Great Ways to Enhance Your World of Warcraft Experience

Leveling a character in World of Warcraft is time consuming and extremely lengthy. Recently, with the launch of the expansion of World of Warcraft, the time it takes to get to max level has been lengthened by 10 grueling levels! For the player considering making a new character in the game, this can be quite discouraging. I'm here to share some tips which will hopefully reduce the frustration, and heighten your enjoyment when playing!

The initial discouragement comes from the thought of spending weeks to get to the "good part" of the game. Taking hours from each day for several months just isn't feasible for some people, and given that World of Warcraft is pay-to-play, it just isn't worth it to some folks.
There are also other problems throughout the journey, like obtaining enough money for all the different mount types (non-flying non-epic, non-flying epic, flying non-epic, and flying epic mounts), which if you wanted to get all of them, you would need to accumulate around 7,000 gold! If you were thinking about trying out the game, I've probably discouraged you from it by now, but all is not lost!

There are lots of things you can do to make the "job" of leveling and getting all this gold less of a task. Participating actively in the game lore can help with this. As you quest yourself silly, read the descriptions each quest gives you, try to link together the different pieces of the lore (World of Warcraft has a LOT of lore, dating back roughly 10 years since Blizzard first created the original real time strategy game, Warcraft). Every part of the game, every quest, every town, every instance, EVERYTHING is related and is linked in one big storyline! It's quite interesting to follow, especially if you enjoy fantasy/fiction, which I would assume you do if you are considering playing, or already play.

Getting involved in the game and learning about it will make each level more enjoyable, but there is something else that is even more helpful. Playing with friends! Everyone knows at least one person who plays World of Warcraft, they might be in the closet about it, but if questioned thoroughly they can be persuaded to admit to it! Find out what server your friends play on and start characters with them! It will greatly enhance your experience, and it really will speed up the process of leveling. If you do not know anyone, seek out other lonely players like yourself and start a guild and level with them, or join someone who already has a guild made, with players in your level range.

Guilds are a great way to bring more enjoyment to the game. A guild is a great place to meet new friends! In my two year career of playing World of Warcraft, I've met countless people who I now consider friends, through guilds! All fantastic players who I would love to have fighting by my side. Joining a guild also has other perks; your higher level guild mates may be able to help you if you are having trouble with a quest, or if you need a quick run through an instance if you can't find a PUG (pick up group, which is a random group of players going to a dungeon together). Some guilds offer other fun activities, like scavenger hunts, PVP events, end-game raiding, etc. Finding a guild that is right for you will definitely enhance your experience.

Choosing the right server type will also influence how fast (or slow) you level. If you're looking for the quickest road to 70, stay away from servers marked PVP, for these will be the bane of your time on the game. A server marked for PVP means that you are an open target to any player that feels like killing you when you are in a contested zone. After level 20, almost all questing areas are contested, and from experience, most players on PVP servers are ruthless. Granted, if you are up for the challenge, by all means start your character on a PVP server, the realism of being able to kill or be killed freely is enticing to some, but for the weak of heart, it is better to stay away.

The other options from PVP servers are the Normal and RP servers. These types of servers give players the option of choosing when and where they engage in PVP. Players must be "flagged" by their own doing (typing /pvp) before engaging in combat, and any player not flagged is unable to be harmed. These are definitely the servers of choice if you are looking for an easy ride to 70, because being "ganked" as it is called, can really cut into the experience gain. If you're wondering, Normal and RP servers differ only in the fact that RP servers condone Role Play, that is, a person playing their character as if they really were that character. If RP annoys you it would be better to avoid these types of servers.

From an experienced player of two years, the above tips will greatly enhance your game play. I have yet to be bored just because the game is so interesting! And the fact that Blizzard is continually expanding the game and adding new things will definitely keep people hooked for a very long time. Remember also, that if you enjoy doing something, it isn't really a waste of time. Just be sure to keep yourself balanced between your play time, and time spent doing real life things. Happy leveling!