Article Contents

Quick Summary
More about World of Warcraft
Goals and Strategies
Character Creation
Exploring the WoW world?
How much does it cost?
The WoW Community

Quick Summary

World of Warcraft is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role playing Game produced by the legendary Blizzard Entertainment. This is the fourth offering in the Warcraft series, set in the popular Warcraft universe, one that uses a completely different playing environment than previous games to create an incredibly well rounded gaming experience.

Online role playing games have gained incredible popularity in recent years, giving birth to a genre of online gamers the world has never seen before. Millions of people across the globe swarm to the World of Warcraft universe to participate in the epic battlefield of magical war. Classic MMORPG players will love Blizzard’s modern and visually unique gaming creation. Don't take my word for it, Blizzard Entertainment is offering a free 10-day trial of their legendary gaming package.

The game costs $20.00 retail and an additional $15.00 per month to play on their high performance online network. Gaging from the 10-day free trial the extra cost is well worth it. In any Massive Multiplayer Online game that requires a monthly subscription fee, the game play is bound to be exceptional. World of Warcraft is a perfect example of this continually evolving game saga. The game creationists have done a wonderful job in making sure the game stays technologically up to date and graphically challenging to modern day graphic cards. As a matter of fact there are a number of expansion packs available for World of Warcraft to keep your gaming experience going strong at all costs, literally. The cost of these expansion packs are not cheap, they retail for as much as $39.99, but also extend your game play through additional items, storylines, and worlds to explore. World of Warcraft follows the same structure of some of their other projects, with multiple expansion packs, but has a totally different look, feel, and method of game play. Sometimes you may mistake the game for being a dream. You got your friends running all over the place, experiencing the incredibly warm and welcoming feeling online insanity, trust me, you dig in for the festivities. This game has a way of making you realize your place in the universe. We are all connected with each other no matter where we are. You definately get a connection with the universal consciousness when you start playing, and we have the masters at Blizzard Entertainment to thank. Bless their heart, they are all connected with reality when we've lost our mind.

If you remember Quake and Unreal Tournament, you can see from the picture below that this game is somewhat similar. The great majority of role playing games have the look and feel of a game board, but World of Warcraft broke the mold with their newly designed gaming interface. Just look at the rich and vivid background depth. On a high end graphics card, this game can be quite a visual treat.

So you've seen the game, you know what it costs, and you know about there 10 day free trial. What else is there to know that won't take a few hours to read? Well their online gaming server is fantastically fast, meaning you will never experience any lag in game play. The network players you encounter are almost always friendly, helpful, and honestly love the game. That's not difficult to understand, the game is actually a lot of fun. The environment is immersive and it's easy to explore the world. That's one of WoW's strongest points: You don't have to spend a week, or even a whole day, learning how everything works to become a skilled player. Master the basic movements and learn from there. Point is, the game is a blast from the very beginning, and if you put your heart and soul into it you will have one of the most amazing gaming experiences you can imagine.

More about World of Warcraft

A longer explanation of the game is not a chore to describe, it's a privilege. A lot of work went into creating this game, you can see from the first time you play the true dedication and undying love Blizzard has for their gaming community. Not sure if your PC will stand up to the challenge of Warcraft?

PC system requirements are as follows: Windows XP / Windows Vista (along with the latest service packs), Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+ (although many can get by using a 3 ghz processor), 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users), 3D graphics processor with at least 32 MB of VRAM (ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card. Again, some PC users will be able to use their standard onboard graphics processor if they have enough RAM), DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability, a keyboard and mouse, and 15 gigabytes of free hard drive space.

Mac minimum system requirements: PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo processor, 1 gigabyte of RAM, 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64 MB VRAM Such as an ATI Radeon 9600 or NVIDIA GeForce Ti 4600 card (or the equivalent), a keyboard and mouse, and 15 gigabytes of free hard drive space.

So now you know what you need to have as far as hardware requirements are concerned. If we may make a strong suggestion, play World of Warcraft on a high end gaming PC or equivalent office PC. There are many video options in the game that will only work well with high performance hardware. If not just for Warcraft, consider upgrading your machine to a new PC or at least meet the minimum system requirements to get the most out of the game.

The true description of WoW can only be done justice by experiencing it. There is the classic hack and slash, leveling up, various quest completion and competing against your friends in Player VS. Player combat mode but there is also a lot more to learn if you want to become a true mastermind in the World of Warcraft.

Certain races have certain attributes to make them a more efficient character class in given situations. Other times you will need to use strategic skill to conquer a battlefield, use your calculative thinking ability to outsmart the players, or practice mouse and keyboard (hand/eye coordination). To be good at World of Warcraft you have to be a well rounded player, capable of handling any situation that gets thrown at you. The only way to become a master is through long hours of experience and dedicated practice. The game is habit forming, and if you download the free 10 day trial you'll quickly realize why. Blizzard Entertainment has perfected the art of MMORPG's with very few of their players escaping the World of Warcraft addiction.

There are tons of items, spells, special abilities, lands to explore, and online players to make friends with. That is one of the most attractive features of an online game over a massive network, it's a brand new experience every time. The added expansion packs offer a huge selection of new items, quests, lands to explore, and players to meet. Blizzard Entertainment also holds tons of celebratory events in appreciation for their players patronage. There really is no comparison to Blizzard's dedication, and continued success as a gaming software company proves as much.

One thing is for sure, Blizzard's gaming evolution is second to none. Countless gamers across the globe devoured the Diablo series and created a gaming trend that captured the hearts of millions. World of Warcraft is slightly newer than Diablo, but stands to become the most epic gaming saga in the history of online gaming. Hence the subscription fee. Don't be mistaken though, it's worth the price they charge if you consider the fun you'll get out of it.. Their expansion packs are like buying a completely new game with the added advantage of knowing how to play it. 

Game Goals and Strategies

The main objective in World of Warcraft is to choose your character class and experience the World of Warcraft universe. Explore, adventure, and quest through the incredibly exciting world while forming network friendships, creating alliances, and competing with enemies for the ultimate prize of unstoppable power and glory.

Questing goals and layout of the game play varies according to the expansion pack you are using. If you are using the original World of Warcraft, the quests will be different than the expansion packs. There are a number of different character classes to choose and a wide variety of new items to discover. You would be surprised at how much extra real game time you will get from these expansions, they will impress you with their ingenuity.

Listing all the quests would be a waste of time, you can visit the Blizzard Website at any time and browse through them all. However, to give you an example of the quests you will find in the original game, not the expansions, here is a real quest that you may experience at some point during the game. You may find this strategy a little confusing at first, but as you learn the game and come back to this article it will all make sense.

Quest Name: Ragefire Chasm
Amount of time needed to complete: 40-120 minutes
Number of Quests: 5

All over the Internet, this quest is recommended for players level 17 and higher. Otherwise, you will most likely die too many times and possibly not be able to complete the quest at all.

The first part of the Ragefire Chasm is called "Testing The Enemies Strength"
Kill 8 Ragefire Troggs and 8 Ragefire Shamans. You can find the troggs at the entrance. Both will be easy to find and this part of the quest is incredibly easy as you will kill more than 8 shamans and troggs while on your way to the second part of the quest.

The second part of the Ragefire Chasm is "Returning the Lost Satchel"

See the above diagram? It shows a map of the places you have to go to complete this quest. Find the letter A above. Ok found it? Now take a right turn at the A and follow the track upwards. If you move in slowly you can aggro as few troggs as you can at one time.

The third part of this quest is called "Slaying the Beast"

See Ogrimmar above? This part of the quest nears the end of the journey and is pretty hard to accomplish. You have to backtrack to the blue trail until you reach the Beast. Slay it, yea thats self explanatory.

The fourth part is a bit lengthy, called "" but it completes itself just as easily as the first part of the quest. You complete this automatically as you go through the area. OK, there are two books that are dropped automatically in the Lava where you killed the Beast. If you remember correctly that is near the Warlocks or Bosses. If you have completed all the quests, and you still haven't acquired the books, you will probably find them with the Warlocks in the Cavern.

The fifth part of the quest is called "Hidden Enemies"

This is the last part of the Ragefire Chasm and brings the quest to a close. In order to enable this final chapter of the quest, you need the insignia for Thrall. After obtaining the insignia, now you need to speak to the Warlock located in the Cleft of Shadows. The Warlock will tell you who the Leaders of the Burning Blade are. When you finally return to Thrall with the information in hand, the quest comes to a close.

Use the playing skills you have learned through your World of Warcraft gaming experience. Although you may find the quests a little bit difficult at first, they are very good patience builders. They will also teach you how to be a higher performance player Don;t get discouraged if you die too easily in quests. Just remember that quests are meant to teach you strategic mechanics on what it takes to win. You will encounter this need for strategic game play in every faction of the game, not just quests. Treat each quest as a learning experience and you stand to get the most out of the game.

So on to some more specific strategies.

Leveling in World of Warcraft is one of the first strategic elements you will encounter. As you kill monsters, you will see your character level increase. Basically, there are 7 cardinal rules to remember about power leveling.

1. Always have a party of guests you take with you, it will draw more monsters do you and allow you to kill more of them. This will let you level up quicker. You should also perform all the quests you get from the NPC characters before you try to kill all the enemies in site. If you don't do the quests you will get in over your head and you will end up dying too often for the game to be fun. Do the quests, don't give up, and you will level up.

2. Utilize groups to effectively use the situation to your advantage. If using a group would bog you down and cause problems, handle the situation yourself. If using a group will prove beneficial, then use one.

3. Play the quests in other areas outside of your original quest area to gain easy experience points and level up quick. By questing at levels ranked below your own level, you will be able to easily kill all the monsters easily. Do a load of lower level quests, they will fly by quick because of your higher stature level.

4. If you encounter a difficult quest and are killed constantly, over and over again, leave the quest behind and come back to it when you are a stronger player. There is no sense in getting frustrated and wasting your own time trying to complete a quest you can't finish. Level up some more with some less difficult quests, then return when you're ready.

5. Dump quests that take too long to do. Wasting too much time on any one quest will hurt your overall progression through the game. Just dump it, and only do the easier quests.

6. Practice level grinding! Level grinding means only killing "green" monsters. These will be easiest for you to kill and you can go through hordes of enemies in record time. Just watch those EXP points rack up and you'll see what we mean.

7. Do you want power or wealth as your primary goal in the game? If you want supreme power, don't take on quests that will hinder your goal. High cash paying quests will not give you what you need.

That is a fair introduction to quests, and for the sake of a well rounded article we'll move on to another topic. You can find other strategies all over the Web, they aren't hard to find.

World of Warcraft Character Creation

Character creation in World of Warcraft comes down to 10 separate races divided into two factions: Alliance and Horde.

The ten races are: Draenei, Blood Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Gnomes, Tauren, Humans, Trolls, Night Elves, and Undead.

After choosing your initial race, you are offered a wide variety of classes to choose from: Deathknight, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior.

All classes and races have unique characteristics and special abilities.

Dranei:  The Dranei are a powerful race of beings, they are committed to the preservation of life and upholding the principle teachings of the Sacred Light. Constantly striving to join forces with other powerful warriors, they live their lives to defeat the Burning Legions and stop the Crusade they ran from so long ago. The Dranei are a This is the only race that can play the game as shamans. You can also choose to become Warriors, Paladins, Hunters, Priests, and Mages using the Dranei character race

Blood Elves: This race of being embrace demonic power as a great portion of their energy. Ambient and mystical energies also surround the history of there insatiable thirst for magical workings. Because of their insurgency and use of demonic energy, they were shunned from the Alliance and forced to join the Horde. Ever vigilante in the quest for their golden destiny, they look forward to the day of reuniting with Kael'thas in the Outland.

Dwarves: This race resembles a rather stocky and robustly built human being. Ever searching for their lost heritage and family tree of past families, they are well known for their unshaking courage and valor. Continually sending out their Prospectors across the world in search of new links to their past and the rediscovery of the Titan's hidden legacies! You can choose to become a Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, or Death Knight.

Orcs: This race of beings is savage by nature and green skinned by birth. Well known across the land to be brutal, mindless, and without compassion to the other races inhabiting the land, they battled against humans in terrible wars for ages. Now fighting for pure survival, they have foregone any hope of conquest to remain a strong and healthy race. Orcs may play as a Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior, or Death Knight

Gnomes: Known to be one of the most inventive races in the World of Warcraft, their power lies in their development of technology and engineering marvels. Many did not expect the gnomes to survive and inherit this war torn land, but they did. The gnomes currently spend the great majority of their time constructing weapons and devising strategies to further their race. Gnomes may play as a Mage, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior, or Death Knight

Tauren: This race of being is bestial in nature and in tune with the rhythmic energy of the earth. Serving to maintain a balance between wild things and restless energies, they are an inherently peaceful race of beings. Despite their size and beast like appearance, the Tauren serve to retain their tradition and noble history as a peaceful race. Formidable opponents in war, though, they can crush their enemies with unrestrained brute force and power. A race not to be underestimated by their peaceful society! Taurens may play as a Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior, or Death Knight.

Humans: This race of being has survived throughout the ages within the World of Warcraft, still alive and prospering after war with the savage Orc race. Evolving into one of the most furious races in the game through countless struggles and the subsequent mastering of the art of war, they maintain their proud history and unmatched survival skills. Humans may play as a Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, Warlock, or Death Knight

Trolls: This race of beings is well known for their inherent cruelty and black magic mysticism. Their cruelty is only matched by their undying hatred for all the other races in the game. Because of their malicious and evil nature, the Trolls have sworn a eternally binding oath to the Horde, forsaking the Alliance entirely. Trolls may play as a Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior, or Death Knight

Night Elves: This race of beings is one of the most shrouded in magical abilities. Casted in shadow and forever immortal, they studied magic ten thousand years before the Warcraft world was known. Known for their honor and just nature, they hold little trust for the less ancient races in the game, which is pretty much everyone. They are also highly nocturnal creatures and love the night as their close family. Night Elves may play as a Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, or Death Knight

Undead: This race of beings is most recognizable as a rebel faction of the character races. They are Undead, surviving to further their own free will and serve their Banshee queen supremely. Also known as the Forsaken, these fierce warriors are constantly working to develop a shattering plague, one so devastating it could shake the World of Warcraft to its knees. Undead may play as a Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior, or Death Knight.

Each of the classes also have useful abilities that only come with their character class:

Deathknight: Incredibly feared throughout the World of Warcraft,. Highly experienced, heavily armored, and possessing a deadly and banished great magical power, Deathknights are free to serve their own calling. Deathknights hold a strikingly dominant position in the game, if you get the chance to play as one you will understand why. Many online gamers that lean more towards solo play will respect, fear, and become awestruck by the deathly persona of the Deathknight character class.

Druid: Druids are protectors of their world and masters of natures calling. They have a wide range of abilities including healing, curing poisons, and even bringing their comrades back to life when they have fallen in battle. They are also masters of wild spiritual energy, able to transform into savage beasts with incredible power.

Hunter: Hunters are masters in all aspects of hunting and possess incredible marksmanship. Also skilled in the art of survival, they know exactly how to trap, subdue, and damage their prey. Capable of wielding two weapons at once, one in each hand, they have mastered the art of survival combat. They do well in long range using bows, crossbows, and similar weapons. Every outdoorsy land in the World of Warcraft will do well having a hunter on their side.

Mage: Mages can do damage to their enemies through the use of elemental forces. Fire, frost, wind, and other primitive elements are at their beck and call, making Mage's extremely proficient with long range magical weapons. Spell casting and portal shifting are also two of their strong points. These characters are highly prized throughout the game, and if adequately protected they do incredible damage to any opposing force.

Paladin: These are one the holiest character classes in the game. They sacrifice their lives to protect the Holy Light. They are able to protect their friends using their protective auras. Able to carry the heaviest of armor to help them withstand some of the most punishing blows in the World of Warcraft, they also hold the power to revive slain warriors and pick apart impure enemies with a holy wrath. Paladins also are privilege to a wealth of defensive capabilities that help keep them safe in the fields of war. Because of their holy nature, they are highly effective against the Undead. Specifically, Paladins are Undead hunters.  

Priest: Just as their name implies, Priests are masters in the healing arts. Restoring damaged allies, protecting current fighters, and unleashing massive damage through the use of higher powers, Priests are not the character to use for close quarters physically demanding combat. Instead, use Priests for their long range and strategic protective abilities.

Rogue: Rogues are primarily melee class warriors, able to extensive damage to their enemies through the use a numerous swiftly dealt attack combinations. Rogues have long mastered the art of stealth and the assassin's creed. They are also highly versatile as lock pickers, and known to be quite a cunning character class.

Shaman: Shamans harness the supreme power of ancient magic. While they swear no allegiance to any one higher being, they are able to use various magical items to wield their talent of magical spell casting. They may not be the best at any one skill in the game, but they are highly valuable as a character class capable of accomplishing most any task you throw at them.

Warlock: Warlock's are able to harness lesser known spiritual and elemental powers. Shadow, flame, demonic power, it's all part of the Warlock's robed legacy. One of the most powerful spell casters in the game, a Warlock's damage spells can wreak havoc on any enemy they choose to engage.

Warrior: Warrior's are the most valuable asset to close quarters combat scenarios. Every aspect of physical combat can be linked back to the Warrior's rich history of physical prowess. Highly versatile, the Warrior class offers players many fighting-styles to choose from. Warriors do well to withstand attack and keep enemies occupied while a higher amount of damage is generated from one of the more magically capable character classes.

Exploring the World of Warcraft

Check this screen shot out, it is one of the coolest we've found. If you have a high definition graphics card you will see sites like this too.

The World of Warcraft series uses a map exploration system. Meaning, you begin with a map that is mostly blank, you explore the world, and the places you have discovered will then be shown on the map. There are three different view you will encounter depending on the area of the game you are in.

Region/Zone View
Continent View
World View

You can also zoom in and out on these maps. In order to uncover the different areas you have to travel to the predetermined marked interest points on the map. You can't set the interest points, but you do have to discover them to unlock the sections.

There are many region levels, dungeons, and ten major cities to discover. Many players in the World of Warcraft delighted in the joy of pure discovery. Exploring is a treasured part of every MMORPG on the planet, and World of Warcraft does it arguably better than anyone else. There are tons of weapons, items, and magical abilities to discover. Thousands actually! Now take a moment with me and grasp the immensity of that. THOUSANDS of unique items! You will probably never have enough time to find and use them all, and that's a comforting feeling. We all hate when games get boring and we exhaust the item discovery portion of the adventure.

There is more than one continent in World of Warcraft too. With the expansion packs there are many lands to discover, so many in fact it will make your head spin. A plethora of monsters with unique attack strategies await you as well. Oh the joys of Warcraft. Oh and don't forget you can go swimming and check out the special events Blizzard holds to enhance the game too! It just keeps getting better. There are player run tournaments for the Player VS Player combat junkies as well.

Online role playing games are notorious for their addictive game play. You can get spend hours immersed in Warcraft only to find the sun has gone down while you were hypnotized. Be warned, your children will take more interest in this game than do in their own studies. Keep track of their health, this game can swallow the great majority of their time without burning a wing (minus bathroom breaks and food of course).

You also have the option of purchasing the expansion packs, this means hundreds more hours of addictive role playing action. Don't be under the misconception that the expansion packs offer just a bit more game play to hold you over until a new game debuts. Buying an expansion pack is like a buying a brand new game, except for the beauty of already knowing how to play.

How Much Does World of Warcraft Cost?

World of Warcraft is mid-range, borderline expensive. The cost of the game is relatively cheap, with an affordable $20 dollar price tag. Where World of Warcraft becomes expensive lies in the per month subscription fee of $15.00

The expansion packs are around $30 dollars each, but it's well worth it if you develop a love for the game. Until Blizzard Entertainment says otherwise, the cost to the play remains at the $15 point. But for one of the most satisfying MMORPG experiences you can have with your PC, the vast majority of players say it's well worth it. We agree, upon trying the 10 day free trial. It would be worth every penny.

The best thing to do is really get the most out of the 10 day free trial and then decide if this game is worth your undivided attention. Most music services cost 15 dollars per month. You could prioritize your entertainment funds, try something new, and not be out any cash to experience this complex and incredibly satisfying game. If you end up not falling in love with the game and want your music service back, it's easy to cancel your subscription and be done with it. However, considering the quality of the game, graphics, sound, and network fun, we doubt you will.

World of Warcraft's Online Gaming Community

World of Warcraft's online gaming community is full of gamers just like you! They share the same love for online role playing games that captured the interest of an entire generation. Over 3 million people across the globe flock to World of Warcraft's epic servers. They are capable of providing the fastest, most reliable game play experience because of the monthly subscription fee. With that kind of money coming in, Blizzard Entertainment spared no expense ensure you get the best experience for your hard earned dollars.

The community is well protected by the Blizzard staff, who are always open to messages from the gaming community. Any form of harassment or unacceptable behavior can be reported and they will take the appropriate action to remedy the situation. Don't forget, World of Warcraft's online gaming community is relatively safe, but don't tempt fate and give someone your credit card information or other sensitive data. You can never be too sure who might be listening. It's always best to email the friends you meet in the World of Warcraft outside the game to ensure any private information is completely secure!

With 3 million players you are sure to make a lot of new friends and build some lasting offline relationships. Massive Multiplayer Online Games are great for that. After all, friendship is all about finding a common ground and connecting on mutual points of interest. If you all love the close knit feeling of building your characters together, you’re bound to have something else in common.