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Communication (WoW)  

There are plenty of ways to communicate with other players (PC) and non-players (NPC) in the World of Warcraft. If you are comfortable with Instant Messaging (IM) then you should be comfortable with using the games chat functions.

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Player-to-NPC Communication

Communication with NPCs can be achieved by simply right-clicking on the NPC you wish to speak with. There are a variety of interactions you can have with NPCs

  • Scripted conversations (also known as Gossip)
  • Obtain or turn in quests
  • Browse goods for sale
  • Access the Auction House, your personal Bank, or the Guild Bank
  • Repair armor
  • Train class abilities
  • Train profession skills
  • Obtain directions to various points of interest inside cities



Player-to-Player Communication

There are a variety of different channels that one can use for communication between players. Each of these channels have specific functions, and it is suggested that you try to keep your conversations in the appropriate channel. Each channel can be accessed by opening the text input field (default: Enter) and using a backslash followed by the channel name or number. For example, to speak in channel 2, you would start your message with "/2 ".

The four basic channels available in a major city are:

Channel 1 - The general chat channel

This is a local channel, meaning it covers the entire zone you are currently in, and is used for general information (i.e. Asking directions or obtaining information about a quest or skill)

Channel 2 - The trade channel

This is a global channel. That is, it is accessible for all members of faction across the World of Warcraft, as long as they are in a major city. In this channel you can buy, sell, barter items. You can also LINK items you want to buy or sell or just to get information about. This is also the channel to use when looking to purchase player skills like Enchanting or Blacksmithing.

Channel 3 - The local defense channel

As the name implies it is for Local defense. You will get 'system message', these are in yellow as a default, if your faction's NPC's are under attack by the opposing faction (Horde or Alliance).

Channel 4 - The lookingforgroup channel

This is a global channel that is NOT zone restricted. Once you join this channel you can send and receive message no matter were you are. You join this channel automatically when you hit the 'i' and pick a dungeon to start 'Looking for Group.' This is the appropriate channel to use when you need to either find members for group quests or instances.

Other Channels

There are a wide number of other channels available to players. Here are some options:

  • Say (/s) - This is the default channel used when you log in to the game. Your messages will be available to anyone within a certain radius.
  • Yell (/y) - This is a local channel that will broadcast your message throughout an entire zone. This works both in cities and in the wild.
  • Party (/p) - This is the channel to communicate with the other members of your party
  • Guild (/g) - This is a global communication channel for members of a guild.
  • Raid (/ra) - This is the communication channel for everyone in a raid group
  • Battleground (/bg) - This is the channel used to communicate with your fellow faction members in a battleground

Players also have the option of creating private channels for specific needs, be it a dedicated channel for organizing PvP objectives or a channel dedicated to role-playing (RP).

Configuring Your Chat Boxes

There are 2 default chat windows (boxes) when you start. General and Combat. The general chat box is just that, used for general communication in the above described channels. This is also were several 'system messages' will appear. The combat window is by default hidden BEHIND the general window and can be moved by click, hold, and drag.

There are options for adjusting your general chat by right clicking the general tab (hover your mouse over the chat box and it will go slightly grey and you will see the 'General' tab in the top left corner of the window) and selecting any of the options.

This is the 'General' and 'Combat' windows separated.
This is the 'General' and 'Combat' windows separated.

Here you can see the drop down menu when you right click on the 'General' tab.
Here you can see the drop down menu when you right click on the 'General' tab.

If you are having a hard time reading the font size due to it being to large or to small you can adjust it here.  The default setting is 14pt.
If you are having a hard time reading the font size due to it being to large or to small you can adjust it here. The default setting is 14pt.

This is the list of options you can use for the basic configuration of your 'General' chat window.
This is the list of options you can use for the basic configuration of your 'General' chat window.

The list for the global channels.
The list for the global channels.

And the list of other options to pick from.
And the list of other options to pick from.

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This page last modified 2008-06-10 09:44:56.