Please Help Me Select a Starting Profession

[TobyRagg.4231]

I am getting ready to return to GW2 after a very long hiatus.  I played WoW for years in the late BC-Cata time period, and then I switched to GW2 when it first released.  Enjoyed the game back then but dropped it for some reason.   I am really missing having a great game in my life and after considering lots of MMO options, decided that GW2 really IS the game for me.  My biggest challenge right now is picking a profession to level from zero and I am hoping you can help.

Thief isn't good for me, as I played a Rogue in WoW and I disliked the strict precision requirements where the rotation was concerned.  I played Mesmer during my second GW2 bout and I thought it was great fun, but I started getting tired of dying in the open world.  Overall, I primarily like PVP, though with GW2 I will hesitate to jump in on that fun until I get very, very comfy in a toon.  In WoW, I REALLY liked Druid, as I liked the versatility and the availability of stealth.  Plus, PVP in WoW was just great fun as a shapeshifter.  Bottom-line, I'm looking for a very versatile and FUN "spec" to play - and one that will eventually prove to be fun in PVP.  So far, I've landed on two options:

RANGER:  I like the balance between ranged & what looks like decent melee capability, and this seems like a profession with decent survivability when leveling.  I have to wonder if they're much good in PVP and longer term . . . ?  Is Ranger gameplay interesting or does it get a bit boring after a while?

ENGINEER:  This looks like great fun to me and features the balance between range & melee I'm liking in the Ranger.  From everything I've read and watched so far though, it does seem like this profession has a steep learning curve, is perhaps overly complicated and maybe not so strong in PVE . . . ?  

I'm open to other ideas too, if you have any.  I've done a decent amount of research so far, but I thought that seeking experiential guidance might be more helpful than reading/watching build guides online.  Thanks!

[RavensSorrow.6128]

Mukluk Labs - While I get not wanting to watch a bunch of guides. I do suggest Mukluk's "Stronger start" and "Stronger Start in PVP" for some general good advice and a quick look at the classes.

Every class really does have a Melee and Range option. Many different weapons and specs over the expansions can really change up how the class plays.  So don't hold yourself to stereotypical type casting. While yes a thief can be fast paced, you can also become a Deadeye (sniper) and just do big shots. Give a Guardian a gun and rain down fiery justice on your enemies! There is quite a variety. Though what is "meta', especially in pvp does vary. Not that anything not meta isn't useable.

Ranger is my main. I love flow of combat with them. Using a shortbow and dual daggers just feels satisfying as I slowly poison my enemy. If you'd rather big hits grab a Longbow for range and swords for movement/melee. There is a lot you can do with every class. Even if I get bored all I have to do is swap specs and it's like a new class to try out. 

I'd also say Necro is a top pick of mine. Just turning into a giant blender as a Reaper with greatsword or dashing around with dual pistols as a Harbinger is quite fun.

I'll let more veteran PvP players give more sage advice but all the classes do feel quite versatile and fun.

Also i know you said you didn't like feeling squishy. That's a combination of the gear you are wearing (low vitality = low health) and the fact that the game uses an action combat style. You need to dodge, block or otherwise mitigate the hits you end up taking. Can take some getting used to. Having a more support spec'd friend is also a plus!

You can also jump into the pvp lobby fairly early in your journey. You get your stats boosted to 80, can equip special items to equal a full set of armor and runes, then just blast the target dummies to see what feels good. Dual the class bots around the map to see how to fight off some of their attacks. Since you only need to get a few levels easy enough to put a class in that lobby and test it out yourself!

[TobyRagg.4231]

Thank you so much, Mukluk.  I'm actually quite okay with watching and reading guides.  I've been ingesting several in trying to make some pre-join decisions.  Many of the YouTube bits dive too deeply into explanations of specialties and weapon vs. weapon talk.  All of that will be great once I've started, but what I have been struggling to find is more general, beginner-type guidance.  Your post has been of big help there - you remind me that yeah, this isn't WoW and most all professions are versatile.  I am checking out "Stronger start" now, thank you again!

 

[Buran.3796]

   Of those two I would go Ranger since at the moment has very strong and tanky solo PvE builds in both power stats and condition damage, and in PvP can mix up between ranged and mele damage or just go full mele and being a cc powerhouse. In teams at PvE and WbW the support abilities of the Druid spec are highly valued.

   Being said that, the celestial PvE solo build of Lord Hizen for Mirage is almost unkillable, and Virtuoso has the highest PvE dps builds in both condi and power damage (while being at range), plus currently Chronomancer is the meta at support PvP, so Mesmer is a striong option if you still like it. Also, I think that Mesmer and Ranger had the best new weapons in the new Jantir Wilds expansion (based in my experience with the beta).