1. Rework your build to better support the group rather than yourself. Instead of picking traits and skills that boost your damage, try to aim more towards the group. A might buff that gives everyone +10% damage yields more additional DPS than one that gives you +25%.
2. Make sure you have some defensive skills so that you aren't a liability. You don't want to be a "glass cannon"- dealing massive damage but if you ever get hit, you drop dead immediately. This leads to very annoying runs where you spend a lot of time on the ground and your party has to waste valuable time reviving you.
3. Utilize crowd control skills, especially the best ones available for your class. These types of skills are often overlooked when questing because it doesn't help you burn through mobs quicker, but they can be lifesavers in a dungeon run against trash mobs. This is even more true when you focus on the more effective CC your class has to offer. A single target blind with a bit of damage is okay, but an AOE blind or cripple is fantastic.
4. Generally speaking, don't do anything to slow down the group. Don't be the one guy who forgot to target the spawning mobs in a boss fight, or be too lazy to change targets if the mob you first started pounding isn't the primary group target. Make sure to stick with the group, don't dawdle, don't accidentally aggro groups that you don't need to, etc.
5. Utilize the terrain to your advantage. Forcing ranged mobs to come around a corner to fight you can make a huge difference on a fight. Get weak mobs to group together so you can AOE them more effectively. Kite melee mobs around obstacles that they can't climb but you can still shoot over (low walls, tables, etc.).
6. When you pull, make it a good pull. There are some basic elements of pulling that you always want to be mindful of. You want to get them away from any patrolling groups, you want them to reduce their DPS as they approach you (using corners/LoS obstructors like pillars), and you want to make sure the primary target is in a position that the whole group finds favorable. For example, if you are fighting an elementalist and a warrior mob in a hallway, don't just start the pull and stand there. The warrior will come after you, sure, but the elementalist will stay at max range and start casting- which screws over your melee partymates, who have to run over to the elementalist, then back to you after he is dead. Same thing applies to line of sight- don't have the primary target stop in a position that blocks line of sight from your other ranged partymates. It forces them to shift and reduces your overall dps.
7. Learn how the threat system works and incorporate it into your play. Here is my theory, but make your own observations as well. No one outside of ArenaNet knows for sure how the system works, but there are definite patterns to see and make use of.
Find this stuff too elementary? Check out the final article in this series, elite dungeon running tips.
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