Things have gotten pretty busy for me in my time in Guild Wars 2, as that title would suggest. I’ve been slowly climbing up in the levels and the understanding. I’ve been on little adventures that I don’t fully recall being on. And I’m nearing the point of the game when I bounced out mightily when it first released back inna day.

But this time feels different a bit. I’m actually looking forward to getting to the point when I’m running around in Orr. But first things first: I had Skritt to save.

I must have completely lost every memory of the middle leveling experience in this game because I’m almost positive I would recall being given the opportunity to help the lil ratty guys. Considering the deep affection I’ve built for the upcoming Antiquary spec, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I immediately followed that quest path when I was given the option to do so. My Ratfriend Arc is continuing, clearly. I only regret that this series of quests was kind of short.

For a while afterward, I was sort of doing the usual running around and mapping thing once more, finding myself in a couple of larger events, working out how to take down a higher tier boss by myself (circle-strafing FTW), and even having a fun little meet-up with another Thief player who joined me in enjoyment of the dual pistols build. All the while, I followed the set trait lines that I had assigned from the earlier guide I found and feeling a slow crawl upwards in ability and power. I am now fully ready when level 71 arrives.

All of this was fun, but I felt a little bit stuck in a rut for some time. I suppose I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but things were becoming just a tiny bit too routine after some time. But then I stood my character in front of a crafting bench and cobbled together a big old stack of basic materials, and suddenly I was leaping upwards past the mid-50s in level.

I had completely forgotten about the Adventurer’s Guide, so when I completed Volume Two of that guide, I was immediately grandfathered in to several achievements that I had apparently completed prior to this point. Needless to say, I’m not forgetting about those guided achievements ever again.

At this point, it was time for me to start the wider Orrian invasion part of the personal story, and this was the point that I do recall. Mostly because Trehearne was forced into my face, and also because the arrival of Zhaitan at Claw Island definitely stood out to my mind. Though I didn’t recall Tybalt sacrificing himself. That kind of sucked. I liked Tybalt.

Yet despite the fact that I was moving into some known and generally unliked territory, I found myself looking forward to it a bit. This is the point in the game where I feel like I’ve got most everything under control; I feel really quite confident in how my Thief works, I’m slowly beginning to immediately appreciate what stats should be important (again with a little bit of help), and through it all I’m looking forward to getting to the point when I can prepare for the Antiquary to be available to me. I suppose I should follow the build guide and get some Deadeye skills unlocked.

Long story made very short, Guild Wars 2 is beginning to work its magic on me.

The Thief might not be my primary endgame character when I get to that point, but I definitely feel like it’s the character that will see me through a lot of the story, provided I get my gear situated; I’m already beginning to feel a bit of pressure in a couple encounters. After that, I feel like I might have to consider a different character for the endgame things I want to do. I get the sense that alting in this MMORPG really is a major layer.

Still, it does feel very good that I’ve got a main locked down right now. This is the character that will get me up to speed on the overall narrative. This is the character that will unlock all of those mounts to make future character journeys easier. This is the character that I will very likely use when events go live or when I find a group of friends to play the game with.

And who knows, maybe the Antiquary will become a solid enough addition that I can endgame with it. Assuming that I once again find that friend group that I’m hoping for.

Honestly about the only thing that’s really missing from my time in Guild Wars 2 is a sense of a character and roleplay, though that’s likely more a result of the fact that this game still feels like a series of play mats stitched together rather than a world to live in and populate. But that’s not really a dealbreaker for me. It’s fine that this game feels like a game more than anything else. Hell, I’ve even put together my future outfit, which is usually a solid indicator that I’m infatuated.

To say that I’ll keep playing GW2 after this column is an understatement. Even if I’m headed to uncomfortable territory, or am moving to expansions that feel much too hard, or could very likely run into enemies that will knock me around, I at least think I’m heading there with some confidence and, more importantly, some guidance and expectation. Even though I’m not with a group of friends or in a guild, this time I’m not journeying alone.

Obviously this does mean it’s a wrap for my time in Tyria for this column, but I do have one last question I would like to ask any of the regular players out there. As of right now, I’ve hit the 1300 astral acclaim cap, so that means I should probably spend some of it on something. I’m just not sure what. So, help a middling player out?

What should I buy with my astral acclaim?

  • A legendary starter set. Assuming one of the weapons has your interest.
  • Some gear. Prepare for your level 80 future.
  • Cosmetics. Dress up a bit.
  • Currencies/materials. Maybe get some things you'll spend elsewhere?

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As for the second poll, that will obviously be about where we’re going to be heading together as the month of September moves forward. So let’s settle that, shall we?

What game should I play next? Choose My Adventure!

  • Ilysia. Put on your VR headset.
  • Star Wars The Old Republic. Galaxy some miles away.
  • Ship of Heroes. Assuming its released, anyway.
  • Skull and Bones. You are a pirate.
  • Mortal Online 2. Let's see this sandbox.
  • Neverwinter. Something something Protector's Enclave.

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Polling wraps at the standard 1:00 p.m. EDT time on Friday, September 5th. In the meantime, I’ve got some low 60s to get through in terms of leveling and a bit more story to move through. I think I’m going to like it here either way.

Welcome to Choose My Adventure, the column in which you join Chris each week as he journeys through mystical lands on fantastic adventures – and you get to decide his fate. Which is good because he can often be a pretty indecisive person unless he’s ordering a burger.