Will there be multiple methods of payment besides just credit cards?
Yes, we plan to support a range of payment methods. However, we are still working out our business model, so the specifics on which payment methods will be available have not been finalized.
What will you do to prevent cheating?
The development team is currently doing everything it can to eliminate the possibility of cheating. Also, because the game requires gamers to have a personal account to play, we will be able to identify and track cheaters much more closely. World of Warcraft has many features specifically designed to detect, identify and prevent cheating and hacking in the game. Additional resources - particularly the implementation of a live team of Gamemasters to monitor play - will provide security far beyond what we can currently offer for Battle.net®. As always, we will constantly look for ways to make the experience of our customers better and more secure, and as we continue to find new methods of doing so, we will certainly pursue and implement them.
Will there be player-vs.-player servers on which players can fight other players anywhere in the world?
We have discussed such a setup, but we haven't made any final decisions on this yet.
Can you explain a little about how the dungeons work in World of Warcraft?
Players will come across two types of dungeons while playing the game: micro dungeons and world dungeons. There are more than a hundred micro dungeons throughout the world of Azeroth, ranging in relative size from small to quite big. Micro-dungeon locations will include tombs, haunted mines, ice caves, and sunken ships to name a few. The transition into and out of these dungeons will be seamless, and you'll be able to run into other players anywhere along the way.
World dungeons, which are grander in scale than micro dungeons, are specifically designed for more epic encounters. World dungeons include places such as Medivh's Tower, the Westfall Deadmines, and the Scarlet Monastery. All these locations have common areas where players can meet up and fight together. But, deeper in the dungeons are areas set up specifically for more private group (or sometimes guild) adventures. These private dungeon areas, called "instance zones," allow you and a group of friends to have a more personal experience, exploring, adventuring, or completing quests in your own private dungeon. You also have the ability to invite others into your instance zone to join you. This relieves many of the camping, kill-stealing, and farming issues that MMORPGs sometimes face. The monsters in instance zones are typically more powerful, so groups of players will have to work together to defeat them, but with greater dangers come greater rewards!
What races can you play in World of Warcraft?
The game currently features:
Alliance: Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Gnomes.
Horde: Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Undead.
Is there a chance we might see Ogres, Blood Elves, Naga, Pandaren, Goblins, or High Elves?
World of Warcraft is an enormous universe filled with many different races. All of those named above can be seen in the game as NPCs, but at this time, we can't announce any plans for future player races. The ones that we've announced so far--Humans, Orcs, Dwarves, Tauren, Night Elves, Undead, Gnomes, and Trolls--are the races that will be available for players to choose from when the game launches.
Why are the Undead allied with the Horde?
Led by the banshee-queen Sylvanas, the Forsaken are an Undead faction that split violently with the Scourge during the Third War. Knowing that no Human agency would ever give them shelter or aid against the Scourge, now their hated enemy, they turned to the savage Horde, based across the sea in the distant land of Kalimdor, for assistance. To convince the Horde to allow the Forsaken into their alliance, the Undead ambassadors claimed that they merely sought a cure for their degenerative condition, which they believed that only the powers of shamanism and the life-giving energies of the earth could provide. In exchange for the shamans' healing aid, the Forsaken vowed to support the Horde in all of its ventures throughout Lordaeron and Azeroth.
Having done battle with the Undead on many occasions, Orc warchief Thrall and Tauren chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof of the Horde were immediately suspicious of the Forsaken's motives. However, due to growing political tensions, the warriors acquiesced to a council of sages known as The Earthen Ring. The council argued that it was the Horde's duty to aid the Forsaken, who wrestled with inner demons just as the Orcs had for generations.
Though Thrall and Cairne secretly suspect the worst, it remains to be seen what Sylvanas and her fanatical Forsaken have planned....
What can you tell us about the Gnomes?
The eccentric, often-brilliant Gnomes, known throughout the world for their obsession with developing radical new technologies and constructing mind-bending marvels of engineering, served the alliance well during the Second War. However, during the recent invasion of the Burning Legion, the Gnomes refused to send any personnel to aid their allies. Though Gnomish designs helped turn the tide against the Legion, the Dwarves and Humans were shocked by the Gnomes' decision to withhold their courageous troops and pilots.
When the war ended, the Alliance discovered the reason behind the Gnomes' sudden withdrawal: an ancient, barbaric menace had emerged from the bowels of the earth and invaded the Gnomes' wondrous techno-city of Gnomeregan. Knowing that their allies' priority was defeating the Burning Legion, the Gnomes decided to make their stand alone. They fought valiantly, but Gnomeregan was lost, and nearly half of the Gnomish race was wiped out.
Those Gnomes who survived fled to the safety of the Dwarven stronghold Ironforge, where they recommitted themselves to the Alliance's cause and also to devising strategies and weapons that would help them retake their ravaged city and build a brighter future for their people.
Are there male and female versions of all of the races?
Yes. Even Tauren!
What classes will be available in World of Warcraft?
The World of Warcraft will include Warriors, Mages, Druids, Hunters, Warlocks, Priests, Paladins, Rogues, and Shamans. Visit the Classes page.
Have all the classes been announced?
Yes, we have announced all the classes that will be available in World of Warcraft at launch. However, we are also discussing ways for characters to evolve their classes through specialization, which will help differentiate them from others of the same class.
How many characters are allowed per account?
Currently, the number is 8, but that number is subject to change.
Can you tell us more about what options are customizable on your character when you create it?
We don't want to overwhelm players with too many choices when they start off. That's why we are concentrating on features that players will notice right away. This will include things like hair style, hair color, skin color, and facial features. Players will of course also get to select their race, gender, and class. The remaining elements of character customization will be done in-game, when players have a better understanding of how the choices they're making will affect their characters.
Will there be "crowd control" spells like sleep, confuse, mesmerize, etc.?
Yes. In addition to crowd-control spells such as these, there will be a wide assortment of other spells and abilities that will vary the tactics players use to defeat monsters. Some examples are Call Lightning, Fear, and Dominate. Remember, though, that the monsters will have access to these too...
Will there be very large or continued quests that take a lot of steps to fully completely?
Heck yeah! There will be "small" multipart quests, which you might be able to finish in several days, and epic "life quests" that will span your entire adventuring career.
