Curse

br0thergr1m · Aug 10, 2006, 05:13 PM // 17:13

Hi!

I'm new to Guildwars, looking over the professions I thought about making my first profession a Me/Necro. I wanted inputs to know if this would be a difficult starting profession. I know alot of people play Me etc, but as a person that is new to Guildwars in your opinion this would be ok to start with right? Thanks!

King's Spectre · Aug 10, 2006, 05:29 PM // 17:29

There are a couple things you should know before choosing mesmer.

1. First is that do require a bit of skill to master*. More importantly, you need to know good bit about what your enemies are capable of to be most effective.

2. Because the "typical" PUG player can't play a mesmer well, they assume incorrectly that mesmers "stink". Because of this, you may have more trouble getting a pick up group for missions.

You may enjoy your first time through the game by learning the ropes with a simpler character. That being said, mesmers can be a blast and plenty of people DO make it through the game with a Me/x starter character.

Edit: Well, ALL character classes take skill to master. Mesmers take a little more skill right out of the box.

SnipiousMax · Aug 10, 2006, 06:43 PM // 18:43

It will be a challenge to pick up, but it is easily the fastest way to learn about every class in Guild Wars, because you need to know something about all of them. Mesmer's are a blast! Almost as fun as rangers!

Yanman.be · Aug 10, 2006, 06:46 PM // 18:46

The learning curve is steeper. But it makes you a better GW player.

Kriel Drache · Aug 10, 2006, 08:09 PM // 20:09

My first character was a Mesmer and he's still my favorite to play. All of, no, wait, most of what has been said here is true about Mesmers (They're more fun to play than Rangers in my humble opinion and yes, I have a Ranger). They're a bit difficult to master and I'm sure I haven't mastered mine yet, but they can be lethal in the right hands. It takes an observant eye, a sharp mind and a good deal of patience, but in the end you'll have a winning character.

lightblade · Aug 10, 2006, 09:17 PM // 21:17

No! Absolutely not! Mesmer should not be your place to start. Simply because you have absolutely no knowledge of any skill in the game, and mesmer requires the knowledge of all skills in the game and how they work in order to be able to counter them.

Effigy · Aug 10, 2006, 09:36 PM // 21:36

I'm with lightblade on this one. I made a mesmer as my very first character because I played similar classes in other games. That was a mistake, and it ended up being deleted fairly quickly. Mesmer is not a very straightforward class. As others have said, you really need to be knowledgeable about the game in order to be good at this class. Even beyond that, it will be much more difficult for you to progress through the game because you won't be invited to groups as much and it won't be as easy to farm (don't bother flaming me on this point, as I'm sure most would agree with me). I don't want to discourage you from making a mesmer, but I'd suggest playing through the game with at least one other class first.

The two classes I would recommend for a beginning player are monk or warrior. Both are in constant demand and are fairly easy to learn, though it takes considerable experience to master either. If neither of those interests you, necromancer and ranger are also suitable choices. Mesmer, elementalist, assassin, and ritualist are not as easy for a new player in my opinion, so I wouldn't advise them for a first character.

SnipiousMax · Aug 10, 2006, 09:47 PM // 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Effigy

Mesmer, elementalist, assassin, and ritualist are not as easy for a new player in my opinion, so I wouldn't advise them for a first character.

IMHO, I think an Elementalist is a bit more straightforward than a Necro... But you're definately right in your recommendation of Monk or Warrior over all.

borkbork · Aug 10, 2006, 09:58 PM // 21:58

I started out with a Me/N.. didn't really strike me as particularly hard since most of the beginning skills give you a pretty good description when to use them properly.

I'd say go for it.

Me/N has lots of starter degen skills that can mop up most of the tutorial area really fast.

Lady Lozza · Aug 11, 2006, 04:16 AM // 04:16

Me/N is probably the best combo to start out a mesmer on.
However agree with many people in this thread when they say that generally mesmer is not an easy class to play. Nonetheless you shouldn't let that bother you too much. You will either learn to play it well, or you will get frustrated and start another character.

IMHO, ele is the easiest class for caster inclined, warrior is the easiest class for melee inclined. Do NOT start a monk until you know what you are up against or you may ruin the game for yourself completely.

Terra Xin · Aug 11, 2006, 04:34 AM // 04:34

If you're a Prophecies Character, then you're safe for starting a Mesmer there. When you start a Mesmer in Factions, you're put into the deep end real quick.

Avarre · Aug 11, 2006, 06:53 AM // 06:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Lozza

Me/N is probably the best combo to start out a mesmer on.

That's what I did from the start, lots of skills to experiment with as the two classes work together very well.

Morganas · Aug 11, 2006, 07:55 AM // 07:55

Me/Mo is probably better for pve, just for the fast cast chant. Can't count how many times I spammed res on my party for an entire fight.

If you do go mes, be prepared to hench a great deal of the game. It's kinda hard to get parties as one.

Hella Good · Aug 11, 2006, 02:25 PM // 14:25

I wouldn't pick a Mesmer 1st, that's just too much pressure. Monk, War, Ele, or Necro are pretty much the best choices. My 1st char was a N/Me- that allowed me to get to know the Mesmer prof w/o the difficulty of playing one in PvE. I then actually played as a Mo/Me, and finally made a Me. Necro is a very good choice because of the wide range of things you can do and ease of finding groups. And as Avarre pointed out, Necro and Mesmer have great synergy.

Pick Me · Aug 11, 2006, 02:31 PM // 14:31

I'd say Mesmers are hard to get really good at (unless you play daily for hours.

)

In Tyria Mesmers are easy to start off with. Illusion Magic is very powerful there.

If you start off in Canthas, you can get into groups easier than in Tyria, but you'll find that monsters get tougher really fast.

I agree with Avarre, Me/N is probably the best combo around. I have a N/Me and she is awesome. Avarre is a real expert in Mesmers, look for her posts and read her words of wisdom.

ubermancer · Aug 11, 2006, 03:35 PM // 15:35

Go with Monk or Warrior. Either is a great beginner class, and I, a veteran, still play them the most, despite having characters of each of the other classes.

NinjaKai · Aug 11, 2006, 03:41 PM // 15:41

Mesmer was my 1st profession. I took to it rather quickly. Then again i've always loved the professions in games that required strategy and knowledge since thats my nomral modus operandi. Lets put it this way, unless your the sort of who follows idea that "Knowledge is power". Then mesmer is not a good starting point for you.

Avarre · Aug 11, 2006, 04:01 PM // 16:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pick Me

In Tyria Mesmers are easy to start off with. Illusion Magic is very powerful there.

This is pretty much the main point. Me/N, among illu and curses packs a strong synergy of degen, which is more powerful at the start of the game than later on. Therefore using a hex-degen setup towards the start isn't a bad selection, especially as the build requires little knowledge of zones etc. It does, however, require you to target enemies in succession as you hex them, which will at least give you glances at everything.

In cantha, you're going to be rapidly up against mobs that have 480 hp (level 20), which means your degen is going to, proportionately, deal alot less as degen damage is capped at 20/s. For Cantha, the suggested me/mo for a fc res spell (chant is one of the best) would be a good idea as you're going to be taking faster, more tactical casualties in the relentless Canthan missions. When Factions first came out, many people regarded the first mainland mission as harder than anything in Tyria (that changed once people learned it, but for someone new to everything, that's a sizeable barrier).

That's just for classes... there's alot more to playing a mesmer in earlier parts of the game, that could fill a book. For new players I don't see a problem with it... either you'll give up and delete it, or you'll go far, because the myriad skills of a mesmer gives you a basic grounding in several other classes (hex removal, dom nuking, degen, interrupts...).

If you're looking for a class that has it's own firepower, then mesmer isn't the right one. Unlike a warrior that can rip through things, or a ranger that tears them down, mesmers plant their effects and have to let the spells destroy the enemy, either by lingering hexes (degen, triggered-damage) or by weakening enemies for allies (shutdown, interrupts, and so on). This means you have to rely on your team a good deal, which could be rough in some areas.

Pyramus Loral · Aug 11, 2006, 04:17 PM // 16:17

Ahhh Mesmers...I have a HUGE love on for Mesmers, Mine is a PVP Mesmer but ALL of my other characters are Mes 2ndary's

They can be tricky though, but Illusion magic is great stuff. And I'll argue that done right it is good through the whole game not just the start as some of high end illusion skills are great.

And while you might have a bit of a hard time finding a group in early PVE as you progress you will have better luck. I find some fo the mesmer bias is fading. And PVP groups will be MORE than happy to take you along. And if you have factions you can play in my AB group with a Mesmer as well. They are the perfect counter to those annoying Touch Rangers.

If you are on the American Server Add my to your Friends list and I'll give you a hand. I think I even have some mesmer starter stuff I can pass off after you get out of pre searing.

br0thergr1m · Aug 11, 2006, 04:28 PM // 16:28

Wow thanks Pyramus Loral! Really thanks everyone, I think I will go with Avarre's suggestion. I've done my fair share of reading about the game, and I think ( i can only speculate) that I will love this profession. If not, true...i will end up deleting it and move on. But I really like characters that have more to do, more strategy then just bash bash bash, heal heal heal...Thanks for everyone's input!

br0