World of Warcraft: A Newbie Guide

World of Warcraft is the most popular MMORPG to date. With millions of subscribers, it's safe to say that most gamers have spent some time on Azeroth. Though WoW is fairly accessible, starting can still be confusing. This guide will help you begin your journey into Blizzard's fantasy world.

Realm Selection:

There are three different kinds of realms: Normal, PvP, and RP.On a PvP realm, players of the opposite faction can attack and kill you. You can only play one faction on a PvP server.RP realms are for writing with other players as you play. Not all interactions on an RP realm are "in character."Normal realms do not automatically flag you for PvP, and are a good choice for new players.A server's population can be listed as Low, Medium, High, and Full. Servers listed as Full may have a wait time before you can play.High population realms can be laggy, but players are scarcer on low population servers. Which you choose depends on your computer performance and how much social interaction you desire.The game will choose a realm for you if you ask it to.

Faction Selection:

World of Warcraft currently has two factions: Alliance and Horde. WoW factions have a lot of gray areas - no one faction is "good" or "evil." You can only communicate with players of your faction.

The Alliance consists of humans, dwarves, night elves, gnomes, draenei, and worgen. The Horde consists of orcs, undead, tauren, trolls, blood elves, and goblins.

Which faction you play is entirely up to personal preference.

Race Selection

All races can be male or female. Each race has racial talents, some which are specialized for PvP or raiding. When you first start WoW, it's easiest to simply choose the race you like the best.

Alliance

Human

Can Play: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: horseNotable Racials: can break character-impairing effects once every 2 minutes.

Dwarf

Can Play: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: ramNotable Racials: can break bleeds, poisons, and diseases once every 2 minutes.

Night Elf

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Druid, Death KnightRacial Mount: prey catNotable Racials: may vanish once every 2 minutes.

Gnome

Can Play: Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: mechanized ostrichNotable Racials: can break slowing effects once every 2 minutes.

Draenei

Can Play: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Death KnightRacial Mount: elephant NotableRacials: can heal for a small amount once every 2 minutes.

Worgen

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Druid, Death KnightRacial Mount: runs on all foursNotable Racials: can increase speed by 40% once every 2 minutes.

Horde

Orc

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: wolfNotable Racials: pets do more damage, can enrage to increase damage once every 2 minutes.

Undead

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: skeletal horseNotable Racials: can consume corpses to regain health and mana, can break fear and sleep effects once every 2 minutes.

Tauren

Can Play: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Priest, Shaman, Druid, Death KnightRacial Mount: prehistoric rhinocerosRacial Talents: can stun nearby enemies once every 2 minutes.

Troll

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Druid, Death KnightRacial Mount: raptorRacial Talents: can berserk to increase attack speed once every 2 minutes.

Blood Elf

Can Play: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: cockatriceRacial Talents: may regain resources and silence nearby enemies once every 2 minutes.

Goblin

Can Play: Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Death KnightRacial Mount: three-wheeled motorcycleRacial Talents: can launch rockets at enemies OR rocket jump forward once every 2 minutes.

Class Selection

Choosing which class you will play is the choice that will most affect your game experience. Each class has its own pros and cons, and each player will have different preferences about what they like.

Warrior

Roles: Tank, DamageWarriors don't cast spells - they're primarily concerned with bashing whatever they're fighting to death, using whatever weapon is around to do it.You should play a Warrior if... you like the idea of an in-your-face class that uses physical abilities.

Paladin

Roles: Tank, Healer, DamagePaladins are honorable holy warriors, always using their dominion over Light to save life on Azeroth from the powers that threaten it.You should play a Paladin if... you want to play a "good guy" character who can fulfill any of the three major roles.

Hunter

Roles: DamageHunters are masters of the natural world, using their pets and traps to take down foes from a distance.You should play a Hunter if... you have a burning desire to collect TONS of pets or if you happen to be a gun nut.

Rogue

Roles: DamageCunning and devious, Rogues use their stealthiness to attack and poison enemies before they even see it coming.You should play a Rogue if... you like the idea of literally stabbing someone in the back.

Priest

Roles: Healer, DamagePriests of Azeroth are dedicated to healing the wounds of others... except for those Priests who turn their focus to darker powers.You should play a Priest if... you like to keep your options open when choosing between light and dark.

Shaman

Roles: Healer, DamageShaman are connected to the elemental spirits of Azeroth through a mystical bond, through which they are able to channel considerable power.You should play a Shaman if... you like the idea of a spiritual warrior who can heal, fling spells from a distance, and pound someone's face in if he needs to.

Mage

Roles: DamageMages have taken mortal magic use to its pinnacle, choosing one of three schools to master: frost, arcane, or fire.You should play a Mage if... you've ever had the urge to put on a robe and sling fireballs, a la Harry Potter.

Warlock

Roles: DamageThe darkest magic users on Azeroth, Warlocks have gone beyond mortal magic into demonic, and summon powerful minions to do their bidding.You should play a Warlock if... you want to feel deliciously evil while at the same time doing the right thing (...or are you?).

Druid

Roles: Tank, Healer, DamageDruids understand nature to the point of being part of it. They are powerful shapeshifters who use their many different animal and mortal forms to defeat enemies and heal allies.You should play a Druid if... you want a lot of options to choose from, and you don't mind being in an animal form for much of your time.

Death Knight

Death Knight is the only class available to all races. Players must have at least one character at level 55 before they are allowed to make a Death Knight. This option is not open to new players.

Conclusion:

WoW is rich with content - you can always find something to do as long as you're aware of your options. Getting to max level is only half the fun. Choose the class that appeals to you most, then sit back and enjoy the ride!

A long time gamer and writer for http://www.gamingclimax.com/

I love MMORPG's, and everything gaming industry related.

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