How to Return to (or Start) World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Today is a big day for World of Warcraft , the massive online multiplayer game from Blizzard Entertainment. The game’s seventh expansion officially kicks off at 3 p.m. PT for North American players, ensuring that many geeks skip dinner tonight – or order – as they consume as much content as they can get before bed.
If you’ve seen or heard how people are in awe of World of Warcraft because it is “returning to its roots,” thanks to the renewed focus on shared hatred between the game’s two main factions – the Horde and the Alliance – in the new Battle for Azeroth expansion, perhaps you will want to register and dive into the game. Or, if you haven’t played in years, you might be interested to see what has changed.
Spoiler alert: A lot has changed. Jumping into a huge world that you don’t know much about and World of Warcraft is huge can seem daunting. You will be shocked if you just rush there. As a back-to-back gamer who previously wrote for the damn World of Warcraft (RIP) magazine , even I have a hard time figuring out exactly where to start the adventure if I haven’t played the game against the clock.
Regardless of your level of experience – whether you’re going to experience the thrill of listening to the Stormwind theme when you first walk through its epic gateway, or whether you can recite ahn’Qiraj from head to toe – here are some tips and suggestions on how to make the most of your new life in World of Warcraft ( or your epic,Illidan-likereturn to Azeroth).
Track your path in World of Warcraft
Let’s start with the basics. At its core, World of Warcraft is a saga centered around two warring factions: the aforementioned Horde and the Alliance. They have been fighting each othersince MS-DOS , waging an endless war – except for those rare moments whenthey try to unite to face a more serious threat – that has transported them across continents, into space and through time.
If this all sounds confusing, it’s understandable. Luckily, there are some fantastic videos you can watch to keep up to date with the latest developments in World of Warcraft’s 14-year journey . Grab lunch, grab your phone, plug in your headphones (important) and let Blizzard experts guide you through the game’s vast history:
If you want an abridged version because you’d rather spend an hour playing than listening to someone talk about the game, you can also check out the excellent series of Guides for New and Returning Players from YouTuber (and an expert on World of Warcraft ) Bellular . And you’ll probably even skip bits of how to buy or how to install the game, saving you even more time for the new adventures of World of Warcraft :
You can also get on your feet and watch the history of World of Warcraft unfold with incredible footage from Blizzard, one of the company’s cornerstones. Sure, you will indulge yourself with parts of the game that you have yet to discover, and you may not know the importance of the various characters that you are watching, but at least you will get a pretty good idea of how World of Warcraft works. Also, did we mention that Blizzard cutscenes are great? We’d rather watch them than a Warcraft movie , that’s for sure.
World of Warcraft resources to read for new players
If you’d rather read rather than watch, there are also plenty of resources you can use to get used to World of Warcraft , figure out what to do next, and ask questions when you’re feeling stuck. For the basics, we recommend you review the ” Guidelines on the game of Warcraft World » on Wowhead, which is definitely worth a read if you are new to massively multiplayer online games, or just want to understand what the approach is different from other Blizzard players approaches. I played.
Blizzard also has an excellent Beginner’s Guide , divided into four main sections, as well as a Return to World of Warcraft compilation. And be sure to check out Blizzard’s online forums, especially the New Player Help and Guides forum , where you can find more information, ask questions, and chat with some of the most helpful members of the World of Warcraft community.
Take advantage of the Starter Edition and Class Trials World of Warcraft
As Mike Fahey of Kotaku points out in his Epic Guide to New Players, one of the most important tips new (or returning) World of Warcraft players should know is that you don’t actually need to buy the game. Right. You don’t need to spend a dime to play World of Warcraft .
Download the game now, create an account (new, not old if you were a previous player) and you can upgrade your character to 20 for free. There are other annoying restrictions on this free experience, but it’s still great a way to get to know the world, see if you enjoy the experience the way you hoped, and get a feel for the different classes before settling on the main one to play the next 100 levels of the game.
If you’re back to a player, consider paying for a month of playtime – just $ 15 – and using the game’s cool new challenges to see if you still have a spark to play at a higher level. While you can also opt for the Starter option to get your free limited game on Azeroth, you might need a little more than the Novice Zone to decide if you want to go through the game’s latest expansion.
Find friends for adventure with
While you will invariably play a little alone while in World of Warcraft , the game becomes a lot more fun when you have other people to interact with. Regardless of whether you are starting or returning to the turn, having helpful mentors feeding you offers (or gear, or gold) doesn’t hurt. The / r / wownoob subreddit is a good place to find friends for quests, as is the main World of Warcraft subreddit (and don’t forget its helpful Murloc Monday thread for newbies Q&A).
You can try joining a Discord server dedicated to the class you are playing about how you enjoy playing World of Warcraft (achievement hunt, dungeon running, player-to-player battles, etc.) or your location to name a few examples. World of Warcraft also has communities of players built right into the game. Find a community for newbies or whatever and you have a great resource to go to with questions. You can even make some friends (or adventure mates).
Preparing for Battle for Azeroth: Details
We’ve spent a lot of space giving advice to those less experienced in the intricacies of World of Warcraft . If you’re a player who usually knows how to get around the game – or did at some point – you’ll probably still feel a little stuck if it’s been a decent amount of time since the last time you played. For example, why doesyour favorite weapon no longer work the way it used to? What is the latest currency you need to know about? Should you ever waste time hanging out in yourgarrison again?
If you’re back into Battle for Azeroth , we recommend that you check out Wowhead ‘s great ” Getting Started ” guide. You’ll also want to brush up on specific tips for your class – both Icy Veins and Wowhead have incredibly detailed guides for every playable class and spec combination. Make sure you log in and figure out any new (or changed) talents you will be using, and start memorizing a typical battle rotation so you don’t die nearly as often in the last incarnation of the game.
There are also a number of different online tools you can use to become the best World of Warcraft player – and help you decide where to focus. Wowhead has a great customization tool that shows you how close you are to reaching important milestones in the game, such as unlocking new allied races, gaining reputation with key factions (which will ultimately help you get faster movement speed and other goodies in expanding the game. ). and how far you have come in your dungeons and raids.
If you just want to unlock the ability to fly in the new extension and you have to, the Pathfinder tool is a must-have on the site. Its Character Planner is also incredibly helpful in understanding what you can (or should) do next based on your recent activities, the gear you are wearing (and want to upgrade), the achievements you are close to unlocking, and so on. If you’re looking for a simpler guide, the site also has a great list of all the actions you should be doing every day and every week in Battle for Azeroth.
We’re also big fans of Simple Armory , which gives you a similar look at your overall progress throughout the game, as well as a gorgeous, detailed graphical listing of all the achievements you’ve unlocked and all the mounts, companions, and pets. , and the toys you have collected. The site is incredibly easy to see what else you need to get if you quit. If you are looking to add to your collection of mounts, the site will even create a handy, streamlined guide on how you should spend your day (or week) on adventures in order to get them all.
Some World of Warcraft fans have also created their own helpful guides that you can follow as you get started with the latest expansion of the game – a great reason for a dual-monitor setup, isn’t it?
And, of course, there are many additions to the game that will make your adventures in Azeroth even more effective. Try Azeroth Auto Pilot , which guides you where to go, handles all your discussions and NPC assignments, and automatically sells your unneeded gear (among other features). Modifications to deadly bosses are still necessary, so you don’t die so quickly in dungeons. Pawn helps you determine if the gear you received is actually an upgrade or not. The World Quest List gives you a much better way to see what’s going on in your zone (and sort the rewards that you prioritize).
And last but not the least important: MapCoords help you understand where to go, when the players in your area say that nearby there is a specialair drop in Fortnite style. (And if you’re into player-to-player battles …)