Lore
When I first played Vanilla I had no idea what the backstory was. I did not play any of the RTS games. Names like Arthas, Medivh, Lordaeron, Uther, Thrall, and so on meant nothing to me. The only games from Blizzard I played were Diablo 1 & 2 and the byproduct that was Dota 1, up until that point.
Everything I learned about the game was by playing it and by connecting bits and pieces of information; by having talks with friends who actually played Warcraft 3 as well. On the one hand, I felt completely lost and new to this vast open world. On the other hand, going into Stratholme for example, evoked nothing for me because I had no prior knowledge of what went down.
This time around, here are the steps I’m taking to get acquainted with the lore of the Warcraft universe.
Playing the 3 Warcraft Games That Lead To It
The first two have been recently added to the GOG store. They are cheap and work on modern systems. The third however is not and Blizzard is yet to release the Warcraft 3 Reforged game this year. Sadly, I don't think this will happen before release, so I’m guessing it’s time to dust off those old Frozen Throne discs.
Reading About The Lore
I am also reading the “World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1” (vol 2, and 3 are also on their way from Amazon). What a wonderful read they are! You don’t need to read every book there is but if you’re into that, this website looks like a good starting point.
Watching Videos
I’m sure you’ve had your fill of Classic videos but when it comes to lore I recommend Nobbel87’s channel. He seems to have everything covered in his playlist. There is also a cinematic adaptation of the lore in the form of JoseBV’s Reign of Chaos mini-series. I am yet to watch that one. If you’re just the laziest son of a gun there is and just want the tl:dr, then this will probably do the trick.
Now let's move on to the second item on this list.
Goals
Having fun in the most awesome game ever coded, you might say the goal is. That is true for me as well. What is also true is that I have a few items on my bucket list that I need to do. You might too but haven’t really put them into perspective. Perhaps just fantasized about them.
This happened to me as well. Throughout the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, maybe even before that, this burning desire started growing within me (see what I did there?) to complete the Tier 0.5 Lightforge dungeon armor set.
Actually, it turned into some kind of nostalgic frustration because I never knew that Blizzard would actually re-release Vanilla WoW. I did solo classic dungeon runs in Wrath and completed the set but it was just for aesthetic purposes. Guess you could say I did a transmog run before it was cool...
What do you want from the game?
Getting back to the point, what is it that you want to achieve in Classic WoW? Will you be streaming? Will you play many ALTs and twinks? If yes, what classes? What will their names, and professions be? More on this last point later.
I actually have a spreadsheet on my Google Drive titled “Classic WoW Master Plan”. In it, I describe all the characters I will make, what race, gender, and class they will be; what professions they will have to maximize profits and spend less time farming.
What I suggest is making a bulleted list divided into 3 categories, based on importance. Following that notion, here is my plan list for Classic WoW.
Maximum Importance
These must be done no matter what:
Medium Importance
After the above is done I can start working on these:
Optional Goals
If those are done too and I still want more:
Race and Gender
Have you noticed how shitty the human-male spell animations are? Or the human-female animations when she attacks with a 2 handed weapon?
You can’t imagine how much thought I put into “What race and gender should my character be?”. My first Paladin back in Vanilla was a male dwarf - his melee stance sucked balls. My BC/Wrath-era Paladin was a human-female and though I loved her casting animations, I really didn’t like her 2 hander attacks.
I actually always envied how males do that jumping attack and very often pondered if I should have chosen one. Then I remembered how he cast spells...
Anyway, I’d much rather watch a female ass for hours on end than some dude’s so, this time around, after much consideration, I will go… Female Dwarf. Shocker!
Now, I know you’ll gonna say she’s fugly, but with the right tweaking, I think she’s kind of cute.
My suggestion is to get clear on what ass you’re gonna stare at for the next 4 years of your life and make no mistake, race change is not a thing in Classic WoW.
I used the WoW model viewer to see what my character would look like. I already mentioned I’m obsessed about getting that Lightforge set so I tweaked her hair around that.
Names and Faces
Do you know what the second most important August date is after the 27th? Mark the calendar for the 13th too. On that date, Blizzard will allow us to choose a realm and name our characters.
As I mentioned before, much thought has gone into this as well and it might sound silly but ever since I was playing Diablo 1 I’ve had a hard time choosing a name for my RPG avatars.
After much deliberation, I have found the 3 perfect names for my characters that will make them recognizable as being played by the same dude. And they are also in line with their respective classes. They are Xena (Warrior), Zena (Paladin), Yena (Rogue), and Hena (Hunter).
Professions
Most people recommend having a level 1 alt with enchanting to send green items to them for disenchanting to stock up on materials. Not only that but you can also send items for storage and to buy/sell at the auction house without having to travel with your main.
That covers that but what about your main professions? Will you PvP? Then mining and engineering seem like a no-brainer. Will you mainly PvE? Then perhaps Alchemy is better or perhaps Enchanting…
I can’t really go too far into this subject since there are too many possibilities depending on your class and playstyle.
I was never an alchemist/herbalist, nor have I ever leveled cooking and fishing so, this time around I will level them up to the max.
Do your research on what professions you will most likely enjoy and/or benefit from the most in the Vanilla end game. Get max-level first aid too.
Lists
Since we’re on the topic of professions and items, it would be useful to plan to do some best-in-slot gear lists for each phase. That way you know what you need for your class and don’t have to do this research after release. Many videos describe just this so you’re only a YouTube search away.
Even more importantly, decide what expensive items you’re going to want to craft or buy. For example, let’s say you want to go for the Sulfuras legendary. It would be wise to know beforehand that you should not vendor or auction house any Essence of Fire drops. Similarly, you require arcanite bars for many items and quests around the world. You should buy them while they are cheap and not in high demand. If you need them, that is.
One last piece of advice on this matter. Since classic WoW comes in content phases you should farm the consumables for the next phase in the previous one, especially if you’re playtime is limited. Here’s an example: Phase 6 comes with the introduction of the Naxxramas raid. One of the bosses there, Loatheb, requires 3 Greater Shadow Protection potions for each attempt. If you do the math making a few hundred of these before Phase 6 will be a huge time and money saver.
Anyway, I think you get the idea.
YouTubers
I’m certain most of you already follow a bunch of YouTubers and have consumed loads of Classic content in the last few months. I know I have!
Time is limited. It would benefit you greatly if you would go on YouTube and then try to find some YouTubers that specifically make videos about your class, to stay on top of the latest strategies and guides.
Do you want to roll Shadow Priest come Classic? Cool, then you should check this guy out, Ooze Priest. He’s become quite active in the last few months and he’s churning out content regularly. His “How to enjoy Classic WoW at 10-20 hours per week?” is very useful.
Skarm Tank is another example of someone who has good insights into the game regardless of class. Give him a follow especially if you’re going to tank.
Realms
I reckon most of you guys are in the US so choosing to play on the US realms is a given. But what if all you’re friends play on the EU realms? I’m exaggerating of course but this might be a situation for someone. Or what if your job prevents you from being able to play during the hours when everyone’s out raiding? Choosing an EU realm for the difference in time zones might do the trick. I get off from work at 12 PM so I will struggle a little.
Another thing worth mentioning is the realm you will be choosing. This happens to be more important for you guys in the US. I wouldn’t want to end up in the same realm as any big World of Warcraft streamer such as Asmongold.
All due respect to them, but being on one of those streamer realms will probably be a nightmare in terms of login queues. Or in zones becoming extremely crowded when all the fanboys get around the streamers.
Streamer Domination
And these are only the beginning. Imagine further down the line when world bosses become a thing. Not to sound too negative but I believe one of those streamer guilds will completely dominate the world boss scene.
That being said, I have it easy since I don’t believe there are many big WoW streamers in Europe.
There is also the issue of server type. PvP or PvE. Long story short I think PvE is for pussies. If you want the true Vanilla experience, choose PvP.
I see that some people already have guild applications in place and that is quite fine with me. I will not join any guilds or make any guilds arrangements before the actual release. A more organic approach is the way for me; just let things unfold as they did back then. Meeting people randomly and deciding what happens next from that point onward.
