After you install the game on your computer, the next important selection you will need to make is what World of Warcraft realm will you be playing in. The WoW server you select will determine, or be determined by, the WoW realm that you want to play in. And the realm you choose will affect how you play World of Warcraft.

There are a few Realm Choices from which you can choose. Here they are: PvE (Player vs. the Environment), PvP (Player vs. Player), RP (Role Playing) , or RP-PvP (Role Playing Player vs. Player). Depending on how you would like to play WoW, will determine which type of server to select. Lets go over each type here so you can choose a World of Warcraft Realm that suits your desires.

Watch this Video for a Great Explanation of World of Warcraft Realms:

Player Vs. Environment: PvE

Basically this selection of WOW realm will allow you to play World of Warcraft by going through the different quests grinding on monster mobs, doing raids, etc. You will never be required to battle against another player. However, there is an option to turn on your PVP flag and invite some other player to combat you. (The other player will be of the opposing faction, so if you are Alliance, the the other player will have to be Horde and vice versa.)

Player vs. Player: PvP

This type of WoW realm is pretty much like the PvE realms. The difference is that once you leave the lands in the game where your faction (Alliance or Horde) has control, then you are open to attack by players of the opposite faction. This can be a fun way to go if you have some experience.

But keep in mind, there is no such thing as a fair fight. Much of the time you will be pounded on by several other players at the same time. And a character that is level 40 can pretty much waste you just be looking at you sideways if you are only a level 25. And remember there are some creeps out there that will camp out next to your dead character and every time you try to resurrect, they kill you again. This happens from time to time and is perfectly within game play rules. If it happens to you, you are gonna just have to deal with it.

If you are new to World of Warcraft, I suggest the PvE realms to get your skills and knowledge base up a bit. You can always change servers at some other time.

Role Playing Realms: RP

Ok, so this really is just a step beyond the PvE realms. THey are just alike with the exception that in RP realms there is the option to role play. This reminds me a lot of the days when Dungeons & Dragons was popular (I guess I am showing my age here). Basically if you choose to be an Orc, then you would interact with other characters as if you were really an Orc. It really is just another step into the fantasy.

Role Play Player vs. Player: RP PvP

Again, this is just another level to the PvP realm typology. It is just like the PvP realms but has the option to Role Play. These servers are out there but not as common as the previous ones mentioned here. If you want to play a PvP but your skill isn’t as high, this might be a good place to start actually. The tendency for other players to kill you just because you are a lower level, or camp out next to you and kill you every time you come back to life seems to be less occurring in the RP PvP realms. This is not to say these things don’t happen, just that they tend to happen less.

Well, now you know what types of World of Warcraft realms are out there. Now, how do you choose a WoW realm? There are a couple of things you should consider.

WoW Realm Population

There are ancient realms that have been around since the inception of Warcraft, then there are very new realms that have only recently appeared. The older realms will generally have a lot of players and they usually are quite experienced. Determining the WoW Realm population can help you select the right server.

High Populations can lead to problems for the newbie. The more people on a server means that it could be difficult to level up a WoW character due to lack of mobs and other resources. However if there are too few players on a server then once you do get to level 60 it may be difficult to find other players of the skill level to help complete instances and other raids.

What is the realm’s character?

By this I mean, what is the interaction of the the other players on the realm like. Is there a ton of drama, arguments, or are the other players helpful and inviting. Are they a bunch of yahoos or do they know what they are doing?

So how do you determine this before getting on a server? Ah, well just head over to the forum area of the World of Warcraft website and at the bottom is the WoW Realms Forum area. Just select the realms you are considering and read a few posts in that forum area. Usually after a few minutes you can tell if that WoW realm is a good fit for you.

Do your research, as it will make playing the game much more fun if you select a World of Warcraft Realm that is a good fit to your skill level and personality.

Filed under: How to Play WoW

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