My Guild Wars Experience

I just wanted to drop a line here, because I am feeling rather enthusiastic about the game.

My son got the game a couple/few years ago, and he let me use a couple character slots. I have a short attention span, so I like to switch characters often.

Well, at first, I thought it was ok, and thought the switch from pre- to post-searing was very cool. But I just couldn't get into the game. I thought it was kind of boring and shallow.

I recently picked up a different MMO and gave it a whirl, and was extremely disappointed (it was a very rough launch). Then I tried one that has been out for several years, and I enjoyed it but it soon became very repetitious.

So I decided to reload Guild Wars and try it again. Now that I had some other MMO experience, I found that GW is neither boring nor shallow (maybe I was). I have been enjoying it thoroughly, and picked up all the expansions and my son has given me all character slots but two. I also got another copy for my wife's laptop, and she has created a character that I hope she will enjoy. I am not great at making builds, but I get by ok so far.

Another aspect I like is being able to run a game with graphic settings on max without causing any hiccups; parts of the game, especially in Ascalon and the waterfalls in Factions, are simply gorgeous.

Good game. My only issue is that every character on an account is part of the same guild. My son kinda has us locked into a guild that I know nothing about, and he rarely gets on anymore. I would like to keep his characters in his guild, but get my characters involved in another.

Anyhoo . . .just wanted to share with my fellow GW players. See ya on the battlefield!

Well honestly. if he Hardly plays, then it cant hurt to ask him can you join another guild. it might be his account. but if you have 3/4 or more char slots.
and spend more time on it than he does. maybe you should just ask.
and if he says no. just ban him from the game with your father powers :P

glad to hear your enjoying the game. but as im pretty sure most gw players have found. your guild and friends you make while playing. take the game to a whole new level. so you should have a think about that (Y)

I'm glad you like the game and yeah some of the views are amazing. I have my own personal favourites, one which I think not many know about that is stunning. A massive drop over a cliff!

I agree with the posters above. Your son might be in a guild, but he might not be very chatty in there or even care about the guild. Plodding along. Ask him if it would be okay to leave that guild and join another, although depending on his age you might get a stroppy response lol!

yeah, I need to get involved with some other people. I solo a lot, and just get in with pick up groups sometimes. I'm not very forward about approaching a lot of folks, since I am a casual gamer as y'all have noted. When I ask a question, I often get responses that are just beyond me (full of initials that I can't follow and places I haven't been) so I often just plod along alone.

I also am shy about dragging a group down with my play style. I don't think my builds are great and don;t want to be a handicap.

Oh - and he's 15, but he's an only child, so he's had a lot of exposure to adults and is usually very mature for his age. Usually. Not the same kind of kid gamer you generally run into in WoW world. I used to supervise all of his computer time and would like to think I taught him some good habits (and kept him from learning bad ones). Now he does get some time without me, but he prefers his console games these days.

Thank you.

Thank you for being what appears to be a decent parent and raising a child that isn't a complete Douche-Waffle. I sincerely, sincerely thank you.

Also, I think it's great that new player's are enjoying Guild Wars and I can definitely agree with you about the beautiful landscapes. I've been playing this game for 3 years, like quite a few other people, and I still love it. I hope it's something you can enjoy for quite some time with your family.

About learning acronyms and stuff (And to see some information about skills/builds and anything else), the Guild Wars Wikis are a great source of information for that kind of stuff! There are two good ones that I'm aware of and those are: The "Official" Wiki and The Unofficial Wiki. However, be careful on the Wikis, you may receive unnecessary spoilers that are related to things you're looking up.

And the Guild Thing: A Good Guild is probably the absolutely best thing about Guild Wars. There are few things as fun in a video game as getting together with 7 friends and doing missions or just goofing off. And if you're the predominant player on the account, I'd definitely see about getting a guild that suits you.

Good luck out there! I'll see you when you're a God Amongst Mere Mortals!

pvxwiki for builds, guild wars wiki for abbreviations.

That should help you out somewhat.

its the internet... you shouldn't be shy you are talking to people that you have a 99.9999999999999999999999999999999% chance of meeting in real life (unless intended) SpL is a good guild... if you are looking for one just PM me in the game

THANK YOU.

Experiment more. It's the best way to learn, no matter what class you're playing. People will rage on you, yes, but some people will stay and help you out. I met people like that when I started out two years ago, and I still talk to some of them now.

I had the same problem. I got the game in October '05, played a few days, and left my account active for a long time. I was a rollaholic and having to do Pre-Searing over and over again made me bored. I just recent came back about a week ago and I'm loving it.

/forces self not to roll more than two characters right now

Good to see you're being an active gaming parent. A majority of parents just go out and buy GTA or Halo for their 10 year olds so they'd shut up. T__T

Tell your son the guild kicked you out and go find a new one. At least you're the parent who doesn't tell their child that video games are an unsocial escape from society. It's not the healthiest lifestyle, but it's a fun one.

Guild Wars has it's breakdowns. In my near 4,000 hours of logged time and 27 months, I've played for roughly 13 actual months with a lot of AFK time. Seriously, I load the game up in the morning, and my character will sit in the guild hall while I'm at my friends or Wal-Mart. You get the idea.

It does get boring. Typically, I only play during the summer.

good to hear someone still enjoys playing gw

there is alot to do for the new player, enough to keep them occupied for a while

It's nice to have another parent around. If you have questions please visit our Q&A section. Have a look around and maybe find some answers for questions you didn't know you had! lol Here's a list of acronyms so you can understand some of what's being said.

None of my kids play games so when I got GTA 4, I got it for me.

My first taste of GW was back in late 2005/early 2006, although I never finished anything - and once Factions came out, well as I didn't have that I perceived that I would be hampered when playing.

Fast forward a couple of years...

My 13 year old daughter rediscovered my long dormant account and asked if she could use it. So I said yes, as I thought she would love experimenting with the different professions and generally enjoy herself. Unfortunately, her step dad's PC had problems with the game, and her mothers' was a game free zone. Well, I reinstalled it and suddenly found myself in possession of NF and GWEN in a matter of weeks (for me, not her).

Games are just a part of life nowadays, so instead of making kids act like pariahs in their bedrooms, it is best to encourage responsible gaming. All three of my daughters play games, but only in moderation, whether it be on my Xbox360 or the PC. Fortunately for me both the console and the PC are in the main living room so there is always an adult on hand.

I would strongly advice you NOT to experiment straight from the start. But rather, first catch up with the game mechanics wiki has a lot of basic info) and read skill descriptions often and if that's not clear : test them out and see what they do. That way you'll quickly get a general idea of how everything works in-game, and you'll have an easier time picking skills and making builds that works well.

Print out a list of abbreviations and keep them to hand - you'll soon pick them up.

Pick-up Groups (PuGs ) can be very picky as to who / what they allow in their party, but don't be shy about it. If they request you play a certain build which you can't, simply tell them, and ask if what you currently have is "ok". Some people aren't complete morons and understand that there are still people who are new to this game! There is a guild in my alliance full of people who have been playing for less than a year and I envy them finding stuff out for the first time, so enjoy it while it lasts!

If you want feedback on your builds you can always post in our Campfire forum.

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<3

yeah - the world has changed a lot since I was kid. My son does have activities - he's on a tennis team, plays indoor soccer in winter, and plays ultimate frisbee whenever he can get enough people together. He has also been in the school's 'gifted' program, and starts the International Baccalaureate program this year - so he's doing something right, I can't be too hard on him. And many of his peers are real tough on him, too - he has Tourrette's and many people think that it's funny. If his tics are bad and he doesn't want to go out in public, I have no issue with him staying home and gaming.

Sorry for the wall of text . . .

Anyhoo - he gave me the go-ahead to switch guilds, so I am currently guildless. I met a real nice player last night who invited me, but his guild is only 3 other people, and I want to be part of something a little bigger than that I think.

I'm working on it!

Thanks for all of the feedback, folks.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, and oh yeah. THANK YOU! Its so refreshing to see a parent that takes an active intrest in raising thier child instead of thinking that everything not suitable for young kids should be banned.

edit: By the way if you ever need help in the game just let me know. I don't play much these days but I'd be happy to log on and help ya. Just im me on xfire(username: LaughingBat) if your having troubles.