World of Warcraft: A Non-Player's Guide to the Exciting Online Game Called "WoW"

What is World of Warcraft? In the simplest of terms, World of Warcraft, or WoW as it is known to players, is an online role-playing game. To those who actually play, WoW is so much more.

WoW is a separate world full of discovery and challenge where a person can lose themselves and the stress of everyday life. This article is a guide for those who haven't yet had the experience of joining in on the adventure. And yes, I am an active member of World of Warcraft.

The first thing you should understand is that WoW is addictive. It may be hard to believe that a video game can be addictive, but WoW is. For those who get online (or log in) and play it is an ever-changing experience.

Blizzard is the company that makes WoW and stores all of the information concerning your characters. World of Warcraft is a completely online experience. This means that in order to play you have to have an internet connection as well as a Blizzard account. You cannot play WoW unless you are connected to the internet. This allows for seamless updates and advances that add to the ever changing playing experience.

World of Warcraft is a Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing game. (MMORG) So whether someone is a passive player, only online every now and then, or a power player who is on every day for hours at a time, there is always the opportunity to interact with others. Although it is possible to reach the highest level without teaming up with others, you would be missing out on some of the fun.

There are always people playing WoW. Whether you choose to join with others or not, everyone plays in the same environment and affects the game. It is more fun to get into groups and try and accomplish some of the greater challenges in the game, and since everyone plays a little different the same challenge can be different every time you do them depending on who is in your group.

The more you play WoW, the more you are able to do. With each challenge or task that is completed, you are able to advance to harder areas which have more to do and greater gains to be had. WoW constantly gives players new and more challenging goals to accomplish and greater rewards for achieving them.

WoW also offers an escape from the drudgery of the daily grind. WoW allows players to forget about the pressures of bills, coworkers and everything else that causes stress, as well as offering monstrous targets on which to take out their frustrations. It gives a timid person the ability to be a fierce warrior, a needy person the chance to excel independently, or someone who always takes the back seat the opportunity to become a great and respected leader. World of Warcraft opens the door for people to become something other than they are in the real world and learn about themselves in the process.

Each player also has the ability to alter how they play. World of Warcraft offers many ways to customize a character such as class, race and character specialization. The longer someone plays, the greater the diversity becomes between similar character types. This is another way WoW keeps the game exciting and fresh. Even similar characters can be played in different ways giving a new and exciting experience.

World of Warcraft is like no other game I have ever played. The graphics are incredible and the game play is always changing and challenging.

This is the first installment in a line of articles on WoW. The following installments will contain information for beginners as well as advanced players on a variety of topics such as character development, different lands and areas, professions and getting started.