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Alting - and Starting All Over Again

startingoverUp until the past couple of months, I always stuck with Horde characters. Sure, I've tried out Alliance here and there, but never found them quite as intriguing. I'm sure the fact that my RL friends I play with are all Horde also plays a role. But now that I've been true to the Horde since the WotLK release, I decided to try out an Ally once again. And the fact that I wanted to roll a character on the Executus server so I could play in the Alliance Project Lore fan guild gave me a good push.

I know my way around gameplay pretty well, and I expected a refreshing change of pace when I rolled a draenei hunter. But as I've been leveling with her, I've been surprised by how much it has changed my perception of the game by adding to it.

Obviously, Alliance is a new faction, and draenei a new race for me. And therefore, it's a new starting area to learn my way around. Pixie is my first hunter character (but thankfully I have a little guidance on how not to be a huntard). I've tamed my first combat pet, Artemis, and started training fishing and cooking for the first time to support his dietary needs. I picked up a couple of professions I've never leveled before - herbalism and alchemy -  just to keep the excitement going. And the friendly group of players in the guild that I'm new to have done a good job of making me feel welcome.

So how has all this affected gameplay? Well, there have been a couple of funny moments. Like the first few times I came back from questing and initially thought it was weird that I was walking into a group of Draenei and not getting attacked. Then, realizing I'm one of them now. Also, the first couple of quests to kill Bloodelf spies or other Hordies tore at my heart a little. My Locomomo started out just like them!

And now that I've pointed out differences in how we speak in vent, I owe my guildies some props. I've gotten a lot of help learning my way around the Alliance areas that up until now, I've only ever heard of and never fully experienced. And, I learned how to cluck at a chicken until it laid an egg that I now have for a pet. That confirmed my suspicions that indeed each faction has a few surprises up their sleeves.

So all this new stuff makes it almost like I'm playing for the first time again. But at least I know the basics and lingo to help get me through. And it's making clear to me just how wide the world of warcraft can be, if you choose to utilize all it has to offer. One aspect that I'm looking forward to seeing in action will come once I leave the starting area. This is my first time on a PvP server. Have mercy!

Has anyone else had a similar experience when starting up a new character?  And how long did it take you to get into the groove and past the feelings of awe that come along with the unknown?

Reader Comments (31)

You will pay for your crime against the Horde!

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKrowtz

I remember playing horde for the first time =) The charm made me permanently stuck there, its my new home! (or old home, I've been horde at heart for 2 years)

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterNebyula

I play alliance as my main (Phanttas the Nelf hunter), and have a few alts on both factions which I haven't leveled past 10 yet. I just don't have the time or will with dailies, heroics and raids still very important for my main.
I chose alliance because of my RL friends play on alliance and my horde are on their horde server since they also have a few alts, but to be honest I don't think I really prefer either. I admittedly haven't had any long term horde experience so can't say if I know if there are any huge differences, but one thing you might notice as a new alliance is the 'LF Dwarf Female' spammed in trade chat at the Love is in the air festival instead of the unpopular horde females =P

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterPhanttas

I rolled an undead warlock awhile back, and I was unhappy with the way the horde on my server treated me. I know my way around a bit, but even asking a question in trade got me a lot of crap. Very few people would take a second to give me advice or answer a question, so I just quit playing him. I was having fun with him too. I may have to try it out again later.

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDulica

ummm fyi. the blood elfves at beggining are working for keal'thas the enmy or the horde, so by all means kill them. When you do kill npc's of the opposite faction it will be green to them (i.e the humans in hillsbrad that hordies kill cant be attacked by alliance.) and these belfs were in fact aggresive to me as a horde player doing the explorer stuff. Same thing we trolls for gnomes/dwarfves. well i seemed to carry on for a bit, but the thing is why are people so wrapped up in horde hates alliance and vice versa, i mean its a game, and i always found it a bit disturbing when people care that much. If you see someone doing a pvp daily, i find it annoying when you wont let em coutninue in peace and enjoy the game. Seriosuly if people care that much about their faction, go get a breath of fresh air

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterawarlock

Cool Pixiesstixy. Rolling a hunter, one of the best classes out there. The poll on the forums proves that :P Anyways, hope your having fun, and btw have you got your reward for the blood elf storyline, i wont give away what the reward is, but its a pretty cool in game event, that takes place just for you :) And i bet you get no lag whatsoever over on that island. As it is deserted half , well most of the time :(

For the Alliance, Doing it for the Draenei :)

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteronthebuses

Well, you're playing a female on a PvP server. So, look forward to many a gank! People always tend to attack the female characters more often than the males. And i've seen the outcomes of that. Usually the said attacked character gets ganked hard, but other times it's completely backfired and they PWNed the attacker like he was nothing but dust in the wind.

But, you'll have alot of ease in PvE. Because most players in WoW are virgins and get all excited when they see that they're in party with a female character. They'll most likely be all nice and friendly and might even get first dibs on loot in the earlier instances. :)

Don't scoff at it just by reading this. Play and you'll see it happen. lol

But good choice on the class. Hunters are elite and master solo'ers. They're built for that kind of stuff. So long as you impliment everything the Hunter has to offer correctly. Hunters Mark on EVERYTHING. As soon as you learn it, Misdirect to your pet everytime its off Cooldown. Serpent sting always up!

It's all basic stuff. But loads of fun.

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKalgorn

I try so hard to reroll horde to play with my friends but i just can't do it.

I loves ally too much!

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterConxcore

I love alliance, but I love BElfs too! So what I did was waiting till I reached level 55 and created a BElf Death Knight in a Latin American Realm (Just to play with some people near me). It showed me how fun Horde can be! I still like Kershocker though, Alliance is my true Faction (:

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterCarlos

I guess I'm in a similar boat, I rolled up a Female Gnome Warlock last week on a PvP server... I've always played on PvE servers.

I've only just hit level 30, but have noticed there is NOT much gankage! Only one time was I actually ganked while questing (In Lakeshire, while doing the Fangore guest) But I just went right back to it... cost me... like... 30 seconds. No big deal. I was expecting an utter gankfest with a side of corpse camping.

One thing I have noticed... is that they have made quests a LOT easier. Mobs that used to be elite (Like the Ogres in Lock Modan) are now normal... you can easily solo quests where you would have had a lot of trouble before, etc (I just solo killed Mor'Ladim earlier today, for example)

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterIiene of Kul Tiras

I began Horde because my wife had been playing for a few years before me and had been playing Horde all that time... but i would have chosen Horde anyways because i can't stand the wimpy alliance.... the Horde NPCs give their all to the game... you talk to an alliance human NPC about a quest to kill this ferocious dragon and you say good bye to him and he says in a wimpy voice "have a nice day"... where the the Horde NPC will say with gusto "FOR THE HORDE". I'm very happy playing on a side that really believes in themselves.....

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterspikolie

I began Horde because my wife had been playing for a few years before me and had been playing Horde all that time... but i would have chosen Horde anyways because i can't stand the wimpy alliance.... the Horde NPCs give their all to the game... you talk to an alliance human NPC about a quest to kill this ferocious dragon and you say good bye to him and he says in a wimpy voice "have a nice day"... where the the Horde NPC will say with gusto "FOR THE HORDE". I'm very happy playing on a side that really believes in themselves..... POWER TO THE FORSAKEN!!!!

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterspikolie

I remember my first true character was a tauren druid. I played him up until level 30, when i was camped for 30 mins straight by a pack of allaicne 60s in full epic PvP gear.

To spite the Horde, I made a dwarf pally. I've never gone back to the Horde sense.

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenter{swc}Ebek.Frostblade

Artemis was the name of one of my pets, I like going with the names of Greek gods ;D

June 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterUltimateWolf

I just rerolled a BE pally and hit 80 in about 7 days played but I purchased the 10% xp shoulders and used the following free guide and addon along with carbonite. The only issue is that you never have to run an instance with this guide so your gear is aweful and you are not ready for heroics.

Jame's Horde Leveling Guide
http://www.wow-pro.com/node/754

Jame's Leveling Guide: TourGuide style
http://www.wow-pro.com/leveling_guides/james_leveling_guide_tourguide_style

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterClatto

We Trolls eat baby Allies >D

yeh, I havent played my dwarf hunter in Executus for a long time, Shaman is fun fun fun :D but something in me keep pulling towards Hunter and/or Warlock >.<

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterShamtastik

"And, I learned how to cluck at a chicken until it laid an egg that I now have for a pet."

Go to Tirisfal Glades you can do the same :)

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKrashnor

"And how long did it take you to get into the groove and past the feelings of awe that come along with the unknown?"

Uhm, until my mage hit level 40. Heh. I have a hunter out there somewhere that I started (one of like 5 that I've started) but I've mostly been playing my mage. I'm getting close to 58 and I'm smelling the Outlands. They stink like demons.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterArassar

Leveling two toons, one horde and one alliance, can be very confusing! I had both toons in Dragonblight and while playing one I had a dwarf warrior run up to me and start talking to me. I was like, WTH?!? I thought the guy had figured out how to manipulate alliance speak to talk to me and didn't think I'd be able to talk back so I ignored him.

While heading back to Wyrmrest I realized I was playing my human paladin...

The next day I was playing in Grizzly Hills when I see the Venture Bay is under attack spam. I mount up and head over looking for some pvp and was confused when the human mage had a yellow name. I was like, WTH?!? So I go away shaking my head wondering what was going on. I full minute later I realized I was playing my Tauren druid...

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterMandobo

As far as those Sunhawk Blood Elfs on Azuremyst and Bloodmyst isle go:

1. they are under direct orders of Kaelthas
2. they serve or collabarate with an Eredar demon
(Sironas)
3 Last time I checked they were hostile to both Alliance AND Horde.

So Hordies should have no love lost for them being killed by Alliance players.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterVaruun

Evil always triumphs because good is dumb.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered Commentermoophobia

It is hard; choosing a side. heh, me? I've switched between toons probably a dozen sides: going Horde.Alliance>Horde>Alliance, swicthing races and everything.

Now, I'm an Undead Death Knight on Earthen Ring. I would be on Tanaris, but I love to Roleplay,

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterOctaviax

One day, I, out of nowhere, had the urge to play a dwarf hunter. That hunter is now 72 and working his way to 80, i have had a blast taking a break from my 80 pally.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKyle

Spacegoats are the best race in azeroth.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterdragoro

I'll admit, I'm kind of an alt fanatic
I've got my main (Troll Shammy) and my other main in progress (Tauren Drood) and my pvp (BE Pally) and my alt (Undead SP). And then I've also got my Ally alt (Dwarf Huntard) and my first fail alt (NE Rogue).
I've got my bases covered when it comes to alts.
It's always fun to do the starting quests again, especially if you are doing it with a friend. Me and my friend Yumbibi use recruit a friend when were bored and the x3 exp is FANTASTIC for leveling an alt fast. Consider getting a friend to play with you and they can get into just as quickly as you did.

June 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterZellez

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