Are Wow Servers Getting Attacked Again?
World of Warcraft beginner's guide: How to go into WoW
World of Warcraft is an iconic, ground-breaking MMO that continues to dominate countless evenings and weekends more than xv years after its release. Where some of the best MMOs tend to excel at just a few things, World of Warcraft is a jack of all trades: Information technology has ultra-difficult raids, varied, fun quests, and large, experimental expansions that take bold risks.
Merely after years of additions and so much history to catch up on, getting into World of Warcraft tin can be intimidating—even for lapsed players. Fortunately the process simply got streamlined. Anyway, this Globe of Warcraft beginners guide will aid y'all take your first steps in Classic or retail.
WoW beginner'due south guide: Everything new and returning players need to know
There's a lot to be mindful of as you bound into playing in WoW, simply non all of it has to be tackled correct away. Have your fourth dimension and enjoy the procedure; Earth of Warcraft isn't merely most the destination. It'south a hobby that, if you lot really relish it, you lot may well end up returning to for hundreds of hours over the form of years. Don't rush.
Blizzard made big changes—as function of the October 2020 WoW: Shadowlands pre-patch—to how leveling characters works that made leveling new characters faster and more than fun. Blizzard estimated it volition accept roughly 30% less time to hit max under the new systems.
Here'due south a quick summary of what changed:
- A new zone for new characters called Exile's Reach has been added, which provides a much more fun and comprehensive introduction from levels ane-x, primarily for new players.
- Graphic symbol levels have been squished down to a new level cap of 60. This has significantly shortened the time information technology takes to progress a new character to max level while as well making the whole experience feel more satisfying, since you get skills throughout.
- There's a new process for how y'all level your characters. You start in Exile'southward Reach until level tem (or cull between the new leveling isle and their race's existing starting area, if you're experienced) and then move onto the Boxing for Azeroth expansion by default if y'all're new. This expansion will take your graphic symbol from level x to level fifty, where you'll and then bound into Shadowlands. Players who have already completed Boxing for Azeroth on ane character will instead get to choose between BfA and one of the previous 7 expansions to level through to 50. Shadowlands will then take your character to level 60.
Making your first character
It'due south a bit cruel that most of Earth of Warcraft's toughest decisions are the first ones you'll accept to make. Before you lot can practice anything, y'all'll demand to choose a server, faction, race, and class to play. Sadly, it tin can accept dozens of hours before you realize one or the other isn't a good fit.
Want to roleplay?
Globe of Warcraft too has some very popular roleplay servers where players are expected to speak and carry as their character would. It's a very dissimilar experience, equally you'll care for Earth of Warcraft more than like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. If you're creative and like the thought of taking your immersion in the globe to the adjacent level, RP servers are a great deal of fun. You can select them when y'all're starting time choosing a server.
With servers, pick one that has a medium or high population during the times you'll unremarkably be playing each day. Avert 'New Player' servers and those with 'Maximum' population; You want a server with a salubrious, established population, not stuck in login queues. If y'all're playing with any friends, just make a graphic symbol on any server they're on or be sure to all agree on a server in advance, but be certain to brand a graphic symbol on the same faction they are: Alliance and Horde characters can't speak or quest with each other in game. Which faction you choose will determine the races you accept to choose from for your characters
Don't worry about the Brotherhood/Horde ratio of players on any given server if you're not bad on PvPing. It used to affair back when there were dedicated PvP servers, but nowadays, open-world PvP is an option you can toggle on and, along with an older characteristic called cross-realm play that lets you play aslope characters from other servers, a good balance of Horde and Alliance players isn't every bit important.
Once you've decided your server and faction, you have to answer an even bigger question: What class and race are you going to play?
Each race in World of Warcraft comes with special bonuses towards certain crafting professions and a unique skill simply they can use, only that skill varies betwixt Archetype and retail. For instance, in modernistic WoW, humans can break out of stun effects while blood elves can strip a positive vitrify off nearby mobs or players. It'southward a lot to accept in if y'all like theorycrafting, but don't sweat these differences as well much. Above all else, selection a race of which you lot enjoy the fantasy and aesthetic—that'll be the i you're most probable to stick with.
Picking a grade, however, is a much more intimidating trouble. Earth of Warcraft has 12 classes, each having between two and 4 specializations (called specs) that determine what abilities they have and what function they play in a group. Do you want to lead the party and soak enemy damage as a tank? Want to proceed players alive equally a healer? Or do y'all desire to pull off insane damage as a damage-dealer (DPS)?
This can be a daunting decision before you've even set up pes in the game. The good news is that whatever form can freely switch between specializations outside of combat, then even within a given class you can accept upward to four wildly different playstyles. Again, I'd recommend first-time players not sweat these details and selection a form that appeals to them. Many classes have specializations that also change their function in combat—like monks that tin can be either tanks, healers, or DPS. The mage, warlock, hunter, and rogue are the only classes where all of their specializations are DPS-focused, so keep that in listen if you want to experiment being a tank or healer.
Here's a quick breakup of each form:
- Warrior: Savage melee class with one tank and two DPS specs. Choice them if you lot like charging caput first into gainsay.
- Paladin: Wielders of holy magic channeled in melee combat. Can be either tank, healer, or DPS.
- Hunter: Tin be either melee DPS or ranged DPS. Can also tame wild animals to fight beside them.
- Rogue: Purebred melee DPS with a knack for trickery, stealth, and insane bursts of damage.
- Priest: Has 2 very different healing specs. Or they can tap into their powers of shadow to deal damage as a ranged DPS course.
- Shaman: Master of the elements, calling downwards lightning and fire upon their enemies. Tin can exist ranged DPS, melee DPS, and healers.
- Mage: Master spellcasters that utilise fire, frost, or arcane energy to attack enemies as ranged DPS.
- Warlock: Channel fire and shadow magics as a pure ranged DPS course. Can summon demons to fight for them.
- Monk: Unparalleled pugilists who phone call upon the Mists to aid them in battle as healers, melee DPS, and tanks.
- Druid: Shapeshift into unlike animal forms. The most versatile form with four separate specs: melee DPS, ranged DPS, tanks, and healers.
- Demon Hunter: Highly mobile melee specialists that channel demonic energy to power their attacks. Can be either melee DPS or tanks.
- Death Knight: Freed servants of the Lich Rex and wield powerful runeblades as either melee DPS or tanks.
Whatever gets yous playing the quickest is the right determination. Starting over isn't a big bargain.
Ultimately, whatever gets you playing the quickest is the right decision. Starting over isn't a large deal—it but requires a little extra time. Leveling new characters from scratch is time-intensive, only it can be a good side project. What's more than, most hardcore WoW players don't just play as one class—we both have several max-level characters on rotation as each brings their own season to gainsay. Depending on the version of the Shadowlands expansion you buy in modern WoW, you lot may go ane grapheme boosted to level 50 for gratuitous to give y'all a leg up when starting fresh.
For returning or electric current players, choosing a class comes with more consideration as you're more aware of how important subtle differences can be. Non all DPS classes are made equal. Feral druids, for example, are all well-nigh managing two energy resources to bandage abilities while applying bleeding over time effects on enemies. Good feral druids have an internal clock that helps them remember when to refresh those bleed abilities.
That'southward a stark difference from frost mages, who freeze enemies in identify while dealing consistent and reliable harm. Though these videos won't be as upward to date due to more than recent patches, we really recommend BellularGaming's fun breakdown videos for each class and their specializations. More than than anything, BellularGaming focuses on which specs are fun to play rather than the electric current flavor of the month.
Your first steps
In one case your character is made, you tin can log in and start playing. If you elected to use your gratuitous boost token that comes with the purchase of some versions of Shadowlands, you'll start at level l and have an introductory chain of quests that go you up to speed with your current specialization and then rolling into Shadowlands' main questing feel.
Make new level one players offset in a zone corresponding with their chosen race (in Classic) or Exile'southward Reach (in retail). Fortunately, World of Warcraft is then intuitive and accessible these days that you don't really need a guide on how to level up or what to do next. All the information yous could need is provided to you through in-game tutorials. All yous really need to practise is set out and talk to people with yellow exclamation points above their heads to pick up quests that'll grant you feel points and assist y'all explore the world.
Have time to read the quest text. We can't stress this enough. Aye, it's very tempting to just skip through all that dialogue and head off into the woods to murder gnolls, but World of Warcraft has rich lore and a detailed story woven through each of its dozens of zones. The story is frequently funny, and information technology's worth having that extra bit of context for why you demand to kill a specific person or discover a rare item. All of those quests coagulate to class an entertaining tale of adventure.
Once you reach level ten you should exist almost of the fashion, if non completely, finished with your starting zone. From there, several new expansion zones become available to you. A few years ago, Blizzard introduced limited dynamic level scaling for all of WoW's old zones and expansions. Instead of having a strict level requirement, now zones accept level ranges that always adapt to arrange your character's level. What's fantastic near this new arrangement is that quests and monsters volition always match your level then yous can focus more on the story of each zone. Your choice of which expansion to level in (Battle for Azeroth is the default for new players, for adept reason—every bit the most contempo expansion before Shadowlands, it'due south the most modern) will have you from level 10 to 50, when y'all'll outset in the Shadowlands.
When choosing which expansion and zone to head to, there's no wrong answer. Each zone has a self-contained storyline, so there'due south no proper path to max level—but exercise whatever zone sounds coolest.
To level boost or not to level heave...
If you're new to World of Warcraft and but bought Shadowlands, you may receive a level 50 boost token that tin be applied to whatever character you create, depending on the version of Shadowlands y'all purchased. The upside is that this lets you immediately hop in and enjoy the expansion's content correct away—which is crawly because the most recent additions to World of Warcraft are ordinarily its most fun.
Equally, you'll be skipping out on 15 years' worth of quests and zones, and there's something to be said for seeing a character all the way from a lowly level-i scrub to a mighty hero. Our advice? Play through the free class trial with a few classes you're about drawn to and then option one of those to heave. Play that character for a bit and enjoy the new expansion and then, when you've got a good feel for the game, showtime a new grapheme and level them the old-fashioned manner. Information technology's the best of both worlds. Trust us, both are worth experiencing.
Connect with other players
About the entirety of Globe of Warcraft's quests can be done on your own, but everything is improve with friends.
MMOs are inherently social games, but over the years, World of Warcraft has become increasingly friendly to solo-minded players. A 'Looking for Group' tool automatically places you into parties for everything only the about challenging group content, and almost the entirety of World of Warcraft's quests can be done on your ain. But everything is ameliorate with friends, and you're doing yourself a massive disservice by not participating in a customs.
While playing, there are several ways to make friends. The simplest is only talking in the in-game General Chat channel which can exist accessed by typing '/1' and so whatever you desire to say. Merchandise chat, though intended for exchanging appurtenances and services, likewise ends upwardly being a pretty lively aqueduct and tin be accessed by typing '/2'.
Proverb hi to strangers isn't a bad start, but don't be surprised if no ane acknowledges your presence. You may have better luck in dungeons yous run using the LFG tool, particularly if you lot fall into a group that elects to run several in a row. A far better method is getting involved with communities both in and out of the game. For one, the World of Warcraft subreddit is a fun place to hang out. They accept a not bad list of Discord servers yous tin bring together for specific classes or interests related to WoW, every bit well every bit an official Discord server of their ain. WoW communities for various populations exist on most major social media as well, including Facebook.
Patch 8.0 besides added a new characteristic chosen Communities. Split up from guilds, these in-game groups tin can be focused around anything and are a great style to encounter like-minded players. The official forums has a recruitment channel where people can advertise their communities in the US and Eu, and yous can notice all sorts ranging from parents who play, lore nerds who desire to gush over the story, or LGBTQ communities. These are less popular than when they launched, but still a mode to make connections with players who share your interests.
Finally, there's the age-old way of making friends: Joining a guild. Finding the right people to play with isn't always easy, but it's worth trying, as a good order makes all the difference. The in-game Guild Finder lets you browse the recruitment messages posted by guilds who keep them updated. You can also check out the r/wowguilds subreddit. Here you lot tin brand a mail or respond to others in order to detect a club. Finally, nearly major guild progress sites, including WoW Progress, allow guilds to post basic data virtually themselves, including what they're recruiting for, and show in-game progress. Browse the guilds on your server to larn more.
Before joining, information technology's worth talking with someone in the order and getting some idea of what the culture is like. Are they hardcore raiders? Practise they have hundreds of members or just a few? Do people more often than not stick to themselves or are there lots of grouping activities?
If yous join a guild and terminate up hating information technology, you can quit by correct-clicking your name in the roster and selecting leave. In that location's usually non much upshot to quietly abandoning transport. Don't hesitate to bail if a order just isn't right for yous.
Add-ons will make your life a lot easier
One of the not bad things about Earth of Warcraft is how customizable its user interface is. Using addons, you lot can completely tailor it to your liking or add useful functions like interactive boss guides for dungeons. Information technology can exist an intimidating process, though: There are a lot of addons to choose from.
Our listing of the all-time WoW add-ons is a groovy place to starting time.
While the basic World of Warcraft UI is usable, taking the time to install a full overhaul similar ElvUI is a smart thought that volition help yous during difficult dungeons and raids. For ane, the basic UI spreads necessary elements like your action bar, health, and monster health all over the screen. When you're badly trying to attack, dodge fatal abilities, and see the status of the monster you're fighting all at the same time, it can get overwhelming. ElvUI volition let you rearrange all of those elements and then instead of beingness on the edges of the screen they're closer to the action, allowing you to see everything more easily.
Become a lore chief
Globe of Warcraft's story and mythology are daunting and dense, merely are worth immersing yourself in if you love high fantasy with a petty fleck of campiness to information technology. Still, unless you played the earlier real-fourth dimension strategy games and read their manuals like the gospel, you lot probably don't really know what'southward happening and why. For that, YouTuber Nobbel87 is the person to plow to. His 41-minute long video covers the entirety of World of Warcraft's lore and is a lot of fun to spotter. It's the best identify to first if you want a sense of what the world is about.
Y'all can likewise check out our lore primer, which condenses everything upwardly to the Boxing for Azeroth expansion into an even-easier-to-digest read with helpful TL;DR sections that really give y'all a quick overview of what'south happening and why. Yous can as well check out WoWpedia and read up on specific characters or areas y'all're non familiar with. Over fourth dimension, all that knowledge will first to form a comprehensive understanding of Azeroth and its history.
If you really want to go deep, though, then the many and various World of Warcraft books are what y'all want. These highly detailed compendiums tell the entire story of Warcraft from the very beginning of the cosmos all the way up to Shadowlands. They are well worth it if you lot fancy taking your World of Warcraft knowledge to the side by side level. Doing so really helps contextualize all of the characters, quests, and events in the game.
Take your time
If you follow the above steps you lot'll have everything you need to get started in Earth of Warcraft. Fortunately, information technology's non all that complicated and you can safely just bound in and effigy things out as you go without making some irreversible mistake. Take your fourth dimension and just relish the world. Some zones haven't aged all that well, but World of Warcraft is still the most expansive MMOs out in that location. It's not a world that y'all can experience fully in just a week, so prepare yourself for a journey that you'll slowly advance through over the class of months and, quite possibly, years.
What about World of Warcraft Classic?
Information technology's also of import to talk nigh Earth of Warcaft Classic, which emulates Blizzard'south MMO as it was back in 2006.
Though the ii versions share some similarities, World of Warcraft Classic is a incomparably more hardcore, slower, and (some players say) much more epic version of World of Warcraft. It'south automatically included in your subscription fee, besides: You won't accept to pay annihilation extra to try it out if you're new.
That said, we highly recommend that new players give both versions of the game a take chances, since each has its strengths. Modern WoW is more attainable with its up-to-appointment game systems and graphics, but Classic feels more than like a grand, nostalgic, grindy chance, admitting at a lower resolution.
One of the biggest differences to consider with WoW Archetype is that the servers are structured differently. In Archetype, there are PvP and PvE servers. Once you kickoff a character on one of them, they'll be stuck at that place unless you pay for a grapheme transfer. Consider carefully whether yous want to become involved in open up-world PvP before playing on a PvP server. It'll mean you'll often get attacked, which can be actually frustrating when you lot just want a relaxing evening of questing. On the other manus, that extra element of danger tin can brand the globe more than fun and offers more than opportunities for social interaction with other players.
On modernistic World of Warcraft servers, you tin can toggle between PvP and PvE in any capitol city by turning State of war Manner on or off. Yous receive additional talents, a bonus to the feel you lot gain as you kill things and additional rewards from max-level Earth Quests if you have War Mode on.
The other large difference is that classes are fundamentally different in WoW Classic. The whole skill and combat organisation is much more than old-school, and you lot can't change between unlike 'specs' every bit easily. Even so, our advice remains the same: In either game, pick a race and form based on what you think is coolest.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-get-into-world-of-warcraft/
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