How to Turn off Pet Names * Onscreen Damage Numbers/Battle Text?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Trying to immerse myself in the world here. Seeing a constant green bar and name over my pet and numbers appearing above the heads of the maruaders I'm doing in isn't nice. Game options don't give a disable option from what I can see, and Google didn't give me an answer as to how to do it.

Help please?

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And that damn minimap too! My precious screen rel estate is being taken up by pretty much useless accessories.

[zito]

There is no way to remove it any of it. You can change the style of floater for condition damage but you are stuck with it.

You can shrink the mini map by dragging the corner.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

There is no way to remove it any of it. You can change the style of floater for condition damage but you are stuck with it.

You can shrink the mini map by dragging the corner.

That's some pretty dubious game design IMAO.

[zito]

That's some pretty dubious game design IMAO.

I suppose. GW2 floating text isn't as numerous as most MMOs (ala WoW) so it's easy to just get use to it being there. The mini map though has been a concern since beta. I think it's just stuck to the UI now, forever, not even Anet can remove it.

[Fencers]

That's some pretty dubious game design IMAO.

All the secondary systems in Anet's games have been somewhat lacking. It is not their focus usually. The core gameplay is where they put most effort as a number of their engineers are the designer leads. Which is not the usual practice in game development.

Anet function like a boutique or AA development house and NCSoft treats them "hands-off" for the most part. Expect in marketing, which I heard from those in the know, they are difficult at best to deal with.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Also, another noob question (not gonna create another thread and start spamming the forum with question threads): While is the objective tracker telling me to go to Blazerdige Steppes (40-50 zone) when I'm still only 30? Makes no sense.

[Fencers]

Also, another noob question (not gonna create another thread and start spamming the forum with question threads): While is the objective tracker telling me to go to Blazerdige Steppes (40-50 zone) when I'm still only 30? Makes no sense.

It tracks the next area of the story. So you know where to go when ready. One doesn't have to be 40-50 to go there, per se.

Like friends can piggy back you or you can run there no problem. I once leveled a Engi from 10-ish to 70ish in an 80 zone, for example.

The PS and LS are not quests. The game rewards players for taking on challenges tougher/higher than their level up to a certain threshold. There used to be a tooltip about it that popped up in the middle of the screen but they removed or hid it? Not sure, I leveled the "old" way before they changed some things.

The basic crux is that most things are free form in GW2. There are suggestions, guides, but none of it is strictly linear or necessary.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

It tracks the next area of the story. So you know where to go when ready. One doesn't have to be 40-50 to go there, per se.

Like friends can piggy back you or you can run there no problem. I once leveled a Engi from 10-ish to 70ish in an 80 zone, for example.

The PS and LS are not quests. The game rewards players for taking on challenges tougher/higher than their level up to a certain threshold. There used to be a tooltip about it that popped up in the middle of the screen but they removed or hid it? Not sure, I leveled the "old" way before they changed some things.

The basic crux is that most things are free form in GW2. There are suggestions, guides, but none of it is strictly linear or necessary.

So I CAN actually not get my ass kicked by going to zones with a level higher than my own, and still make progress at the same pace as I would in say... zone my level or even a lower level one?

[Valeron]

So I CAN actually not get my ass kicked by going to zones with a level higher than my own, and still make progress at the same pace as I would in say... zone my level or even a lower level one?

unless you travel with some friends, you'll get your but kicked if you go to an area with mobs 6+ levels higher than your own.

[Gray_Matter]

Also, another noob question (not gonna create another thread and start spamming the forum with question threads): While is the objective tracker telling me to go to Blazerdige Steppes (40-50 zone) when I'm still only 30? Makes no sense.

Sometimes it tells you that because there is portal to another zone where your story continues. It could also be that you story continues in an adjacent map.

[Fencers]

So I CAN actually not get my ass kicked by going to zones with a level higher than my own, and still make progress at the same pace as I would in say... zone my level or even a lower level one?

Depends. Normally, no. As I said, within a certain threshold the game does reward you for taking on higher level challenges. That threshold isn't really defined in game so much as you just get a "death scene" if it's too high level.

Though one can participate in group events which are much higher level and be rewarded. It requires some degree of skill and game knowledge. A good amount of incoming damage in GW2 can be mitigated by avoidance. I said in a thread recently that non-GW players might often underestimate how powerful the avoidance tools actually are in GW2. It's the same thing- nothing stops a low level player from dodging or reflecting attacks vs. higher level monsters.

The real challenge isn't staying alive, per se. But how you can defeat higher level monsters reasonably. This varies by class and weapon sets such as Guardian hammer, Engineer shield/bombs, Elementalist Air daggers, Mesmer swords, etc.

The point is that GW2 is very loose with it's "guidance". It is not a highly structured game that has a direct necessitated purpose. It is largely non-linear, free form goal forming. There is only the spine of direction.

[Svifnymr]

Also, another noob question (not gonna create another thread and start spamming the forum with question threads): While is the objective tracker telling me to go to Blazerdige Steppes (40-50 zone) when I'm still only 30? Makes no sense.

Because you didn't turn it off yet. Go into options/content guide and set that to off and you're all set.

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Trying to immerse myself in the world here.

You can turn off the entire UI, you'd lose your health bar and stuff, sure, but not like you have a lot of abilities to remember.

[Rhywolver]

Of course you can go to areas where mobs are a few levels above you. Personally, I always liked to have longer and harder fights with the possibility to get caught by additional mobs, if you can live with that you'll be fine.

Try turning off your whole interface, it's a totally new gaming experience without all that skillbars, healthbars and minimaps. I've bound it to a hotkey near to my moving keys, just in case.

[nevermore]

Like friends can piggy back you or you can run there no problem. I once leveled a Engi from 10-ish to 70ish in an 80 zone, for example.

They made this impossible quite a while ago. I assume you're talking about taking a low lvl character to Orr, everyting is immune and grants no xp until you're ~78.

[Fencers]

They made this impossible quite a while ago. I assume you're talking about taking a low lvl character to Orr, everyting is immune and grants no xp until you're ~78.

Yes. I know it changed too but I didn't recall the specific change at the time of writing. Hence, "Once I leveled..." in the above post.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Try turning off your whole interface, it's a totally new gaming experience without all that skillbars, healthbars and minimaps. I've bound it to a hotkey near to my moving keys, just in case.

Only problem with that is that I can't see the blood on the edges of my screen while injured with the UI off, so IDK if I'm dying or fine.

Are addons even allowed for GW2? I've been browsing but can't find any downloads... people keep saying they'll get banned etc etc

[Valeron]

There are some addons that Anet will look the other way about but for the most part if you are caught with them, you'll be banned.

[zito]

As long as the addon does not affect other peoples game play, give an advantage or remove any of the UI they will usually turn a blind eye to it.

[Rhywolver]

Only problem with that is that I can't see the blood on the edges of my screen while injured with the UI off, so IDK if I'm dying or fine.

I think the screen flashes when your UI is off and you're in combat, and normally there are a couple of things you might notice when you are in combat:

• Your character makes combat sounds and often even the music changes
• Your walk speed decreases

Don't know what else, try it yourself I think it's a notable difference if you are in combat or not, even if it's just a non-moving worm that throws things at you.