MMORPG World of Warcraft Expansions

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is a multiplier online game also known as a MMORPG or massively multi-player online role-playing game. It seems to be highly addictive for all ages but particularly the age groups 14-23 and 35-45. World of Warcraft has many expansions that have been added over the past ten years including The Burning Crusade Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, and the most recent release of Mists of Panderia in September 2012.

Explaining the Expansions

As previously mentioned, World of Warcraft (also referenced in this article as WoW), has many additions and expansions, four main ones to be exact. These expansions have taken game play to a whole new level with adding new land to explore, more characters to choose from, new classes to create, and more skill professions to learn, achieve, and conquer.

• World of Warcraft: The beginning. With this game you could level your characters from level 1 to 60 by doing quests along the way and interacting with others if you choose to do so. You can learn skills or professions and level them up to the level 60 cap. *There is a free game play that is offered, however you can only level your character to a level 20.
• The Burning Crusade: This expansion offered players a chance to choose between two new characters for game play, the Draenei and the Blood Elf. The Burning Crusade also offered a raised level cap making the new one 70. It also introduced the new land mass Outland into game play.
• Wrath of the Lich King: The second major expansion that WoW incorporated. WotLK or Wrath of the Lich King, brought the new evil along with leveling up to a new level cap of 80. Not only was this a new challenge but there was also one new character introduced, the Death Knight.
• Cataclysm: The third expansion was unlike the second. Instead of Ice and Cold Hearts, Fire and Flames fills the game play. Adding a new land mass, Northrend, making the new level cap 85 and adding in the Worgen and Goblin races, Cataclysm proved to be a great milestone in the history of WoW.
• Mists of Pandaria: The most recent update of WoW as of September 2012. Bringing a new class, a new level cap of 90, and a new land mass, MoP has many surprises in store for the those that have yet to play a Pandaren!

WoW Character Introduction

There are many games out there that are commonly played but none match up to World of Warcraft. With goblins, gnomes, orcs, and trolls how could you go wrong? This game is also known as an MMORPG - which to some people may be meaningless. World of Warcraft is a multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) that includes adventure, exploration, dungeon bosses, and world bosses. You can create your own character from scratch, of course choosing it's race and class.

Fraction and Races

The races are different between fractions.

The Alliance fraction:

• Human
• Dwarf
• Gnome
• Night Elf
• Dranaei
• Worgen * Cataclysm Expansion

The Horde Fraction:

• Orc
• Troll
• Tauren
• Blood Elf
• Undead
• Goblin *Cataclysm Expansion

For the expansions you can level as followed:

Burning Crusade 1-80

Cataclysm 80-85

Mists of Pandaria 85-90

The newest expansion, Mists of Pandaria, brought forth the Pandarian race, which are panda bears. This race can choose which side, horde or alliance, that they wish to be a part of around level 13. Once they have chosen a side the player will be sent to the main city of the side chosen.

Each race has their own abilities, also called racial abilities. These will allow that specific race special abilities that others will not have unless they are the same race such as a Dwarf. Game play may differ depening on the chosen race. Each start out in their own starting zone. For the Goblin and Worgen races you must first level out of the starting zone before you meet up with other races.

Each fraction has their own special cities or towns. The major city for the Horde is Origrimmar where as for the Alliance is Stormwind. There is also a major city for each race. The Humans of course have Stormwind. For the Dwarfs and Gnomes is Ironforge. For the Night Elf is Darnasseus, Dranaei is Exodar and the Worgen shares Stormwind. The Horde has Orgrimmar for the trolls and orcs, the Goblins cannot return to their starting area Kezan, so they too share Orgrimmar as the main. Tauren's have Thunder Bluff, Blood Elves have Silvermoon, and Undead has the Undercity.

Now that you've been introduced to the Characters of World of Warcraft, it's time to join forces with either the Horde or the Alliance and begin the journey and battle to the top!

Creating a Dwarf

Although short in height, a Dwarf can pack a very hard punch if played right. As with any of the characters you can choose to change the skin color, face, hair style, hair color, and facial hair. Some of the characters have other options instead such as the way their ears look etcetera.

Bringing their small figures into the game will make anyone look twice, Dwarfs are the third smallest race in World of Warcraft.

Dwarf Classes

Aside from the basic characteristic changes that can be made, you can choose to be any of the following classes:

• Warrior
• Paladin
• Hunter
• Rogue
• Priest
• Mage
• Shaman
• Warlock
• Death Knight

Dwarves have racial abilities that allow them to have increased critical chance with guns, resistance to frost damage, increased expertise with maces, they are able to find additional Archaeology fragments and survey faster, along with the added benefit of taking stone form.Each of these abilities can be used in certain classes such as the increased critical change with guns for hunters.

The ability to change into a stone form is a great asset to playing PVP (player-versus-player). It can also help when you are fighting through the world PVE (player-versus-everything). You take considerably less damage while in stone form making it a very good ability when face with multiple enemies.

Starting Area for Dwarves

The Dwarf race starts out in Coldridge Valley which is located in Dun Morogh. Each “country”has it’s own name with several locations.Leveling 1-10 for a Dwarves will be done in Dun Morogh. The major city for the Alliance, Ironforge, is also located in Dun Morogh along with Gnomeregan, which is the Gnome starting area. Normally when leveling a Dwarf of any class you will follow this path:

Dun Morogh (1-10)
Loch Modan (10-20)
Duskwood (20-25)* not en-route
Wetlands (25-30)

All of these locations are located in Eastern Kingdoms, the continent that is home to Stormwind and the Dwarf, Human, Gnome, and Worgen starting areas. If you follow the quest line it will take you from place to place, however for those on private servers you might level out of the area with a few quests, but for Blizzard Servers and Servers with 1x rates, it will take you through each place while leveling.

What You Should Know About Choosing Your World of Warcraft Character

Once you have a registered account with your server and have signed into your account. It will take you to where you can create your very first WoW character. The expansion that you have or have upgraded to will determine which characters you can choose from. If you have the latest released Mists of Pandaria then you can choose any race that is offered through WoW.

World of Warcraft has introduced their newest expansion Mists of Pandaria. This expansion features new level caps to level 90 along with a new race, the Pandaren, and a new class, the monk. There are other benefits that you will learn throughout game play that have added a new twist to this decade old game.

Whether you play on retail or you play on a private server, the fun of WoW is never ending. Creating a new character is fun and interesting because you will be playing that character throughout the game and are able to customize it on a minimal level to your liking.

When choosing your character, the first choice that you will have to make is which side you wish to play on the Alliance or the Horde. This decision will determine where you start in the game and which land mass your main or capital city is on. Each race has a different starting zone to level from 1-10, sometimes the level will be 13 or 17 before you can leave the starting area (Worgen and Goblin).

Fraction Races

Alliance Races:

• Human
• Dwarf
• Night Elf
• Gnome
• Draenei
• Worgen

Horde Races:

• Orc
• Undead
• Tauren
• Troll
• Blood Elf
• Goblin

Universal Race:

• Pandaren

The universal race will allow you to play this character up until about level 13. Once you have followed the quest line through the starting area it will then prompt you to choose a side, whether Alliance or Horde.

Each race has their own special ability in the game. They can be either a Tank, Damage, or Healer. Some races have the option to do either of the three while others might only give the option of two. When choosing your character it is best to know what you would like to do or roll with such as a healer to help heal people or a tank to help keep the enemies at bay while the rest of the group demolishes them.

After you have read the info on each of the characters you can make a sound choice on who to start your new adventure as. Possibly a Human or maybe a more exotic race such as the Pandaren.

Starting a Human in WoW

There are thirteen races in World of Warcraft, thanks to the most recent expansion Mists of Pandaria introducing the Pandarian race. The one we are going to focus on in this post is the Human race. You can choose to be male or female, select your skin color, face, hair style, hair color, and piercings. This helps to make the character look the way the player wishes whether it be similar to the real life player or a fantasy character the player chooses to play.

What Classes Can You Be As a Human?

Aside from the basic characteristic changes that can be made, you can choose to be any of the following classes:

• Warrior
• Paladin
• Hunter
• Rogue
• Priest
• Mage
• Warlock
• Monk *MOP only
• Death Knight *must have an account with an existing level 55 or higher. This class automatically starts you out at level 55.

Humans have racial abilities that allow them to have increased Spirit, bonus reputation gains, increased expertise with swords and maces, and they can break out of speed altering and trapping effects.

Each of these abilities can be used in certain classes such as the increased spirit for priests or the increased expertise with swords for warriors. The ability to break out of speed altering and trapping effects is a great asset to playing PVP (player-versus-player).

Starting Location for Humans

The Human race starts out in Northshire Valley which is located in Elwynn Forest. Each “country”has it’s own name with several locations.Leveling 1-10 for a Human will be done in Elwynn forest. The major city for the Alliance, Stormwind, is also located in Elwynn Forest along with Goldshire, another popular Human location.

Normally when leveling a Human of any class you will follow this path:

Elwynn Forest (1-10)
Westfall (10-15) R
edridge Mountains (15-20)
Duskwood (20-25)
Northern Stranglethorn Vale (25-30)
Southern Stranglethorn Vale (30-35)

All of these locations are at the bottom of Eastern Kingdoms, the continent that is home to Stormwind and the Human starting area. If you follow the quest line it will take you from place to place, however for those on private servers you might level out of the area with a few quests, but for Blizzard Servers and Servers with 1x rates, it will take you through each place while leveling.