6021

It scales surprisingly well for low end machines. If he has a discrete graphics card (not onboard) then he might be OK.
If using Intel onboard graphics then I wouldn’t bother.

6022

Thieves are squishy, and except the one bow melee and need to dodge, dodge, dodge or SPLAT! This does not sound like the style you want. There isn’t a stealth archer, but I’d recommend starting with a ranger, longbow and tank pet. Since stealth is a negligible combat element anyway, at least you can stay ranged shoot and mostly not have the button, button, button, DODGE! (repeat) dance that has to be well timed. If you decide you want to try that, I’d recommend warrior over thief. Again, stealth really doesn’t factor in GW2, so at least w/warrior you also have a powerful bow user and the ability to go to builds where you can miss more dodges than the thief.

So if you want stealth archer, can not have. If want archer for slower reflexes:
Ranger w/tank pet > Warrior > Thief

(I have them all to 80 so …)

6023

Ranger also have the highest range if I remember correctly?

6024

Haha. You’d think that. But no, engineer grenades and warrior longbow have access to 1500 range with traits as well, and do better at that range.

(That’s because ranger longbow is probably one of the the worst weapons in the game. Both low dps and low burst, with scarce utility on the weapon skills. Engineers get AOE on everything, high damage, and absurd condition pressure on grenades, warriors get the highest single target burst.)

6025

So, if my preferred weapon is a bow, what is the best way to enter the game and go forward?

6026

Warrior, probably. Warrior is just great all around. Thief has some great AOE attacks on the shortbow, but soloing might be tough. I never liked the ranger.

But you’ll be using two weapons at a time (unless you’re an engineer or elementalist). The game REALLY isn’t built for one weapon. So find something that compliments the bow and go with those two.

Here’s the skill listings for the bows. (in case you didn’t know, there’s no such thing as a generic “attack” in GW2. Every move you can do is a skill.)

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Short_bow
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Longbow

Might as well click through to the profession pages while you’re there, too, and see if anything jumps out at you.

6027

I found warrior to be a total bore to play, easily the least interesting class in my personal opinion. YMMV, of course, but if you find the warrior to be dull don’t write off the game before trying other classes. :)

6028

Thief is very squishy. If I was going to level up to 80 again I’d make a Warrior.

6029

You may want to try a few characters to level 10 or so…I was convinced I would play a Warrior until I tried Guardian. It suits my style much better.

You won’t have REAL idea of what the class is like until you have unlocked a few weapons (weapon skills need to be unlocked with use) and gotten a few class skills (first at lvl 5 and another at 10).

FWIW I hate dying so for a soloing bow user I’d rank Ranger > Warrior > Thief. A tanky ranger pet just helps immensely if you are not a natural dodger.

Also, the human starting zone has the highest population – in case you want to avoid others or seek them out for help.

6030

This is good stuff, thanks for answering annoying newbie questions (rather than just saying "read the freaking thread!"which I am working my way through. Sounds like my brother in TN and I are going to join and try this as our next co-op game. We figured out how to get around his laptop power issues (we both have broken Dell XPS M1710 laptops with a nice GeForce 7950 (or something like that) video cards, so he’s going to replace the bad part in his with the good part in mine and he’ll have a good machine.)

Since I haven’t Co-op gamed on a PC in a long time, one more question: how do we voice chat with each other? From a brief search it appears GW2 doesn’t have a built in voice chat app. Our goal is to form a two man team and play together and chat with each other as we play.

Thanks!

6031

Tons of ways, easiest might be to just chat via Steam. More advanced utilities include Razr Comms or Skype. I wouldn’t bother with a server-based solution for just two people.

6032

I agree, when I play with my buddy Skype works perfectly well for just the two of us.

6033

I’d say there are free alternatives, but for something like $5 per 3 months I keep a small Mumble server active to chat with friends.

6034

There’s a QT3 community on Raidcall, though I don’t know if it sees any use these days, and that’s server independent group chat. For one on one I’d just use Skype. Steam voice is in my experience questionable.

6035

Feel good story from Guild Wars 2 disabled player: http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/26/5450726/guild-wars-2-disabled-npc-inspires-player-with-multiple-sclerosis

“I don’t know where you’re going with Taimi. But honestly I don’t care,” she added. "Because now, in Tyria, I can imagine having a giant golem cart me around when I can’t feel my legs or when they hurt too badly to walk. Now when I get derisive or pitying looks, I can take a minute to imagine I’m sitting on a golem’s shoulder like a complete kitten.

“So thank you for thinking of people like me. Thank you for thinking about how someone with a disability might get along in your world. And thank you for making her awesome.”

“I was both honored and moved to have elicited such a positive reaction from a player who so strongly identified with Taimi’s situation,” McGough said of Christina’s response. "As a storyteller, it is the kind of reaction you’re always hoping to get from your audience, but more importantly, as a fellow human being I was proud to have brought a small measure of joy and inspiration to someone who suffers from a real and painful disability.

“I want to send all of ArenaNet’s best wishes to Christina and our fondest hopes for her medical situation to improve. I am overjoyed to have inspired Christina because she, in turn, has inspired me and countless other members of the Guild Wars 2 community with her bravery.”

6036

Fantastic story, I love the way virtual worlds can have rippling effects in our real world.

6037

So, I decided to blast through my Personal Story in this, and got the end, and found out that was a dungeon? Why is it necessary to get 4 other people to finish my “Personal Story”? I find that rather strange. Am I missing something or is the final part of the Personal Story a group dungeon?

6038

No. You didn’t miss something. It’s a group dungeon. It’s the only big misstep I can think of in GW2. The climax of your Personal Story quest is a raid that you can’t do by yourself. It’s hot BS.

6039

Thanks Telefrog - I thought I was going crazy. Nice to know I’m not the only one finding it strange, but yeah - the game is pretty damn great. Its hard to play other MMO’s with their static combat systems once you’ve tried Guild Wars 2.

6040

Well, that means it is highly unlikely I ever finish my personal story then, that sucks!

Personally I wish the combat wasn’t so spastic and twitch based. I am playing GW2 despite the combat, not because of it.