Breakfast Topic: Best advice for a newbie
by Elizabeth Harper 
Feb 5th 2007 at 8:00AM
I'm sure we've all had this problem. You've got a friend who's just picked up the game and suddenly you're hit with a barrage of questions. What's the best class? What's the best race? What do you mean I shouldn't play a Night Elf priest? (No insult to Night Elf priests in the audience -- but you have to admit it's not the best race/class combination.) And once they do manage to create their first character and explore the newbie zones, you're in for another round of questions. What sort of weapon should I use? How do I add buttons to my hotbar? What do you mean my rogue shouldn't focus on intellect gear?Ah, newbies and their endless supply of questions. But I'm sure we were all there at one point, and so I'm asking you -- for the benefit of all players who have ever had to help a new player get started -- what's your best advice to a newbie?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Features
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
rpotor Feb 5th 2007 8:12AM
Well, a little RTFM would never hurt... :-)
gopushwood Feb 5th 2007 8:17AM
my friend redently started playing a blood elf lock and when i was running him through RFC he kept dying. He didn't understand that as a lock he shouldn't be meleeing. he also couldn't figure out party chat so he just kept saying what he wanted to say. lolz @ newbs
rec Feb 5th 2007 8:26AM
well, if someone i know picks up a copy, i point them to a server i'm not on for a start :P
Pete Feb 5th 2007 8:27AM
Get your professions early. Make sure mining is your first (unless you're a Tauren Druid :) ). Make sure the other one is skinning or herbalism.
That way, you'll always have enough money to buy what you want at the AH. At lower levels it's almost always cheaper to buy stuff than to make stuff.
If you want to make stuff at later levels, just unlearn a profession. You'll have enough cash to buy mats at the AH and level very quickly.
Döt Feb 5th 2007 8:33AM
Best Advice: Do not play WoW with someone who refers to you as newbie, or noobie or noob, rather than friend.
Dr. Funbags Feb 5th 2007 8:44AM
1. Roll PVP
2. Mining/Skinning
3. Browse wowinsider.com/Forums/Guides/ during work
4. Get an Alarm Clock Mod - time seems to slip on by ingame.
boulderhorn Feb 5th 2007 8:46AM
i know this is totally off-top but i don't know how to suggest a new topic thread any other way. Can we talk about the out of control economies? Since the expansion's addition of jewel crafting the prices of ore and gems has gone through the roof. Because blacksmithing and jewelcrafting share most of the same materials, this has turned the already difficult profession of mining into an impossible one, and makes blacksmithing even more expensive than it already was. These problems are only compounded by all of the peeps who were playing alts, having returned to their lvl 60 toons to lvl them up to 70 as quickly as possible. These higher lvl characters have much greater access to gold than a noob and are setting the prices for the whole economy. Furthermore, because peeps aren't playing the lower level alts, there is a lack of bronze, iron and mithril (atleast on my server) as well as lower level gems such as lesser moonstones and citrines. When you have to pay 2 gold each for a lesser moonstone, you know the economy is out of wack. I only bring this up because my highest lvl character is only lvl 53 and a blacksmith/miner too. I cetainly hope that the economy will even out eventually, but in the mean time... What do you guys think? Am i right or just crazy? Sorry about the threadjack. Bloggers, feel free to repost this or delete it from this thread.
Boulderhorn - Tauren Warrior
Chromagus, US, pvp
Dr. Funbags Feb 5th 2007 8:48AM
As a miner/skinner - I welcome all those 60's/70's with their deep pockets and hankering for leveling Jewelcrafting. Long Live Capitalism!!!
Rich Feb 5th 2007 8:50AM
Say "Ask him" .... /point
Mount up and run
Karugon Feb 5th 2007 9:08AM
Go to www.wowwiki.com
kerni Feb 5th 2007 9:12AM
My best advice would be...
- Use Wowhead/Thottbot/WoWwiki/Alakazaam.
- Stop asking for higher levels to rush you through your instances. You don't learn how to play the game that way, you just rely on others to get you through things.
- Pick a class and roll it. Level it up. Dont create ten level 20's.
Jason Feb 5th 2007 9:16AM
Best Advice, huh?
1. Thottbot, Allakhazam and WoWwiki know more than I do about quests.
2. There is no best class/race combo, just personal preference and aesthetics.
3. Have fun. If you never make it to level cap, but are having fun, then you're getting your money's worth.
4. RTFM. This is probably the most important one.
Stanlee of Destromath Feb 5th 2007 9:19AM
My best friend just got into the game and I've had a blast with him.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Make sure that this is someone you enjoy hanging out with and playing with. He WILL ask tons of questions and will pester you non-stop with them. Make sure that it is someone who you don't mind helping out and interacting with.
First, I just explained all the basics of the classes to him. Since he has played every Warcraft game to date except WoW, I didn't have to explain the races, and he knew more about the lore than I did!! Explaining the classes wasn't hard either, because he used to play D&D.
So I guess another important point is to only introduce folks who you know will be interested and who are veteran gamers. WoW is not the easiest game to pick up without lots of guidance, so make it easy on yourself and don't introduce your girlfriend to it (unless you are blessed with a gamer girlfriend, in which case we will all /cry).
Next - it is important to have your friend choose a realm that you occupy so you can help him out alot. I had him roll his guy on Destromath where I have my high-lvl main. I ALSO rolled a new character with him so we can play the game together occassionally and roll through quests. It really helps when he does his first instance, his first battleground, first world spanning quest to have someone running with him who is in the same situation but with months (or years!!) of experience.
After he got started - I threw some gold and bags at him once he got to level 6. It's a really good way to help him get started after he learns the very basics by running through the noob zones. This was the only handout I gave him and he turned it into about 100 gold by lvl 27 because of the inflated price of copper :)
It is important to continue to help him even after he is comfortable with the game. I was in the middle of an instance on my main when he was getting camped by some Hordies in Ashenvale. What did I do?? I dropped the group, rode to kalimdor, ate the lower lvl hordies, and escorted my friend to his destination.
It requires patience and effort, but it is well worth it.
chaz Feb 5th 2007 9:21AM
"Pick a class and roll it. Level it up. Dont create ten level 20's."
Oh man, i should have taken that advice... i had one of everything before I got a guy to 60 - except a gnome, they just look stupid.
I think i had 150 levels in before I had a guy hit 60. So dumb.
Zack Feb 5th 2007 9:22AM
My advice
-Go to school
-Go to work
-Hang out with your real life friends
-Play WoW in your /SPARE/ time
Now that thats out of the way
-Roll a Rogue as your first character
-Do not roll a priest with the intention of healing all the way through.
-If you want to do DPS then be a Mage, if you want to heal then be a druid. Feral/Balance druids are frowned upon throughout most of the game.
-Play to have fun. If somebody tells you that you're playing wrong, just say "I'm playing to have fun."
-Do not join an endgame guild unless you want to sell your soul.
Apocolipto Feb 5th 2007 9:21AM
Iv got a few of my friends to start playin and I just started a new char with them, so its easier to show them whats goin on. And i dont care if they ask questions and what not, because there Friends and id rather play with some people i can cuss at and they dont care then some poon that gets all upset. We keep our loot on free for all and take what we need if no one needs it, usualy goes to the enchanter or whoever wants to sell it.
Friends are the best people to game with, You can run in groups get Q's done faster, and MUG ALIES!!!! HAHA DIE DIE DIE.
O ya 1 Question. Why do lvl 70 Alies attack Turran mill Over and over and over and over all day long?
Dro Feb 5th 2007 12:08PM
@11
I strongly agree with the second point you make.
Gotta love it when your guildies expect you to run them through instances because you're a higher level.
Or help them with a Non-Elite quest simply because they don't want to figure out a strategic way to pull a mob.
My advice: Be nice to the higher level players in your guild. They are more likely to help you with a quest in their downtime. They don't owe you anything, so don't pretend like they do.
-Dro
crod Feb 5th 2007 9:29AM
First pick the same server, point them to good websites and if you are into that thing addons.
Second Roll a lock, Easy Class to learn and play but still gives a nice overall knowledge in applying different tactics (course the class should be what they want to play ^_^)
Third pick two gathering professions mining skinning or herbing skinning. DONT pick mining herbing since only one can be up at a time. Then sell away. You can learn a crafting skill after 40+ but hold off to 70 I say if you have the two you want to do in mind save the recipes you find along the way for those.
Fourth create a bank toon to put all your extra gear and use that guy to sell off your stuff. Park him by a major city so you have access to bank/AH/mailbox
Fifth Teach the guy basic party etiquette (need vs greed, ninja looting, roles in parties etc etc.) this will help them make fast friends and become an effective player (providing you are one too ^_^)
Sixth Teach the guy/gal chat etiquette.
I think with these emplace it will help diffuse the harrowing entrance into a MMO by making common mistakes that can sadly get them blasted for making and taking the fun away from the game.
Oh the last rule send all gold to me :P
Ghostle Feb 5th 2007 9:32AM
Don't beg for money
Hiroshi Feb 5th 2007 9:35AM
"(No insult to Night Elf priests in the audience -- but you have to admit it's not the best race/class combination.)"
More like human paladin imo. Perception? If you're losing to rogues as a paladin, just reroll man... reroll.