Customer Reviews

World of Warcraft: Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Buy this guide!

Preface: Not one to read the directions when doing ANY project, I'd rather open up a package, pull out all the parts and pretend that I can turn it into something recognizable on my own. And having been savagely disappointed with previous gaming guides (of the online variety - UO or DAoC...), I figured this purchase was up in the air to unlikely. The philosophical posts on praise/objection for these guide books points out these issues.

"Will I really need to know the armor class of level 2 cloth gloves?"

"Just how many times do I need to see the same artwork that came in the game's press release packet, inserted between size 40 text?"

"Will I purchase the guide now, only to use online websites for the information I need later?"

"A 'veteran' online gamer of some years, will I bypass the first 50 pages just to get to a few weapon/spell damage tables in the middle somewhere?"

Were just a few of the questions I asked myself when considering the WoW guide. At the glowing recommendations of my friends, I unconvincedly picked up the only copy from a Sam Goody on my lunch break. My discovery...? WOW!

The Bradygames WoW Guide is unquestionably the best online game book buy ever. And in answering my previous questions:

I may not need level 2 cloth gloves for very long, but I am sure when it comes time to find level 52 gauntlets, or craft them myself, I won't have to bug the "general" chatters asking about them for an hour.

The guide is a feast for the eyes! Full color pages, well-organized (color) charts, detailed (color) maps, original artwork, amusing comic strips illustrating the chapter topics, and in-game screenshots sprinkled throughout the book make it a pleasure to look at. Plus, and unlike other guides I've read, the font size is relatively small because there's so much quality information to present (not trying to cram size-28 useless information between large pictures, headings and tables). The language is both helpful and interesting, with plenty of annecdotal referencing.

While I was too impatient to wait, there is a binder version of the guide that you register online with access to updates that you can print out and replace old materials with. Not sure how that will work out, it's nice to think that they have the future in mind. And I doubt that the maps, and majority of the information will change much over time. Most likely, more content will simply be added later. Regardless, having seen what's in the book now, it's worth getting as it stands.

Again, having played nearly all the big online games already (in release or beta form) the terminology and concepts usually provided for newbies are pretty much "old hat". And in other guides, it was annoying to find half the book devoted to "strategies" like "click on monsters to fight them" and other fluff. This World of Warcraft Guide, is totally different. Even introductory chapter is interesting. And in full color, with lots of amusing images, and explanations, the first 5 pages are worth the first 50+ pages of other guides.

And those are just a few of the perks...

Basically, I have to thank Bradygames for putting together such a quality product. It's glaringly obvious that a lot of time and resources went into the making of the book.

And for anyone buying the retail version of the game, you know you'll be spending hours on end exploring the game, hunting monsters, crafting equipment, and having fun. If you think about how much time you'll spend playing the game, the time you'll save and more knowledge you'll have of the world will make the $25 for the Bradygames guide absolutely worth it!

The first thing to keep in mind is that this strategy guide was written for the beta version of WoW. MMO's being what they are, have changed drastically from the earlier version that this guide was written for. Also, be aware that to get the "updated" material you must purchase a WoW binder from the publisher. Finally, before my review, this guide has more typos than any other publication I have ever seen.

Pros:
- The zone descriptions are very informative, you can quickly search through which areas are suitable for your character to level/grind.

- The class and talent descriptions are also helpful (but I remind you, outdated) and give a general description of skills each class has.

- Great pictures and in-game graphics to keep you busy flipping through the pages.

Cons:
- There is nothing, I repeat, nothing in this guide which cannot be found (and up-to-date) on WoW database websites - which are more informative with complete quest details for EVERY quest in the current version (rather than just the starting zones, as provided in the guide).

- There is very little PvP knowledge given, only scattered information written by beta testers. Information on RP, HP, and the ranking system would be very useful for a beginning PvP player...which i suggest you educate yourself on how RP affects your rank if you intend to be an active PvP'er. (PvP = Player vs. Player combat for those who are unaware)

- No information on reputation and reputation rewards(this is a result of WoW updates, as certain groups were not around to gain reputation with) and I am unaware if, in the WoW beta when this guide was written, reputation was implemented into the game at that time.

- No information on any instances whatsoever, I will continue to repeat that most of the instances were not around to be included in the guide.

- The weapons/armor/item list is almost useless since items were added/removed/modified as more patches were released.

- A nearly infinite amount of typos that make it seem as if it was thrown together at 3 in the morning. I have a strong feeling that this guide was rushed to be published and shipped, without the necessary proofreading for mistakes/errors.

Conclusion:
This would not be a guide that will help a great deal if you are new to WoW...take my earlier suggestion and get comfortable with WoW databases on the internet. If you are looking for extra reading material, be my guest...you may still find a little knowledge throughout these pages.

Having played WoW for a week and a half without this compendium I'd have to tell you this book is gold. But if you're the kind of guy who likes to do things on his own, like me, you won't like it. Basically it saves you some time but it doesn't bring the same satisfaction as discovering a city/region or a quest by yourself. It's like giving a grown man a ball and telling him to put it in the round hole. Easy! Also most of the information in this book you can find online for free but it's a nice addition if you like to take it easy and have everything you need in a single spot. If I was creating a game, I wouldn't release the strategy guide until later so people who buy it see what they missed in the game and start over. Just my little evil point of view.

If you're reading this most likely you've bought these types of guides before and been underwhelmed (mostly). It's not that they aren't a little bit helpful, you just wonder why they didn't include that extra stuff in the manual rather than make you shell out 15-20 bucks again for it. Now many games cost $55 and don't even have a printed manual (thank you Microsoft.)

Well, World of Warcraft (fabulous game - get it) does have a very good manual -- it's just that the game is so deep and so full of detail, there really needed to be a book like this.

And the book is huge, colorful and full of quality. The paper is nice and shiny, the inks are perfect and there are tons of illustrations. I took it to work to show a friend and he was blown away.

I would usually qualify those types of people who would need this book and who wouldn't but in this case I can't think of a single kind of player who wouldn't get at least something out of this book.

From maps of all the lands, interviews with developers, interviews and tips from beta testers, pages on each race and class, top ten lists, charts charts and more charts, essays on good conduct -- it really goes on and on.

The typeface, though, is EXTREMELY small. Those with eye problems might have a bit of a strain. Frankly if this book had a normal typesize it would easily have filled 800 pages. As it is it is over 400.

If Amazon let me I would give it a 4.5 star rating because I felt a few things were a bit underexplained and frankly it is a bit confusing for a pure beginner as many terms are mentioned as important without telling you exactly how to do something. I find myself constantly flipping back and forth trying to figure some things out.

So, if you need a step by step -- this ain't it and it really isn't out there anywhere else even online. If you are somewhat comfortable with the genre the guide is immensely helpful.

The more expensive version even comes with online updates you can download in PDFs. Not that is cool!

If you play World of Warcraft you should get this. Period.

I bought this book after playing WoW for several months. That was a mistake, because most of what you get out of this book, you learn easily enough in the few month or so of playing the game.

The best thing about the book is the maps, which tell you who & what is where in each area. I don't particularly like the organization, and there are many, many, many things the book does not include, like dungeon and quest details. It also contains huge lists of useless things, like a list of every known piece of weapon & armor. Well, first of all, not everything is in there by a longshot. Secondly, it doesn't list the bonuses these items give you, which is patently ridiculous, because 9 times out of 10, that's all you're really concerned about.

Get your information from thottbot.com or allahkazam.com, they're free, they're much more detailed, better organized, and they're always up to date.

I was going to pull the book out of my bookshelf so I could write more details, but I can't find it, which should tell you how often I use it.

I've seen this thing and it's a tome. Thick, but thick with useful stuff. From quest locations to race/class combos to trade skill guides, this is a pretty nice buy even for an MMORPG Strat Guide (which are typically useless). It's got a good sense of humor and is peppered throughout with little tips to get you on your feet and keep you there (Fishermen: when fishing in a monster-heavy area, don't forget to switch back to your actual weapon before defending yourself!)
I say to buy this thing if you're like me and hate having to search an entire town to figure out if they have a forge or not or just hate yelling to others for help and spamming the chat bar. Plus, it doesn't hurt to become a font of WoW knowldge for all of your in-game friends to draw upon.

My wildest expectations have been surpassed with this guide - it's FANTASTIC! The layout, pictures, details, explanations, maps, hints, etc...it's all there. Such a well done manual with an easy-to-use index system. All maps are numbered telling you what lies in that number. The spell categories and damages are in easy-to-read and understand tables.

In know this review is short, but it doesn't need be long. The book is TERRIFIC. The information will take your game to a higher level and it's well worth every penny.

I think Brady Games outdid themselves here! Nice job!

Keep in mind that all the information in this book is currently available online, and as the game (slowly) evolves, the strat guide is getting more and more out of date. The publisher allows you to download updates, but even those are out-dated. That's just the nature of the beast, I guess.

This is a good book to keep handy by your computer, when you don't feel like pulling up a browser. It has good coverage of maps, zone levels, professions, and all that sorts of stuff.

This would be a good book for someone who is utterly new to WoW, the person who is overwhelmed when they first log on. Someone trying to decide on class/race/professions, or someone who's not familiar with the "other" side.

I don't really regret buying this book, but when I'm really strapped for solving quests or discovering if that new zone is too high for me, I go to thottbot first.

This guide is not bad, but there are several very major weaknesses:

1) doesn't give a full list of all non-player characters (NPCs) by location
2) maps are organized by region (Lorderaon, Azeroth, etc) rather than alphebetically, so it's difficult to look up zones
3) no instance (dungeon) maps
4) outdated after 4-5 patches that Blizzard has released

Number 3 is to me, the biggest oversight.

The limited edition version appears to include the instance maps and might be more worthwhile...if you get get it shipped to you anytime soon!

I got this guide when it first came out and, for a while, couldn't put it down. There is a lot of good information here, including class guides, a section on professions, and maps of each zone. The class guides would be useful for someone wanting to choose which type of "toon to roll" (ie what type of character they wanted), though they're quite outdated and some of the abilities mentioned in them have not existed for some time. The profession guides are nice, especially as you're advancing your profession, because they give you an idea of what recipes, etc exist, and you can then seek those recipes out to help you level your skill. Once you max your skill, however, those too become of little use.

The zone guides were useful for me while leveling my first character. When a quest says "go kill X of some monster," I could look on the map and find where those monsters were located. That saved me quite a bit of time. The maps also tell you what resources you can find in the zone, and who controls it (if you're on a PvP server). I found the item guides pretty much useless.

That having been said the book is incredibly dated. In addition you can find all this stuff online, though the ease of having the book in front of you so you're not alt-tabbing to a website all the time is certainly worth something. I haven't even looked at the book for months, but when I was using it constantly I was glad to have it.