| abstract
| - World of Warcraft is a virtual reality, massively-multiplayer online role-playing game that owes part of its complexity to players having many professions to choose from. These professions are distinguished from other skills (such utility abilities, combat skills, and spells) by their connection and contribution to the virtual economy of the game. They represent skills that provide goods and services to other players from players. There are ten primary professions from which a character can select. Every character is allowed to learn up to two of these main or primary professions and all of the three available secondary professions. These professions can all be categorized into subsections of gathering, service, and crafting (Blizzard calls them production) professions. The gathering, primary professions are herbalism, mining, and skinning. Fishing is the only secondary gathering profession. The only service professions are enchanting and inscription. The crafting, primary professions are alchemy, blacksmithing, engineering, leatherworking, tailoring, jewelcrafting. Cooking and first aid are both crafting, secondary professions. The proficiency in a profession is based on the number of points or skill levels in the profession. The first release (World of Warcraft) allowed ranges from 1 to 300, with the first expansion (The Burning Crusade) increasing the maximum to 375, and the second expansion (Wrath of the Lich King) further increasing the maximum to 450. The amount of expertise is also divided into steps that limit the maximum skill you can gain before having to train again. They have the following titles: Apprentice (1 - 75), Journeyman (76 - 150), Expert (151 - 225), Artisan (226 - 300), Master (301 - 375), and Grand Master (376 - 450). Usually a the appropriate trainer will allow you to increase your maximum before training again at 25 points before you hit your limit up to Expert (225 max). To go from Artisan to Master you need to be 300 and to go from Master to Grand Master you need to be 375.
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