- * Why Play on Vanilla?
* System Requirements (Can my computer run this game?)
* Keyboard Shortcuts
* Bugs
* Starting Tips
* Which Race / Class / Server?
* Playing with Others
Why Play on Vanilla?
When The Snow Blowers released The Game, many people were passionate. For dedicated raiders it was an honor to compete to remain the top guild. For pvpers, gaining that top ranking title and dominating the world was epic. For roleplayers, being immersed in a world rich with lore and history that you can weave yourself in to, was a dream come true.
You see, for a roleplayer, knowing that lore is a constant; something that you can affix your own stories onto is vital. Roleplayers are after all, story writers; if you change the past, you're changing those writers stories too, without their consent.
It takes guts, glory, and persistent effort to be the best at world pvp. If developers come along and make world pvp easy for the ungeared, or accessible to anyone willing to pay. If they make it so that the efforts that pvper made to become the best are of no value, the pvpers will cry out.
Taking down Onyxia, or any other epic boss, is an achievement, not a right. If you build an achievements system that gives everyone the right to slay the beast with no effort or skill, you're harming competitive spirit. If you add game mechanics that take away the need to socialise in order to group up, you're killing the social aspect of the game.
Not all games release expansions; and some that do go to great lengths to ensure that it is respectful to the existing fabric of the game. Unfortunately, The Snow Blowers of The Game did not take this approach. They systematically chopped and changed The Game until it changed from skill-based to point and click, from social to anti-social, and from rewarding the dedicated to rewarding those that pay the most.
Some players enjoyed these changes, and they continue to play The Game, others did not. The Snow Blowers ignored those who did not like the changes, and in doing so, they forced Vanilla to come in to a life of it's own.
For that mistake, we thank The Snow Blowers for The Game.
System Requirements
Unlike Cataclysm; Vanilla will function quite well, with-in reason, on older laptops and computers. You do not need a super fast internet connection; but you do need a connection that is reliable and has low latency (to Europe).
Windows-based Computers / Laptops:
- - Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 or 10.
- Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+ (recommended dual core).
- 1GB RAM (2GB recommended.)
- 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32MB VRAM (vertex and pixel shaders recommended.)
Yes, Vanilla will be playable on an Intel Atom (Dual Core) laptop with 2GB+ RAM. It may not play at 60fps during a raid, but it will be playable and enjoyable.
Mac OS X Computers / Laptops:
- - Mac OS X 10.4.11 (or newer.)
- Intel Core Duo processor (recommended 1.8GHz dual core, or better.)
- Recommended: Intel 1.8GHz processor or better
- 1GB RAM (2GB recommended.)
- 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64MB VRAM (vertex and pixel shaders recommended.)
Keyboard Shortcuts / Controls
There are a few common shortcuts you should be familiar with from other games, as well as a few that are specialist. These are the most important to remember.
- - [Right Click] to interact with a target.
- [Left Click] to select a target.
- Press [TAB] to cycle through attackable targets.
- - Hold [SHIFT] whilst right clicking to auto-loot a target.
- Press [SHIFT]-[B] to open all of your bags along with your [B]ackpack.
- - Press [C] to view your Character Sheet.
- Press [L] to view your Quest Log.
- Press [N] to view your talents (from level ten.)
Bugs
"I found a bug!"
You probably didn't. Sorry. If you have played Cataclysm (or newer), you are likely to have a different experience to Vanilla and so things can appear different. If you played Vanilla, your memory may be rose-tinted, or flakey.
If it is a genuine bug that you found, you should report it on the Nostalrius Report site, which will help the devs to identify and resolve the matter properly.
Posting messages to the forums will not get the bug solved, and risks you spreading misinformation. The Snow Blowers often used to refer to these bugs as "unintended features", and that fixes would come "soon."
In the majority of forum messages related to so-called quest bugs, the bug turns out to simply be a game mechanic that was different to how it is in Cataclysm or newer. If it persists, sometimes dropping the quest and re-starting will resolve the matter. Yes, this sometimes (not often) happened in the early days of Vanilla.
Known Exception: Bags
When you acquire a new bag you will need to log out and log back in after equiping it, in order for it to be usable.
Starting Tips
- Avoid talking in the chat channels until level 15. The anti-spam filter may accidently pick you up, and you would need to post a message to the Support forum to request an unban.
If the game is not starting when you double click on the icon, try running directly from the application executable instead. This occurs mostly if you play The Game as well as Vanilla.
Multi-boxing is bad. Botting is worse. You will get caught, and banned. Best not to start on those slippery roads.
Remember to speak English in the chat channels. It is the language understood (even in part) by the majority of players worldwide.
Never give anyone your password.
Which Race / Class / Server?
Does population really matter? We have a lot of different opinions here.
The PVP server has over 13,000 players at peak times (as of 02/2016), whereas the PVE server has approximately 3000. Both realms are fairly balanced in terms of faction.
When The Game was released, it supported approximately 3000 players per server. For that reason, people refer to the PVE server as having, "blizz-like population."
For some, 13,000 players is over-crowded. Others enjoy the high population. Personally, I prefer the PVP server, even for RP, as I have never had to wait for a group - for lowbie quests, for random adventures, or for dungeons. At raiding level you'll always find a group ready to go at any time of day.
It is a matter of preference and choice - make it for yourself, do not feel pressured.
Play the race and role that you most enjoy. You should not feel the need to be playing a tank if you prefer healing; of course, you should not play a warrior if you want to be a dedicated healer. Enjoying the game is far more important than filling what will ultimately be a short-term need.
Playing with Others
Do to others as you would want them to do to you. If you think corpse camping someone 45 levels below you is funny, consider how you would feel if it was done to you for weeks.
Most importantly on this topic; do not force your husband / wife, partner / family member to play as a particular role. If they do not enjoy being a hunter, they are not going to stick at it, and you'll suffer the real life complaints for years to come. If they are playing Vanilla to spend more time with you, it is important that you ensure that time is enjoyable for both of you.
Unless you're power-leveling, consider picking up one or two trade professions along the way. It's not just about earning some extra cash from the auction house, it's also about making the game enjoyable by having fun "side" objectives to participate in.
