Same class, different toolkit: what modern players should rethink before Forever

Blizzard published a briefing called "What's New and What Feels Familiar" at 18:00 UTC on 3 November, about 29 hours before World of Warcraft: Forever opens at 23:00 UTC on 4 November. It welcomes every kind of player, then turns to people who play the modern game. Much of it isn't new. Presets, Legacy and Rulesets have all been explained before. What's new is the selection, and read as a modern player, we count five things in it worth checking. We read the briefing in full and haven't tested any of it in the game.

A class name won't tell you your build

This is the bluntest line in the briefing. A familiar class name, Blizzard writes, is "a starting point, not a guarantee of the same build or combat rhythm you use in the modern game." Classes have talent and ability updates rooted in original WoW. Blizzard's example is the Hunter: traps work in combat, and pets gain definition through gear scaling and unique family abilities. Its advice is to read your abilities, try different tools and leave room for discoveries.

Race choices have changed too. Undead Paladin, Dwarf Shaman, Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Orc Mage and Troll Warlock join the original lineup, and racial abilities have been updated. For specific class changes, see our guide to Blizzard's 3 November notes.

Levels stop at 60

New and expanded zones and quests build on original WoW's foundation across the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, but the cap stays at 60. Blizzard says this "leaves room for an expanding game without an expansion of levels." Nine new five-player dungeons cover levels 13 through 60, and Blizzard counts them as group content both during leveling and at the cap.

Presets change the look, not the rules

Classic and Enhanced set your starting visuals and interface. They don't decide your Ruleset, and individual settings stay adjustable in Options. Enhanced starts with quest guidance, the one-bag view, transmog, strafing keys, a centralized layout and high-definition models. Classic starts with standard-definition models, a classic layout and camera-turning keys, with quest guidance, the one-bag view and transmog off. "The preset names describe defaults, not player skill," Blizzard writes.

Either way, Advanced options reach tools such as the Cooldown Manager and a Damage Meter. A gamepad also works, in a beta state, but you'll still need a keyboard for tasks such as chat.

Legacy doesn't need alts

Legacy is account-wide progression through challenges, points, character-specific perks and cosmetic rewards. At launch each character can spend up to 16 Legacy Points across Professions, Adventure and Resourcefulness, and one character can reach that cap. In Blizzard's words, "creating alternate characters isn't required."

Camping sits alongside that. Sitting briefly by a campfire to become rested gives you campsite buffs, but Blizzard warns that stopping "doesn't put the dangers of Azeroth on hold."

Agree with your friends first

This is the one that needs doing before you make a character. You choose a Ruleset rather than a realm from a traditional list: Normal, PvP, Roleplay-PvP or Roleplay, with Hardcore planned a little after launch. Characters can group, join guilds, run dungeons and raid together only within the same Ruleset and the same faction, and players on PvP realms are restricted to one faction. So settle both together.

What you don't have to give up

Your subscription or Game Time covers both games, so the modern game can stay in your week.

What it leaves out

The briefing sets expectations. It doesn't test anything. It says nothing about moving a character from the modern game or between Rulesets, gives no firm date for Hardcore, and doesn't say how any class will feel on launch night. The practical order is simple: agree on Ruleset and faction first, then read your abilities as if you've never met them.