Character creation is normally the most important aspect of Warhammer Online, as it can not be undone outside of rerolling. It determines what your faction, race, class, gender, name and apperance will be.
Server selection[]
The very first thing you must choose when starting out is what server you wish to play on. Servers are separate worlds, meaning that a character on server A will not be able to interact in any way with a character created on server B. As such, to play with your friends, make sure you choose the same server that they are playing on. It is often a good idea to agree on a server selection strategy, with the people you are going to play with, before launch. It is also wise to choose a server which is closest to the computer you will be playing WAR on, as this will give you a low ping (latency between your computer and the server) and allow the game to run smoother and reduce lag.
There are three server types currently confirmed for release:
- Core Ruleset - PvP flagged when in enemy zones (although consensual in PvE "protected" areas)
- Role-playing (RP) - Players are encouraged to 'roleplay' their character, acting (& speaking) as the lore & their character backgrounds dictate they would in certain circumstances. (i.e. Dark Elves would be ruthless in the extreme and Witch Hunters would treat magic users with suspicion etc.)
- Open Realm vs Realm - PvP flagged in all zones, players are only safe for their first few levels.
It will be very important to keep in mind what type of server you wish to join, before creating characters, i.e. people who have no wish to act as their character in WAR should avoid RP servers, whereas those who wish for a more intense RvR experience might be best served in an Open RvR server.
Realm and army selection[]
The next thing you must choose upon creating a new character is what realm you wish to fight for. The choices are Order and Destruction, and whichever you choose limits your further selections to those attributed to your realm. For inspiration on what realm to choose, have a look at the Age of Reckoning background article.
You will not be able to have characters from both realms on any one server, so make sure you choose the same side that your friends are on. If you later find out that you wish to try out a character on the opposing realm, you will either have to delete all your characters on the server or -- more likely -- simply choose a different server where you have no characters. You can also buy a second account to play both sides.
Once you have chosen your realm, you must choose your army. There are six different playable armies, three for Order and three for Destruction. See the main army article for an overview.
Career selection[]
With all the high-level choices out of the way, it is time to choose your character's career. Each character can only have one, and you cannot change your mind later without having to create a new character, so make your decision carefully. You can read more about the different careers here on the wiki to help you decide.
All races have a ranged DPS, melee DPS, tank, and healer.
Careers fall into one of 4 archetypes:
- Melee DPS - For those who like to be in the front lines of the action at all times.
- Ranged DPS - For those who prefer to stay out of the fray and pick off enemies from afar.
- Support/Healer - Team based players who support and enhance other characters.
- Tank - Hard to kill characters who place themselves in the line of fire to draw damage away from other players.
Avatar creation[]
This stage is the creation/selection of the actual in-game avatar. You will have to select the name under which your character will be known to others in the world. No apostrophes or spaces are allowed in the name, although it will be possible to give your character a last name. Next you will choose the physical appearance your avatar will have in-game. WAR will not employ a morph/slider system to customize appearance, opting instead to have a selection of options for avatar features such as hairstyle and body types.
Once all these decisions are made, they are final, with the exception that you can always delete and re-create your character from scratch. You will be able to create multiple (up to ten) characters on a server.
When you select the final option, your character is created and enters the game world in your army's starting zone. Welcome to WAR!