So, is it worth it?

[Quark]

So is it worth it? Can I count on being around friends?

Being totally honest, the only way you can get any consistent help within our community is to level with that help. 2 of you together will make things much, much easier than just being alone. But it can become really hard organizing people together for certain goals (instances, mostly) when they aren't part of a defined group.

Ramala, my 60, basically went 15 to 60 in the same 5-man group. The levels flew by. Mitzy, a 53 mage, basically solo'd everything except some instances (I skipped a few). It was slower, but any solo time was sped up just by gaining general knowledge in the game. Mitzy stopped leveling for other various reasons. Chani, my 56 druid who will be my 2nd 60, also had the benefit of being 1 in a group of 6 or so people. Less grouping than Ramala, but there was never any things blocking my progress, really.

Do the Lurkers have their own space within WoW that's safe from normal gamer hazards?

Well, in instances, you won't have to deal with others unless you go into a public group. General/Trade/LookingForGroup channels can all be left, so you'd only have Guild and custom channels then. But out in the world ... they're there. Most of the time you won't be bothered, but occassionally you will.

I definately find it worth it, though. End game, people are split. How much you like raiding is a big factor in how much you like the end game. All the levels before it, though, I've seen very few people not enjoy.