I'm not too sure how GW1 worked, seeing as I didn't play it, but for those of you who didn't know yet, in GW2 you can use your attacks even if you're out of range of the target. This goes for both melee and ranged attacks. I for one, think it's going to take me a few fights to get used to this mechanic. I'm used to spamming my melee abilities wether I'm in range or not, so that they land as soon as I'm within range. The biggest downside to this mechanic, in my opinion, is that you're susceptible to wasting resources on attacks when your opponent has just barely stepped out of the attack's range. On the other hand, i can see this method forcing you to play in a more calculated way really measuring when it's the right time to hit that attack, and not just spam away at your keys, which let's be honest, takes no skill. Another advantage to this method is the fact that you can use mobility skills such as the Warrior charge, Thieve's shadowstep, etc, without having a target, which is quite awesome.
What's your opinion on this mechanic? Hate it? Love it? Need to try it before you can say?
I'd post some vids demonstrating this, but i just made this account =P