Best way to get into WoW Lore

[Deleted]

Hi there,

I started playing WoW from TBC until the end of WoTLK. Although I've stopped playing a few years ago, I've always found the lore behind the game extremely interesting.

I want to explore the lore behind the events in the MMO. Whats the best place to start? Whenever i've encountered someone familiar with the narrative of WoW, they normally say they got it from playing the Warcraft series. Would this be good? Or should I focus more on the various literature out there?

I want my focus to be on the events that actually occurred in the MMO game.

Thanks for any help,

Albie

[Bigbazz]

Jesse Cox lore videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdqEmi1GbsE. You could read the books, Amazon do a free month/1 audiobook on Audible where you could download one of the lore books. This guy Jay Linder does his own audiobooks, reading the WoW lore books https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsi...MX6h1Iw/videos. You could also read WoWWiki etc.

Probably the best of all is to play Warcraft 3. Warcraft 3 is an incredible game, it's still one of the best strategy/rpg games out there and well worth the price.

[UnluckyAmateur]

Start watching Nobble87 videos.

[Ciddy]

I started with Warcraft 3. If you haven't played Reign of Chaos or Frozen Throne, I would definitely recommend them. They might be a bit dated in terms of graphics/visuals, but they're still great strategy games even by today's standards. There are tons of cinematics, cutscenes, and text that explain lots of the story leading up to WoW. For example, most people who played WoW back in Classic and ran Stratholme without having played WC3 first didn't really know the proper story behind what Arthas did there (or with EPL/WPL in general).

You can get the WC3 Battle Chest that includes both games and strategy guides for both games, and it's like 15 bucks.

Also the books. I'd probably start with the War of the Ancients trilogy if you REALLY want to go back far, then pick up Rise of the Horde and work your way up from there (Tides of Darkness, Beyond the Dark Portal, etc). Rise of the Lich King explains pretty much everything about Arthas and his life before/after he took up Frostmourne.

Also: wowpedia.org has a lot of really good reading material.

[Deleted]

There is also wowpedia.org. But that is a buttload of info to read over, and you have to be specific about what you want to read about. So..Play the warcraft 1, 2 and 3 games. They will give you a good background for the lore. As for the world of warcraft lore. I recommend you read quests and read the books written. And also use the webpage i mentioned earlier for more specific info.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

[Wildberry]

I've never found any of the lore videos to be that great. I'd recommend just heading over to Wowpedia. It's a lot of information, but just go to their timeline, and start clicking on linked articles. If, after that, you decide that you like what you're reading, I'd recommend buying the books. For the books, though, there's no real specific order that they must be read in.

Although I'd caution you not to get into WoW lore, it's a trainwreck of poor writing and disappointment.

[Hitei]

I've never found any of the lore videos to be that great. I'd recommend just heading over to Wowpedia. It's a lot of information, but just go to their timeline, and start clicking on linked articles. If, after that, you decide that you like what you're reading, I'd recommend buying the books. For the books, though, there's no real specific order that they must be read in.

Although I'd caution you not to get into WoW lore, it's a trainwreck of poor writing and disappointment.

This.
Can't stand Cox.

Best way to learn lore is to play WC3+expansion and then quest/find interesting stuff and look it up on wowpedia, and then go for a wikiwalk or whatever it's called. Just pursue subjects in the lore that interest you.

[Deleted]

Play Warcraft 2 and expansion and Warcraft 3 and its expansion.
Those should contain all the lore you need.

You will fall in love with the Old Horde, with its badass characters! Now Horde has Vol'jin... what a fucking shame.

[Deleted]

The videos kinda blow.
Like Ynnady said, play wc2 and wc3 with their xpacs and that should cover a big portion of the story and lore from the past.
Then go to wowwiki or wowpedia if you wanna know more about a certain even or character and just read up on them and you're bound to find something else that might catch you're interest wich opens another tab and so on and on.

[Pizzakid2093]

I disagree with pretty much everything everyone here has said. Getting into the lore through summary videos is not at all the right way to go. Play wc2 and 3. Read the first books, they are actually quite entertaining. If I had to recommend one to start with, try the Last Guardian. It was the first one that I read and really got me into the lore years and years ago. Very cheap too

[Mormolyce]

Well I played Warcraft 1, 2, 3 and then WoW. Summaries are nice but nothing is as good as playing the actual games. Although a lot was added/retconned in Warcraft 3 especially, so if you want all the background lore you need to read the manuals as well (quite a lot of story in there).

I recommend playing all the games not only because of the story but because they are all really good games.

[MachoSasquatcho]

Might not be the end all be all solution but it's a nice book:

http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft...t+Visual+Guide

[Highlord Hanibuhl]

Don't watch Jesse Cox. He's so full of himself, I bet he jerks off to a photo of himself.

Nobbel87 has some nice vidoes, but his livestreams also tend to get a bit of an egotrip (you hear it in his voice).

Just do like me and read wowpedia and talk about it with peeps!

[Frankminimia]

playing warcraft 3 is a great start

[yetgdhfgh]

Best way is to play the previous games and just build on it using Wowpedia, Youtube etc.

The books can be a great source too.

[Highlord Hanibuhl]

playing warcraft 3 is a great start

That, or see this:
(All cutscenes and cinematics into 1 video!)

[George]

Read the novels.

http://wowpedia.org/Novel_guide
http://www.wowwiki.com/Novel_guide

[Deleted]

Play Warcraft 3 and it's expansion.

Also here's a timeline list, maybe it can help you pick things in chronological order. http://wowpedia.org/Timeline_%28unofficial%29

[Wildberry]

Wildberry I hate it when I have to entirely agree with everything you have said

It's a terrible feeling, isn't it? :P