Wowhead Beginner Guides: How to Play World of Warcraft

By Wowhead Updated: 2024/09/06

Welcome to the Wowhead Beginner GuidesWowhead Beginner Guides: How to Create a CharacterEnter WorldGetting StartedEnter WorldExile's ReachThe Camera

You can zoom in or zoom out by using your mouse scroll wheel.

You can look around by holding the Left Mouse Button and moving the Mouse. This will not move your character.

You can change your facing by holding the Right Mouse Button and moving the Mouse around the screen. This will also make your character face that direction.

The Action BarMoving your CharacterWSADspace barQ Eboth Other Charactersother charactersNPCPlayersQuest Giversright-clickLeveling and ExperienceLevelsExperienceAbilitiesHealthResources Endgame Level UpExperience BarRested ExperienceGameplayQuestsright-clickAcceptMapMCombatRangedMeleetargetingAction Bardamaging ability11lootRight-ClickingRight-ClickCompleting QuestsMComplete QuestMDifferent Quest ObjectivesRight-ClickEquipmentCBDeathRecapRelease SpiritSpirit HealerMAcceptNew Player GuidesClass Specific GuidesWhat Now?

Learned how to manipulate the Camera

Learned how to move your character

Learned how to recognize other characters

Learned how to get, complete, and turn in a quest

Learned basic combat

Learned about Leveling, Experience, and Death

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Comments

Comment by ossiferdown

let's be honest: the first 10 minutes you'll spend deciding what your character looks like :P

Comment by ForsakenDima

Very nice, quick, and easy intro guide. Recently got my gf to trial WoW with me - this is a perfect resource to share with her. Thanks!

Comment by Dementron

One of the first things I do on any new character is go into the options and turn on Auto Loot and make sure Open Loot Window at Mouse is off in the Controls menu. (I also turn on Scrolling Combat Text for Self , disable Outline Mode because I find it unnecessary and immersion-reducing, turn off the Mature Language Filter , switch NPC Names to All NPCs, turn on Larger Nameplates and Always Show Nameplates , change the Camera Following Style to "Only horizontal when moving", and make sure Cinematic Subtitles are on.)

Most of those are personal preference, but I think Auto Loot is almost mandatory. I think it saves a ton of time in the long run to loot everything and sort it out later. Makes skinners happy too. When all you have is your starting backpack it can fill up quickly, though, so keep an eye on that. Some of those other settings might be worth trying, though, to see if you like them.

Comment by TamiayTheGnome

I don't know why I'm reading this, I've been playing for 8 years.
By the way, second best site to start with > https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-gb/ <. If you are from the EU.

Oh well, I enjoyed the read regardless, good guide. ^^

Comment by africanleopard

One also can't choose a Death Knight from level one. I think you have to have one character at level 55 or higher to be able to create one - not limited to a specific server. I know because my nephew started to play and he couldn't create a DK until that level.

Comment by Dogey

I like WoW Leveling! new character is everytime fun !

Comment by Darthflamel

(THIS MESSAGE IS AS OF PATCH 8.0.1) With the new leveling system, I would not spend too much time going out in the world killing random enemies, questing was, and imo still is the #1 easiest way to gain levels. Now with the new war mode in bfa it is a good idea IMO to keep it on at all times as it gives you bonuses to leveling

BTW: Level Cap (as of Battle for Azeroth)
Free: 1-20
classic: 1-60
Burning Crusade: 60-70
Wrath of the Lich King: 70-80
Cataclysm: 80-85
Mists of Pandaria: 85-90
Warlords of Draenor: 90-100
Legion: 100-110
Battle for Azeroth: 110-120 Game is fully released

This is completely based off of what I found, and I'm not telling you guys how to play the game, but (If you want to lvl the fastest without a character boost) I do dungeons UNTIL I Finnish the quests they give, then move on to the next dungeon, or quest in the open world. again, this is just my experience, and this might be slightly biast due to my love for questing.

Comment by 1863309

Good I pity could explain how I do to install the game I have legion and cataclysm but as I do to play it I have the lucher but do not talk to me I would appreciate if you help me

Comment by Darthflamel

A small addition to the whole on death part, If your toon is level 10 or below you can resurrect at the spirit healer for NO PENALTY, meaning you will not get the armor durability loss and the debuff, however it is good to learn as soon as possible to not accept resurrection from the spirit healer and to run to your corpse unless there is absolutely no way to get in range of your corpse (EXA. falling off a cliff and into the void or waiting for Res in a battleground).

Comment by 1974623

choosing your realm
my method is very simple
I create a character then I log in the realm
and check the latency
for me the latency has to be around 20ms or max 25ms :-)
you can also google with realms list regions

Wowhead Beginner Guides: How to Play World of Warcraft

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