Cataclysm bumpkin here. DH plays WoW and downloaded it on my laptop last night. Questions for you all if you don't mind?
What's a toon?
How can I just build a character and explore?
Is there one server, guild, group that I could do that's easy? I'm horrible at games. For example, Sims was just right; sims 2 was too hard. The first Sim Theme park was just right, but the update was too complicated.
Can you help? Any Advice for me? And what's better (easier) to play: alliance or horde?
Thank you sooooooooo much. Sorry if this is a threadjack. I didn't know if I should start a new one for newbys or not.
Robin, welcome to WoW - you can see that there are a few addicts here, me being one of them. But...it's cheaper than heroin and I don't have to leave the house.
As for your questions: A "toon" is slang for your character. It's short for "cartoon", and it's your avatar in game. Used in a sentence - "I have several toons. My main toon is an 85 paladin, and I have 3 other level 80 toons as well."
I was not a gamer before WoW, and still don't classify myself as some kind of hotdog in game. I'm in my 40's and am pretty much useless when it comes to other games. WoW can be done casually and you can do a lot of exploring. Fighting mobs (a mob is a target) is really not that difficult, and WoW puts in a lot of help for those of us who need a bit of a tutorial. Remember, this game is not just for adults, a lot of kids play it, and Blizzard takes that into account.
Each server is identical, so there is no real difficulty difference - however, I would recommend either choosng a PvE/Normal (Player Versus Environment) server or RP (Roleplaying) server so that you will not get attacked by other players. Normal servers make for an easier and more pleasant experience, especially for those who aren't used to MMO's, like me. I would stay away from
any server that has "PvP" attached to it. Doing quests is the best way to explore and learn more about your character's class and race. It also helps tell a story, and is very immersive.
On a PvE or RP server, the only things you can attack (and who can attack you) have names in red, and are usually entities which are game created, not other players. I tried both types of servers, and got very frustrated on a PvP server when I was level 35 and some stupid level 70 dranei sat on my head and kept killing me for 3 hours, keeping me from questing or doing anything else. That toon is still sitting in the inn at Red Rock Retreat.
Guilds are great in that they provide a social aspect to this game - since Cataclysm, guilds also provide nifty little perks such as experience bonuses, reputation bonuses, increases to mount speed and such. Look on the World of Warcraft official forums (google that, it's at battle.net) and you will find tons of information on guilds - people looking for guilds, guilds looking for people. Find out the kind of people you like and your playstyle, and apply to join. For example, you don't sound like you're interested in hardcore raiding, so look for a casual social guild. Seek out qualities such as attitudes, age ranges, etc., to make sure it's a good fit.
Side note: Blizzard's official site is a GREAT resource to figure all this stuff out. They created so many ways for you to learn about the game before you play it, what each race/class is, lore, terminology, etc. I would really start there and browse there first.
Depending on your likes and dislikes, I would learn more about the races to decide if you want to be horde or alliance. I have toons on both factions, and each race and faction has its own story and perspective. I started as an alliance human - and that was nice because humans had a level of familiarity to me, as I had never played a video game like this before. But now that I've been part of the Horde for the past 4 years, I appreciate the other side of the fence too.
Most new people to WoW resonate with Night Elves and humans, or they'll roll a Blood Elf (if they like the Horde), but it's really a personal preference. I have a guildmate who will only be a Tauren! There are many places on the web where you can learn about Lore and such. WoW's official website has a lot of resources as do places like WoW Insider. (Please google these things, as I don't know if I can put links here).
Take things slow and have fun with it. There's no race or competition - it's something to do to enjoy yourself. Don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake or feel you're not very good. This game caters to all levels of play and the only thing that is important is that you are smiling!
Good luck and have fun!