Guild Wars Pv_

In MMORPGs, there are a few types of gameplay. PvE, PvP, and PvX.
PvE is Player versus Environment.
PvP is Player versus Player.
PvX is both.

Technically, there is no PvX playing... actually, nevermind there is. It's just not as much as the others. However, the majority of players in Guild Wars and nearly any other MMO are PvX players. They enjoy both the PvP and PvE aspects of the game and have players capable of doing both.
There are still hundreds to thousands of players who will only play PvE. And that is fine. They do not have to PvE- it effects no one but themselves. At the character creation screen, they will always select a PvP character.

Now this leads me to what I've been going to.

PvP - it is a very intense game (normally). Because I've sort of lost my mind, I'll just list some factoids about whats going on, and then describe some of them shortly after.

A PvE character can do PvP (and PvE obviously).
A PvP character can not do PvE.

ANet was insanely kind to the PvP'ers of their game (and still are.. they tend just to get kinder, but for now I think that's reached its limit.)
Why make a PvP char when a PvE one can do both? (PvX)
PvP characters automatically start at level 20. No spending a few hours getting up those levels.
A PvP can use ANY skill that is unlocked on your entire account!! (that is the biggy).
PvP characters can create armor/weapons at no cost, with whatever mods the player has unlocked on their account. This is also very important. A PvE character often is lacking (compared to what they could be) because they don't have unlimited armor.
The armor and weapons a PvP char can make are very general / (that word that means the opposite of unique.. damn it brain, you suck.)

For accounts, there are hundreds of skills to unlock, about 20 heros, and many many runes / insignias/ inscriptions.
Now it used to be that, in order to unlock these various things, a player would either have to identify the rune or spend Balthazaar faction to unlock it. To unlock skills, the player would have to have a PvE character learn the skill, or they could also be unlocked with balth faction - 1k for a standard skill, 3k for an elite.

When I first got the game, I made a PvP warrior. I had a PvE necro, mesmer and ranger at the time. This made that PvP char worthless. (It had no skills to use other than like 10 basic ones..)
I later remade this war as a PvE char.. much better.

Well, ANet, being the kind, greedy company they are, decided to make things very, very easy for the PvP community. At the online store, you can buy... whatever the hell you want for PvP. For 5 to 10 dollars, a person can unlock every skill in a particular campaign. There is a special thing, to unlock everything you need to get into PvP, while leaving the entire PvE experience alone. -This allows you to buy several skills, several mods, and some other things. From then on it should be easy enough to earn the rest of the faction you need/want to buy various skills.

If you ask me, they have made things way too easy. Paying 20 dollars so you don't have to play the game you bought seems kind of.. ridiculous and/or stupid. Perhaps I see it this way because I went and unlocked essentially everything I need through learning skills and earning balth faction. (which can take quite awhile depending on what you're doing.)

Now, a PvE char can make it by just fine in some PvP. (there are a few different levels.) In Alliance Battles, Random Arenas, and even Team Arenas, a PvE char should have no problem getting by. However, those are rather simple / easy. They are not the places you tend to find the most skilled/ practiced PvP'ers. In Hero's Ascent / HoH and Guild Battles... you will usually need a PvP char. Reason being that the people there are very demanding /coordinating / jerk-ish. In order to do well, you will have to do what the group needs you to do. There are certain builds that you're PvE chars wont be able to run (as they wouldn't make much sense in PvE) but are "great" in high-end PvP.

I spent the day doing some intense research of HA (Hero's Ascent) and even got to the Hall of Hero's. First time I have ever been there... I went with a randomway PuG... which.. well, it was a PuG, and randomway no less. How did we manage to get to Halls? And we damn near won too! Lost by 1 point, and tied the other group.
I had to buy a char slot and make a PvP char to do this... my PvE necro, as great as it is, is not entirely designed for HA.. and I don't want to spend the virtual money to make it so.