Hello, Folks..Returning Player Here - Guild Wars Forums

Kern Wolf · Mar 17, 2011, 12:19 PM // 12:19

Hey folks.

Been away for about 2 years now, and looking to come back. Just wondering how the game and community are doing...are there still a lot of people playing, and groups to form across all 3 chapters and the expansion?

Matirion Maeronta · Mar 17, 2011, 01:17 PM // 13:17

Welcome back.

Alot of things have changed since 2 years ago, not in the least the recent embark beach update which makes finding a group easier (and a new trade spam hub that outdoes kamadan). It's reasonably easy to find a group for the endgame content, but less and less for the missions, making it harder for newer players. However, this was starting back in prophecies, so no surprise here.
There are a few important changes:
Hall of Monuments has a reward calculator now (hom.guildwars2.com). Alot of things jumped up in price. Going back down though.
7 hero parties are available. You can make custom heroes which look like your own characters too, need to pay money for that option though.
Embark beach for easy party finding for missions and teleports to those missions. Making people even more lazy as to not have to click the map...
Daily vanquish quests added to the other daily zaishen quests.
Dervish changed... around 90% of the skills were changed... So basically a new class.
Presearing (prophecies starting area, in case you forgot) has new daily quests that scale with the level of the lowest party member. They give 1k exp each time. In other news a skill seller (Almost useless, I must add... The skills you can buy are the ones you get from quests in presearing...) was added, together with an NPC to dedicate the Legendary Defender of Ascalon title or any other title while still in presearing.

That should sum the changes up, if I missed something important, please add it to this thread.

syronj · Mar 17, 2011, 02:55 PM // 14:55

I don't know if the War in Kryta campaign was around when you played last, but there's that, plus Gwen and Keiran got hitched; there was a "Hearts of the North" campaign. The "Winds of Change" campaign is coming for those who've finished "Factions".

Guild Wars 2 looks as if it will be great.

Hyaon · Mar 17, 2011, 05:13 PM // 17:13

looks..looks. all looks, no actual gameplay information. don't get bedazzled by looks!

Star_Jewel · Mar 17, 2011, 08:26 PM // 20:26

And depending on exactly how accurate "2 years away" is, you may or may not know about the Mesmer buff, the Assassin/Monk farming "nerfs", the Ritualist buff, the Zaishen Quests/Coins and Nick the Traveler.

Community is going pretty strong -- people have joined or come back to work on their Hall of Monuments, but that's mostly resulted in title-grinding. So I can't say whether that helped the PUG sitch. 7-hero update probably didn't help in that regard. But, as said, Embark Beach should help you find a group if you need one. The Zaishen Quests also help -- people tend to PUG on the days that a mission/dungeon/boss/vanq is the Zaishen.

Mar 17, 2011, 12:19 PM // 12:19	#1
Kern Wolf Krytan Explorer Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Profession: W/E	Hello, Folks..Returning Player Here Hey folks. Been away for about 2 years now, and looking to come back. Just wondering how the game and community are doing...are there still a lot of people playing, and groups to form across all 3 chapters and the expansion? Last edited by Kern Wolf; Mar 17, 2011 at 12:21 PM // 12:21..

Mar 17, 2011, 01:17 PM // 13:17	#2
Matirion Maeronta Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Noord-Scharwoude, NL Profession: E/	Welcome back. Alot of things have changed since 2 years ago, not in the least the recent embark beach update which makes finding a group easier (and a new trade spam hub that outdoes kamadan). It's reasonably easy to find a group for the endgame content, but less and less for the missions, making it harder for newer players. However, this was starting back in prophecies, so no surprise here. There are a few important changes: Hall of Monuments has a reward calculator now (hom.guildwars2.com). Alot of things jumped up in price. Going back down though. 7 hero parties are available. You can make custom heroes which look like your own characters too, need to pay money for that option though. Embark beach for easy party finding for missions and teleports to those missions. Making people even more lazy as to not have to click the map... Daily vanquish quests added to the other daily zaishen quests. Dervish changed... around 90% of the skills were changed... So basically a new class. Presearing (prophecies starting area, in case you forgot) has new daily quests that scale with the level of the lowest party member. They give 1k exp each time. In other news a skill seller (Almost useless, I must add... The skills you can buy are the ones you get from quests in presearing...) was added, together with an NPC to dedicate the Legendary Defender of Ascalon title or any other title while still in presearing. That should sum the changes up, if I missed something important, please add it to this thread.

Mar 17, 2011, 02:55 PM // 14:55	#3
syronj Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jun 2007	I don't know if the War in Kryta campaign was around when you played last, but there's that, plus Gwen and Keiran got hitched; there was a "Hearts of the North" campaign. The "Winds of Change" campaign is coming for those who've finished "Factions". Guild Wars 2 looks as if it will be great.

Mar 17, 2011, 05:13 PM // 17:13	#4
Hyaon Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: May 2005 Profession: P/W	looks..looks. all looks, no actual gameplay information. don't get bedazzled by looks!

Mar 17, 2011, 08:26 PM // 20:26	#5
Star_Jewel Jungle Guide Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Denizen of Tyria since Feb. 2009	And depending on exactly how accurate "2 years away" is, you may or may not know about the Mesmer buff, the Assassin/Monk farming "nerfs", the Ritualist buff, the Zaishen Quests/Coins and Nick the Traveler. Community is going pretty strong -- people have joined or come back to work on their Hall of Monuments, but that's mostly resulted in title-grinding. So I can't say whether that helped the PUG sitch. 7-hero update probably didn't help in that regard. But, as said, Embark Beach should help you find a group if you need one. The Zaishen Quests also help -- people tend to PUG on the days that a mission/dungeon/boss/vanq is the Zaishen.