How to Play WoW

By Brett Ganning

The aim here is to give you a good grasp onhow to play WoW and get started so you can join the millions of other World of Warcraft players and discover for yourself the thrill of the game! You’ll find some good tips here.

This article provides an overview of the processes and mechanics on how to play WoW. First, users must make sure that their computers meet the basic requirements, then they should acquire and download the game. Such expansion packs like "The Burning Crusade," offers additional content but are not required to be able to play the game. Users can also play using the trial version of WoW but they typically come with noteworthy limitations and can only be used for 10 to 14 days.

Starting World of Warcraft

Once users have logged on, they will be prompted to choose a server of different types. These include "Normal," "PvP" and "RP." Most gamers choose the "Normal" option. While "PvP" is chosen to enable player-versus-player combat to take place at any given time. "RP" means role playing. RP servers have particular codes of conduct as well as naming guidelines. It would be best for players to read them carefully before choosing this server. For novice users, it would be best to select the "Normal" option.

A character can always be made by a user on a different server type. Users can also transfer a character to another server once they have become familiar with the dynamics of the game. Users must also consider the population of the server during their selection process. Unless a user has a friend on an accessible server, it would be best to choose "Medium" populated realms because they are neither overcrowded nor deserted and tend to possess a stable economy.

Creating a WoW Character

Players must select whether he would be an Alliance of Horde. After picking, a specific race and class must be selected. It is important to read first the information about each class or race before choosing one.

Within the WoW game world

Once in the game world, it is wise to familiarize yourself with the game’s user interface. Some add-ons are available for download in order to supplement or modify the default interface. Players can move around using the WASD key, the mouse and the arrow keys. Once you have familiarized yourself in using the controls, you can now check the action bar which can be found at the lower left corner of the screen. Contained in the action bar are abilities and spells. The numbers found on each box pertains to any of the keyboard’s number keys.

Players will be able to benefit from the integrated add-ons like extra key binding and action bars when they become more comfortable with the keystrokes as their character advances. Since the original action bar matches with the numbers found at the keyboard’s top, players must consider any changes or modifications made in the bindings to remain close to the most utilized keystrokes.

This is page 1 of "How to Play WoW". To read on and discover more about playing WoW, including a WoW Playing Tips section, see: How to Play World of Warcraft (page 2)