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new guy coming over from WoW


Jist.2905

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Hey there.

The GW2 Wiki has tons upon tons of info: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Main_Page. A great place for reference.

Are you on the F2P version of Gw2 or did you purchase it? The reason I ask is F2P characters can't access LA until they hit LV 35.If you've purchased the game, the fastest (and cheapest) method to get there is to click on the PVP icon at the top of the screen, and teleport to the PVP Lobby. There is no fighting or anything, as it's just the lobby, but on that map there is a portal that takes you directly to Lion's Arch.

Here is a link for that: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Heart_of_the_Mists

There is lots of advice I could give, but starting out: in the chat box /m will allow you to chat with everyone on the zone you're currently in. Very helpful if you need help with a veteran/champion (WoW's Elite mobs) group encounter or just if you need a question asked. Most are very willing to help.

Welcome to Tyria.

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@Jist.2905 said:I have played WoW since Vanilla and have heard a lot about this game...I have two questions

  1. How do I get to Lion's Arch from Caledon Forest?
  2. Any tips for a GW2 Newb but not new to MMORPG?

Hi! I'm also a former WoW player (Vanilla-WotLK) that came over to GW2 a couple of years ago. Welcome to GW2!

Tips? Don't be fooled! The core game is too easy for experienced MMO players, but the expansion content is a huge step up in difficulty. And unlike WoW, you can't out-gear the content, so the only way to get better is to actually step up your game! Personally, I find that very rewarding.

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Any tips for a GW2 Newb but not new to MMORPG?

Wiki is your friend and you should be using it a lot for the story, lore, crafting, drops, achievements, etc.

There is no perpetual gear progression, crafting ascended and legendary gear is pretty much endgame for gear.

This game is free monthly, which is nice. Be sure to log in every couple months to unlock the current living world (you have to pay $ otherwise).

Endgame is grinding heavy, but the content is still challenging and fun.

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@"Jist.2905" said:I have played WoW since Vanilla and have heard a lot about this game...I have two questions

  1. How do I get to Lion's Arch from Caledon Forest?
  2. Any tips for a GW2 Newb but not new to MMORPG?

Check outWelcome to Tyria: a Handbook of Tips for New Players

There are plenty of guides out there, including the official one, but much of the gameplay information is easily picked up in game. But lots of basic things go unanswered: how do I talk in General chat? What Settings should I use? How do I split stacks? Which items should I Salvage, and why can't I Salvage some items at all?

Hope that helps.

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From what I've seen of ex-WoW players, everything should be pretty natural to you.

My ONE IMPORTANT TIP is that if something seems inconvenient, there is almost certainly a better way to do it. GW2 is insanely player friendly; just ask if something isn't working. To get started, use that gear icon in your inventory to "deposit all" crafting materials into your bank from anywhere in the world.

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@"Jist.2905" said:I have played WoW since Vanilla and have heard a lot about this game...I have two questions

How do I get to Lion's Arch from Caledon Forest?Any tips for a GW2 Newb but not new to MMORPG?

I played similar MMOs to WoW and my husband played WoW since it's Vanilla days. As others have mentioned, if you like it so far, just buy the game, you won't regret it; there are no sub-fees so you are free to come and go as you please. I bought GW2 and had early access for it's launch while still in the heyday of SWTOR, I had a SWTOR sub at the time and found I didn't care for GW2 (because I wasn't ready for the drastic change mechanically) so I walked away from it for a while but kept coming back to it every few months.

Here are the things that shocked/startled/took me out of my comfort zone about the way things work in this game vs other mmos. Some ppl on here will argue with some of my points but, they are likely people who have played since launch and have everything accomplished in the game. While I bought the game at early access, I didn't commit to it until about a year and a half ago. So I am sharing with you the insight of an old noob who had to learn a lot as I went along and hit level 80.

  1. There is no direct in-game currency bank/inventory expansion. So if I click on an empty bag slot, I am asked to pay with gems not gold. You have to buy gems whether through the currency exchange (which is like exchanging USD for CDN) or via direct purchase in the Black Lion. This goes for many other QOL items we could buy for in-game currency

  2. The mechanics will blow your mind -- particularly in HoT maps! However, as you level, check out the GW2 Wiki Event timer for the WBs and if you see a call in map chat, jump in!! This game has some of the coolest WBs I have ever seen. There is no aggro table in this game and especially in dungeons, fractals, metas and WBs, you will not see a "tank" maneuvering the boss like you would in WoW or SWTOR. And although there are squads, all open world events are open to anyone on the map to participate so it will not be locked to only those in the group. Raids are a whole other can of worms and the holy trinity is nothing like the WoW trinity. There is a tank in raids but not every boss needs a tank, mitigation is totally different and the only reason they call it a tank is b/c certain raid bosses are programmed to go at the player with the highest toughness (stat).

  3. While I have met a few "gems" in open world, the community in this game is amazing. Rezzing the downed, helping another player kill an NPC (and receiving full credit) and having the ability to share gathering nodes is completely opposite to the other MMOs. It is what makes GW2 unique and it is what I love about it.

  4. I don't know what crafting is like in WoW but I do know I was spoiled by SWTOR's crafting. They really had a great system in their game. Crafting in this game is painful and arduous at times for those of us who came from SWTOR. However, you always need to keep in mind that in WoW and SWTOR, the gear grind changed every level cap and is mainly tied to raids. In this game, every person who participates in an event receives an award, XP and achievements where applicable. Loot from raid bosses doesn't include gear (unless you are lucky that day) plus, gear stats are totally different. The rewards for raiding are simply different. Just as lucrative, but different.

    • That said, you can craft your first set endgame gear. So the grind in WoW and SWTOR, were raids for gear-drops, in GW2 it is time-gated crafting. This means you can only craft certain components needed for ascended gear once every 24hours. I suggest if you do buy the game, depending on your profession and weapons, to review the guides on snowcrows and metabattle for your gear and level up the crafting professions that will allow you to craft your gear and weapons. There are great crafting guides out there that give you the most proficient ways of levelling crafting as well.
  5. You can get through raids in exotic gear but fractals eventually require ascended (these are the level 80 dungeons and after the first tier, you really start needing the extra modification slot for the infusions). Most raid groups would like you in ascended for the damage or heal output and gearing for raids is totally different than WoW. In this game you will see calls for Condi or DPS which are two totally different requirements. Although you can earn gear though drops or saving up currencies and trading them for gear, the fastest way to get your first set of gear, is through crafting so if you are impatient like I was, start crafting early on.

  6. WvW is really cool and I encourage all new players to give it a shot a few times as you can earn great rewards in there as well.

  7. The GW2 wiki will become your map and compass. I use it pretty much every time I do something new. But also, pay close attention to your achievements and collections as you can complete collections to earn many "Free" items such as ascended weapons and trinkets.

  8. Find a guild. These are the people who will give you the most guidance on the game (over the forums). This game is a huge change. It will be overwhelming and it will make you frustrated. You will die a lot and that is ok because it is simply part of this game. Also you can be a member of up to 5 guilds in this game so you don't have to worry about playing favourites. :-)

  9. There are currencies for everything in this game but your main currencies as you level are copper, silver and gold. Generally speaking if you get items you can't use, sell them on the TP as the in-game economy in this game is insane and the TP is your bread and butter.

  10. Gear goes from grey/white to blue to green to yellow to orange to purple. As you level you do not need anything other than blues and green because you level so fast. If you do buy the game and get a character boost, the gear they give you on a boosted 80 is actually really good! I still use my boosted gear on my Rev in WvW as it gives her survivability. Which leads to my last point...

  11. You do not need specific gear for PVP because your stats are normalized and one of the best ways to try out a character is to go to the PVP lobby and look at the level 80 skills and abilities and maybe queue for a round or two. For open world, especially in HoT maps, you will like something with a little more survivability (vitality and toughness). As someone mentioned you can't outgear in this game, you can only adapt. That said, I have an open-world set that I run around in and a set that I run raids and fractals in (I am a druid healer)

Sorry for the length but I really wanted to share the "stuff" I have learned since "drinking the kool-aid" and committing myself to this game. I am a convert and have brought a number of people over from SWTOR and WoW to this game and none have regretted their decision, they just go through some growing pains as they adjust to the changes in mechanics and culture. Always remember that the original GWs and eventually GW2, were conceptualised by former Blizzard employees who disagreed with the direction WoW was going. That said, they developed what really is the antithesis to WoW and the traditional mmo and in my opinion, they have done a really brilliant job of it.

You are welcome to add me to your friends list and ask any questions you may have! I also have guilds you would be welcome to join.

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@"Zushada.6108" said:There is no aggro table in this game

That's not quite true. At launch it was basically the case that once a mob locked on to someone, nothing short of its death would distract it from that target. At level 40, I ran my Guardian through Caudecus Manor, and in the final fight, I stood there and hacked a mob to death (GS). The whole time I was doing it, it was busy shooting one of my team-mates over there, and completely ignored this maniac woman beating on it with a six-foot long sword. On the downside, it meant I couldn't pull a veteran bandit's attention off my wife's Engineer, which contributed to her deciding to stop playing.

These days, you can turn mobs away from people if you are hurting the mobs while the other people are not.

But there are no "trinity" tools to manage that aggro table. There's no taunt(1), as such, nor are there "threat dump" skills.

(1) There is something called taunt, but it isn't an aggro management tool in the same way as a trinity-mode game's tank classes have.

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@Steve The Cynic.3217 said:

@"Zushada.6108" said:There is no aggro table in this game

That's not
quite
true. At launch it was basically the case that once a mob locked on to someone, nothing short of its death would distract it from that target. At level 40, I ran my Guardian through Caudecus Manor, and in the final fight, I stood there and hacked a mob to death (GS). The whole time I was doing it, it was busy shooting one of my team-mates over there, and completely ignored this maniac woman beating on it with a six-foot long sword. On the downside, it meant I couldn't pull a veteran bandit's attention off my wife's Engineer, which contributed to her deciding to stop playing.

These days, you can turn mobs away from people if you are hurting the mobs while the other people are not.

But there are no "trinity" tools to manage that aggro table. There's no taunt(1), as such, nor are there "threat dump" skills.

(1) There is something
called
taunt, but it isn't an aggro management tool in the same way as a trinity-mode game's tank classes have.

I suppose it was a language use thing on my part as I likely should of said "threat table" in the traditional sense whereby taunts do not work as a traditional taunt, heal threat etc does not exist in this game e.g. if I am on a druid in a raid, the chrono tank does not have to guard me to ensure that I do not steal threat nor does the tank absorb my damage.

Here is the wiki page that I was looking at. Keeping in mind that the latter half refers to newer fractals and raids. The other is from one of the links cited at the bottom of the wiki page and is from pre-launch that explains how central Tyrian NPCs will aggro and/or what triggers them:https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Aggrohttps://gw2ita.wordpress.com/review/interview-with-colin-johanson-by-mmorpgitalia-and-gw2-italian-blog/

Thank you for helping clarify.

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In some group-based pve there are mechanics that chose who is the target. On some raid bosses the one with highest toughness is tanking. On others one who activate/pick something up. Some fractal bosses targets player who longest distance away (usualy with gapcloser) and so on.This might be wierd for you but in highend pve all players are fighting close to the boss (even with ranged weapon). Its because most of offensive buffs are very short range. Its good idea no know this before you start dunfeons/fractals/raids

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@ButcherofMalakir.4067 said:In some group-based pve there are mechanics that chose who is the target. On some raid bosses the one with highest toughness is tanking. On others one who activate/pick something up. Some fractal bosses targets player who longest distance away (usualy with gapcloser) and so on.This might be wierd for you but in highend pve all players are fighting close to the boss (even with ranged weapon). Its because most of offensive buffs are very short range. Its good idea no know this before you start dunfeons/fractals/raids

Good addition/point I didn't mention. That was a huge change for me. I am used to being full ranged at all times whereas in raids in this game, we stack to share boons etc.

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@ButcherofMalakir.4067 said:In some group-based pve there are mechanics that chose who is the target. On some raid bosses the one with highest toughness is tanking. On others one who activate/pick something up. Some fractal bosses targets player who longest distance away (usualy with gapcloser) and so on.This might be wierd for you but in highend pve all players are fighting close to the boss (even with ranged weapon). Its because most of offensive buffs are very short range. Its good idea no know this before you start dunfeons/fractals/raids

Actually the offensive stuff have a decent range. It's the defensive ones that tends to be tiny. Check the radius on stuff like Celestial Avatar skills and Ventari tablet. Highest radius is 360. On the other hand offensive stuff like Assassin's Presence/Spotter/Empower Allies/warrior banners have 600 while ranger spirits have 1000.

Buffs aside there are other practical issues. If you are far away and you are downed it takes longer for people to get to you. Conversely if someone else gets downed you won't be able to help as much. In the case of fractals many of the fights take place in a relatively confined space anyway. In the specific case of the archdiviner in cliffside fractal ranging is just terrible. It increases the chance of you taking even more damage and dropping your group's DPS like a rock.

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@Khisanth.2948 said:

@ButcherofMalakir.4067 said:In some group-based pve there are mechanics that chose who is the target. On some raid bosses the one with highest toughness is tanking. On others one who activate/pick something up. Some fractal bosses targets player who longest distance away (usualy with gapcloser) and so on.This might be wierd for you but in highend pve all players are fighting close to the boss (even with ranged weapon). Its because most of offensive buffs are very short range. Its good idea no know this before you start dunfeons/fractals/raids

Actually the offensive stuff have a decent range. It's the defensive ones that tends to be tiny. Check the radius on stuff like Celestial Avatar skills and Ventari tablet. Highest radius is 360. On the other hand offensive stuff like Assassin's Presence/Spotter/Empower Allies/warrior banners have 600 while ranger spirits have 1000.

Buffs aside there are other practical issues. If you are far away and you are downed it takes longer for people to get to you. Conversely if someone else gets downed you won't be able to help as much. In the case of fractals many of the fights take place in a relatively confined space anyway. In the specific case of the archdiviner in cliffside fractal ranging is just terrible. It increases the chance of you taking even more damage and dropping your group's DPS like a rock.

Wells and grace of the land is short range. Might, quickness and alacrity are the main dps buffs. You still get some uptime when ranged but not full duration/maximum stacks.

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Agreed.. the very short range of buffs is one of the biggest differences between group play in GW2 and WoW, and one that isn't immediately obvious if you're not checking the tooltips and understanding how short some of the ranges actually are. Think about chrono wells, for example.. you want the buffs, you need to be in that purple circle when it goes off.

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