practicum post-MMORPG

So after putting in several hours on EVE online i decided to switch games. The complexity of this game was way to much to grasp for such a short period of time allocated to work with. I decided to switch to World of Warcraft. This game has a setup where you create a character and are able to roam free in a land where your options are endless. After creating my character i decided to roam around and find people to interact with. The problem I came across in the effort to do this is that a vast majority of people just wanted to attack me. This system is a level system where you get into battles and gain points where you get stronger. They give you many ways to do this, my simplest way was fighting computer based creatures out in the forest in order to get my skill level up. now that im investing time into this game i hope to learn more about it.