Longevity / Endgame Character Advancement for GW

Hi all, I just wanted to get a little bit of insight from some of you established GW players. I am a long time MMORPG player since the launch of EQ I, and have played almost every MMORPG released from that time. I am currently in between MMO's and am looking into GW as a potential investment of my time and money in the near future. My questions are this:

Is there adequate character advancement/progression beyond the maximum level cap? (i.e. skills, character bonuses, stat boosts, etc)

Is it viable for players entering the game at this point to compete with established players in end-game PvE & PvP?


I enjoy PvPing very much in MMORGP's if it is done correctly, requiring a combination of skill and wit, and not totally gear dependant. If I decide to invest in the game I will be buying all of the expansion chapters along with the original release. Any insight into the longevity of the game and enjoyability of the endgame Pve and PvP content would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

Hektor

By the time you reach Lvl 20 (max lvl cap) you will not be even close to finishing the first game! plus along hte way you acquire new skills which count towards Titles you can go on accumalating after you have finished the game , this applies to all 3 games plus the expansion all of which have skills uniqiue to them,and PvP is pretty much the same with Titles and Faction to aim for along the way.

ANet has always stated that lvl20 would be the "level cap", but they've simply found other ways to advance a character. In Nightfall they introduced the concept of Spearmarshall and Lightbringer points with skills and bonuses which rely on you SM or LB level. In Eye of the North they've taken that even further with more PvE only skills and bonuses which rely on Asuran/Norn/Dwarven/Vanguard points. In order to do well in some parts of EoN (particularly in Hard Mode), you need to use these bonuses/skills. So, in a sense, yes, there is adaquate progression.

GW is not like some other MMOs (such as WoW) when it comes to PvE and PvP. In GW there is no PvP aspect of the PvE game. That is to say, you won't need to "compete" against other players at any point in the PvE game.
I'm not into PvP myself, so I can't give you much info on that side of the game, but, as far as I know, you can make a fully equipped "PvP only" character that is somewhat competitive right out-of-the-box.

No other MMORPG PvP requires skill or wit. They just require you to grind to max level, and get max gear.

All PvP in GW is done with instant maxed out character. So relying you cannot grind yourself to superiority.

In PvE, yes. In PvP, no. You get max stuff. So does everyone else.

The problem you would find with getting into Guild Wars now is the spread of population. As Guild Wars is approaching the end of its life cycle now the player base is spread out among 3 large areas. Making it hard for a new player to get help along the way in PUGS. On the other side of this coin though, you certainly wouldnt run out of things to do. I'd recommend giving it a whirl as there is no monthly fee, and if you feel you like the style of the game then consider jumping on the GW2 release.

Wow! Thanks for the quick responses! I may give GW a whirl and see what happens.

I have to say this is an overtly generalized statement. True most PvP in MMORPG's today has boiled down to powergamers stacking the odds in their favor by grinding to max level and gearing themselves to the teeth. But I have to say I have participated in PvP over the course of several years and have always found that the competency of the player also plays a big part in PvP combat. PvP can be very enjoyable, but it is situational to the game.

It comes down to 3 things: gear, grind and numbers. Neither of which is a factor in GW.

qft

which is why gw is the only way to pvp. makes wow look even more silly

Not that the bug eyed anime toons did that already.

GW PVP is competitive at any level, but there are certain factors which you'll need. Access to skills, possibly from all 3 campaigns depending on your roles you prefer to play. How well you work with others, as this is NOT a solo build PVP game, it's all about tactics and teamwork. Lastly, the knowledge is power refrain... know thine enemy, know what's likely when you see say an Rt/A what possible builds might you face? How will you counter them?