Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? (Guild Wars)

[Broomstick]

Thanks, that's very helpful

I also noticed the "You have been playing 2 hours, take a break message" pop up.

[Broomstick]

I'm 5 hours playing time into my trial copy, have over 800 gold, and I am trundling through level 6 while managing to only die once.

The downside to it being a trial copy is that I am limited in some things. For example, I could not sell my chocolate bunnies to the nice player offering 200 gold for them. I'm a little amazed that they go for that much, but whatever. I have also acquired some vials of dye. I'm told the black one should go for quite a bit, but I can't sell to other players. Oh, well, I'll hang onto it for awhile.

I acquired a belt pouch, which is helpful for storage, but how do I get bags?

What are these "storm artifact" and "fire artifact" things? Are they useful to a Ranger/Elementalist? If so, how do I use them? As some seem to be common drops I'm selling them off under the theory I can re-acquire them later but it would be good to know what they're for.

I figured out the ID kits and salvage kits. I now have a small and growing stock of crafting materials. What do I do with these? I presume they are used to make things - do I talk to an NPC? If so, where?

I am told I can't "drop" items due to being a trial account. This leads to the question - can full accounts drop something and come back later to pick it up? I have visions of a stack of items being deposited in the woods, to be slowly ferried to a convenient vendor in the "instanced" area until the region's portable wealth has been as stripped as possible. Can you do that?

I'm pretty much decided to buy this game for a "real" account. It would also allow me a little more luxury to really explore and farm and such without worrying about the clock running out. That lead to...

... what is the end game for this? Does one get bored at level 20? I am NOT interested in PvP, I get too much of that in WoW as it is. I'm assuming that if a character reaches the end of one campaign at level 20 then you go into the next one at level 20? Or something else? What does one do at the end game, just acquire more and better stuff? Start another character?

Yes, lots of questions. Can you all help me out here? It's OK to point to references, too, although it seems there is less than what is available to WoW, but then the WoW universe is just a bit larger in some ways.

[bilateralrope]

I'm 5 hours playing time into my trial copy, have over 800 gold, and I am trundling through level 6 while managing to only die once.

The downside to it being a trial copy is that I am limited in some things. For example, I could not sell my chocolate bunnies to the nice player offering 200 gold for them. I'm a little amazed that they go for that much, but whatever. I have also acquired some vials of dye. I'm told the black one should go for quite a bit, but I can't sell to other players. Oh, well, I'll hang onto it for awhile.

Hold onto the dye until you reach a dye trader NPC, sell the dye to him. You won't get as much as you would if you sold to a player willing to pay a fair price, but it's generally worth it as the trader will buy them instantly.

I acquired a belt pouch, which is helpful for storage, but how do I get bags?

You can buy bags from the merchants. Later on you can also buy runes of holding to increase their capacity.

What are these "storm artifact" and "fire artifact" things? Are they useful to a Ranger/Elementalist? If so, how do I use them? As some seem to be common drops I'm selling them off under the theory I can re-acquire them later but it would be good to know what they're for.

They and an item you hold in the off hand to increase your energy capacity as well as give bonuses to spells. As a ranger primary, you won't have enough energy to use many spells and your bow it two handed. Best to just sell them for now.

You can get through Guild Wars while completely ignoring your secondary profession if you want to.

I figured out the ID kits and salvage kits. I now have a small and growing stock of crafting materials. What do I do with these? I presume they are used to make things - do I talk to an NPC? If so, where?

The NPCs that craft things for you will show up later.

I am told I can't "drop" items due to being a trial account. This leads to the question - can full accounts drop something and come back later to pick it up? I have visions of a stack of items being deposited in the woods, to be slowly ferried to a convenient vendor in the "instanced" area until the region's portable wealth has been as stripped as possible. Can you do that?

You can only drop items in the instanced areas outside towns. When you leave an area any items dropped in it are deleted. Until you get access to the Xunlai Storage, sell anything you don't have an immediate use for except dyes and the salvage/identify kits.

I'm pretty much decided to buy this game for a "real" account. It would also allow me a little more luxury to really explore and farm and such without worrying about the clock running out. That lead to...

... what is the end game for this? Does one get bored at level 20?

Level 20 is where the game really starts, especially in the later chapters.

I am NOT interested in PvP, I get too much of that in WoW as it is. I'm assuming that if a character reaches the end of one campaign at level 20 then you go into the next one at level 20? Or something else?

If you own multiple chapters, once you reach far enough in one campaign your character can move over into another but you will miss out on content for characters that start in that chapter.

What does one do at the end game, just acquire more and better stuff? Start another character?

Acquire titles, acquire better looking weapons and armor, go back and complete the bonus goals in missions, finish all quests, collect all skills. But after a while you will probably want to make a new character.

Having several PvE characters to chose from is useful when helping guildmates through an area as you can switch to the one that is most needed.

Yes, lots of questions. Can you all help me out here? It's OK to point to references, too, although it seems there is less than what is available to WoW, but then the WoW universe is just a bit larger in some ways.

The wiki I've linked to has a lot of information.

[Broomstick]

CHARDOK! GET IN HERE!

What's that Raven Alliance you mentioned earlier and how do I join?

[Lagmonster]

So have you gone from demo to full-time, Broom?

[Chardok]

CHARDOK! GET IN HERE!

What's that Raven Alliance you mentioned earlier and how do I join?

Sorry - been all over today - I will get with you in game this afternoonish. around 6 CST I should be on and I'll make sure you get an invite. make sure you friend me so you can see me.

[Broomstick]

Haven't bought the full wahoo yet - sometime in the next day or two (this working two jobs thing can suck). I'll friend - what was it? - "Interferon Zpak" and "Zolpidem Tartarate" and as soon as I get the full account I'll start looking for you.

As I think I mentioned up thread, my character is Lilly Enthal

[Broomstick]

AHG!

Only 45 minutes left on the trial copy!

Hmm.... should I buy Prophecies with the digital download... or the Trilogy and just wait until it arrives?

Don't even bother answering - clearly I will have to make do with WoW until the three-pack arrives.

[Chardok]

AHG!

Only 45 minutes left on the trial copy!

Hmm.... should I buy Prophecies with the digital download... or the Trilogy and just wait until it arrives?

Don't even bother answering - clearly I will have to make do with WoW until the three-pack arrives.

Hey - I have you added to the friend's list of my guild leader (Her name is OMG its Kayla - don't worry, she's not an idiot, the name was a shot at all the people who saw her other character login and they'd say OMG its Kayla!)

Once in, you will be part of a rather large (about 1k people) alliance. We like to mission together...well, not me, I use AI heroes. And please, if you have a question speak up in AC (alliance chat) everyone is happy to help and there's certainly a lot of questions you will need to have answered (Like, What's permaform, UW, HM, what is a "perfect" weapon, Zkeys, ectos, what is a 600 smiter, what is a 30 booner, etc. etc. etc.)

When you do get your copy, I recommend immediately purchasing Eye Of The North. It's a LOAD of fun, a neat story, and you get to kick the crap out of the covenant Destroyers.


PPS

Permaform - a series of skills which, when executed properly allows assassin characters to be immune to direct spell effects and physical damage, but reduces their damage output by 50%, and if you let it drop without renewing it, you lose all by ~50 Hit points.

UW - Underworld. Don't go there.

HM - Hard mode. This becomes available only after you complete the story missions in normal mode.

"perfect" weapon - a weapon with maximum possible damage range (for daggers, for example, 7-17 damage, bows 15-28)

ZKeys - Zaishen keys, you get them in Underworld. Don't worry about em - yet.

Ectos - Ectoplasm, used to make high-end armors/weapons it is often treated as an alternate form of currency for transactions over 100,000 gold, since that is all a character can carry.

600 smiter - no idea. some kind of monk that has 600 HP somehow.

300 booner - no idea, some sort of monk that uses the spell Smiter's Boon in some way that is....beneficial....or something.

[Broomstick]

Hey - I have you added to the friend's list of my guild leader (Her name is OMG its Kayla - don't worry, she's not an idiot, the name was a shot at all the people who saw her other character login and they'd say OMG its Kayla!)

Excellent! I'll put her in my friend's list as well, although I don't think I can actually join a guild until I upgrade my account. But, I figger, if I blow through a trial account in about 3 days I probably should buy the game, yah? Was going nuts this morning - WoW was down with patch issues, almost no time left on GW... noooooo! No game-time in the morning!!!! Actually got my tax forms signed and stuffed in the envelopes by 6 am cause there was, like, nothing else to do!

(Other Half has said another game is OK, but no more time in a day gaming. Something about real life and responsibility. Phoo.)

Once in, you will be part of a rather large (about 1k people) alliance. We like to mission together...well, not me, I use AI heroes.

I dunno... I might persuade you to join me in being anti-social with me...

Sometimes I like to join with others and sometimes I'm a complete sourpuss. My WoW guild has gotten used to it. For a guild that sent two teams in the new Ulduar instance last night they're pretty laid back and have a large casual component as well as rabid raiders.

And please, if you have a question speak up in AC (alliance chat) everyone is happy to help and there's certainly a lot of questions you will need to have answered (Like, What's permaform, UW, HM, what is a "perfect" weapon, Zkeys, ectos, what is a 600 smiter, what is a 30 booner, etc. etc. etc.)

Oh, yes! After three years of playing WoW I'm still going "I have this dumb question..." in guild chat, which is clearly the equivalent of GW alliance chat. I also have a high tolerance for passing on knowledge to folks even more noob than me.

When you do get your copy, I recommend immediately purchasing Eye Of The North. It's a LOAD of fun, a neat story, and you get to kick the crap out of the covenant Destroyers.

We'll see - my account upgrade is waiting on my first gub'ment paycheck (which may be as early as today). Gotta pay the rent first

And thanks for the acronym run-down

[Gaidin]

When you do get your copy, I recommend immediately purchasing Eye Of The North. It's a LOAD of fun, a neat story, and you get to kick the crap out of the covenant Destroyers.

Oh god I still haven't gotten to beat EOTN...and now that I've been playing WAR, my guild wars skills have tanked.

[Lagmonster]

Tell you what, Broom, you let me know when you want to play and I'll dust off my old champion and keep you company. I haven't played in so long I wouldn't be surprised if my character had atrophied from lack of use.

[Broomstick]

When I get my account upgraded I'll come back here and let ya'll know, how's that?

[Isil`Zha]

ZKeys - Zaishen keys, you get them in Underworld. Don't worry about em - yet.

I trade Balth points for Zkeys and usually sell the Zkeys for 4.5-5k a pop.

I'm going to try to hop on tonight, if for nothing more than to add you people. I would've joined you guys sooner, but I was away on vacation.

Chardok: If you guys see an alliance request from Disposable Assassin's guild, that's me.

[Isil`Zha]

Broomstick - I'd suggest trying the various PvPs when you get it - it's far more balanced than WoW's PvP.

(I'm usually found at Aspenwood, Luxon side, or Alliance Battles if my guildies are on.)

[Chardok]

Oh, good. Another Luxon. Those Kurzicks smell liek poops. Plus they're all Vampires. Luxons beat the shit out of giant crabs and use their shells as merchant stalls.


Badass.

[Isil`Zha]

DEATH TO KURZICKS!

[Broomstick]

My character is sitting in pre-Searing Ascalon. She'll probably stay there until I get the account upgraded (waiting for Trilogy, not in stock in stores around here, so ordered on-line), but once that happens, is there any merit to either stay in pre-Ascalon for awhile, or moving right onto the Searing? What's a good level to move onwards? I think I'm more or less exhausting the potential content up to this point, but hey, I like running through landscapes and killing things, so it's all good.

Kinda wish I hadn't picked profession #2 so quickly, missed out on a few quests, but live and learn...

[Beowulf]

My character is sitting in pre-Searing Ascalon. She'll probably stay there until I get the account upgraded (waiting for Trilogy, not in stock in stores around here, so ordered on-line), but once that happens, is there any merit to either stay in pre-Ascalon for awhile, or moving right onto the Searing? What's a good level to move onwards? I think I'm more or less exhausting the potential content up to this point, but hey, I like running through landscapes and killing things, so it's all good.

Kinda wish I hadn't picked profession #2 so quickly, missed out on a few quests, but live and learn...

Well, you can wait until level 20 and get a neat title, or you could just move right now. I think I was viable at like level 5 in post searing.

[Isil`Zha]

My character is sitting in pre-Searing Ascalon. She'll probably stay there until I get the account upgraded (waiting for Trilogy, not in stock in stores around here, so ordered on-line), but once that happens, is there any merit to either stay in pre-Ascalon for awhile, or moving right onto the Searing? What's a good level to move onwards? I think I'm more or less exhausting the potential content up to this point, but hey, I like running through landscapes and killing things, so it's all good.

Kinda wish I hadn't picked profession #2 so quickly, missed out on a few quests, but live and learn...

You can stay in pre-searing and attempt to get a title - get to level 20 in pre-searing.

I should warn you though, that is a long and boring process, especially once you get to around level 14 IIRC. Eventually, you'll get to a level where the highest level enemies won't give any XP and you have to death level them to raise their level so that you can raise your level off of them...

If you're not going for that, there's not much of a reason to stick around - just do all your profession specific quests to pick up a bunch of free skills, then move on.

PS: You are not permanently stuck with that secondary profession - you can later change it to any secondary you want, and freely swap between them in towns. Although with the original GW, it's near the end of the PvE game before you get the chance to change it, even then you have to do a long-ass quest for each secondary profession you want.

Factions and Nightfall did away with this, very early you get the option to just buy secondary professions for cheap. And actually, the original GW is more like most RPGs where you spend a good deal of the game leveling and getting various levels of equipment. Factions and Nightfall do away with this too, and you are basically level 20 by the end of the starting areas, and a majority of those campaigns are max level stuff. To put it in perspective, I'm sure you've noticed that most quests give you probably 200xp or so for completing them - that doesn't change much, though you'll find a lot for 500xp - and one really long quest later for 4,000xp. Easy starter quests in Factions and Nightfall give, on average, 3,000-5,000xp - practically eliminating the grinding.

Despite that, I recommend playing through the first GW - I found it to be one of the best PvE stories/playthroughs out of the GW games. (I thought Faction's story sucked, and it's PvE was simply annoying and over the top. I like Nightfall though.)

Well, you can wait until level 20 and get a neat title, or you could just move right now. I think I was viable at like level 5 in post searing.

That sounds about right. I think I went as high as 10 with one character by doing nearly everything and getting the collectible armor (which is obsolete the instant you leave pre-searing.)

[Broomstick]

Oh, good to know that about the armor. I've got everything but the facemask for mine, but I don't feel compelled to stick around for that. From what I read on the wiki you have to amass a shitload of mats to get higher level armor so I'd probably just as soon start acquiring that. I can always start another character if I really want to pre-Sear again.

It's just that pre-Searing is pretty and it all burns down (or most of it). In WoW I sometimes get melancholy going through areas devastated over and over by war (even more so, when I've done Caverns of Time instances where, as an example, you can see how the Plaguelands looked before they were the Plaguelands). I expect to feel something of that in GW, too. Especially since you get to experience it as your initial introduction to the world. Not that it will stop me from playing, of course. It does add to the atmosphere.

[Isil`Zha]

Eye of the North has a lot of "pre-searing Ascalon" environment. But yeah, that armor in pre-searing is basically just collector stuff - you get rather cheap and much easier to get armor that's better in Ascalon City, fresh out of pre-searing.

By the way, what class did you go as?

[Broomstick]

Ranger/Elementalist.

It looked similar to the "builds" I've used in other RPG's (dating clear back to 1970's Dungeons and Dragons - yeah, I've been gaming thirty years) with success. It was either that or Warrior/Elementalist, but Ranger appealed to me more with the distance attacks.

[Stark]

Jesus, post-searing Ascalon. How anyone sticks with the game long enough to get out of the Blandest Quarry Since Doctor Who is almost as mysterious as why the developers thought trapping players in such a boring area for ages was a good idea. Just pay someone to run you to Lion's Arch and forget about it. Shit, I'll do it for you for free, so would anyone here.

Fucking Ascalon. Ugh.

[Isil`Zha]

My first ever GW character was a W/E, and later a W/Mo - who I played through all of the first GW with... then basically abandoned. I started using the other classes and basically found them all to be a lot more fun. I rarely touch my Warrior, I just keep him cause he was my first character.

For a good majority of the game, I kept a split skill-set of Warrior and Elementalist skills (usually 1 or two of the more powerful AoE spells.) However, I later found it to be much more efficient to only occasionally use my secondary profession, and usually just for specific builds. I now almost always stick to a full skill-set of my primary profession. The biggest reason being how you spend your attribute points - I try to limit the spread to 3 or less attribute lines so you can get those ones decently high.

Anyway, the armor you can get in Ascalon city won't require too much cloth or cash (I think 50g a piece?) and will be quite a bit better than what you can get out of pre-searing. After that armor upgrades are few and far between - you actually really get into equipment after hitting max level - then you start tweaking different armor sets with other stats, ect. Then there's 15k armor... not only do they require an absurd amount of extremely rare items, but cost 15,000 gold per piece - and are purely aesthetic. In GW, max armor is max armor.

I care so little about PvE anymore that I have 150,000g sitting in my chest. But heck, I've never minded jumping on to help someone out, even in the lower level stuff (usually as a Monk so they can have stuff to kill while I just keep em alive.)

Jesus, post-searing Ascalon. How anyone sticks with the game long enough to get out of the Blandest Quarry Since Doctor Who is almost as mysterious as why the developers thought trapping players in such a boring area for ages was a good idea. Just pay someone to run you to Lion's Arch and forget about it. Shit, I'll do it for you for free, so would anyone here.

Fucking Ascalon. Ugh.

haha, I actually didn't mind it at the time, and actually explored nearly all of it before moving on - I mostly find it extremely bland now because the later GW have quite a bit more detail.