So I am installing World of Warcraft...

[DracoSuave]

I went with the hardcore mmo game style found in prius.

You can't base the 'hardcoreness' of Wow on the pre-20 game. Most specs don't even have their playstyle established by then. I mean... you're not really playing the fire mage game until you have Hot Streak, Living Bomb, Impact, Cauterize, or any of the essential talents you get. Non-arcane Mages, after a certain point, don't Arcane Missiles.

Also, if you're going to twink, cap your level at 19. Level 20 is terrible for twinking as it's the lowest level in its bracket, giving you nine levels of minuses to your hit and miss chances vs other players, not to mention gear quality.

 

[EternalFacepalm]

Correct me if I am wrong, but does PVE stand for Player vs. Environment (as opposed to PVP), if so, I will be impressed with myself.

Player vs enemy actually and I don't even play WoW.

It means either, although I prefer Player vs. Environment. It just works better.

Anyhow, don't buy from vendors. At all.
Personally, I started as a warrior dwarf, and I found that to be pretty fun.

 

[C95J]

Explore. The best part about WoW, in my opinion, is the gorgeous world. Just screw around. You can get to the max level when you feel like it. Until that time, just make your own fun. While a lot of people will tell you to avoid PvP servers, I say go for it. RPPvP is good too. Sure, getting ganked sucks, but you lose out on a huge part of the experience. Plus, once you're big, you get to pay people back in kind.

Thanks, I've heard some good things about Shamans and Druids, and the mining profession. Just a question, what is different about a RP server to a normal server, I can guess your supposed to role play, but how different is it from a normal server?

Also, what do bags do? (I assume they allow you to carry more stuff).

 

[DracoSuave]

Druids or shaman are a good place to start. Their classes have so many options presented to that it will give you a good feel for everything. If there's one particular thing you like from them, there's another class which mirrors it. They're presented slowly though, so you aren't overwhelmed. Paladins are easy mode. Warriors have it hardest leveling up, but, at they're best, they tear people apart. The problem is they're so gear dependent. It sucks.

Post-cata, you'll find it different. Warriors and rogues are beasts and can self-heal easily, paladins took a huge hit on their survivability if you're retribution, and protection can't AoE grind so well.

Get bags. Check the auction house for them. They're very, very useful.

In cata, the easiest way to get bags is to do quests with the city tabards on. At a certain point, you'll unlock 16 slot bags, which is absolutely what you want, and it'll cost you next to nothing. Then, save your cash. You won't need to upgrade to frostweave or emberweave or dreamweave until end game.

Alternatively, make friends with a tailor, they'll hook you up cheap or free.

Pick up two gathering profession for now. I'd suggest mining and skinning. You'll be killing lots of boars, anyway. And copper is worth more than the early herbs. I've made lots of gold on the auction house buying and selling copper.

Yes. AH is for selling, not buying.

Don't leave the starting area until you're level 6. If you hit five at the last quest, go back and grind a bit. Trust me. It's worth the new spells you'll learn before leaving.

Don't bother. Quest XP is so good that you'll leave the area level 6 if you do the quests.

Explore. The best part about WoW, in my opinion, is the gorgeous world. Just screw around. You can get to the max level when you feel like it. Until that time, just make your own fun. While a lot of people will tell you to avoid PvP servers, I say go for it. RPPvP is good too. Sure, getting ganked sucks, but you lose out on a huge part of the experience. Plus, once you're big, you get to pay people back in kind.

Heh.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

Explore. The best part about WoW, in my opinion, is the gorgeous world. Just screw around. You can get to the max level when you feel like it. Until that time, just make your own fun. While a lot of people will tell you to avoid PvP servers, I say go for it. RPPvP is good too. Sure, getting ganked sucks, but you lose out on a huge part of the experience. Plus, once you're big, you get to pay people back in kind.

Thanks, I've heard some good things about Shamans and Druids, and the mining profession. Just a question, what is different about a RP server to a normal server, I can guess your supposed to role play, but how different is it from a normal server?

Also, what do bags do? (I assume they allow you to carry more stuff).

Bags let you carry more stuff. You only start with a 16 slot one, which can fill up quickly.

RP servers insist on people having a character. It usually just means not bringing real world problems into the game in my experience. Most hard-core role-players will be in guilds. Although, you'll occasionally see some fun stuff.

PvP servers have a bad reputation. RPPvP servers tend to be slightly less bad. The RPers like to keep an image which involves not being an ass, so you're slightly less likely to be ganked.

 

[BanicRhys]

If you plan on taking your character to raiding content, don't roll a rogue, arms/fury spec warrior, enhancement spec shaman, retribution spec paladin, feral spec druid. Melee dps is in a bad place right now.

If you want to dps make a mage or a hunter.

If you haven't much experience with MMOs in general, make a protection paladin or warrior. They are probably the easiest level as (not that leveling is that hard in the slightest, even for new players).

You'll probably be spammed with guild invites, join the guild with the highest level. Unless you don't want any of the bonuses you get for being in a guild (faster leveling, more items from mining/herbing etc).

Don't play on a pvp realm unless you find getting killed by level 85s as you level over and over again fun.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

-snip-

Ah, I haven't played since just before Wrath of the Lich King was released. My main is frozen at 70.

 

[mik1]

Why are you installing a dying game. Rift is the same thing but better

from what I've heard at least.

 

[C95J]

Why are you installing a dying game. Rift is the same thing but better

from what I've heard at least.

Never heard of Rift, but I will look it up now.

I was thinking to myself it is probably a little too late to get into World of Warcraft, because most people seem to have started off years ago.

 

[Charli]

Welcome to the new and improved World of Warcraft, I hope you enjoy your time and spend it well.

Sadly there's not much we can say, creating your own path in the game is half the fun!

(Several years ago at my start I threw myself off of Darnassuss just to see what would happen...It didn't end well but I learned. It still makes me chuckle to this day)

Refer to WoWwiki.com and MMOchampion if you run into a wall.


I adore end game content so I will only entice you with the knowledge that the endgame can be very involved and fun. Leveling is merely the first quarter of your journey. But at least in the trial you can test out dungeons, attain a mount, get to know some guilds.

I wish you well!

 

[DracoSuave]

Why are you installing a dying game. Rift is the same thing but better

from what I've heard at least.

Never heard of Rift, but I will look it up now.

I was thinking to myself it is probably a little too late to get into World of Warcraft, because most people seem to have started off years ago.

Actually, it's a great time to get into WoW. They've done a complete revamp... starting has never been so easy and enjoyable--oh god i'm sounding like marketing.

 

[zarguhl]

You're doomed, DHOOMMMMEEEEDDD!!!! Your life is over, SAVE YOURSELF BEFORE THE END!!!!!

 

[Charli]

Why are you installing a dying game. Rift is the same thing but better

from what I've heard at least.

Never heard of Rift, but I will look it up now.

I was thinking to myself it is probably a little too late to get into World of Warcraft, because most people seem to have started off years ago.

Actually, it's a great time to get into WoW. They've done a complete revamp... starting has never been so easy and enjoyable--oh god i'm sounding like marketing.

But you're right. WoW is far from dying. People are enjoying the firelands as far as I can see and newbies on my server are thriving.

 

[C95J]

Actually, it's a great time to get into WoW. They've done a complete revamp... starting has never been so easy and enjoyable--oh god i'm sounding like marketing.

It was just at the back of my mind really, it still sounds like a good game to play, and someone earlier in the thread mentioned the revamp, with Cataclysm and stuff.

How long does it take to level up? If people have been playing since 2006, I gather it must take quite a while just to get to level 20 in the free version.

 

[Charli]

Actually one more piece of advice. Make friends.

Just...just that's an overall MMO rule. You will quickly become bored unless you go out of your way to be... noticeable. (Some times even unfriendly people get a following but the point is they make themselves known)
But yeah just be friendly and polite, ask people in the cities about their experience, I'm sure most of them will be glad to whip out the cane and glasses to recall their good old days.

 

[DracoSuave]

Actually, it's a great time to get into WoW. They've done a complete revamp... starting has never been so easy and enjoyable--oh god i'm sounding like marketing.

It was just at the back of my mind really, it still sounds like a good game to play, and someone earlier in the thread mentioned the revamp, with Cataclysm and stuff.

How long does it take to level up? If people have been playing since 2006, I gather it must take quite a while just to get to level 20 in the free version.

VERY quickly. The game is designed to make levelling up very easy. You just go on quests, and you'll level so fast you won't even notice. Every time they put out a new expansion, they make the XP needed to level easier to get. On top of this, the way zones are laid out now, the process of grabbing quests and completing them is more efficient. It's a natural progression.

Level 20 will take no time whatsoever. The first ten levels can be done in a couple hours, then after that, it's still pretty quick. The only levels that are slow are 80-85, and even that's not as bad as it used to be.

You won't be spending time randomly killing things just for XP. Just do quests, and you'll level just fine.

 

[Nuuu]

If you play many hours a day like me, you'd reach 60 in maybe 1-3 months, 70 in 2 or 3 weeks, 80 in the same amount of time, and 85 in about a week. It's a lengthy game, but you enjoy it. The Lore get's interesting in the later expansions, as in 70-85.

Also, nobody mentioned this yet:
In PvE, there is out-of-battlefield PvP, but you need to be flagged for this. You know when an NPC is flagged when they have the faction's symbol on the corner of their picture. You can tell when a player is flagged when their name glows a color. Flagged players of your faction have green names, Flagged players of the enemy faction has red names. You can flag yourself manually by right clicking your picture and clicking the Enable PvP option. If you are forced into PvP by attacking a flagged unit, or getting attacked by one, you will be flagged until you get out of PvP combat then you will be unflagged after 5 minutes of non-PvP combat. So basically yes, there are PvP NPCs.

Also, there is PvP armor and PvE Armor. The difference is that PvP armor has resilliance, PvE armor nevers has this stat, as it really isnt helpful in PvE.

Don't forget achievments, if you're like me, you love these. Most are just for bragging rights, but some can get you cool things, mainly tabards and mounts. With the release of Catacalysm, there are guild achievments, which are large achievments you need the guild's help to complete, these unlock BoA (bind on account) gear, which is used for easier leveling Alts (second, third, etc. characters). BoAs are basically armor that level's up with your character, as you level up, the armor does to, and it's stat bonuses increase, they are the best armor for leveling characters, they can only be given to characters on your account. BoAs are never dropped, they can only be bought via Guild Vendors and Trinket Vendors.

 

[Chris Barber]

WoW, like any other MMO, is a social game and only as good as the people you play it with.

Been playing MMOs as a core hobby since 1999 and my honest advice to you is to be social. Make friends. A common new player mistake is "I'll play alone until I have gotten the hang of things." This seems reasonable. But in reality all endgame revolves around playing in a group with other people. If you never learn how to function in a group as your class you won't know what to do later on. You might have some bad experiences with impatient players who expect you to get everything right the first time. But don't be discouraged.

That being said; of every MMORPG I've ever played WoW easily has the most toxic, hateful, elitist playerbase around. People will go berserk at you for little to no reason. Trade chat will be flooded with sheer stupidity and trolling at all hours. People will go to great lengths to grief one another on the PVP servers. And even greater length to grief each other on the PVE servers where it's harder to do.

If you find people worth playing with; it can be a fine game. You'd be doing yourself a favor looking on forums across the internet where more civil and open-minded players talk and finding a guild to join and help show you the way to success.

I eventually got bored of it and left it for NEStalgia. Because it's infinitely cheaper (see also: Doesn't deny you game content for not having a subscription) and because I'm a massive fan of retro games.

Speaking of which; I invite people to check out the NEStalgia trailer and give the game a shot if they want seeing as how we seem to have some mature people in this thread that I wouldn't mind playing a social game with.

Trailer link: Go! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX8dd13IovU

 

[LordLundar]

To correct a few incorrect posts here:

Once you get through with the tutorial, depending on the server, pick up Mining or Herbalism along with skinning.

Choosing either herbalism or mining was because you could only track one type at a time. That has been modified and you can now track multiple. As such, now the best money is any two of the three.

If you get really interested in the game and have some extra cash on you, buy WoW and Catacalysm, as Catacalysm really makes lvls 1-60 more fun.

The modified 1-60 are considered vanilla content and do not need the cataclysm expansion to utilize.

The Horde is a slightly less advanced (as in buildings) area, having buildings made of wood and spikes log fences, but the player base is slightly more mature, although the server i played on had the horde greatly outnumbered in battlefields.

Mileage varies depending on personal experience, there's no blanket statement that's really true.

I heard from a friend before I started a free account on WoW that Draenai are really good classes, I also picked Paladin for them, but you're mainly doing physical damage.

Draenei is a race, not a class, and those choices are for the most part aesthetic. Unless you really need the minor boost, then don't stress the choice.

Also, ALWAYS look at equipment stats. Your DPS is very important, but you also have to take into account whether a weapon is one or two handed, if it's fast or not, and whether you like using that specific type of weapon. Also, always get the best armor. While it doesn't always have to necessarily have better defense than the stuff you're wearing, look at the buffs and resistances it comes with. Those are mega crucial to success in this game.

General points are correct, but not every piece of gear is right for each class. Check on WoWhead for stats that are relevant to your class and go for those.

How long does it take to level up? If people have been playing since 2006, I gather it must take quite a while just to get to level 20 in the free version.

Yes, one of your posts, but this grates on me. There is no "free version". It is an unlimited time trial. Hitting level 20 does not take long, is nowhere near the cap, nor does it really encompass anywhere the full experience. It is meant as a trial to see if you might want to buy it, that's all.