Returning Player - Desperately Lost!

[Gherick.7842]

Hey all!

 

I'm a returning player that hasn't played since POF. And quite shortly after obtaining the jumping hamster mount I ended up quitting. I've been trying to lookup guides/watch YouTube videos on the subject of getting caught up, but it's been pretty overwhelming... I would really appreciate any help and direction on what I can do and where I can go to get a solid idea of how to get started on getting back into the game. I really enjoy the open world PVE content as well as WVW. I would love to find an active guild that regularly participates in both. I am currently on the Tarnished Coast server, but I am open to transfer if I'm able to find a community that would be a fit. I know that's a lot to ask so I greatly appreciate any feedback!

 

Thank you,

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Here's a forum that may be helpful:  https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/forum/30-looking-for-guild/

If you don't remember how to play, you might consider creating a new character and taking it through the Personal Story, and then continuing on with the stories. Living World Season 1 has been added at no charge, as well.

If you do remember how to play, more or less, you can take your existing character(s) through the Living World stories (purchase through the Gem Store, if needed) and/or purchase the next expansions.

Welcome return and good luck.

Edited May 25 by Inculpatus cedo.9234
more info

[RavensSorrow.6128]

Welcome back. As you can see there is a lot to do. This game doesn't limit you for the most part. Once you are 80 everything is open. I'm going to assume you only have up to Path of Fire unlocked so I won't get ahead of that.

First off you can finish your path of fire story. There are still a few more mounts to uncover as well. Just pick up where you left off or start the story back a chapter or two just to get caught refreshed.

Since you like the open world stuff, go check out the Wiki Event Timer (type "/wiki ET" in game chat). Almost every map has a boss in it. Look at Core Tyria, Heart of Thorns and PoF areas and see what is coming up. Get there a few minutes early incase you don't have the waypoint closest and look for Commanders on maps (or look in the LFG tool). Most open world comms are open join so right click on them and "squad join" to get in. Ask if you need help navigating a map to the boss area.  Don't forget Bounties! These are cool boss fights with random mods. Pick one up and ask for help. Usually 3-5 people for a champ or 10ish for a Legendary. There are even bounty Trains that run around taking out all the bounties on a map. Keep and eye out for one!

There is also a new Vendor in WvW* allowing you to spend some currency for stat selectable exotics. This is nice for catch up or new characters to get a great set of starter gear. Let the forums know what you are playing too if you want character advice. Have you tried any elite specs? Or any archetype of character you enjoy in games?

You can also add me in game and whisper/mail me anytime if you want more in game advice. I am usually on later times (on NA @10-11pmEST usually). Also your serve won't limit who you can play with besides NA or EU. Also don't hesitate to ask in map chat as well. there are a lot of helpers in game! Hope you are enjoying your return.

Edit: WvW is also going to be based on guild not server soon. So find yourself a WvW guild like Inculpatus said above. That will be a big help.

You can also Achievement hunt. Your Achievement Points actually matter in GW. You can get skins, gold, and even Gems from getting higher AP. There are also big rewards like titles, skins, weapons ect in the achievements themselves. There are a lot and it can be hard to navigate at first but just keep that in mind. You can also use the "eye" icon to track them or the cog next to the search box to look up specific things like say Mastery Points!

Edited May 25 by RavensSorrow.6128
WvW info/Achievements/Bounties

[Buran.3796]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:21 PM, Gherick.7842 said:

. I would really appreciate any help and direction on what I can do and where I can go to get a solid idea of how to get started on getting back into the game.

  Regular PvE leveling:

* Start at level 1 completing your home map (waypoints, vistas, points of interest and Hero Points but not the hearts) and then move to the starting maps of each race. Complete the urban maps and keep doing low levell maps into higher level ones, being sure that the foes are never more than 3 levels above you. This way, you'll reach the last three maps of core Tyria reaching level 75-80 and having 75% of the maps completed. It would take 18-28 hours and you won't need to replace gear more than 3-4 times (lotal cost ~2-4 gold coins at most). Then start to do dungeons or OW events or just gatheting stuff to buy/craft your first exotic set, and then complete the heart quest to get 100% of map completion. Don't bother with runes/sigils/relics until you're 80.

  Fast PvP leveling:

* Enter in PvP at level 2 and spent the next 3 hours completing the weekly PvP achievements; it will provide you enough Astral Acclaim tokens to purchase enough knownledge tomes to instantly level your character to 80. Then use the gold earned to purchase/craft your first exotic set and do the PvE things.

[Randulf.7614]

Servers don't exist for pve so no transfer needed. Best bet is to make a new character on the side, get back to grips with the game and maybe carry on where you left off on your old toon

I advise leaving the vids and guides for now. They overwhelm with info and aren't terribly helpful

Edited May 26 by Randulf.7614

[Vayne.8563]

1 hour ago, Randulf.7614 said:

Servers don't exist for pve so no transfer needed. Best bet is to make a new character on the side, get back to grips with the game and maybe carry on where you left off on your old toon

I advise leaving the vids and guides for now. They overwhelm with info and aren't terribly helpful

Soon servers won't exist anywhere. June 14. It's not just PVE anymore, or won't be shortly anyway.

[Chyro.1462]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:21 PM, Gherick.7842 said:

Hey all!

 

I'm a returning player that hasn't played since POF. And quite shortly after obtaining the jumping hamster mount I ended up quitting. I've been trying to lookup guides/watch YouTube videos on the subject of getting caught up, but it's been pretty overwhelming... I would really appreciate any help and direction on what I can do and where I can go to get a solid idea of how to get started on getting back into the game. I really enjoy the open world PVE content as well as WVW. I would love to find an active guild that regularly participates in both. I am currently on the Tarnished Coast server, but I am open to transfer if I'm able to find a community that would be a fit. I know that's a lot to ask so I greatly appreciate any feedback!

 

Thank you,

 

As for your options in PvE, you can just pick up your story where you left it in PoF - or restart the PoF story if you need a refresher and care about the story itself. You can collect PoF mastery points, level mount masteries, unlock new mounts (some require story progress, but Skimmer and Jackal can just be picked up in PoF maps at specific local hearts like Springer).

If you wanna experience the story in order and you're at PoF, after PoF follows living world season 4 (peak story content) then Icebrood Saga (which is kinda living story season 5). After that comes the End of Dragons expansion, with a little patch content added on. And after that the most recent expansion, Secrets of the Obscure. Both living world seasons and further expansions may require purchases to unlock though.

If you don't care about doing story in order, you also have the option to just jump directly into another expansion if one of them sounds more appealing to you. End of Dragons offers Fishing, Skiff (a boat on water, but less convenient than Skimmer mount), Jade Bot (can give some hour-long open world buffs, helps with reviving yourself, can set a personal waypoint) and the Siege Turtle mount (kinda situational - but can carry someone with you on the mount. and it can kinda float a bit). In Secrets of the Obscure you get an easier way to unlock Skyscale (flying mount, otherwise harder to unlock in living world season 4), can unlock elite spec weapons for every spec of your class, and learn the new weapon proficiencies (1 new weapon or weapon set per class) and the option to grind (big grind) open world legendary armor. Just listing the stuff the expansions offer that is usable everywhere, not mentioning the masteries that only help with stuff inside the expansions.

Hope that helps a little with finding a direction or goal you want to go for in PvE. Of course starting a new lv1 char to start over and re-learn the basics can also be helpful as others suggested, if you feel very rusty on your existing lv80 char(s).

[CelticFay.8351]

On 5/26/2024 at 10:37 PM, Buran.3796 said:

  Regular PvE leveling:

* Start at level 1 completing your home map (waypoints, vistas, points of interest and Hero Points but not the hearts) and then move to the starting maps of each race. Complete the urban maps and keep doing low levell maps into higher level ones, being sure that the foes are never more than 3 levels above you. This way, you'll reach the last three maps of core Tyria reaching level 75-80 and having 75% of the maps completed. It would take 18-28 hours and you won't need to replace gear more than 3-4 times (lotal cost ~2-4 gold coins at most). Then start to do dungeons or OW events or just gatheting stuff to buy/craft your first exotic set, and then complete the heart quest to get 100% of map completion. Don't bother with runes/sigils/relics until you're 80.

  Fast PvP leveling:

* Enter in PvP at level 2 and spent the next 3 hours completing the weekly PvP achievements; it will provide you enough Astral Acclaim tokens to purchase enough knownledge tomes to instantly level your character to 80. Then use the gold earned to purchase/craft your first exotic set and do the PvE things.

You can't use the WV if your character isn't level 80...

[Manpag.6421]

On 5/26/2024 at 10:37 PM, Buran.3796 said:

Enter in PvP at level 2 and spent the next 3 hours completing the weekly PvP achievements; it will provide you enough Astral Acclaim tokens to purchase enough knownledge tomes to instantly level your character to 80

No, it won't. Tomes of Knowledge are limited to 35 purchases per season.

[Vayne.8563]

2 hours ago, Manpag.6421 said:

No, it won't. Tomes of Knowledge are limited to 35 purchases per season.

Don't PvP reward tracks still give you tomes of knowledge, or had that changed.  Before I ever had the wizard's vault, I got a ton of tomes from PvP and WvW.

[Manpag.6421]

27 minutes ago, Vayne.8563 said:

Don't PvP reward tracks still give you tomes of knowledge, or had that changed.  Before I ever had the wizard's vault, I got a ton of tomes from PvP and WvW.

You're probably right; I haven't PvP'd in years, so I'm out of touch on the reward track front. In any case, even if it's true thar you can get enough Tomes of Knowledge to get you to 80 that way, it's inaccurate to say "it will provide you enough Astral Acclaim tokens to purchase enough knownledge tomes to instantly level your character to 80".

[Buran.3796]

7 hours ago, Manpag.6421 said:

No, it won't. Tomes of Knowledge are limited to 35 purchases per season.

  Din't known. Then the fastest way is:

* Spent 1-2 hours in the first PvE map fast leveling to 15.

* Move to the next starting and low level PvE maps and progress to level 40 in your first  6-8 hours.

* Play 2-3 hours in PvP to get 280 astral acclaim doing the daily/weekly plus some free knownledge tomes from the reward track.

   That should boost you from 1 to 80 in 9-12 hours.  Spending 0 money/gems and without any booster/help.