World of Warcraft

[Andrew]

This is basicly a thread full of World of Warcraft info. I give full thanks to Blizzard because I got this information off their website, www.worldofwarcraft.com except for the briefing of the races and classes. This thread is for people who don't feel like going to 10 diff sections of a site to read.

Characters

The Alliance
Humans
The Humans originated in Azeroth. They specialize in magic, and they are very smart.
Available classes: Warlock, Warrior, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue
Start Location: Northshire, Elwynn
Home City: Stormwind
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/humans.shtml
Dwarves
The Dwarves are short versions of Humans, but they live near mine cities. They are excellent at mining and work in caves. They are strong for their size.
Start Location: Anvil Marr, Dun Morogh
Home City: Ironforge
Available Classes: Hunter, Warrior, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/dwarves.shtml
Gnomes
The Gnomes are short like the Dwarves, but they are weaker in strength and a lot smarter than the Dwarves.
Start Location: Anvil Marr, Dun Morogh
Home City: Ironforge
Available Classes: Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Warlock
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/gnomes.shtml
Night Elves
Night elves are like the Humans, but they have pointy ears and different colored skin. They are very smart, and used to be immortal. They are very connected to the forest and the little critters that live there. They are my favorite race because they can control animals and use them for their bidding.
Start Location: Teldrassil
Home City: Darnassus
Available Classes: Hunter, Druid, Warrior, Priest, Rogue
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/nightelves.shtml
The Horde
Orcs
The Orcs are huge, green-skinned warriors. They have good magic buffs, and they are strong in combat. They are natural enemies of the Humans, and used to fight a lot with the Humans in Azeroth.
Start Location: Durotar
Home City: Orgrimmar
Available Classes: Hunter, Warlock, Warrior, Shaman, Rogue
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/orcs.shtml
Trolls
The Trolls live in the jungle and practice voodoo. They work together with Orcs and have great offensive spells.
Start Location: Durotar
Home City: Orgrimmar
Available Classes: Hunter, Warrior, Shaman, Rogue, Priest, Mage
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/trolls.shtml
Tauren
The Tauren are huge cow-like creatures. They are great meat shields in battle, and also work with the Orcs. They have good buffs too.
Start Location: Redrock Mesa, Mulgore
Home City: Thunder Bluff
Available Classes: Hunter, Druid, Warrior, Shaman
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/tauren.shtml

[Andrew]

Undead
The Undead were allies with the Orcs in WarCraft III. The Undead Legion wanted to take over the world. After Archimode was defeated, the Undead race was able to be freed. They have great crippling spells.
Start Location: Tirisfal Glades
Home City: The Undercity
Available Classes: Warrior, Warlock, Mage, Rogue, Priest
http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/undead.shtml


Classes
Druid
Druids are shape shifters and can help out a lot. They can either stay in their normal form and heal, or they can turn into a bear and help with melee.
Strengths:
=Multiple play style options
=Transform into cool looking animals that impress other players and add a lot of character, flavor, and humor to the world
=Several weapon options
=Fast travel via aquatic and travel forms
=The most powerful buff of all the classes

Weaknesses:
=Restricted to Cloth and Leather Armor only
=Forms are not as versatile as their counterpart classes, but might be considered as powerful
=Can't use items or druid spells while in the various animal forms

More info: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid.shtml


Hunter
Hunters have just been added in the newest patch to WoW. They can tame animals to help you in battle, and even dual wield. They own!
Strengths:
=Can tame and control various beasts
=Can travel very fast using Aspect of Cheetah and share it with =Aspect of the Pack
=Has special abilities vs. beasts
=Can use various beast special abilities

Weaknesses:
=Can initially only wear leather armor, making it less able to absorb damage than the Paladin and Warrior
=Can't wear plate armor
=The Hunter has very few melee abilities, and is more effective at ranged combat
More info:http://worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/hunter.shtml

Paladin (Alliance only)
Paladins are melee with healing magic. They can solo and heal themselves if they get in danger. They can wear heavy armor, and they use hammers excellently. They can own undead with their melee damage and healing, which owns undead.
Strengths:
=Can wear the heaviest of armors
=A melee fighter that can also heal
=Can resurrect other players
=Auras can benefit the Paladin and party members
Weaknesses:
=Doesn't have as many combat options and strengths as the Warrior
=Cannot equip as many weapon types as the Warrior
=Very gear dependant class
More info at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/.../paladin.shtml

Priest
Don't worry, these aren't te priests that do bad things to children. These guys are all magic. They heal you, ressurect you, and cast great buffs. They are a MUST in any party.
Strengths:
=Most powerful Healing class
=Can resurrect other players
=Has powerful buffs
=Can Charm humanoid monsters
=Other players love playing with Priests
Weaknesses:
=Can only wear cloth armor
=Very fragile and easily killed in certain situations
More info at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/...s/priest.shtml

[Andrew]

Rogue
Rouges are good if you want fun. They have dual wield, they can backstab, they open chests with ease, and much more. They assassinate, and they can run away faster if they get in trouble.
Strenghts:
=Stealth abilities allow the Rogue to reach places more easily than most classes
=Strong lock picking abilities/access as opposed to other classes
=Sprint ability allows the Rogue to more easily escape battle and get a free short burst of speed in traveling
Weaknesses:
=More susceptible to damage than Paladins/Warriors because Rogues can only wear cloth or leather armor
More info at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/rogue.shtml

Shaman (Horde only)
Shamans are like the Paladins for the Horde, but they aren't much melee and depend more on magic. They can heal, and cast better buffs than a Paladin. They can also turn into wolves to look cool.
The Shaman is similar to a Paladin without as much armor
Strengths:
=Can heal themselves and other players
=Can resurrect other players
=Can get Wolf Form early on allowing them to travel very fast
=Can recall back to their home location with Astral Recall
=Receive a spell for breathing under water
Weaknesses:
=Can only wear leather armor making them less able to absorb damage than the Paladin and Warrior
More info at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/...s/shaman.shtml

Warlock
Warlocks are great damage dealers. Their spells OWN. Who needs melee when you can kill enemies in one spell? Warlocks are demonic and use demon magic. So you should expect some awesome spells.
Strenghts:
=Can use pets for fun and to attract enemy aggression
=Can hand out Soulstones which allow self resurrection
=Can create healing potions in the form of Healthstones
=Can summon other players using Ritual of Summoning
=Can breathe underwater using Demon Breath
=Can summon your own Nightmare horse
=Can use Eye of Killrogg to scout
=Can take control of a Demon for a short amount of time
=Can heal themselves using Life Drain
=Can solo very well, by using a pet to act as a group of two characters complementing each others' skills
Weaknesses:

Warrior
Warriors are the damage dealers and meat shields. They take the damage, and your priests heal them. They are a MUST in parties because they can absorb a lot of damage. If they are anything like the warriors in FFXI, they are great.
Strengths:
=Able to equip all armor and almost all weapons
=Takes the most damage before becoming incapacitated
=Great close range melee skills
=Lots of equipment options
=Slaughter monsters
Weaknesses:
=No healing abilities, relies on food or other players to heal
=Very gear dependent class
More info at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/.../warrior.shtml

[Andrew]

Basics
Check out http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/

"Professions"
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/threa...p=1#post292838

Items
Item basics
Level Requirements / (min 10)
Many items have level requirements. You cannot use them until your character has reached that level. Place your cursor over the item to check the level requirement. "(min 10)" is the minimum level that you have to be to use the item. So you would have to be character level 10 or higher to use this item.

Items are listed in red when your character cannot use them.

Item Quality Colors (from least powerful to most powerful)
Poor Quality
Common Quality
Uncommon Quality
Rare Quality
Epic
Legendary (Color Undecided)
Artifact (Color Undecided)

Item Type Rarity
This section explains when you will come across items for certain slots on your character.
At level 1: Chest, Shirt, Hands, Legs, Feet, Waist, Wrist
At higher levels (not revealed), listed in the order at which you will find them: Shoulder/Finger, Head/Neck, Trinket.

Item Bound Types
Not Bound - Items can be equipped, removed, or traded at any time and in any order.
Bind on Equip - You can trade this item if you haven't equipped it. Once you equip it, you can no longer trade it with other players.
Bind on Use - Once you have used this item, you can no longer trade it.
Bind on Acquire - Once you pick up the item, you will no longer be able to trade it with other players. Be very careful not to loot this item if you're not supposed to have it permanently.
Quest Items - Quest Items are bound to your character. You cannot trade them.
Linking Item Stats to Chat Text
You can create a link to your item in chat text, which is useful for showing it to people for trading purposes or just to share information about your item. Hold down "Shift" and left-click on the item while having your chat text typing box open. This will insert a link to that item. Whenever you see [itemname], you can click on that text to see the stats of the item.
Stacking
Some items are stackable. They will stack/combine automatically when you drag them over to your backpack. You can break up a stack of items by holding "Shift" and then left-clicking on the item. This will bring up a number box, which you can use to indicate how many items you want to take out of the stack.

"Made By <Playername>"
This is an item that was created using a trade skill. The name on the item is the name of the person that created the item.

Additional Information
Shields have blocking values. Blocked attacks avoid an amount of damage based on your shield and your character's Strength.

Wand use can now be interrupted when the user takes damage.

Quest Items: Quest rewards are labeled as Bind on Acquire. Quest rewards can still be equipped or sold to a merchant, but you can't sell or give them to other players. This has been implemented to deter these items from flooding the game economy which was an issue prior to this rule.
Common Questions

Where do I find rings, necklaces, trinkets, shoulders, and hats?
These items are more commonly available at higher levels, for more powerful characters.
To what items can I apply armor patches?
Chest (body armor), feet (boots), hands (gloves), legs (pants).
How do item drops work?
Monsters randomly drop items from a loot table (grab bag of possible items). Some monsters always drop an item, such as powerful, rare, and uniquely named monsters.
Where can I get armor patches?
Leatherworkers can make them. You can get them elsewhere as well, such as a quest reward.
How can I see what items I can use?
Hit "C" for your character screen. Then, click on the "Skills" tab. Scroll down to "Proficiencies" which will list what types of items you can use. In some cases you will first have to spend Skill points in order to be able to use additional weapons.
What items don't display on my character?
Trinkets and rings do not display on your character.
Do items have weight? Can I be encumbered?
Items do not have weight. You can carry as many items as you have room for without any negative effect on your character.
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/items/basics.shtml


Item management
Here are some tips for managing your items.

Bags
You can open up all your current bags at once by hitting "Shift + B." A good suggestion is to remap the B hot key so it simply opens all your bags at once. That way you don't have to figure out which bag contains the item you're looking for. Whenever you need something, hit B to open up all your bags.
Bag Organization
Come up with an organization plan for your bags. The very left bag (or top when you open them all) can be devoted to permanent items that are important. The next bag can be dedicated to holding quest items. The third bag could hold all your trade skill items, and so on. Your default backpack could contain food, water, and things you use for healing. It helps to pick different colored bags so you can easily identify which bag your item belongs in.
Equipment Plans
There are many different possible equipment plans. Decide what is best for you based on your playing style.
Looks/Style - Some players select their equipment based on how it looks on their character. This is great for style. However, from a combat point of view it doesn't really matter what your character looks like. Stats are the most important aspects for combat. From a player's point of view, however, you may notice that your character's appearance will influence the actions of other players. If you look especially cool you may find other players offering compliments. Therefore, you might decide that your look is most important and thus focus mainly on your appearance, not worrying about character stats. If you can get the appearance you’re looking for, while also having superior stats on the items you like, that's even better.
Suggestion: keep an alternative outfit in your backpack or bags to wear when you're not fighting. This is great approach to use for a role-playing/realistic point of view. The only downside is that it takes up room in your pack(s) that could be used for other items.

Stats First (Power Play) - Power players are primarily attracted to an item's stats and how it will improve their character's performance. They are willing to wear any item that improves their stats even if it includes, for example, wearing a dress on a male character!

If you are focusing on stats, find out which will benefit your character class the most. There are often multiple paths you can select. You should ask other players of the same class, especially more experienced players, for their advice on what stats will best benefit your character. For example, Warriors should look for high damage weapons and might want to focus on Strength. Or, perhaps, Warriors might want to focus more on Stamina increasing items.

Which item is better?
This is a common question. The most general solution to this problem is to ask other players which item is the better item. Link both items in your chat channel and then ask other players what they think is the better item to use for your character. General Chat might be a good channel for this, or you can ask your guild members, or even party members. Feel free to ask why one item is better than the other. You will then learn and gain experience that you can use later, or if someone asks you for help. There are usually plenty of stat focused players out there that know exactly what the "best" item is.

Looks and Stats
This option is the best of both strategies. Find an item with stats that help your character and also looks great!

Item Selling
It's important to learn which items should be sold to other players and which should be sold to the vendors.

[Andrew]

Other Players - What will other players buy? This is determined by demand and luck. Players will most often buy your item if it's one they consider good and is sold at the right price. Players will go for items they want or need. If you're trying to sell an item that is easily obtainable, it's unlikely to be purchased by other players. A good way to learn which items are valuable is to pay attention and watch auctions. You can see what types of items people sell and for what price. That way if you ever get one of those items and look to sell it, you will know what it will sell for. You should also ask other players for their advice. Also, item colors are important to learn. Blue items are often more valuable than green items, and so on.
"Vendor Trash" - This term has come to refer to items that should be sold to the merchants. This is because they won't, or are extremely unlikely to be bought by other players. Perhaps they are some body part that is dropped by a monster. Since players most likely won't purchase the item, it leaves only one group of buyers, the NPCs! If someone tells you an item is "Vendor Trash" this means you should sell it to the merchants. Of course they could just be insulting your item! Make sure you know the difference.

Old Equipment
Once you're done using an item, likely because you have found a better one, it's time to get rid of it. You have several options:
Hand-me-downs to a friend or guild mate
Lower level or poorly equipped players appreciate gifts. This can improve your standing with them, which might benefit you later on. If the item is bound to your character, your only choice is to sell the item to a vendor.
Auction
Sell the item in an auction. "One person's trash is another person's treasure." Your old items might fetch a hefty sum. Be sure that the item isn't soulbound to your character before trying to sell it.
Merchants
Anything you cannot give away, or sell to other players, should be sold to the merchants.
The Bank
Use the bank to store items. This will free up space in your bags. Store anything that you are not using or that you're unlikely to use.
Future Upgrades - Some items have a level requirement above your current level. So you must wait until you level up before you can use them.
Items For Other Classes - Save items for friends or mail them to your other characters.

Don't forget that you can get additional storage by buying bag slots and filling them with the largest bags you can find.
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/...nagement.shtml


PvP
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/pvp-article.shtml

I hope this thread helps you understand World of Warcraft. I have the links to the actual site. I copied the information from www.worldofwarcraft.com except for the briefing of the classes and races.