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  1. #1
    Banned Beazy's Avatar
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    Leveling, Like a Pro.

    Having Leveling problems? Read on to level quickly and effectively.



    To level quickly, you need to understand a few things about GW2s various progression systems. You will need to understand how combos work with other players to deal the maximum DPS possible.

    So lets start off by discussing combos.

    A) Some abilities have an attribute, "Combo Field: Poison" for example. See here: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Chilblains. This is a spell that you place on the ground and people can stand in it or shoot through with a combo finisher to trigger the "Poison" effect. You will know a combo field on the ground when you see one, because there is a light aura that looks like a bunch of puzzle pieces put together to form a ring around the Area of Effect.

    B) Some abilities have and attribute, "Combo Finisher: Projectile" see here: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Necrotic_Grasp. This is an ability that will allow you to benifit from a combo field.

    C) Remember, not all wep combos, have combo fields and finishers. You may be using a combo that has neither, so you might need to pick one up from your utility skills. And remember only combo finishers can trigger combo field effects, So dont be alarmed if your abilities do nothing when shooting in or around a combo field.

    D) So a typical Necro combo would be, use chilibans on the ground, wait for an enemy to trigger the trap, once he does, shoot a Necrotic Grasp through the poison cloud it leaves behind ~ and it will grant the projectile the poison attribute. This will up your dps on the target. And remember, your friends can shoot threir own combo finishers through the cloud too and gain the buff. Communication with your team is super important if you want that edge in DPS, especially in sPvP or Turbo leveling.

    Hearts and Public Quests/Events ~ Progression Systems

    A) Its important to know the difference between public events and hearts. Hearts are quest hubs where the "middle man" has been removed. In WoW, you go to a new quest hub, you talk to 2 NPCs and they give you 5 quests total. One is to kill 5 monsters and a couple is to collect and bring back tacos. In GW2, they remove the NPCs and place a heart on the map, so you know when you get there, that you will be killing the monsters in the area and picking up anything that twinkles. Doing these things will fill up the heart quest bar, once its full, you can move on to the next heart. The beauty of hearts is that, if you dont like picking up twinkly items, you can steady kill mobs and skip that kind of questing, and still complete the heart. In GW2, your never forced to pick up items and bring them back ~ If you dont want to. Questing in GW2 is on your own terms.

    B) Some public events (Dynamic Events) are random, some are single stage and some are multi stage. You will know a public event when you see it, there will be either a bright orange:
    Monster Skull (Boss Fight)
    Shield (escort quest)
    Flag (gaurd/defend a spot)
    Bucket with an Arrow pointing into it (collection quests)
    Circle with white star inside (Client Initiated PQs. These are PQs activated by a user that kick off one of the event types described above)

    Now that we understand Combos, PQ's n Hearts, we can talk about power leveling your hero to level 80 in just a few easy steps.

    Lets say your in your 20s and your leveling in Kessex Hills. Upon arrival, you will want to travel the entire map and pick up each and every way point. Skip the PQs and Hearts for now.

    Once you pick up all the way points, its time to start farming PQs. You will need to pick a way point and travel to it, then look for an open PQ on your map, travel to the PQ and complete the objectives. Once your finished, work on the heart in that area, occasionally looking at your map for a new PQ, when you see one pop up, immediately stop what you are doing, and travel there, complete the PQ and go back to working on your heart. Once your done with the heart, move to the next heart and rinse and repeat.

    Once you have completed all the hearts in a zone, you can bounce around way points looking for PQs (you cant see all the active PQs on a map because the search range is kind of crappy, so you will need to bounce around WPs to find open PQs).

    This may seem like something you are already doing, but in reality your not. Most people travel to a heart and focus on that heart until its complete. What you dont understand is that PQs will, 90% of the time, drag you into heart areas and will help you complete the hearts as you complete the PQs. Remember, its ok to leave a heart at 50%, because you know you will be back to complete it while PQ farming.

    I was able to go from 20 to 30, in Kessex Hills in about 2.5 hours. That is pretty fast. I was able to go from 50 to 60 in about 3 hours. This will work on every map/zone. Its all about quickly farming PQs. You get such a large reward for completing, that its a bad idea to miss any PQs in the zone. You will get to the point where your downing 2 to 4 PQs every 10 minutes and leveling like a Chinese Farmer.

    Remember to stick those combo fields and get that extra DPS. Its important to maximize your damage, so look for friendly AoEs on the ground and try to get atleast one finisher out before it goes away. If you play with a group of friends on Mumble, coordinate with them and make builds with each other that will boost your dps as high as possible.

    I hope this helps some people who are stuck leveling in their 20s, because thats when leveling really starts to slow down. Good luck.
    Last edited by Beazy; 2012-09-05 at 07:29 PM.

  2. #2
    The Lightbringer jvbastel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beazy View Post
    ~
    Hmm, I should try this, atm I've just been running around aimlessly, not leveling very slow, but since I have at most 2 hours playtime a day, I could benefit from optimizing my speed
    Monk, I need a monk!!!

  3. #3
    Helpful, thank you!

  4. #4
    Immortal SirRobin's Avatar
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    Wow, nice guide. Kudos!
    Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot.
    Who had nearly fought the Dragon of Angnor.
    Who had almost stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol.
    And who had personally wet himself, at the Battle of Badon Hill.

  5. #5
    Banned Beazy's Avatar
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    Thanks, I have been farming PQs for a while and I should hit 80 tonight. I wish I knew about this during the head start, I would have been 80 last Friday or Sat. Ohh well, "Live n Learn".

  6. #6
    By PQ, do you mean dynamic events?

    Also, gathering things while you're on it gives great exp and crafting gives even more while giving you things you may or may not need.

  7. #7
    I am Murloc!
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    Still think the XP gains in this game are pretty fucked and xp gains can have a huge variation between different zones of the same recommended level.

    I've been playing the game with a priority system in mind...DE's/PQ's always take priority, then hearts/vistas/gathering/etc. Some DE's and PQ's I've done more than once. Depending on the zone, I can end up being over-leveled while in other areas I can follow the same method, complete the whole damn thing and still be under-leveled.
    Last edited by Rooflesstoofless; 2012-09-05 at 05:49 PM.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Exroyal View Post
    By PQ, do you mean dynamic events?

    Also, gathering things while you're on it gives great exp and crafting gives even more while giving you things you may or may not need.
    Personal Quest I guess, but it's called Personal Story so PQ makes no sense

  9. #9
    Herald of the Titans Abstieg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speedlance View Post
    Personal Quest I guess, but it's called Personal Story so PQ makes no sense
    No, he specifies public quests in his advice. Which, while accurate, should be better called DEs.

  10. #10
    Public Quest maybe? AKA Dynamic events..

    That's just my guess

  11. #11
    Good job OP! Would read again!

  12. #12
    Banned Beazy's Avatar
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    Well I call it PQ because I played WAR for about 6 months, where PQ's were first introduced into the MMO genera. Kind of stuck with me.

  13. #13
    Herald of the Titans Abstieg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beazy View Post
    Well I call it PQ because I played WAR for about 6 months, where PQ's were first introduced into the MMO genera. Kind of stuck with me.
    Haha yeah, I got it =P WAR had some fun PQs too. Not nearly as dynamic though.

  14. #14
    There is nothing inherently "Pro" about levelling quickly. Levelling quickly is, mostly, a rush to failure, imo. It might be pro to level efficiently, but even then in the end, to each their own. I'm like 36, which I suspect is below average, and we're not even 2 weeks in, but I feel like I'm moving quickly. Just my 2c.

    I've commented before that this feels similar to WAR for me. Events really are taking WARs PQs and making them better with the Scaling - b/c when WAR population died out you were SCREWED trying to do PQs.

  15. #15
    Banned Beazy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Qatol View Post
    There is nothing inherently "Pro" about levelling quickly. Levelling quickly is, mostly, a rush to failure, imo. It might be pro to level efficiently, but even then in the end, to each their own. I'm like 36, which I suspect is below average, and we're not even 2 weeks in, but I feel like I'm moving quickly. Just my 2c.

    I've commented before that this feels similar to WAR for me. Events really are taking WARs PQs and making them better with the Scaling - b/c when WAR population died out you were SCREWED trying to do PQs.
    Well, I want to hit 80 ASAP so I can focus on Crafting and WvW, and not have to worry about leveling. I like to get that out of the way so I dont feel rushed when messing around with exploration and crafting.

  16. #16
    If you completed an area and are lower level than you should be to move on, then go to another starting area and level up there.

    I went from the Asura area over to the Sylvari Grove last night, and I will be getting myself to beyond level 20 there before going back to Asura lands.

    I couldn't find the gate, so I just ran through Sylvari lands, and picked up waypoints and 2 dynamic events on the way. It only took like 10 minutes.

  17. #17
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    Thanks man!!! This was just what i needed!

  18. #18
    Immortal SirRobin's Avatar
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    Personally I see the hearts as being "Public Quests" and the icons, skull, shield, etc, as "Dynamic Events." PQ's were static in WAR too though the progression was by group. While the hearts progression is by individual. Perhaps "Area Quests" would be a more accurate way to describe hearts?
    Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot.
    Who had nearly fought the Dragon of Angnor.
    Who had almost stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol.
    And who had personally wet himself, at the Battle of Badon Hill.

  19. #19
    Banned Beazy's Avatar
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    Does anyone have or could write a helpful crafting guide?

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Beazy View Post
    Does anyone have or could write a helpful crafting guide?
    Well this isn't really a guide at all, but I will say that if you use a better quality salvage kit on jewelry you make, you can sometimes get the gems back as well as a copper or two and make the jewelry again.

    Also don't bother salvaging blue items with a crappy salvage kit. You are getting like 1 copper piece sometimes, and its just not worth it. I'd rather sell it.

    Mainly I am just stockpiling materials right now, gathering as I go. Resource nodes are not shared, so other players cannot steal your resource node.

    Buy one of each type of gathering tool: axe, sickle, mining pick. Even if I am not going to use all these materials, I gather them all for the XP and to sell.

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