Weapons, Armor (ect)

I've not found threads, links, sites, compiendums, or really any "inside" information on this game. I do realize it's new, and they'll come out in due time with things like:

-Drops
-Drop Rates
-Enhanced Skill Databases
-Strategies
-Excetera.

As of now, I'm fighting through the ruins of Old Ascalon with my level 10 ranger. I started this morning at about 10:00 am about fourteen hour time period with maybe eight to nine hours game time, yet in this period, I've gotten zero equipment upgrades. It's kind of a bummer watching the level 5 "Master Ranger" attack monsters, hitting them for over half of their life per shot, when I am double his level taking fifteen plus arrows drop them.

As a Ranger, I need "fur" in order to get new armor the only way I know how, through crafting. And I have no idea where to get the items I can salvage fur from. So armor upgrading is null. I see hundreds of 5-7 damage bows drop, but no improvements. I see 4-5, 5-6, 1h, 2h weapons all of the time. I got a long bow earlier today from a Guildie that does about 9-13.

Vendors.. Crafting?
- How do we aquire new weapons and armor aside from the occassionally rare drop?
- At what point in the game do we start getting "Strings" and "grips" to enchant items?
- What kind of item qualities are in the game? So far I've seen "normal" and "magical" (Diablo 2 referance) White, and blue.

I'm lurking in Old Ascalon strifling through quests, slowly. I want to blame gear. I'm not hitting level 4 mobs hard enough at level 10 to be able to "run through" the earliest stages of the game effectivly. Which isn't exactly even what I want to do. I understand this game is Guild-Based and you need groups, but sometimes, I want to run out and get some crafting materials, money, and drops to myself, doing a "run" of sorts, in an area with mobs 6 levels lower than me. Yet I find myself running from my life from "Shattered Gargoyals" and their Phantasm spell. I don't need to one-hit monsters, but a significant increase in damage output would be wonderful.

-My marksmanship is at attribute level 9 right now.

I'm a Ranger/Necro I use ATM

--Read wind
--Penetrating Attack
--Power Shot
--Troll Unquent
--Vampiric Gaze
--Vampiric Touch
--Putrid Explosion
--Blood Renewal *I think*

With these skills, and a weak long bow I'm having problems leaping over the smallest hurdles. I'd like to spend time upgrading, feeling a sense of accomplishment, I have 1,700g and nothing to buy. Help.

>I'm not hitting level 4 mobs hard enough at level 10 to be able to "run through" the earliest stages of the game effectivly.

I'm not sure you ever will.

The variance of abilities gained by making a level isn't enough to overcome the strength to be found in numbers. Several L4's can pwn a L8, if he's not careful.

I've seen lots of games where a level span like that means the larger level is effectively immune to attack...poor design, for many reasons. A character of any level should be zerg-able.

The way I see it, it's a pretty strong PVP system in that respect. It's very apparent that the way to get ahead is to group up--as much as that will bother some people (heck I like to solo sometimes too). The game's called Guild Wars though, I think anyone who expects to solo the content is out of touch with what should be obvious, just from the name.

Speaking of which, any adult no-l33tspeak guilds out there seeking new members? <grin>

Um, you do realize you *don't* need fur (unless you want the beastmaster's mask)? You only need fur for one particular set of armor. Get the cheapie set (one that only requires hides) and save the rare materials for when you're level 20 and find the top of the line guy. Why waste the rare stuff on a set of armor you're just going to ditch in a few levels?

Just to the west of the Sanitarium should be a collector named Palben and he will give you new Ranger leggings for 4 ornate grawl necklaces, which should be better than anything you can craft in Ascalon City or Piken Square (might be on par with what you can craft in Yak's Bend, but I'm not that far yet).

You may be under a mistaken impression. Guild Wars doesn't have "drops or drop rates" in the sense that a typical MMORPG does (in fact, Guild Wars doesn't really resemble an MMORPG at all). You won't be able to find Gwar the Terrible and get his Vorpal Blade .25% of the time if you kill him. Things just aren't set up like that.

Having said that, certain mobs do drop certain things at certain rates. For example, a Stone Elemental may drop an Enchanted Lodestone 25% of the time. This stone can then be given to a collector who will give you an item of your choice from his selection in return, or can be sold for gold, or can be salvaged for crafting materials to buy armor upgrades.

I appreciate the responces, although I don't think I wrote with much clarity last night, and don't think you guys exactly know what I was getting at.

Where can I aquire, buy, or obtain new weapons and armor?

If you ask me why I would waste "rare" materials on armor in the game. Pardon me sir, I was under the impression that... yes... yes.. it is the second day of retail, pardon me for not knowing end-game. I look in a crafters screen, and see that I need fur to make the best armor I can make for myself at the time being. Having read that items arent a big think in Guild Wars I assumed that that armor would be close to top notch. Sorry.

Edited post #1 to be more coherant, and mean more of what I wanted to say.

You obtain your weapons from monster drops. There are colectors in Ascalon who will give you a bow 9-13 +5energy +10% pene(10%chance) it is a good piece and you only need a few drops. I'm sorry but I dont remember what item you need to collect to get that. The collector was somewhere to the southeast of ascalon. Just be patient and eventually you'll find your gun. Don't forget to costumize it as the 20% bonus might prove significant and it's cheap after all.

You can also get a new weapon through trading, with patience as well.

To aquire new armor you must craft it. Pick the armor you want, and get the needed materials. Don't go for anything fancy until you reach level 20 and can wear the top notch armor sets. So, i suggest saving the rare materials for later...

Cheers.
--Qin