First Impressions

[MrHat]

From the sounds of things, they're not giving out any codes until the game actually releases. Buying from GMG right now means waiting.

This is correct.

[nurtsi]

I bought the game with 20% discount from GMG and got the activation code in email immediately. Downloaded the game from https://register.guildwars2.com/. If you just want to download the client, I don't think you even need an activation code. Just register and you can find the download link from GW website. Worked in Europe, not sure about other parts.

[tmp]

Confirming the instant code from GMG thing, when buying from EU at least. Download is done from GW2 official page, like nurtsi says.

[Gorky]

I believe those who bought it from GMG before the 8th got an instant key as well as headstart access, now GMG just says the keys will be sent in time to start on the 28th. Also the first step of creating an account on the GW2 site seems to be registering your key, so guess nothing to do till GMG starts sending out the keys I guess.

[Rasix]

So, after playing the for 2-3 hours during the stress test today, I'm kind of torn.  Sure, it's interesting, but the PVE really isn't all that compelling.   Didn't attempt any PVP, as I just wanted to get a feel for things.

At least now I have a better grasp of the basics.

Completely unsure of what class I want to play now.  Engineer was OK, didn't knock my socks off or anything.   Played some elementalist and that had a lot more eye candy and satisfying blowing up of stuff.

edit:  Should not that I was playing with my old GPU (RMA arrives today), so the performance wasn't fantastic.  If things were a bit smoother, I imagine the combat would have felt better.

[Hawkbit]

If I were playing a MMO for PvE, I'd just go to RIFT or WoW or SWTOR.  This really is a PvP centered game that has PvE for when I get bored or things are slow. 

That's my thoughts, anyways.

[WayAbvPar]

You can level/advance through PvP, correct? PvE is more for gearing/solo/alternate play?

[Trippy]

You can level/advance through PvP, correct? PvE is more for gearing/solo/alternate play?

Correct, you get exp in team PvP and WvW.

[KallDrexx]

You can level/advance through PvP, correct? PvE is more for gearing/solo/alternate play?

Correct, you get exp in team PvP and WvW.

My understanding is you *only* get xp in WvW.  In team PvP you get glory, which is used for pvp (asthetic) gear

[Furiously]

You also get drops when you kill people in WvW.

[KallDrexx]

Right, my point is that it doesn't seem like you gain xp when you team pvp, which I find retarded and backwards to their other ideas.

[Rasix]

What about skill points?  Are these level and PVE challenge only?

[ffc]

There are skill point places in the WvW map.

[tazelbain]

Plus once you get to 80, all xp goes to earning skill points like in GW1.

[Nebu]

So, after playing the for 2-3 hours during the stress test today, I'm kind of torn.  Sure, it's interesting, but the PVE really isn't all that compelling.  

This.  I play the game for an hour or two and then find myself bored.  The PvP is too slow a pace for me so far in the testing, but I'm hoping that it will pick up and evolve when the game goes live.  I fear that I may just stick with WoT for my PvP fix and play GW 2 for my social gaming needs. 

I'm kind of disappointed by how little I feel compelled to play this after beta testing. 

[Kageru]

I liked the PvE... oh well, different strokes.

Sadly I'll be away from the computer when it launches so finding some names not taken is going to be an exercise in creativity.

[Dark_MadMax]

The PvP is too slow a pace for me so far in the testing

"Slow pace" ?!? Compared to Street Fighter or Counter Strike? hmm maybe ... but its lot faster than any MMO. ANd faster than WoT as well

[Trippy]

The WvW is not any faster than WAR is.

[satael]

The PvP is too slow a pace for me so far in the testing

Personally I find the pace a bit too fast but most of that (might be) due to not being so familiar with all the skills at level 80 especially if you get jumped by multiple players at once 

[trias_e]

The PvE, at least early on, is early WoW ground into a concentrated serving of mind-numbing boredom.  I think TSW has somewhat spoiled me in this regard, and GW2 has an opposite approach to PvE.  I just don't have the patience to put up with this endless  grind anymore.

Everyone I know is playing this game so I'm forced to get it, but I honestly couldn't stand more than 2 hours of the PvE.  Welp, hope the PvP is good!

[KallDrexx]

What exactly are you grinding?

[trias_e]

My experience was running around the starter area and looking for bars to fill up by doing menial tasks.  Lots of picking up shit.  Lots of kill quests.  Some 'interactive' but boring stuff like fixing golems with a wrench.  Maybe I missed something.

[Tmon]

I can see the grind if you are trying to get skills unlocked to use in WvW.  Getting boosted to 80 when you enter the PVP zones is nice but only having your basic low level skills and traits available can make survival a lot more problematic which means that leveling is faster in PVE for the lower levels since you spend less time dead waiting for a rez or running back to the battle after rezzing at a base.  From a PVE standpoint if you really want to run dungeons then you have to make it to at least 30 in order to stand a chance in the first one.

[tazelbain]

Great stuff here, I guess there is no accounting for taste.

[Lantyssa]

My experience was running around the starter area and looking for bars to fill up by doing menial tasks.  Lots of picking up shit.  Lots of kill quests.  Some 'interactive' but boring stuff like fixing golems with a wrench.  Maybe I missed something.

Don't work to fill bars.  Flit about the map, take in the sights, and look for little hidden nooks.

If you try to play it like WoW, it will bore you out of your mind.

[Tmon]

My experience was running around the starter area and looking for bars to fill up by doing menial tasks.  Lots of picking up shit.  Lots of kill quests.  Some 'interactive' but boring stuff like fixing golems with a wrench.  Maybe I missed something.

Don't work to fill bars.  Flit about the map, take in the sights, and look for little hidden nooks.

If you try to play it like WoW, it will bore you out of your mind.

Yup, I notice that leveling just kind of happens whether I focus on it or not.  Focusing on it seems to make it slower since previous mmos have trained us to kill lots of mobs and complete quests while staring at the xp bar, which is exactly the wrong way to level in this game.  Mobs individually give almost no xp, hearts give a decent chunk for completion and events give big chunks of xp, but exploration, crafting, gathering and PvP also give xp so you don't have to worry about not making progress if you are doing something besides checking off hearts.   

Most hearts give you multiple ways to contribute so you can actually clear them pretty fast if you combine the methods, usually there is one that is slow (usually some kind of gathering activity) but gives a nice boost to completion and another (usually killing things) that gives smaller boosts but can be done in conjunction with the gathering activity. 

For me the big key turned out to be turning off map completion icons, which leads me to explore a lot more actively rather than bee-lining from heart to heart.

[trias_e]

My experience was running around the starter area and looking for bars to fill up by doing menial tasks.  Lots of picking up shit.  Lots of kill quests.  Some 'interactive' but boring stuff like fixing golems with a wrench.  Maybe I missed something.

Don't work to fill bars.  Flit about the map, take in the sights, and look for little hidden nooks.

If you try to play it like WoW, it will bore you out of your mind.

That makes quite a bit of sense.  I guess all you really need to grind for is the ability unlocks, then you can just level with PvP anyways.  I can handle that.

[01101010]

Any truth to the rumor floating around yesterday that you can conceivably get to level 11 just by exploring all the PoI in every city. Granted, that does fuck all for weapon skills, but does unlock some goodies without having to beat on anything.

[KallDrexx]

I wouldn't be surprised, there are 80 levels and exporing POIs give pretty good xp.

[Nevermore]

My experience was running around the starter area and looking for bars to fill up by doing menial tasks.  Lots of picking up shit.  Lots of kill quests.  Some 'interactive' but boring stuff like fixing golems with a wrench.  Maybe I missed something.

Don't work to fill bars.  Flit about the map, take in the sights, and look for little hidden nooks.

If you try to play it like WoW, it will bore you out of your mind.

In other words, it's great for explorer types but really sucks for achiever types.

[KallDrexx]

In other words, it's great for explorer types but really sucks for achiever types.

Depends what you are trying to achieve.  There are a TON of achievements you can work towards, and plenty of levels and difficult things to do.  It just doesn't force you into one style of play.

[01101010]

Yeah I think Anet covered the bases for exploration AND achievements - considering my fresh warrior had a ton of pop ups for daily counting of something I beat to death along with a variety pack achievement. I might just do as much city touring as I can the first day or two. Then I can run around with that green down arrow on me the rest of the game.

[tazelbain]

There is eighty levels in crafting as well.  Would be hard as a solo char for lack mats and money, but should pretty doable if fed by alts. Not sure why you'd want to put all your crafts on one char, but its an option.

[statisticalfool]

In other words, it's great for explorer types but really sucks for achiever types.

This is not hard to fix. If you are clearing the starter area out, every last heart, sticking around for dynamic events, etc, it will be easy. But if you jump to heart nodes that +1/+2 levels, you'll easily find a good challenge there, and the dynamic events will feel a lot better.  A lot of the events get quite fun if you're a little bit undertuned for it, and the rewards for jumping ahead are nice.

Basically, if you aren't circle-strafing, using CC and evades on mobs, you could be taking on much more difficult stuff. And if you don't pick those skills up, Explore Mode dungeons will wreck you.

[Nevermore]

In other words, it's great for explorer types but really sucks for achiever types.

Depends what you are trying to achieve.  There are a TON of achievements you can work towards, and plenty of levels and difficult things to do.  It just doesn't force you into one style of play.

The context of what I was replying to, as I saw it at least, was regarding leveling specifically.  Fluff achievement stuff is entirely another thing.