List of major cities in World of Warcraft

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft contains many cities, eight of which are of significant importance, playing the part of capital city for each playable race within the game. Each faction, both Alliance and Horde, has an equal number of four capital cities. These cities are marked with special icons on the in-game map, and these cities not subject to the usual fog of war which normally requires players to manually map each newly discovered zone. This lack of fog is persistent for all players of either side, to an unusual effect: players who venture in to the opposing faction's capital cities have immediate access to the in-game map of that city.

Each capital city duplicates much of the game infrastructure, so that players are not forced to use one city over another. Banks, profession trainers, flight paths connecting to other cities, and inns are amongst the utilities present in each city. Some individual cities may host unique trainers, but players may interact with the in-city NPC guards who will direct players either to the closest trainer in question, or to the city in which the trainer is present.

Each faction has their own system of auction houses, for which only the respective players can access. In prior versions, only one city for each faction hosted the auction house, which ultimately turned those cities into major population centers. Patch 1.9 linked the auction houses across the world, so that players are no longer forced to utilize any particular city for their buying and selling activities. .

Related to the auction houses is a chat channel known as "global trade", which is also duplicated across the capital cities, so that players may participate in commerce from any capital city. An amusing side effect is that the global trade is linked across all capital cities, so that if a player enters the opposing factions city, the player still has access to their global trade channel. It is not unusual to see a player boasting of being in a capital city of the opposite faction in the trade channel.

There is another system of auction houses, known as the "neutral auction houses", hosted in Booty Bay and Gadgetzen, where all players of either faction may engage in commerce. Banks in the goblin cities are linked world-wide, regardless of location.

Players may enter the capital cities of the opposing factions, but such an action will immediately target that player valid for player-vs-player combat. Since each capital city is the seat of the leader for each race, it was not uncommon for players to organize "raids" against the opposing capitals, in the hopes of killing a faction leader.

Many minor ports of call exist as well, many of which are linked by the "taxi" transportation system.

Alliance
Darnassus
Darnassus is the capital city of the Night Elves, situated on an isolated island located to the north of Kalimdor, in the zone of Teldrassil. Darnassus is further isolated by the unique system of ingress and egress, in that there is no direct access to Darnassus. Instead, the village of Rut'Theran houses a portal which takes players to and from Teldrassil. Also located in Rut'Theran Village is a boat which will take players, free of charge, to the town of Auberdine in the Darkshore zone. Rut'Theran Village is connected to the other Alliance ports of call via the flight path system, which is available at a nominal service charge. Those Night Elf players who selected the Druid class also have a transportation to Moonglade, the central hub for the Druidic class.

This isolation makes Darnassus one of the least attacked Alliance cities, as the Horde players would first need to board the boat at Auberdine, and then teleport directly into the center of occupied territory.

The Exodar
The Exodar is the Draenai racial capital city, which was introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. The Exodar is located on Azuremyst Island, which is off the coast of Kalimdor. Being one of the Burning Crusades expansion areas, and to prevent non-BC subscribers from accessing BC content, this area is instanced in a similar manner to Silvermoon City.

As a capital city, the Exodar provides all major player conveniences, such as banks, an auction house, and mailboxes. Azuremyst Island and its companion Bloodmyst Island, form the starting areas for players of the Draenai race. The city is linked to the rest of the world via two methods of transportation. A flightpath exists between Azuremyst and Bloodmyst as a closed system of transportation, also similar to how Silvermoon City connects only to the Ghostlands. The flightpath, as usual, charges a nominal fee. A harbor provides a free boat which will take players to and from Auberdine.

Ironforge
Ironforge is the capital city for the Dwarven race, located in the Dun Morogh zone on the Eastern Continents. The city hosts a connecting point to Stormwind via the underground Deeprun Tram, allowing easy access from one to the other at no cost to players. Ironforge was the one Alliance city which housed an Auction House, before all Auction Houses were ultimately linked. The presence of the Auction House made Ironforge the center of Alliance player commerce; while players are no longer forced to visit Ironforge for trading, the tradition remains. Ironforge is similar in this way to the Horde city of Orgrimmar.

Ironforge is also interesting in that a section of city known as Old Ironforge is closed off for player access. Prior bugs in the game allowed a player to illegally gain access, but this has since turned into a "bannable offense". Any player caught exploiting these bugs will be permanently banned from the game.

Stormwind
Stormwind is the capital city for the Humans. The city is located in Elwynn Forest of the Eastern Kingdoms continent. The city has a few unique features among the other major cities. A lower level instance, the Stockades, is located within city limits. Given the location of this instance, it has no purpose for players of the Horde faction. While Horde players may choose to enter this instance, doing so requires travel directly into occupied territory. There are also no Horde related quests involving the Stockades, which further limits this instance's usefulness for Horde players.

Another unique feature is the Deeprun Tram. This is a free-of-charge underground subway-like system, which connects Stormwind to Ironforge, the Dwarven capital. Trains run between the two cities on two parallel tracks. The Deeprun Tram is actually a "single-instanced" location, similar to the way that the city of Silvermoon is instanced; there exists only one instance in which all players have access. There is no corresponding connection in the normal geography of the world. While traveling on the Tram, players glimpse scenes of underwater locations, complete with an elite sea monster named Nessie (a reference to the Loch Ness Monster). These underwater locations exist simply for ambience; there is no legal way for players to swim in these waters or kill Nessie. Players may walk the entire length of the Deeprun Tram from one city to another, pausing along the way to view the sights. Players may even safely walk on the tracks with no fear of being run over by the Tram (the "normal" physics of the game apply, which allows players to move through other dynamic objects).

Horde
Orgrimmar
Orgrimmar is the capital city of the Orcs, located in Durotar on the continent of Kalimdor. Beyond its role as a capital city, it is a major population center for Horde players, mostly for historical reasons. Prior to relatively recent patch releases, when only a single auction house existed for each faction, Orgrimmar hosted the Horde's auction house. This feature was reason for many players to spend their time in Orgrimmar rather than the other Horde capital cities. Since the introduction of the linked auction house system, this need has been diminished. However, Ogrimmar still remains a major hub for player-based trade. Other vital player functions are also present in Orgrimmar: banks, vendors, and class- and profession-trainers (with the exception of the Paladin class and the Jewelcrafter profession). All battlegrounds are represented by Battlemasters present in the city. The PvP rewards vendors are also located in Orgrimmar. During the weekly fishing contest, the Booty Bay envoy appears in Orgrimmar. Orgrimmar connects to all major Horde cities on Kalimdor via the flight path system, and a Goblin zeppelin is located outside, which will carry players either to the Undercity or to Grom'Grol in Stranglethorn Vale.

Orgrimmar also houses an instanced dungeon named Ragefire Chasm. This is a low-level dungeon (for players of around levels 13 through 16), making it one of the first instances many Horde players will experience.

Silvermoon

Silvermoon City, along with its surroundings, was introduced in the Burning Crusade expansion pack. Silvermoon City is the capital city for the Blood Elves and contains all major player amenities: banks which are linked to the rest of the world, auction houses which are also linked, inns and trainers. With the exception of the warrior class, the city hosts all other class trainers. The absence of that particular class trainer is due to the fact that the warrior class is excluded to the Blood Elf race. Added during the expansion was the new jewelry crafting profession and trainers. This is the only place in the Eastern Kingdoms where players can train for jewel crafting.

Silvermoon City lies within a special zone known as Eversong Woods, along with a partnering zone named The Ghostlands. Beginning Blood Elf players quest their way through Eversong Woods before progressing to the Ghostlands and then beyond. The two zones, including the city, are collectively known as Quel'Thalas.

While both of these zones lie in the northernmost areas of the Eastern Kingdoms, north of the Eastern Plaguelands, they are not part of the normal geography of the rest of the world. They are considered instanced zones, but they differ significantly from dungeon instances. Dungeon instances are created dynamically for each player or party of players; however Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands exists for all players who currently occupy the zones, and can interact with the rest of the world through normal chat channels.

Due to the instanced nature of these zones, they are not connected to the rest of the world via the usual means. The only flight path which exists in this instanced area simply connects the two zones. Players can access the rest of the world through a special teleportation orb which will instantly transport the player to the Undercity. Opposing faction members, however, cannot access this orb, and must enter the zone via a portal between the Eastern Plaguelands and the Ghostlands.

Thunder Bluff

Thunder Bluff is the capital city of the Tauren race, located in Mulgore on the continent of Kalimdor. The city is built on four high mesas, called Rises, which are interconnected by rope bridges. This layout keeps the city secure from raids, as there are only two access points: the normal flight system, which only Horde players can access, and a pair of elevators that bring players up to the city from the surrounding flatland areas. For Alliance players seeking to attack the city, the elevators are their only option. The height of the city and the interconnecting rope bridges are sometimes a cause of dismay for new players or those who aren't paying attention as they move about, as they suddenly find themselves falling to their deaths below.

The Darkmoon Faire also makes an appearance outside the city on a regular basis. All players of either faction are welcome at the fair, since it is not within normal aggro distance of guards, so it is not uncommon to see Alliance players in the zone when the fair is in town.

Undercity

The Undercity, the Horde capital for the Undead race (also known as the Forsaken), lies in the Tirisfal Glades zone on the Eastern Kingdoms continent. Like all capital cities, this one is home to all amenities for Horde players, such as a bank, auction house, inn, mailbox and class- and profession-trainers. An Orb of Translocation, located in the ruins just above the Undercity, allows Horde players (who have purchased the Burning Crusades expansion) to teleport between the Undercity and Silvermoon without having to cross through high-level areas. Horde players may travel to and from the Undercity using the flight system, and may also travel to Orgrimmar or Grom'gol Base Camp (in the Stranglethorn Vale zone) using the free goblin-run zeppelins available just outside the city gates.

Neutral
Shattrath

Shattrath City is a major hub city which was introduced in the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion pack. This city is located on the continent of Outland, in the Terokkar Forest zone. While all players of either Horde or Alliance are welcome in Shattrath City, the city is a combat-free zone. Players cannot engage in combat within the city limits, even if they are specifically "flagged" for combat. Within the city, there are transportation portals to each of the four capital cities for both Horde and Alliance. Players cannot access the opposing faction portals.

Shattrath City hosts a number of usual player amenities, such as banks, vendors and inns, but there is a glaring lack of class trainers or auction houses. Blizzard has acknowledged that this is a deliberate design decision, in order to disperse population density, and to encourage players to continue to interact with the "old world" of Azeroth. This is unlikely to change in the future.

The city also has four separate factions, two of which are mutually exclusive to one another. The Sha'tari are the supernatural beings who reclaimed Shattrath City after it was abandoned by the Draenei. The Lower City faction is a collection of refugees who flocked to the city during the chaos caused by the Burning Legion. Both of these factions have their own respective reputation system and rewards system. Reputation for each is gained in the usual manner of completing quests or killing mobs in instances.

The other two factions, Scryer and Aldor, are diametrically opposed with one another. When a player chooses to join one of these factions, the player is immediately hostile to the opposing faction. This transcends the usual Horde versus Alliance factions, as any player may choose either faction. Players are encouraged to fully research the benefits for each faction. An incorrect choice may lead to limitations with profession development, or may lock players out of desirable rewards. A costly process is available for players who wish to change their factions. Each faction has its own reputation system, in which reputation gains for one faction is reflected with loss of reputation for the opposite factions; it is therefore impossible for a player to be anything other than neutral with both factions at the same time. One cannot be seek to be exalted with both factions at the same time. Players who have chosen their faction will be banished if they attempt to access the alternate factions special vendors. Both factions have dedicated areas in Shattrath City, with inns and vendors; there are also faction banks, but these are linked to the rest of the banks across the world. Reputation is earned by completing quests, killing specific mobs and turning in special tokens.

Goblin cities
The Goblins are a non-playable race with a large presence in many areas of the world. The main goblin faction is known as Steamwheedle Cartel, which controls a number of minor cities throughout Azeroth. The Steamwheedle Cartel is a collective of reputation-based organizations. Where each individual goblin city maintains a reputation track with the players, reputation gains and losses is subject to "spillover" to the Steamwheedle Cartel. Reputation is earned through the standard means - questing, tokens, and killing specific mobs. The goblins also maintain at least one isolated outpost in Outland, which does not have an associated reputation scale.

Some of the goblin cities are:

* Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale.
* Gadgetzan in Tanaris.
* Everlook in Winterspring, with igloo/snowcovered buildings to match the terrain.
* Ratchet in the Barrens. There is a neutral ship that travels to and from Booty Bay.
* Area 52 - An isolated outpost in Netherstorm in the Outlands.

All goblin cities are neutral to both Horde and Alliance. Players of either faction are welcome in any of the goblin cities (within reputation limits), and are free to utilize any resources. There is also a profession specialization which is exclusive to the goblin factions. Most of the goblin cities also host auction houses which are only linked with other auction houses; these are referred to as the "neutral" auction houses, where players may buy and sell items from players of opposing faction, something which is normally prohibited. World-wide banks and mailboxes are also provided.

As a neutral faction, the goblins maintain their own travel system in the world. Boats and zeppelins will carry players from one port to another. Horde and Alliance often have their own travel system located in the goblin cities. Players may take a boat from one city to another, but as with the rest of the faction-based travel system, players are not able to utilize the opposing factions travel system. Unlike faction-based transportation, the goblin transportation system is free of use.

While the goblins are neutral, their cities are not combat-free. NPC guards in each city will attack any aggressive players; players may also lose reputation with the goblin hierarchy, which may ultimately prevent players from entry into those cities.

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