World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online game in which you assume control of a character who is part of the worlds of Azeroth and Outland. These worlds are filled with magic and fantastical creatures, but you will also catch glimpses of advanced technology.
Massively Multiplayer? Online?
Upon entering the game, you become part of a story which is set in a time of increased friction between long-time enemies, the Alliance and Horde. The Horde consists of Blood Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Taurens, Trolls, and Undead. The races of the Alliance include Draenei, Dwarves, Gnomes, Humans, Night Elves, and Worgen. The recently rediscovered Pandaren may choose which side of the conflict they join.
In addition to selecting one of the races of Azeroth, you must assign a class to your character. There are 11 classes available, and your class selection has the greatest impact on your experience while playing the game.
Who This Is For
New players should use this section of the guide to learn about the game’s background, how to manage your account, and all of the game’s basics. Players new to WoW and especially to online games in general will get the most from these materials.
Returning players who have been away for a year or more may also want to peruse this section. Changes are a matter of course in online games, and Blizzard has not been resting on its laurels. Even beyond the expansion itself there have been countless improvements to the general game system. If you’re coming back but want a reminder or two, this is a good place to get yourself started once again.
General Questions Answered
If you are new to online games, you likely have a few questions about what to expect. Continue reading for answers to common questions about World of Warcraft.
Q : Why Should I Play World of Warcraft?
A : World of Warcraft is a high-fantasy world that combines elements of storytelling, task completion, item creation, problem solving, battle, and socializing. Because the game is so vast, you can truly make it your own. Every time you play, your experience is unique.
Some people play because they’re hooked on the quests and item upgrades. They’re looking to improve their character’s weapons and armor. There is always something to do, even after you get to the “end” of the leveling process.
Others play for the people. It’s amazing how many people you’ll find who are involved in World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft has a large community of players, and they come from many age groups and diverse backgrounds.
Why you should play is actually a trick question (sorry!). The answer is your own, and the fact that you’re reading this is all that you need to know. You suspect that there’s something fun waiting for you online—and you’re right. Don’t be nervous. World of Warcraft introduces new players to the game at a comfortable pace, and despite online gaming’s reputation, you’ll find that a surprising number of players are polite and helpful when someone’s learning the game and needs to ask questions.
Q : What Does World of Warcraft Have For Me?
A : Major features of World of Warcraft include roleplaying, improving your characters, competing against other people in player versus player combat, upgrading gear, exploring the world, crafting items for yourself and others, and unlocking special achievements.
You’re able to try anything in the game with just an investment in time. Real-world money is only required for the monthly subscription. You won’t need to put in any cash beyond that. All equipment is available to all players, assuming that they put in the same time and effort.
Questing involves thousands of short tasks that are given in game. You can play these for hours on end, but someone with only 20 minutes to spare can still log on, complete a few quests, and get back to the real world. The system makes it that easy!
Roleplaying is about assuming the identity of your character. This is not a mandatory aspect of WoW, even on Roleplaying Servers (where it’s encouraged). Instead, this is a game within a game that you create for yourself. You imagine a story for your character and you live through it, revealing that character’s background and experiencing their development as you go.
Player versus player (PvP) competition is a big draw for some. You can limit this to consensual challenges: most servers only allow players to fight if they specifically request or accept a duel, enter a Battleground, or otherwise set themselves up for PvP combat. Other servers are called PvP servers, and they allow people from different factions to fight openly, whenever and wherever they meet. In a sense, this is consensual too because no one is forced to play on PvP servers. You choose one because it has sudden, unexpected combat.
Achievements are given for many aspects of WoW play. Dungeons have quite a few of these, usually involving the defeat of certain enemies under specific conditions.
If you’re looking for group activities, join a guild that has fun people. Talk to people in cities or while adventuring, and find out more about their guilds. This is how you discover a guild that’s right for you; it’s just like making friends in real life. In fact, you might make real life friends from playing WoW. Some guilds get so close that they plan activities together, even if they don’t live in the same state (or country!).
Q : Who Will I Play With?
A : WoW enables people from all over the world to play with each other in real time. So the simple answer is that you can play with anyone you wish. You can log in and play on your own (called playing solo), you can play with your friends, or you can play with strangers. It’s all up to you.
If you’re just getting started, ask friends, family members, and coworkers if they play. It’s entirely possible that you have experienced WoW players in your circle already. Then ask what server they play on, and consider joining them on that server. This ensures that you’re playing in the same “world” as your friends. They’ll be able to walk you through the early steps and possibly help you out with starting money, items, or joining a guild.
Coming in alone is harder, but it’s still entirely doable. Read through the following pages, and then start the game. Click on buttons. Play around. And remember that you cannot be destroyed in WoW. Characters can only be deleted if you choose to delete them. There is no permanent death. There are no substantial ramifications from your mistakes. WoW wants you to play around, try things, and even screw up from time to time. Come in solo if necessary. You won’t get into too much trouble, even if you don’t know what you’re doing at first.
Addressing Common Concerns
If you, or someone you know, would like to try World of Warcraft but have some concerns about joining a massive game, the following addresses many common questions.
Q : Is World of Warcraft Too Complex For Me?
A : World of Warcraft has been designed with a gentle learning curve. You begin with basic abilities while the enemies you face initially act like target dummies, waiting for you to initiate a fight before they respond. You gain additional abilities and options for your characters as you achieve higher levels while taking on increasingly stronger enemies. However, none of this is done in an overwhelming fashion.
The best news is that you are in control of the pace of your advancement. There are no deadlines for earning levels. You don’t lose anything you’ve earned because you take time away from the game. People who had never gamed before have become comfortable in World of Warcraft. Despite what the Gnomes and Goblins tell you, this isn’t rocket science. It’s a game, and a fun one at that.
The aspect of the game that often takes the most effort to understand is the lingo used by other players. Don’t worry. Gamerspeak becomes quite intuitive after you spend time in the game. You pick up terms here and there, and soon they are part of your vernacular. To make this easier, a glossary with many of the terms and their definitions has been included in this guide. You do not need to memorize these. They’re just here if you need them or have a question.
Ultimately, World of Warcraft is as complex as you wish to make it. Many players enjoy exploring the vast worlds of Azeroth and Outland on their own, performing quests as they travel. A large percentage of players join with others to form guilds for their social aspects. They also join forces for Player-versus-Player combat, or to take on the challenges designed around 5, 10, or 25 characters working together.
The key to enjoying your time in World of Warcraft is to find what you like to do and do it! Don’t be afraid to dabble in other activities and test the waters, but you aren’t required to do anything with your time. You control the amount of time you spend in the game, so spend it doing the things you enjoy most.
Q : Will I Become Addicted?
A : Millions of people play, and most of them treat the game like any other hobby. You may have read media reports of World of Warcraft players neglecting their real-life responsibilities, with tragic consequences. However, there is nothing uniquely addictive about the World of Warcraft. It offers the same engrossing qualities of any other hobby or pastime.
Q : What About Allowing Children to Play?
A : World of Warcraft offers Parental Controls that enable you to restrict your child’s playing schedule, even when you’re not around. You can also control whether your child can use the in-game voice chat to speak to other players. There are filters to ensure that obscenities aren’t shown in the chat windows, and you can avoid the vast majority of goofy or immature players by turning off general chat. These chat channels allow players to communicate with a larger number of players in the game, but you can limit a child’s access to random people by cutting off these channels.
With a bit of setup time, you can make it so that kids are playing with you or with people that you’ve checked out. There are family-oriented guilds that keep the chat clean and have a family-friendly good time.