First Login in WoW Forever: Classic or Enhanced Preset, HD or SD Models

On your first login, WoW Forever asks you to Choose Your Experience Preset, before the ruleset and before character creation. A preset is a set of starting settings, not a lock: you can switch it later under System → Preset in the Options menu, or change any single setting. The screen only appears that first time.

Classic is the closer match to the original game: simpler visuals, fewer modern interface features and less automatic guidance. Enhanced has higher visual fidelity and more of the interface switched on, and it's the one Blizzard suggests if you aren't sure.

Separately from the preset, every new character can use HD or SD models and animations. HD has more detailed models and updated visuals; SD has the look of the original World of Warcraft. The choice changes only appearance, never abilities or progression, and you can switch later in the Options menu or at a Barbershop.

After the preset comes the ruleset: Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay-PvP at launch, with Hardcore later. Characters can group, join guilds, run dungeons and raid only with players of the same ruleset and faction, so agree on both with your friends first. Every character also has a first and a second name, and only the combination has to be unique in your region. WoW Forever Name Reservation Opens October 27, With a New Roleplay-PvP Ruleset covers both in detail.

WoW Forever is set in the original game's early "Year 1", before Kazzak reopened the Dark Portal, and expands the level 1–60 world rather than moving past it. Blizzard's recap for returning players highlights:

• Six new race and class combinations: Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman and Gnome Priest for the Alliance, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin for the Horde. Compare them on the Races page.
• The Skyborne, a new race that joins either faction and starts on Zephras Isle (levels 1–12). Playing one requires the Heroic Pack or a higher upgrade.
• More than 1,000 new quests and new destinations: Mount Hyjal, Shen'dralas, the Riverglades and Zephras Isle, plus nine new dungeons.
• Legacy, an account-wide progression that rewards exploring and playing different classes and professions. Alts help, but everything can be unlocked on a single character; see Legacy.
• Honor and Rank points from battlegrounds, PvP quests and weekly seasonal tasks, with extra gains in battleground holiday weeks.
• Darkspear Islands, a new 15-versus-15 battleground off the coast of Dustwallow Marsh for levels 30–60. Teams hold four capture points and a central flag, the first to 2,000 points wins, and the Darkspear Raiders and the Theramore Expeditionary Force offer reputation rewards.

• Check your account. WoW Forever is included with an active World of Warcraft subscription or Game Time. If you can't log in, Blizzard Support's account recovery can find an account, reset a password, unlock access or fix an authenticator. Afterwards, check the region, license and security settings you want to play with.
• Update your system and graphics drivers, and compare your PC with Forever's system requirements.
• Install from the Battle.net app: select World of Warcraft, choose WoW: Forever in the Game Version menu, pick the right account if you have several, then install and play.
• Playing with a controller? Gamepad support is available in a beta state.
• Plan your character in the talent calculator while you wait.