Need info about the game.

I am posting here to try and find out more about Guild Wars before I buy it. I want to know really how it compares to other MMORPGS out there. Before this I was a WoW player, so I am used to a long grind, and nothing really to look forward to at the end other than hours and hours of boring raids for gear, for PvP, giving a few to many degrees of separation between work and fun for me. So, for that, done with that game, trying to find another.

How is Guild Wars PvP and PvE comparably, or if you never got into WoW, how do you think it is all out? I know about the different classes, and things that are on the main site, such as there being 20 levels and what not, but how long does it take to go up those levels, and how much of a difference does gear and level make in Guild Wars, PvE and PvP.

Other than that, I am also curious about how long it takes to go through the different dungeons. I personally don't usually have time for long 3-5 hour blocks without interruption; would that be a problem if I decided to play at all?

I also noticed that a new Guild Wars Expansion is coming out, "Factions". Is it stand alone or do I need the original game to run it, and if I don't will I miss out on material from the first game at all? If I were to get Guild Wars, is it worth it to wait for the expansion?

Other than that any useful information that the main site may have not mentioned clearly, the small print kind of stuff. Like any Rock-Paper-Scissors class advantages.

I would really appreciate any help you all could give me, because from what I have seen so far makes the game look really interesting. Thanks.

[RogueTwinky]

I don't know if this in time, or if you already got the answer, but here I go.

Getting to level 20 is relatively easy and painless, as thats how it was designed to be. Guild Wars was designed pretty much as an alternative to WoW for those who didn't have time for the long grind of WoW, or just didn't like it altogether. If you choose a PvE character, expect to be level 20 in about a week or less, depending of course on the time you play each day. I know plenty of people, including myself, who have sat down on a day with nothing else to do and reached level 20.

But wait, there's more! If you want, you can choose a PvP character and start out at lvl 20 and pick either a) a pre-made build or b) a build of your own using skills you have unlocked. You can unlock skills by learning them in PvE or unlocking them using Faction, which you earn in PvP.

Gear is, of course, going to make a difference. However, if you start a PvP character, you'll be able to choose a max damage weapon and add mods you have unlocked (such as a sword pommel of fortitude), which you can unlock in the same fashion as the skills. I for one, instead of saving up money or farming for hours for a particular "unique" green bow, made it myself using mods and a crafted bow that I easily got.

As far as the individual dungeons (missions in Guild Wars), very few, if any, of the required missions will take up a 3-5 hour block. For me, time flies when I'm playing the game so I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly how long it takes. There is a bonus mission that takes pretty much all night, but it is by no means required, and you wouldn't miss out on much if you skip it altogether.

The expansions are stand alone games, but I'd recommend getting both Factions and Prophecies, and Nightfall when it comes out. More skills, more weapons, more professions, more everything to those who have all the games. If you can only get one, get Factions, or wait until Nightfall comes out. Factions has two more class choices than Prophecies, and I assume Nightfall will have even more.

As for Rock-Paper-Scissors advantages, there are advantages of some classes over others, but they are not guaranteed by any means. Rangers are usually most effective against Elementalist, but Blinding Flash can (you guessed it) blind the ranger, making 90% of it's attacks miss. I myself recently made an anti-caster assassin and found my self useless after an elementalist used that tactic. Skill is the most likely determinant of advantage.

So if you haven't already got the game, I'd fully recommend it. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me. My e-mail information is on the main site under "Contact Us"