WoW Rookie: Snag the best tricks with tutorial tips
by Lisa Poisso 
Dec 23rd 2009 at 5:00PM
No matter whether you're the greenest rookie on the block or well into leveling by now, if you haven't paid attention to the new, improved tutorial system that was launched with Patch 3.3, you're missing out! "This is great," says reader Dysmorphia when news broke about the new system. "I didn't even realize that you could turn your character with a mouse until around level 60 or so. Look at this sad e-mail I wrote to a more experienced druid when PvP got me down: My enemies literally run in circles around me making it very hard for me to attack. If you can offer any advice, I would be much obliged to you. Now it's the first thing I tell new players. But having it actually clearly explained in a tutorial will be very helpful."
Sink your teeth into the whole feast's worth of tips in our tutorial tips gallery, which we've featured here for you after the break. (Note that these are the test versions of the tips; some may have changed slightly or new ones may have been added in game since then.) Then you can turn the system off in game, with the assurance that you've reviewed what it has to offer.
- You'll also find helpful in-game articles in the Knowledge Base, accessible by hitting the ? button in the Game Menu at the bottom of your screen.
- Don't forget that the WoW Rookie Guide offers literally dozens of articles that help newer players make the most of their game.
Visit the WoW Rookie Guide for links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's. WoW Rookie walks you through all sort of new-player concerns, from game lingo for the beginner to joining your first guild as a mid-level player and on to what to do when you finally hit level 80.Filed under: Tips, Features, WoW Rookie
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Raydex Dec 23rd 2009 9:07PM
HOLY CRAP you can? My God, why didn't I realize that before I hit 80?!
jorge_av Dec 23rd 2009 5:24PM
I'm only ever played WoW on a laptop using the touch pad. I tried using a mouse, but it felt awkward. So yes, I'm a keyboard turner, I didn't even know what that meant until I was 70. I never tried turning with a touch pad... I may try it out later see if I can not be a keyboard turner without a mouse.
Dart Dec 23rd 2009 5:49PM
You really should. It's a million times more efficient mouse turning. While on that subject, keybinds are also a million times better.
tonedeff Dec 23rd 2009 5:41PM
Auto Walk by pressing numlock better be in the tutorial. Was geting close to 60 back in vanilaa wow by for discovered this one.
Lidodger Dec 23rd 2009 6:19PM
I figured it out when I started WoW without Num Lock on and pressed it before I pressed /say and started to run. I was like WTF OMG NICE!!
Kooshi Dec 25th 2009 6:08AM
I have a G5 mouse and the "back" button on the mouse (right above where the right thumb goes) is bound to auto run by default. I prefer this button over numlock since I like the numlock light to always be on :)
Tyr Dec 23rd 2009 5:51PM
Heh, right click turn and autowalk were about the first things I learned when I started playing. Can't imagine how tedious it must be not knowing about it...
redothree Dec 23rd 2009 6:38PM
Shift-click to buy stacks of items (and to pickup items at the mailbox). I was so happy when I found that out.
Shassar Dec 24th 2009 5:31AM
You can do that to the mailbox? I never knew, and I'm a level 80 in T9 :O Thanks!
RobertHMayfire Dec 23rd 2009 6:55PM
I like to hold down the scroll wheel and turn with the right mouse button to run and turn. Not recommended for everyone as not all mice are created equal.
Slog Dec 23rd 2009 7:22PM
To run, hold down both mouse buttons, works very very well for movement and turning.
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Dec 23rd 2009 8:21PM
You can also middle-click to run but lots of people bind things to the mousewheel so it's not quite as effective.
The basic ways of running are WASD, arrow keys, middle-click, left+right click, and the "Click to Move" option hidden in the UI where you can move to the spot on the ground you click.
jermaine_andrade Dec 23rd 2009 8:37PM
A perfect idiom for this-Its not too late to teach old dog new tricks.
Hard Dominator Dec 24th 2009 5:01AM
WHAT I CAN TURN?! OMG TOO LATE I'M ALREADY USED TO STRAFE
kvanje Dec 24th 2009 5:10AM
It never ceases to amaze me -- with any piece of software -- how people just stick to whatever solution they come up with first, as long as it marginally works, even if it's extremely inefficient. All they had to do was spend fifteen minutes experimenting and looking through the options screens and keybindings, and they'd have a much better experience. Trading fifteen minutes of learning for tens, hundreds or thousands of hours of improved experience and less pain is obviously an excellent tradeoff, yet surprisingly few people seem to make it.
peagle Dec 24th 2009 8:11AM
Shift-clicking to split stacks of items. I used to trade stacks to other people and have them split them for me before I discovered how. I kid ye not :)
paradoxfactor Dec 24th 2009 12:42PM
Yup that one took me a bit to find out too. Another trick that I told some people about that 'not everyone seems to know is shift clicking someone's name in chat. It pops up with there level, location, and class. Very handy I've found.
Aleph Dec 24th 2009 4:29PM
I've learned this trick as a hunter long ago because it's obviously efficient when you're kiting something and you have to quickly turn around to land your shots on the target.
Ronin Dec 29th 2009 10:10AM
I'm pretty sure the mouse-wheel isn't bound to auto-run: I think I had to set it up that way in my key-bindings. But maybe memory serves me poorly?