Thinking of trying things out! Any suggestions to start? - Guild Wars Forums

NinthLife · Jan 31, 2010, 03:11 PM // 15:11

Still subscribed to another MMO atm but after 1800 days I think it may be time for me to kinda settle down on that one.

Did some research and after 4 years this one is still getting high marks in the reviews. Thought I might give this game a shot and see if I like it.

Checking the professions, necromancer seems exceptionally interesting so I thought I might start with that profession. Reading about it says that it takes alot of skill and patience which is the only way I like it!!

Any thoughts or suggestions for a new player starting Guild Wars for the first time in the next couple of days?

Also had a couple questions that so far I havent been able to find answers to. Are we allowed more than one character? If so how many? Is there really only one sever?

/cheers!

Olle · Jan 31, 2010, 03:19 PM // 15:19

Dont stop play just cuz you think its booring in the beginning , the "real" fun starts a bit later in the game

Try to get into a guild, and play with Guildies&allies, which makes it(imo) alot more fun!

Arduin · Jan 31, 2010, 03:21 PM // 15:21

With only one campaign bought, you will have access to 4 character slots. You can buy other campaigns and link them to your original one, increasing the amount of character slots, and enabling characters to adventure on into the other campaigns. You can also buy character slots at the in game store.

Guild Wars doesn't have separate servers. You can play with anyone you want, as long as you meet with each other in the same district. When you go out of town an instanced just for you and your party is created.

My advise is to indeed play a Necro if you think you'll enjoy it, but also try a few other professions for some time. You can't do anything 'wrong' in Guild Wars, because skills and attribute points can be changed anytime when in town, so don't be afraid to experiment.

Enjoy and welcome to the game!

Also, take a look at this introduction thread.

Gunnar Ironbow · Jan 31, 2010, 03:24 PM // 15:24

Well
Id start by buying ALL campaigns at once,much more content and skills and proffessions

You are able to get up to 8 or 10 charcters by purchasing all campaigns.

There is Districts for towns and outposts
You may switch districts at any time and will not effect your character at all

Play the trial first In m opinion

If you ever need help
PM me in game

IGN: Gunnar Ironbow

Eragon Zarroc · Jan 31, 2010, 03:35 PM // 15:35

8max characters with all campaigns. 4 characters with one. can purchase multiple more char slots if u need. yes, only one server but multiple districts for different languages and countries. u should do a trial ;-)

NinthLife · Jan 31, 2010, 03:39 PM // 15:39

Nice! Thanks for the quick replies. As far as quitting early, tedium doesnt bother me. I love focusing on difficult tasks and I am a firm believer that the more difficult the journey, the sweeter the arrival at the desired destination.

There are only a couple things that may turn me off. 1, cartoony type characters which from the screenshots Ive seen GW doesnt have and a horrible and unmanageable user interface. As long as the interface is somewhat streamline and can be customized in some fashion it seems like a game Ill certainly enjoy.

Thanks so much for the warm welcome and I will certainly PM you Gunnar if only to say hello. I try to work through things on my own and exhaust all options before I ask for help.

Arduin · Jan 31, 2010, 03:56 PM // 15:56

The UI can be customized to a certain extent, press F11 ingame and drag and resize all parts of the UI.

Stealth Bomberman · Jan 31, 2010, 05:27 PM // 17:27

start with factions. ull get 3x as much xp then someone who starts in prophecies.

tealspikes · Jan 31, 2010, 05:59 PM // 17:59

nah start with prophecies, it will ease you into the game much better than factions.

Earth · Jan 31, 2010, 06:02 PM // 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealth Bomberman

start with factions. ull get 3x as much xp then someone who starts in prophecies.

This is terrible advice. The learning curve in Factions is much steeper than in Prophecies and Nightfall.

Yes, you'll be level 20 much quicker than someone who starts in Prophecies, but you'll also have to learn things much faster. Nightfall and Prophecies are the best campaigns for a new player, with Nightfall slightly ahead in this aspect, in my opinion.

Arduin · Jan 31, 2010, 06:39 PM // 18:39

Another advice: ignore most advice given to you...

Verene · Jan 31, 2010, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Necros can be interesting and do require some skill. Once you get playing one down, it'll feel like it doesn't require any skill to do, but you don't get to that point the first time you create your first-ever character.

Anyway, for a first character, I would recommend starting in Prophecies, maybe Nightfall. Factions is great for levelling fast, but the difficulty curve can be very steep. Prophecies is also better for unlocking skills at the start - you're not going to have the money nor the skill points to buy skills, but you'll be able to unlock them by doing quests. You'll be able to get armor and weapons from collectors, too, instead of spending much money on it. There is also the option, if you're interested in PvP, to create a level 20 PvP-only character, and you can also unlock skills using Balthazar faction gained that way.

There's also a wiki that can be accessed in-game at any point by hitting F10. It can be pretty handy if you're stumped on a particular quest or mission.

You'll have multiple character slots, so don't be afraid to play around and try out various professions. And while the primary profession on a character is locked in place, the secondary profession can be changed after a certain point in the game. You can change your attribute setup and skill bar in any town/outpost without penalty.

It's difficult to play the game wrong, possibly impossible. Very few decisions you are actually locked into. Just play through, have fun, and you'll learn as you go.

RorripopRane · Jan 31, 2010, 07:49 PM // 19:49

Yeah I'd never start with Factions, not only for the same reasons mentioned before but because of how embarrassing the storyline and voice actors are >_<

As someone who started with Nightfall, I recommend Prophecies first (and then Nightfall, and then Factions). If you start with Nightfall, that's fine too, Prophecies will just seem slow to anyone who has played a campaign's worth.

Good luck and welcome to GW!

glacialphoenix · Feb 01, 2010, 07:21 AM // 07:21

First, welcome to the game! (:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arduin

My advise is to indeed play a Necro if you think you'll enjoy it, but also try a few other professions for some time. You can't do anything 'wrong' in Guild Wars, because skills and attribute points can be changed anytime when in town, so don't be afraid to experiment.

This, very much. You have a few character slots to play around with; feel free to use them and experiment with the possibilities.

Things to note: The game begins at Level 20; of the three campaigns, Prophecies is by far the slowest (and hence IMO the most newbie-friendly since it doesn't have such a steep learning curve), so don't assume that getting to level 20 is it. Even after you finish the main storyline, there's tons of stuff to do.

Re which campaign: I honestly think that Prophecies is the most enjoyable for a first-timer; it also helps because you have skill quests - that is, quests that reward you with a couple of skills for your primary or secondary profession. Factions and Nightfall generally require you to pay for them, which can seem pretty daunting an expense for a first-time character. There's also the amount you need for max armour, which, while isn't all that much for a relatively established player, can again seem like quite a hefty expense when it's your first time. My advice would be to think about what kind of stuff you actually need on your equipment in advance, and save those when you pick them up. Not having to buy runes/insignia/etc can save you a lot of money if the stuff you're eyeing is on the somewhat more expensive side (e.g. vigor runes.) It ought to mitigate the cost of starting out a bit. (:

End · Feb 01, 2010, 08:19 AM // 08:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth

but you'll also have to learn things much faster

This in my mind is why I recommend factions...I guess I was never one for learning things slowly...I learned in factions...and went back to proph...the only thing I could think was....why would they put someone through such a long learning process...I guy I just like things quick

(speaking of if anyone...err never mind)

*Darcy* · Feb 01, 2010, 12:30 PM // 12:30

Even if you know which profession you want to be, make sure to do all the profession try-out quests before choosing your secondary profession. The free skills you unlock for your account will be useful in the future when you can change your secondary at will and also can be used by the heroes you will get from Nightfall and Eye of the North.

Make sure to read the Necro subforum in our Campfire section. The stickied basics thread will give you a lot of information about your chosen profession.

Welcome to a great game. You will love the artwork.

Tommy's · Feb 01, 2010, 12:54 PM // 12:54

If you buy one chapter only you should think of which one you want to buy.
Prophecies: The longest chapter (most boring aswell imo:P) ment to be the first and I guess the hardest as you don't got any heroes yet. Armors look ok, no inscr weapons but can buy them from other players, no high rewards.
Factions: The shortest chapter (most fun imo), lvl 20 very quickly and henchman aswell. Best looking armor, no inscr weapons but again, you can buy them from other players, high reward quests, getting money quickly.
Nightfall: the most balanced of the 3 I guess, inscripable weapons which is quite nice. Heroes are alot of help. Also I think the most people these days are playing nightfall, seconded with factions.

As for profession it depends on your play style. I tend to love characters that require some reaction time, like monk (healing) ranger (interupting) and mesmer (interupting aswell). Elementist I find very boring, because it's mostly nuking and I find that all the same, maybe others can tell you more about ele's as I never liked playing them so didnt play m too much. Necro is alot of fun, but not for too long. Being an minionmaster is very boring, being a curser is nice for as long it lasts. Warrior is fun too, because it's a real fighting character and that way your really into the battle. Ritualist I find boring, Paragon aswell as their builds are very limited, dervish never played, assassin fun every once a while. My advice for a first timer is a Ranger, my second fav prof but best to start with imo. But everyone is different so can't decide for you, try a few characters in the beginning and continue playing them and see which you like most. I would pick 4 from Ranger, Monk, Warrior, Necro, Elementalist.

Good luck, and hope we can welcome you to the game!

Silmar Alech · Feb 01, 2010, 03:11 PM // 15:11

I recommend:

start in Nightfall with the character you deem most suitable from the ingame descriptions. Use the customizable heros you get while playing through the storyline.
just play the game
don't look into forums or wikis for the first 2 weeks for advice on "how to play". Find out how to play for yourself by making mistakes. No mistakes = no learning curve.
there is no decision you cannot correct at a later stage of the game. The only irrevocable decicision you make is that of your primary class. And if you don't like your primary class, create an additional character - you have 8 character slots to fill if you buy all of the campaigns. You can change your secondary profession (after a certain point in the storyline), you can buy every skill available, you can unlock every hero available, you can play each and every mission regardless what storyline-split you took during your first walkthrough, you can travel and play through every campaign with every character regardless of his starting campaign.
Don't look for advice before you played a bit. Just play the game. If you have a specific question, first look for the answer in the wiki (press F10 to open it).
find a beginner-friendly guild who help you with the more difficult missions near the end of each campaign
the challenge really starts after you reach level 20. Everything below level 20 can be considered "tutorial". In Prophecies this tutorial part of the storyline is a bit too long, in Factions it is way too short, and in Nightfall it is just the right length.

Jan 31, 2010, 03:11 PM // 15:11	#1
NinthLife Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Jan 2010	Thinking of trying things out! Any suggestions to start? Still subscribed to another MMO atm but after 1800 days I think it may be time for me to kinda settle down on that one. Did some research and after 4 years this one is still getting high marks in the reviews. Thought I might give this game a shot and see if I like it. Checking the professions, necromancer seems exceptionally interesting so I thought I might start with that profession. Reading about it says that it takes alot of skill and patience which is the only way I like it!! Any thoughts or suggestions for a new player starting Guild Wars for the first time in the next couple of days? Also had a couple questions that so far I havent been able to find answers to. Are we allowed more than one character? If so how many? Is there really only one sever? /cheers!

Feb 01, 2010, 12:30 PM // 12:30	#16
Darcy Never Too Old Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rhode Island where there are no GW contests Guild: Order of First Profession: W/R	Even if you know which profession you want to be, make sure to do all the profession try-out quests before choosing your secondary profession. The free skills you unlock for your account will be useful in the future when you can change your secondary at will and also can be used by the heroes you will get from Nightfall and Eye of the North. Make sure to read the Necro subforum in our Campfire section. The stickied basics thread will give you a lot of information about your chosen profession. Welcome to a great game. You will love the artwork. __________________ That's me, the old stick-in-the-mud non-fun moderator. (and non-understanding, also)

Feb 01, 2010, 03:11 PM // 15:11	#18
Silmar Alech Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Europe Guild: Tom Son [TS] Profession: E/	I recommend: start in Nightfall with the character you deem most suitable from the ingame descriptions. Use the customizable heros you get while playing through the storyline. just play the game don't look into forums or wikis for the first 2 weeks for advice on "how to play". Find out how to play for yourself by making mistakes. No mistakes = no learning curve. there is no decision you cannot correct at a later stage of the game. The only irrevocable decicision you make is that of your primary class. And if you don't like your primary class, create an additional character - you have 8 character slots to fill if you buy all of the campaigns. You can change your secondary profession (after a certain point in the storyline), you can buy every skill available, you can unlock every hero available, you can play each and every mission regardless what storyline-split you took during your first walkthrough, you can travel and play through every campaign with every character regardless of his starting campaign. Don't look for advice before you played a bit. Just play the game. If you have a specific question, first look for the answer in the wiki (press F10 to open it). find a beginner-friendly guild who help you with the more difficult missions near the end of each campaign the challenge really starts after you reach level 20. Everything below level 20 can be considered "tutorial". In Prophecies this tutorial part of the storyline is a bit too long, in Factions it is way too short, and in Nightfall it is just the right length. Last edited by Silmar Alech; Feb 01, 2010 at 03:15 PM // 15:15..

Jan 31, 2010, 03:19 PM // 15:19	#2
Olle Furnace Stoker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ign: Miniature Julia Guild: Teh Academy[PhD] Profession: W/	Dont stop play just cuz you think its booring in the beginning , the "real" fun starts a bit later in the game Try to get into a guild, and play with Guildies&allies, which makes it(imo) alot more fun!

Jan 31, 2010, 03:21 PM // 15:21	#3
Arduin Grotto Attendant Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Netherlands Guild: Limburgse Jagers [LJ] Profession: R/	With only one campaign bought, you will have access to 4 character slots. You can buy other campaigns and link them to your original one, increasing the amount of character slots, and enabling characters to adventure on into the other campaigns. You can also buy character slots at the in game store. Guild Wars doesn't have separate servers. You can play with anyone you want, as long as you meet with each other in the same district. When you go out of town an instanced just for you and your party is created. My advise is to indeed play a Necro if you think you'll enjoy it, but also try a few other professions for some time. You can't do anything 'wrong' in Guild Wars, because skills and attribute points can be changed anytime when in town, so don't be afraid to experiment. Enjoy and welcome to the game! Also, take a look at this introduction thread.

Jan 31, 2010, 03:24 PM // 15:24	#4
Gunnar Ironbow Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Dec 2009 Guild: KISS Profession: R/Rt	Well Id start by buying ALL campaigns at once,much more content and skills and proffessions You are able to get up to 8 or 10 charcters by purchasing all campaigns. There is Districts for towns and outposts You may switch districts at any time and will not effect your character at all Play the trial first In m opinion If you ever need help PM me in game IGN: Gunnar Ironbow

Jan 31, 2010, 03:35 PM // 15:35	#5
Eragon Zarroc Atra estern?? ono thelduin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madness Incarnate Guild: [Duo] Profession: W/P	8max characters with all campaigns. 4 characters with one. can purchase multiple more char slots if u need. yes, only one server but multiple districts for different languages and countries. u should do a trial ;-)

Jan 31, 2010, 03:39 PM // 15:39	#6
NinthLife Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Jan 2010	Nice! Thanks for the quick replies. As far as quitting early, tedium doesnt bother me. I love focusing on difficult tasks and I am a firm believer that the more difficult the journey, the sweeter the arrival at the desired destination. There are only a couple things that may turn me off. 1, cartoony type characters which from the screenshots Ive seen GW doesnt have and a horrible and unmanageable user interface. As long as the interface is somewhat streamline and can be customized in some fashion it seems like a game Ill certainly enjoy. Thanks so much for the warm welcome and I will certainly PM you Gunnar if only to say hello. I try to work through things on my own and exhaust all options before I ask for help.

Jan 31, 2010, 03:56 PM // 15:56	#7
Arduin Grotto Attendant Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Netherlands Guild: Limburgse Jagers [LJ] Profession: R/	The UI can be customized to a certain extent, press F11 ingame and drag and resize all parts of the UI.

Jan 31, 2010, 05:27 PM // 17:27	#8
Stealth Bomberman Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Oct 2008	start with factions. ull get 3x as much xp then someone who starts in prophecies.

Jan 31, 2010, 05:59 PM // 17:59	#9
tealspikes Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Jul 2009	nah start with prophecies, it will ease you into the game much better than factions.

Jan 31, 2010, 06:39 PM // 18:39	#11
Arduin Grotto Attendant Join Date: May 2005 Location: The Netherlands Guild: Limburgse Jagers [LJ] Profession: R/	Another advice: ignore most advice given to you...

Jan 31, 2010, 07:17 PM // 19:17	#12
Verene Furnace Stoker Join Date: Jan 2009 Guild: [SOTA] Profession: D/	Necros can be interesting and do require some skill. Once you get playing one down, it'll feel like it doesn't require any skill to do, but you don't get to that point the first time you create your first-ever character. Anyway, for a first character, I would recommend starting in Prophecies, maybe Nightfall. Factions is great for levelling fast, but the difficulty curve can be very steep. Prophecies is also better for unlocking skills at the start - you're not going to have the money nor the skill points to buy skills, but you'll be able to unlock them by doing quests. You'll be able to get armor and weapons from collectors, too, instead of spending much money on it. There is also the option, if you're interested in PvP, to create a level 20 PvP-only character, and you can also unlock skills using Balthazar faction gained that way. There's also a wiki that can be accessed in-game at any point by hitting F10. It can be pretty handy if you're stumped on a particular quest or mission. You'll have multiple character slots, so don't be afraid to play around and try out various professions. And while the primary profession on a character is locked in place, the secondary profession can be changed after a certain point in the game. You can change your attribute setup and skill bar in any town/outpost without penalty. It's difficult to play the game wrong, possibly impossible. Very few decisions you are actually locked into. Just play through, have fun, and you'll learn as you go.

Jan 31, 2010, 07:49 PM // 19:49	#13
RorripopRane Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Dec 2009 Profession: N/Mo	Yeah I'd never start with Factions, not only for the same reasons mentioned before but because of how embarrassing the storyline and voice actors are >_< As someone who started with Nightfall, I recommend Prophecies first (and then Nightfall, and then Factions). If you start with Nightfall, that's fine too, Prophecies will just seem slow to anyone who has played a campaign's worth. Good luck and welcome to GW!

Feb 01, 2010, 12:54 PM // 12:54	#17
Tommy's Furnace Stoker Join Date: Dec 2006 Guild: [Bone] Profession: Mo/	If you buy one chapter only you should think of which one you want to buy. Prophecies: The longest chapter (most boring aswell imo:P) ment to be the first and I guess the hardest as you don't got any heroes yet. Armors look ok, no inscr weapons but can buy them from other players, no high rewards. Factions: The shortest chapter (most fun imo), lvl 20 very quickly and henchman aswell. Best looking armor, no inscr weapons but again, you can buy them from other players, high reward quests, getting money quickly. Nightfall: the most balanced of the 3 I guess, inscripable weapons which is quite nice. Heroes are alot of help. Also I think the most people these days are playing nightfall, seconded with factions. As for profession it depends on your play style. I tend to love characters that require some reaction time, like monk (healing) ranger (interupting) and mesmer (interupting aswell). Elementist I find very boring, because it's mostly nuking and I find that all the same, maybe others can tell you more about ele's as I never liked playing them so didnt play m too much. Necro is alot of fun, but not for too long. Being an minionmaster is very boring, being a curser is nice for as long it lasts. Warrior is fun too, because it's a real fighting character and that way your really into the battle. Ritualist I find boring, Paragon aswell as their builds are very limited, dervish never played, assassin fun every once a while. My advice for a first timer is a Ranger, my second fav prof but best to start with imo. But everyone is different so can't decide for you, try a few characters in the beginning and continue playing them and see which you like most. I would pick 4 from Ranger, Monk, Warrior, Necro, Elementalist. Good luck, and hope we can welcome you to the game!