EU+US A one stop shop?

[Chops]

So I was thinking that a comprehensive "one stop shop" beginners guide would be nice to write up. I have some friends who are relatively new to F2P. So I sent them to this forum but trawling through it, while rewarding, is also time consuming and often you come across stuff thats just outdated.

I'm imagining a comprehensive a guide with tips and knowledge to get someone all the way from the character creation screen to several thousand achievement points. I know we like to predominantly pvp but it seems like our "guides" are almost exclusively focused on that and not much help to the aspiring achievement hunter beyond "search the forum" and "explore between ques, I guess".

So I got to work on a rough draft but I soon realized even I don't know a lot of stuff. I dont, actually, know how to get to outland without having a port to Pandaria and setting my hearthstone at the inn. I don't actually know how many pets we can get. what is the best way to level archaeology?

I know some of you (@Crystalpall and @aislingyngaio come to mind) have some pretty expansive knowledge and experience and was hoping to crowd source all the little tips and tricks we've learned along the way that we might think of as common knowledge but someone new to this particular niche of WoW might not consider. Like how much certain races profession bonuses might help or that there arent plate helms available at our level.

Links to guides (like this fishing contest guide) would also be super helpful. I'd like to be able to sort of "paint with a broad brush" but then provide links for further/deeper reading.

 

[Crystalpall]

I actually thought about making some thing like that, but because it has to contain all the topics (what to do at fresh 20, gear for all classes, profession order and everything that can be done) it's extremely time consuming, but your

"paint with a broad brush" but then provide links for further/deeper reading.

might be a viable thing to do. I'll think about it, but for now I'm busy.

 

[Chops]

I actually thought about making some thing like that, but because it has to contain all the topics (what to do at fresh 20, gear for all classes, profession order and everything that can be done) it's extremely time consuming

Eh, my computers on its last legs and can barely handle WoW at the moment. 8 fps isn't good for much besides a daily fishing quest, so I figure I might as well do something useful for the community while I'm waiting to get a new machine.

 

[SPQR]

Whats up with survival of the fittest?

 

[Allybeboba]

One does not eat an entire 72 oz. steak in a single bite. One cuts it up into bite size morsel before eating it.

Create separate guides.(little morsels) And then within the "master guide" ( the steak ) have links directing people to those specific guides.
Enlist the aid of the people of this fine website! We have some people with a lot of knowledge.

 

[Chops]

One does not eat an entire 72 oz. steak in a single bite.

Challenge accepted.

Create separate guides.(little morsels) And then within the "master guide" ( the steak ) have links directing people to those specific guides.
Enlist the aid of the people of this fine website! We have some people with a lot of knowledge.

I considered this. A sort of "master post of f2p guides" but then i kinda thought that's what the "guides" section at the top is. And that a super new person may not even know enough to know where to start.

That said, what i envision is largely this idea anyway. Just with enough info on each subject that a new reader doesn't HAVE to open another tab or read through a new thread if they don't want to.

I just know that i don't know enough. So this is kinda my plea for help.

Please info dump on this thread.

Tell me everything. Link your favorite guides. Give me useful tips, even if they're just a simple sentence about something you might not think is important. Like "you can no longer loot skull mobs" or "+1 stam to bracers is broken". Like, i know that stuff. But i might forget to include it.

I'll compile it all. Just hit me with everything.

 

[Crystalpall]

Sounds like the f2p index Yde had on TI

 

[Activate]

Why don't we start by listing categories? Then we can cherrypick em

 

[aislingyngaio]

I got some odds and ends guides on my tumblr: http://aislingyngaio-games.tumblr.com/tagged/wow+for+f2p/

The earlier ones might be outdated due to looting system change though.

 

[FiveSpice]

So I was thinking that a comprehensive "one stop shop" beginners guide would be nice to write up. I have some friends who are relatively new to F2P. So I sent them to this forum but trawling through it, while rewarding, is also time consuming and often you come across stuff thats just outdated....

Sounds like online altruism at its finest. Great idea.

Happy to contribute if time IRL permits. (Not that I know much about the finer points of play, but being a spelling & grammar bore may help at the editing stage.)

 

[Crystalpall]

I got some odds and ends guides on my tumblr: http://aislingyngaio-games.tumblr.com/tagged/wow+for+f2p/

The earlier ones might be outdated due to looting system change though.

True Solvogero of the younger generation, a tear rolling in my eye

 

[Sponsor]

Once the fishing contest returns (speculated to be in 7.1.5), I will be performing a massive update on my fishing guide. Mostly oriented around winning the tournament given the trinket is BiS for everyone.

 

[Chops]

Why don't we start by listing categories? Then we can cherrypick em

Solid. Here's what i have so far:

Before you create a character - stuff like what racial profession bonuses/abilities are actually useful, the skill patch is ally only, no plate helms, active servers, etc

While leveling - picking up enchanting early, combining essential quest chains with leveling, etc

Just hit 20 gearing and grinding phase - this is where I'll include the gear lists, also rep grinding for bag space, etc. Any tips you'd consider something to do ASAP upon hitting 20.

Professions - how to cycle through initial professions to stockpile stuff, what do we stockpile, pros/cons of keeping certain professions at "end game".

Secondary professions - basically why to level them and things like "you can fish schools regardless of skill level". SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW how high can we stack fishing skill with consumables? Best foods? Etc

Managing bag space - Tips you have for not over filling bags like consumables only stack to 20 but mats stack to 200, so only make a stack at a time

Managing currency - buying walnut stock to horde gold. Also, listing what alternate currencies we can actually get (I DONT KNOW THAT) and how to get them and what we can buy with them.

Darkmoon faire - Any tips for games, the 100ticket quest, all the various pets and toys and how we get them

Other world events - quick one/two line guides for what we can get out of other holiday/world events.

Consumables - what are the best? Scrolls? Elixirs? Potions we can get? Food? This might get included in the professions guide but it might also be worth noting in its own category. Whats vendor available and what do we have to craft?

Travel - How do we get places? I havent played actual end game since BC so I very literally do not know my way around Pandaria/Northrend/Draenor very well. It took me a day to corpse hop over a mountain to get out of the panda zone where we set our hearthstones to. Any basic travel maps you guys have would be awesome. Also, can we get to Outland without a port to pandaria? What are the best routes to take to pick up flight paths?

Also here, if possible, I'd like to keep a list of friendly folks with high level mages who are happy to port people to pandaland.

Basic Achievement Grinds - Sort of "achievements greatest hits" here. Things a new twink can take on that wont be too soul crushing. Stuff you might do that will get you to your first 2000 points or so.

I got some odds and ends guides on my tumblr: http://aislingyngaio-games.tumblr.com/tagged/wow+for+f2p/

The earlier ones might be outdated due to looting system change though.

I initially went through your tumblr when I first came back. It's a treasure trove. Thank you.

 

[Crystalpall]

I can write you a "level 20. What next? Part" and say a couple of achievements that are easy/moderate to obtain to maybe get hooked on achi hunting. Sounds good?

 

[Chops]

I can write you a "level 20. What next? Part" and say a couple of achievements that are easy/moderate to obtain to maybe get hooked on achi hunting. Sounds good?

That would be fantastic. Thank you.

 

[Caramelcorn]

One idea I had was a visual guide for the long run from Shrine --> Halfhill --> Temple of the Jade Serpent --> Wandering Isle --> Gorgrond --> Everbloom Wilds --> Warspear with the least amount of deaths.

 

[Crystalpall]

One idea I had was a visual guide for the long run from Shrine --> Halfhill --> Temple of the Jade Serpent --> Wandering Isle --> Gorgrond --> Everbloom Wilds --> Warspear with the least amount of deaths.

Hey, I don't really get this part

" Shrine --> Halfhill --> Temple of the Jade Serpent --> Wandering Isle" Is the halfhill FP unlocked at the start? Or else it wouldn't make any sense to go that direction. Also, why would you want to go to warspear? What of interest is there?


edit: I love your druid's mog

 

[Caramelcorn]

Hey, I don't really get this part

" Shrine --> Halfhill --> Temple of the Jade Serpent --> Wandering Isle" Is the halfhill FP unlocked at the start? Or else it wouldn't make any sense to go that direction. Also, why would you want to go to warspear? What of interest is there?

No, Halfhill is not unlocked at the start, but crossing the mountains southeast of Mistfall Village (in the Vale) is BY FAR the easiest way to get out to the rest of Pandaria - it only requires standing next to one ledge, aggroing a mob, dying once, and rezzing on top. Once you go down the other side you're almost in Halfhill and you probably want a flight path to the outside anyway.

There's no real reason to go to Warspear, except that you'll want to set your hearth there if you plan on spending any significant amount of time in Draenor, because the alternative is to do the Timeless Isle underwater run each time (followed by a run through Gorgrond to Everbloom Wilds to actually fly anywhere). If you're undead or a druid it might not be such a big deal because you can do the underwater walk around the Timeless Isle with zero deaths, but for most people it's a huge pain to do even once.

Obviously sacrificing the Shrine hearthstone sucks, but in the end you have to choose to either make travel to Draenor inconvenient or travel to Pandaria/Outland inconvenient. We're mostly just tourists in all those upper level zones anyway, so pick your favorites.

 

[Chops]

@Caramelcorn would you consider drawing something up? It can be MS Paint levels of crude, it doesnt have to be fancy.

Edit: Also, seconding the excellent tmog on your druid. Thats pretty bitchin.

 

[aislingyngaio]

If you only want your character to reach Draenor, then there's a much simpler way - die in Vale of Eternal Blossoms, use the spectral gryphon to scale the mountains over to Taverns of the Mists / Jade Forest (while still dead), and corpse run to Timeless Isle spirit healer, who will automatically rez you there no matter where you died. Also, I don't really understand what the perils are involving the Timeless Isle "underwater run". What I do is I start from the south end of Celestial Court, run to Zesqua spawn spot (pray that he's not up), then from there, Sea Turtle towards the underwater cave (away from the shore and the frogs / crabs!!), only diving underwater once the pirate ship comes in sight. 0 deaths 99% of the time, up to and including a very well-placed location to Darkmoon Cannon my ass up to the Everbloom Overlook flight path without needing to run through the mobs in the area.

All in all, given I run most of the accessible world bosses on a near weekly basis (Galleon, Oondasta, Timeless Celestials, Kazzak), I find it much simpler setting Hearthstone at Pandaland, because you can get to Draenor via Pandaland, but the reverse is nigh impossible without Draenor flying (to access the Gorgrond - Timeless portal).