As a lifelong Wizard101 fan and player, I was so excited when I heard the game would be spreading to consoles. This would provide my friends, who I’ve tried convincing for years to join me, to finally play. Then, however, KingsIsle announced it would not be crossplay (PC x console) and progress would not transfer over. I, and like many others, would not play. We would not dedicate so many hours spent on PC now on console to essentially restart with no characters to hand down gear to, or areas unlocked. I thought it would be a failure for KingsIsle, as their greed outweighed their ability to allow ease of access. Now that it’s been over two weeks, I can finally say that I was horribly wrong.
I, myself, haven’t installed Wizard101 on my console as I have zero intention of paying again for the game’s areas/memberships. But from what I’ve seen circulating online, it’s been a massive success. Every night, the servers are overwhelmed by the player count and have a queue to enter the game – something I’ve never seen after playing on/off for fourteen years. It makes me happy to see so many new players hopping into the Spiral for the very first time, and I wanted to offer one important thing I wished I knew when I loaded up Wizard101 on my mom’s computer back in 2011: advice.
I hope to reach a grouping of new wizards and those who are maybe returning, especially for the Darkmoor world release coming soon. Without further waiting, here are some of my best tips for new wizards starting in the Spiral.
1. Don’t Listen to the Meta
One thing you’ll see circulating around a lot of Wizard101’s forums, conversations, and gameplay is the meta. What exactly is the meta, you might wonder? Meta is typically a strategy that utilizes the most optimal layout for success. For example, in Wizard101, most meta players have small decks with maybe two spells, a blade, and a feint. Their decks are designed this way to conserve time and move at the fastest possible pace they are able. While I sometimes run a meta deck or use meta gear, sometimes it’s most enjoyable to load a deck up with different spells and really feel like a wizard. Meta players can take the fun out of Wizard101 (looking at you, Wolf Stormblade), and might even begin to insult you if you’re not running the meta.
Play the game the way you want to, especially since you’re the one who put money into the game. There are specific dungeons where you might need to play a meta role, typically late-game dungeons that require communication and teamwork of the highest order.
There are strong recommendations for specific gear sets at specific levels, which can be helpfully be found here: Gear Guide Wizard101 (not created by me). Level 30’s are strongly recommended to get the Sky Iron Hasta to add damage at a low level. Waterworks at level 60, Darkmoor at 100, and Aeon at 160 are some of the highlights. However, don’t let other players get you down for not taking years off your life to grind these dungeons. If you so happen to not have that gear, I won’t judge (but many will). Don’t let the meta players go to your head.
2. Be Open to Communication
While many would disagree, Wizard101 is, at its core, a team game. This means that like all strong, bonded relationships, you need to have communication. However, the type of communication is quite strict. If you’ve played Wizard101, you’ll know about the strongly moderated chat filter, preventing people from even the simplest communication (saying numbers to track rounds). KingsIsle moderators have also been known to throw the mute or ban hammer for complete accidents, even after fixing the mistake. Therefore, you must be careful what you say in chat, or you might end up with a ten year mute.
In harder boss and dungeon fights, you’ll need to be able to communicate regarding boss cheats, strategies, and team roles. Maybe you have two storms and need to decide who’s hitting. Perhaps you have a life and ice wizard (unrealistic, as no one plays ice anymore) arguing about who tanks first. Some bosses cheats are so elaborate and detailed in the Wiki that you need to be open to strategies that work efficiently and effectively. There have been several times where I thought I knew the best strategy and found consistent success, until hearing about another person’s strategy. Be open to hearing new ideas, which is something I preach in normal life too.
You’re not always going to get along with every single person you play with; it’s not realistic. Just like in real life, people differ opinions and some may have superiority complexes. If they’re truly bad, ignore them or report them (if it’s serious, false reports will get you banned). However, have a pair of listening ears and be willing to compromise at times.
3. Listen to the Story
Outside of the actual gameplay aspect, I encourage new players to listen to the dialogue and learn about the Spiral. KingsIsle did an incredible job, and continues to do, on the story aspect of Wizard101. Arc 1 and Arc 2 have some of the best storytelling in most games I’ve played, and it’s not an exaggeration. Without any spoilers, you’ll learn about certain characters in the game who altered the course of history through selfishness, love, and admiration for others. You’ll learn to hate characters, only to forgive them later on.
As someone who has completed the main storyline now three times (working on a fourth), I don’t need to stop and listen to every line of dialogue, but sometimes I do anyways. The voice acting is top notch and immerses you in a world you’ve never stepped foot in. Outside of the voice acting and dialogue, immerse yourself in the world. Perhaps it’s nostalgia, but it’s nearly impossible to find that same level of whimsy I had playing as a child. But as an adult, get a drink, get high, turn off the lights, whatever you need to do to feel the magic in Wizard101. It’ll be worth it.
4. Use Your Resources
One of the biggest things that has helped me succeed in Wizard101 is research. You’ll probably moan and groan about research, especially if you’re still in school. When I play Wizard101, I always keep two different tabs open on my web browser. First, we have a quest line guide for whatever world I’m questing through so I can see how far I am into the world, and when I have upcoming cheating boss fights, or whatever is inside the quest itself. The second tab is the Wizard101 Wiki, which helps me research boss cheats, mob drops, and more.
Final Bastion is my go-to for main quest lines. They have all main and side worlds, as of the time of writing this, and it helps me prepare. Perhaps there’s a quest that will require a dungeon that has three mob fights. Knowing this fact ahead of time, I can buy potions so I don’t have to leave mid-dungeon to refill health. Maybe there’s a cheating boss ahead that I can start preparing for, or know I’ll need to team up for. The last fact is the simplest: I just like to know how far I am into a world. I like completionism; knowing where I am in a world can help me determine how much I want to play, or how many quests I have to go in an area or world.
Wizard101 Central is the ultimate guide for everything Wizard101, and for me is a necessary tab to have open while playing. For later worlds with cheating bosses being the norm, it’s essential to know what spells to pack, if you’ll need additional help, or whatever it may be, before going in to fight. Some bosses have cheating cycles that will require you to count rounds. You’ll want to know this beforehand. Another helpful tool is learning drops. Understanding which bosses and mobs drop specific items, gear, and reagents is helpful for a multitude of things in the game, including crafting. Always research before going into a boss fight.
5. Have Fun!
It should go without saying, but Wizard101 is a fun game. There’s so many different ways to play that no matter what style you choose, you’ll have a new adventure. Storm wizards have the highest damage but lowest health, while Ice wizards have the highest health and lowest damage. Playing both can give perspective on the game at hand. You can try combining different sets of gear to try to look the best or have the best stats. Try to attempt the Wizard101 nuzlocke (search it up as I don’t have the specifics). There’s numerous ways to play, which makes it fun to try new schools.
If you’re not huge into the gameplay itself, you can try crafting, gardening, house building, pet breeding, fishing, and so much more. There’s minigames for both you and pet training, as well as boosts every weekend to help with certain tasks like gardening and fishing.
Games are meant to be fun and as I’ve had a lot less free time recently, I’ve tried to do things I get enjoyment out of first and foremost. Playing Wizard101 has given me countless hours (hundreds of hours, may I add) of fun. If Wizard101 isn’t for you, don’t force it. You’ll know when you enjoy it, and I hope that this little guide has given you some tips on having fun in the Spiral again.