Ele is amazingly versatile, with massive dps potential at the higher levels.

How about fractals? They’re challenging enough, but not sure if they’re doable at level 30.

I would also advise exploring the maps and going for map completion. Venture into areas that are above your level if you want challenges – though be warned, you might end up frustrated instead as the level 40 bad guys laugh maniacally as they stomp your level 30 – ehm… behinds into the ground.

Since you’ve probably unlocked the AC dungeon, try the different paths (some or way more challenging than others) and then re-run them in story mode.

Happy to help! As Lazuli said, both Elementalist and Mesmer can play melee range, but as light-armoured characters you can’t take many hits, so game play tends to be dodge-reliant and more suitable for the ‘kill before I’m killed’ type of player.

The Guardian, as a heavy-armour character, is most effective in close combat, but I don’t agree that his range is non-existent. I use the scepter+focus as my ranged weapon set and – granted – I don’t hit as hard as I do with my greatsword, but with a range of 900, it’s far enough to stay out of striking distance and I can get more dps out of traits, runes, sigils and trinkets.

Having said that I’m very much a defensive player, and this is all about your play style. So, my advice would be: go out there and find out what your play style is and what works best for you.

Dodging takes some getting used to, but after a while it gets to be second nature. You learn really fast if your survival depends on it.

I don’t think really think any of the light-armoured characters are dodge-proof. My first character was an elementalist and the only way I managed to stay alive was to stay ranged (waaaay ranged) until I got used to dodging.

Having said that, the guardian is very tanky and can take a few more hits before needing to scramble out of the way. The warrior, unfortunately, has far less heal and protect options and I actually found out I needed to dodge more than any other character I’ve leveled.

I’d say, try out a couple of professions, there is no rule that says you have to fully level one character before trying out another.

So many great responses already. I recently lured – erhm.. invited a frien over from the WoW realm to try out GW2 and she has voiced similar issues.

One of the main things to remember is GW2 encourages responsive game play, and one of the first things my friend learned was: dodge, dodge, dodge! When you’re fighting enemies, from huge trolls to tiny mosquitos, you cannot afford to stay rooted in one spot.

Don’t think you can take the hit, even if you’re a heavily armoured character. Learn to dodge out of the way of oncoming attacks (the enemy tells get easier to spot as you play), so that by the time you reach higher levels, it will be second nature to you.

With this in mind, take your character out into the world and start exploring. Kill the baddies, gathering plants, chop trees, mine ore. Participate in events or quests that you come across while you explore – or don’t – as you like. Events will respawn and you can choose to do them whenever you choose.

If you don’t have much time, spend it exploring the world and learn the game mechanics as you go. GW2 doesn’t have a huge learning curve, it just very different and that seems daunting right now. But, it won’t be for long.

Last but not least, when you’re in-game and have a question – just ask. Aside from the occasion troll, we do really have great game community. Chances are, you’ll get at least three answers to your question before your fingers have even left the keyboard.

If you like (and you’re EU players), you can search for me in-game and add me to your ‘Friends’ list. When I’m online, just right-click on my name and choose ‘whisper’ to talk to me. Would be happy to help out if I can.

Also, check out the sticky posts at the top of this forum. There’s one called ‘New player outreach’ that should contain a list of players who are happy to be contacted in-game for help and/or random questions.

Good luck – and see you around Tyria!

Hi Darkcyn, welcome back to the game!

Not sure how long you’ve been away, but this video give a nice, fun summary of the main events and changes from end-2013 to mid-2014: https://youtu.be/Oew7usdU53o

Aside from that, I’d say start leveling a character, (re-)explore the world and find out first-hand what’s changed in the time you were away.

As a light armour character, necromancers tend to be rather squishy, especially if you haven’t quite mastered the game mechanics or figured out your play style yet.

Regardless, no matter what level you are, the first 3 combat rules of GW2 are: dodge, dodge, dodge. Don’t stay rooted in one spot, thinking you can take the hits, even if your gear is fully up to spec.

Since you are a necro, try to use your minions for extra help. Shadow Find is pretty good and has a blind skill to help you out in tough spot. The devourer minion is ranged and does decent damage as well. As soon as your elite skill unlocks (at 30, I think), equip the Flesh Golem, he’s a huge help in sticky situations.

Hi CthulhuDawn,

I’ve been playing GW2 pretty much since launch and recently levelled a character to 80. I can tell you it’s a veeeeery different experience than it used to be, mostly because you actually get small rewards after reaching new level (weapons, armour, mats, etc.) And a lot more fun, in my opinion.

A lot of stuff like coins, dyes, tokens, laurels are are account bound now, which means levelling alts (besides being fun) contributes to your account as a whole.

I searched for a while before deciding on the profession this time around and didn’t really see much in the way of overpowered or underpowered characters. I did come across tons of references to the Warrior being nerfed, so this might influence your decision to make on again in the current game play.

If you’re interested in a fun, informative summary of the main events and changes from end-2013 to mid-2014, check out this video: https://youtu.be/Oew7usdU53o

It really helped me when I came back to the game after nearly a year away.

Hi Benie,

Hope you’re managing to stay afloat in the sea of information you must be finding yourself in.

From what I can see most of your answers have been answered, but I’d like to add a couple of things:

1. When you die in PvE, don’t teleport to a waypoint too quickly. It costs you money, which you have precious little of in the beginning, and chances are a player in the vicinity will come by to resurrect you – for free. It’s one of the first things I encountered when I started out in the game, and one of the main reasons I stuck around.

2. There are lots of different ways to level up in this game. Yes, filling the hearts and killing things is one of the most obvious. But, you get XP for so many other things as well. Just wandering around the world earns you XP. Each waypoint, vista, point of interest you discover grants you experience points. Chopping trees, foraging for plants, mining ore, even resurrecting fellow players earns you experience (though I prefer to think people do this last one because it’s just the decent thing to do).

Above all else, remember to have fun!

Just grabbed mine (turns out I already had a few jars too). Thanks for the heads-up!

Hi Delgan,

First off, I know most (semi-)hardcore violently flinch at even the mention of gaming on a laptop and I do understand why. Price/quality-wise, it’s madness because you need to shell out nearly twice as much cash for a machine that is not nearly as good. But, if your lifestyle requires laptop gaming, and you’re able and willing to accept the price hike – then all those arguments become obsolete. My lifestyle was a lot like yours in my last job, so I do understand where you’re coming from.

Having said that – and I know it’s been asked before, but worth repeating in imo: bearing in mind that you could get a solid gaming desktop (fully upgradeable) + a decent working laptop for about the same price… is a gaming laptop definitely, without a doubt, the only option for you?

If it is, then an Alienware is definitely is one of the priciest options out there, but they’re so darn pretty! ;-) Asus, Acer and MSI make gaming laptops too, but I’ve never owned one. I did have an Alienware laptop a couple of years back and loved it. The reason I bit the bullet and forked out the extra cash was because I could still somewhat influence the specs (e.g. pick my own graphics card and processor). None of the other gaming laptops I looked at let me do that. Also, Dell’s customer service contract was more extended than any other manufacturer’s at the time. Problem was, a couple of years of game play was all I got before I was struggling to get to 20fps in open world and boss events – well… they were a great time for me to get a cuppa while my screen froze for 10mins in a blur of bright light.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, no matter what top-of-the-line beast of a machine you buy now, whatever you spend is likely what you’ll be spending again (if not a bit more) in about 2yrs time, maybe 3 on the outset. Since you won’t be able to upgrade just your processor or graphics card like on a desktop, you’ll need to replace your entire machine when you start to notice it’s no longer handling the game(s) as well.

I mention this especially because you said you’re wanting to get something to set you up for the future – don’t underestimate how fast that ‘future’ can come rolling around when you’re a laptop gamer.

Have you already checked online for gaming laptop reviews? I recently came across this one: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/laptop/3467286/14-best-gaming-laptops-2015-uk/

There must be more out there…

Hi Ruze,

I’m with Seal on this one, pick a profession that sounds fun to play and try it out. :-)

Having said that, I recently introduced a friend to GW2 and she tried the Necro first, got extremely frustrated because she kept getting mobbed and killed, being a light-armoured character. She created a Warrior alt and is much happier because she can now take a few more hits while learning the mechanics of the game. I would personally recommend Guardian as well, because as a class they provide really valuable group support skills at higher levels.

I can also share with you the first 3 lessons my friend learned in her PvE encounters in GW2: Dodge, dodge, dodge! ;-)

And, of course, remember to have fun!

I run a Guardian as my main and love it! I can take him anywhere, do some impressive dps and take more than a few hits before going down.

I’d say the key to bolstering allies is through your virtues (F-keys) and utilities. You can choose to go further into your Virtues trait line, for example, and really crank up your group support skills.

My weapons sets are Greatsword/Sword+Focus. GS does some amazing damage, but you can trait for extra damage for sw+foc (e.g. Scepter Power in Zeal gives 10% more dmg).

Staff has some nice group support skills, but I found it limits my dmg output too much, so I carry it with me, but only use it when I need greater range, and only in groups. I tried the Hammer but didn’t like it, just didn’t suit my play style.

Your survivability is better with two-handed weapons, probably because you’re using off-hand focus or shield? I prefer focus myself because skill #5 still provides an all-round shield while #4 does good damage.

I never liked it the Mace, I found it a bit misleading since it is your starter weapon and stuck with it only because I thought ‘there must be a reason…’, but I switched to sword, then Greatsword /Sw+Foc, as fast as I could while levelling.

I’d say try the different weapons and see what you like and what suits your type of play. You’ll settle on your favourites soon enough. :-)

If you don’t need to spend them right away, I would hold on to them for a bit longer. The expansion might suddenly require you to use laurels for new in-game stuff, then you’d be kicking yourself, since there’s very few ways to get laurels atm. ;-)

I also love both Ranger and Guardian, and levelled both in that order. Now I run Guard as my main because I can take him anywhere. I can play ranged as well as close combat and am tanky enough to take a few hits (in new areas where I don’t know what I’m doing yet) before going down, which doesn’t happen often.

Even though I don’t run full Berserkers (Knight/Zerk mix) my dps is nothing to be sneezed at, also in level 80 areas. What I like most are the extra support abilities in groups. The Guardian virtues (F-key skills) give you amazing versatility in game play, basically extra damage, healing and protection for you and your allies.

I’m currently levelling a warrior and can already say this – they are NOT easier to play than a guard. Warriors are downed far more easily because they are far less effective ranged, which means you need to fight close-up nearly all the time, but have far fewer heals and protection skills than the Guardian.

This basically means the only viable option for a Warrior is to play Berserker style = kill everything before it kills you. But if they get in a luck shot, you’re dead. Great if that’s what you like, but that’s about it.

Imho the Guardian has a far easier and more forgiving learning curve and is very much loved in dungeons – so don’t be afraid to join a PUG with your guard. Just make sure you check online in advance whether there are particular skills/traits that are useful for you to have – or ask the group. :-)

Since you already have a level 80 Guard, take him/her out for a PvE run in a high level area and see how it goes.

Go online and check out videos of other players promoting their builds and tweak them to suit your own playing style. Once you’re reacquainted with your play style, you can optimise your build around that.

If you have the gold to spend, my advice would be to go for exotic armour, exotic weapons, and unlocking the traits you need for you build (not all at once).

I run a guard as my main and the first thing I did was get exotic armour, exotic weapons and runes. I’d say exotic gear will get you fight-ready for anything in the game, with the exception of high-level fractals. If you have the laurels, I’d also invest in ascended trinkets, the stats will give your build a nice overall boost. Just remember they are account bound and can’t be sold, so decide on your build and choose wisely.

Traits are also important, but I would not unlock them all now. Just unlock the ones you decide you’ll need for your build – that is, if you’re mostly PvE (incl. dungeons and fractals). If you also plan to participate in PvP and WvW on regular basis you will need a lot more of your traits to adapt for each activity.

Note: all of the above requires recognising your preferred play style. Do you rush in and bash the heck out of everything before they can land a blow? Or do you hang back to bolster your group and strike at the opportune moment?

Go online and check out posts/videos of players promoting their builds, then tweak them to suit your own playing style.

Superior Runes of the Flame Legion are a good budget alternative for the more popular Runes of Strength, Scholar, Hoelbrak. Just make sure you trait for extra burn damage and duration if you choose Flame Legion runes.

Equipping my guard in exotic armour and weapons (GS/Sw+Foc), superior runes + sigils cost me just under 20g – but, I crafted all my armour, only bought weapons and runes from TP. Bear in mind, this was about a year ago, TP prices may have changed…

Difficulty aside, you are suddenly required to find a group to finish a solo journey. I’ve had some pretty frustrating, even unpleasant, experiences with PUGs via LFG. It’s always luck of the draw who you end up with. Many are running it for the gazillionth time and assume you are too so they want to skip all the animations, yell at you for not knowing where to be or what to do. It’s why I don’t run dungeons unless I’m with people I know.

I would have liked the option to finish my personal story at my own pace, in my own way, like I’ve been doing up til now.

Am now waiting for some guild mates to get their characters to end of their personal story so we can do it together.

Oh wow, so glad I’m not the only one who’s encountered this. What the OP has described is exactly what’s happened to me a few times. So few, that I hadn’t reported it yet, wondering if it’s my hardware that’s causing the problem.

It has always happened after I’ve been playing for a couple of hours. Once the sound fails and fps starts to plummet it doesn’t recover. It happened once during Vinewrath so I had to fight the Trasher with 5 fps. It. Was. Epic. But not something I’d like to repeat…

Any thoughts or advice on how to prevent/fix this?

I guess the problem’s escalated, because I can’t even see any purchase options when I click on ‘buy gems’. Just a blank screen.

Finally bought a gem store card online, but I cannot redeem the code. :-(

I’ll also report it directly to tech support, here’s hoping it’ll get fixed soon…

I’d highly recommend starting with the Guardian as a beginner. I just introduced a friend to the game recently and she chose to start with a light armour character. Kept getting mobbed and killed (in GW2 must learn to dodge! ;-P), now she’s created a warrior and is much happier.

The Guardian, will offer you more resilience and survivabililty while you familiarise yourself with the game mechanics. It is – literally – a life saver. Once you’ve gotten used to how the game works and no longer have to worry so much about not getting killed all the time, you can delve into the wonderful world of the Elementalist, which does offer a sea of possibilities – especially once you reach the higher levels. But – you need to know what you’re doing, really work out a strategic build that fits your play style and maximises your skills and traits.

Only way to figure out which you prefer is to just try them out, though. You’ll find out soon enough which works better for you. :-)

I don’t have any experience with WvW, but I spend most of my time in the Silverwastes nowadays. The Breach and Vinewrath events yield lots of loot. I’ve made about 2g a day by selling rare and exotic drops I got there. Try to get your magic find percentage up as well (or use a MF booster just before the big events) to increase the chance at getting exotics.

The chance of getting a precursor as a drop is very, very small – getting the one you want/need is even smaller. Having said that, I threw 4 random rares into the Mystic Forge the other day, and got and an axe precursor. It does happen… just don’t count on it. Best bet is to farm for gold, I’d say. :-)

Hi Troopa,

Try this video by BogOtter, for returning GW2 players. It caught me up on the main highlights i’d missed when I came back after nearly a year away: http://youtu.be/Ce_dvXJercI?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

It covers main changes from end 2013 to mid 2014.

Hi there,

I’d be delighted to help out, what a fabulous initiative! I’m in the EU (CET time), Whiteside Ridge server and usually on in the evenings (> 7pm) and weekends.

I’m also casual PvE player, and would be happy to answer any questions, or help new players get immersed in the world of GW2.

Hi Drayarr,

How long have you been away from the game? I’m a returning player myself (was away for almost year) and found this video very useful in helping me catch up with some of the main highlights I’d missed: http://youtu.be/Ce_dvXJercI?list=PLMgOinWh2Y7FbZyBhlqgHoPI2w8_76_1w

Other than that, GW2 is pretty much still a very versatile MMO.

I agree with Eros that Guardian would be a really good alternative to the warrior for you. I play PvE only and Guardian is the last character I created, but he’s my main go-to character now because I can take him anywhere. He can deal and take some massive hits, but also has (group) support skills that can literally mean the difference between life and death in a big fight. Also, one of the most requested professions in group play, esp. dungeons.

Your dps is mainly mid to close-range dmg by way of scepter or sword/greatsword. The staff is your ranged weapon, but has more defensive/support skills. Good to have in your inventory, but not your first choice in most fights.

Ranger is an excellent ranged profession, but you’ll have much less dps capability. Plus, as has been said, they’re not very welcome in dungeons or fractals. It is one of the easier professions to learn though, so not a bad choice as a first character.

Personally, I would not recommend Mesmer as a first character choice. The play style takes a bit of getting used to and, in my opinion, they only start to deal decent damage once you get to higher levels (>30) and make full use of your trait options.

But hey, the good news is, you have 5 character slots! Just try out a profession, don’t like it? Create another one and try something different. There’s really only one way to find out. ;-)