It's been brought to my attention that there are rookies of all levels. Recent columns have covered very basic topics such as instance play, group etiquette, and account security. Once you get to level 70, you'll have several options including solo play, PvP, and instance raiding. Raiding is a major part of the game, but can be somewhat overwhelming at first.

Raid instances vary from ten, twenty, twenty-five, and forty players. These instances are similar to five-person dungeons but require considerably more coordination. Ever player must work in concert to bring down challenging bosses, and they are typically rewarded with excellent gear for their efforts.

Recently as you know, I made the decision to get into raiding. I looked at what I wanted to do with my time in the game and realized that in order to see everything Blizzard has laid out on the Azerothian buffet table I would have to raid. I admit I was skeptical that this sort of playstyle would be for me, but I found out that I enjoy this as much, if not more than the unfocused casual pace I originally took with the game. I don't play any more than I used to, I just have an ultimate goal now: to kick Illidan's booty.

If you too are looking to step into the raiding arena, here's a how-to guide to give you some idea as to what you should do. This is by no means definitive, and if you have any input, feel free to comment. I am just putting down some thoughts on the subject based on my recent experience.

Getting Ready to Raid

You can think of your entry into the raiding world in three steps: introspection, preparation, and application. Skipping any one of these steps means that you will have a rocky start as you set into the world of hardcore (and yet still PG rated) gaming. In this first part of this guide of ours, we'll look at Introspection.