Guild Wars 2 Catch All

You should level pretty quickly if you just go through the areas doing hearts, exploring and story quests.

Hearts can be ignored unless you're going for map completion, they don't give much XP. Events are usually much more rewarding with less time spent. You could also craft your way to 80 if you still have materials laying around.. but at that point you might as well use a level boost if you have one. might be worth using one of the "get to lvl X" scrolls we get in bday bags, jumping to 40 or 50 would let you skip the most tedious levels.

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as for my own adventures.. I've finally started pecking away at the Icebrood Saga content, passed the 29.5k AP mark and a few days ago I completed my 3rd legendary (Kraitkin, previously made Xiuquatl and the Shining Blade)

Still haven't touched raids at all but I might poke my head into the Strike Missions soon.

3rd legendary? Yikes that's an investment in either time or money!

Both! I’ve crafted Subrise, Twilight, the Bifrost, Kudzu and Eternity, and.... well, yeah. ^^

I just work on the various precursor collections and then craft whichever one is finished. The only thing keeping me from crafting Astralaria is doing Not So Secret again(or, more accurately, finding someone to port me through it)

money-wise it's not too bad because there's a lot of materials that I've been slowly accumulating over the years.

Confession: I have never completed a precursor collection beyond tier 1.
I bought my precursors on the trading post like the rest of us normal, unlucky people.

there's not much luck involved though.. just game play objectives.

GrandmaFunk wrote:

there's not much luck involved though.. just game play objectives.

Sure there was. Back when we tossed rares in the Mystic Toilet and hoped for the best.
My comment was a nod to Higgledy who actually got Zap that way.

but that's just the precursors as loot, has nothing to do with the collections.

Well... yes? Because I did my legendaries before collections were rolled out. Juxtaposition isn’t correlation.

Eleima wrote:
GrandmaFunk wrote:

there's not much luck involved though.. just game play objectives.

Sure there was. Back when we tossed rares in the Mystic Toilet and hoped for the best.
My comment was a nod to Higgledy who actually got Zap that way.

It was incredibly lucky because I wasn’t even systematically trying to get a legendary or anything. On a whim one day I threw a few items into the mystic toilet and got the precursor for Zap. Eleima has been known to occasionally remind me how vanishingly rare that is.

Hey, I'm just glad it happened to someone I know, confirming that it's not just a myth!

So how steep a hill would I be climbing if I watched some recap videos and jumped in to the latest chapter coming out next week? I’ve reached 80 with my ranger, bought my exotic gear and have been doing decently well in HOTS. Problem is the content feels abandoned so I want to get into the new hotness before that gets abandoned too.

I couldn't say, sadly, I'm still back at the beginning of the Icebrood Saga!

You should be fine, I recently did the first four Icebrood Saga chapters* and I didn't find any of the story stuff difficult. Comparatively, I found the instances in Season 4 much more challenging.

the one word of warning would be for Drizzlewood Coast, the regular mobs hit like a truck.

* (edit to clarify, since what counts as a chapter isn't that obvious: Whisper in the Dark, Shadow in the Ice, No Quarter and Jormag Rising.. I skipped over Visions of the Past)

GrandmaFunk wrote:

You should be fine, I recently did the first four Icebrood Saga chapters* and I didn't find any of the story stuff difficult. Comparatively, I found the instances in Season 4 much more challenging.

the one word of warning would be for Drizzlewood Coast, the regular mobs hit like a truck.

* (edit to clarify, since what counts as a chapter isn't that obvious: Whisper in the Dark, Shadow in the Ice, No Quarter and Jormag Rising.. I skipped over Visions of the Past)

Hmm - I was actually wanting to play more for the group content versus the story figuring I’ll catch up eventually. Do I need ascended or other special gear to survive?

jdzappa wrote:

I was actually wanting to play more for the group content versus the story

Well you mentioned the next chapter.. that's mostly story-based content.

jdzappa wrote:

Do I need ascended or other special gear to survive?

If you want to get into group instances like raids or strike missions, you don't "need" ascended like you would in high level fractals, but going with all exotics is a bit of a handicap so you'll need to have a good build, know how to use it and study up on the content beforehand.

So, I finally started getting into GW2. I've actually bought HoT and PoF in the past and just never got into it, but I've made a push the last couple weeks because I was getting an MMORPG itch. I admit I like the way to level up so far, but it feels a bit weird compared to other MMOs I've played in the past. There's a lot to track, and since I'm not entirely sure what a lot of the stuff is, I've just been collecting stuff in the bank (for instance, I have something close to 100 essence of lucks, which seem to just increase magic find or something like that).

I'm at a bit of a crossroads though. I have 4 characters that I've been playing with, but I just don't feel super drawn to any one of them singularly like I've done in the past. I know I should focus on one to get up to 80 so I can get mounts, I'm just finding it really difficult.

At the bottom of the list is Revenant and Elementalist.

I think I'd like Revenant better if I had a heavy 2H weapon that actually acted like a 2H weapon. Staves feel OK and that tends to be what I use. I haven't tried short bow yet, which I've been meaning to do. I think this character is at level 20 now.

Elementalist feels OK, just seems complex. I played a Mage in WoW and that was my main there, but... dunno, this class just hasn't clicked with me yet. I just assumed I'd feel better towards it after I got better with the game mechanics, but that's been a slow process and I think it'd be better to leave this one behind. This one's around level 24.

Tied at the top, both at level 30, is Guardian and Ranger.

I got Guardian up first, and the feel of greatswords is really nice. On the flip side, while I've never been a fan of maces, the mace/shield combo also feels nice. My worry is that I typically stick to DPS and healers, and I've been playing this class much more like a tank. That makes me a bit anxious to do group content as a tank since I know I'm a bit light on my knowledge of the game. At the same time, staves (which I've tried a little) feel OK but a bit weird.

Ranger feels like a good DPS/Utility combo, and is just really straight forward. I tend to play at range, but I swap between shortbow and greatsword.

Any thoughts appreciated.

It's really hard to give a useful answer here after playing the game for years.

One thing I will say, and it may actually annoy you, is that any class only really starts coming alive after level 80. Once you start really traiting your character you can really customise how it plays and you need to max it out to do that effectively. You can also start training Elite Specialisations which can completely shake up how a class plays.

and combat is very different. Movement, positioning and dodging are critical parts of playing the game. Unlike most MMOs you can use all your skills while moving, and interplaying your skills off each other is very fiddly and technical.

I don't have much experience with the classes you're enjoying, but if you're liking them stick with them. While the game tries to avoid the whole, tank/healer/dps thing I'd say a Guardian is probably the closest to a traditional tank you'll find. So maybe the Ranger will be fun for your first levelling character. Then once you've maxed that out then you can level your next choice through Tomes.

My main is a Mesmer which I adore, and my second is an Engineer which I don't despite that being my first choice. And I've only played around with other classes any time I do I miss my Mesmer which is the definition of fiddly and technical.

*edit*

Oh, and just use the luck.

*another edit*

If you have a mouse with thumb button bind one to dodge. Or pick a really easy to use dodge key.

MrDeVil is absolutely right, on every count. And especially regarding this particular point:

MrDeVil909 wrote:

If you have a mouse with thumb button bind one to dodge. Or pick a really easy to use dodge key.

I also used a mouse button to bind it to "autoloot" which is very handy.

That being said, if you don't get along with your elementalist from the geto, the odds are slim that will like them at 80. My elementalist was my main when I started out and I still love her to death, she's very special. But I've moved on to my rangers and mesmers, more often than not (yes, plural - I have chronic altitis).
Ultimately, there really isn't any wrong choice, class pick is about preference and playstyles. If it doesn't suit you, that's fine.

Also, rangers have pets. How does that not appeal?

Agreed. Level 30, you've been through one minor transition (essentially). 40 and 60 or so will open up more possibilities, but it's 80 where things start to get crunchy. So enjoy the ride!

Re: Level 80 stuff.
So far this is my only real gripe with the classes. It feels like an artificial grind just to time-gate actually playing the more interesting classes. That, and I feel like the only person online that doesn't have mounts, and it's infuriating trying to keep up with groups of people doing world events. I think that's one of the reasons I like the ranger, for the speed boost. I have two level 80 boosts from buying the expansions, but it's really hard to burn one before I've played a character up to 80.

Re: Evade button.
I need to tweak this a bit, but I use a SteelSeries Rival 500 mouse with 6 thumb buttons, which seems perfect for GW2. The easiest one I already had programmed to V, because that's the spotting key in WarThunder, so I've already gotten used to using that on the mouse.

Between my top two, I could see myself going either way on the Guardian elite specs, but the Ranger would almost certainly go Druid. Might seem silly but I might lean into Guardian just for that.

I found Thief to be my favorite class followed by Necromancer. Both were surprises for me. Necro was great for solo play and Thief consistently keep me most interested in playing because you're always in the move.

PurEvil wrote:

Re: Level 80 stuff.
So far this is my only real gripe with the classes. It feels like an artificial grind just to time-gate actually playing the more interesting classes.

In case you don't already know this: you can use the PvP lobby to get a feel for each class' full game play.

you can find a build that gels with your playstyle and it might make the leveling experience less of a grind since you'd be working towards specific, incremental goals(unlocking a given trait, for example), rather than just "get to 80".

I'll expand a bit on the level 80 thing to say that while a class really comes alive at that level you should be getting a solid feel of what it's like before then. So if as a baby ele you're not enjoying setting things on fire then you can be pretty sure the class won't resonate.

I was a solid mesmer player until 80, by which I mean I was playing with a greatsword to maintain distance and dropping clones and leaving them up till they ended naturally.

It was later that I realised that I should be using shatters and cycling through illusions while getting into the scrums. And that's the sort of mechanic you get a feel for with experience.

I also wouldn't do world event trains while levelling. Keeping up is tough. Just focusing on the story and doing the odd world boss should be good for getting around the map, levelling and getting a feel for the class.

Right. The thing to remember is that 1-40 or 60 is the original game; 80 was added later, and then the additional elements came in with new mechanics, and the stories laid on top. So the first 40-60 levels were kind of teaching how to play mixed with stories; then 20 levels of "end-game" content with the additional powers and skills and special weapons.

To me, they still serve their purpose, with the caveat that it's pretty easy to skip them entirely (or in smaller level groups) through account birthday presents and purchasable tokens. But in no way was 1-80 a "gating" system; for years, that was the entire game. And the chance to experience your first few characters in the same way someone would have when the game started - but with all the additional stuff thrown in - is actually quite nice. You can choose your mode of play - casual, RP, hardcore, power, whatever - and there is a community and a full content track for you to enjoy the game as you want to.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

I also wouldn't do world event trains while levelling. Keeping up is tough. Just focusing on the story and doing the odd world boss should be good for getting around the map, levelling and getting a feel for the class.

Heh, I normally just jump into the fray when I see a lot of people gathering. I'm not really seeking them out, just getting involved when they happen around me. It's just a little rough keeping up with them, but it's an interesting mechanic that breaks up what I'm doing at the moment.

Robear wrote:

Right. The thing to remember is that 1-40 or 60 is the original game; 80 was added later

80 has been max level since the beta and I'm fairly certain that every Core map other than Southsun was playable on release.

PurEvil wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

I also wouldn't do world event trains while levelling. Keeping up is tough. Just focusing on the story and doing the odd world boss should be good for getting around the map, levelling and getting a feel for the class.

Heh, I normally just jump into the fray when I see a lot of people gathering. I'm not really seeking them out, just getting involved when they happen around me. It's just a little rough keeping up with them, but it's an interesting mechanic that breaks up what I'm doing at the moment.

Yeah, that's cool. And they're a lot of fun. Especially if you have a decent commander. But don't try force it and get frustrated.

Hmmm. Thanks GrandmaFunk. It's been a while, I guess my memory failed me.