Before today, my computer gaming resume listed "solitaire." That's all. Just solitaire, which I totally own, but which doesn't exactly qualify me for the big time. My experience with "role playing" amounted to trying to keep it real in my own life, where I use my superpowers to sustain my role as Wonder Mom. That's all. I rule the carpool and I dominate the grocery store and Target.

In World of Warcraft, I am the newb of all newbs. I have no idea what I am doing, but my curiosity and initiative drive me. I consider this adventure something like a quest; is there a grail at the end of this journey into a terrifying wilderness?

Because I am "green" as spring's first twig, green as Kermit himself, I begin at the very beginning. I learn the basic basics?
World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a "massively multiplayer online role-playing game" (MMORPG). Can I say that ten times fast? MMORPG, MMORPG? It's the "RP" that matters, but the "MM"?massively multi-player?definitely intimidates me. I may be innocent but I am not na?: We are talkin' massive: More than 11.5 million people subscribe to this game every month. Good to know it requires a subscription: I get to pay money to watch my own annihilation? How fun! Meanwhile, these 11.5 million players helped WoW set the World's Record for the most popular MMORPG?they're in The Guinness Book of World Records and everything. Right this minute, nearly two-thirds of the people playing "MMOG's" are playing World of Warcraft. I don't think it's an accident they call it "WoW," hunh?

When I sign-up for my ten-day free trial, I will control my avatar. I get that, but can I be cuter in the game than in real life? I mean, even if monsters are gobbling me in single bites, I still want to look good while they devour me. If I understand this deal correctly, I at least get a little bit of time to explore the landscape and take a few practice shots on wimpy ogres before I really undertake a serious challenge. I hope I get a little time to develop my skills in the minor leagues before I have to take the field in the majors. How embarrassing to show-up, make a cameo, and immediately die!

The WoW website tells me, "World of Warcraft is a living, breathing online adventure world." Okay, I reassure myself, that's a little hyperbole, but with ten million people imagining and innovating, I'd hazard the guess that this virtual world has quickened and taken-on life of its own. It's only the "breathing" part that leaves me a little uneasy; but I'm guessing I'll get used to it.

The website says, when I log-on, I will become one among "thousands of mighty heroes in an online world of myth, magic, and limitless
adventure." I've never been "mighty" before. That alone will inspire the next mouse-click. But I also get a little foreshadowing, a subtle taste of what awaits: As I wander through this wonderland, I ultimately will face the dragon of Blackrock Spire; he cannot be any worse than my Ph.D. committee, can he? Is it a he? And I will perform community service as I "cleanse the undead from the looming ziggurats of Stratholme"?good thing I know what ziggurats are and have a little prior experience with climbing them. And, hey, I even can look forward to a little inventive anachronism: I'll fly a zeppelin over a "smoldering" battlefield. My characteristic pessimism kicks-in just a little: with my luck, my zeppelin will be The Hindenburg.

The first screen asserts, "An infinity of new experiences await." Then, it demands, "So what are you waiting for?" Because I have no good reason for hesitating, balking, or waiting, I take the plunge. I delicately press and click.

The guys at Blizzard Entertainment, the geniuses who created this seductive, highly-addictive masterpiece, really like the word "mighty." Before she downloads and begins play, the newb needs to know that without high-speed internet access and lots of ROM, she's toast. In other words, your computer and its peripherals must be as "mighty" as the terrain she's about to enter and the horrible wild things she's about to battle.

The business part of this goes simply and straight-forwardly enough. Although I feel a little surprised that a place which empowers my imaginary self demands all the details about my authentic self, I feel reassured that it's all encrypted, and I just type and click my way through the three-step process that whisks me into this virtual landscape.

In my first five minutes, the tips and helpers answer all my questions, allying all my doubts. I can play for ten days for absolutely free; they got all my digits, but they required no credit card for my initiation. My avatar is at least as cute as I?even with tusks; and I have chosen to train as a priest. I get to see other players as they go on their quests, but we're not required to talk; and when we do chat, they're nice to me. One vaguely attractive young knight shows me how to dance. My avatar has some nice moves.

In my first ten minutes, I have slain ten wild boars, acquired some "mighty" skills and experiences, satisfied my first initiation requirement, and taken-on my second assignment. A few ogre guys tell me they're not amused when I touch them or ask them questions; but, hey, that's not so different from my real life. I can manage it. I have enjoyed a tasty snack and some truly refreshing cool water after my boar-battles, and I have some nifty new items in my backpack.

In fifteen minutes, I have evolved from terrified wanna-be to complete rookie to emerging warriorette. That's not a bad day's work. I'm hooked. I'll be back. I have a mission to complete.

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The guys at Blizzard Entertainment are really really good!

Analytic and reflective little warriorette that I am, I took a few minutes to take a few giant steps back from the Lich King's domain and its immanent menaces. I need to thaw out. While I thawed and restored circulation in my frostbitten little nose, I worked my own superpowers of analysis on the Blizzard Entertainment guys' new wonderwork, subjecting them to "rigorous inquisition," as the poet William Wordsworth called a careful critical inquiry. Did I mention that these guys are really good at their craft? I'm not talking simply about the Warcraft which drives the game's interactive and infinitely variable plot, but all the elements of folklore and storytelling that inform the game, and all the shamanistic computer wizardry that empowers this kind of brilliant creation.

Trust me: I'm a tough judge. I went to an ivy league school, so I understand just exactly how "C" means average and ordinary. Therefore, if I award an "A," the guy on the receiving end knows he has accomplished something meaningful and valuable. Imagine what it took for these guys to earn their "A-plus"! Let me break it down for you, dropping in the ivy league theory and nomenclature as needed, because that's the world where I naturally reign as heroine-shaman supreme?

? Exquisite elements of story telling: The Blizzard Entertainment guys understand and command the essential elements of powerful narrative. They clearly have done their homework among Greek and Latin epic narrators, and they have studied?and cleverly imitated--authors of medieval quest romances. We can measure the quality of their work by the quality of their villains. In the tradition and more literally in French, the word "villain" means low-life scum. No matter how exalted a villain's political position, he must remain unmistakably a low-life scum. Arthras measures-up against the toughest standards?in words, and especially in images. Arthras terrifies, humiliates, arrogates, and abuses just like every good villain should, inviting us to despise him in every good way a hero should.
Examined from a completely different angle, "Wrath of the Lich King" cashes-in on what psychoanalyst Bruno Bettleheim describes as "the uses of enchantment." Bettleheim claims, and the Blizzard guys prove, we turn to literature?especially to epic and quest romance?to liberate the hidden heroines in ourselves. To the extent that we identify with literature's heroines, we find the latent heroism in ourselves. The Blizzard Entertainment guys have taken that "psycho-dynamic" to a whole new level, because we no longer have to identify with our heroines. We become them.

? Aesthetics: In antique reproductions, we call the look "distressed"?the crafty result of making a brand new piece look weathered and ancient. Samuel Taylor Coleridge made his "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" look distressed by his use of archaic language and his inclusion of "glosses" in the margins?as if some ancient editor had reviewed the poem and made a lot of mistakes. The Blizzard Entertainment guys have raised the standards for skilled "distressing," too. Thumbing through the resources on the web pages promoting "Wrath of the Lith King," you find lavishly illustrated old-looking maps, tables, charts, and all the other folkloric relics of a battle allegedly fought and won long-long ago.
Even more importantly, their work appears seamless. The graphics, sounds, music and languages harmonize, triggering players' synaesthesia, making them feel enveloped in the game's hostile environment, and inspiring them to master it. In the early part of the Victorian era, art critics treasured all things "sublime"?simultaneously overwhelming and awe-inspiring. Our abuse of the word "awesome" comes from this traditional esteem for the sublime. In the presence of the sublime, we're supposed to feel how tiny we are, and we're also supposed to feel how powerfully graced we are that we have dominion over the environment and all its threatening forces and creatures. The Blizzard guys transport us right to the heart of the sublime.

? Engagement: For all its daunting dazzle, the game and its landscape are amazingly friendly. The game engages players at their own levels and helps them evolve to higher and higher ranks and standings. I could navigate through the hostile terrain almost instantly, and all the tips immediately freed me from the quandaries into which I worked myself. Although the hostile creatures pose significant risks, and although they challenged me to develop new skills and talents, they never had the power to destroy me. There's a lot of comfort in that kind of resilience. But I especially appreciate the game's liberal allowance for different values and temperaments. I want to belong among the warriors, but I do not want to be renowned for my ferocity. The game allows me to choose missions and quests that suit my natural temperament while I fire-up my feral streak. Far more significant for veteran gamers, though, the landscape, the weapons, and the adversaries evolve in perfect synch with your character's emerging skills. That synch takes "user friendly" to a whole new level.

Of course, we all understand that authors never recognize the power and subtlety of their own work; that's why critics can keep their jobs. If they are truly as good as their products, the Blizzard Entertainment guys will admit that they never consciously considered this theoretical stuff as they got entangled in the codes and intricacies of their game. They probably never even intended many of the effects and affects they achieve. They get credit for all that good stuff anyway. It's just in the nature of the storyteller's enterprise.

Did I mention that the Blizzard guys are really really good?

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In World of Warcraft, Warriors are often viewed as the unspoken leader of the group, as it usually falls upon them to incur strategies and direct team mates, and as a result often draw a lot of attention from the enemy. Warriors are one of three pure dps classes and they are also one of two classes that do not use mana. Instead they make use of a 'rage' meter which gradually fills as the Warrior is attacked. Warriors put out very high dps and if they are attacked then they have more rage to do more damage (many people call this "feeding them rage"). This marries very well with the fact that Warriors have high armour and resilience from the outset. Warriors also have an amazing ability called Mortal Strike. Mortal Strike reduces the amount of healing done on the target by 50%. This means that enemy healers have to spend much more time and mana keeping their teammates alive. To round off, Warriors also have great anti crowd control spells and abilities, which means there is only a very small window in which they can be targeted with negative status ailments.

Paladins and Warriors have been one of the most apparent synergies in the Arenas. Both classes wear plate (most protective armor) so there are no weak spots to melee on the team. The Paladin and the Warrior both have an array of stuns and defensive abilities that make them hard to kill. The Warrior is also greatly complimented by the paladin through Blessing of Freedom and allows Warriors to move without fear of getting rooted or snared, which is the biggest weakness to Warriors. The Warrior also meshes with Paladins well because Mortal Strike makes the opponents healers have to use more mana and time to keep the Warriors target alive.

Also, Warrior and Shaman team-ups have become increasingly prominent in recent games. Combining the windfury totem of a Shaman with the already impressive dps of the Warrior means their attack capabilities are extended ever further. The Shamans Heroism buff works even better with Warriors and is magnified when they also have a windfury totem. This means the Warrior not only is hitting harder but also attacking faster. Finally, the Shaman can negate any protective buffs used against a Warrior's victim, leading to a chance for extremely quick take-downs.

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If you search the market, you will be presented with an astonishing amount of World of Warcraft guides for you to choose from. In order to the top level, you are going to want to purchase a World of Warcraft guide. While it can be difficult to read one from the next, there are some things contained in each guide you will want to look for to help you pick out the best option available.

The first thing to look for with your guide is that the Auction House gold mine is included. The Auction House is a vital part to obtaining a lot of gold. If you are wise with your gaming, a lot of gold can be generated from the Auction House. Because of this, you want to make sure your guide tells you how to monopolize items to sell, how to sell them and when the best time to sell is.

You will find that there are numerous Auction House methods that you can use to get the most gold you possibly can. Even the most experienced World of Warcraft players struggle to know all of the options available. This is why you want to find a guide that will be there to assist you with the Auctioning of your items.

The next feature you want to look for is some references of how to obtain skills for your class and character in the game. You want your character to be as powerful and skilled as possible. If you can further the skills of your character, you can become extremely wealthy at the same time. You want your guide to highlight rich gathering paths and spots so you can progress quickly through the skill levels.

The next thing your World of Warcraft guide should cover is the hot spots that can be found in the game. You want to know where these hot spots are and what you creatures you want to kill when you arrive there. This is perhaps the most preferable feature from players when purchasing a guide.

The last tip for what to look for in a legitimate World of Warcraft guide is daily quests you can complete. Depending on the playing style, some prefer to do daily quests in order to gather in game currency over Auction House gambling or farming. You want to find a guide that covers this as well just in case you change your strategy in some form or another.

There are numerous World of Warcraft guides to choose from online and in book stores. If you really want to become a successful player, it is vital you take the tips in this article to help you find a legitimate World of Warcraft guide that will help you maximize your playing experience.

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Powerleveling is a term that is often mentioned in games like World of Warcraft. The powerleveling strategy is tailored towards giving a player more power in assisting in a battle rather than be a player who has far less power to help defeat the enemy. As you probably already know, the player with less power in will easily be defeated by someone with more experience.

In a PVP match between players, if a higher ranked player is defeated by someone with a lower level, the amount of experience obtained is a lot higher than an equally matched PVP game. The more experience points you earn the higher the level you will become. Powerleveling has become very popular amongst online guilds and WOW players.

There are many reasons why you would want to use power leveling tactic. The most common reason is for players to advance through the lower levels quickly and get to the more difficult and challenging levels. However, it is also a way for you to advance past the less thrilling levels the game has to offer. Because of the growing interest of this technique, many gaming companies have set up systems and tactics for you to do this.

The process of powerleveling is that the whole point behind it is to increase your experience acquisition in the minimal amount of time. You want to advance in levels without having to spend days or even weeks trying to do so. There are a few ways for you to power level, but as with most things, it is up to you to determine what works best for you, the player.

If you look online and in some shops, you will find many guides that can help you with powerleveling in World of Warcraft. Some will tell you to do several quests in a row. In other guides, they will suggest you go for it while leaving nothing behind. If you want to powerlevel it is a good idea to try different methods and determine what works best for you.

In order to find great bounty on quests, it is beneficial to find out the amount of items that have been dropped by your target. Don't want to waste time on quests that have a low item drop rate. You are better off doing quests in areas with high drop rates.

The final tip I can tell you to help succeed with powerleveling in WOW is to download an add-on of some sort. There are a number of different add-ons you can download including one that will show you detailed reports of your progress and give you an insight as to what to do to gain the most experience possible.

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World of Worcraft is filled with huge variety of different modifications that customize and provide vital information for gamers to take advantage of. Some modifications are better than other, but it all depends on what you are using it for and what you want your playing style is. Here are six of the more popular mods other gamers have downloaded online.

1. QuestHelper
This modification is by far the most popular to download. This add-on has gained the reputation as the most effective leveling modification available for World of Worcraft. It has an extensive database of information that can help you find exactly where you want to go. In addition, it will also generate the fastest path for you to take so you can quickly move up in levels while completing all of your quests.

2. Cartographer
This is add-on is highly effective for anyone looking to view all of the in game maps of World of Worcraft. This will enable you to plot out your journey, see where the best locations are for attaining gold, and where different items can be found.

3. Recount
The next mod you should consider installing is Recount. This modification provides a user with easy to read, graphical damage statistics in the form of a graphs. It can help you monitor any damage that has been done, what damage has been taken, any healing that has been done, and so much more. You will find that the graphs are easy to read and very accurate.

4. Deadly boss
Want to know what you're going to come up against when it comes to a tough boss? The Deadly Boss add-on for World of Worcraft is essential for seeing what to expect when you come up against a boss. This will help you monitor everything you need to know about a boss fight. It is the perfect tool to help you move up in levels.

5. Atasloot Enhanced
The last mod worth getting is Atasloot Enhanced. With this tool, it will allow you to view all of the loot tables for all the bosses in the game. Also, it will show you drop rates while allowing you to link items in any chat channel.

The above are only a few of the many different modifications you can download for World of Worcraft. There are mods that give you battle statistics, plots out your journey, help you level up quickly and also help you attain more gold quickly.

World of Worcraft is filled with a plethora of mods and options that you can download. You can download mods to help you fight off every boss, learn the quickest path for you to take to move up in levels, and attain a damage meter. These mods are the most popular downloaded that players use in the game.

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World of Warcraft has a millions of people in a variety of age groups playing online. This revolutionary game has caught the attention of gamers looking for a journey of epic proportions. In order to get the most of your game experience is having as much World of Warcraft gold as possible.

With a huge stock pile of World of Warcraft gold, it opens the doors to a number of new and exciting challenges. You can buy epic flying mounts, you can use it to purchase more weapons and armor, or you can use it to fund any raids you desire for as long as you want. It is obvious to see that collecting gold can increase your chances of conquering all there is to offer in World of Warcraft.

There are several ways that you can go about obtaining World of Warcraft gold in a small amount of time. There are some a methods that can do this, but one of the top methods is the in game Auction House. The idea behind the Auction House is fairly simple; you want to buy low and sell high. In order to do so there are three basic rules you should adhere to.

The first rule is to research the item you are selling or buying. You want to be aware of what you are going to find prior to even entering the Auction House. Look for items that are selling in a hurry so that you know what to buy and how many. These high selling items could be sold for a good profit, chances are they are rare and you can get far more for them than what you originally paid.

After carrying out your research, the next thing you should do is to purchase an item with a high demand. The key is to try and purchase for a low price, but it takes time to learn how to price various items. In addition, you will find that the same item will be sold for a different price somewhere else. This is why researching your item is important.

Once you have purchased the item for the price you feel is fair, your last step is to go out and sell the item for a profit. The goal behind this technique is to make as much profit as you can off of nothing. This is a great way to increase your World of Warcraft gold count.

There are other techniques and methods you can use to build up your World of Warcraft gold, but the Auction House method is one of the best. In no time at all you can drastically increase the amount of gold you have by carefully researching trends and finding out what is in high demand. The best way to find out how to find items to buy cheap and sell at a high price is by studying the guides available on the internet.

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Druids are commonly referred to as a hybrid class, as they are able to fulfill various roles within World of Warcraft dependent on the specs assigned to each of them. Generally Druids can choose to be prominent in ranged magic, close melee or healing and restoration. Druids are also unique in that they have various forms they can shape shift into. Cat is a very quick (attack + speed) form that can stealth and is similar to a rogue. Bear can be utilised to grant increased strength in melee, whilst Cheetah is used as a key ability used for speed and flight from combat.

Mastering each of these abilities is the key to unlocking a Druid's full potential. Combining these abilities with the Druid's unmatched healing skills (most of which are auto-cast) make this class highly attractive to 2v2 and 5v5 games. Druids also have amazing kiting abilities (cheetah form) and the ability called Cyclone, which makes a character unable to do anything (Cyclone can't be dispelled). Druids are, unfortunately, notorious for being extremely fragile whilst in human form and so attract a lot of unwanted attention. Bear Form allows them to stay up for a while but they cannot heal while in this form and are effectively shut down. Effective use of kiting can usually keep the Druid out of harm, but this must be mastered and is still a tricky feat to pull off.

The Moonkin spec is becoming increasingly popular in top teams, as the Druid provides a great range of aggressive spells, whilst also coming complete with high level armour for a caster. This makes the Druid a less attractive target to the enemy. Moonkins bring great CC (Cyclone and Entangling Roots) and the only real downside to them is that they have very little defensive abilities. Teams with mostly casters can easily burn down a Moonkin and it will not be able to defend itself. Again though, this can be countered with skilled use of kiting abilities.

Feral Druids require a large amount of skill and perseverance to use, but once mastered their potential is rightly respected and feared. Their differing forms are usually at the peak of performance, with Bear form bringing unparalleled survivability and human form allowing for impressive and potentially game defining crowd control. Feral Druids can very easily lock down two healers with Feral Charges (Bear form) and well placed Cyclones. Mastering this spec can provide a team with their key player.

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World of Warcarft provides players with a complex online gaming experience. There are so many levels, hordes of creatures to defeat and strategies involved within this online role playing game. Power leveling has become a popular strategy to getting through the many levels of the game and to help you do this, we have some answers to some of the most common questions about power leveling in World of Warcarft.

The number one question by World of Warcarft gamers is how you can level up quickly in the game. Your best bet is to get yourself one of the many leveling guides that are available on the internet. With the guide, you want it to include the in-game add-on tips to help you avoid jumping from the game to a document on your computer desktop. This should eliminate wasting some time.

Now that you know to purchase a leveling guide, the next question you may have is what guide should you buy? It is difficult to highlight one guide as there are so many to choose from and everyone has a personal preference. Some of the more popular guides you can look at are Brian Kopp for alliance players, Joana for the horde and Zygor for Dugi. It is recommended to read some reviews and see what is best for you.

Players who have just started playing the World of Warcarft game may be clueless as to what a Quest Helper is. This is something you are going to want to become familiar with from an early stage. This is a free in game add-on that you can download that is extremely helpful when completing quests and leveling up. It can truly help you plot out your next move. It applies an interface within the game to help you find your current quests are and what their quest givers are.

What are Co-ords? Co-ords are a term that is referring to coordinates; the exact point where something is located in your map. It does not matter what the item is as this feature will tell you the exact location of this. To get co-ords to be displayed in your game, an add-on is needed to be installed.

What is Nerffing? Nerffing is a word that is used by World of Warcarft players that signifies a certain class has had one or more of its talents diminished in one way of other by means of the game developers changing things. You may know of the Nerf toys that consist of foam projectiles. If it is an enemy that has been Nerffed, this is can be extremely beneficial for you.

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In World of Warcraft, Warlocks are similar to Mages in that they dish out great dps, specialise in crowd control and have some nifty silence techniques up their sleeves. However, they trump Mages in their higher healing abilities, and intrinsic self heal increase at 20%. The difference between a Warlock and a Mage, though, is that Warlocks do not have the kiting abilities and survivability of a Mage. Most of a Warlocks dps comes from various dots (damage over time), which can be distributed across multiple enemies or concentrated on one. This effectively allows the Warlock to multi-task, damaging various players and then able to control healers or dps other targets at the same time. The downside to dots is that they can be quite easily removed by a cleanse or dispel (Priest or Paladin).

Warlocks pack two very powerful curse spells into their arsenal aswell, the first being Curse of Tongues, which makes all casting last 100% longer. Secondly there's Curse Of Agony, a powerful dot.  That being said Warlocks also bring great chemistry to teams, especially ones with Shadow Priests on them. Warlocks have two separate fears (generally viewed as some of the most potent attributes in the entire game) and have a silence with one of their pets. Add to this a wide range of effective specs, such as Felguard spec (Deep Demonology tree), UA spec (Deep Affliction Tree), and Soul Link Hybrid (Part Demo/Affl) and you have a well rounded and potentially dangerous individual.

Felguard Warlocks have increased staying power and survivability compared to other spec Warlocks. Named after the pet they bring to battle, Felguards are known for putting out huge dps and constantly harassing the target. The pet also has an ability to intercept players for 3 seconds, used to greatest effect against healers. The Felguard Warlock also gets higher spell damage through talents in their spec and also get 20% damage done rerouted to their felguard, allowing them to survive longer. Combining the Felguard abilities with a Warlock's standard spells gives these casters deceptively great burst dps, which, combined with their great crowd control and survivability make them a great asset to any teams.

UA spec Warlocks have the impressive ability to make all the dots they dish out unmovable, and this is through Unstable Affliction. Unstable Affliction will silence the dispeller for 5 seconds and do 3000 damage to him. Therefore it's considered too much of a gamble to intrude on the UA's dots. The downside is that this spec does not have soul link, drastically decreasing the Warlock's survivability. Because of this most UA Warlocks play on 4 dps lineups, best to burst down an opponent very quickly. UA Warlocks go well with Shadow Priests as their Unstable Affliction protects their dots as well.

Soul Link Hybrid locks are the most popular build for Warlocks as it combines massive dps with Affliction with the survivability of demonology. This is complemented by their ability to drain life and consume the power themselves at an uninterrupted level. This build is used by almost all top 5v5 Warlocks.

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