Suggestions for Someone Starting Fresh - Guild Wars Forums

Tenser · Feb 08, 2011, 01:52 PM // 13:52

I've owned Prophecies since it was first released, but have barely played it at all. I recently felt the urge to get into this game in earnest, but was wondering if there is anything major I need to know. For example:

-- Any do's and dont's that a new player might need to know about.
-- Is there a "best" class to start for my very first character? (Possibly a class that's easier on noobs, and/or will allow me to participate in the widest range of content available.)
-- Is it best to solo at the very beginning? So that maybe I can better take in the story (since this will be my first time through the game)? Or should I start looking for a guild, and friends to play with right off the bat?

Just general things like that. Anything that will inform me, and make my first experience with this game as enjoyable as possible.

Thanks in advance!

DeanBB · Feb 08, 2011, 02:21 PM // 14:21

When I started long ago I rolled one of each toon and took it through the intro area, just to get a basic feel for each class. Then I picked four that I liked and played them further. Since you have multiple character slots you might try that. I'd say play what you enjoy rather than what anyone else recommends or is in demand. With only Prophecies it doesn't matter much anyway.

Black and white dye is valuable so don't be scammed into selling it for 25 gold. An early quest in Old Ascalon gives you what looks like a worthless off-hand item with a -50 health penalty. That too is valuable. Look around the stickies here or on the wiki for other scams or advice on things to hold onto.

I'd say find a guild as soon as you can, even if you want to go solo for a while. That will connect you to a community where you can ask questions in Alliance Chat and (hopefully) provide a forum where you can ask newb questions without fear of being flamed or overwhelmed with elitism. Look us up if interested.

I'd say take it slow and enjoy the game, the world, the story. Level 20 gets here soon enough so there's no need to rush and skip content. If you add EOTN or Nightfall you'll get heroes, which are like henchmen that you equip and pick their skills, which makes things much more enjoyable. Not to mention the added skills and content.

There's more I'm sure, but others will chime in.

AriaSilverfyre · Feb 08, 2011, 02:23 PM // 14:23

While not absolutely necessary, joining a guild does have its advantages. You will meet new people who can (hopefully) help you out when you need it. I've found that random PuGs are often very much hit or miss. You might finish the mission or quest, you might not.

As far as a class to start with, I would advise against monk. Nothing wrong with the class in general (I enjoy playing my monk), but it is a bit harder to play from the start. Other than that, go with what sounds best to you. All the classes are fun (I'm partial to rangers).

Once you've gotten started in Proph, I suggest spending as much time in Pre-Searing as possible. Do all the quests and explore until you reach around level 8-10. That will help you once you reach the main portion of the game.

If you need any help with anything, feel free to look me up (IGN: Aria Silverfyre) and I'll do what I can. ^^

HigherMinion · Feb 08, 2011, 02:42 PM // 14:42

e/mo with heal breeze and rebirth; lots of fire magic big nukes in pre.....

^Avoid all that.

Necros are the best class, and I'd say have the widest variety of good positions in a useful team. You can try your hand at healing if you want; Minion Mastery, spam hexes or Blood Orders.

Rangers suck, warriors are meh, monks suck(as a first character, I wouldnt' recommend anyway), mesmers suck(gimimick role for PvE, no real use), ele is good early PvE, then you need to learn to use support bars for Hard Mode (let's say half-suck), then necro is 1337.

I may have a biased view, but... Idc

Olle · Feb 08, 2011, 02:45 PM // 14:45

What is your in game name? i can help you start again, (not rushing you into the further game) telling you what you should know, and answer your questions
my ign is Oscar The lord, pm me!

Ghengis Kwell · Feb 08, 2011, 02:47 PM // 14:47

Best class is one that you feel comfortable playing and have fun with , as said joining a guild is not necesary but if you get a half decent one you will get advice and help on stuff like builds/skills and help with the more difficult missions at your level .

Get yourself an Identification kit and ID everything you get to get its true worth when you sell it to a merchant you can never have too much gold !

Use the internet! search here for help with mission/quests/items search here for advice on builds you can use once you get the right skills.
search here to find out if any gold weapons you get are worth anything.

Above all take your time and enjoy the game! if you need a guild or just some help in game give me a shout.

IGN <<<<<<<<

Roen · Feb 08, 2011, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Most people you will group with will want to skip cut scenes. So if you're interested in watching them or enjoying the story in that way, go solo or find another way. The wiki has the dialogue of all the cut scenes.

TheGizzy · Feb 08, 2011, 04:26 PM // 16:26

My hubby and I just started playing in October, and we're loving it! Some of the stuff we've learned (sometimes the hard way LOL):

1. You're not locked into anything. Try out each class if you want. If you don't like it, just start a new one! Not all of the classes play quite the way you might expect based on other games... so it's usually a good idea to try and get a feel for how they work in this specific game. Hubby did a ranger and I did an elementalist as our first toons. We've stuck with them. I've finished Prophecies, Nightfall & EotN and am working on Factions. I play in Hard Mode a lot as an elementalist now, and I've learned how to deal with the fact that I'm not quite the nuclear bomb in HM that I can be in in Normal Mode. Every class has its challenges and its advantages... and honestly, I think you have to kind of learn them for yourself.

2. Stay in pre-searing until you are ready to leave. Don't let anyone push you into switching to post-searing until you're ready. I was really taken aback by post-searing... and then I couldn't wait to get the heck away from Ascalon because it was sooooooooo dreary and dead looking. I still hate going back there for Zaishen missions.

If I had the choice to make again (and if I'd been on my own and hadn't had my husband and my best friend with me to make the "transition" a bit easier), I'd have kept my first toon in pre-searing a while longer. As it is, I stayed until I was level 12... but I think I'd have made a second toon and brought IT to post-searing to test the waters before bringing my beloved elementalist over. I may just be oversensitive, but post-searing was really a shock to my sensibilities.

3. Make liberal use of this forum and the Wiki. There's an alternate version of the Wiki here in case the official one is down for some reason. I pretty much always have my browser open to the Wiki and to Guru if I'm playing so I can look things up immediately.

4. In pre-searing, things like black & white dyes, and the gifts from Nick are definitely desirable. When you're in Ascalon, hit "P" on your keyboard and look at the first tab there to see what people are buying/selling these items for. Don't sell your dyes (any of them) to the merchant. Other players will buy them, or you can save them for post-searing to dye your armors & weapons.

5. Get better armor. And save up your crafting materials so that when you do get to post-searing, you can get still better armor.

6. You'll see people posting "LFGM 50g" or some such. There's a section in pre-searing where it takes two people to get into the area. One to open the gate, the other to walk through. One person can't do both. A "gate monkey" is someone who opens the gate. The person walking through usually wants the "gate monkey" to leave the party as soon as the job is done. Sometimes they want you to map-travel as soon as you pull the lever, sometimes they want you to map-travel once they're actually through the gate, and sometimes (rare) they're willing to let you come along with them and earn XP/get drops. ASK what they want. "Do you want me to wait until you're through or to leave as soon as I pull the lever?" Generally, they're going to OFFER if they're willing to have you stick around (aka "leech").

7. If you're going to get into a party with someone for adventuring, even within a guild, let them know that you're new and that you'll want to watch the cinematics. This is all new to you, and you should be able to take your time getting through the content. I don't think anyone really needs a guild in pre-searing and everything there is designed to be able to be accomplished solo. Much of post-searing can be solo'ed as well. Technically, all of it CAN be solo'ed, but several of the missions can be very very very difficult to solo, especially the first time through. Henchmen help somewhat, heroes help more (need Nightfall or EotN to get heroes), friends to play with help the most. You have plenty of time to make those friends before you'll be faced with those missions.

8. You may want to know about this or about this before you begin playing. I've heard a few people wish they knew about those right from the start, especially the first... I probably would have worked on LDOA right away if I had known about it, but I'm ok with having skipped it and have just started a Survivor toon instead. My husband is working on LDOA now - I think he's crazy. LOL

9. Understand that there is a LOT to learn about this game... and that you won't learn it all overnight, or in a week, or even in a month. There's a lot of information out there, and it can become overwhelming. There's also probably going to be times when you read about something and think, "that doesn't make any sense." It will, once you're able to put it into context... and sometimes that means "not until it's actually staring you in the face." That's ok... be ready for that to happen, it's normal. LOL Ultimately, this is a game... and it's supposed to be fun. If something isn't fun for you, don't do it. People thought it was bizarre that I was staying in pre-searing until I was level 12 but wasn't going for LDOA. Killing charr was FUN for me... death-leveling was not. I spent weeks just merrily killing charr over and over again because I LIKED it! My game, MY way. Play your game YOUR way!!

Tenser · Feb 08, 2011, 08:32 PM // 20:32

Thanks so much for all the help everyone. Really appreciate it.

My characters are:

Tensala Vrae
Tenser Kas

Feel free to add me as a friend, and also, maybe I can join one of your guilds. I wish I could join them all, but I'll definitely jump into a guild with one of you guys.

Star_Jewel · Feb 08, 2011, 10:31 PM // 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGizzy

People thought it was bizarre that I was staying in pre-searing until I was level 12 but wasn't going for LDOA. Killing charr was FUN for me... death-leveling was not. I spent weeks just merrily killing charr over and over again because I LIKED it! My game, MY way. Play your game YOUR way!!

Gizzy's advice was all really sound, but I want to emphasize the above. If you enjoy the Pre-Searing part, stay as long as you like. But don't feel locked in to staying until level 12+ unless you enjoy doing the same (limited) content over and over and over and over. Level 7-9 would be a "natural" point for leaving -- you've likely done all the quests by then, explored the area, and can definitely handle the post-searing content.

Use henchmen. The game (post-searing) is not designed to be played "solo" -- just you in the party. If you don't group up with human players, always add NPC henchmen (or heroes, if you eventually get Nightfall or Eye of the North).

I personally would advise against attempting a Survivor with one's first character. Part of learning the game involves dying -- I don't think there's a way around it. You'll just drive yourself crazy trying to go for the title from the start. While Rank 1 Survivor is totally possible once you know what you're doing, only having Prophecies could make Rank 2 and Rank 3 quite challenging -- you'll need the know-how to overcome that.

Legendary Defender of Ascalon for a first character has its pros and cons.
Pro: It can be a wonderful basis upon which a pioneering character can build God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals.
Con: I'm not sure GWAMM is even possible with a Prophecies-only account.
Con: It can take months doing the same thing over and over, depriving you of the experience of 99% of the rest of the game. That's not "playing Guild Wars" -- that's "grinding Guild Wars."

You can always create a second character to play alternately and go for LDoA on that one, but I wouldn't focus on it as your first, sole character.
But, as said above, if you like to take things slowly, and really enjoy the 1% that is Pre-Searing, go for it.

As said, this is YOUR game.

Lastly, if you made any characters back in the day, they should have some birthday gifts on them. Check their inventories. Some of your minis will sell for quite a bit of money in game. Skim the last few pages of our Price Check thread (don't go by the outdated list on the first page!) to determine the current value of what you have. This could fund your new adventures.

Ikoras · Feb 09, 2011, 02:03 PM // 14:03

Ya, i did the same thing as the Op. Bought at release and never played. Started back last year and One thing I've found most useful is all the other expansions. Leveling in Prof can be really boring and long. I can solo everything outside of elite missions but couldn't do it w/o heroes (with the exception of farming). Right now the easiest and most effective way to PvE solo (IMO) is the discord hero setup and your main being a Spirit Farmer (preferably N/rt or Rt/any). Use Wiki for guides for PvE related content and builds. I'm not a fan of their PvP builds but they are a good guideline until you understand what works, what doesn't work and what needs to work. Guilds I guess can be helpful but aren't needed.

Urcscumug · Feb 10, 2011, 08:35 AM // 08:35

The only advice you need: play the game, read the wiki and just enjoy yourself.

Do it with friends for mega-fun. If you don't have buddies that play the game just pair with random strangers, talk to people in outposts, you'd be surprised what friends you might make that way. Or join a guild, any guild as long as you like their description and they seem active.

And stop asking others for advice on how to play GW, seriously.

People tend to get all technical, offer their personal point of view, give spoilers etc. Even if you do something really silly it's best if you do it yourself and learn from it.

Feb 08, 2011, 01:52 PM // 13:52	#1
Tenser Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Feb 2011	Suggestions for Someone Starting Fresh I've owned Prophecies since it was first released, but have barely played it at all. I recently felt the urge to get into this game in earnest, but was wondering if there is anything major I need to know. For example: -- Any do's and dont's that a new player might need to know about. -- Is there a "best" class to start for my very first character? (Possibly a class that's easier on noobs, and/or will allow me to participate in the widest range of content available.) -- Is it best to solo at the very beginning? So that maybe I can better take in the story (since this will be my first time through the game)? Or should I start looking for a guild, and friends to play with right off the bat? Just general things like that. Anything that will inform me, and make my first experience with this game as enjoyable as possible. Thanks in advance!

Feb 08, 2011, 02:21 PM // 14:21	#2
DeanBB Forge Runner Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Arizona Guild: Wizardry Players Guild, http://4guildwars.7.forumer.com	When I started long ago I rolled one of each toon and took it through the intro area, just to get a basic feel for each class. Then I picked four that I liked and played them further. Since you have multiple character slots you might try that. I'd say play what you enjoy rather than what anyone else recommends or is in demand. With only Prophecies it doesn't matter much anyway. Black and white dye is valuable so don't be scammed into selling it for 25 gold. An early quest in Old Ascalon gives you what looks like a worthless off-hand item with a -50 health penalty. That too is valuable. Look around the stickies here or on the wiki for other scams or advice on things to hold onto. I'd say find a guild as soon as you can, even if you want to go solo for a while. That will connect you to a community where you can ask questions in Alliance Chat and (hopefully) provide a forum where you can ask newb questions without fear of being flamed or overwhelmed with elitism. Look us up if interested. I'd say take it slow and enjoy the game, the world, the story. Level 20 gets here soon enough so there's no need to rush and skip content. If you add EOTN or Nightfall you'll get heroes, which are like henchmen that you equip and pick their skills, which makes things much more enjoyable. Not to mention the added skills and content. There's more I'm sure, but others will chime in.

Feb 08, 2011, 02:23 PM // 14:23	#3
AriaSilverfyre Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Aug 2006 Guild: The Gryphons Aerie [Rest] Profession: R/	While not absolutely necessary, joining a guild does have its advantages. You will meet new people who can (hopefully) help you out when you need it. I've found that random PuGs are often very much hit or miss. You might finish the mission or quest, you might not. As far as a class to start with, I would advise against monk. Nothing wrong with the class in general (I enjoy playing my monk), but it is a bit harder to play from the start. Other than that, go with what sounds best to you. All the classes are fun (I'm partial to rangers). Once you've gotten started in Proph, I suggest spending as much time in Pre-Searing as possible. Do all the quests and explore until you reach around level 8-10. That will help you once you reach the main portion of the game. If you need any help with anything, feel free to look me up (IGN: Aria Silverfyre) and I'll do what I can. ^^

Feb 08, 2011, 02:42 PM // 14:42	#4
HigherMinion Forge Runner Join Date: May 2008 Location: East Anglia, UK Guild: Order of [Thay] Profession: N/	e/mo with heal breeze and rebirth; lots of fire magic big nukes in pre..... ^Avoid all that. Necros are the best class, and I'd say have the widest variety of good positions in a useful team. You can try your hand at healing if you want; Minion Mastery, spam hexes or Blood Orders. Rangers suck, warriors are meh, monks suck(as a first character, I wouldnt' recommend anyway), mesmers suck(gimimick role for PvE, no real use), ele is good early PvE, then you need to learn to use support bars for Hard Mode (let's say half-suck), then necro is 1337. I may have a biased view, but... Idc

Feb 08, 2011, 02:45 PM // 14:45	#5
Olle Furnace Stoker Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ign: Miniature Julia Guild: Teh Academy[PhD] Profession: W/	What is your in game name? i can help you start again, (not rushing you into the further game) telling you what you should know, and answer your questions my ign is Oscar The lord, pm me!

Feb 08, 2011, 02:47 PM // 14:47	#6
Ghengis Kwell Baby Maker Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: UK Guild: Sent Fromhell Profession: D/W	Best class is one that you feel comfortable playing and have fun with , as said joining a guild is not necesary but if you get a half decent one you will get advice and help on stuff like builds/skills and help with the more difficult missions at your level . Get yourself an Identification kit and ID everything you get to get its true worth when you sell it to a merchant you can never have too much gold ! Use the internet! search here for help with mission/quests/items search here for advice on builds you can use once you get the right skills. search here to find out if any gold weapons you get are worth anything. Above all take your time and enjoy the game! if you need a guild or just some help in game give me a shout. IGN <<<<<<<<

Feb 08, 2011, 03:32 PM // 15:32	#7
Roen Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: GMT-5 Guild: [Nite] Profession: R/	Most people you will group with will want to skip cut scenes. So if you're interested in watching them or enjoying the story in that way, go solo or find another way. The wiki has the dialogue of all the cut scenes.

Feb 08, 2011, 04:26 PM // 16:26	#8
TheGizzy Krytan Explorer Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: A giant mitten Guild: TeAe Profession: E/R	My hubby and I just started playing in October, and we're loving it! Some of the stuff we've learned (sometimes the hard way LOL): 1. You're not locked into anything. Try out each class if you want. If you don't like it, just start a new one! Not all of the classes play quite the way you might expect based on other games... so it's usually a good idea to try and get a feel for how they work in this specific game. Hubby did a ranger and I did an elementalist as our first toons. We've stuck with them. I've finished Prophecies, Nightfall & EotN and am working on Factions. I play in Hard Mode a lot as an elementalist now, and I've learned how to deal with the fact that I'm not quite the nuclear bomb in HM that I can be in in Normal Mode. Every class has its challenges and its advantages... and honestly, I think you have to kind of learn them for yourself. 2. Stay in pre-searing until you are ready to leave. Don't let anyone push you into switching to post-searing until you're ready. I was really taken aback by post-searing... and then I couldn't wait to get the heck away from Ascalon because it was sooooooooo dreary and dead looking. I still hate going back there for Zaishen missions. If I had the choice to make again (and if I'd been on my own and hadn't had my husband and my best friend with me to make the "transition" a bit easier), I'd have kept my first toon in pre-searing a while longer. As it is, I stayed until I was level 12... but I think I'd have made a second toon and brought IT to post-searing to test the waters before bringing my beloved elementalist over. I may just be oversensitive, but post-searing was really a shock to my sensibilities. 3. Make liberal use of this forum and the Wiki. There's an alternate version of the Wiki here in case the official one is down for some reason. I pretty much always have my browser open to the Wiki and to Guru if I'm playing so I can look things up immediately. 4. In pre-searing, things like black & white dyes, and the gifts from Nick are definitely desirable. When you're in Ascalon, hit "P" on your keyboard and look at the first tab there to see what people are buying/selling these items for. Don't sell your dyes (any of them) to the merchant. Other players will buy them, or you can save them for post-searing to dye your armors & weapons. 5. Get better armor. And save up your crafting materials so that when you do get to post-searing, you can get still better armor. 6. You'll see people posting "LFGM 50g" or some such. There's a section in pre-searing where it takes two people to get into the area. One to open the gate, the other to walk through. One person can't do both. A "gate monkey" is someone who opens the gate. The person walking through usually wants the "gate monkey" to leave the party as soon as the job is done. Sometimes they want you to map-travel as soon as you pull the lever, sometimes they want you to map-travel once they're actually through the gate, and sometimes (rare) they're willing to let you come along with them and earn XP/get drops. ASK what they want. "Do you want me to wait until you're through or to leave as soon as I pull the lever?" Generally, they're going to OFFER if they're willing to have you stick around (aka "leech"). 7. If you're going to get into a party with someone for adventuring, even within a guild, let them know that you're new and that you'll want to watch the cinematics. This is all new to you, and you should be able to take your time getting through the content. I don't think anyone really needs a guild in pre-searing and everything there is designed to be able to be accomplished solo. Much of post-searing can be solo'ed as well. Technically, all of it CAN be solo'ed, but several of the missions can be very very very difficult to solo, especially the first time through. Henchmen help somewhat, heroes help more (need Nightfall or EotN to get heroes), friends to play with help the most. You have plenty of time to make those friends before you'll be faced with those missions. 8. You may want to know about this or about this before you begin playing. I've heard a few people wish they knew about those right from the start, especially the first... I probably would have worked on LDOA right away if I had known about it, but I'm ok with having skipped it and have just started a Survivor toon instead. My husband is working on LDOA now - I think he's crazy. LOL 9. Understand that there is a LOT to learn about this game... and that you won't learn it all overnight, or in a week, or even in a month. There's a lot of information out there, and it can become overwhelming. There's also probably going to be times when you read about something and think, "that doesn't make any sense." It will, once you're able to put it into context... and sometimes that means "not until it's actually staring you in the face." That's ok... be ready for that to happen, it's normal. LOL Ultimately, this is a game... and it's supposed to be fun. If something isn't fun for you, don't do it. People thought it was bizarre that I was staying in pre-searing until I was level 12 but wasn't going for LDOA. Killing charr was FUN for me... death-leveling was not. I spent weeks just merrily killing charr over and over again because I LIKED it! My game, MY way. Play your game YOUR way!!

Feb 08, 2011, 08:32 PM // 20:32	#9
Tenser Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Feb 2011	Thanks so much for all the help everyone. Really appreciate it. My characters are: Tensala Vrae Tenser Kas Feel free to add me as a friend, and also, maybe I can join one of your guilds. I wish I could join them all, but I'll definitely jump into a guild with one of you guys.

Feb 09, 2011, 02:03 PM // 14:03	#11
Ikoras Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Nov 2010 Guild: B A N E Profession: N/A	Ya, i did the same thing as the Op. Bought at release and never played. Started back last year and One thing I've found most useful is all the other expansions. Leveling in Prof can be really boring and long. I can solo everything outside of elite missions but couldn't do it w/o heroes (with the exception of farming). Right now the easiest and most effective way to PvE solo (IMO) is the discord hero setup and your main being a Spirit Farmer (preferably N/rt or Rt/any). Use Wiki for guides for PvE related content and builds. I'm not a fan of their PvP builds but they are a good guideline until you understand what works, what doesn't work and what needs to work. Guilds I guess can be helpful but aren't needed.

Feb 10, 2011, 08:35 AM // 08:35	#12
Urcscumug Krytan Explorer Join Date: Jan 2011 Guild: UNO Profession: W/	The only advice you need: play the game, read the wiki and just enjoy yourself. Do it with friends for mega-fun. If you don't have buddies that play the game just pair with random strangers, talk to people in outposts, you'd be surprised what friends you might make that way. Or join a guild, any guild as long as you like their description and they seem active. And stop asking others for advice on how to play GW, seriously. People tend to get all technical, offer their personal point of view, give spoilers etc. Even if you do something really silly it's best if you do it yourself and learn from it.