World of Warcraft released way back in 2004, and it has been one of the most successful MMOs from Blizzard Entertainment ever since then. It offers fun and addictive quests, challenging raids, and risky content expansions, which has been added and removed throughout the years.
Whether you are new to WoW or used to play the game years ago, catching up with the game mechanics can be a bit daunting even if you are familiar with it. Many prefer to go for World of Warcraft Classic, which is the old-school version of WoW from 2006 before the expansion pack updates. It’s quite famous for its ultra-difficult and slow-paced gameplay, and you won’t have to pay additional subscription fees to try it out.
This beginner’s guide to World of Warcraft will help you understand the game’s primary concepts so that you can quickly dive into playing it.
Creating your Hero
When you enter the game for the first time, you will have to make a character for yourself. You also need to select the character’s race and class, as well as the server you want to play on.
When you select a server, make sure to avoid servers with the Maximum population. Join the ones with a High or Medium population so that you won’t have to stay in the queue. In case you are planning to play the game with your friends, be sure to join the same server beforehand.
To get detailed info about a specific server, you can check it out from here. Take a look at the Alliance-Horde player ratio if you are longing for engaging PvP gameplay. In addition, you can enable cross-realm to play with characters from other servers.
Speaking of race in WoW, they come with unique bonuses for specific professions and skills. However, it doesn’t really matter which race you pick up, as long as you are contempt with your character creation. Bear in mind that in case you want to play with friends, you have to pick up a race with the same faction. Otherwise, you can’t play on the server together.
Picking a class is another story. The game has 12 classes in total, each having two to four unique specs that give you particular abilities and roles in a group. Although it might seem intimidating to you at first, you are free to switch between the specs outside of combat so that you can experience four unique and different playstyles. You can choose between Warriors, Paladins, Rogues, Hunters, Shamans, Priests, Warlocks, Mages, Druids, Monks, Demon Hunters, and Death Knights.
Beginning a new journey
Once you are done creating your characters, you will be able to log in to the server and begin your new journey. In case you have purchased the Battle for Azeroth expansion pack, you will begin at level 110, with a quest chain that will boost your current specs and prepare you for the main quests of the expansion. However, you will be skipping out on all the older quests and zones.
If you start a level one player instead, your journey will begin in a zone that belongs to the race you have chosen for your character. The introductory tutorials will walk through the level-up mechanics and additional gameplay elements. All you have to do is interact with the NPCs with exclamation points above their heads. They will give you quests, as well as experience points upon its completion.
Do not skip the quest texts, since World of Warcraft tells a detailed and intricate story entangled throughout several zones. The context of the story might be helpful to you later when you are tasked to kill a particular in-game character or search for a rare item.
Once you are level 10, you should be done with almost all the quests in your starting zone. You can then start to explore other zones that eventually get unlocked. You are free to go to any zone you want, as the zone level will auto-adapt to your character’s level. Every zone has its individual storyline, so it doesn’t matter which zone you enter next.
Communicating with other players
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft has a positive player base. When you are in a server, type ‘/1’ to open up the in-game General chat, then say anything. You can also bring up the Trade chat by typing ‘/2’ for trading up in-game goods and items.
If you fail to catch someone’s attention, then join a WoW-specific Discord server or a subreddit to make a few friends, and join groups to play with. If you have Discord, click here to join the official WoW discord server. You may also enter a guild from the in-game Guild Finder.
Understanding the WoW lore
As mentioned previously, World of Warcraft has a fantastic story with untold volumes of mythical lore. Although you don’t have to learn everything in detail, it will make you more engaged in the game. You can check out this 41-minute video from Nobbel87 on YouTube, explaining the story of Warcraft.
You can also buy the World of Warcraft: Chronicle books to learn more about the World of Warcraft. However, as you progress through the zones, you will already learn a lot from the quests and characters you deal with.
Using Gold in World of Warcraft
As you level up progressively in the game, you will have to buy new spells and upgrade your items. However, completing quests and finding chests isn’t sometimes enough for making significant upgrades, especially when you want to get high-level gear from vendors or the Auction House. It will cost you heaps of Gold.
Although you can grind for Gold, there are alternative options available as well. You can buy WoW Classic Gold with real money, which is always a straightforward option compared to grinding hours of gameplay.
Final words
Assuming that you have read through the full guide, you are ready to start your journey in World of Warcraft. The intuitive in-game tutorial is more than enough to help you figure things out. Whether you are playing the new World of Warcraft or the classic version, this guide applies to both variants.
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Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.