Thinking of Returning..

..and as I have a couple of max level characters I was wondering if you have to have the expansion packs to be effective?

I know the level cap hasn't increased but does the gear/ new skills you get from the expansion pack areas make the "old world" stuff useless?

Return, but don't buy eye of the north. A Powerstone of Courage or two is not worth $40.

IMHO, no-- you're probably fine with the equipment you have atm... but, depending on the lvl of time you've been "absent" from the game, you'll find some things have changed i.e. more storage, skill tmplates, HEROES, etc.

My advice is to read up on the recent updates. Then, welcome back and enjoy!

I stopped playing at the end of 2005, I guess thing have changed quite abit since then, but from what I remember I had some pretty good gear on my monk (removed GW from my comp months ago).

No, you don't need the other campaigns or the expansion to be effective. If you have Prophecies, that's the campaign that many of the more successful builds (both PvE and PvP) tend to focus around so you're pretty much set.

The "old world" stuff is still relevant, and still very widely used. Adding in more chapters of the GW saga will give you some extra professions/skills to play with, but they're far from necessary.

Oh yeah? Then you'll probably want to get Nightfall for the Heroes.

Yeah, then you would have missed out on NF. Go buy that instead of GW:EN

Agreed. Go pick up NF at least.

I do like factions... but it will be very hard to find pug's there.
Better off getting NF/GW:EOTN so you can get hero's build up skill selection, then getting Factions and doing it Hero/Hench or with friends/guild.

Think of GW:Eotn a bunch of add-on content for lvl 20 characters with a short story in it.

Don't return. Unless you've still plenty of friends, or are a no-life, you missed many things and won't be able to complete (or to compete in PVP) until GW2 comes out (when it will be available, most people will quit GW1). In addition, the game is experiencing lot of issues (dead PvP, lag, 12 yr old PVE carebears as a playerbase, etc..).

I assume you are a PvPer? If so, can't offer any advice.

If you enjoy PvE, you have two choices: Buy Nightfall or Buy GWEN.

Your choice depends on what style of play you prefer. If you enjoy a longer game, with very hard end-game content, and Heros you need to unlock and level up on the way, then Nightfall is for you.

If you enjoy a shorter campaign, moderate end-game content, and max level heros, then GWEN is your best buy.

Because he asked for your opinion on whether or not to return right? Oh wait nope, just because your way into pvp doesn't mean that OP is. Yay for replies that aren't thought out like yours.

Don't listen to opinions like the above, as they are just plain ignorant. If you enjoyed the game before you will still like it. The suggestions that you pickup Nightfall for the heroes are good. There are still plenty of good people still playing the game, most of who don't post on fan forums. Welcome back and enjoy the game.

GW2 is coming out in a week? Sweet. Well, that's how long it takes to complete all the games if you know what you're doing or with some one who does. And PVP is far better in other games. Less whiners.

If you like GW, you will be glad you came back. I agree that you should get NF or EotN next. Even though I like the content in EotN the most, Nightfall might be a better choice as you can get some heroes right off the bat to help you, and it comes with many more and better skills than EotN.

Well, I am enjoying GWEN when I play it. The story telling is much more effective. The scenery is well done. The ineraction is fantastic. And the heroes you get there are maxed. (GWEN gives you just as good a hero set as NF, btw.)

I don't PvP except to occasionally open a skill I need. And most GWEN skills are PvE only. I found some, like Shell Shock, really make a difference. I never found any value to playing an Air Ele until Shell Shock was available, for example.

pros/cons

Prophecies - best core storyline - long time to level up
Factions - best looking armour sets - short, hard to find good pugs
Nightfall - get heroes to help replace pugs, worms!!!! - armour sets are so so with some reskins, some grinding, dunno I found the campaign kinda dull.
GWEN - new exciting gameplay elements, more content for lvl20s - too short, grindfest, blatent reskinned armours galore!, heroes get wayyyyyy better armour than you >_<

PvP - Factions, Nightfall and GWEN add skills that people will be using on you. If you only have one campaign, that will make PvP tricky, though not impossible I am sure.

PvE - Whatever worked before will still work now. I would suggest buying Nightfall or GWEN for Heros and more content. It isn't like the good old days in prophecies where you could pug around the map and have a chance of getting a successful group. Now the only pugs out there are the kids too retarded to properly configure their heros and need help. Though there are the occasional oddball player that wants company.

But if they want the company of the former, they too have issues.