Breakfast Topic: What prompted your class choice?
by Lexi Sarver 
Oct 30th 2010 at 8:00AM
You're sitting at your character creation screen, starting a brand new game, maybe with no previous gaming experience at all. Or perhaps you're well-versed in the realms of MMOs, and you have a favorite character archetype already. No matter which applies, we all started at that screen, wondering: What class should I pick? What does class choice even mean? What are tanks? How come this class's armor is so hideous? What on earth is a paladin?
For me, I was devouring the manual that came with vanilla WoW as it installed, trying to find a class I'd like. When I stumbled upon druids and the fact that they could turn into bears and kitties (and moonkin, although I didn't know that yet), I was instantly hooked. Later, in the 40-49 bracket of Warsong Gulch, after getting wrecked over and over by warlock DoTs, I thought, "Hey! Warlocks seem OP! I should make one!" And thus, the warlock was born.
A guildmate of mine chose a rogue because she'd watch her husband play and he would always exclaim how annoying they were and how much he hated rogues. His anger amused her, so rogue she went!
What influenced you? Death Grip looked awesome? You wanted to dispel Hunter's Mark because you hated that graphic (my priest!)? You wanted to shoot huge balls of fire at people? Tell us about it!
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Monsty Oct 30th 2010 8:05AM
What prompted me to play a warlock was definitely Drakedog. He blew my my mind back in my young warlock days.
Lorendi Oct 30th 2010 9:28AM
Not gonna lie, same exact reason. Warlock was first character because a friend showed me his BC pvp vids.
On another note, his videos have influenced my music taste. Bands he has included (including) scar symmetry, sonic syndicate, pain, dark age, atreyu, allll from his videos.
I love you DD!
Generalklink55 Oct 30th 2010 10:20AM
WoW was not only my first MMO, but my first RPG as well. Looking at the character screen and not knowing what world I was entering into, my pick was a Paladin. I didn't read the manual(at first), but reading the screen info and seeing a Paladin basically was a warrior that can heal! "Wow!, sounds like a good class for a beginner!" Little did I know that at the time(patch 1.11) that Pallys were the most gimped class in the game in those days. Hardly anyone had them since all specs were terrible. It really made leveling difficult being I had no clue on speccing, gearing, or game mechanics since I had no MMORPG experience. When people cry how Pallys are so OP now, I can say "I was Pally, when pally wasn't cool"
Aubrey Oct 30th 2010 8:05AM
I wanted a gnome hunter. I couldn't make one obviously, so I rolled a dwarf on my brother account, I was hooked, and got my own account, but I didn't want to redo those 15 levels on another dwarf hunter so I rolled a druid, leveled for abit, made a billion alts, and one day, I wasn't playing on any character except my mage. I deleted my druid, which I still kinda regret, but I now have a druid, to heal, and gnome warrior, to tank and my gnome Mage that's been with me for 3+ years now.
Possum Oct 30th 2010 8:08AM
I played an enchanter in Everquest and mage seemed the most like that. Turns out they're nothing alike but I still enjoy throwing massive fireballs at people so we're good.
Rando Oct 30th 2010 8:14AM
I chose a warlock. Seriously who doesnt love summing demon pets, making people suffer in agony, being at the top of 'who hates mages the most' charts and did I mention making people suffer in agony.
Carune Oct 30th 2010 10:13AM
Plus we are bad asses.
bp3dots Oct 30th 2010 12:16PM
Demons. After reading the manual, I thought it looked cool, then seeing the cinematic with the UD lock and his infernal, I had no other choice but to roll lock.
Rodrigo Oct 30th 2010 8:21AM
The Arcanite-Reaper-Hoooo!-Animation for 80 levels. Although I play a paladin...
Smoof Oct 30th 2010 2:00PM
Was that a "Hard Gay" reference? If so, I approve.
To keep things on topic:
My first character was a Rogue: I liked the thought of slipping behind enemy lines and assassinating people. This wasn't my first MMO or RPG, so I figured I'd try something different, as I usually play a Warrior type. Much, much later in my career, when I was playing a Gnome Warrior, I saw how badass Shaman's were (this is probably around a year into Vanilla), because they would beat my ass it seemed like. So I started my first Shaman and never looked back. Still playing that very same character these fiveish years later; I just wish he was an Orc.
Though my new "main" (the character I'm really loving right now) is a Troll Priest. Chose him, because Trolls look really awesome as casters, I like healing and I'd always wanted to see what a Priest could do at 80. Now that I've been 80 for quite some time, I'm very pleased with him and like him more than my Shaman.
greenthumbs Oct 30th 2010 8:22AM
Rolled a Human Rogue after playing a Thief in D&D (which I still do), got to the Goldshire Inn, was immediately traumatised and rerolled Horde side. Just when I was about to make a Forsaken Rogue I ended up choosing a Warrior instead just to try something different out. 80 levels later (+80 for a Priest I made) and I've finally gone back to making a Forsaken Rogue recently as an alt.
JoJa Oct 30th 2010 12:49PM
So this. My first ever WoW character was a gnome rogue because of a looooong history of plying halfling rogues in D&D. I remember the first time I went to that village around Deadmines, and a NE rogue laughed at me for being a gnome. Another group of players who only needed one more for their 5-man immediately invited me to their run with shouts of "You're cool with us little dude." We rocked that dungeon, and I've loved this game ever since.
Skorfen Oct 30th 2010 8:23AM
I've always enjoyed the support role in a group, and browsing through the descriptions on the WoW website put forth Shaman as a potential role. I took it, and I've enjoyed it ever since.
Thel Oct 30th 2010 8:23AM
I first started playing this game a good, what, 5 years ago? At the time I didn't know anybody, so I thought a pet class would at least give me another creature to play with even if it wasn't a real person. I was always into magic, and the dark mysterious demon edge of the Warlock Class seemed perfectly suited to my interests. So I made my first Warlock on the alliance side and instantly fell in love with the class. I've leveled another Warlock later on just so I could experience the same Class on the Horde side. I rarely play anything but Warlock, even after all these years. I still find it the best class for me.
Mithgroth Oct 30th 2010 8:24AM
Thrall.
Shiro_Shishi Oct 30th 2010 12:13PM
Yep.
Thrall.
ElrithCC Oct 30th 2010 8:24AM
When I first dip my toes into something like WoW, an RPG based game, I like to play something archtypical and elemental, the guy with the sword. I went with a warrior with wow back in 2004. Was hoping one day blademasters and demonhunters would be a hero class you could advanced specialize in. Still my main until this day.
Greg Oct 30th 2010 11:57AM
In Vanilla, I started a dwarf priest because fear ward was really valuable. In BC, I started a druid so I could try all the roles: healer, tank, melee/ranged dps. In Wrath, I started a paladin because I wanted to try something totally different- that could also heal and tank. I started a shaman because I wanted to try a ranged dps but still be able to heal. I started a mage because I wanted to do better range dps and forget about healing. I started a death knight because I wanted to try them out in battle grounds.
I got them all to 80. Every time I play one, I realize that there's another class that is situationally better, or can beat me regularly in duels. So I just switch to that class for a while till something else enamors me.
Kudos on class balance Blizz!
Lucidique Oct 30th 2010 8:27AM
Those good ol' World of Roguecraft had me rolling a rogue. Stunlocking and severe ganking in BGs looked really fun, and guess what: They were!
Trying to pull the most outrageous stunts, like going in the middle of a Horde group, busy fighting tons of other Alliance, finding the secluded clothie, and unleashing hell on him - man, I miss that! That's why I rolled rogue first. Nowadays, I prefer raiding, and all the PVP is done as a Discipline Priest :)
Moxxy Oct 30th 2010 8:54AM
^^ I don't know if that's why I rolled rogue (I think it may have simply been the stealth aspect), but I definitely got hooked doing that. I loved finding the clothies at 50%, ambushing and sprint -> vanishing before the rest of his friends turned around.