1.
Download the client- Blizzard has a free download of the game on their website, so you don't need to buy the discs and install them one by one.
2.
Make an account with Battle.
net- This will allow you to play all of Blizzard's games under one e-mail.
3.
Upgrade WoW- World of Warcraft has been patched up many times, so you need to download those patches to play the current version of the game.
It may take a while, but it's worth it because you will be able to start the game after it's fully upgraded.
4.
Create your character (toon)- Before you enter Azeroth, you need to actually make a player to control.
You first get to choose your race/faction and then you choose your class.
5.
Start questing- To get to the next level in WoW, you need to earn experience points.
So immediately after you are 'thrown' into the world, start a quest and get to level 2 so that you know how it works.
6.
Download addons- Every class has addons that make it much easier to maneuver and sites like Curse.
com offer these for free.
After download, simply place them into your addon folder.
7.
Get a friend to play- Honestly, this game does get quite lonely if you don't personally know any of the people you are playing with.
So if you get a buddy to join, you will have someone to talk to, quest with, and raid with.
8.
Have fun!- Nobody is forcing you to hit the level cap under a certain amount of time.
Power leveling is possible, but if you want to maximize your gaming experience, then explore the game and test its limits.
It is non-linear, so you are free to roam and do whatever you want whenever you want.
Happy Raiding!