Newbie guide/Tips for new players

Tips for New Players (or how to make sure you don't end up on everyone's /ignore list)
Presented in approximate order of importance:


 * HAVE FUN AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE. The general rule for any cooperative game, is that you should have fun as long as it doesn't come at the expense of someone else's fun.  Sharing the enjoyment of the game is part of the fun.
 * DON'T BEG. We have money because we go out and earn it by doing quests and running dungeons - not by sitting around in cities and inns begging for it. If you go out and complete your quests your money will accumulate quickly.
 * READ YOUR QUEST DESCRIPTIONS. If you carefully read the quest description you are usually told exactly where to go and what to do. Don't be lazy.
 * NO MEANS NO. If someone declines your invitation for a party, guild or duel do not spam them after they have declined. Don't abuse or insult them in private chat either. That kind of stuff can actually get you reported to a GM and could even get you banned! If you feel rejected you are taking it too seriously.
 * NODE RAGE. You don't have automatic rights to every node, herb or chest that you see - this isn't an offline solo game. If another player is fighting a monster near a node/herb/chest you shouldn't rush past them while they are busy to steal it.
 * BE HELPFUL - BUFFS. Buff players that you pass on the road - the tiny mana cost of a single buff will replenish long before you reach your destination.
 * BE HELPFUL - MOBS. If you see another player in trouble consider helping them out by healing them or taking a few swings at their monster. However, make sure the monster's title bar has turned grey so you don't steal their kill. Warning; if the player you are helping dies - their monster is coming straight for you!
 * ASK BEFORE OPEN. Ask a rogue to open your lockbox before you interrupt them with a trade window and an expectation that they will automatically drop whatever they are doing to help you. In fact, always ask before opening trade for any reason.
 * ASK BEFORE GROUPING. Ask a character with a tell/whisper if they want an invite to a group before doing it. Surprise party invites are known as "ninja grouping" and are frowned upon.
 * ASK BEFORE GUILDING. Ask a character with a tell/whisper if they want an invite to a guild or if you would like them to sign a guild charter before doing it. Surprise guild invites or charter windows are known as "ninja guilding" and are discouraged.
 * WE DON'T SPEAK COMMON. Horde characters can't understand what Alliance characters say to them - their default language is Orcish instead of Common. All they see on their screen is gibberish. Also if you custom emote they will only see you 'making strange gestures'.
 * WE DON'T SPEAK ORCISH. Alliance characters can't understand what Horde characters say to them - their default language is Common instead of Orcish. All they see on their screen is gibberish. Also if you custom emote they will only see you 'making strange gestures'.
 * DON'T CLICK ON THE .JPG. Be wary of keyloggers (harmful programs that attempt to record your Warcraft password) they hide in dodgy graphics files and programs. Blizzard warn us not to click on external links in their forums and suggest we use the Launcher to start WoW.
 * KEEP YOUR GUIDES OPEN. There are multiple online, electronic, and printed guides for the game (including wow.gamepedia.com).  If you can switch between windows during a session, such as using ALT+TAB on many PCs, it can let you look up answers to your own questions.
 * BE FRIENDLY. There are many different cultures and backgrounds represented by the players of the game.  Remember that when interacting with other players.  If you are disrespectful of someone or a group it could negatively effect your reputation.
 * LEARN WHEN TO WALK AWAY. If someone's messages are bothering you use the /ignore player_name command.  If someone's actions are bothering you, go somewhere else.  If someone does something that grossly violates the Terms of Service or the Codes of Conduct open a GM ticket.
 * BE OPEN ENOUGH TO LEARN. There are a multitude of ways to enjoy the game from solo play and professions, to raiding and PvP.  There are also a multitude of opinions on how to get the most enjoyment out of each.  Explore new parts of the game and new ways of enjoying them.
 * PICK EVERYTHING UP. A fantastic way to get yourself enough copper and silver at the very beginning of the game is to pick all the loot up off the monsters you slay (not just the quest items!). Each individual grey item, such as [Ruined Pelt] and [Venom Sack], when sold in stacks of 5 or more, may just generate a little bit more income for you, in order to purchase your first spell or ability upgrade!
 * ASK IF YOU DON'T KNOW Almost every player has asked the following question: "How do I speak on trade channel?". If you don't recognize an acronym (or something else), just ask for information from a more experienced player.

Do Lots of Random Dungeons
Once you reach level 15, you can use the Dungeon Finder. Queuing for as many random dungeons as possible is a good idea when you're a new player, especially if you don't have friends who play on your realm. There are several reasons for this:


 * You'll get practice playing your role in a party and handling boss mechanics, which will be helpful when you start raiding.
 * You'll get better gear than you'd be likely to get from world drops, quest rewards, or professions.
 * You'll earn gold and XP faster, especially if you can't yet afford full riding training for your level.
 * At high levels, you'll earn Justice Points. Once you reach the level cap, these will give you a head start on buying raiding gear.
 * Leveling alone or in pairs is often hard, because you can't fill all three roles of tank, healer and damage dealer. The Dungeon Finder always provides all three.
 * You'll meet lots of interesting people, who are more likely to socialize in chat than people you'd meet while questing.
 * Occasionally, you'll be randomly grouped with a player from your own realm. That player will see that you know how to play your role in a group and that you're online at the same time of day as they are, so they may want to group with you again. They may even invite you to their guild if you're not in one.

Tips for Grouping with Other Players
Mobs will target whoever is highest on their threat list. This person is the one with aggro. When grouped in a party, you want this to be a tank (warrior, bear, paladin). Let the tank generate some threat for a few seconds before you begin DPS, so that you don't pass the tank in threat generation and pull aggro.
 * Aggro and Threat

Item drops come in two flavors, Bind on Equip (BoE) and Bind on Pickup (BoP). BoP items become soulbound as soon as you loot them. When in a group, it's a good etiquette to pass on items that are an upgrade to other players. BoE items may be sold on the auction house, but they may be of more benefit to your party members than the gold you'd earn in selling them. Items that aren't usable by anyone in the party should be fair game for rolling on.
 * Need vs. Greed

It's usually safe to follow these loot rules:


 * In general, roll greed on Bind on Equip items
 * If an item is a legitimate upgrade for you, roll need (need trumps greed), but tell your group first to make your intentions clear ("ask before need")
 * If you're in an instance (dungeon) and no one can use a Bind on Pickup drop, an enchanter can disenchant the item into materials, and the group often rolls on the materials ("roll for mats") as some enchanting materials go for high $$ on AH.

See the Need before Greed page more more details.

Know which item attributes are important to you. Don't select "need" unless you have a good reason for why that item's attributes help you the most.
 * Item Stats

Choose specialization over generalization. If you're not a tank and you're getting killed a lot, defensive stats won't help much. What will help is to level through the Dungeon Finder, because it puts you behind a tank. When you're behind a tank, the stats you need are the ones that increase your damage per second or your ability to heal without running out of mana.