22 Things to Do Before WoW Forever Launch

THE SHORT LIST Before WoW Forever opens on November 4 at 3:00 PM PST, do these: find people to play with, plan your talents, set up your keybinds, camera and controller, shortlist a few addons, plan your route and your gold, and look after your sleep, eyes and mood. Each tip below is different, so you can work through them in any order.

Our launch day checklist covers your account, your PC, the install, your name and your first night. This guide is for everything else: the small setup jobs and life tasks that make the first week smoother and more fun. Tick off what helps and skip the rest.

1. Find people to play with

Leveling is better with company, and a ready-made dungeon group saves you from waiting in a queue full of strangers. Look for a guild, a Reddit community or a Discord server that matches your ruleset and play style. Say hello before launch so you already know a few names on day one. Not a social player? That is fine. Even one friend to run a dungeon with makes a difference.

2. Bookmark your WoW resource sites

You will have questions in the first hour, and launch night is when websites slow down. Save a handful of resources now so you are not searching in a panic. Here are some good ones, and you can keep whichever suit you:

• Icy Veins for class guides, leveling help and talent advice.
• Mobalytics for builds and talent tools.
• Warcraft Wiki for looking up quests, items, zones and game systems.
• Warcraft Tavern for news, guides and setup help, such as controller setup.
• Method for class and game guides.
• CurseForge for downloading and checking addons.
• The official World of Warcraft site for patch notes, news and server status.

3. Read the final patch notes and plan your talents

Blizzard changed a lot in its last beta update. Berserk, Lava Burst and Frost Blast are gone, and many talents moved. Old builds you saved a month ago may be wrong. Read our patch notes breakdown, then open the talent calculator on Icy Veins or Mobalytics and sketch your first 20 points. Plan, but stay flexible. Blizzard says it will do a large tuning pass after players reach level 30 and beyond. And remember that you can retrain at a class trainer, so a first pick is never permanent.

4. Set up your keybinds and action bars

Bind every spell you use so you are not clicking icons in a fight. Your fingers will learn the layout quickly, and it is one of the best things you can do for comfort. One thing to know: new spells no longer appear on your bars on their own, so check your bars each time you train.

A useful helper here is Naowh Forever, a free addon made just for Forever. It gives you:

• Action bar, gear and macro sets, so you can save a layout and swap back to it.
• Naowh’s Forge, a macro maker with plain-language explanations of what each macro does. It also builds health, food and focus macros.
• A HUD editor for placing and lining up things on screen.
• Profiles you can switch between, copy to other characters, or share.
• Training Planner, which shows what you can train now and what it will cost on the way to level 60. Use it to “simulate” your gold needs before you spend.
• BiS list import and export for gear lists.

Modules are off until you turn them on with /nf, so you only use what you need. The addon is free and open source. We could not confirm a damage simulator inside it, so use the planner and lists for what they are.

5. Fix your camera

Open your camera settings and:

• Set camera following to Never, so the view does not swing around by itself.
• Raise your max camera distance so you can see pulls and surroundings.

It takes one minute and makes the world feel much calmer, especially in busy areas on launch night.

6. Turn on Click-to-Move and bind Auto Run

Long walks are a big part of the early game. Click-to-Move lets you click the ground and travel there, which gives your hands a rest on travel-heavy quests.

If you do not like clicking to move, use Auto Run instead. Bind it to a key, or to a spare mouse button if your mouse has side buttons. Press it once and your character keeps running while you look around, sip water or check a guide. Either option works. Set one up before launch so the long roads do not tire your hands.

7. Speed up your looting

You will loot hundreds of times in the first week. Turn on auto loot in your settings. A small addon such as Faster Loot can speed it up further. Check that any addon you pick has a version for Forever.

8. Learn the built-in tools

WoW Forever’s modern client ships with helpful tools you can use without addons. These include Edit Mode for moving your interface, a damage meter and a cooldown manager. Spend ten minutes in Edit Mode to arrange your bars and frames the way you like. Changing the layout in the middle of a pull is no fun.

9. Set up your controller if you want to use one

WoW Forever has built-in gamepad support, which is a first for WoW. Blizzard now describes it as a working beta, and all major gameplay and menus can be played with a controller. To set it up:

• Turn on the Gamepad UI option in the game’s options menu. During the beta it was labeled “Alpha” and sat under System at the login screen, or under Gameplay once you are in the game. Look for it in the same spots.
• Keep Show Input Legend on until the buttons feel natural. It shows button prompts on screen.
• You get four sets of eight buttons. Triggers switch between them. A, B, X and Y are reserved for jump, cancel, interact or attack, and a context menu.
• Bind spells from the Spellbook in the radial menu. Select a spell, press X for Bind Mode, then press the button you want.
• Use Edit Mode and the Options menu to customize your layout.
• Keep a mouse nearby. Early testers found that clearing a spell from a slot still needs one.
• Tweak the camera settings if movement feels slow in combat.

You can keep your keyboard and mouse active at the same time, so you can switch back whenever you like.

10. Shortlist a few addons, then add them as you go

You do not need 20 addons on day one. Choose three or four, and add a new one each time you level or hit a calm moment. Good starters to consider are:

• Questie for quest locations.
• Auctionator for auction house prices.
• Spoken or Dialogue UI for a more immersive, story-style quest window.
• A faster looting addon.

Download from CurseForge, make sure each has a Forever version, and keep the list in a note so you can add them one at a time. If something breaks, remove the last addon you added. Our addons guide has full ratings.

11. Test your internet

A bad connection ruins a pull faster than anything. Use a cable if you can, close downloads and streams that eat bandwidth, and restart your router before launch. If lag is a worry, some players use a game booster such as GearUP (affiliate link). We have not tested it with WoW Forever, so treat it as optional.

12. Test your mic and voice chat

If you plan to group with friends, test your mic and headset ahead of time. Pick the voice app your group will use, such as Discord, and agree on it before launch. You do not want to fix audio while a boss is up.

13. Set up screenshots and recording

Your first level up, first mount and first big pull happen once. If you want to capture them, test your screenshot key and your recording software now. Check disk space too. Video fills a drive fast.

14. Sketch your zone route and flight paths

Decide where you will go after your starting zone, where the early dungeons are, and which towns have flight masters. Pick up each flight path as you pass it, because it saves a lot of walking later. A rough route on a sticky note is enough.

15. Make your alts early so you do not lose Rested XP

Rested XP builds up while a character is logged out, and it is worth a lot: bonus experience for the same quests. A character you have not created yet is not earning any. If you plan to play alts at all, create them in the first days, even if you will not level them for a while. Log each one out in an inn, where Rested XP builds fastest, and it will be waiting with a full bar when you switch over. Waiting until you are bored of your main means giving up days of free bonus XP.

16. Make a bank alt

Create a level 1 alt in a capital city and mail items to it as you level. It gives you extra storage and keeps your bags free for quest items.

Horde tip: make your bank alt a Tauren. Their new racial, Plainsrunning, builds up a speed bonus as you run (2% per stack, up to 60%), so you can race from Mulgore to Thunder Bluff in no time and have your bank and mailbox ready. It also makes a quick first look at the new racial feel.

17. Plan your gold

Training all class abilities from level 1 to 60 costs about 206 to 207 gold for every class, so budget for it. You can skip some lower spell ranks you will replace soon, which saves gold for mounts and gear. A trainer tool, such as the Training Planner in Naowh Forever, shows which ranks you can skip.

18. Never buy gold from third parties

Gold sellers are tempting when you see a mount price. Do not buy. Blizzard can suspend or ban accounts that buy gold, and sellers often steal accounts too. It is not worth risking your character and time.

19. Choose professions that work together

Pair professions that help each other. Two gathering professions bring in raw materials you can sell for gold. Tailoring with Enchanting turns cloth into gear and then disenchants what you do not need. An addon such as Disenchant Buddy can help with that second pair. Pick a pair before you start so you do not waste levels.

20. Sort out your errands and meals

Shop, cook and clean before launch. Fill the fridge with food you can prepare in minutes, and make a few meals ahead. Pay urgent bills, finish small chores and tidy your play space. Doing this now removes stress from launch week, so you can enjoy the game instead of feeling guilty about what you skipped.

21. Mute the noise and tell people your plan

Silence phone notifications you do not need, and let friends, family and work know you will be busy. A short message such as “I will be slow to reply this week” prevents misunderstandings. Keep one way for emergencies to reach you. Protecting your attention makes your play time better.

22. Plan your sleep, breaks and body care

A new WoW is exciting, and it is easy to say “one more quest” until the sun comes up. A few small habits keep launch week fun instead of exhausting. None of this is medical advice. It is a friendly set of habits that most people find helpful.

Sleep. Adults generally need 7 or more hours of sleep a night, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Set a bedtime alarm, not just a wake-up alarm. One late night for launch is normal. A week of five-hour nights will leave you tired, grumpy and clumsy in fights.

Water and food. Keep a water bottle at your desk and refill it every time you level up. Eat real meals at real times, and keep simple snacks nearby, such as fruit or nuts, so you are not living on sugar and energy drinks.

Eyes. Long hours on a screen can tire your eyes. A common tip is the 20-20-20 habit: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Pair it with a level up or a quest turn-in so you remember. Blink often, and keep your screen at a comfortable brightness.

Hands, wrists and back. Sit with your feet flat and your screen at eye level. Let your wrists rest in a relaxed position. Stand up, stretch your shoulders and shake out your hands at least once an hour. If you feel pain or numbness that does not go away, stop and talk to a doctor.

Move your body. A ten-minute walk or a few stretches between sessions helps your energy and your mood. Use travel and flight path time as a reminder.

Mind and mood. Games are meant to be fun, so pause when they are not. If you feel frustrated, tired or tense, take a break before you log back in. Set a rough limit for each day, and keep seeing friends and family. Do not measure yourself by how fast others level. Launch week is a long road, and there is no prize for burning out in two days.

When to ask for help. If gaming starts to push out sleep, work, meals or relationships and you cannot cut back, or if your mood feels low for a while, please talk to someone you trust or a health professional. That is a sign of strength.

Quick Reference

#	Tip	Time
1	Find people to play with	15 min
2	Bookmark WoW resource sites	5 min
3	Read the patch notes and plan talents	30 min
4	Keybinds and action bars	30 min
5	Camera settings	2 min
6	Click-to-Move and Auto Run	5 min
7	Faster looting	5 min
8	Built-in tools and Edit Mode	10 min
9	Controller setup	20 min
10	Addon shortlist	15 min
11	Internet test	10 min
12	Mic and voice chat	10 min
13	Screenshots and recording	10 min
14	Zone route and flight paths	15 min
15	Create alts early for Rested XP	5 min
16	Bank alt (Horde: Tauren)	5 min
17	Gold plan	10 min
18	No bought gold	1 min
19	Profession pairs	10 min
20	Errands and meals	1 to 2 hours
21	Mute notifications, tell people	10 min
22	Sleep, breaks and body care	Ongoing

Questions Players Ask

What should I do before WoW Forever launches? Set up your controls, plan your talents and route, shortlist a few addons, test your connection, and look after your sleep and meals. Our launch day checklist covers your account, PC and install.

Do I need addons for WoW Forever? No. Playing without addons is perfectly fine. If you want a few, pick three or four and add more as you go.

Does WoW Forever support controllers? Yes. Gamepad support is built in and is now in a working beta. Turn it on in the options menu.

What is Naowh Forever? A free addon made for WoW Forever. It bundles a BiS list, a Training Planner, macros, profiles and many other tools. Each module is off until you enable it.

How much gold do I need to train? About 206 to 207 gold to learn all class abilities from level 1 to 60.

Do I need to plan my talents before launch? It helps, but you can retrain at a class trainer. Use a talent calculator and expect small changes after launch.

How can I avoid burning out during launch week? Set a bedtime, drink water, take breaks, and stop when you are frustrated. A long game rewards steady play.