Guild Wars 2 offers a generous free-to-play experience. You can level a character to 80, explore a significant portion of the core game world, and experiment with most professions. Think of it as a massive, extended demo. You'll get a true feel for the combat, exploration, and overall game mechanics. The limitations for free accounts mainly involve chat restrictions (limited channels and character-specific restrictions) and access to the bustling main city of Lion's Arch, which is gated until you reach level 35. This restriction encourages exploration of other areas and helps ease new players into the game's scale.

If you fall in love (and I bet you will!), the expansions unlock even more content, including new professions, elite specializations (think advanced classes), maps, storylines, and challenging endgame content.

Note:
Buying a Guild Wars 2 expansion unlocks additional account features, but be aware that there's a verification process. After purchasing an expansion, your account will undergo a verification process by ArenaNet that can take up to five days. During this time, some account features might be temporarily limited. This is a standard security measure to ensure the legitimacy of your purchase and protect your account.

Once verification is complete, you'll have full access to all the content and features the expansion provides. For a more detailed explanation of ArenaNet's account verification process and potential delays, please refer to the Guild Wars 2 Wiki Page[wiki.guildwars2.com]

Character creation in Guild Wars 2 begins with choosing a race. Each race boasts unique traits, appearances, and starting areas, significantly impacting your early game experience and overall aesthetic. Consider these factors when making your choice:

- Humans: A balanced race, well-suited for various playstyles. They start in the human-centric region of Kryta.

- Norn: Powerful and resilient, Norn excel in strength-based builds. Their starting area, the Shiverpeaks, reflects their hardy nature.

- Charrs: Fierce and technologically advanced, Charr are adept at both melee and ranged combat. Ashen Valley, their starting area, showcases their industrial prowess.

- Asura: Intelligent and inventive, Asura are masters of technology and magic. Their starting area, Rata Sum, is a marvel of technological innovation.

- Sylvari: Mysterious and nature-bound, Sylvari possess a unique connection to the plant world. Their starting area, the tangled forests of the Grove, reflects their mystical origins.

However, your profession choice is far more significant. Each profession boasts a unique playstyle, with different strengths and weaknesses. Some excel in close-quarters combat, others dominate from a distance, and some focus on support roles, buffing allies or debuffing enemies. There's no single "best" profession; it's all about finding the one that suits your preferences.

Here's a more detailed rundown (with my personal, slightly biased, opinions!):

- Warrior: The quintessential damage dealer and tank. If you enjoy being in the heart of the action, soaking up damage while dishing it out, the Warrior is your pick. They're versatile, capable of both sustained damage and powerful burst attacks. Great for beginners due to their straightforward nature.

- Guardian: A powerful support and damage dealer, often considered beginner-friendly. Guardians excel at protecting allies with powerful defensive abilities and providing crucial buffs. They can also deal significant damage, making them a well-rounded choice.

- Ranger: Unique in their combination of ranged combat and a pet companion. The pet provides additional damage and support, making the Ranger a versatile choice for various situations. They're fun to play and offer a good balance of offense and defense.

- Thief: Masters of stealth, precision strikes, and quick getaways. If you enjoy outplaying enemies with cunning tactics and quick reflexes, the Thief is for you. They require more skill and precise timing than other professions.

- Engineer: A highly technical profession that utilizes gadgets and turrets for ranged and support roles. Engineers are unique and fun, requiring strategic placement of turrets and skillful use of various gadgets. They're less straightforward than other professions but offer rewarding gameplay.

- Necromancer: Commands minions and wields dark magic. Necromancers are more complex to master, requiring an understanding of minion management and the strategic use of conditions (negative effects on enemies). They're powerful but demand more strategic thinking.

- Elementalist: Manipulates the elements for devastating attacks. Elementalists have a high skill ceiling, requiring precise timing and skill rotations to maximize their damage potential. They're incredibly powerful in skilled hands.

- Mesmer: Masters of illusion and control. Mesmers confuse and control enemies using illusions, creating openings for damage and disrupting enemy attacks. Their playstyle is unique and requires a good understanding of enemy behavior.

- Revenant (Expansion required): Channels the power of legendary figures, offering a diverse range of abilities and playstyles. Revenants are powerful and versatile, offering a wide range of options depending on the legend you choose.

The game's interface can seem overwhelming initially, but it becomes intuitive with practice. Take your time exploring the different menus, customizing your keybindings, and adjusting your graphics settings. I strongly recommend turning off reflections; it's a significant performance boost, especially in densely populated areas or during large-scale events. Consider lowering other graphical settings during these events as well to maintain a smooth framerate.

Efficiently navigate the game with these interface tips:

- Keybindings: Customize keybindings for comfortable and efficient control. Experiment with different layouts.

- UI Customization: Adjust UI size, position, and elements for optimal visibility and screen real estate.

- Graphics Settings: Balance visual quality and performance. Lowering settings like reflections can significantly improve frame rates, especially during large events.

- Minimap/Map: Use the minimap and full map for navigation and awareness. Learn to interpret icons.

- Character Panel: Regularly check health, conditions, and buffs for informed decision-making.

- Inventory Management: Organize your inventory and utilize bank/shared slots for efficient item storage.

Your action bars are your primary tools in combat. You'll have slots for weapon skills (determined by your equipped weapons), healing skills, utility skills (tactical abilities), and your powerful elite skill (a high-impact ability with a long cooldown). Experiment with different skill combinations to find what best suits your playstyle and the situation. Don't be afraid to adjust your build as you level and encounter new challenges. The beauty of Guild Wars 2 is its flexibility.

Effectively manage your action bars for optimal combat performance:

- Weapon Skills: Skills are determined by equipped weapons. Experiment with different weapons to find your preferred playstyle.

- Utility Skills: Choose skills that complement your weapons and provide support, control, or utility (e.g., crowd control, healing).

- Healing Skills: Select effective and easy-to-use healing skills based on your profession and build.

- Elite Skill: A powerful ability with a long cooldown; use strategically for high impact.

Don't stress excessively about gear in the early stages. Focus on enjoying the gameplay and learning the mechanics. As you progress, you'll naturally acquire better equipment. Remember, item stats aren't randomly rolled; each item has a predefined set of stats based on its rarity and level. Focus on finding gear appropriate for your level and gradually upgrading as you level.

Here's a breakdown of the gear tiers you'll encounter in Guild Wars 2:

- Basic Gear (Levels 1-10): This is the gear you'll start with. It's readily available and serves as a foundation for your early adventures.

- Fine Gear (Levels 11-20): A slight upgrade from basic gear, fine gear provides a noticeable boost in stats.

- Masterwork Gear (Levels 21-30): Masterwork gear offers a more substantial increase in stats compared to fine gear.

- Rare Gear (Levels 31-40): Rare gear is a significant upgrade, providing even better stats and sometimes additional bonuses.

- Uncommon Gear (Levels 41-50): Uncommon gear is a step up from rare gear, offering even higher stats and potential bonuses.

- Exotic Gear (Level 80): Exotic gear is the first step towards powerful endgame gear. It offers a significant upgrade from the gear you acquire through leveling. Exotic gear can be crafted, purchased from merchants, or obtained as rewards from specific events. It's a good stepping stone to Ascended and Legendary gear.

- Ascended Gear (Level 80): Ascended gear is a major leap in power and requires significant effort to obtain. It's crafted using rare materials and often involves completing challenging achievements or events. Ascended gear is the pinnacle of crafted gear in Guild Wars 2, offering significant stat bonuses and unique abilities.

- Legendary Gear (Level 80): Legendary gear is the ultimate goal for many players. It's incredibly powerful, offering unique aesthetics, abilities, and story-driven acquisition. Legendary weapons and armor are often crafted through a long and complex process, requiring a dedicated effort and often involving gathering specific items and completing unique achievements. Legendary gear isn't just about power; it's a testament to dedication and a symbol of achievement in the game.

While earlier chapters provided a simplified overview, let's delve deeper into the core stats:

- Power: Directly increases your damage output. Essential for dealing damage.

- Precision: Increases your chance to land critical hits, significantly boosting your damage potential.

- Toughness: Reduces the damage you take from enemies. Crucial for survivability.

- Vitality: Increases your maximum health pool, allowing you to withstand more damage before falling.

- Condition Damage: Increases the damage you inflict with conditions (status effects like burning, bleeding, etc.).

- Condition Duration: Increases the duration of conditions you apply to enemies.

- Healing Power: Increases the effectiveness of your healing abilities.

- Ferocity: Increases the damage dealt by critical hits.

These are the fundamental stats, and their relative importance varies depending on your profession, build, and playstyle.

Boons and conditions are the lifeblood of combat in Guild Wars 2. They're not just simple buffs and debuffs; they're intricate systems that significantly impact combat flow and strategy.

Boons: These are beneficial effects applied to players, enhancing their capabilities. Examples include:

- Might: Increases damage dealt.

- Quickness: Increases attack speed and movement speed.

- Protection: Reduces incoming damage.

- Regeneration: Gradually restores health over time.

- Swiftness: Increases movement speed.

- Alacrity: Reduces the recharge time of skills.

- Fury: Increases critical hit chance.

- Resolution: Reduces condition damage.

- Resistance: Nullifies non-damaging conditions.

Boons stack, meaning multiple instances of the same boon will increase its effectiveness up to a certain cap. Understanding which boons are most valuable for your profession and build is crucial.

Conditions: These are detrimental effects applied to enemies, hindering their abilities and dealing damage over time. Examples include:

- Burning: Deals damage over time.

- Bleeding: Deals damage over time.

- Poison: Deals damage over time and reduces healing effectiveness.

- Chilled: Reduces movement speed.

- Weakened: Reduces damage dealt.

- Vulnerable: Increases damage taken.

- Torment: Deals damage over time and inflicts additional conditions.

- Blind: Reduces accuracy.

- Fear: Forces the enemy to flee.

Conditions also stack, increasing their effectiveness up to a certain cap. Different conditions interact in various ways, and some combinations can be devastatingly effective. Learning which conditions are most effective against specific enemies and how to apply them efficiently is a key skill to master.

Mastering boons and conditions is not just about applying them; it's about understanding their interactions, durations, and how they affect both your character and your enemies.

Mastering equipment is key to success. Here's a breakdown:

Core Equipment:

- Weapons: Primary offensive tools; choose based on playstyle and combat situation.

- Armor: Provides defense and attribute bonuses

- Backpack: Provides attribute bonuses

Accessories:

- Rings & Amulet: Provide attribute bonuses and sometimes additional effects.

- Relics: are powerful items that provide significant temporary buffs or utility effects during combat.

Specialized Equipment:

- Underwater Gear: Essential for underwater exploration and combat; enhances underwater movement.

Enhancements:

- Runes: Slotted into armor for additional attribute bonuses and effects.

- Sigils: Slotted into weapons for additional effects like increased damage or conditions.

- Infusions: Slotted into all ascended and legendary equipment; the primary source of Agony Resistance, and provide other attribute bonuses.

- Enrichment: is a type of upgrade component that goes into enrichment slots, which can only be found on ascended and legendary amulets.

Agony Resistance: is the attribute that mitigates the amount of damage taken from the Agony mechanic found exclusively in the Fractals of the Mists.

Consumables & Buffs:

- Food & Utility Items: Provide temporary buffs like increased damage, healing, or condition removal. Effects vary widely. Strategic use significantly impacts combat effectiveness.

- Guild Buffs: Guilds can provide powerful buffs to members, enhancing attributes or granting other benefits.

- Banner Buffs: Guild Banners placed in the world grants characters various bonuses upon interaction with it.

- Consumables with Buff Effects: Many consumables offer temporary buffs, ranging from simple health regeneration to powerful combat enhancements. These are often crucial for challenging encounters.

Other Equippable Items:

- Gliders: a unique type of equipment that allows characters to descend from one point to another.

- Mounts: are creatures used to enhance travel through the world of Tyria and certain parts of The Mists.

- Jade Bots: provide utility and support functions, enhancing gameplay in various ways.

- Gathering Tools: Specialized tools for harvesting resources like lumber, ore, and herbs.

- Glyphs: are upgrade components that can be applied to gathering tools to provide bonus effects when gathering.

Optimize your equipment, including Agony Resistance and strategic use of consumables and buffs, to match your playstyle and the challenges you face. Regularly update your gear as you progress.

At level 80, unlock powerful Elite Specializations for your profession! Each specialization offers new skills and traits, unique playstyles, and changes your profession's strengths and weaknesses.

- Warrior: Berserker (focuses on rage and damage), Spellbreaker (control and disruption), Bladesworn (swordplay and precision).

- Guardian: Dragonhunter (powerful ranged attacks and conditions), Firebrand (close-range fire magic and support), Willbender (evasive maneuvers and control).

- Engineer: Scrapper (mechanical combat and utility), Holosmith (powerful energy blasts and mobility), Mechanist (powerful mechanical constructs and abilities).

- Ranger: Druid (nature magic and healing), Soulbeast (combining pet abilities with your own), Untamed (powerful pet-focused abilities and hammer skills).

- Thief: Daredevil (high mobility and acrobatic attacks), Deadeye (ranged damage and precision), Specter (summoning spectral allies).

- Elementalist: Tempest (powerful storm magic and mobility), Weaver (combining fire and earth magic), Catalyst (powerful support and control).

- Mesmer: Chronomancer (powerful time-bending abilities), Virtuoso (combining illusions and swordplay), Mirage (illusion magic and deception).

- Necromancer: Reaper (powerful death magic and life stealing), Scourge (powerful conditions and control), Harbinger (powerful burst damage and condition application).

- Revenant: Herald (powerful support and healing), Renegade (powerful burst damage and control), Vindicator (powerful support and control).

Experiment to find the perfect fit for your playstyle! The Guild Wars 2 wiki has details on each.

"Builds" in Guild Wars 2 refer to the specific combination of skills, traits, and equipment you choose for your character. As a new player, don't feel overwhelmed by the complexity. Start by experimenting and finding what you enjoy. Once you've got a feel for your preferred profession and playstyle, you can start optimizing.

For build inspiration and guidance, I highly recommend checking out Metabattle[metabattle.com] and Snowcrows[snowcrows.com]. They provide well-explained and up-to-date builds for all professions and specializations. Their site is incredibly helpful for beginners, and you can easily tweak their suggested builds to suit your preferences and available equipment. Remember, these builds are starting points; feel free to adjust them based on your experience and playstyle.

Guild Wars 2 combat is all about using your skills effectively. Here's how to get better:

- Know Your Skills: Learn what each skill does and how to use them together.

- Good Positioning: Stay out of harm's way, but get close enough to attack. Use the environment to your advantage.

- Crowd Control: Interrupt enemies' attacks with special skills.

- Boons and Conditions: Boons help you, conditions hurt you. Learn to use and remove them.

- Teamwork: In groups, work together! Communicate and coordinate your attacks.

- Practice: The more you play, the better you'll get. Experiment with different skills and strategies.

Underwater Combat:

Underwater, things are slower and visibility is lower. Some skills work differently underwater. Practice fighting underwater to get used to it.

By mastering these basics and practicing regularly, you'll become a more effective fighter in Guild Wars 2!

Guild Wars 2 is a visually stunning game, and exploration is a core component of the experience. The map is your invaluable companion. Familiarize yourself with the various icons:

- Waypoints: Fast travel points, crucial for efficient movement across the vast world.

- Hearts: These represent dynamic events and objectives within a region. Completing them rewards experience and often valuable items.

- Vistas: Offer breathtaking panoramic views and often require some exploration and light platforming to reach.

- Hero Challenges: These provide hero points, used to unlock new skills and specializations for your character.

- Points of Interest: Minor objectives that provide small amounts of experience.

Don't rush through the main storyline. Take your time to explore the diverse environments, discover hidden areas, and engage with the world's rich lore.

Want to create your own weapons, armor, and more? Guild Wars 2 has a robust crafting system! Here's a look at the different disciplines:

Choose Your Craft: Specialize in one or more of these crafting disciplines:

- Armorsmith: Creates sturdy armor for heavy hitters. Needs lots of metal.

- Weaponsmith: Forges powerful weapons. Requires metal and other resources.

- Jeweler: Makes rings, amulets, and earrings that boost stats. Uses gems and metals.

- Leatherworker: Crafts light and flexible leather armor. Needs leather and other materials.

- Tailor: Creates cloth armor, perfect for mages and support classes. Uses cloth and other resources.

- Chef: Makes food and drinks that give temporary boosts. Uses food ingredients.

- Artificer: Creates trinkets and other useful items. Requires various resources.

Gather Resources: Find materials like wood, ore, leather, and cloth throughout the world by harvesting nodes.

Learn Recipes: Discover how to make items by exploring, completing tasks, or buying recipes from merchants.

Advanced Crafting: Make super-powerful items and even legendary weapons (it takes a long time and significant resources!).

Craft Away! Use crafting stations in towns to make items. The more you craft, the better you get, unlocking more advanced recipes and improving your efficiency.

Guild Wars 2 Masteries are account-wide unlocks providing long-term progression and new abilities. They're categorized into:

- Core Masteries: Fundamental improvements available early on.

- Specialization Masteries: Powerful abilities tied to Elite Specializations.

- Region-Specific Masteries: Unique movement and access to areas unlocked through exploration.

- Other Masteries: Unlocks like increased inventory space or faster crafting.

Masteries are unlocked through:

- Exploration: Discovering new areas and completing vistas.

- Achievements: Completing mastery-related achievements.

- World Events: Participating in and completing world events.

- Story Progression: Advancing through story instances and personal story chapters.

Masteries offer benefits such as:

- Enhanced Movement: Faster travel and access to previously inaccessible areas.

- Improved Crafting: Increased speed and efficiency, plus new crafting options.

- Combat Advantages: Powerful new skills or improvements to existing ones.

- Utility Enhancements: Increased inventory space and resource access.

Strategically prioritize masteries based on your playstyle and goals. Regularly check your in-game mastery panel to track progress and plan your next unlocks. Masteries significantly enhance your Guild Wars 2 experience!

Guild Wars 2 offers tons of PvE (Player vs. Environment) content! Here's a simple overview:

- Story Missions: Follow the main story; easy to moderate difficulty. Good for new players.

- Exploration: Explore the world! Find hidden areas, secrets, and get rewards.

- Dungeons: Challenging instanced areas for small groups (5 players). Good loot!

- Fractals of the Mists: Instanced areas with scaling difficulty. Great for experienced players.

- Raids: The hardest PvE content! Requires teamwork and skill. Best rewards.

- Strikes: Challenging instanced areas for small groups. Good for groups who want a challenge.

- World Bosses: Giant bosses that appear at set times. Fight with other players.

- Meta Events: Large-scale events that need lots of players to complete.

- Jumping Puzzles: Test your skill and agility in these challenging obstacle courses! Rewards await those who succeed.

- Adventures: They generally involve time or survival constraints, rewarding practiced movement and planned strategies, offer unique challenges often involving exploration and puzzle-solving.

- Festival Events: Seasonal events with unique activities, rewards, and a festive atmosphere!

- Bounties: Hunt down specific targets for rewards and experience.

- Dynamic Events: Spontaneous events that pop up across the open world, offering varied challenges and rewards.

Guild Wars 2 offers exciting player-versus-player (PvP) experiences in three main modes: Structured PvP (sPvP), World vs. World (WvW), and unranked PvP. Let's explore each:

Structured PvP (sPvP): This is your classic arena-style combat. You'll join a team and compete against others in various game modes. A great place to hone your skills and test different builds and strategies. Importantly, your gear is neutralized in sPvP, meaning everyone starts on a level playing field. Winning matches earns you valuable PvP-specific gear and rewards. There are also ranked ladders for those seeking a serious competitive challenge.

World vs. World (WvW): This is large-scale warfare on a massive scale! Three teams representing different servers battle for control of a sprawling map. You'll fight alongside your server's players to capture keeps, control objectives, and dominate the battlefield. In WvW, your gear does matter, so equipping yourself with powerful and appropriate items is crucial for success. WvW is a dynamic and ever-changing experience, requiring teamwork, strategy, and adaptability. Rewards include unique WvW armor, weapons, and other valuable items.

Unranked PvP: This is a more casual mode, perfect for practicing your skills and experimenting with different builds without the pressure of ranked play. It's a great way to learn the ropes before jumping into the more competitive sPvP modes. Gear is neutralized in this mode as well.

Guild Wars 2 achievements reward you for exploring, fighting, crafting, and completing various challenges. They offer:

- Experience points

- Titles

- Unlocks

- Unique items

- Mastery Points

Achievements cover many areas: exploration, combat, crafting, story, WvW, fractals, raids, and guilds. Track your progress in the in-game achievement panel and earn rewards while exploring everything Guild Wars 2 has to offer!

Guild Wars 2 offers two primary ways to acquire items outside of traditional gameplay: the Gem Store and the Trading Post. Let's explore each:

Gem Store: is where you can purchase cosmetic items, convenience features, and character boosts using Gems. Gems are a premium currency purchased with real money. Items available in the Gem Store often include:

- Skins: Change the appearance of your weapons and armor.

- Gliders: Stylish ways to traverse the world.

- Finishers: Special animations played after defeating an enemy.

- Boosters: Temporary boosts to experience gain, crafting speed, or other aspects of gameplay.

- Inventory Slots: Expand your character's inventory space.

- Character Slots: Create additional characters.

The Gem Store offers a way to customize your appearance and enhance your gameplay experience with convenience features, but it's entirely optional. All core gameplay remains accessible without spending any real money.

Trading Post: is Guild Wars 2's player-driven auction house. Here, players can buy and sell items using in-game gold. You can find a wide variety of items on the Trading Post, including:

- Materials: Resources used for crafting.

- Gear: Weapons, armor, and accessories.

- Consumables: Food, potions, and other temporary boosts.

- Rare Items: Unique and valuable items dropped from enemies or found through exploration.

The Trading Post is a crucial part of the Guild Wars 2 economy. You can earn gold by selling items you've crafted, gathered, or looted, and use that gold to purchase items you need. It's a great way to acquire specific items you might not find through regular gameplay.

Understanding both the Gem Store and the Trading Post will help you maximize your Guild Wars 2 experience, whether you prefer to customize your appearance with cosmetic items or focus on building wealth through the in-game economy.

Let's face it: managing your inventory, loot, and materials in GW2 can feel overwhelming. But with a little organization, you can transform from a chaotic packrat into a master of your digital possessions.

Understanding Your Storage:

- Backpack: Your immediate access inventory. Keep this streamlined with only essential items for your current activities.

- Bank: Your primary long-term storage. This is where you'll store most of your gear, materials, and less frequently used items. Invest in bank slots as you progress!

- Shared Inventory: If you play multiple characters, this is a lifesaver for sharing materials and items between them.

Loot Management Strategies:

- Regular Purging: Make a habit of regularly reviewing your inventory and bank. Sell, salvage, or delete anything you don't need. Don't hoard useless items!

- Salvaging: The salvaging system is your friend. Salvage unwanted gear and weapons to obtain valuable crafting materials.

- The "Deposit All Materials" Button: This little gem automatically deposits all crafting materials into your bank, freeing up valuable backpack space. Use it religiously!

- Categorization: Organize your bank using folders and stacks. Group similar items together (e.g., weapons, armor, crafting materials, consumables). This will make finding what you need much easier. Consider color-coding your folders for extra visual organization.

Material Management:

- Identify Your Needs: Determine which crafting materials you need based on your goals (e.g., upgrading gear, crafting specific items).

- Track Your Progress: Keep an eye on your material stockpiles. Know what you have and what you need to acquire.

- Prioritize: Focus on gathering materials relevant to your current goals. Don't waste time collecting materials you don't need.

- Utilize the Trading Post: The Trading Post is a great resource for buying and selling materials. You can often find materials cheaper or sell excess materials for profit.

Beyond the Basics:

- Guild Storage: If you're in a guild, take advantage of the guild's storage to share materials and resources with your guildmates.

- Account-Wide Storage: Certain items are stored account-wide, meaning you can access them from any character on your account. This can be particularly helpful for materials and certain types of equipment.

By implementing these strategies, you'll transform from a disorganized packrat into a highly efficient loot and material manager, ready to conquer Tyria!

Guild Wars 2 players frequently use abbreviations to communicate efficiently. Here are a few common acronyms you'll likely encounter:

- DPS: Damage Per Second (measures damage output)

- HPS: Healing Per Second (measures healing output)

- Condi: Condition (detrimental effect on enemies)

- Boon: Beneficial effect on players

- AoE: Area of Effect (skills that affect multiple targets)

- PvP: Player versus Player (player-vs-player combat)

- WvW: World versus World (large-scale player-vs-player combat)

- sPvP: Structured Player versus Player (smaller-scale organized PvP)

- GW2: Guild Wars 2 (the game itself)

- CM: Challenge Mode (difficult versions of story instances)

- Fractals: Instanced dungeons with increasing difficulty levels.

- Raids: High-level group content requiring coordination and skill.

- LFG: Looking For Group

This is just a small sample; you'll encounter many more as you play. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you're unsure about an abbreviation.

Guild Wars 2 has several expansions and DLCs that significantly expand the game's content. Here's a breakdown to help you decide which ones are right for you, including information on mounts and gliding:

- Heart of Thorns: This expansion takes you to the Maguuma Jungle, a dense and dangerous environment with unique challenges and rewards. Explore the verdant canopy, navigate treacherous swamps, and uncover the secrets hidden within the ancient jungle. New specializations for existing professions add significant depth and variety to gameplay, allowing you to customize your character further. Challenging dungeons and raids are introduced, testing your skills and teamwork. You unlock gliding here! If you enjoy challenging dungeons, raids, and a dense, atmospheric environment, Heart of Thorns is a great choice.

- Path of Fire: This expansion introduces the Crystal Desert, a vast new region with unique environments like the scorching sands of the Desolation and the lush oasis of Elon Riverlands. You'll master mounts like the springer, jackal, griffon, raptor, and skimmer, drastically changing how you explore the world. The Revenant profession joins the fight, wielding the power of legendary figures. The level cap increases, opening up new challenges and rewards. If you enjoy exploring diverse environments, mastering new movement mechanics, and engaging in challenging combat, Path of Fire is a must-have.

- End of Dragons: This expansion transports you to Cantha, a land steeped in history and culture. Explore the vibrant cities of Kaineng and Seitung, discover ancient ruins, and uncover the secrets of this mysterious land. You'll master the powerful Engineer profession, utilizing gadgets and technology in unique ways. Stunning new environments, challenging new gameplay mechanics like the siege turtle and jade bot, and a captivating storyline await. You gain access to the jade bot, skiff, fishing and siege turtle mount here. If you enjoy exploring new cultures, engaging in intricate storylines, and mastering new gameplay mechanics, End of Dragons is a must-have.

- Secrets of the Obscure: This expansion introduces a series of mysterious locations, from the treacherous peaks of the Skywatch Archipelago to the enigmatic realm of Nayos and the hidden depths of Inner Nayos. Master new skills and strategies as you explore ancient ruins, uncover forgotten lore, and face formidable foes. Earn the majestic Skyscale mount, master the art of gliding once again, and forge a magnificent new set of legendary armor—a testament to your skill and dedication. Prepare for an adventure filled with discovery and unparalleled rewards!

- Janthir Wilds: This expansion introduces a new region and, most importantly, the highly anticipated Player Housing system. Build and customize your own home, personalize it with furniture and decorations, and create a unique space to call your own. New story content and challenges are also included, expanding the game's narrative and providing new adventures to experience. You will unlock the warclaw mount here. If you enjoy personalizing your gaming experience and creating a unique space, Janthir Wilds is a great choice.

- Living World Seasons: These episodic updates add new storylines, maps, and challenges, enriching the overall experience. They are generally considered worthwhile, especially if you enjoy the story and lore of GW2. Consider buying these in bundles for better value. The Skyscale, Roller Beetle mount is unlocked through completing achievements in Living World Seasons. Some Living World seasons also introduce new mounts or improve gliding capabilities.

My Recommendation:

If you're completely new to the game and unsure where to start, I'd recommend focusing on the core game first. Once you've reached level 80 and experienced a good chunk of the base game content, you can start considering the expansions. Many players consider Path of Fire to be a good starting point for expansions due to its introduction of mounts, which significantly improve exploration and movement. However, unlocking gliding in Heart of Thorns is also a significant gameplay improvement.

Ultimately, the best expansions for you will depend on your preferences and playstyle. Consider what aspects of the game you enjoy most (exploration, combat, story, etc.) and choose the expansions that best align with those preferences. Reading reviews and watching gameplay videos can also help you make an informed decision.

Guild Wars 2 offers much beyond combat.

Exploration & Activities:

- Fishing: Catch fish using various rods and lures; some used in crafting or achievements.

- Skiffs: Small boats for navigating rivers and lakes, accessing otherwise unreachable areas.

Player Housing & Customization:

- Home Instance: An instanced area within a character's home city based on the character's race, which evolves as they progress through the world.

- Homestead: An account-wide personal housing instance located in Hearth's Glow, with structures and land for the player to decorate and cultivate, exclusive to Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds

- Chairs: Decorative items for sitting and relaxing.

- Miniatures: collectible toy versions of creatures, heroes, and villains from Tyria that follow you through the world..

- Novelties: Decorative items adding whimsy and humor.

- Tonics: Temporary buffs or cosmetic changes.

- Musical Instruments: Playable instruments for entertainment and ambiance.

- Toys: Interactive items for amusement.

- Held Items: Items your character can hold for cosmetic effect.

- Fashion & Dyes: Customize your character's appearance with various outfits and dyes.

Optimize your home instance, collect miniatures, explore fishing spots, utilize skiffs, and experiment with tonics, musical instruments, toys, held items, fashion, and dyes. Enjoy the game's non-combat features!

Beyond the basics, here are some extra tips I've picked up that might make your GW2 journey smoother:

- Embrace the Events: Dynamic Events are a core part of the GW2 experience. Participating in these events provides valuable experience, loot, and a sense of community. Don't just run past them; jump in and help out! You'll often find yourself working alongside other players to overcome challenges.

- Utilize Waypoints Strategically: Waypoints are your fast-travel network. Unlocking and utilizing them effectively can save you a lot of time and effort. Don't be afraid to travel to a waypoint, even if it seems a bit out of the way; it might save you a long trek later.

- Don't Neglect Your Daily Achievements: Daily achievements offer valuable rewards, including experience, gold, and crafting materials. Make it a habit to check your daily achievements and complete them whenever possible. They're a great way to supplement your progress.

- Explore the Trading Post: The Trading Post is Guild Wars 2's in-game auction house. You can buy and sell items here, making it a great way to earn gold and acquire the items you need. Take some time to explore and familiarize yourself with the system.

- Join a Guild: Guilds provide a sense of community and offer various benefits, such as guild halls with useful features and opportunities for group play. Finding a guild that suits your playstyle can significantly enhance your GW2 experience.

- Experiment with Different Professions and Builds: Guild Wars 2 offers a wide array of professions and builds. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different things to find what suits your preferences. You might discover a hidden favorite!

- Level Up Faster with the "Character Achievement Guide": While focusing on gear upgrades, remember that the "Character Achievement Guide" offers a significant boost to your overall progression. The experience rewards from these achievements contribute to faster leveling, allowing you to access higher-level gear and content more quickly.

- Don't Forget the Wizard's Vault!: The Wizard's Vault is a streamlined rewards system introduced in Secrets of the Obscure. Don't neglect this valuable resource! Regularly check the Vault to claim rewards like skins, Gem Store items, gold, legendary crafting materials, and more. It's a great way to supplement your progress and acquire valuable items.

Remember that you can customize your Wizard's Vault objectives to focus on PvE, PvP, or WvW. This allows you to maximize your rewards based on your preferred playstyle.

- Harvest Resources in Your Home Instance: Regularly harvesting these resources can significantly aid your progress, especially when you need specific materials for crafting or upgrades.

- Master the Looking for Group (LFG) Tool: This tool is essential for finding groups for dungeons, fractals, raids, and other activities. Use specific search criteria (difficulty, role, etc.), communicate clearly with potential groups, and be patient. Consider joining guilds or using Discord servers for additional group-finding options.

- Ask for Help!: Don't hesitate to ask for help in-game. Many players are willing to assist newcomers or those struggling with specific content. Use the in-game chat or guild channels to ask questions.

- Take Breaks: Guild Wars 2 can be quite immersive. Take breaks to avoid burnout. Stepping away from the game for a while can help you return refreshed and ready to continue your adventure.

This isn't an exhaustive list, but these tips should help you get a better grasp of the game beyond the fundamentals. Remember, the best way to learn is by playing and exploring!

This guide is my first attempt at creating something like this, so I hope it's helpful! I'm always learning, and I'm open to feedback. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! Happy adventuring in Tyria!