Thoughts from a Beginner Gamer
When I started playing Guild Wars 2, I knew nothing about this type of interactive game. I made a copy of the keyboard cues and tried to learn how to run and jump, but had many frustrations on what I “Really” was supposed to be doing. I would randomly hit 1,2,3,4,6 and tried to figure out what powers worked to keep me alive. I finally got the gumption to ask the people in RaidCall - Gaiscioch what to do and what the powers meant. I needed basic knowledge to “Survive” the environment and work on my quests.
The first things that I learned were:
1. How to open map and know what was on it.
2. How to set up options including Evade/Dodge and other movements.
3. How to control the keyboard and mouse at the same time.
4. Knowing your abilities - Some powers will knock the enemy back and other people in your group lose their lock on the enemy.
5. Knowing your terrain before you jump off of things. You can fall off cliffs and die (which will cost you gold to go back to a waypoint).
6. When you are in a large group battle, you need to turn down your graphics.
Ok, let’s take these 6 items and get you started on your new adventure.
I am a visual learner, so reading the manual doesn’t cut it for me. So I will walk through what others showed me.
1. How to open map and know what was on it.
Press “M” for Map. If you look down the left side you see symbols:
A Heart, Square with a blue center, A tiny square with an orange center, a blue up arrow, 2 red triangles and on the lower right, there are a set of stacked squares. I will proceed with pictures and a short description of each.
The Hearts - These are mini-tasks to help you grow. A completion of one of these will give you experience points.
A Waypoint - Look at the circled area on the map - you have a empty waypoint symbol and when you have acquired the waypoint, it turns blue. A waypoint is how you travel quickly, from one place to another.
Point of Interest - There is a square encompassing the Point of interest symbol - these little squares are areas that are required for your map completion. They usually are places you might need at certain times in your travels.
A Vista - The picture below has an undiscovered vista (2 empty triangles) and a discovered vista (2 solid red triangles) Each vista when triggered (by pressing “F”) will show the scenic view of the area and you will receive experience points.
The best way I know to get XP in the beginning, is to work on these things. During the process, you will learn to run, fight, and collect items. It’s always good to have a friend to tag along in case you have any problems.
Tiers - There are 2 pictures below showing tier 1 and tier 2. If you look, it gives you different levels in the area. Sometimes you can’t find the point of interest, vista or heart because it is on a different level/tier. By clicking one of the squares, you may view what is on that level.
2. How to set up options, including Evade/Dodge and other movements.
This one, I am still working on. You will see, it is tougher than you think. It all depends on keystrokes and which keys work for you.
Go to option window by clicking the gear and pressing “options”:
Select the mouse, find “Dodge” on mine it is the letter V. You may change it if something works better for you:
3. How to control the keyboard and mouse at the same time.
As you explore this control option page (above), you might want to change a few keystrokes around to work for you. From my experience, the keystrokes they already have there, seem to work the best. Go to low level areas and start fighting and find what works for you.
4. Knowing your abilities - Some will knock the enemy back and other people in your group lose their lock on the enemy.
Scroll over your powers and you get a pop-up window that shows what your power does. Here is an example:
The main key phrase I found was Push Foes Backward - Do not use these during a group battle.
5. Knowing your terrain before you jump off of things. You can fall off cliffs and die (which will cost you gold to go back to a waypoint).
Many times, I have found myself running away from a foe. Sometimes, I forget to look or change my view by holding down the right mouse button. You need to do this if you don’t want to go back to a waypoint. Here is an example of me jumping and having to pay to go to a waypoint:
Can I make it??? Let’s try - Jump
Guess not
6. When you are in a large group battle, you need to turn down your graphics.
Some computers are not made for large group gaming, either graphics card, old computer or combination of both. You need to choose Best Performance for Group Battles and when wanting great pictures and the enjoyment of the environment, pick Best Appearance. Choosing either will automatically change everything below to the correct settings.
Update: Since I started writing this, my dear friends in Gaiscioch, have help me get my small level 10 Norn Ranger, Humble Misty to a level 80 in 3 months time. I am only a casual gamer, but once you learn how to maneuver, learning how to use the map, stay alive and dodge made it very helpful to progress.
About the Author
GmaFog
Senior Editor
As GmaFog loves to adventure in life, she gets excited about everything surrounding her. In addition to working as a Web Production Assistant for Franchise Update Media, she voluntarily writes and edits for Gaiscioch Magazine. She attends Westside Christian Church and loves going on missions trips to Rwanda with Africa New Life Ministries. In her spare time, Gma plays games with The Gaiscioch [GSCH] Family and grandsons; dabbles in photography; and explores crafting ideas. You can always ask her questions, as she enjoys helping others, in-game and out.
About Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is an online role-playing game with fast-paced action combat, a rich and detailed universe of stories, awe-inspiring landscapes to explore, two challenging player vs. player modes—and no subscription fees!