How much do I have to do in WoD before I can move to a different zone? I know I have to get through the intro chain (which is ok, because it’s kinda cool), and I think I have to do some basic Garrison building, but at what point can I just make the run to a different zone?
I’m just worried it’s going to be Hellfire Peninsula all over again, although not quite as annoying.
a lot of the WoD content has level restrictions. Both for opening zone quest lines and obtaining profession buildings. Some have both - e.g. you need to be a certain level to open up the quests in the Goblin port in Spires and need to do that questline to build a war bunker/armory.
IIRC, you need to be 96/98 for Nagrand.
Once you do either the alliance/horde starter areas, at least two other zones open up.
WoD questlines are pretty good and much better than Hellfire.
While the intro chain provides some gear, it becomes boring after running it on a few alts but there is an alternative.
Off the SE corner of timeless isle in Pandaria is a pirate ship. Along the shore opposite the ship is an underwater cave.
In the cave are four chairs around a fire. sit in a chair and click the fire. You will be teleported to an island off the NE coast of Gorgorond.
From there, you can water walk, swim, or fly if you have wod flying, to the location where you normally start your garrison after the wod intro. You can pick up the garrison building chain there without running through the intro chain.