Starting GW2

[Wheelz]

Heya peeps, so I've been considering giving GW2 a shot since I've become incredibely bored with other games, and I have a bunch of questions that I would love answered !
Please answer the questions thoroughly if you have the time and decentcy to do so.

1. How does the loot system work, if there is one? Do you get it from mobs and its random?
2. Is there something like WoW's arena system, or does all PvPing happen in bgs? + is PvP well balanced?
3. Are there things such as healers?
4. How is end game content in PvE?
5. Are there mounts?
6. Is there a lot of grinding compared to WoW, and what is the general grind used for if so?

In your opinion what are the main improvements and differences compared to WoW, SWTOR and other MMORPGs?

That was all.

Hope to get a couple of answers with different opinions.

Regards Cirk

[Fencers]

1. Loot is personalized. Loot is gained in the same manner as most MMORPGs; quests, drops, trading and so on.
2. No. All PVP is instanced.
3. No. Every class can heal.
4. There is no endgame in any of the 5 Guild Wars games.
5. No.
6. There is no /hard/ grind of any kind. Unless you consider earning gold or dungeon badges a "grind". Neither are compulsory, btw.

[Wheelz]

So what is the point in getting max level and what do you do when you reach it?

[Spl4sh3r]

1. How does the loot system work, if there is one? Do you get it from mobs and its random?

The loot system works like in most MMO's. The corpse of a monster if it contains loot it will sparkle and you can press [F] to loot it. In World vs. World when you kill a player and get loot the loot will then appear in a small bag that drops at your feet.

2. Is there something like WoW's arena system, or does all PvPing happen in bgs? + is PvP well balanced?

What you think is "PvP" in GW2 is actually the Arena System where either 8v8 or 5v5 matches are made in several maps. The other PvP you can engage in is in the open world of World vs. World, where your server is facing off against two other servers for world domination (sort of).

3. Are there things such as healers?

There are Healers ofcourse, but not like in other games. You would play more of a Support role in GW2 where only a small part you contribute is Healing, where the rest is boons (buffs) to your ally while dealing some damage to the enemy. Also as mentioned in previous posts any profession also can heal themself and you are meant to try and keep yourself up most of the time.

4. How is end game content in PvE?

There is no real end game content as in other games such as Raids. What you do in GW2 is what you do as you level aswell. Meaning running Dynamic Events or Dungeons/Fractals if you enjoy PvE or do some WvW or tournament play if you enjoy PvP.

5. Are there mounts?

GW2 travel system is to big to also include mounts. Basicly there are dousins of waypoints in each map that you can teleport to whenever you want for a small fee. There is no restriction there so you can teleport from one side of the map to the other so Mounts has no real purpose other than vanity, but I myself hope they never add mounts.

6. Is there a lot of grinding compared to WoW, and what is the general grind used for if so?

All MMO's include grinds, you can't escape that. However in GW2 it is somewhat easier in that you don't have to do exactly the same thing over and over. Though it really depends on what you are after. If you want a specific Dungeon set you have to run that Dungeon a few times to afford it ;P

[Yuanrang]

World vs World vs World PvP. PvP tournaments (free or paid), exploring, achievements, dungeons and massive world events, farming stuff you really want.

Are they really that different from other MMOs?

[Wheelz]

So Spl4asher what do you do when you hit max level, and what are the rewards for doing all these things mentioned.. PvP and the PvE there is.
I mean, what is better about level 80 than level 56 if you get a bunch of PvP gear and max level when you join these 'Bgs'?

Right now it seems to me that the game is mostly about levelling up?

World vs World vs World PvP. PvP tournaments (free or paid), exploring, achievements, dungeons and massive world events, farming stuff you really want.

Are they really that different from other MMOs?

Are there tier sets etc that you get from these dungeons, and are they inparticularly hard to get compared to other games, etc etc... What i really wanna know, I guess, is what do you really do in the game, and what is the main goal to strive for?

[Erous]

I don't play, but this might be a good read for you: http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01...ld-wars-2-rev/

[Deleted]

Overall, I think GW2 is the most casual friendly mmo that I've tried, mainly because of the drop-in nature of the dynamic events. If you play at prime time, when there are plenty of people around, it's really easy to become part of a rolling group of 10-20 players doing a sequence of events. It can be a lot of fun. Then there is the focus on exploring, personal stories, the lack of a gear grind and the WvW pvp.

The one thing I'd say against it is that the pve endgame doesn't sound that full-featured. If raiding is your thing, you should take into account that GW2 doesn't really do raids, and there are few gear tiers to progress through in the endgame.

[Wheelz]

I don't play, but this might be a good read for you: http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01...ld-wars-2-rev/

Thank you very much for the link, answered a lot for me. Doesn't seem like I will be buying GW2 after all. It does not seem to fulfill my "needs"

[Meledelion]

Lol that article, "I called it yada yada yada". Everyone called it, it's like saying you predicted that the rain would stop...

[Karizee]

There is certain content that is only accessible by a level 80. Some of it is very difficult. The highest achievement/title in the game (PvE-wise) is Dungeon Master.

It is significantly more impressive (and much more rare!) to see a level 80 decked out in full Arah gear, wielding the Legendary Hammer which makes his gear have a molten metal sheen while leaving molten footsteps whereever he walks, sporting a glowing infused Fractal Capacitor on his back vs seeing.a level 10 in starting gear.

The only grind in the game is if you decide to go for a Legendary weapon. You can easily sink 1000 hours into that and still not have it.

There is a bit of a grind with the Ascended pieces, currently 2 rings and a backpiece.

Otherwise the rest of the gear is fairly easily obtainable, but you will probably spend some time perfecting your build. Think sidegrades vs upgrades (altho there is a tier of sorts (Basic<Fine<Masterwork<Rare<Exotic).

In sPvP you are boosted to 80 with all your traits/skills and equalized gear. You earn tokens with wins that let you buy vanity gear to prove your prowess.

In WvW you are boosted to 80, however you are limited to the traits/skills that you have learned. So a true level 2 is at a distinct disadvantage against a true level 80. Same thing with hot join (the arena type content that Spl4sh3r mentioned). Again, you can use the tokens you earn to purchase the vanity gear.

Fractals of the Mists is a dungeon like instance (a series of instances actually) that levels up in difficulty to infinity. Currently there is no title for achieving very high levels but it's certainly impressive to see someone with level 80+ fractals.

There are no closed instance raids, but there are many open world raids. They are quite fun and some are challenging (like the corrupted god temples in Orr).

[Fencers]

So what is the point in getting max level and what do you do when you reach it?

The appeal of the Guild Wars series [remember this a sequel] is that the game are NOT bimodal. Meaning that one does the same things at level 2 and 20, 40, 60... 80.

The idea is that you find the basic enjoyment of the game enough. It can be said in practice and design that the Guild Wars franchise is a casual play focused game series with a strong emphasis on PVP for longevity. Most game systems support this style of play, the game is marketed toward such an audience and it's business model is based around this fact.

There are few barriers to entry. There is no sub fee. Progression is mostly non linear. Gear and stat outcomes are de-emphasized. There are only optional grinds. Most gear and rewards at high level distinguished by cosmetic appeal, et cetera.

I would advise a more rigorous and thorough understanding of the franchise as a whole in game design and philosophy than can be gained by asking a Warcraft message board questions inappropriate to the Guild Wars franchise.

The official wikis for Guild Wars 1 and 2 are great mechanical resources as well as PVx, Guild Wars Guru and Guild Wars Insider.

GW is one of the few mainstream MMOs not created in the style of Everquest as is World of Warcraft or The Old Republic, for example.

[philefluxx]

Thank you very much for the link, answered a lot for me. Doesn't seem like I will be buying GW2 after all. It does not seem to fulfill my "needs"

GW2 is actually a great game to have along side other games. If your looking to sink the time in that you have done with, I assume, WoW you may be a little disappointed. If you want to play GW2 during the lull times in WoW you will probably feel your money is justified. I mean I rarely play the game yet I still have never felt like it was a waste of money.

As others have said its easy to jump in and have fun. Sometimes you just dont have time to spend all day or even a few hours gaming, GW2 can be perfect for those times.

[Yuanrang]

Well, I bought GW2 and decided to try it. I'm already 60 out of 80, and I can tell that I will no-life it for a long period of time, then probably take a break and play some other games in my library. That said, since it is Buy and Play, it is so much easier to just drop back in and enjoy the hell out of the game on an infrequent basis.

It is a very solid game, it is just not for the hardcore PVE players.

[Argantyr]

Besides what the others have told you, which I agree to most of the things.

However I must warn you, that if you enjoy play GW2, the chances that you'll get to play alts are big. One of the reasons for this is that you have a personal story, that varies from the choices you make, and from the different races.
I like it because its more friendly that wow, at least thats my experience, I mean there are of course idiots like in all games but there seems to be less in GW2 and the majority are very friendly.
In other games I hardly care about the looks of my character or set items (the way the look) but in GW2 I seem to focus on it, you can dye your armor and it looks really nice, specially compared to wow.
Questing is also different compared to wow, the npc's come and ask for you help, they don't just stand there with a "!" mark over their head waiting for you.
There are several small things you'll have to get used to, you can enter AH, Mail when you are in the field no matter if anyone are near you or not.
Unfortunely you can't trade a friend some stuff, like in wow you have to mail them. You can't mail yourself. but you can put your stuff on AH or in the bank, and let an alt pick it up.
I enjoy the Combat system, the no healer, no tank..you have to get of you the stuff on the ground, kite, blind etc. and not just stand in one place. Its your weapons that decide which ablities/spells you have. For instance in you have a 2 hand sword you have 5 spells/abilites, if you switch to 2 daggers then you'll have 5 other abilities an so on.
And just an advice choose some professions and read a bit up on them and how it works since that part is quite different from what you're used to.
Also when your in game you can write /wiki gw2 will open up the gw2wiki homepage.
And save a bit money you'll have to use 10s. when you reach lvl 11 for a book at your class trainer (or profession trainer as its called in GW2).

[Hanyuu]

Heya peeps, so I've been considering giving GW2 a shot since I've become incredibely bored with other games, and I have a bunch of questions that I would love answered !
Please answer the questions thoroughly if you have the time and decentcy to do so.

1. How does the loot system work, if there is one? Do you get it from mobs and its random?
2. Is there something like WoW's arena system, or does all PvPing happen in bgs? + is PvP well balanced?
3. Are there things such as healers?
4. How is end game content in PvE?
5. Are there mounts?
6. Is there a lot of grinding compared to WoW, and what is the general grind used for if so?

1. I am only 33, but it is pretty much kill and loot. The nice thing I've found is you can click deposit collectables and all your trade stuff skill goes into your bank. Plus you can get bags that will direct gear into different areas. Oh and you can click one button to sell "junk" at a vendor.

2. Haven't touched pvp so I can't answer.

3. From what I've seen, every class has a self heal. As a necromancer, one of my weapon skills heals me as well and I get a regeneration buff that hits nearby friendlies. But if you stand in the bad stuff, you'll die. I know alot of my friends are kiting rather than going toe to toe with the monsters and hitting auto attack.

4. Not reached the endgame, but the leveling experience is alot better in my opinion than WoW. I don't dread seeing other players, don't get stuck doing stupid quests that aren't fun (you can pick and choose multiple things to achieve your goals in an area). My understanding is there isn't an Everquest/WoW style raiding environment and I was okay with that going in. The auto scaling of levels and lack of a monthly fee were both perks to a friend that was playing really part time.

5. You can port around the map, once you've walked there once for a nominal fee. Also some classes get skills that boost their speed (mine says 25 percent). I haven't minded not having a mount at all.

6. Leveling up really hasn't been much of a grind. I just do each zone and pick up the dynamic events along the way. It was neat playing an alt through because I saw alot of new events that didn't come up the first time. The personal storyline quests are decent enough and it is nice to have things like a character background, be important. I really can't say much higher than 33, but I've been pretty happy about the lack of grind so far at least. I found leveling characters in other games to be tedious at best. I've really been taking it slow. I usually run into the problem where I play too much and out level my friends or I have to step up my playing and try to keep up with them. This time around, the auto scaling has made it great. I can quest with them when they are around and play as much or as little as I want when they happen not to be.

[Sir Rock]

In your opinion what are the main improvements and differences compared to WoW, SWTOR and other MMORPGs?

That was all.

Hope to get a couple of answers with different opinions.

Regards Cirk

Read "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut and you might understand the most common criticism of Arenanet's game design philosophy for the Guildwars franchise. The game is entirely casual. No skill whatsoever is required to obtain any gear or any "achievement" title, only time. The game is stunning to look at and admittedly fun to level through but once you reach max level there is very little to do other than run dungeons to get the particular armor/weapon skin you want, or if you are very very bored you can spend literally weeks on end farming the materials and gold to get a "legendary" weapon skin. WvW and structured PVP are also there of course and if that was what you primarily enjoyed (on a casual, i.e. unranked basis) in WoW you might enjoy that.

The above poster was entirely correct when they compared buying this game to something like Skyrim and not WoW. Guild Wars really can't be compared to wow because while they are in the same genre they really aren't designed the same way. Go into the game with that expectation and you will run through it just like a console game and let it gather dust on your hard drive when the next bigger and better thing comes out.

[Karizee]

Read "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut and you might understand the most common criticism of Arenanet's game design philosophy for the Guildwars franchise. The game is entirely casual. No skill whatsoever is required to obtain any gear or any "achievement" title, only time. The game is stunning to look at and admittedly fun to level through but once you reach max level there is very little to do other than run dungeons to get the particular armor/weapon skin you want, or if you are very very bored you can spend literally weeks on end farming the materials and gold to get a "legendary" weapon skin. WvW and structured PVP are also there of course and if that was what you primarily enjoyed (on a casual, i.e. unranked basis) in WoW you might enjoy that.

The above poster was entirely correct when they compared buying this game to something like Skyrim and not WoW. Guild Wars really can't be compared to wow because while they are in the same genre they really aren't designed the same way. Go into the game with that expectation and you will run through it just like a console game and let it gather dust on your hard drive when the next bigger and better thing comes out.

I think you have it turned around, given enough time you will get enough gear to roflstomp everything in WoW. ;-)

In the entire time I've played GW2 I've only seen ONE player with the Dungeon Master title. No tier of gear is coming to help players who haven't achieved it yet, only time to perfect their skill.

[Zilong]

Read "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut and you might understand the most common criticism of Arenanet's game design philosophy for the Guildwars franchise. The game is entirely casual. No skill whatsoever is required to obtain any gear or any "achievement" title, only time. The game is stunning to look at and admittedly fun to level through but once you reach max level there is very little to do other than run dungeons to get the particular armor/weapon skin you want, or if you are very very bored you can spend literally weeks on end farming the materials and gold to get a "legendary" weapon skin. WvW and structured PVP are also there of course and if that was what you primarily enjoyed (on a casual, i.e. unranked basis) in WoW you might enjoy that.

The above poster was entirely correct when they compared buying this game to something like Skyrim and not WoW. Guild Wars really can't be compared to wow because while they are in the same genre they really aren't designed the same way. Go into the game with that expectation and you will run through it just like a console game and let it gather dust on your hard drive when the next bigger and better thing comes out.

Hmm. Gw2 is casual but I disagree with some points you brought up.
One being the skill. It's different than other games and uses different hmm "actions" on it. But if you say there is no skill required to get any gear or achievement I'll disagree. First that doesn't apply to PvP or WvW, and not even all around in PvE. Saying it doesn't require skill and only time could apply to any game out there because in time comes experience. My wife can't do jump puzzles, she can't do a lot of explorable modes for tokens either. I'm curious to see what games you would say takes skills... but regardless in a game where gear is not really not a "true core" design I don't think it's possible to say that it doesn't require skill to get any gear. Me on greens can actually get the Arah tokens for my armor where you on exotics might not, same with achievements really specially in pvp. I can always wait on WoW to grab that gear and it doesn't need any skills, I can even get it top notch pretty much with no skill, which also falls with "only" time. I think saying that at top level you can only do dungeons for armor and legendary is quite exaggerate.

Sure there is a lot of casual pvp too, but the ranking is coming...slowly but it is haha.

In the end Skyrim comparison is only worth for 1 time pay and no month fee, low risk and all. Gw2 is of course distinct from WoW but still can be compared since they can/share concepts that were designed differently to cater casuals. And the biggest is obviously the lack of raids.

[Sir Rock]

Hmm. Gw2 is casual but I disagree with some points you brought up.
One being the skill. It's different than other games and uses different hmm "actions" on it. But if you say there is no skill required to get any gear or achievement I'll disagree. First that doesn't apply to PvP or WvW, and not even all around in PvE. Saying it doesn't require skill and only time could apply to any game out there because in time comes experience. My wife can't do jump puzzles, she can't do a lot of explorable modes for tokens either. I'm curious to see what games you would say takes skills... but regardless in a game where gear is not really not a "true core" design I don't think it's possible to say that it doesn't require skill to get any gear. Me on greens can actually get the Arah tokens for my armor where you on exotics might not, same with achievements really specially in pvp. I can always wait on WoW to grab that gear and it doesn't need any skills, I can even get it top notch pretty much with no skill, which also falls with "only" time. I think saying that at top level you can only do dungeons for armor and legendary is quite exaggerate.

Sure there is a lot of casual pvp too, but the ranking is coming...slowly but it is haha.

In the end Skyrim comparison is only worth for 1 time pay and no month fee, low risk and all. Gw2 is of course distinct from WoW but still can be compared since they can/share concepts that were designed differently to cater casuals. And the biggest is obviously the lack of raids.

The point you make about jumping puzzles is certainly valid. Having a decent amount of coordination and situational awareness in this game is key. The entire combat system revolves around dodging and rezzing people. That being said, once you get used to doing this the game is pretty simple. Until fractals came out there were no mechanics in dungeons that required teamwork to overcome. You could just graveyard zerg bosses down if necessary. Dungeons definitely take some skill but the bar was set very low in GW2 compared to WoW or Rifts because the developers wanted to include as many people as possible in as much content as possible.

While I'm on the topic of zergs, you could apply that to WvW. Whoever has more people typically wins. Period. Severs with low WvW participation are typically lower ranked than servers with lots of WvW guilds. The same zerg principle can be applied to penn/shelter/jofast farming and grenth farming in Cursed shore. Did the game designers really intend for 20-30 people to sit around waiting for dynamic event chains to start for the sole purpose of farming mats and gold to make legendaries?

The skill difference required for this game is obvious to anyone that has raided or farmed heroic dungeons in WoW. That doesn't mean the game isn't enjoyable. Going through the leveling areas in this game was the most fun I've had in an MMO in a long time. The issue I have is once you hit max level you quickly fall into the pattern of either farming for a legendary, farming dungeon tokens to get different skins, farming for gold for cultural armor and/or stuff you want on Trading Post, or doing some flavor of PvP. If you are primarily interested in PVE the experience at 80 gets stale quickly and that is the primary criticism of many people who came to GW2 from WoW.