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A few weeks ago, we talked about choosing a character to play with a partner. I'd originally intended that post to be about the playtime you spend in game with a significant other, but the matter of simply choosing a character seemed to expand.

Playing with a spouse, partner, significant other, or loved one -- you know, playing along with someone else -- can be one of the most rewarding ways to play WoW. Not only do you get to explore and adventure in Azeroth together, but it helps justify the time you spend playing the game. It takes "video game time" and turns it into "quality couple time." It's like magic!

Partnering up in WoW isn't terribly difficult; after all, you spend most of your time together in real life. It makes sense you'll be cruising around fantasy worlds together. While you probably play with your partner pretty naturally, there are still some tips that will make your life a little easier.

You like big bags

You're gonna need bigger bags. Don't get me wrong; even when you're playing solo, bigger bags help things progress. You'll find quickly, however, that bigger bags are a stone-cold requirement when you're partnered up with another player. This is simply because you won't be able to hearth back to a vendor every time your own bags fill up; you've got to wait for the other person, too.

When you're doing quests with your partner, it's kind of a jerk move to be like, "I'm done -- see ya, sucker!" The more considerate choice (and the wise choice for those of us who don't want to ride the couch) is to wait for your co-player to also be ready for a quick trip into to town.

Get bigger bags. Trust me. Spring the cash.

Resist dungeons

With all the changes to WoW in the expansion, the average player has the valid choice of using dungeons to level up. You get pretty good gear, and the experience points make the time worth it.

I'd recommend avoiding dungeons if you're leveling up with a partner. First, it's an immense amount of pressure, and if your duo isn't totally hot on the stick, you're going to feel the results of that pressure. Second, you have to deal with all those other people -- you know, puggers.

While it seems strange to me that the universe hates all PUGs, even puggers hate PUGs. Yet, PUGs are out there. One bad PUG can wreck your night when you're playing as a pair; just skip them.

Put a mark over your heads

It can be surprisingly easy to lose track of where your partner is on the map. Slapping a raid marker over each of your heads will help you find your partner no matter what you're doing.

There is another recent addition to the interface that will make your life a little easier. When you target another unit, crosshairs appear on the minimap. It makes your target stand out a little more, which is just another way to make sure you can always reach your partner.

Don't get too far apart

It can be tempting during fast and furious play to get separated from your partner. Try not to do that. It's a basic matter of survival. While most of the game can be handled easily by a solo player, sticking close to one another will help your team live through tougher encounters.

Don't play without one another

This advice is in the same vein as "don't get too far apart." Leveling can go by very quickly. If you play without your partner, you'll find yourself a few levels ahead in almost no time at all. The mechanisms that determine how much experience each person get will help correct the problem, but once an experience gap is created, you'll have trouble closing it.

Play to your strengths

Especially once you've reached the endgame of WoW, there are many different avenues of gameplay. You can do PVP, raiding, crafting, roleplaying, and so on and so on. The thing you need to nail down is what you, as a couple, prefer to do with your time. Once you have a solid notion of how the two of you like to play ... do that.

You don't need to do everything in the game, especially if you're tight on time. If you both like to raid, for example, find a raiding guild that has room for your duo. If you're PVP players, then check out the 2v2 bracket of the arena.

Don't be afraid of alts

The nice thing about playing as a couple is that it's pretty easy to adjust your playstyle. You don't need to rush to level 85 for the sake of your guild, and you can pretty much do whatever you'd like. If your duo decides you'd like to start all over again, you can simply explore other classes.

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Visit the WoW Rookie Guide for links to everything you need to get started as a new player, from how to control your character and camera angles when you're just starting out, to learning how to tank, getting up to speed for heroics and even how to win Tol Barad.

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Filed under: WoW Rookie