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Do you remember way back when, when you first started Guildwars? That intense feeling of newbieness, and awe and wonder at the game?
And everywhere you go is fantastic and interesting?
Remember THAT feeling?

Yes.

Except mine's more profound, I guess. GW is my first MMO experience as well.

I thought I may experience it as I tried in earnest to hang around Random Arena.

Priorities are different. Goals are different. Strategies are different. People are so hostile, even those on my own team. I felt more alone than I ever did in PvE.

And I didn't like what I had become, either; I actually swore (kinda; I told someone to "stfu") in public chat. Even in the most frustrating missions with the most frustrating teammate I had not gotten to a point where I actually felt a need to swear at another player.

So the feeling of newbie-ness was there. But it was not pleasant at all. I don't think PvP is for me.

We can't go home again.

Wow... that's impressive for someone to tick you off that much! I need to try harder.
Seriously though, what happend? WHat class were you playing and was the player just being jerkish, or were they just playing bad?

I was playing an assassin in Random Arena.

I wished there was some single incredibly exciting incident to tell. At least then I'd feel better about mouthing off to a fellow gamer. But I guess it was just built-up frustration over a series of defeats from matches that I thought were unfair (2-3 ppl ganging up on me with my teammates nowhere to be found) and the incessant taunts and trash-talks. This coming from the other side I kinda expected, but what I was upset about was that one of my own teammates berated me (something about me being noob--which was true, I suppose--but actually taking time out to type to taunt me, as opposed to trying to win the match, was something I didn't understand or appreciated).

And so I typed "stfu and play" on public chat. That's that. Nothing spectacular; hardly something to be /report-ed or banned about. But I still didn't feel good about it.

And people wonder why others choose to synch their group up.
If for no other reason, then for this. Well, keep at it, maybe you can get that R3 glad sometime down the road.

Or not.
BTW, I've managed to stay out of game for two weeks now, except for a short bit when the new update hit, and I've missed 2 nick weeks, and yet I don't miss it at all.

But Random Arena is supposed to be random. Part of the (supposedly) fun is to be paired up with random folks. I know. Supposedly.

If they want to battle together, there's GvG, right?

I think I'm pretty much done with "random" PvP unless my guild mates decide to try it. Are Jade Quarry and Aspenwood missions just as bad? I hesitate to try them because I have no experience at them, and judging from what ppl type in public chat at the outposts, it's not encouraging.

JQ and FA are a lot better, but they're considered pvp lite, as you have specific goals in mind, and killing other players is only a means to an end, NOT the main goal.

If you're playing Kurz on FA, you have one of two goals:
1) Keep the lux from entering, and slow them down. If you're geared for player offense, then work on that. Turtle killing is also an option, though do realize, a lot of times there's turtle healers, so it's hard if not impossible to kill a turtle with a dedicated healer.
If you're playing an assassin in FA on kurz, pick squishy targets that go down fast. Best to hit them while they're occupied with something else.
2nd option for kurz on FA, is to run amber, although this essentially removes you as a player for the duration of your run. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not. It's best if there's multiple amber runners to do it together.
Use the mini map to figure out which gates need fixing.
Note: If the green gate looks like it's going to go down soon, hold onto the amber until it does go down, and then give to one of the gatekeepers to bring it back up again.
If you loose both gatekeepers, or you can't run amber anymore after the gates are all busted, your best bet is to then camp inside said green gate, and kill them as they enter. Lux have a bad habit of rushing in, not as a group, and will allow themselves to be picked off.

Conversely, if you're playing lux side, your goal is to kill gunth. As you're making your way in, kill all NPCs, especially once you get inside the base. Except for the gate guards, the NPCs won't respawn, so the sooner you take them out, the better.
If someone is healing the gatekeepers, if you're a caster, work on said healer. Keep converting mines to your side.
Work your way in and work as a group. Stick with the turtles and their death squads. If a turtle gets taken out, next time you spawn back, if no one else is getting a turtle, go get one. If kurz have converted a pad over to their side, take it back.

There's several different strategys you can go with on both sides that'll work, just read up on how it works, and go with what's comfortable. But I've learned, you get better results if you work with a team.
One thing about lux I've found though, if they don't win right away, often people will start bailing. You can usually get 2 runs before people will bail.

JQ tends to be kurz dominated most of the time, as most GOOD players go there for the faction.
If you're looking for lux faction, AB and at times FA tend to be lux oriented. Except during special events and weekends.