Best Starter!

Never played Guild wars before and I've just ordered it so it should be here soon i was just wondering what class/type? character is the best/easiest to start with?

I've played WoW before but didn't like it, are they similar?

Sorry if all this is a bit too vague but I'm a complete "noob" i suppose..



Thanks in advance!

P.S sorry if this is in the wrong place!

Since you didn't specify which campaign you purchased, I'm just going to assume it was Prophecies, the first one.

There are six professions from which to choose. I would recommend staying away from the monk and mesmer until you have more experience with the game; any of the other four are more than suitable as a starting character. In terms of versatility, rangers and necromancers probably have a slight edge over elementalists and warriors, but none of them would be a bad choice.

Also keep in mind that it's common for people to have multiple characters. If you try a particular profession and don't like it, just put it on a shelf and start something else. You can always come back to it later, and you might find that your opinions have changed.

This game used to be remarkably different from WoW. Over time it's becoming less and less so, but supposedly that's what the player community wants.

Hmmm.. Just says Guild Wars, this is the one i ordered.

http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/5867...s/Product.html

Thanks for the help, think I'll do what you said and try a few different "professions"

Some professions are more player friendly than others.

For a starter, I'd recommend a warrior or a ranger. Both are simple classes to use, and warrior is well protected, while the ranger also has good armor AND gets to stay away from the fight.

I would not recommend a monk or a mesmer to start with. The monk requires very much attention and fast reflexes, while the mesmer is a complex class in itself.

I guess that looks like Prophecies, so I would recommend a Warrior for you. It's nothing personal, that is what I recommend to everyone who asks (including one of my roommates) without knowing their video game style and ability.

Simply put, the Warrior offers a "simple" character to play in the sense that its easier to survive with and has a very straight-forward skill system. That is not to suggest that the warrior is ONLY a simple character (it has both approaches, similar to the Elementalist, where as the Mesmer is really just "complex" only.) Later on, as you discover what skills work best together, combinations, etc. you can see the warrior becoming quite complex.

But for now, and for starting purposes, it's best to look at it as "Run. Target. Hit. Push skills to hit harder, or die less."

This isn't also to say that Warriors are the only "easy" starting class. As I said before, an elementalist can be quite simple "Target. Nuke. Repeat." Rangers also have both simple/complex approaches (as it would play out as the ranged version of my Warrior example.)

For PvE at least, monks are "simple" enough, it's the other players that make it complex. Many skills work fine, but they aren't always the "best" in some players mindsets, so you will hear a lot of flak and complaints until you learn what Healing/Protection skills are both effective and "liked."

The Necromancer is one of those Simple/Complex classes, but leaning more to the complex side. For a long time, Necromancers were lacking from being in human groups, simply because the Holy Trinity (Warrior, Elementalist, Monk) was seen as "fulfilling all roles." Necromancers were slowly accepted in two roles only, BiPs (which give your team energy on demand) and MMs (minion masters, they can raise dead creatures to fight for your team, up to a limit of ten now (40 was easily possible at one point, but those days are gone...)) Spiteful Spirit (SS) Necromancers are now also a leading role for that profession, as they can harm many enemies at once. While I WANT to recommend you to play a Necromancer first (I play the necromancer varient first in every MMO I've played), the community desiring you to have a "certain" build will not allow you to realize its full potential and hamper your fun.

The Mesmer is more of a PvP class, taking a back seat for the most part in PvE. While ANet continually is making efforts to have the Mesmer see more play in PvE, the "confusing" builds, the community's mindset, etc. make it more of a challenge to get into a group, let alone play. Personally, I enjoy my mesmer, but then I use Heroes and Henchmen when I'm playing him.

So to summarize:

Recommend to start (in this order) - Warrior, Elementalist, Ranger, Necromancer, Monk, Mesmer.

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And as a side note, you will (often enough) see groups demanding builds that fill one of three roles:

Tank (Absorb damage - Warrior, Dervish, Necromancer, Paragon, Ranger)

Nuker (Massive AoE damage - Elementalist, Necromancer, Dervish, Ranger, Ritualist)

Buffer (Heals, Protects, or in any other way provides an advantage to the party members themselves. - Monk, Ritualist, Paragon, Mesmer)

What you will see tossed to the way side are the "single target" professions which work most effectively when targeting a single enemy. These would be the Assassin and Mesmer.

The Paragon is also disliked due to the Community's inability (for the large part) to recognize it's potential in all areas, but since you have Prophecies and not Nightfall, I wouldn't worry about that yet.

Best thing is to remember to have fun! Good luck.

Judging by the picture I would say you are getting Guild Wars Prophecies. If you got factions or nightfall, it would say so.

Warrior: Like previously stated i would suggest the warrior. Often they are prejudged as "noobs" and some say that people who play them are taking the "Easy way out".They have the simple hack and slach gameplay that is easy to master. Target something, then attack. They also make decent runners. But not anymore...Thanks to the over played dervish/assassin combo.

Elementalist:If that doesnt' really do it for you try playing elementalist. They are my favorite class. You might think at first that they would be hard to master with the whole spells and all. But thanks to energy storage they can cast thiers spells at will. They well never have to worry about thier energy (If you play it well). And they do the most damage in a single spell than any attack/spell in the entire game from any other class.

The Necromancer:I also enjoy the necromancer's play style, you can do a reletively high amount of damage while healing yourself. They are in high demand because not alot of people play the MM (Minion master) anymore. (Try finding one in Tombs, murder...)Or if you do enjoy the MM's gameplay then play it all ya want. They also make a good support class. I made mine just for that purpose, to be and "Order" necro, and give my whole party and advantage in battle.

Monk: This is one of the more difficult proffesions to master. Its not really the skills that make it hard, or the gameplay. ITs otehr people. Because if you are jsut starting out as a healer many tanks (and some times spellcasters) will use a speed boost to get him into battle first, get himself killed then blame the monk for not healing him. They can be a good class to play once you get the hang of figuring out how gets hurt more than others and keeping an eye on each player.

Mesmer: I haven't really played a memser too much, its the only class that i haven't gotten to level 20... There i admitted it! Anyways back on topic...They can be a GREAT class to play out the game with. They have efficient ways of shutting an enimy down. Although you often have to plan ahead and think "Who and i going to be fighting" because you dont' want to use Backfire (A skill that does damage to a foe when they cast a spell) on a warrior. And you don't want to pring Physical Resistance (GIves you more armor agains physical damage and has some sort of pentally (forgot) against taking (elemental?) damge) if you are taking in elemental damage.

What am i missing out???

Oh yeah! Ranger: They are my second favorite clas to play, they have very fun play style and they get to use the coolest weapons in the game; bows!
They can also tame pets (One at a time) and every time you want a different pet you have to go find it , tame it, and train it to be as strong as you are (Unless its stronger than you already) They can inturupt,set on fire, cause poision, bleedeing, blindness, and dazed. They can cause alot of conditions that can quickly kill a foe. (If you pick mesmer as you secondary you can use Epidemic, witch spreads all the conditions of one foe through out its entire party)

Well i hope i have helped you out. And remember to have fun when you are playing, and experiment, i make at least 1-2 new characters every day. I am sure you will find a playstyle that is right for you, and if not...then mix things up a bit, make a....necro with a bow, or a warrior with a staff, who cares if people think you are a "Noob" As long as you like it then there is nothin wrong with that. After all it is a game. See ya in-game soon!

Thanks guys your a great help.. I'm thinking Elementalist or Warrior!

This game sounds a bit like Diablo 2 which i play, correct me if I'm wrong?


Also, should i try and join a guild straight away or play on my own for a bit?

I'd shop around for a guild. Play with others and get to know them a bit before joining - see how helpful, friendly and fun they are. It's also a good idea to be in a guild with the same tastes and goals for in-game play. A PvE player won't be happy in a PvP guild and vice-versa. Be wary of the guild recruitment spam that you'll see in the chat window (a "cool cape" isn't the sign of a good guild.)

THIS is a very good source of information for all things GW including armor, weapons, and all the interesting things that comes with the game. (be sure to check the "scams" part, because there are a few weasels out there trying to sucker anyone they can. On That note - DO NOT sell dyes until you find out how much a DYE TRADER will sell it for. (It's worth a lot more than the 1g that the merchant will give you for it.)

I played Diablo and its sequel for nearly eight years before picking up GW, still playing it occasionally, and the games aren't as similar as one might think.

The endgame of LoD revolves around how good your gear is. The difference between a decent unique item and a grotesquely-overpowered runeword is simply astounding. Those without access to duping techniques and/or ebay items are left in the dust by other players who choose to cheat the system.
In contrast, a character's equipment in GW is by no means a make-or-break situation. As long as you have a customized collector weapon, available for next to nothing in later stages of the game, you're pretty well on par with everyone else out there.

The other significant difference is that you can respec your character at will. Imagine being able to swap from a javazon to a strafer at the click of a button. No rerolling and regrinding necessary here.

prophecies is very noob friendly. go with warrior if you like melee, or elementalist if you like casters. you could try ranger if you like the bow/pet thing, but they are a little more difficult than the first two.

Thanks for all your help and info guys! Might see some of you online sometime!

Can people playing prophecies communicate/fight etc with people playing the other games?

Which game is the most popular?

You can communicate with anyone anywhere using the "whisper" tab of the chat. (You can use the Friends list - press N - to keep track of friends you make in-game) There are also Guild and Alliance (allied guilds) chat channels that you can talk to everyone in those groups anywhere. Local chat is for the place and district that you're in. There is also trade chat for buying and selling items, which also is only for the local district.

If you don't have a particular chapter, you can't go to the places available in them. When you add chapters to you account, you can get quests in the port cities that will allow you to take your character from one place to another. Once you've done the quests, you can freely travel from one to the other. The main PvP area is available in any chapter.

It's a toss-up about which is more popular. Prophecies and Nightfall are probably the most played, as there's usually lots of people around. factions is the least popular of the three.

Because it came out so long ago I would start with a healer monk, since you're basically guaranteed to be included in a team, which can be very hard to come by in a lot of areas now...

I found ranger the easiest to start with. They only get complicated as you grow and have choices. The ranger/pet combo is a great way to start, you have a helper right away and you keep some distance from the monsters.

You would be a "newb" not a "noob"...

Thanks for the Help everyone.. Should be here Monday

"Newb" and "Noob"? Theres a difference?

Newb - New players
Noob - Someone who's been playing for an extended period of time, but knowledge whys knows about as much as a new player

Lol, Well i never knew that.. Funny how made up gaming slang gains such descriptive definitions :-\

For profession, i'd recommend elementalist or warrior to start with. This will also a good idea of how damage works and will give you a good basis on how much healing a profession should need if they're doing their job right. That way if you want to make a monk, you'll be better prepared than if you made your first character a monk.

As for gaming slang, welcome to GW (yeah GW, not Guild Wars) where everything has it's 3 or 4 letters short version. When you'll start you'll be in pre-searing assuming you have prophecies so if you have any questions, don't be shy to ask them since you'll be in the tutorial area.

Oh and one more thing you need to know: the wiki is your friend.

unofficial wiki-www.guildwiki.org,
the official wiki-http://wiki.guildwars.com.

You can also access the official wiki by pressing F10 in game, it will have a list of recent areas, skill, quests etc. you have recently encountered and the links will direct you to the right page on the official wiki. Note that at the moment the unofficial wiki is more complete than the official one since it has been around for more time.

Thanks everyone I'll post my feelings about the game tomorrow :P

Can you talk to other people and i mean that as in Speak to them using a microphone or dya have to use xfire, teamspeak etc for things like that?

WHen I first started playing the game (via Prophecies), my first character was a ranger; I wanted to be able to shoot a bow effectively, yet still be able to fight with a sword/shield if necessary. So I choose a warrior secondary. It wasn't a bad combination to learn the game with.

When I chose to play a monk next (because every party needed a monk) i learned the strategy was almost entirely different. Instead of selecting a target from the main window area of monsters, I kept my focus on the red bars in the party window, trying to keep them full.

I have effectively tried all the professions, thoroughly, except for mesmer and paragon, and I've become familiar enough to play them for casual play. Each of the professions has their own charm so I suggest you just pick what you feel most comfortable with. I have a couple warriors because I think they have the best looking armour/weapon skins int eh game...but that's just personal preference.