GW2: Tips for Beginners

As I have played the game from beginning, never having played Guild Wars I, I have run across a few things that made life easier. They would have made life even easier if I had known about them sooner. So i’ll share a few highlights I’ve come across. These tips are even good beyond level 80.

Deposit all Collectibles

This is probably the number one tip I can give to people. I have run across people at level 80 that had no idea. Open your Inventory menu. At the top right corner there is a gear symbol. Click that symbol and some options pop up. Click ‘Deposit all collectibles‘ and all your gathered and crafting materials will instantly be deposited into your bank. No more running to vendors, running to the bank, or running out of bag space.

You Get Experience For Everything

You get XP for reviving players (and NPCs), even if you only help. You get XP for gathering resource nodes. You get XP for looking out over Vistas. You get XP for killing a creature, even if you only fire a few shots at something another player is already killing. Don’t be afraid to help other players, or to try everything. You get rewarded for it.

More Group Members means More Loot

The more people you have in a group, the more loot will drop. The difference is staggering. I have personally experienced this. You will not be disappointed, especially when farming at level 80. Check here for more info.

You can Reset Traits at your Trainer

If you end up not liking your current spec, you can reset your traits easily. If I recall your first one is free, and the cost tops out at 3 silver at level 80. You can do this at the trainer you bought your books from. They are in every city and zone. I’d suggest going to the Heart of the Mists (sPvP) where you can respec for free if you want to play around with your traits. You can try it out on the various sparring dummies for each class. There is no PvP required.

Magic Find

Salvage extra blues to improve your magic find. You can also salvage your green drops if you’ve got enough money. Salvaging a blue or green item will occasionally result in getting essences of luck. These essences are used to increase your Magic Find. Magic find increases the quality of look you get.

Level 78 exotics are better than level 80 rares

This principal doesn’t only apply to level 80 gear. Level 28 exotics are better than level 30 rares. If you are buying off the Trading Post, which I recommend you avoid at all costs until 80, these items were similarly priced when I checked. Same or better stats for the same or less money is a win.

You get a new skillpoint each time you re-level to 80

Ever wondered how to get more skillpoints? Once you hit level 80, your experience bar continues to fill up. Each time you fill it up, you gain a skillpoint. This is great for crafting those Mystic Weapons, and also has several other uses.

More…

I’m sure there will be more tips. I’ll be sure to pass them along as I come across them. Feel free to share yours too in the comments!