Quick Links
- Exploration Is Key
- Dungeons Aren't Required
- Leveling Up
- You Can Play For Free
- Playing The Story
- Don't Slack On Gathering
- Crafting Takes Time
- Doing Your Dailies
- Using The Wiki Command
Guild Wars 2 has been going strong since 2012 with the newest expansion, End of Dragons, launched recently. This expansion will take you to the Asia-inspired land of Cantha, which was first introduced in the original Guild Wars game back in 2006. If you have just started the game, you may not be here yet, and that's okay.
Now is a great time to get into Guild Wars 2, but you may be a bit overwhelmed by what you are supposed to be doing. Fortunately, we are here to help you. In this guide, we are going to go over beginner's tips when you are first starting Guild Wars 2.
Exploration Is Key
One of the main aspects of Guild Wars 2 is exploration. As you explore the world, you will come across dozens of maps that can be 'completed'. Essentially, this means that you have discovered every bit of the map. Map completion allows you to get a lay of the land, as well as gain rewards and experience.
If you visit every location in central Tyria, you will get the 'Been There. Done that.' title as well.
When you have visited every waypoint, vista, hero challenge, renown heart, and point of interest, you will achieve map completion and receive a reward. This will go towards your total central Tyria map completion, which involves every map not included in an expansion or Living World season.
Dungeons Aren't Required
In several popular MMOs, dungeons are an important part of the storyline and gameplay. In Guild Wars 2, there isn't as much of an emphasis on dungeons. In fact, you can go your entire time playing the game without ever participating in one.
Because of this, you can opt to play entirely by yourself. There are dungeons, raids, fractals, and group instances, but these optional game modes are not essential.
Overall, you can play however you choose. Want to conquer every dungeon with a group of friends? Go for it! Feeling like relaxing and exploring the world by yourself? That's totally fine.
Leveling Up
There are 80 levels in Guild Wars 2. When you follow the main storyline while exploring Tyria, you will eventually become level 80. We recommend taking your time getting here, especially if this is your first character.
Every few levels, you receive new perks and rewards, allowing you to get a feel for the class that you are playing, as well as the world around you. Level 80 seems nice, but it's important to take your time while leveling up. This goes for every game, but taking your time really allows you to appreciate your journey.
Once you hit level 80, you can continue to gain experience that goes towards your mastery level. These are additional perks that you can gain, such as crafting legendary weapons, the ability to interact with certain objects, and riding mounts.
You Can Play For Free
The base game of Guild Wars 2 is entirely free! You can download the game, progress in the main story, explore Tyria, and become level 80 for free.
If you are invested, you can then purchase the three expansions; Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, and End of Dragons. Additionally, you can purchase the Living World seasons that occur between each expansion.
It's also important to know that Guild Wars 2 does not have a subscription fee. Once you pay for the game, you will never have to pay a monthly subscription fee.
Playing The Story
With End of Dragons out, you may be tempted to skip through the story. The story of the game is amazing, so we don't recommend doing this.
This goes hand in hand with taking your time while leveling up, but if you are starting the game for the first time, it's definitely recommended to play through the story.
While doing so, you will meet a variety of unique characters who make appearances throughout the game. Additionally, you will learn about the dragons that pose a threat to Tyria.
Some of the stories in Guild Wars 2 expand on the first game. If you can't get enough of Guild Wars, be sure to check the original out!
Don't Slack On Gathering
There are three different gathering tools; axes, pickaxes, and sickles. With these tools, you can gather wood, ore, and a variety of plant materials.
Gathering may not seem as important as fighting enemies and doing the story, but it is very useful, especially if you plan on doing some crafting later. You can easily gather the wood, ore, and produce needed for jobs without needing to purchase them.
On the other hand, gathering tools have limited durability, which can be inconvenient if a tool breaks while you are using it. If you have some gems to spare, we recommend investing in an infinite gathering tool when it appears in the Gem Store. These will allow you to gather to your heart's content without worrying about durability.
Crafting Takes Time
There are nine types of crafting jobs, with each producing a variety of items. At higher crafting levels, you will be able to craft rare and unique items, but this takes time. If you craft a little each day and continue to gather while exploring, you can level up your crafting jobs and begin to make higher leveled items.
For example, once you hit level 500 as a Tailor, you can begin to craft Ascended armor. This takes time since you will need a lot of different materials. Additionally, there are several crafting components that can only be crafted once a day.
Taking your time applies to making a Legendary Weapon as well. Legendary crafting is a long process that takes time and dedication. Making a Legendary is a great long-term goal to have while playing.
Doing Your Dailies
Dailies are tasks that can be completed every day. There are general dailies that involve simple tasks such as completing a jumping puzzle or gathering, but there are also specific dailies that involve certain content.
Completing one daily task will provide you with a reward, but completing all of your dailies will reward you with two gold and ten achievement points.
These daily tasks are a great way to gather materials and gold.
If you have a daily that involves completing events in that area, you will find several people working together in the area. For example, if you need to do events in Wayfarer Foothills, you will see people in the chat calling out events, as well as Commander tags on the map to help guide you.
Using The Wiki Command
Lastly, we have the wiki command. This is a helpful command that you can type into the chat bar, which will bring up the wiki page full of helpful information.
To do this, type "/wiki" into the chat and you will have all the information that you need at your fingertips. The wiki is supported by the developers of Guild Wars 2, so it is full of correct and up-to-date information.
This may seem simple, but many players don't realize that you can do this, especially since it is not mentioned in the game. If you ever second guess something, be sure to use the wiki command.
With that, you should know the basics of Guild Wars 2. Now get out there and start exploring!
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