Your first day in WoW Forever: a calm start

What should I decide before I log in?

Forever is realmless, so your first choice is a ruleset rather than a realm: Normal, PvP, Roleplay or Hardcore. If friends are playing, ask which ruleset and faction they’re choosing before you make a character.

Your second choice is your race and class. You can always start another character, but leveling takes many evenings, so it’s worth a few minutes now. Have a name ready too, along with a backup or two.

• Normal: the calmest start. Nobody attacks you unless you choose to fight.
• PvP: the other faction can attack you out in the world, so the road has some danger.
• Roleplay: players speak and act in character.
• Hardcore: one life, so every fight counts. Maybe not the night to play while distracted.

Tip: Not sure yet? The Forever Character Finder suggests a race, class and ruleset, and the Name Sage has first and last names for every race.

What should I do in my first hour?

Start in your race’s home zone and take the quests in front of you. Read the text: the stories are a big part of why people love this kind of game, and quest text often tells you exactly where to go.

Spend the first copper you earn on your class trainer. New spells arrive every couple of levels, so stop by whenever you’re back in town, and check your action bars afterwards in case a new spell needs to go on them.

• Pick up every quest in your starting area before you wander off.
• Sell grey items to a vendor; they’re there to be turned into coin.
• Open your bags and equip anything better. Small upgrades count at this stage.
• Learn first aid, cooking and fishing when you reach a trainer. They don’t take up a main profession slot.

What if the starting zone is really busy?

On launch day, expect a crowd. Quest monsters may be scarce, and you might wait for something to reappear. It’s no reflection on you, and it thins out as people move on.

The easiest fix is to group up. Invite someone waiting on the same quest, and you can share the work instead of racing each other. If a spot is too crowded, do another quest and come back later. If the game has a queue to log in, that’s a good moment to read your talents or plan a build.

Tip: A friendly “want to group for this?” is often how the first name gets onto your friends list.

Which professions should I start with?

Two gathering professions, such as mining, herbalism or skinning, are the simple choice. Everything you find can be sold, and that helps pay for training and your first mount. You can change your mind later, and our professions guide has more detail.

When do I get my first talent point?

At level 10, and you get one more with each level after that. Don’t worry about finding a perfect build tonight. Pick something that makes your fights smoother, and try the Theorycrafter if you’d like to plan ahead.

A few race and class details are still being confirmed. If something in the game differs from what you’ve read here, trust the game.

Where should I stop for the night?

In town, at an inn. Logging out there builds rested experience, which gives you bonus experience from monsters when you come back. Hand in your finished quests and sell your loot first, so the next session starts clean.

Then stop when you’d like to. The road to 60 is long on purpose, and everyone else’s first night won’t change yours. Raids don’t unlock until December 9, so there’s no rush to be anywhere.