Guild Wars 2 working solo player experience

I have been an on and off player of many years of Guild Wars 2. I’ve similarly found myself gaming a number of aspects beyond the aspirant journey of basic completions like leveling and storylines and what one might do next.

Over the years, I’ve on and off followed stints of World versus World though personally I wouldn’t by far consider myself the most studied or consummate. For short durations, I’ve played a little player versus player. I’ve done a few dungeons, no raids, a couple of fractals, plenty of world events, Heart of Thorns, and Path of Fire. I’ve followed the World Boss circuit (especially in recent times) mostly in a follow up for my Skyscale mount. I’ve followed the Exploration achievement path which arguably is much easier than it ever were prior to Path of Fire mounts. The list of repeatable content goes on, and fortunately in another way, appears more supported in some respects relative to other MMOs (at least in the past) suffering from content usage falloff. Arguably, Third season content could have some problems here in GW2, but, at least, minor relative to the overall wealth of repeatable.

Self admittedly, I haven’t been a great fan of the social side of MMOs, and to this degree, I recall a recent conversation with fellow player about the money aspect of GW2. In that kind exchange, another offering that Raids would be most lucrative. Agreeing to some degree, though more so out of personal ignorance, I may have been interested, but time commitment is another thing, and mostly solid time commitment.

The good news is that there is much content still supporting, and while earnings are modest in that sense, it seems I’ve explored ways around issues of time spent in game. Part of this recipe, however, has been overall time spent, and how much of this has combined to the net effect of goals. Relative to early markets, the value of goods has dropped precipitously, I recall when Globs of Ectoplasm fetched nearly a gold in early days, so newer content brought more so with bigger map events more loot, and greater likelihood of building luck through salvaging faster. The drawback in solo is that map events requiring searches of event finding require more often, as I’ve found, optimal times in playing especially the more complex map and requirements given for group. World bosses, unfortunately, while having the advantage of boss timer and schedule making easier map hopping, provide less loot on average for time spent. Once having completed a number of circuits here, I’ve found it a bit of a grind.

For crafting, I’ve completed my leatherworker, armorsmith, tailoring, weaponsmith, and others. I should offer I work a number of alts too which is probably not uncommon, nor less common, completing ascended gear for most of these. Online guides provide easy formulas, but mostly I’ve seen a repetition enough. Upon reaching 400 to get 500, the better method is to avoid crafting the higher tier insignias, for instance, but purchase the lesser used ones more inexpensively on market and craft on different varieties of these for the least resource expensive components.

As of most recent, on the grind, I’ve done more gathering especially when having small stints of time to work with. For instance, parking alts at Malchor’s leap provides wood to harvest, and given enough alts with an hourly reset and permanent placement here means that per time spent, while again being a small grind, isn’t incredibly time consuming, and thankfully earning pure profit even if it is modest.

Daily achievement is another thing. Usually I do two of the world achievements, and then one World versus World which could run highly efficient especially at the daily achievement reset.

I’ve also discovered Bloodstone Fen, added with Skyscale mount, providing a high density gathering and wood nodes relative to ease in reach via route (clockwise or counter clockwise). My usual routing is upper and then lower completion. Provided your bonuses in gathering are high enough, Jungle plants, does provide one rarity which is the Maguuma Lily, presently fetching several gold on market per unit. I’ve found the drop rate increasingly rare, beyond a hypothetical weekly reset, usually two to three tend to be common, if you are tracking your weekly gathering here. Wood harvesting also again, provides something in return. The Lily drop rate, I believe, is account based, so I wouldn’t bother with alts once having achieved specific finds here.

Big map events in Dragonfall, and Auric Basin make for lucrative windfalls, but a decent leader with the group finder can guide group (Dragonfall) rapidly for loot. I highly recommend Skyscale with Dragonfall runs, however, given terrain dynamics. There are other maps, invariably requiring less the mount while others. Mostly I run map events on weekends when groups are running.

Presently I am working on crafting legendary gear. While there is the raid track in doing such, at present, I am opting for the World versus World track. Some had suggested it is a slow go, but as I’ve found and researched, not necessarily. Ideally, you may want a solid world versus world build for roaming. I try to use nearly fully ascended gear for solos on camps, but also makes better for solo play. Likewise, working for pips, you may try looking for outnumbered buffs which improves pip bonuses on five minute skirmish timer. You don’t need to be fully active during this time, but mostly a little work, and then waiting in safe spot for nearby objectives to flip (if rotation is decent enough). Right now, completing by third or fourth day week WvW skirmish ticket maximum (over three hundred), approximately a thousand WvW tickets will purchase a main component for legendary crafting. Another 250 will be needed for WvW ascended gear that is used in mystic forge for crafting here. So ideally if hitting weekly maximum four weeks per legendary item. Gathering and logging wood for remaining days with less days spent coupled to blood stone fen for building coffers. I usually earn 40–60g weekly including daily achievement. The WvW reward track need be unlocked for WvW ascended gear. This does require 500 level rank which is arguably the bulk of work, and fortunately, owing to years of off and on gaming, I had accrued this. Don’t forget the Gift of Battle reward track for added legendary component, and save mystic coin accrual, unless you want to spend gold for these. Also having character account crafting leveled right for crafting helps for ascended WvW Grandmaster armorsmith tokens (same for weapon crafting), or work exchange between Grandmaster tokens and bundle at Skirmish supervisor. Recipes for constructing legendary gear can easily be found via google search. Ideally for gathering and logging with alts, getting geared isn’t too hard or leveled, especially if you are veteran and save those handy skill leveling books. In a few minutes a new character add, can be leveled to 80 rapidly, and gearing with WvW tokens via WvW gear or Karma gear in Orr areas can provide at least exotic level gearing.