n00b tips by DarkSwan

darkswan

Full Member
Welcome on board.

Well I think you're going to like the graphics! :))

The nice thing about GW is it doesn't demand you play for 2 hours to achieve anything. There are loads of quests with XP/skill rewards which can be done in 30 minutes. And there's no monthly fee, so you can put it away for a couple of months if you really want and come back to it later.

Your Account
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You can have four characters. Each can have a major and a minor class. The skills will become more powerful as you put more attribute points into the attribute type that it depends on. You get more attributes to spread around each time you level. Currently the maximum character level is 20. Your primary class will have an extra attribute type (e.g. strength for warrior, expertise for ranger) which will make it more powerful.

There are SIX character classes - Warrior, Ranger, Elementalist, Monk, Necromancer and Mesmer. You get 4 character slots on your account. These can be either PvE characters or PvP-only characters.

PvP only characters can start at Level 20 (max) and you can rebuild them to be ANY combinations of classes you want. There are some fixed templates available but you can modify these to include any skills or items that you have unlocked in the game with PvE characters or by spending your 'Faction' (gained from winning PvP battles) at priests in the PvP arenas. A PvP-only character can only visit PvP arenas or the Guild Hall.

PvE characters are longer lived on your account. If you really want to build a Warrior/Mesmer but you already have four PvE characters, you will sadly have to delete one of them.

To give yourself maximum flexibility in building a character for Guild PvP teams, I would recommend THREE PvE characters leaving room for ONE PvP only character. Spread the six available classes over these three PvE characters. That way you will unlock skills for ALL SIX classes which you can use to build your PvP-only character the way you want when you want.
(I have come to this conclusion after realising that is what I should have done, not four PvE characters).
You CAN do PvP with PvE characters, but obviously you cannot thange their class AT ALL or their equipment easily.

TRAINING
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You create a character with a starting primary class (e.g. warrior) and choose the sex/colour/hair-style etc.

You start out in a leafy training area which gives you lots of little solo quests and hints on-screen. You can get up to level 6 or 7 quite easily here. Unfortunately once you leave this training area you can't go back. I already have 4 characters past this area so won't be able to help initially, though others could.

I would advise doing as many of these solo quests as you can. You will be given SKILLS in this area without having to spend 'SKILL POINTS'. Otherwise you will have to spend skill points later in the game to get them. (You get one skill point per character level and for completing missions.)

You will have the chance to chose a secondary class. Variations on warrior are very popular. Warrior/Monk, Warrior/Ranger, Warrior/Necro etc.
In fact you MUST choose a secondary class to progress to the game proper, but you can choose to never use those skills if you wish.

As you level up, getting more attribute points to spend, and new skills, you may find yourself thinking "I wish I hadn't put so many attribute points into Sword Mastery because I want to use a Hammer now" etc. No problem. You can rearrange your attribute points any time you are in a town or outpost. My ranger is on his THIRD build.

You will soon have more skills available to you than you can actually use. You can only have EIGHT equipped at any one time. You equip in town, by dragging skill icons (K to see skills) onto your skill bar at the bottom of the screen. You will change skills to suit as you progress.

You can use skills/spells in battle either by pressing the numbers 1-8 or by clicking on the skill icon on the skill bar. Personally I do the latter now.

HOTKEYS
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H - (hero) shows your level, available attribute points and where you have put them. Also where you can re-arrange them.
K - All your available skills
L - quest log
U - small map window which sits on the main game window (shows where you have been this game - useful if you are lost)
M - world map - clears as you progress through game. Available missions are shown as shields. You can teleport to any city by clicking on it.

If your hotkeys aren't working, its probably because your keypresses are going into chat!

Chat Window
==========

When minimised the chat window exists only as a a figure of a head and shoulders and a chat bubble. If it looks like this, your hotkeys will work. To bring up chat, click on this icon and a number of tabs appear with a text entry line.
Tabs:-
All - anyone in the town you are in
Guild - to the whole Guild
Team - to the team you are in (use this rather than Guild normally)
Trade - to offer/ask for items

You can filter these out via checkboxes on the chat window.
Whe normally say hi on the Guild chat when we log on. People may not notice your chat though if they are busy or AFK.

When you are done chatting, click on the man/bubble icon to minimise the chat window.

Getting into the CUK Guild
===================

When you have a character, post the name in the Guild Roster thread and an officer will invite you. All characters on your account are in the guild automatically. You cannot be in 2 guilds on the same account. Some CUK peeps are in different (more active) Guilds.

Regular CUK meets
==============

Usually Monday evening 7PM.

TeamSpeak
========

We have use of the Clan UK TeamSpeak server. Ask the CUK Guild leader for an account if you don't already have one.

Henchman & Teams
===============

Team sizes vary between max 2 and 8 throughout the game.
In pre-searing (the training area) it is 2 max.
In post searing (from Ascalon City) it is 4 max.
From Yak's Bend it is 6 max.
From Droknar's Forge it is 8 max.

Games are instanced. You will NOT meet people who are not in your team. You cannot invite other people into your instance once you have started.

To invite people or henchmen into your team (when in town), click on them, and then click on the green PLUS sign. Henchmen always accept. Players may not. Getting a team of players together can be difficult sometimes if everyone wants to do different quests. Everyone wants a Monk (healer) in their team, but can be less than complimentary when you fail to save them from themselves! Your call.

Some quests are common. Others are specific to your primary or secondary class. I often use henchmen for these and team up for common ones.
Some player teams are great. Others are dreadful. People who drop from a game are a major pain.

Quests v Missions
=============

This terminology has caused some confusion with some people.

You get QUESTS from NPCs. They have a green exclamation mark over their head, you click on them and they offer a quest, which you can accept or decline.

MISSIONS are associated with a town (map area). When you enter the town, the screen will say something like 'Co-operative Mission'.

Both quests and missions appear in the quest log, but the mission is called the Primary Quest!

Completing MISSIONS is the best way to advance across the map (and the storyline). You usually get teleported to a new town on completion.

Although you CAN get across the map via a long march, this is the long way, and you miss out on the XP and 'Skill Points' for completing missions.

Here are a few useful links:-

Controlling Your Character
Mission Guide
Quest Guide
 
Last edited:

darkswan

Full Member
Added the section 'Your Account'
Added the section 'TeamSpeak'
Reflected the removal of Attribute Refund Points in last major (SF) patch.
 
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