Qbic · Apr 18, 2013, 07:03 PM // 19:03

Dear ladies and gents,

I would like to buy a skillpack to make sure my heroes have some more skills.
I am a bit short on cash hence I will buy only one for the time being.
Which one should I buy? Core/Prophecies/Fac/NF/EON?

I am a new player so not that familiar yet with this extraordinary game.

Thanks upfront!

Schmerdro · Apr 19, 2013, 12:51 AM // 00:51

Well, you can unlock all of those skills for free if you have the respective campaign. It would take some time but, if you're having trouble with money, then I think it's worth it. This would allow you to save your money for more character slots, storage panes, mercenary hero slots, or costumes. Also, once a skill is unlocked on any of your characters, then that skill is forever unlocked on any hero of any character (on that account). So you only have to go through this process once.

But if you really want the convenience of a Skill Pack then I guess I would recommend:
1. Factions so you have access to most Ritualist skills, Psychic Instability, Discord, and Icy Veins.

2. Core will grant access to Protective Spirit, Shielding Hands, Energy Surge, Empathy, Cry of Frustration, Enfeebling Blood, and Death Nova.

3. Prophecies because it has Unyielding Aura and Panic.

4. Nightfall for Xinrae's Weapon, Shield of Absorption, and Mistrust.

5. EoTN last because it offers no elite skills and only 10 skills per profession.

Those skills that I mentioned were mostly to help me decide which campaign I consider to be more useful. Don't worry about it if you don't know what they do, yet.

Bristlebane · Apr 19, 2013, 06:02 AM // 06:02

I think part of the fun is to actually unlock them yourselves.
But if you still want to buy one, perhaps Prophecies as it can get a bit tedious to get to all remote places. Factions and Nightfall is shorter storylines and you get access to skills faster.

**cosyfiep** · Apr 19, 2013, 08:11 AM // 08:11

since you are new to the game, I would suggest :NONE, play the game, you will learn it much more in detail than if you use premade skill sets.

I recently bought a brand spankin' new account (with prophecies, factions and nightfall), since I have been playing for almost 8 years I know a bit about the game; that said, I still am going thru the process of unlocking the skills the old fashioned way--with a small twist. I found that if you start one of each profession (available in that chapter) you will unlock quick a few skills--some are not soo good, but others arent too bad....so what I did: started a warrior in nightfall...got them to kamadan, deleted them, started a monk.....etc, until I had a character I was planning on keeping, did the same thing in factions--got the character up to the first mission more or less--difference here was I played the character and tried all the 2ndary professions (didnt choose any), lastly I played a character in prophecies again starting with warrior (I never play warriors but you get Koss as the first hero in nightfall, so its a good thing to get him a few skills), again I played all the professions ending with one I was planning on playing thru the rest of the chapter with.
I ended up with a monk/necro from nightfall, a rit/ranger from factions and an ele/mes from prophecies (as well as a few other mule characters since its not my first account--I mainly use it for nic gifts and my collections).
I managed to unlock quite a few skills that way, and got to play a few characters that I would never probably play again.

so (short answer), play the game, forget about skill packs--especially if you plan to play factions or prophecies you wont get heroes for sometime and its better to learn the game.

Perkunas · Apr 20, 2013, 12:23 AM // 00:23

Where is that Like button? Very smart strategy cosy.

Mintha Syl · Apr 20, 2013, 07:08 PM // 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosyfiep

I found that if you start one of each profession (available in that chapter) you will unlock quick a few skills--some are not soo good, but others arent too bad

Oh yeah I did this too a while ago. Created a char of each profession and secondary in both factions and nightfall (tbh not sure about nightfall, since hardly any skills are freely given there), made them go through all the skill quests, made sure I had all the free skills you can get unlocked into my account, and deleted them.
Never did it for Proph since I already have at leats 1 char of each profession originating from there, but I guess that even creating one for that purpose would be a bit inconvenient since they're given through all the campaign till almost the end.

Another thing I did was buying all hero points skills in Elona, since they're practically free. That really unlocks a good number without needing to work on budget.

But yeah I'm with those who think you should get skills yourself, after all it's one of the main things to do in the game and having them already takes out the enjoyment.

Of course if you like pvp (I know it's quite dead now, as a last resource could always farm the npc formats) you can also unlock skills with Balthazar points, including the elites.

Qbic · Apr 21, 2013, 11:33 AM // 11:33

Stupid question maybe but can i unlock all skills on my charactet and heroes also or am I limited to the number of skills for which i have skillpoints?

Mintha Syl · Apr 21, 2013, 11:55 AM // 11:55

You are indeed limited to skill points when you buy them. But you get so many of them, that I doubt it's ever been a problem for anyone!

Schmerdro · Apr 21, 2013, 02:23 PM // 14:23

As you may know, you gain 1 Skill Point whenever you level up (even after you reached the maximum level 20) and for completing primary quests or missions for the first time. But, if you play the game normally, you should get far more Skill Points that you can really spend.

Later on, you may also need Skill Points to buy certain EoTN consumables, summoning stones, and the extremely expensive Envoy weapons. But, even then, you won't be worried about Skill Points.

Qbic · Apr 21, 2013, 09:24 PM // 21:24

Ok thanks for the help. I followed your advice and didn't buy a skill unlock pack. I decided to roll a paragon and I am having a blast. Would love to play more often but there is the female aggro issue *smirks*

Qbic · Apr 22, 2013, 07:34 AM // 07:34

Which instance/dungeon would you recommend for a new player? I am now trying to unlock as many heroes ad possible and skills also. Once that is sorted I would like to run sole dungeons but preferrably the easier ones first.
Thanks and sorry for all the questions.

Bristlebane · Apr 22, 2013, 10:58 AM // 10:58

If you didn't complete Nightfall storyline, I suggest you do that before considering any dungeons. Besides you would unlock DoA which can be the source of many riches.

Qbic · Apr 22, 2013, 12:22 PM // 12:22

My intention is to finish nightfall and eotn first. I was just wondering which is a fairly easy dungeon for a newbue.

Schmerdro · Apr 22, 2013, 06:59 PM // 18:59

The easiest dungeon is the Secret Lair of the Snowmen, but you have to collect 4 map pieces before you're allowed to do it (I usually try to buy them from other players). Some other good ones are Darkrime Delves, Raven's Point, Bogroot Growths (Giriff's War), Bloodstone Caves, Arachni's Haunt. As long as you have some minions, you should be ok in all of those.

And, just to be clear, dungeons are not part of the primary story (except for one of them, which is the Heart of the Shiverpeaks) and, since you're new to the game, I would recommend you go through the story-line in Nightfall (and maybe even Factions) before attempting EoTN because it is a little more difficult than the other 3 campaigns. And I would also recommend that you finish the EoTN primary quests before completing any dungeon (except for HoS, which is required) so that you can unlock a PvE-only skill called Light of Deldrimor, which will reveal hidden treasures inside a dungeon.

You're probably going to be using henchmen, since your heroes don't have many skills unlocked, but you should unlock a few caster heroes, at least to experiment with their builds. So I would suggest you go to the EoTN outpost to unlock Ogden (Monk), Vekk (Elementalist), and Gwen (Mesmer). If you want a Ritualist hero fast, then you should go a little more north to Gunnar's Hold and participate in the Norn Fighting Tournament until you defeat Xandra. Then go to Nightfall, in Consulate Docks, and pick up a quest from Dinja which will give you Olias (Necromancer). And then continue through the Nightfall campaign for more heroes and skills.

Bristlebane · Apr 23, 2013, 06:32 AM // 06:32

^ Fully agree with Schmero, bringing up many good points including Light of Deldrimor.

The best about this game when you're a new player is that there's so much new to explore and discover, something we elder player might envy lol. So ultimately that's what I think you should do, explore and discover your own path in game. Tyria awaits!

Oh.. did you collect your free 10 Zaishen keys yet? Every new account receives 50 tournament points which you can use for Z-Keys. Either you save them for later or sell them for about 6-7k *each*. Anyone trying to make you sell way cheaper are probably trying to scam you.

Qbic · Apr 23, 2013, 10:15 AM // 10:15

Thanks for all the tips and pointers. I did find out the hard way that heroes are not necessarily better than henchmen. I had my wee behind handed back to me a few times mainly during master quests. I am only level 8 and unlocked 2 heroes so far. I will play all 3 chapters before eotn so i am a bit mord prepared for the harder stuff. Been a while since a game had such a strong appeal to me. Thanks again for the friendly tips, the community is what makes or breaks an mmo imho.
Cheers

Mintha Syl · Apr 23, 2013, 12:58 PM // 12:58

Yes, you learnt a good lesson indeed

Heroes are only better when you have enough skills unlocked to give them good builds. But henchies already have complete builds appropriate enough to that content, so while you can't customize them, they're the best a new player can use. Keep in mind that many parts of the game were made for henchies only, those before heroes existed, and even the rest is made for teams with only a max of 3 heroes, since the 7 heroes patch is quite recent.

I'm happy you decided to keep eye for last, as intended. ^^ Nowadays most people tend to jump directly to it, but since it's the only expansion it's sortof end game content.

And I'm also happy you're liking the game so much!

Qbic · Apr 25, 2013, 11:38 AM // 11:38

Another question, does anyone know an active guild welcoming newbies in their ranks? I joined a guild but they are not really interested in newcomers.
Thanks upfront.

Bristlebane · Apr 25, 2013, 01:02 PM // 13:02

Try posting in the Looking for Guild section. Don't be discouraged that some guilds don't like new players, there are may that do. The game has had an influx of new players recent years, you should be able to find players with a similar experience to your own.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/l...uild-f266.html

Apr 18, 2013, 07:03 PM // 19:03	#1
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Skill Packs - which one to buy if can only buy one? Dear ladies and gents, I would like to buy a skillpack to make sure my heroes have some more skills. I am a bit short on cash hence I will buy only one for the time being. Which one should I buy? Core/Prophecies/Fac/NF/EON? I am a new player so not that familiar yet with this extraordinary game. Thanks upfront!

Apr 19, 2013, 08:11 AM // 08:11	#4
cosyfiep are we there yet? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: in a land far far away Guild: guild? I am supposed to have a guild? Profession: Rt/	since you are new to the game, I would suggest :NONE, play the game, you will learn it much more in detail than if you use premade skill sets. I recently bought a brand spankin' new account (with prophecies, factions and nightfall), since I have been playing for almost 8 years I know a bit about the game; that said, I still am going thru the process of unlocking the skills the old fashioned way--with a small twist. I found that if you start one of each profession (available in that chapter) you will unlock quick a few skills--some are not soo good, but others arent too bad....so what I did: started a warrior in nightfall...got them to kamadan, deleted them, started a monk.....etc, until I had a character I was planning on keeping, did the same thing in factions--got the character up to the first mission more or less--difference here was I played the character and tried all the 2ndary professions (didnt choose any), lastly I played a character in prophecies again starting with warrior (I never play warriors but you get Koss as the first hero in nightfall, so its a good thing to get him a few skills), again I played all the professions ending with one I was planning on playing thru the rest of the chapter with. I ended up with a monk/necro from nightfall, a rit/ranger from factions and an ele/mes from prophecies (as well as a few other mule characters since its not my first account--I mainly use it for nic gifts and my collections). I managed to unlock quite a few skills that way, and got to play a few characters that I would never probably play again. so (short answer), play the game, forget about skill packs--especially if you plan to play factions or prophecies you wont get heroes for sometime and its better to learn the game. __________________ where is the 'all you can eat' cookie bar?

Apr 19, 2013, 12:51 AM // 00:51	#2
Schmerdro Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Canada Profession: N/	Well, you can unlock all of those skills for free if you have the respective campaign. It would take some time but, if you're having trouble with money, then I think it's worth it. This would allow you to save your money for more character slots, storage panes, mercenary hero slots, or costumes. Also, once a skill is unlocked on any of your characters, then that skill is forever unlocked on any hero of any character (on that account). So you only have to go through this process once. But if you really want the convenience of a Skill Pack then I guess I would recommend: 1. Factions so you have access to most Ritualist skills, Psychic Instability, Discord, and Icy Veins. 2. Core will grant access to Protective Spirit, Shielding Hands, Energy Surge, Empathy, Cry of Frustration, Enfeebling Blood, and Death Nova. 3. Prophecies because it has Unyielding Aura and Panic. 4. Nightfall for Xinrae's Weapon, Shield of Absorption, and Mistrust. 5. EoTN last because it offers no elite skills and only 10 skills per profession. Those skills that I mentioned were mostly to help me decide which campaign I consider to be more useful. Don't worry about it if you don't know what they do, yet.

Apr 19, 2013, 06:02 AM // 06:02	#3
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	I think part of the fun is to actually unlock them yourselves. But if you still want to buy one, perhaps Prophecies as it can get a bit tedious to get to all remote places. Factions and Nightfall is shorter storylines and you get access to skills faster.

Apr 20, 2013, 12:23 AM // 00:23	#5
Perkunas Jungle Guide Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In my own little world, looking at yours Guild: Only Us[NotU] Profession: E/	Where is that Like button? Very smart strategy cosy.

Apr 21, 2013, 11:33 AM // 11:33	#7
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Stupid question maybe but can i unlock all skills on my charactet and heroes also or am I limited to the number of skills for which i have skillpoints?

Apr 21, 2013, 11:55 AM // 11:55	#8
Mintha Syl Desert Nomad Join Date: Apr 2010	You are indeed limited to skill points when you buy them. But you get so many of them, that I doubt it's ever been a problem for anyone!

Apr 21, 2013, 02:23 PM // 14:23	#9
Schmerdro Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Canada Profession: N/	As you may know, you gain 1 Skill Point whenever you level up (even after you reached the maximum level 20) and for completing primary quests or missions for the first time. But, if you play the game normally, you should get far more Skill Points that you can really spend. Later on, you may also need Skill Points to buy certain EoTN consumables, summoning stones, and the extremely expensive Envoy weapons. But, even then, you won't be worried about Skill Points.

Apr 21, 2013, 09:24 PM // 21:24	#10
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Ok thanks for the help. I followed your advice and didn't buy a skill unlock pack. I decided to roll a paragon and I am having a blast. Would love to play more often but there is the female aggro issue smirks

Apr 22, 2013, 07:34 AM // 07:34	#11
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Which instance/dungeon would you recommend for a new player? I am now trying to unlock as many heroes ad possible and skills also. Once that is sorted I would like to run sole dungeons but preferrably the easier ones first. Thanks and sorry for all the questions.

Apr 22, 2013, 10:58 AM // 10:58	#12
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	If you didn't complete Nightfall storyline, I suggest you do that before considering any dungeons. Besides you would unlock DoA which can be the source of many riches.

Apr 22, 2013, 12:22 PM // 12:22	#13
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	My intention is to finish nightfall and eotn first. I was just wondering which is a fairly easy dungeon for a newbue.

Apr 22, 2013, 06:59 PM // 18:59	#14
Schmerdro Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Canada Profession: N/	The easiest dungeon is the Secret Lair of the Snowmen, but you have to collect 4 map pieces before you're allowed to do it (I usually try to buy them from other players). Some other good ones are Darkrime Delves, Raven's Point, Bogroot Growths (Giriff's War), Bloodstone Caves, Arachni's Haunt. As long as you have some minions, you should be ok in all of those. And, just to be clear, dungeons are not part of the primary story (except for one of them, which is the Heart of the Shiverpeaks) and, since you're new to the game, I would recommend you go through the story-line in Nightfall (and maybe even Factions) before attempting EoTN because it is a little more difficult than the other 3 campaigns. And I would also recommend that you finish the EoTN primary quests before completing any dungeon (except for HoS, which is required) so that you can unlock a PvE-only skill called Light of Deldrimor, which will reveal hidden treasures inside a dungeon. You're probably going to be using henchmen, since your heroes don't have many skills unlocked, but you should unlock a few caster heroes, at least to experiment with their builds. So I would suggest you go to the EoTN outpost to unlock Ogden (Monk), Vekk (Elementalist), and Gwen (Mesmer). If you want a Ritualist hero fast, then you should go a little more north to Gunnar's Hold and participate in the Norn Fighting Tournament until you defeat Xandra. Then go to Nightfall, in Consulate Docks, and pick up a quest from Dinja which will give you Olias (Necromancer). And then continue through the Nightfall campaign for more heroes and skills.

Apr 23, 2013, 06:32 AM // 06:32	#15
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	^ Fully agree with Schmero, bringing up many good points including Light of Deldrimor. The best about this game when you're a new player is that there's so much new to explore and discover, something we elder player might envy lol. So ultimately that's what I think you should do, explore and discover your own path in game. Tyria awaits! Oh.. did you collect your free 10 Zaishen keys yet? Every new account receives 50 tournament points which you can use for Z-Keys. Either you save them for later or sell them for about 6-7k each. Anyone trying to make you sell way cheaper are probably trying to scam you.

Apr 23, 2013, 10:15 AM // 10:15	#16
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Thanks for all the tips and pointers. I did find out the hard way that heroes are not necessarily better than henchmen. I had my wee behind handed back to me a few times mainly during master quests. I am only level 8 and unlocked 2 heroes so far. I will play all 3 chapters before eotn so i am a bit mord prepared for the harder stuff. Been a while since a game had such a strong appeal to me. Thanks again for the friendly tips, the community is what makes or breaks an mmo imho. Cheers

Apr 23, 2013, 12:58 PM // 12:58	#17
Mintha Syl Desert Nomad Join Date: Apr 2010	Yes, you learnt a good lesson indeed Heroes are only better when you have enough skills unlocked to give them good builds. But henchies already have complete builds appropriate enough to that content, so while you can't customize them, they're the best a new player can use. Keep in mind that many parts of the game were made for henchies only, those before heroes existed, and even the rest is made for teams with only a max of 3 heroes, since the 7 heroes patch is quite recent. I'm happy you decided to keep eye for last, as intended. ^^ Nowadays most people tend to jump directly to it, but since it's the only expansion it's sortof end game content. And I'm also happy you're liking the game so much!

Apr 25, 2013, 11:38 AM // 11:38	#18
Qbic Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Apr 2013	Another question, does anyone know an active guild welcoming newbies in their ranks? I joined a guild but they are not really interested in newcomers. Thanks upfront.

Apr 25, 2013, 01:02 PM // 13:02	#19
Bristlebane Desert Nomad Join Date: Jan 2008 Profession: Mo/	Try posting in the Looking for Guild section. Don't be discouraged that some guilds don't like new players, there are may that do. The game has had an influx of new players recent years, you should be able to find players with a similar experience to your own. http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/l...uild-f266.html