World of Warcraft Classic A Veterans Guide For Newcomers

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World of Warcraft Classic A Veterans Guide For Newcomers

World of Warcraft Classic is bound to bring in first-timers, so here's what to expect as you embark on the hours-long grind of an old game. For those who began playing in 2011 or later then venturing into Classic can be a confusing and slightly daunting experience. There have been some major changes over the years since the game was released and those unfamiliar with the old system will discover a number of big differences in the way the game is played. This guide covers the very basics that newcomers to Classic need to know to begin their journey in Azeroth. Here are the things you need to think about and the best ways to begin your adventure.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to know is that character customization is gone. There are no barbershops or character boosts. What you create is what you are stuck with, unless you start again. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Classic also limits your race and class choice as many options, such as Orc Mages or Human Hunters, were added later. There are also no Blood Elves, Goblins, Draenei, Worgens or Pandarens. As such Alliance cannot play as Shamans and Horde cannot play as Paladins. Choose your faction, race, and class carefully before you begin your journey.

Questing

In Classic, questing is at the heart of everything you do. Back in 2004, when this version of the game was released, the focus was on the journey rather than the end game. This is reflected in the way questing works. The entire quest system of both Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms was overhauled with Cataclysm so anyone who has not played prior to this will find it a very different way of doing things. Quests are designed to encourage exploration. As such there are no helpful waypoints or markers on the map. Players need to read the map to discover the direction they need to travel in. If you find this too frustrating then mods will come to your rescue. An TomTom will give you co-ordinates and arrows to help you on your way. Quest hubs are also more scattered and players are encouraged to explore and uncover all of the zones maps in order to find them all. Often quests are located at crossroads and in small villages but sometimes they are in seemingly random places, such as the middle of a wood. Exploration is key to uncovering all Classic has to offer.

Mana Management

via Blizzard Wow Classic The next biggest discovery most newcomers make is that they need to manage their health and mana. Classic doesn’t allow you to simply fight a huge number of mobs at once or jump straight from one battle into another. The mana and health systems work slightly differently and the leveling process is a lot more time consuming and challenging. You'll need to make sure you learn how many mobs you can cope with at once and make sure you keep an eye on both bars as you fight. Classic will also require you to use auto attack more than you’ve ever done before. Mages, Priests, and Warlocks will want to get their hands on a wand as soon as possible. A wand is the most efficient way for casters to deal reasonable damage without constantly running out of mana. The only way to get one at a low level is to use the enchanting profession. Enchanting and tailoring make a good combination for casters as you can make low-level wands as well as armor and enchants. Wands can also be purchased from other players with the enchanting skill, through the trading system or the auction house. There are also wand vendors in the major capitals. However, they only stock wands for level 15 and above. The low-level ones are exclusively available through enchanting.

Consumables

Players will also need to learn how to manage consumables, especially those who use throwing weapons or bows. This version of the game brings back the RPG elements, which means purchasing, storing and using arrows, throwing knives, food and drink. All of these can be purchased from vendors, usually found in Inns. Speaking of Inns, you will want to find one before you log out as while inside them you are considered rested. This means that you will slowly accumulate a boost to your experience while logged out. When you come back to the game your experience bar will be blue, giving a bonus to experience gained for the duration of the buff.

Mounts And Quick Travel

Travel is another thing which has changed a lot over the years. It is much slower to travel in Classic and you won’t be able to get a mount until level 40. This means that you need to use other modes of transport to get around. Flight paths still exist but they are spread wider apart than in the modern game, meaning a longer walk to find them. Once you’ve unlocked a flight point by talking to the flight master you can use them as usual. You will also make more use of summoning stones in Classic, which are placed outside instances. Two players are needed to use the stones, which will call other party members to their location. If you’re considering making friends with a Mage it may take a while as they don’t receive portal spells until level 42, which takes a long time to get to! Finally, free travel options still exist but are much more limited. For Horde players, the Zeppelin tower is now just outside and to the right of Orgrimmar and has only two options, Gromgol and Undercity. Meanwhile, Alliance can use the Deeprun Tram to travel between Ironforge and Stormwind. There is still a boat to Teldrassil but it’s a trek. Instead of walking to the conveniently placed harbor in Stormwind you have to run the gauntlet of crocolisks in Wetlands, where you could get on a boat to Auberdine in Darkshore. There is also a boat between Booty Bay and the Barrens. World of Warcraft Classic has so many changes it’s impossible to cover them all in one short article but I hope these tips will help you on your way. Happy questing!