Talk:Getting started

Changed this becase it was redirecting to a redirect and to handle with the addition of factions. Alexanderpas Talk 07:49, 7 May 2006 (CDT)

Good character for a beginner?
What would a good character for a beginner be? I'm not completely a beginner, but I stopped playing for a while. All I know right now is not to play as mesmer for now. &mdash;The preceding unsigned comment was added by Alert (talk &bull; contribs) 13:30, February 5, 2007 (CST).
 * To be honest, "a good character for a beginner" is a very subjective thing - depending upon your specific play style and what you're wanting from the game. What one person finds to be a good character to play may be a horrid match for someone else.  For example, you discount the Mesmer, but it is one of my favorite professions.  Although if you want to play with random groups, it can also be one of the hardest to get others to accept as it's poorly understood by many.
 * Start with what you want - do you want front-line action? Then a Warrior or Dervish are likely more your speed.  Prefer being a damage dealer?  Then an Elementalist, Ranger, Mesmer, Assassin, Paragon, or Necromancer may be for you.  Prefer a support role?  Then look at Paragon, Necromancer, Elementalist, Assassin, Monk, Ritualist or Mesmer.  If you prefer being a healer, take a look at Monks and Ritualists.
 * These are just general guidelines - there's quite a bit of cross-over between roles, especially if someone specialises their character and is good at managing its weeknesses and strength. In the end, no one can tell you which is best.  It comes down to what you enjoy, and finding the profession that's the best match for you. --- Barek (talk • contribs) - 13:52, 5 February 2007 (CST)


 * There is a number of factors that affect how much a specific character will appeal to you:
 * Focus: Some characters are, by nature, more focused on targets and foes than others. For example, warriors can seldom damage more than one foe and generally tend to find the weakest link in the enemy and try to take it out, or find the biggest threat in the enemy and try to tank that foe. The number of skills in the warrior profession that can help others or harm multiple foes is very little compared to other professions. Assassins are even MORE focused. On the flip side, Mesmers and monks are the least focused. You will be constantly keeping an eye on what the enemy is trying to do and basically counter it (with healing and protection as a monk or with disruption and enchantment/hex removal as a memser). Some people like the hectic style of keeping an eye on the entire battle and others like the more orderly one-bad-guy-at-a-time approach. In order of focused vs hectic style of play, this is my list of professions: Assassins, Warrios, Dervishes, Rangers, Elementalists, Necromancers, Paragons, Ritualists, Monks, Mesmers.
 * Pace: Some characters play at a higher pace than others. The first ranger I made I deleted after a month because of how agonizingly slow the pace of playing rangers was as compared to playing my air elementalist earlier. I have since learned how to play ranger and gotten used to the slower pace of events... However, this is also a key factor in choosing which profession to play. Necromancers for example are a slower pace of offensive spell casting than elementalists. Their spells are mostly slow casting, so they need to be more opportunistic in when and where they choose to dispense them. In terms of pace (frantic to slow), this is how I would sort the professions: Monk, Mesmer, Paragon, Assassin, Elementalist, Warrior, Dervish, Necromancer, Ritualist, Ranger.
 * Understanding the game: Some professions are basically easier to get into and enjoy and be efficient at than others. The main reason is that the others require a higher level of understanding the game to master a larger number of their skills. For example, you can be a brutally effective warrior and never learn the difference between a skill and a spell or an attack and an attack skill but such information would be vital if you're a paragon deciding which support chant to take. You might never even care about the subtle nuances between in the area, nearby and adjacent. However, such knowledge becomes paramount if you're an elementalist dropping a Sandstorm on people. Also, some professions are just more straightforward than others. Rangers are fairly simple to operate, while assassins and Dervishes can take a little getting used to, just to figure out the chaining of attacks to get the desired effect. Some classes require exquisite energy management, others can operate without energy to begin with. Sorted from easiest to most complex here is my ordering of the professions: Ranger, Warrior, Necromancer, Ritualist, Elementalist, Assassin, Dervish, Paragon, Monk*, Mesmer.
 * I placed an asterisk on Monking because it's the only profession that is like a revelation. The more you play it, the more you discover how badly you've been playing it and how much better you can play it. So, it's very easy to heal people fairly well and discover after 6 months of playing the game that your build is actually atrocious. :) Hope ths big rant helps you make a choice. --Karlos 20:59, 5 February 2007 (CST)