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Breakfast Topic: How did you create your first character?

(Jason Christ) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

When a buddy asked me to consider coming back to Warcraft after a failed attempt shortly after the original release, I reluctantly decided to create a new account. When he asked me what faction and class I wanted to play, I settled on an Alliance paladin after researching classes online. I wasn't entirely sure what exactly a tank, healer and DPS meant in practice, but the paladin could do all three, so that's what I'd be. Plus, they sounded like defenders of all that was right and true.

It turns out, that was the easy part of creating my character. Next, I spent time agonizing over the name. I'd look for ones I liked from the randomly generated suggestions. Then I'd try combining elements of one name with another. I tried using simple words from foreign languages. Finally, I found the perfect name that would define my character for life, a Greek word representing one of the core values of a paladin: Truth.

Having picked a class and name, it was finally time to tinker with the races that could be paladins and see which ones fit the new name. After probably about 100 permutations across classes, from random appearances to manually matching features, I settled on a human, and my journey began.

How did you create your first character? Did someone recommend a class for you? Did the flavor text on the creation screen influence you? Or have you always known what you'd be?

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Breakfast Topic: How did you create your first character? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breakfast Topic: Where will we hang out in the next expansion?

(Jason Christ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King brought players together to neutral cities. With the updated Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms, we've returned to our respective capitals as hangouts. After all these months, I still enjoy hanging out in Stormwind, but I can't help but wonder where we'll be headed next. We now know Pandaria will have smaller, faction-based hubs ... Will we continue to reside in the capitals?

I'd like to see a floating metropolis similar to Dalaran but run by the Goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel. In my mind, it's an expanded version of the Speedbarge from Thousand Needles. There are crazy gadgets all over, minigames to play and other fun, Gobliny things. In the center of town is a large neutral Auction House, possibly with a lower fee based on your reputation to try and boost cross-faction trade. A lower level has portholes to see into the ocean and possibly an underwater entrance. Maybe there's an underwater questing zone below the barge.

The Alliance and Horde sections of the cities could be boats docked to the platform. Each race has a boat so there would be some themed areas for each race to call home and give added flavor to the city. One of the boats for each faction takes you to and from the capital cities. Don't want to wait for the boat? The Goblins have a transporter you can use to get to any of the old world cities -- for a modest fee, of course.

What about you? What are you hoping to see for our next big hangout? A neutral location, or staying in our faction capitals? Or maybe we all move to the Exodar and Silvermoon? (Ack, please no...)

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Breakfast Topic: Where will we hang out in the next expansion? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breakfast Topic: What was your first raid experience?

(Jason Christ) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

After reaching max level for the first time in Wrath of the Lich King, I started to really enjoy heroic 5-man dungeons. I'd heard of raids and seen them forming in trade chat, but I was terrified to try my hand at them. I was tanking the 5-mans, and while they were generally pretty easy, I didn't like the thought that my performance as a tank could make or break a run for others.

Finally, after gathering enough gear, I applied to an ad for the weekly raid quest to kill Lord Marrowgar. We zoned in and the other tank started pulling the opening trash. I wasn't sure what exactly to do, so I just hung near him and tried to attack what he did. Then I was asked to make a pull. Having recently facerolled several heroics, I threw my Avenger's Shield into some mobs and charged in. I quickly discovered that this trash was not the same as 5-man trash.

After being kicked from the raid, I licked my wounds until the expansion was in its waning days. Eventually, I joined another guild's raid and made it all the way to tank the Lich King himself. I didn't get the kill, but I discovered that raiding could be fun. Along the way, I found a new guild to call home.

So what was your first raid experience? What were you feeling when you first stepped into the raid? How did it go? Did it make you invest in raiding more heavily or dissuade you from doing it ever again?

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Breakfast Topic: What was your first raid experience? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breakfast Topic: What was your moment of awe in WoW?

(Jason Christ) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

I joined World of Warcraft on the Recruit-a-Friend program. After talking about race and class with my friend, I finally settled on a Human paladin as my first character. He was going to level a Night Elf hunter.

We joined up together in Goldshire and completed a few quests; then it was time for bed. He offered to take me to Stormwind to log out in the city. I had to take care of some real life stuff, so he walked me through the auto-follow function and started running.

A bit later, I returned to the computer and remember being overwhelmed with the sheer size of Stormwind. The auto-follow had been broken and I was standing near a canal, lost and confused. How would I ever find my way around this vast metropolis? Of course, the luster wore off as I became familiar with the city, but it's been my home ever since that moment. I proudly wear the title and sport the Stormwind Tabard.

What was your first awe-inspiring moment? Was it a place? A quest chain? A task you completed in game?

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Breakfast Topic: What was your moment of awe in WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breakfast Topic: Do you have NPC loyalty?

(Jason Christ) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages.

Sometimes, I can be pretty picky. I like to order the same thing at restaurants and often choose which restaurant to go to based on which main course I'm most hungry for that night. I tend to find things I like and stick with them. There might be something better out there, but I'm OK with what I know I like.

The same is true in Warcraft. There are certain vendors I always visit for certain tasks. There's Ginny Longberry in Ironforge for all my reagent needs. She was the first NPC I found in Ironforge selling the reagents I needed, so I've continued to patronize her. She's conveniently located near the mage portal destination, so my mage continues visiting her to this day.

Until the Shattering, Auctioneer Jaxon was my go-to auctioneer. She always seemed the most friendly, plus you could access her through the wall while next to the mailbox. After moving to the Dwarven Quarter, I've become attached to Lauffer, Billibub Cogspinner and Kaita Deepforge for my auctioning, vendoring and repairing needs. Leslie Wainright handles my bank account and Jennea Cannon provides my training.

Which NPCs are you loyal to? Or do you just do what's convenient, not caring who gets your business?

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Breakfast Topic: Do you have NPC loyalty? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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