Thinking of starting WoW

[Echleon]

Hello there.

I am considering taking up WoW soon, as I used to be an avid player of Diablo II.

I have one question, which I couldn't seem to find an answer to in the newbie forum.

Is there really an essential first character?

I ask this because in DII, it was pretty much essential to make a Mfer (sorc) are your first character, due to the fact MFin was how you obtained items.

I have heard WoW has no, so is it more flexable? or is there really a character that everyone should make first.

I would just like to know, due to the fact I have no idea what character I should make!

Thanks for all help

-Ech

[Your Average WoW Player]

There is no ideal newbie race/class one should make.

What you do is this:

Look at all the Races and look at all the Classes. Next, narrow your choices down to two or three, maybe four but no more then four. Next, create a character out of each of those choices. Then, play all the characters to 20, and see which one you are most comfortable with. By the time you hit 20, you should be able to determine which one of those are best.

For instance: I narrowed my choices down to Human Rogue and Night Elf Hunter. I did Human Rogue to 21 and found that I couldn't solo as well as I could. So I switched to the Night Elf hunter and have been with it since.

So in response to your question again, No, there is no class you SHOULD be as your first character. Just do what I suggested above and you'll do fine.

[MageLite]

Not really. It's more a question of how you intend to play. Pick a shaman on the horde for an easier early game, although they're not as good in the later levels.

[rmvetski]

if you liked D2 barb, take warrior, WoW warrior is like classic WW barb
if you liked D2 sorc, take mage
if you liked D2 Necro, tough.
if you liked D2 Amazon, the Hunter in WoW shows you how it should have been done :)
if you liked D2 Assassin, the Rogue is more one dimensional but more complete also
if you liked D2 Druid, look at my Hunter comment
if you liked D2 Paladin, don't go for Paladin in WoW

playing shaman, is like playing Hammerdin, softcore, in an open server i.e. peace of cake

the warlock is very powerfull, can't draw parallels to D2 really

[Mort]

You should also bear in mind that when grouping with other people you will probably be called on to fill a certain rogue in the group. This role may or may not be the same thing you do when you solo.

For instance, a warrior will often be asked to tank (that is, keep the mobs of the other pary members), and in doing so he/she will do very little damage. A priest or druid will often heal in groups, and generaly occupy the last few spots on the damage done meter. You should be aware of this, and if you dont want to tank you shouldnt pick a warrior, and if you dont want to heal you shouldnt pick a priest/druid.

Other than that, every class is a viable option. Pick the one you think looks fun to play.

Mort

[swaldman]

You should also bear in mind that when grouping with other people you will probably be called on to fill a certain rogue in the group.

Ooo-er!

:-)

[kimmyrafter]

I agree that you should look at several classes that you think you'd find interesting and play them into the low 20 lvls. From there see what you're most comfortable with. I'd also say make sure you get into one of the lower level dungeons at least once with each so you can get an idea of what each class's role is in a group. As someone said it may be very different from how you play when you solo.

Additionally some classes, priest comes very quickly to mind, are fairly frustrating to play at low levels, but become very rewarding later. I made a priest because there wasn't one in my guild and was really frustrated prior to level 20 and came near giving it up several times. I've forced myself to stay with it and now I love my priest to the point that I may relegate my level 42 hunter to alt status. So don't get discouraged at lvl 10, hold off your final judgement til you're at least level 20.

[Gorny]

You might want to play a few characters for a few levels to see what might fit your playstyle.

There really isn't much in comparison to DII, aside from the names of a few classes and the names on a few items.

I would also suggest getting into a server that is PvE and noe PvP. (Player vs. Enviorment/Player vs. Player) this will help you avoid getting ganked, I.E. high level Toons repeated ly killing your much lower level toons.

There is no MF like there was in DII, instead items drop off of enemies and chests like in DII, and as you level up more and move into higher level zones, you will find better loot, there are also what are known as Elite mobs and bosses, these are monsters that have a silver or gold coloed dragon around their pic that you see ingame. Elites are much tougher than their normal same level counterparts.

At the early levels in WoW you should not worry about having Good gear so much. As you move up in level there is an auctionhouse that you can use to buy better gear from other players from, but most of the really good stuff drops in instances.

Another difference from DII is binding equipement.

Most of the gear you will get that is better than trash quality is either BoP (Bind on Pickup) or BoE (Bind on Equip) whenever something binds, it becomes soulbound to the character you used equipped or used an item on, you cannot mule that item to another toon, or give that item to another person.

Also, in DII, gold was worthless and rarely used. In WoW you need to keep every penny you get, as you will need it.

Money

Copper is the lowest form of currency in WoW it is what you will be used to from quests and monster drops at low levels.

Silver is the next step, and a bit more valuable.
1 Silver piece is worth 100 copper.

Next comes Gold, this is the highest form of currency, and you will need it for everything from buying new skills to buying supplies to buying more space at the bank, to leveling your professions, buying your mount at level 40 ... and more. 1 gold piece is equal to 100 silver.

There are also professions, which let you gather rescources lik herbs with Herbalism and also mine ore with mining. Other professions let you make things, including potions with Alchemy, weapons and armor with Blacksmithing, bags with The Tailoring skill, and much more.

[amgyn]

Dont pick a priest as your first character - you wont be able to get items/money solo for other chars you think of making..

Pick a warrior or a rogue if you want to deal damage solo and be needed for groups.

Pick shaman/paladin druid .. if you dont know what you want.

Pick mage/warlock if you like not taking damage :P

and finally for newbie class i would suggest you pick hunter.. they can do everything.. solo.. group.. and they have pets that do all their work.

get a profession (can only choose 2)
Get a profession that isnt tailoring or enchanting :P -- these cost the most and tailoring uses all your cloth -- need that for firstaid.
Dont get mining AND herbalism together since they both use minimap for tracking things. (dont get these if you are a hunter)
if you pick leatherworking pick skinning.. alchemy pick herbalism .. dont go picking leatherworking and herbalism.. its just not common sense :P

dont forget fishing and cooking .. they are good to have if you are bored. (they dont count towards your other professions)

all in all.. enjoy.

[bwirum]

Dont pick a priest as your first character - you wont be able to get items/money solo for other chars you think of making..
Excuse me?

A shadow priest is one of the best grinding characters in the game I'll have you know.

[SirBazturd]

I would also suggest getting into a server that is PvE and noe PvP. (Player vs. Enviorment/Player vs. Player) this will help you avoid getting ganked, I.E. high level Toons repeated ly killing your much lower level toons.
.


If you ever want to do Player vs. Player, do not start on a PvE server. I started on a PvE server b/c that is where some real life friends were starting. Terrible decision!! I wasted time on building up a rogue to lvl 50 who now I have abandoned for a PvP server.

If you want to quest in peace, go PvE.

If you want to quest, get jumped, then beat the hell outta the guy who thought he could beat you, go PvP. (Unless he is 5 or more lvls above you, then he will own you). PvP gives you more of a feeling you are at war with the other group.

[amgyn]

Excuse me?

A shadow priest is one of the best grinding characters in the game I'll have you know.

oh i didnt mean that (my main is a shadow priest :P )

i mean that if you wanna go into dungeons such as sfk, bfd, wc or deadmines to get rare boe's for your low level chars priest is the worst since their mana drains so fast if there isnt a spirit tap (which only comes after you get exp from mob)

[NeoOrc]

OK really they are all good...it just depends on how you play. If you like being up close and personal with the enemy taking damage but slashing and bashing, then warrior is your choice, but early on in the game warriors suck for damage but are great for taking it. If you want to be an archer normally shooting people and sending in your pet to tank and slow there movement towards you then you want to be a hunter...Please note that with this class anyone can kill you one on one they just ignore your pet so if you are thinking PvP this isn't the class unless you put a lot of time into him. If you like casting various spells, doing massive damage but a little low on armor then you prolly want to be a mage...I like this class as I have a lvl 60 Frost/Arcane mage which does massive AoE(Note I don't play how you should as instead of being at a distance I target a group of Alliance run into there center and blast them with Area of Effect spells...which in turn obliterates them). I am not going into all of them but you get the point from here. Just try one you think is interesting and play it....don't like it create something new, in the end though don't erase characters played to lvl 20 or higher...keep them and in time you might want to play them again

[Gorny]

If you ever want to do Player vs. Player, do not start on a PvE server. I started on a PvE server b/c that is where some real life friends were starting. Terrible decision!! I wasted time on building up a rogue to lvl 50 who now I have abandoned for a PvP server.

If you want to quest in peace, go PvE.

If you want to quest, get jumped, then beat the hell outta the guy who thought he could beat you, go PvP. (Unless he is 5 or more lvls above you, then he will own you). PvP gives you more of a feeling you are at war with the other group.


Well I was telling him from my point of view, of course the OP can do whatever he wishes

[SirBazturd]

Well I was telling him from my point of view, of course the OP can do whatever he wishes

I wasn't trying to jump on you, sorry if it came across that way. I just wanted to give him another point of view.

I have buddies still on the first PvE server I started on and they love it. I just wanted to experience more of the PvP aspect than they did.

[Bigairbrucey]

a PVP RP server would be a good choice....more mature (generally) players


D2 ...is so small compare to WoW ...The starting Area for for Humans Elwynn Forrest is bigger than all of D2 world

[Gorny]

a PVP RP server would be a good choice....more mature (generally) players


D2 ...is so small compare to WoW ...The starting Area for for Humans Elwynn Forrest is bigger than all of D2 world


Maybe not, I would guess that the surface area of DII (not including Dungeons) is about equal to the size of the area around SW to IF maybe including some of the highlevel zones ...its still a guess though.

If you count all the caves, dungeons and WSK, etc, your looking at about a continents' worth in size.

[NeoOrc]

Not even close.....possibly D2 World equals that of Eastern and Western Plaguelands when you include everything possible out of both

[Gorny]

Not even close.....possibly D2 World equals that of Eastern and Western Plaguelands when you include everything possible out of both



That i did, and it was a random guess.

I was guessing off of the toons point of view, and not our point of view.

[Baal]

Go for it - my only word of advice is to start with the one-month membership and then go for a longer term one if you want to keep it up. I ended up going for the 6 month membership right away, but I played for about a month, became dead bored and frustrated with the game and haven't logged on in two weeks.

So don't just jump in or anything - make sure it's for you.