I've only ever played World of Warcraft for the first 15 or so levels, and then given up. Most of the time this was because I was worried I would become addicted, but since I have a month or so left of free time I've bought a months worth of time to get fully into it. I guess my biggest question is what exactly makes the game exciting? So far it just seems like grinding to get to "the good part" which I would assume is dungeons and getting better loot. This core appeal is similar to other games which I have found myself hopelessly addicted to (Diablo 3, Borderlands 2), so I thought WoW would be a natural next step. I've never got way into an MMO, but hopefully this will be the first one I dedicate a lot of time to. Also, is there any reason to get Mists of Pandaria as a brand new player? I always assume the expansions added zones which are for high level players and take forever to get to (and in MoP's case, the monk class). The way I see it, I can't recall ever playing one game consistently for a month, aside from maybe Starcraft 2, so if I'm still interested in WoW when my month runs out, I will have found one of my favorite games of all time.

Here's hoping! (I'm also probably going to start blogging about my time with the game so stay tuned for that)

I've been playing WoW for about 6 years...? Im not too sure, just it always manages to keep me coming back.

The main reason i love WoW, is i get to play with thousands of other players who eventually become close friends. I met one of my closest friends playing WoW. This game is NOT fun alone. I love doing dungeons with friends, whether it be real or ingame friends.

I certainly enjoy the never ending grind for better loot. I can always make my character better with effort. But again, i enjoy playing with people i like. They make the experience to get the loot, a million times better. My advice to you, is to make friends! Be social! dungeon groups are most often just...silent. Thats just sad, everyone is too focused on trying to get through the dungeon as quick as possible, no one bothers to say Hi anymore. Occasionally you will get people who enjoy to chat, and who are willing to play more with you. Thats where the game shines. Sharing experiences with other players, and enjoying the content you're in.

I dont really think you'll need MoP unless youre set on playing a Monk. You can just wait till you're ready to get into that content, since like you said it is aimed at higher level players. 85+.

If you're looking for general help in game, add me! my battletag is blobble#1553

I'm nice, i swear!

Honestly, I think that at this point is exactly like you say, grinding for the good part. The best parts of WoW are the dungeon content. The art is great, the bosses have interesting tactics, and it's fun getting your ragtag group of strangers to perform like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, at this point all of the early game content is balanced to be facerolled. I don't think you're likely to face anything that'll force your brain to engage before level 60 at least.

My last time playing WoW seriously was with a girlfriend about 3 years ago. With someone to talk to and split quest objectives with, it was great, but that's about the only circumstances I could imagine going back.

In other words, if you're planning on going into WoW without a posse to play with, I don't recommend it. It might be tough for you to find a guild and make buddies with a bunch of strangers like you could when the game was new. I could be wrong about that, though.

1-80 is a joke in terms of general difficulty. The balance of the low levels in the game got completely fucked when they introduced automatic ability scaling. Also, this is not a great MMO to just go solo and have a great time. It can get quite boring and monotonous without a buddy or two. You also got in when the game is at it's most stale in terms of content patches. The last new patch with content was nearly a full year ago. That being said, the world Blizzard created is still in tact, despite Cataclysm. The art is absolutely astounding, the transitions from zone to zone are incredibly impressive, as they always have been. The music creates an amazing atmosphere in every zone, so if you haven't ever seen that stuff, it is really a sight to behold. WoW is at its best when it's you and a buddy or two, exploring the world for the first time.

I've got another close friend starting the game right now who might get into it with me, is one other person enough to make it more fun? I mean I enjoy grinding in Diablo alone for hours, call me antisocial!