by Gordon Cameron
When a game's as huge in scope as Wrath of the Lich King, there's no one path to victory. In fact, there's no such thing as victory -- online games, by definition, have no ending. Still, whether your goal is to join the best raiding guild on your server, or just to pass the time pleasantly, we offer some pointers to speed you on your way.
1. Spread It Around
When the previous expansion, Burning Crusade, was released, players were frustrated by the overcrowding that resulted as thousands swept into the lowest-level zone, Hellfire Peninsula. It wasn't uncommon to see queues forming as players patiently (or not-so-patiently) waited to kill monsters and complete quests. This time, Blizzard has learned from the experience, and created two starter zones for Northrend, each fully stocked with quests: The Borean Tundra and the Howling Fjord. If the area you're questing in seems overcrowded, consider traveling to the alternate zone, where the population may be lighter and the questing smoother. If you're playing on the Alliance side, you can get to the Howling Fjord via a boat from Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands, and to the Borean Tundra from the newly-built docks at Stormwind. If you're Horde, you can reach the Fjord via zeppelin from Undercity, and the Tundra from Orgrimmar. Best of all, you can travel between the two Northrend starter zones on a giant turtle that acts as a passenger ferry.
2. Work And Play Well With Others
This bit of advice has always been true for online role-playing games, but it bears repeating. Just as in real life, it pays to have friends. How do you make friends in Warcraft? By being courteous and by being competent. Courtesy can be expressed in lots of ways -- for one thing, don't elbow your way past other players who are working on the same quests; instead, send them a message and politely ask if they'd like to join you. Also, if you're capable of casting healing spells or "buffs" that temporarily improve stats, be liberal about using them to help others in need you meet along the way. Competency can be attained by getting to know the details of playing your class -- the official World of Warcraft class forums are a good place to start. You don't have to know everything to earn the respect of other players -- just show a willingness to learn. Keep the right attitude, and you'll always be able to find a guild that can use you. Then it's just a matter of time before the "epic lootz" start rolling in.
3. Efficiency Is Your Watchword
Want to optimize your questing? The most important thing you can do is eliminate unnecessary travel time. Instead of doing one quest, then schlepping back to the nearest town to cash it in, stack up as many quests as you can and knock them out in one blow before returning to civilization. The quest hubs in Lich King are arranged with this in mind -- often you'll receive multiple quests asking you to visit the same area but accomplish slightly different goals. Don't be afraid to abandon old unfinished quests to make room for new ones -- you can always go back and do the old ones later. Use a little foresight in your quest planning and you'll be leveling up like a champ.
4. In Mod We Trust
World of Warcraft boasts a sophisticated interface that allows newcomers to perform the basics with ease, yet also handles more complex tasks, such as macros, calendar scheduling, and party/raid management. Still, the game's native interface is only the tip of the iceberg -- thousands of fan-made modifications have, with Blizzard's blessing, been made available to improve your control over the game. To supercharge your WoW experience, you'll want to avail yourself of some of these mods. Among the most popular are: Atlas, which provides detailed maps of dungeons; ClosetGnome, which allows you to easily swap out different sets of equipment; and Auctioneer, which makes playing the virtual market a snap. For a full library of free downloadable interface mods, visit Curse.com.
5. Talk The Talk
Massively-multiplayer role-playing games have a lingo all their own. While some of it is just fancy jargon meant to allow self-styled insiders to pat themselves on the back, much is genuinely useful, particularly in group play. If you want to be invited back to group dungeon-running sessions, make sure you've got the basics down. Your function in a party will usually break down to one of three roles -- "tank" (the big lug who absorbs damage from enemies and tries to protect the rest of the party, usually a warrior, paladin, or druid); "dps" (short for "damage per second," someone whose job is to harm enemy creatures); or "healer" (often a priest or druid, the one who is responsible for keeping everyone alive with healing spells). "Threat" or "Aggro" refers to an enemy creature's prioritization of which party members to attack first; generally you want to make sure the Tank has the lion's share of the Aggro, which means damage spells and healing spells need to be modulated so as not to draw too much attention. This is just the barest breakdown of WoW terminology; for more details, read the official forums. Just don't pick up the unfortunate habit of calling everyone a "noob" -- not all jargon is worth emulating.
6. It's A Jungle Out There
If you're one of those brave souls who choose to play on a PvP server -- where you can attack or be attacked by players from the opposite faction at any time -- you'll need to be on your toes a bit more than normal. If you're creating a new character, consider playing one of the classes that can go into stealth mode -- the rogue or the druid -- as this will allow you to hide from enemies and get the lay of the land from a safe vantage point. (Questing is also easier for stealth classes, as they can often avoid enemies en route to their goals rather than fight their way through everything.) Or you might consider playing a warlock, a class whose reputation for PvP toughness precedes it and makes anyone think twice before attacking without backup. Whatever class you've chosen, it's advisable to find a goodly-sized guild and team up with friends for questing sessions. Still, everybody finds themselves outmatched now and again, so practice your escape techniques. Pretty much every class has a spell that can briefly stun, immobilize, or incapacitate opponents -- whether it's the paladin's Hammer of Justice, the priest's Psychic Scream, or the rogue's Blind. Discretion is the better part of valor, so when you feel outmatched by an unexpected foe, try one of these spells as you beat a hasty retreat. Carrying a few Swiftness Potions -- usually obtainable from the auction house, or an alchemist friend -- isn't a bad idea either.
7. Dungeons Are Your Friend
While you're blasting through the levels from 70 to 80, don't forget to try some dungeon crawls along the way -- they'll provide a ripe source of experience points and quality loot. The dungeons in Lich King are relatively quick to complete and, as in Burning Crusade, many contain multiple wings, with separate bite-sized hubs that can be cleared in an hour or less. Get to know the initials of the various dungeon names so you'll be able to recognize them in the "Looking For Group" chat channel as other players seek to fill their parties. The first dungeons you'll be able to visit in Northrend are the Nexus, which can be found in the center of the Borean Tundra, and Utgarde Keep, located on the shores of Lake Cauldros in the Howling Fjord. Both can be attempted by a party of adventurers around level 71. Make sure to pick up some of the quest rewards in the Northrend starter zones to improve your gear first, though -- unless you're a hardcore player already clothed in fancy epic weapons and armor (in which case, why are you taking advice from us?).
Posted: 12 Nov 2008
