If WoW is a "generic mmo" I'd hate to see your idea of a hardcore mmo.
WoW is a generic MMO, if you don't know what that means, let me explain.
Start game, get starting quests.
Double click the monsters and use starting
skills animations that increase damage on starting monsters to kill it faster.
Repeat to stronger quests and monsters with stronger
skills animations that increase damage, while getting stronger equipment.
What a "hardcore" MMO is, is an action game. One where you actually have to have skill.
Example, Rakion, and a few others I forget the names of.