Realms

It's time for the fun to begin! So, you've signed up for a free trial, or perhaps even bought the game, and you are ready to create your first character. Or perhaps even your second, third, or more. You sign in to World of Warcraft, and are taken right to the character creation page, if you have not already created a character.  There are a couple things you need to know about creating your character. The choices you make here will affect how you play.


We will start with talking about the different realms there are for you to play on. There are several different types of realms that you can play on, and the one you choose will make a difference in how you level up. The two main types of realms are PvE and PvP.  PvE stands for player vs. environment, and these realms are labeled as Normal on the realm selection page.  PvP stands for player vs. player, and these realms are labeled as PVP on the realm selection page.  The main difference between the two is the way you interact with the other faction on your realm. 

On a normal realm you can go about questing and doing dungeons just about anywhere in Azeroth and not have to worry about being attacked by members of the opposite faction.  You can only be attacked by the other faction if you are flagged for PvP, which on a normal realm happens automatically only when you enter a battleground, which is set aside for PvP, or you enter a main city that belongs to the opposite faction.  On a PVP realm, you are flagged automatically for PvP once you leave the starting area for your character. This means that any member of the opposite faction can attack you while you are questing. Some people enjoy the PvP part of the game and some people don't. It is up to you to decide which you think will be more fun for you.

In addition to these two main differences, there are also some realms which are Role Playing realms. There are both normal RP realms and PVP RP realms. On a RP realm you are expected to actually play out your character, like in a tabletop RPG. There are restrictions on what kinds of names you can have, nothing out of character like Bobrocks121, and on the various chat channels once you start playing. You are expected to talk in character on the general channel and when you just say things. You are expected to have some sort of background for your character, and they should make choices based on things that happen in game. For more information on RP realms, check out http://us.battle.net/support/en/article/roleplaying-policy for game policies for RP realms and the battle.net forums for threads about role playing.

In addition to the type of realm you choose, you will also want to look at the population of the realm.  High population realms are often not as nice to newer players. They also often have ques to get onto the realm during peak hours when people are playing. However, they will also have a large selection of items on the auction house, and many people to choose from when you want to play with others. A lower population realm is often more welcoming of new players.  You will pretty much never have to wait to get onto the realm.  However, there will also be less people to play with on your realm and the auction house will have less variety of items.  Realms that are marked New Player are new realms, and they will be full of players like you who are just starting.

One last thing to keep in mind as you choose a realm is what the time on the realm is. Different realms run on different time zones. While this is not so important to many people, if you choose a realm whose peak hours, generally late afternoon-evening, are not the hours that you play, you will usually see less people on when you are on, and it may be harder to find people to play with.

Fear not if you have made an unwise realm selection choice. If you find that the realm you have started your character on doesn't suit you once you have leveled up you can transfer you character to a new realm. Simply go to your game management page on battle.net and choose the realm transfer option in the Character and Guild Services tab. It does cost $25, but it saves you having to level a new character on a different realm.  The process of transfering realms usually takes around an hour, during which time your character is unplayable.

And there's what you need to know about choosing a realm. If you have a friend who is playing, make sure you find out what realm they are on so you can create a character on that realm as well.  If you don't know anyone, pick a realm that looks like it will provide an enjoyable playing atmosphere for you. 

And join us for our next post on Character creation, where we will discuss the various races of Azeroth.  Until then, happy playing!

Come one, Come All . . .

Welcome to my new blog, WoW, What a n00b. I have a vision for this blog, a vision of playing WoW without running into poor souls who have no idea what they are doing while running around the world of Azeroth. Don't worry, there is no shame in being a new player. All of us were new at one point. However, if you intend to keep playing, at some point you need to learn what you are doing. This blog was created with the intention of helping new players figure out how to get the most out of their playing time, and avoid the stigma of being called a n00b.


I will start with basic things, such as creating a character, questing, doing dungeons, and gradually move on to more advanced things, such as transmogrification, enchanting gear, and so forth. I will warn you right up front, I am not an expert on everything in WoW.  I make mistakes. SO don't take everything you read on here as "gospel truth." I will make every effort to be as accurate as I can be. Also, remember that as times goes on, the way we play the game changes. WoW has already been through many changes since it was first released, and it will no doubt continue to evolve. If a post becomes outdated it's not my fault!

However, at this time just sit back, relax and let me get you started on your journey through Azeroth.