10 day free trial

[Jacob0883]

Since I am trying this game out for 10 days, I have a couple of questions.

1.  Can Mages solo?  If they can, which race is this easiest with.

2.  Which race has the coolest starting area and local areas around that starting point.  I started an undead chracter and I am not a big fan of the area surronding them. 

3.  Anything else you think I should know about this that will help me enjoy the game and stick with it. 

[Rasix]

Since I am trying this game out for 10 days, I have a couple of questions.

1.  Can Mages solo?  If they can, which race is this easiest with.

Every class can solo.  I found mages have to drink a lot, but it helps that they can summon their own water. No current race combination makes soloing easier for a mage, imo. Gnomes get a nice root break, undead get a fear/charm break.  I you go alliance, I'm partial to gnomes since they're so goddamn hard to see in PVP.

2.  Which race has the coolest starting area and local areas around that starting point.  I started an undead chracter and I am not a big fan of the area surronding them. 

Undead starting area is probably the best for the horde. I like it.  Give until lvl 5-6 when you go to the next area (your full starter town); all of the direct newbie areas are all kind of dull.  The troll area overall is more dull.

Most people like the alliance newbie areas better.  But then you have to be a human or gnome (for a mage) and be on the same side as all of the night elf hunter manginas.  Some people can take this, I can't.  Usually around level 20 I start feel the weight of 4x the amount of morons bearing down on me.

I liked the Gnome area.  Sorry, no experience with human.  I don't play my own species in a game if I can help it.

3.  Anything else you think I should know about this that will help me enjoy the game and stick with it. 

If you like the game (and this next tidbit is purely IMO), pick a side that you like and not just a race based on starting area.  You will spend less than 20-25% leveling up to and past what people call the "crappy area" for Horde (The Barrens).  The newbie experience is a blurr in this game. However, horde get two pretty decent starter instances: Wailing Caverns and Shadowfang Keep.  Alliance has Deadmines, which is pretty cool, since it has a nice Goonies vibe.

Picking a good profession might help.  Herb/Alchemy makes the game a lot easier.  You rarely die if properly stocked with potions.

Leaving the General chat might be helpful if you feel there's too many stupid people arguing or saying stupid things.  I just ignore it nowadays.

I'm on Shadowsong if you want to bug/chat with someone in game. Always willing to answer questions.  Usually on Rasix my shaman or Morecowbell my druid (Horde).

[caladein]

Everyone can solo rather well, but Mages, Rogues, Hunters, and Warlocks are probably the best levelers.

For Races, their racials are all of rather marginal utility in leveling (on a PvE server) so it comes down to preference really.

• Gnomes: +Int, more Mana and Spell Crit.
• Humans: +Spirit, better passive regen.
• Trolls: Berserking, a 2-3min (can't remember) cooldown that ups Casting Speed, bigger increase the lower your health is.
• Undead: Nothing really, although they arguably have one of the best PvP racials.

The Human and Troll (shared with Orc) starting zones are the more active of the four, and are also the ones I like the most. Unlike Rasix though, I'm not a big fan of the Undead starting zone, and really like the Troll/Orc one.

That said, don't really bother choosing race based on the starting zone since it's just a relatively quick run and Zeppelin/Tram ride to get between these zones. (Taurens and Night Elves have it a bit tougher, but they can't be Mages.) Don't like the Undead zone but love your Undead? Ship him off Durotar and level there :).

[Kail]

I think my browser killed my post; if I end up double posting, then... um... I'll probably edit the other one.

Everything I was going to say was pretty useless or has already been said except: I suggest you make a lot of alts.  Personally, I find the newbie game to be the most fun part of the game (probably because it's the least grindy).  On a ten day trial account, I'd suggest you try to see as much of the low level game as you can, rather than try to grind out as many levels as possible on one character.  If you like the game, you can do that later.  Especially, I'd suggest trying out different classes, since they all play pretty differently, and they're all viable solo.  Try out the different crafting professions, check out the capital cities, gawk at the veteran players who are wearing transformer towers on their shoulders, get the general feel of the game. 

[bhodi]

and as I said in the other thread a few months ago, race doesn't matter overmuch, find a class you like, pick alliance unless you are deadset on horde, on a pve server unless you like the gank, it only takes about 3 hours to get to level 10 where you get your first talent point, so don't feel like you're stuck with your char. You can always do a reset.

Remember to log out in an inn, you get double xp on kills for a time. Have fun. If you're a munchkin powergamer like me, read up on common talent builds when you hit level 10. Use allakhazam, thottbot, and wowwiki websites.

[Fabricated]

Horde sucks and their early areas suck worse. The expansion may change that with the Blood Elves.

Go Alliance. Human starting area is generic but pleasing to the eyes IMO and close to everything, Gnome/Dwarf area is kinda boring, NElf area is awful.

Race doesn't make a whole lot of difference really, but there ARE differences. Humans also get a bonus to rep gains, and a skill that raises their stealth detection by a LOT.

[Righ]

Now that 242 ranged attack power from Blood Fury has joined the 5% pet damage buff and (nerfed to 15%) stun resist, I'm quite happy with my choice of Orc for a hunter.

[Jayce]

Go Alliance. Human starting area is generic but pleasing to the eyes IMO and close to everything, Gnome/Dwarf area is kinda boring, NElf area is awful.

I guess there's no accounting for taste:  I just made a human mage and ran all the way to the elf starting area because I like the ambiance.

I haven't played Horde much, but I did get an orc hunter to 17.  The Barrens is not half as bad as people make it out to be.  Even the chat is bearable.. in a train wreck sort of way.

[Flood]

Well just to pile on here, and offer another viewpoint. 

I'm predominantly a Horde player, and I prefer PvP servers but re: starting areas - IMHO the undead area is the worst area for new folks, the best area is the Orc/Troll, followed by Tauren (doesn't apply for Mages though).  For Alliance I'd say all the areas are okay except the freaking Night Elf area, which sucks sack, much like Night Elves themselves.  I personally prefer the Dwarf starter area, but then again Dwarves are the only Alliance race I really like.

And regarding racials and how they affect levelling speed: Mostly a moot point if we are talking a 10 day trial, and a PvE environment.  However the Troll racial of a passive 10% health regen is a nice perk.  After that I'd say that Cannibalism for Undead is a close second (you can eat any humanoid corpse you kill for health), you get use out of it more often that you'd think.

If you're a solo playing caster Tailoring is useful to you almost immediately.  If you are anything but a Warrior then Skinning/Leatherworking helps you get some average armor for yourself pretty early on.  Hebalism/Alchemy is useful no matter what race/class you are, but I'd say it's a tad bit slower and more expensive to level up that the other two routes. 


I wouldn't parse out too many of the details if you're just going to play the trial and see if you think it's worth spending further money on.  Just log on and pick a race class combo that looks fun to you.  If I had to make a black and white recommendation for you based on your post - If you're deadset on a Mage I'd say Troll for Horde, and Human for Alliance, and pick a PvE server just for one less (possible) hassle to your levelling and exploring.

[Nebu]

Dowloaded the 10 day trial.  Played for two nights...

The whole "popularity" thing... I still don't get it.

[Tale]

Dowloaded the 10 day trial.  Played for two nights...

The whole "popularity" thing... I still don't get it.

I'm not a big WoW fan, but saying "I don't get it" about WoW is like saying "why do people drink this crap?" about Coca-Cola. Sorry, can't hear you.

Also, it's a MMOG and you played for two nights. You've therefore developed an opinion similar to all those posters around the time of WoW open beta who said "played it, didn't like it, it'll never take off".

[Tale]

Horde sucks and their early areas suck worse. The expansion may change that with the Blood Elves.

I liked the Tauren starting area better than any other in the game.

[Jacob0883]

I stuck it out a bit longer with the Undead and it got exciting (Undead City was pretty cool).  I am going to try the troll next because it sounds like a lot of people think thats the way to go.


Thanks for the tips all.    

[Nebu]

Deleted.