Newish player trying to iron out some details...

[Kattliadi.1507]

Hello~ so I joined end of August so still pretty new and pretty casual?  Sometimes I log in to play 6 hours and sometimes just 30mins and sometimes I disappear for a week because life is hard.  But I will go outside of the game to watch videos or guides when I'm confused or trying to figure something out(which sadly happens alot, there are ALOT of cogs and gears happening in this game and I am terrible at most of them) or sadly when I just want to make sure I don't *completely* fail at something in 'public' lol.  So far its been super fun!  I'm not much of a gamer, but the exploration and more chill aspect got me to try and I very much enjoy the world exploration etc.  Its been pretty positive!  One or two bumps with nasty people being less than kind in open world events(which....sad, its an open world event I could literally stand around and watch you all, tag the boss once and make a general pest of myself but I wouldn't. So the fact that people are willing to berate folks for not knowing exactly what they are doing etc is so sad for them!!  *Still* haven't gone back to try triple trouble...will eventually, but put a bad taste in my mouth.)  98% good experience and lovely people though!

 

Biggest question though, is how to get my ranger to at least a *decent* place.  Because right now I've finished my main story, at about 60% map completion and gotten about 700g but I'm still running around in whatever highest number armor I got along the way with no thoughts to type of stats, sigils or...whatever else there is.(There is SO much, omg, I only just learned about a speed sigil passively in a lab run for making it easier to keep up.)  I'm gonna be totally honest, I'm not great at games in general, my mechanics are probably pretty poor.  I use action camera because I find it just easier to navigate and sometimes I get spagetti fingers and find it hard to keep track and everything going on when there is a big fight with so many colors and shapes and just STUFF.  So I have done some poking around and it seems for general open world exploration and the basics the way to go is Berserker?  My worry here is that currently, my dps is definitely trash, lol, but I do have alot of general 'healing, vitality, toughness' etc. because I generally play alone and I REALLY hate dying.  And I'm not a great player so I definitely get my knocks in.  I play long bow main and can swap to axe and dagger when I get in a situation when I'm in close quarters or dealing with multiple enemies.  Not looking to change these weapons, I can remember all their base skills by now and like the variety it gives me and am happy there.  I like being able to run through open world and pick off things at a distance.  Hit it with lb1 or 2 and then either pet keeps it at a distance or I can knock it back with lb 4 or start out a group with lb 5 and then switch to axe and dagger when they get close.  Lets me hit multiple targets and if I need a break axe/dagger 3 gives me a pause or 4 lets me reposition if I'm feeling overwhelmed and not sure how to reposition.  I'm quite comfy with this and at this point don't do raids, fractals, WvW, PVP or any of that.  I'm not adverse to doing so in the future but hesitant to get into it since I don't think I'll be very adept and gotta be honest when looking up guides its.....alot, just ALOT.  Look, I'm old, keeping up with my job, pets and mortgage takes up too much of my brain capacity so the rest of me is just kind of slow.  😂 

 

So my big questions is if I still need to go with all berserker gear or if there is a certain amount of something else I can do/give myself to make me a big tougher.  Right now even if I'm in boss type fights I can take a hit or two and manage through with healing and repositioning.  Also, able to take lower hits while rezzing someone which is nice.  I haven't taken too much thought into what to specialize in although consider my type of play, probably Untamed?  I started unlocking Druid because it was just the top of the list, also, I got a pretty staff 'Spring Warmth' at Dragonbash and it was pretty, lol.  Not totally against changing things up in future for maybe something druid, I do like healing and rezzing but that would require me to be in the thick of things and...yikes, ahaha, future problems.  I do have two other characters, a Necromancer and a Mesmer, the Necro I have mixed feeling on but I'm actually REALLY enjoying my Mesmer so far....but not familiar enough with her to know for sure what weapons I want to use and I'll use my main for most things.

 

I'm a hoader though and do have some other things to work with in my bank as well!(Space for bank and inventory is no joke....ouch)  Plus decent gold to spend if I must.

- Tequatl's Hoard(ascended weapon choice)

- Tateo's Armor Chest(ascended armor, but I think it has cleric's stats)

- Chained Chest(exotic weapon choice)

- Courtly Weapon Chest(exotic weapon choice)

- Mad King's Gift x2 (ugly exotic weapon choice lol)

- Chest of the First Spear(exotic weapon choice)

 

Also have some other things like exotic holographic weapons and boots/backpiece from Dragonbash and some Dragonbone weapons and spring warmth staff.  So with weapons, just...pick whatever has highest numbers and best looks and throw on whatever sigils and add-ons you have with the best numbers or perks you want?  I CANNOT tell you the weirdness I feel when I have extra exotics or skins.  Just....I guess....after unlocking them if you don't/can't sell just salvage them with the mystic kit?  So strange feeling, hate that, if I had more bank space I'd hoard more things forever.

 

LAST question, I am sorry I have been so chatty and long winded.  Trying to decide how to move forward now I'm done with the main and 80 and got enough masteries to get auto-loot(oh thank goodness).  In an ideal world I'd continue to the story in order, but I've heard things about HOT and it sounds like I would have a MUCH easier time with at least 1 mount that could give me a bit of height.  ALSO, not gonna lie...I love the mounts, so kinda just wanna go to POF and get the mounts(aside from Skyscale I need to go into ep 4?  But I've heard its a huge slog)  So I'm wondering if my experience will be totally ruined or if its totally fine...and even then if I need to at least start HOT to get gliding first.  The sale on the Living World Episodes are also ending soon and I was thinking of buying some while on sale but was torn on which to get...I've got plenty of content to get through currently but would like to get them eventually so wondering if I just need to now or if there are some I should cherry pick first and then worry about the rest later.

 

Overall, having a very fun time!  A few bummers but easily shaken off and definitely in the minority, I'll probably try looking for a guild at some point.  Again its just a feeling of running into those few people that don't have patience for people who might not be super great at the game, which, fair...but I don't wanna run into them either so.  🤣  Fairs fair.

 

 

[Silent.6137]

3 hours ago, Kattliadi.1507 said:

........

• For build, go here: https://metabattle.com/wiki/MetaBattle_Wiki, especially the Open World's Core Power Ranger. They are very decent guides.
• Berserker gears are good but I 'd recommend Marauder for solo exploration. You can switch later.
• Get PoF mounts asap if you can. Just do enough to get Raptor and Springer for now. Get the rest later. It won't ruin your experiences.

Good luck and above all, have fun.

[Danikat.8537]

If you've been playing casually since August and you've been able to finish the story, complete most of the core game map and get 700g I'd say you're doing pretty well. The complication will be that sooner or later you'll probably want to move on to some harder aspects of the game, whether that's expansion stories and maps or group instances like dungeons, Fractals and maybe strikes and raids, but I don't think you're ask bad as you think you are.

Stats

Beserkers is recommended because it's the highest damage for power-based builds, but it's also what's known as a 'glass cannon' build - hits hard but can't take much damage. That works for some players because this game offers a lot of active defences - dodging, kiting (aka moving out the way), using skills to clear conditions and so on, but if you've got no passive defence there's not much room for mistakes.

Since your main weapon is longbow you'll want your main damage stat to be power, which affects direct damage. (The other option is condition damage which, as the name implies, affects conditions caused by weapons.) But you'll probably want something with some defence as well. Marauder's is a good choice, it gives power and precision and ferocity (which increase critical hits) and vitality (which increases health).

Elite Specs

You will eventually be able to get enough hero points to unlock all the elite specs and then you can swap between them freely, so don't worry too much about making the 'wrong' choice, but it's worth thinking about what you get first.

Untamed I think is fun, but the problem for you might be that it adds a lot of extra buttons. You need to micromanage your pet more than before and use 'combos' like switching between unleashed ranger and unleashed pet and triggering skills on both before switching back. It's fun, but it's more buttons to deal with than the other ranger specs.

Druid could be a good choice because it's ranged support and the healing makes it harder to kill as well, but the trade-off is lower damage. Soulbeast is popular and has some good power builds, although a lot of them don't have much defence.

If I was you I'd probably prioritise either druid or untamed (maybe druid since you've already started and like the idea of playing support) then unlock soulbeast later on when you're more familiar with the game.

Equipment

Early on it's a good idea to keep extra exotics and ascended stuff until you know what stats you want (especially if they have selectable stats), but there's no need to keep things just for the skin. When an item is bound to your account (that's often when you unlock it) or when you salvage it (but not if you sell it) the skin is permanently unlocked in the wardrobe. When that happens you can't ever lose the skin and can apply it to any other item of the same type by using the wardrobe tab in the hero panel. It costs 1 transmutation charge for each skin you change, but you'll get them from login rewards, map completion and a few other places. That means you can choose an item purely for it's stats and then change the skin so you can have one which looks nice and is useful for you.

You don't necessarily want to pick whatever has the biggest numbers, because it's far more important that it gives you stats you're actually using. All items with the same rarity and level have equal stats, so all level 80 exotics will give the same total stat boost but one which boosts stats you're actually using (like power and vitality) is far more useful than one which boosts stats you don't need.

And yes, salvage the ones you don't need. It will feel weird at first but you'll get far more than you could ever use so it wouldn't be practical to keep everything, even 'just' the exotics (and sooner or later the materials from salvaging them might well be more useful to you).

What to do next

They changed how mounts unlock a while ago so now if you own Path of Fire or End of Dragons you'll get the raptor automatically at or above level 10, even if you haven't started the expansion. But for HoT you'll likely what the springer as well, and for that you do need to play a bit of PoF.

The only downside to doing that is you'll get some spoilers for future storylines. It's the same if you go into HoT without doing Season 1 and 2 (especially then, HoT immediately gives away the plot twists and ending to both seasons). Whether that's a problem is up to you, some people don't mind, others do.

[mossmere.9503]

Season Three, Season Four and The Icebrood Saga all give ascended trinkets, accessories, amulets and backpacks. I'd recommend Season Three for starters then Four (Four also is needed for the legendary Skyscale mount. )

For gear: User:Tanetris/So You Want To Gear a Character - Guild Wars 2 Wiki (GW2W)

 

Welcome to the grind, ahem, I mean game! 😄

Edited November 1, 2022 by mossmere.9503
punctuation

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Don't you already have the Raptor unlocked?  Or have you no expansions yet? 

If you want a mount with 'some height', you can easily get a Springer in End of Dragons (with basic Mastery).

Story-wise, Living World Season One (free) would be next. 

The Wiki (link above) is a great resource for all things Guild Wars 2.

Welcome to Tyria and good luck.

[Kattliadi.1507]

16 hours ago, Danikat.8537 said:

If you've been playing casually since August and you've been able to finish the story, complete most of the core game map and get 700g I'd say you're doing pretty well. The complication will be that sooner or later you'll probably want to move on to some harder aspects of the game, whether that's expansion stories and maps or group instances like dungeons, Fractals and maybe strikes and raids, but I don't think you're ask bad as you think you are.
 

Well, at least 400 of that gold was from a lucky sell of an Ember Infusion I got through lab farming, lol.  But I inherently enjoy most gathering so have tried to make steady progress!  I know the griffon takes a good chunk of gold anyhow.  But glad to know my progress isn't terribly slow.  Sometimes you run into posts with people making their way to 80 and finishing core in just days and I can't even imagine..ahah.  I want to take a poke into all the little world nooks and crannies...also some procrastination on going further since I do need to branch out further and needed to work on build before that.  I'm not fully discounting things like strikes and raids etc in future...its just that I know that in order to be passable at any of that I'm the type that needs to do it a few times.  I can watch guides but actually doing the motions is the only thing to really iron things out for me...and in content where you need other people and its a time and effort sink.  Multiple possible dress rehearsals can be a big ask and I get that.  Maybe I'll get there, plenty of content in the meantime.

16 hours ago, Danikat.8537 said:

Untamed I think is fun, but the problem for you might be that it adds a lot of extra buttons. You need to micromanage your pet more than before and use 'combos' like switching between unleashed ranger and unleashed pet and triggering skills on both before switching back. It's fun, but it's more buttons to deal with than the other ranger specs.

Druid could be a good choice because it's ranged support and the healing makes it harder to kill as well, but the trade-off is lower damage. Soulbeast is popular and has some good power builds, although a lot of them don't have much defence.

Ah - button micromanaging is definitely something I struggle with so maybe I'll take more serious consideration for the other options.  I don't mind doing less damage personally, just a matter of being able to get along with whoever else is doing content with me.  Since I don't have a friend group to play with I have to take a more helpful angle when trying to find people to work with I'm guessing.

 

And it sounds like Marauder is the ticket!  Glad to hear it I was definitely concerned with being a bit of a glass canon on my own with Beserker but that was what I was most seeing mentioned and wasn't sure what would be next best with more balance.  Thanks so much for the tips!

[Kattliadi.1507]

12 hours ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

Don't you already have the Raptor unlocked?  Or have you no expansions yet? 

If you want a mount with 'some height', you can easily get a Springer in End of Dragons (with basic Mastery).

Story-wise, Living World Season One (free) would be next. 

The Wiki (link above) is a great resource for all things Guild Wars 2.

Welcome to Tyria and good luck.

Yes!  When I first started playing they were doing test runs with a few new accounts and the raptor and I was one of them and did buy the expansions.  HUGE quality of life upgrade, love the mount.  Its such a fun handle.  I just wish they had more really nice skins for the raptor.  There are some REALLY cool ones for the other skins but raptor seems to get a little less love in that area. 

 

I ended up getting HOT, POF, Living World 4 and Icebrood Saga to start with while they were on sale since they seemed to give good rewards and map expansion.  Since I'll already be off story it seems to get the mounts and I can always pick up the rest later down the road.

[Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294]

Couple of thoughts.

Since you have HoT, start the story, do the first mission/story instance in Verdant Brink to unlock gliding.  Even in PoF, and especially in IBS, there will be spots where being able to pop you glider out will save your life and a loooooong walk back from the nearest waypoint.

Elite Specs require 250 hero points to unlock, expansion hero challenges give you 10 points per, unlike the 1 point for central Tyria hero challenges.

Don't spend mastery points on your mount's 4th mastery until you have all 4 core PoF mounts' 3rd mastery trained and finished.  The 4th mastery is a nice bonus, but the 3rd one is a key feature to unlock on all 4 mounts.  You don't want to get "stuck" because you spent the mastery points...suboptimally.

Story order is:  Personal story -> Season 1 (final episode drops very soon) -> Season 2 -> HoT -> Season 3 -> PoF -> Season 4 -> IBS -> EoD. 

On my rangers, I used to run long bow.  Still use LB in PvP sometimes, but, for open world I have switched to axe/axe and Great Sword.  GS 4 is a block which can become a CC/knockback if it blocks an attack, GS 3 is movement/closer skill, GS 5 is a CC and immediately resets GS 2.  So my opener with great sword is:  Sic'em (when I remember to hit it first...), GS 2, GS 5, GS 2.  It's a lot of damage really fast in a melee fight.  I'm not saying you have to change what you're doing or even that you should change it, just giving you another tool to put in your ranger toolbox.