World of Warcraft: Guide for Beginners

World of Warcraft's astounding popularity has solidified geek as chic in mainstream culture. In the beginning, it seemed like some elite, pay-per-month, post-Diablo II euphoria which rapidly escalated into a epidemic. In late 2006, Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft had reached a total of 7 million subscribers.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to join the Warcraft crowd a bit late, but by now any beginner has likely heard terms such as 'n00b' to describe inexperienced players. Undoubtedly in some circles, the elite attitude of some Warcraft players still remains. This should not, however, discourage new players:

-World of Warcraft has multiple servers, and each player tends to play multiple characters on multiple servers. There are level 1 (new) characters being created by both new and experienced players all the time.

-Most elitists will frankly ignore a new player. More often than not, a sincere, helpful player will assist a new player with just about anything.

Ultimately, Warcraft is a game environment for relaxation and aggression release. Players can and do take game play as seriously or as nonchalantly as they wish--similar players often find and group with each other to accomplish common goals and to experience the same style of play.

World of Warcraft has a few features which make initial game play very easy for a beginner, even if that person has never played a video game before:

Character creation: All races and classes are simply described in the menu, and a unique character only takes a few minutes to conjure.
Story-based learning: Warcraft is based around a story line, and new characters are included as soon as they begin.
Early quests: The first few quests and levels are very easy to complete and are meant entirely for a new player to learn.
Tips: The game will display tips in the center-bottom of the screen for new players and also when various game screens are loading.
Users can play on role play (RP), normal, or player versus player (PvP) servers to cater to the players' preferences.
The World of Warcraft site has a wealth of information and answers to many questions.

The game creators have clearly gone to great lengths to make the game new user-friendly and to allow the new player to discover new abilities and objects in a very natural game flow. New players should certainly take advantage of this friendly interface.

There are many things new players can do to enhance their experiences and to have a positive beginning with WoW:

Consider playing with a friend who is already on Warcraft or joining with another friend who is new.
Veteran players have a lot to offer, and a friend is a great teacher in this instance. With another new player, new characters will be less limited. They can form groups and level more quickly.

Absorb the story and follow the quests as they are received. New players in particular will get more out of game play if the story makes sense. World of Warcraft has a lot of continuity.

Do not fear 'dying' in game or let that prohibit adventure; there is little consequence to dying in game.

Allow enough time to become comfortable with the interface before moving on. New players shouldn't have to feel frantic or confused; there are many lower level quests and tasks to complete.

Learn a profession as soon as possible and have a new character also speak to his or her class trainer. Any NPC guard or sentinel in the starting city should be able to direct a new character to these individuals.

Blizzard offers a free ten day, downloadable trial from the World of Warcraft site. While trial accounts are slightly limited, signing up for one is a great way for a new player to decide whether Warcraft is a viable gaming experience. Be warned: the game is as addictive as it is rumored to be, so discipline will be required.