Maticus
03-01-2008, 05:49 PM
<From this thread (http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=2111543820&postId=21110239882&sid=1#0) on the EU WoW Forums - Maticus>
Prologue
Many guides have been posted, many more will be. Why not just one? because everything comes from a perspective, that of the player writing it. The more you read, the more information you get, the more prepared you will be when facing this great game. Then, with proper basis, you'll make up your own mind, different from that of anyone else, and in some 70 levels you'll come back here to post your Guide... ^___^
I am focusing this one on what I think are good suggestions, not wasting much time with the obvious. This is the approach I found useful to me, and/or the things which I would have liked to know very much, and I didn't know. Therefore, even if written in a general sense, and bearing all the references I know about, it may be focused here and there on hunters and druids, since these are my two main toons, which I have played for 2 years - and I can say, I know them pretty good.
Last, but not least, I am modelling this on my own shape: that of a player who sometimes had much time to play, sometimes didn't. I had to go very much alone in the Azeroth world, surviving and levelling out of my own wit and some good (and some bad) suggestions I got. I met people along, formed groups, got in guilds. But I think its better to be able to move yourself around on your own, so you will never be stuck or idle - then, the more help you get along the way, the better. But if you just rely on others to tell you the right things at the right moment, or to help you out in this or that when you need it, you'll find yourself in some big trouble, and in the end you might quickly loose interest in the game.
See my other guides:
Uhura's guide at How To be an Effective Casual (non-Hardcore) Player
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=2111795049&sid=1
1. General Tips on Classes and Races
A lot of people post in the forums asking, "Which one should I choose?". Most of the guides in here won't tell you much about this. You may choose, obviously:
a) the race you like the most, then choosing a suitable class
b) go for the class, and then take a race suitable for it
... meaning: if you like druid, you have to go tauren or elf. If you like dwarf, you cannot go druid.
So: first of all, read that manual you bought with the game itself!, and then maybe some beginners guide to races/classes on the website. My own suggestions come from a different angle:
a) You like personal "muscular" combat, banging your sword on the enemy? Go warrior, or paladin. Remember: once you are taking a beat, you will die. Many times. It's part of the game. Nonetheless, also druids and hunters can provide very different builds, and both have a build which can satisfy you in this.
b) You like to play it safe, meaning, you want some little or greater resource to disengage from a combat, or want a "bonus" in keeping yourself alive? Hunters have an ability, which you learn at a certain point, which allows them to simulate death and disengage the enemy. Rogues can learn how to disappear and disengage too. Druids, paladins and shamans, even if not resto specced, can heal themselves up for good.
c) You don't like melee combat, meaning hand-to-hand combat? Pick a caster, who will shoot magic attacks from a distance: warlock, mage, priest, druid. Hunter, too, if you specialize in ranged weapons (bows, guns).
d) You want a side help? Hunters and warlocks can have pets, animals or elementals who fight at their side and "distract" the enemy, or engage it in combat. They take te beating in your place, or add their damage to yours.
e) You already want to consider money costs? Well, paladins and warlocks will get a mount through a quest, thus being able to delay the purchase of a "normal" mount. Druids will gain different animal shapes, one of which is a "travel form" (a leopard) which will be a sufficient substitute for a mount, at least along some levels, since at a certain point you'll need a mount anyway. Also about costs, each time you sustain damage, your armour and weapons are damaged, and to repair them you pay. Cloth armours are cheapest, them leather, mail, and plate armours which are the most expensive. A plate-dressed warrior will have high repair bills, growing higher along the levelling. If you know how to improve your finances properly, tho, none of these may be a big problem in the long term.
Best advice altogether is: pick a class/race you think you like, and try it out for some few levels. You can easily get to lvl 5 in one session, and by then you'll have understood your new toon's basic dynamics. Then you try another. It's really not wasted time: if you dedicate your first day, or such, to these tests, you may easily avoid to grow a toon up to lvl 35 before you understand that it's not what you wanted. Dissatisfaction can always come ad a certain point, of course: but if you get the basics of a few classes, you'll have more chance to get the right thing.
2. General Tips on Quests
There's some debate about what is best to level up: grinding, questing, etc. It's a matter of opinions, up to a point: as a general conclusion, by questing you will never pick the wrong choice. You'll grind drops and materials along the way, plus the quests rewards, plus the items you'll get for completing them, plus (often) some reputation with this or that faction.
a) When you start in a new area:
a.i) first thing, find the flight point and mark it, being thus able to fly from and to that place from now on;
a.ii) then check all the quests available there. Write them down. check the map, see what quests push you north, which ones lead you west, and such. Pick all the quests in a same area so that you can complete them in groups: until you'll have a mount, a lot of precious time will be wasted running around. Many quests will force you to run to and fro 3 or 4 times between the same (quest giver, cave, quest giver, cave, and so on). When you level, nothing is upsetting like completing a 4 or 5-step quest in one far place, then discovering that there's another quest which will push you to go back in the same place and start all the running over, again. Spend a little time on a Wow database, you can easily find many on the internet (ask other players for the ones they use most). Such websites, which you don't have to pay for, provide information about quests per areas, per level, detailing quest rewards and general description on how to complete them, and where they lead. Spend half an hour doing this, and you'll save a few hours of ingame time. The same approach goes with instances: pick all available quests for an instance, so you can do the most of them in one run. You can always run the instance multiple times if you like. The key word is: optimize.
b) Complete all quests that are given in one place, like a village or such. Then move to the next one. Be methodic. Complete all the quests in a territory before moving up to the next one. Don't run ahead: entering a level 20-30 map when you are level 16 is not exploring, it's just plain stupid - and paves the way down to the Kingdom of Multiple Unuseful Deaths. It may not seem so now, but going to a level 20-30 place when you are level 22 or 23 will make your progress faster, cheaper, and easier. More: higher-level players in the new area will not like seeing you running around as a low level, most probably will not help you in any way, so dont waste your time. On the contrary, if you stay in the proper area, and proceed out of a well-organized plan, you'll be visiting almost every part of the map you're in (quests cover all of it), and you will have a far greater chance to spot those quest-givers that happen to be placed around the place, outside of towns and villages (i.e. escort quests, when you find someone in a cave and have to protect him on his way out - or the very famous (and fun) mechanical chicken quests...); and also, you'll have a greater chance to meet "rare" silver-elite mobs and monsters, which are not hard to kill as normal elites, but have a very high drop quality . Last but not least, you'll have a greater chance to drop random quest items that some mobs have, and which are programmed to come out fairly easily, provided that you spend some time working on some local mob population...
c) If you have the chance, group with someone, not always (by grouping you will be sharing XP), but do it from time to time. This will help you socialize, complete the most difficoult quests, and yes, losing some points but going faster will be more or less the same than going alone, but slower, in the end. When you do a quest along with someone else, and you like the teamwork, ask if he/she has more quests in common with you, which he/she would like to complete. Sign his/her name in your firends list. Be nice and flexible.
d) When running around after your quests, dont forget to explore. Finding new areas will give you a few extra XP, and you can easily make use of them, when all you have to do is just take a 30-yard run aside from the road you're on. And, you can always stumble onto something useful, like a chest.
e) Bags have massive importance: since you start with one bag, you'll see how often you have to go back because your pack is full. Pick everything, grey items inclded, expecially at the beginning of your ingame experience: you'll need every copper. Therefore, a good idea is to improve the number of your slots as soon as possible. First, try to have a bag for each bag-slot you have: then, when you get a chance, improve your bags. When questing, bring with you all that you need, even if this requires a little space: food (eat for health, drink for mana), bandages, those few potions you know you need (again health and mana, plus whatever you want to have with you). A healer may need only water for mana, and can spare the food slot, since he/she can drink to restore mana, and heal him/herself for health without the need to eat.
f) Quest rewards: aside fom money, many Qs have a selection of items as a reward, among wich you have to pick one. The choice depends on your class, abilities and proficiencies. You will often find something useful, while leveling up. Choose as follows:
f.i) First pick: the item you can use, which is better than the one you have (i.e. a better sword, a better chestpiece, a better ring).
f.ii) Second pick: when there's nothing for you, or what you have is just plain better than the rewards, pick a second-choice item which might prove useful as well. Example: you are levelling up a balance druid. You have some healing abilities, and some feral abilities. If you dont find a "first pick" reward, you can always pick a cloth armour piece with good healing stats (to be sued that single time you group with someone and you are asked to heal on killing a mob), or a ring or weapon with high stamina, agility, strength (useful when you'll need to turn into bear form ad deal some heavy damage).
f.iii) Third pick: there's nothing useful whatsoever. So check a Wow database, they all give the price a vendor will pay when you sell the reward: pick the highest one, therefore gain the most money you can from that quest. Usually, plate armour pieces are worthier than cloth ones, and weapons (swords and axes mainly) have the highest "vendor value". Often, as you level up, the item value will be more rewarding than the amount of money given for the quest completion itself.
If you are levelling with a balance druid, but you already think of respeccing resto when you hit 70, along the last 10 levels you can start collecting some basic healing gear as a second choice of rewards: when you hit 70, you'll have dps gear and some pieces of healing gear, and you'll already be able to start switching from spec to spec - and then, improving the gear you want, from that point on, through endgame instances.
g) Read your Quests. I know it sounds stupid: but many people don't do it, they just ask "What do I have to do about this?". Players don't like, and don't help, other players who don't bother to read their part and just ask out for someone to do the job for them. So, read carefully; che some Wow database maybe, if you miss something. If you still have trouble, then ask, politely, for someone to solve your specific doubt: you'll make people understand you did your part, and simply need advice. Someone will surely give it to you. Also: Quest Log states how many players are needed for a Q, but it is not very accurate. Sometimes you can do "solo" a Q which is meant for 2 players, or yo uneed someone to help out on a "normal" one-player Q. It depends on your class. If you ask in General Chat (Channel 1) if a 2-pople Q can be done solo, someone with a big ego will surely tell you he did it, with one hand tied behind his back. People like to exaggerate about this. Best thing is, try 2-people quests if you can: often they are doable for many classes. Sometimes they are not, so you have to ask for someone's help.
3. General Tips on Professions
We all like the idea of crafting our own items, when we start to play. We all still do after having levelled a few toons to 70! But, crafting is not rewarding at the beginning. You can pick 2 main professions ("prof" from now on). There are collecting profs, like herbalism, skinning and mining, and crafting profs, like engineering, leatherworking, tailoring, alchemy:
collecting profs provide you with money;
crafting profs cost you money.
You want to be able to craft things for your self: "I wanna make myself my own armour!". Nah. You get recipes and patterns to craft things a few levels lower than you. Most of the times, you will already be wearing a better item than the one yu can make (with a few exceptions). When you level with a crafting prof, you craft to sell, and selling crafted items is a living hell 90% of the time - there are just a few items which are economically rewarding, if you collect the reagents or materials (not if you go buy them!): and everyone else with that prof will be selling those same items. So, take ad advice which is not only mine, but any skilled and experienced player will give you: at first pick 2 collecting profs. Collect and sell what you pick. In a very few levels, it will start to generate money. There's a lot of lazy people out there, or just honest players who don't have the time to harvest the land, or still those who have plenty of time but devote it to something else than collecting.
More: remember that some collecting profs need you to use a tracker on your minimap, to spot the resources. Thus it is, for herbalism and mining. And you cannot have 2 active trackers: its either one, or the other. Skinning does not require a tracker: you just take the skin rom the animals you kill, and you will always be killing some animals... so my suggestion is for you to pick skinning and another one - I have experienced herbalism and its quite, quite rewarding. You can collect them both at the same time, sticking your tracker to herbalism and skinning your beast victims. Sell the leathers, sell the herbs. Grow rich. Enjoy.
You can pick a crafting profession later in the game, when you are at least level 40, better when you are over 50 or approaching 60. Once you are up to that level, you can drop one collecting prof and pick the crafting one that goes along with the other one you are keeping: i.e. if you drop skinning and stay with herbalism, pick alchemy. It will very fast to implement that new one when you are - say - level 55. And by then, growing it up in a very short time, you'll be immediately able to craft the most sellable things (like top potions with alchemy).
You can also pick some minor professions.
a) First-aid will make you able to turn cloth into bendages, which are a good alternative to food when it comes to restore your health.
b) Fishing... well, fishing can be bo-o-o-oring, and slow to level up. But can turn useful for some crafting professions (i.e. fish oils and such, for alchemists), or in the final part of the game (in Outland you can fish motes, which are very sought-after). If you wat it, remember that it will require a huge amount of time and patience. You may wish to put it aside and maybe do it later. If you are a hunter and you have a pet which eats fish, then fishing turns out very useful: you wont have to carry much food for your pet, you can sit there and fish up a stack of stuff for him, almost wherever you are.
c) Cooking may go together with fishing. When you get to the highest levels, there are kinds of food that are quite important to improve stats (spell damage, stamina, spirit), and which many players want to use in instances. If you also have fishing, you can cook most kinds of meat and fish you get, and make them into "buff" food (that kind of food giving you stats bonuses). Or, you can think its just fun and do it.
4. General Tips on Socialization
You play a game with thousands of other players: they are part of it. So, socialize. Talk to people, try to work out things with them. When you meet someone kind and helpful, who seems to be a good player, and/or who you like to do things with, sign him/her down in your friends list. You'll see how fast he/she levels up, and if you are more or less "in range" you can call him/her to do things together, or ask for a little help. You will forge useful friendships along the way.
When you are in trouble, you can always ask for help in the area you are in (chat channel 1). Ask kindly. If someone shows up, be thankful and always offer him/her your help in return, or ask if you can do something for him/her, even if he/she is 10 levels higher and you know there's nothing you can have or do which can be valuable to him/her. It's always nice to meet a kind person in Wow, and there are not plenty of, so you will be remembered as one of those, gaining other people trust, and increasing the chances the same people may help you again in the future. More, they may be in a good guild, and starting a good relation may open many doors for you. Being rude will never take you anywhere.
Trade: when you want something to be crafted for you, ask first what reagents/materials are needed for the item, or enchant, or weapon you want. Then, try to collect most of them: most crafters will ask you a small fee if you provide the mats, or no fee at all if you are not asking something very difficoult to make, since they are levelling up their professions as well. If you have to buy a crafted item, that may be quite more expensive. Watch out for scams: people stealing your materials and running away. Be cautious. If you find a good crafter, a kind, non-greedy one, sign his/her name and prof down and return to him/her. In case you need anything else, ask him/her, quite probably he/she will point you to another crafter as trustworthy as he/she is, probably someone from his guild which would be good.
All the people you meet and who you keep in contact with, will be helpful when you will try to run instances: when putting together a casual group, everyone prefer to go along with someone they already know. So, be known: do your best, apologize if you make a mistake (everyone does), and do not blame someone else, or say something commonplace like "my screen froze", or "I lagged" (lag does not happen instantly at a certain point, when there's lag everyone sees it already from the beginning). Good players appreciate honesty.
When you meet someone who is not behaving properly, remember him/her in order to avoid any further grouping or such, same concept as the one about good players. Once you meet someone who is acting "smart" about looting, you dont want to share the loot with him/her again...
5. General Tips on Instances
Choose instances properly, considering your level. It's a tempting idea, to have a lvl 70 boost you through a level 35 instance... but is it fun? I wouldn't say. Even if you will wipe or fail on some tries, almost all this game is about discovering and exploring: this includes instances. Conquer them piece after piece, they are fun environment and give fine drops.
If you know some good players, around your level, ask them to group: it's better to go with someone you trust. Remember that a good group need ad average composition (maybe not so for some end-game instances, when particular group compositions may be needed, but surely for all the ones you meet in the process of levelling up):
a) a tank (warrior, feral druid, paladin)
b) a healer (resto druid, resto paladin, resto shaman, priest)
c) 3 dps (those who deal damage: all the remaining classes, including balance druid and shadow priest. Mages, warlocks, rogues, hunters, etc - all have different features which may be useful one way or the other: the more you progress in knowing instances' details, and other classes characteristics, the more you'll know when a good group is coming together...)
Before entering an instance, have your group agree on loot rules. There is absolutely no world-aknowledged rule, nonetheless some behaviours are considered rude. Others will grant you an immediate kick from the group. So, talk about it to avoid unpleasant surprises. You'll know what to do, so that you dont loose anything, nor you pick up what you should not. Also, before entering, share your quests with other members and ask them to share them with you. Remember to buff other toons with your class' own magic, and to ask them for their buffs. If you have a specific purpose in the instance, i.e. kill Boss X or find item Y, state so at the beginning, to be sure you'll get where you have to go, and to let others know about it. Some instances have different sections, like Maraudon, Stratholme, Dire Maul, Scarlet Monastery, and you surely want to know which "side" your group is heading to.
As it has been said about questing, when you go to an instance bring with you all that you need: bandages, food, water, potions. Mages can provide conjured food and drinkables, but you must go in prepared with all that is needed.
6. General Tips on Pvp/Pve
If you are going to play on a pvp (player-versus-player) server, please know that the other faction will be able to kill you almost in every place, as you will be. As a low level, it may be frustrating to have a level 70 kill you, then sit on yuor dead body waiting for you to resurrect and then kill you again (called "ganking" or "corpse camping"). Nonetheless, many people like this environment. If you dont, do not choose a pvp server.
There are pvp areas also on pve (player-versus-environment) servers. Know that battlegrounds (BGs) do not provide you with XP so they are unuseful to level up. Yes, they provide points which allow you to get some good items, if you spend in there enough time. When levelling up, be also aware there are a lot of players who create a second toon, grow it to level 19, or 29, or 39, and then stop it there, gearing it with the best items available for that level, and using it only in BGs (called "Twink"). They are pvp-machines, overgeared, and they obviously win. Always. So you may wish to skip BGs until you reach a high level.
Of course, you can try BGs, if you think pvp is fun: but I would not suggest to spend too much time in there, in spite of levelling and exploring. If you find it entertaining, you can later create your own Twink, but know that Twinks are always alts since they cost much much money to be geared and mantained (hundreds to thousands of gold). Once you have reached a wealthy economical situation with your first character, up at level 70, you can choose to spend your money as you wish, and then you can afford a Twink. Or you can lead your main toon to level 70 BGs to gain end-game epic items.
7. General Tips on Gear and Factions
The official Wow website provides good information about ingame "factions" and the rewards you can get if you improve your status with them. This comes with repetitive, boring grinding and/or by doing repetitive quests, over and over. Check that the reward is worth the effort, dont run for all the factions you find, but for the ones you need or want a reward from. Reaching top reputation with a faction will require quite some time, so be sure about what you are doing.
Also, in considering such rewards (as well as other items), remember that you will keep every item for a few levels, then you will have to change it for something else. Mostly, when you turn 60 and go to Outland, the first green quest rewards you will get there, will be far better then most blue (and also some epic) items you may have collected before lvl 60, running countless tiems through instances. All the gear you must be carefully worried about is end-game gear, the stuff you'll be keeping - at least until the next expansion comes out. Items on the way out are sometimes not worth the effort - or the money - needed to get them. A few items might prove useful through many levels tho: the best advice I can give is, see what is available and think about it before starting in one direction or another.
8. General Tips on Money and Auctions
Spend wisely. Even if you have good money, it just takes a moment of "distraction" t get broken. Dont be greedy: sell your items and collectibles at a fair price, thus being sure you will sell them - shoot a high price and go unsold is nonsense. Some people buy and sell at the Auction House (AH), buying undercost and reselling - but it's risky. One wrong turn and you loose what you gained.
Focus on what you need, first. You can have a ground mount at level 40, but that does not mean you need to buy it first thing when you ding 40 - expecially if you can get one by questing (paladins and warlocks), or if you are a druid with travel form, which can be enough for some levels. Epic ground mount is not an immediate need, even if you'll need that epic riding skill later. Same goes for flying mounts and epic flying mounts.
Many people go for expensive enchants on weapons because they look good: go for them if you like, but don't get broken too early on them, expecially since the weapons and armour you get your enchants on, while levelling, will have to be substituted with better gear in a few levels. Stat enchants can be good tho, and there are many not very expensive, which grant you some bonuses along the way. Once again, online Wow databases provide lists of enchants which you can check before choosing. Dont buy books, or guides, they are crap and only steal you real money. There's no secret way to level faster, have better gear, and such.
Once you reach, say, level 15-20, create a level 1 toon and run him to a main city (I suggest Ironforge or Stormwind for Alliance, Orgrimmar for Horde). Place it close to the bank/AH area. Use it as a "banker": you main toon won't have to come back to capital cities anymore, wandering remote areas. You can send your items and money through ingame mail from one character to the other, playing your main and using your banker to place items in AH and use his bank slots to archive things. You'll save huge time by doing so, as most people do. Banker, if providede with some omney from your main, can also easily buy things your main needs, and which he cannot find in that far, distant village he is questing right now...
9. General Tips on Training and Talents
More or less after the first 10 levels, you'll start having talent points to spend. You cannot have everything in your talent trees: read carefully what is available, and consider which direction you want your toon to take, since respecializing will have a growing cost each time you change your mind.
Every 2 levels (odd ones, and expecially the "zero" ones, 20, 30, etc) go to your specific class trainer and learn everything he has to teach you, even if you dont think you can use that ability right now. Spend your talents before talking to the trainer, since he might have specific abilities linked to a talent, and if you activate it afterwards, you'll have to come back to the trainer, or you won't know that you could improve that talent for the next 2 levels, until you come back the next time. Some classes have multiple trainers, like hunters have hunter trainer and pet trainer: go to them all, each time. Spend your money on training: if you cannot afford one ability now, pick it up later when you have currency, but pick them all.
Hunters can tame pets. So, allow me a few words about pets, since my first toon was a hunter. Pets can be offensive (more damage, less resistance: they hit hard but die more quickly), defensive (not much damage dealt, but good damage resistance), or "balanced (something in the middle). Choose what you like, depending on what hunter you are: if you go for ranged spec, a defensive pet will be better, since it will keep aggro and stay alive, allowing you to hit from a distance. If you choose a melee hunter, you'll have the enemy upon you, so an offensive pet will help you deal more damage and finish the fight quickly. Once you have decided which "kind" of pet you want, consider whan it likes to eat: the higher variety of food it likes, the easier will be for you to find something to feed him with. If you have fishing, go for a pet that eats fish.
10. Conclusion
As I mentioned in the Prologue, this is my personal view of how it is to start up from scratch in Wow. I know it is not complete, nor completely objective, nonetheless I think there are a few hints that, humbly, may cover doubts that are not always addressed in forum posts. At least, this is what I needed to know, or I would have liked to know, when I levelled up. Wow is a very nice game: it has many different aspects, to satisfy many different kind of playing, and along the way you'll find what you like most and go for it. But while you "grow up", try not to miss a thing.
Someone will have their objections or punctualizations about this small "guide". All are welcome, since, I repeat, I do not pretend this to be a "revealed truth" nor to be exhaustive. Its just a little contribution from someone who has been around the game for quite some time, even if Im not a hardcore player, and has explored a lot and given much thought about the ingame mechanics. About classes mechanics, damage maths, percentages, and all the technicalities, well Im not versed ^___^ I just get out there and play for fun.
Bye!
Prologue
Many guides have been posted, many more will be. Why not just one? because everything comes from a perspective, that of the player writing it. The more you read, the more information you get, the more prepared you will be when facing this great game. Then, with proper basis, you'll make up your own mind, different from that of anyone else, and in some 70 levels you'll come back here to post your Guide... ^___^
I am focusing this one on what I think are good suggestions, not wasting much time with the obvious. This is the approach I found useful to me, and/or the things which I would have liked to know very much, and I didn't know. Therefore, even if written in a general sense, and bearing all the references I know about, it may be focused here and there on hunters and druids, since these are my two main toons, which I have played for 2 years - and I can say, I know them pretty good.
Last, but not least, I am modelling this on my own shape: that of a player who sometimes had much time to play, sometimes didn't. I had to go very much alone in the Azeroth world, surviving and levelling out of my own wit and some good (and some bad) suggestions I got. I met people along, formed groups, got in guilds. But I think its better to be able to move yourself around on your own, so you will never be stuck or idle - then, the more help you get along the way, the better. But if you just rely on others to tell you the right things at the right moment, or to help you out in this or that when you need it, you'll find yourself in some big trouble, and in the end you might quickly loose interest in the game.
See my other guides:
Uhura's guide at How To be an Effective Casual (non-Hardcore) Player
http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=2111795049&sid=1
1. General Tips on Classes and Races
A lot of people post in the forums asking, "Which one should I choose?". Most of the guides in here won't tell you much about this. You may choose, obviously:
a) the race you like the most, then choosing a suitable class
b) go for the class, and then take a race suitable for it
... meaning: if you like druid, you have to go tauren or elf. If you like dwarf, you cannot go druid.
So: first of all, read that manual you bought with the game itself!, and then maybe some beginners guide to races/classes on the website. My own suggestions come from a different angle:
a) You like personal "muscular" combat, banging your sword on the enemy? Go warrior, or paladin. Remember: once you are taking a beat, you will die. Many times. It's part of the game. Nonetheless, also druids and hunters can provide very different builds, and both have a build which can satisfy you in this.
b) You like to play it safe, meaning, you want some little or greater resource to disengage from a combat, or want a "bonus" in keeping yourself alive? Hunters have an ability, which you learn at a certain point, which allows them to simulate death and disengage the enemy. Rogues can learn how to disappear and disengage too. Druids, paladins and shamans, even if not resto specced, can heal themselves up for good.
c) You don't like melee combat, meaning hand-to-hand combat? Pick a caster, who will shoot magic attacks from a distance: warlock, mage, priest, druid. Hunter, too, if you specialize in ranged weapons (bows, guns).
d) You want a side help? Hunters and warlocks can have pets, animals or elementals who fight at their side and "distract" the enemy, or engage it in combat. They take te beating in your place, or add their damage to yours.
e) You already want to consider money costs? Well, paladins and warlocks will get a mount through a quest, thus being able to delay the purchase of a "normal" mount. Druids will gain different animal shapes, one of which is a "travel form" (a leopard) which will be a sufficient substitute for a mount, at least along some levels, since at a certain point you'll need a mount anyway. Also about costs, each time you sustain damage, your armour and weapons are damaged, and to repair them you pay. Cloth armours are cheapest, them leather, mail, and plate armours which are the most expensive. A plate-dressed warrior will have high repair bills, growing higher along the levelling. If you know how to improve your finances properly, tho, none of these may be a big problem in the long term.
Best advice altogether is: pick a class/race you think you like, and try it out for some few levels. You can easily get to lvl 5 in one session, and by then you'll have understood your new toon's basic dynamics. Then you try another. It's really not wasted time: if you dedicate your first day, or such, to these tests, you may easily avoid to grow a toon up to lvl 35 before you understand that it's not what you wanted. Dissatisfaction can always come ad a certain point, of course: but if you get the basics of a few classes, you'll have more chance to get the right thing.
2. General Tips on Quests
There's some debate about what is best to level up: grinding, questing, etc. It's a matter of opinions, up to a point: as a general conclusion, by questing you will never pick the wrong choice. You'll grind drops and materials along the way, plus the quests rewards, plus the items you'll get for completing them, plus (often) some reputation with this or that faction.
a) When you start in a new area:
a.i) first thing, find the flight point and mark it, being thus able to fly from and to that place from now on;
a.ii) then check all the quests available there. Write them down. check the map, see what quests push you north, which ones lead you west, and such. Pick all the quests in a same area so that you can complete them in groups: until you'll have a mount, a lot of precious time will be wasted running around. Many quests will force you to run to and fro 3 or 4 times between the same (quest giver, cave, quest giver, cave, and so on). When you level, nothing is upsetting like completing a 4 or 5-step quest in one far place, then discovering that there's another quest which will push you to go back in the same place and start all the running over, again. Spend a little time on a Wow database, you can easily find many on the internet (ask other players for the ones they use most). Such websites, which you don't have to pay for, provide information about quests per areas, per level, detailing quest rewards and general description on how to complete them, and where they lead. Spend half an hour doing this, and you'll save a few hours of ingame time. The same approach goes with instances: pick all available quests for an instance, so you can do the most of them in one run. You can always run the instance multiple times if you like. The key word is: optimize.
b) Complete all quests that are given in one place, like a village or such. Then move to the next one. Be methodic. Complete all the quests in a territory before moving up to the next one. Don't run ahead: entering a level 20-30 map when you are level 16 is not exploring, it's just plain stupid - and paves the way down to the Kingdom of Multiple Unuseful Deaths. It may not seem so now, but going to a level 20-30 place when you are level 22 or 23 will make your progress faster, cheaper, and easier. More: higher-level players in the new area will not like seeing you running around as a low level, most probably will not help you in any way, so dont waste your time. On the contrary, if you stay in the proper area, and proceed out of a well-organized plan, you'll be visiting almost every part of the map you're in (quests cover all of it), and you will have a far greater chance to spot those quest-givers that happen to be placed around the place, outside of towns and villages (i.e. escort quests, when you find someone in a cave and have to protect him on his way out - or the very famous (and fun) mechanical chicken quests...); and also, you'll have a greater chance to meet "rare" silver-elite mobs and monsters, which are not hard to kill as normal elites, but have a very high drop quality . Last but not least, you'll have a greater chance to drop random quest items that some mobs have, and which are programmed to come out fairly easily, provided that you spend some time working on some local mob population...
c) If you have the chance, group with someone, not always (by grouping you will be sharing XP), but do it from time to time. This will help you socialize, complete the most difficoult quests, and yes, losing some points but going faster will be more or less the same than going alone, but slower, in the end. When you do a quest along with someone else, and you like the teamwork, ask if he/she has more quests in common with you, which he/she would like to complete. Sign his/her name in your firends list. Be nice and flexible.
d) When running around after your quests, dont forget to explore. Finding new areas will give you a few extra XP, and you can easily make use of them, when all you have to do is just take a 30-yard run aside from the road you're on. And, you can always stumble onto something useful, like a chest.
e) Bags have massive importance: since you start with one bag, you'll see how often you have to go back because your pack is full. Pick everything, grey items inclded, expecially at the beginning of your ingame experience: you'll need every copper. Therefore, a good idea is to improve the number of your slots as soon as possible. First, try to have a bag for each bag-slot you have: then, when you get a chance, improve your bags. When questing, bring with you all that you need, even if this requires a little space: food (eat for health, drink for mana), bandages, those few potions you know you need (again health and mana, plus whatever you want to have with you). A healer may need only water for mana, and can spare the food slot, since he/she can drink to restore mana, and heal him/herself for health without the need to eat.
f) Quest rewards: aside fom money, many Qs have a selection of items as a reward, among wich you have to pick one. The choice depends on your class, abilities and proficiencies. You will often find something useful, while leveling up. Choose as follows:
f.i) First pick: the item you can use, which is better than the one you have (i.e. a better sword, a better chestpiece, a better ring).
f.ii) Second pick: when there's nothing for you, or what you have is just plain better than the rewards, pick a second-choice item which might prove useful as well. Example: you are levelling up a balance druid. You have some healing abilities, and some feral abilities. If you dont find a "first pick" reward, you can always pick a cloth armour piece with good healing stats (to be sued that single time you group with someone and you are asked to heal on killing a mob), or a ring or weapon with high stamina, agility, strength (useful when you'll need to turn into bear form ad deal some heavy damage).
f.iii) Third pick: there's nothing useful whatsoever. So check a Wow database, they all give the price a vendor will pay when you sell the reward: pick the highest one, therefore gain the most money you can from that quest. Usually, plate armour pieces are worthier than cloth ones, and weapons (swords and axes mainly) have the highest "vendor value". Often, as you level up, the item value will be more rewarding than the amount of money given for the quest completion itself.
If you are levelling with a balance druid, but you already think of respeccing resto when you hit 70, along the last 10 levels you can start collecting some basic healing gear as a second choice of rewards: when you hit 70, you'll have dps gear and some pieces of healing gear, and you'll already be able to start switching from spec to spec - and then, improving the gear you want, from that point on, through endgame instances.
g) Read your Quests. I know it sounds stupid: but many people don't do it, they just ask "What do I have to do about this?". Players don't like, and don't help, other players who don't bother to read their part and just ask out for someone to do the job for them. So, read carefully; che some Wow database maybe, if you miss something. If you still have trouble, then ask, politely, for someone to solve your specific doubt: you'll make people understand you did your part, and simply need advice. Someone will surely give it to you. Also: Quest Log states how many players are needed for a Q, but it is not very accurate. Sometimes you can do "solo" a Q which is meant for 2 players, or yo uneed someone to help out on a "normal" one-player Q. It depends on your class. If you ask in General Chat (Channel 1) if a 2-pople Q can be done solo, someone with a big ego will surely tell you he did it, with one hand tied behind his back. People like to exaggerate about this. Best thing is, try 2-people quests if you can: often they are doable for many classes. Sometimes they are not, so you have to ask for someone's help.
3. General Tips on Professions
We all like the idea of crafting our own items, when we start to play. We all still do after having levelled a few toons to 70! But, crafting is not rewarding at the beginning. You can pick 2 main professions ("prof" from now on). There are collecting profs, like herbalism, skinning and mining, and crafting profs, like engineering, leatherworking, tailoring, alchemy:
collecting profs provide you with money;
crafting profs cost you money.
You want to be able to craft things for your self: "I wanna make myself my own armour!". Nah. You get recipes and patterns to craft things a few levels lower than you. Most of the times, you will already be wearing a better item than the one yu can make (with a few exceptions). When you level with a crafting prof, you craft to sell, and selling crafted items is a living hell 90% of the time - there are just a few items which are economically rewarding, if you collect the reagents or materials (not if you go buy them!): and everyone else with that prof will be selling those same items. So, take ad advice which is not only mine, but any skilled and experienced player will give you: at first pick 2 collecting profs. Collect and sell what you pick. In a very few levels, it will start to generate money. There's a lot of lazy people out there, or just honest players who don't have the time to harvest the land, or still those who have plenty of time but devote it to something else than collecting.
More: remember that some collecting profs need you to use a tracker on your minimap, to spot the resources. Thus it is, for herbalism and mining. And you cannot have 2 active trackers: its either one, or the other. Skinning does not require a tracker: you just take the skin rom the animals you kill, and you will always be killing some animals... so my suggestion is for you to pick skinning and another one - I have experienced herbalism and its quite, quite rewarding. You can collect them both at the same time, sticking your tracker to herbalism and skinning your beast victims. Sell the leathers, sell the herbs. Grow rich. Enjoy.
You can pick a crafting profession later in the game, when you are at least level 40, better when you are over 50 or approaching 60. Once you are up to that level, you can drop one collecting prof and pick the crafting one that goes along with the other one you are keeping: i.e. if you drop skinning and stay with herbalism, pick alchemy. It will very fast to implement that new one when you are - say - level 55. And by then, growing it up in a very short time, you'll be immediately able to craft the most sellable things (like top potions with alchemy).
You can also pick some minor professions.
a) First-aid will make you able to turn cloth into bendages, which are a good alternative to food when it comes to restore your health.
b) Fishing... well, fishing can be bo-o-o-oring, and slow to level up. But can turn useful for some crafting professions (i.e. fish oils and such, for alchemists), or in the final part of the game (in Outland you can fish motes, which are very sought-after). If you wat it, remember that it will require a huge amount of time and patience. You may wish to put it aside and maybe do it later. If you are a hunter and you have a pet which eats fish, then fishing turns out very useful: you wont have to carry much food for your pet, you can sit there and fish up a stack of stuff for him, almost wherever you are.
c) Cooking may go together with fishing. When you get to the highest levels, there are kinds of food that are quite important to improve stats (spell damage, stamina, spirit), and which many players want to use in instances. If you also have fishing, you can cook most kinds of meat and fish you get, and make them into "buff" food (that kind of food giving you stats bonuses). Or, you can think its just fun and do it.
4. General Tips on Socialization
You play a game with thousands of other players: they are part of it. So, socialize. Talk to people, try to work out things with them. When you meet someone kind and helpful, who seems to be a good player, and/or who you like to do things with, sign him/her down in your friends list. You'll see how fast he/she levels up, and if you are more or less "in range" you can call him/her to do things together, or ask for a little help. You will forge useful friendships along the way.
When you are in trouble, you can always ask for help in the area you are in (chat channel 1). Ask kindly. If someone shows up, be thankful and always offer him/her your help in return, or ask if you can do something for him/her, even if he/she is 10 levels higher and you know there's nothing you can have or do which can be valuable to him/her. It's always nice to meet a kind person in Wow, and there are not plenty of, so you will be remembered as one of those, gaining other people trust, and increasing the chances the same people may help you again in the future. More, they may be in a good guild, and starting a good relation may open many doors for you. Being rude will never take you anywhere.
Trade: when you want something to be crafted for you, ask first what reagents/materials are needed for the item, or enchant, or weapon you want. Then, try to collect most of them: most crafters will ask you a small fee if you provide the mats, or no fee at all if you are not asking something very difficoult to make, since they are levelling up their professions as well. If you have to buy a crafted item, that may be quite more expensive. Watch out for scams: people stealing your materials and running away. Be cautious. If you find a good crafter, a kind, non-greedy one, sign his/her name and prof down and return to him/her. In case you need anything else, ask him/her, quite probably he/she will point you to another crafter as trustworthy as he/she is, probably someone from his guild which would be good.
All the people you meet and who you keep in contact with, will be helpful when you will try to run instances: when putting together a casual group, everyone prefer to go along with someone they already know. So, be known: do your best, apologize if you make a mistake (everyone does), and do not blame someone else, or say something commonplace like "my screen froze", or "I lagged" (lag does not happen instantly at a certain point, when there's lag everyone sees it already from the beginning). Good players appreciate honesty.
When you meet someone who is not behaving properly, remember him/her in order to avoid any further grouping or such, same concept as the one about good players. Once you meet someone who is acting "smart" about looting, you dont want to share the loot with him/her again...
5. General Tips on Instances
Choose instances properly, considering your level. It's a tempting idea, to have a lvl 70 boost you through a level 35 instance... but is it fun? I wouldn't say. Even if you will wipe or fail on some tries, almost all this game is about discovering and exploring: this includes instances. Conquer them piece after piece, they are fun environment and give fine drops.
If you know some good players, around your level, ask them to group: it's better to go with someone you trust. Remember that a good group need ad average composition (maybe not so for some end-game instances, when particular group compositions may be needed, but surely for all the ones you meet in the process of levelling up):
a) a tank (warrior, feral druid, paladin)
b) a healer (resto druid, resto paladin, resto shaman, priest)
c) 3 dps (those who deal damage: all the remaining classes, including balance druid and shadow priest. Mages, warlocks, rogues, hunters, etc - all have different features which may be useful one way or the other: the more you progress in knowing instances' details, and other classes characteristics, the more you'll know when a good group is coming together...)
Before entering an instance, have your group agree on loot rules. There is absolutely no world-aknowledged rule, nonetheless some behaviours are considered rude. Others will grant you an immediate kick from the group. So, talk about it to avoid unpleasant surprises. You'll know what to do, so that you dont loose anything, nor you pick up what you should not. Also, before entering, share your quests with other members and ask them to share them with you. Remember to buff other toons with your class' own magic, and to ask them for their buffs. If you have a specific purpose in the instance, i.e. kill Boss X or find item Y, state so at the beginning, to be sure you'll get where you have to go, and to let others know about it. Some instances have different sections, like Maraudon, Stratholme, Dire Maul, Scarlet Monastery, and you surely want to know which "side" your group is heading to.
As it has been said about questing, when you go to an instance bring with you all that you need: bandages, food, water, potions. Mages can provide conjured food and drinkables, but you must go in prepared with all that is needed.
6. General Tips on Pvp/Pve
If you are going to play on a pvp (player-versus-player) server, please know that the other faction will be able to kill you almost in every place, as you will be. As a low level, it may be frustrating to have a level 70 kill you, then sit on yuor dead body waiting for you to resurrect and then kill you again (called "ganking" or "corpse camping"). Nonetheless, many people like this environment. If you dont, do not choose a pvp server.
There are pvp areas also on pve (player-versus-environment) servers. Know that battlegrounds (BGs) do not provide you with XP so they are unuseful to level up. Yes, they provide points which allow you to get some good items, if you spend in there enough time. When levelling up, be also aware there are a lot of players who create a second toon, grow it to level 19, or 29, or 39, and then stop it there, gearing it with the best items available for that level, and using it only in BGs (called "Twink"). They are pvp-machines, overgeared, and they obviously win. Always. So you may wish to skip BGs until you reach a high level.
Of course, you can try BGs, if you think pvp is fun: but I would not suggest to spend too much time in there, in spite of levelling and exploring. If you find it entertaining, you can later create your own Twink, but know that Twinks are always alts since they cost much much money to be geared and mantained (hundreds to thousands of gold). Once you have reached a wealthy economical situation with your first character, up at level 70, you can choose to spend your money as you wish, and then you can afford a Twink. Or you can lead your main toon to level 70 BGs to gain end-game epic items.
7. General Tips on Gear and Factions
The official Wow website provides good information about ingame "factions" and the rewards you can get if you improve your status with them. This comes with repetitive, boring grinding and/or by doing repetitive quests, over and over. Check that the reward is worth the effort, dont run for all the factions you find, but for the ones you need or want a reward from. Reaching top reputation with a faction will require quite some time, so be sure about what you are doing.
Also, in considering such rewards (as well as other items), remember that you will keep every item for a few levels, then you will have to change it for something else. Mostly, when you turn 60 and go to Outland, the first green quest rewards you will get there, will be far better then most blue (and also some epic) items you may have collected before lvl 60, running countless tiems through instances. All the gear you must be carefully worried about is end-game gear, the stuff you'll be keeping - at least until the next expansion comes out. Items on the way out are sometimes not worth the effort - or the money - needed to get them. A few items might prove useful through many levels tho: the best advice I can give is, see what is available and think about it before starting in one direction or another.
8. General Tips on Money and Auctions
Spend wisely. Even if you have good money, it just takes a moment of "distraction" t get broken. Dont be greedy: sell your items and collectibles at a fair price, thus being sure you will sell them - shoot a high price and go unsold is nonsense. Some people buy and sell at the Auction House (AH), buying undercost and reselling - but it's risky. One wrong turn and you loose what you gained.
Focus on what you need, first. You can have a ground mount at level 40, but that does not mean you need to buy it first thing when you ding 40 - expecially if you can get one by questing (paladins and warlocks), or if you are a druid with travel form, which can be enough for some levels. Epic ground mount is not an immediate need, even if you'll need that epic riding skill later. Same goes for flying mounts and epic flying mounts.
Many people go for expensive enchants on weapons because they look good: go for them if you like, but don't get broken too early on them, expecially since the weapons and armour you get your enchants on, while levelling, will have to be substituted with better gear in a few levels. Stat enchants can be good tho, and there are many not very expensive, which grant you some bonuses along the way. Once again, online Wow databases provide lists of enchants which you can check before choosing. Dont buy books, or guides, they are crap and only steal you real money. There's no secret way to level faster, have better gear, and such.
Once you reach, say, level 15-20, create a level 1 toon and run him to a main city (I suggest Ironforge or Stormwind for Alliance, Orgrimmar for Horde). Place it close to the bank/AH area. Use it as a "banker": you main toon won't have to come back to capital cities anymore, wandering remote areas. You can send your items and money through ingame mail from one character to the other, playing your main and using your banker to place items in AH and use his bank slots to archive things. You'll save huge time by doing so, as most people do. Banker, if providede with some omney from your main, can also easily buy things your main needs, and which he cannot find in that far, distant village he is questing right now...
9. General Tips on Training and Talents
More or less after the first 10 levels, you'll start having talent points to spend. You cannot have everything in your talent trees: read carefully what is available, and consider which direction you want your toon to take, since respecializing will have a growing cost each time you change your mind.
Every 2 levels (odd ones, and expecially the "zero" ones, 20, 30, etc) go to your specific class trainer and learn everything he has to teach you, even if you dont think you can use that ability right now. Spend your talents before talking to the trainer, since he might have specific abilities linked to a talent, and if you activate it afterwards, you'll have to come back to the trainer, or you won't know that you could improve that talent for the next 2 levels, until you come back the next time. Some classes have multiple trainers, like hunters have hunter trainer and pet trainer: go to them all, each time. Spend your money on training: if you cannot afford one ability now, pick it up later when you have currency, but pick them all.
Hunters can tame pets. So, allow me a few words about pets, since my first toon was a hunter. Pets can be offensive (more damage, less resistance: they hit hard but die more quickly), defensive (not much damage dealt, but good damage resistance), or "balanced (something in the middle). Choose what you like, depending on what hunter you are: if you go for ranged spec, a defensive pet will be better, since it will keep aggro and stay alive, allowing you to hit from a distance. If you choose a melee hunter, you'll have the enemy upon you, so an offensive pet will help you deal more damage and finish the fight quickly. Once you have decided which "kind" of pet you want, consider whan it likes to eat: the higher variety of food it likes, the easier will be for you to find something to feed him with. If you have fishing, go for a pet that eats fish.
10. Conclusion
As I mentioned in the Prologue, this is my personal view of how it is to start up from scratch in Wow. I know it is not complete, nor completely objective, nonetheless I think there are a few hints that, humbly, may cover doubts that are not always addressed in forum posts. At least, this is what I needed to know, or I would have liked to know, when I levelled up. Wow is a very nice game: it has many different aspects, to satisfy many different kind of playing, and along the way you'll find what you like most and go for it. But while you "grow up", try not to miss a thing.
Someone will have their objections or punctualizations about this small "guide". All are welcome, since, I repeat, I do not pretend this to be a "revealed truth" nor to be exhaustive. Its just a little contribution from someone who has been around the game for quite some time, even if Im not a hardcore player, and has explored a lot and given much thought about the ingame mechanics. About classes mechanics, damage maths, percentages, and all the technicalities, well Im not versed ^___^ I just get out there and play for fun.
Bye!