Rank the Expansions

[Zantera]

I've mostly been a raider/PVE-player since the beginning so rating the expansions mostly on that:

1. TBC - Before someone else says it, I admit nostalgia plays a big part here. TBC was my entry into WoW and I had tons of fun doing Kara/ZA with my IRL class mates at the start, and then I had a blast with the raiding guild I joined where I became a raider and eventually classleader, clearing all the raids and having a blast in BT and Sunwell. Overall I really liked all the raids and didn't really dislike any of them, even enjoyed doing Maggy and Gruul mainly because we never really did it, so those rare times we did, it was something different. Isle of Quel'Danas also brought some fun. Great dungeons and great raids.

2. Legion - I know a lot of people disagree but I love the RNG system right now and I am 100% fine with legendaries and TF/WF being the way it is. It keeps me engaged and I want to keep running content, something that was a problem in the past. I think back especially to WotLK and Cata where you didn't have any reason to do content if you already had the gear, and I like the fact that upgrades can come from basically anywhere now. Overall I thought EN was a decent entry raid, ToV was a step up and Nighthold is amazing so if they can keep building on this, we might have a winner in Legion. Dungeons have mostly been really great IMO, even though I get why people hate certain dungeons, I don't really mind doing HoV or BRH for example. Great dungeons, great raids.

3. MoP - I thought MoP was off to a somewhat slow start with fairly boring raids at the start, but Throne of Thunder was one of the best raids in the game and Siege of Orgrimmar is probably the best final raid of an expansion since Sunwell. I had a blast in MoP and for the first time since TBC I was really enjoying the game again, with a lot of ups and downs in the previous two expansions. Looking back at it, I think some of the dungeons have aged slightly poorly, so I would say it's a mixed bag of great ones and slow ones, same with the raids where I didn't really love the first ones, but ToT and onwards was really great. So mostly very positive.

4. Cataclysm - At the time I didn't really like Cataclysm. A lot of focus on revamping old content and I didn't like the fact that the new zones were spread out because you didn't get that same "exploring a new world"-feeling that the other expansions brought. But like a fine wine, I think Cataclysm is easier to appreciate in hindsight. With the characters I've leveled since, I truly appreciate what they did to the old zones. I enjoyed the harder dungeons and some of them were pretty fun, my biggest gripe is really with the raids. I missed the first tier, but having seen videos and done the bosses after the fact, they seemed like pretty fun raids that I was just unlucky to miss out on. Bastion of Twilight and the Blackrock one especially. I'm not on the hype train when it comes to Firelands, to me it was a really ugly raid with some fun bosses, but the idea of a fiery landscape was just so underwhelming compared to a big citadel or some other epic structure. The fights themselves were alright and not bad. Dragon Soul, I guess the less said the better. Still, a solid expansion that was easier to appreciate after the fact than during.

5. WoD - Putting this over WotLK is gonna be controversial (maybe more controversial than putting WotLK last) but hear me out for a second. I agree with the negative points people have about the expansion. Standing in an empty garrison sending missions, few things to do, tanaan being boring and so on. As someone who was mainly a raider, the quality of good raids is something I feel like WoD delivered. Highmaul had a really cozy atmosphere and I had loads of fun doing it, the Foundry raid was my favorite of the expansion and I would put it on that pinnacle of raids like Ulduar and Throne of Thunder of just being really great and defining the expansion. HFC was a solid exit raid. Not the best, not the worst, but enjoyable. I enjoyed most of the dungeons as well.

6. WotLK - WotLK being last is controversial but it was very up and down for me. For starters, Naxxramas was the most underwhelming entry raid. I remember my guild going in hyped, cleared the place during the first night and the feeling of "now what?". The first part of the expansion was too easy. People pugging content that you did in a guild and it felt kinda pointless. By the time they introduced hardmodes/heroic, half the expansion had already passed. I agree with every positive thing people have to say about Ulduar. Amazing place, one of the best raids ever, but for me also the only shining beacon in an expansion of raids I did not enjoy. ICC was OK, but I would put it in the category of a Hellfire Citadel or Siege of Orgrimmar rather than I would put it up there with Karazhan or Ulduar. As far as dungeons go, I think most of the dungeons were alright, but I didn't really like any of them that much. Whenever I go through the expansions when leveling a new char, there are always those dungeons I am looking forward to. Like TBC has several of those, but whenever I come to the WotLK levels, the dungeons are mostly alright, I just didn't click with any of them that much. Otherwise I agree with people that Northrend as a continent was pretty neat, atmosphere was cool, but as a raider, a lot of content was too easy but more importantly, I just didn't like much of it. Ulduar was amazing but apart from that the raids were really boring IMO. ICC = OK, Naxx = terrible shadow of its former self, TotC = worst raid in WoW and so on. Dungeons were mostly decent, but I still have to put WotLK under Cata and WoD because despite the incredible level of Ulduar, I feel the consistency wasn't quite there. For me at least.

[Tyrannica]

OR,

TBC hype(the usual)when people didnt even play and still ranking it high;

OR,

They really played TBC. They were just 9 years old babies(sorry, but I can't take that serious).

For me TBC is like xmas(good old days, not the same anymore - credit for some other guy for this anedocte).

There was less to do in TBC than in WOD, raiding was at mythic level(nothing less, nothing more - granted, skillcap was about the same as LFR today)and you farmed dungeons until you overgeared them. Healers in PvP could survive against a little raid team. Release TBC now, I dare you.

I am in 38 in 7 days so do your math how old i was when i played TBC.

I played for PvP nothing more nothing less, it was the perfect incarnation of PvP and there was tons to do like improve yourself and enjoy the game for what it was. Also did Kara runs and all the hc 5mans.

I was enjoyed more than in other expansions, repeatable pve content that becomes a farmplay means little to me or my personal enjoyment of things.

[Eon Drache]

lol whats this? A TBC bashing thread, by people that never played it when it was fresh and new? Replaying old content isn't quite the same, you know?

1. TBC the gameplay was perfect, i liked outland most, the pvp was superior and hat great inventions like the Arena, everything was active and felt alive.
2. MoP - Oondasta fun providing an isle of fresh player corpses, ToT and its isle + lore and the Timless Isle PvP made this game really great. But it did start rather humble, though the leveling process was its greatest weakness. The Zones while beautiful, didn't feel very abstract in a fantasy world, both Outland and Cataclysm delivered better. However its just side thing.
3.Wrath of the Lich King - Good on lore, maybe the best, but the pvp was very bad with new maps with machines that made no sense and distract from it. Raids were great, ulduar is comparable with Tot. If you only PvE this ranks up higher.
4. Cataclysm - it gave us Vash'jir, nuff said.
5. WoD could be much better but blizzard cut off too much content so it has to be the last place in any given scenario, if you are really honest. The little content provided was ok, though. Also i did not like Draenor Zones as much as the broken Outland version.

You know it is possible people just didn't like TBC? I started in TBC. It was incredibly unbalanced. There wasn't a lot to do. It was ok at the time but if I had to go back to TBC I would rather take any other expansion ever. It is called an opinion! Shocker.

[Alvito]

1. BC
2. Wrath
3. Cata pre nerf
That's it, the rest is shit

Makes you wonder why you have stuck around for the last 6 or so years.

[Deleted]

I am in 38 in 7 days so do your math how old i was when i played TBC.

I played for PvP nothing more nothing less, it was the perfect incarnation of PvP and there was tons to do like improve yourself and enjoy the game for what it was. Also did Kara runs and all the hc 5mans.

I was enjoyed more than in other expansions, repeatable pve content that becomes a farmplay means little to me or my personal enjoyment of things.

Well, im above 30 as well. But guess what, we are old(and i respect people who actually did play and who actually were old enough to enjoy the game as a whole product).

Think of the average age for a player is 20-24. You give me 1 reason not to bash peoples "list". That makes the avg. player a baby with milk breath back then!!

[Dizzeeyooo]

WOTLK > BC = MOP > VANILLA > CATA >>> LEGION=WOD
Shit and lazy class design + ability pruning put legion and wod at the bottom, over anything else

[Stephanie-rara]

I expect flack for this, but weeeee

1) MoP
2) Legion
3) BC
4) WoD
5) WotLK
6) Cata

WotLK was the only expansion to make me quit the game because of how much I hated ICC and the PvP in that patch, and Cata's class changes was the only expansion to keep me away from the game for gameplay reasons. I actually enjoyed WoD for the most part, but there was a lack of reward in almost any content which is why I feel there was that feeling of a lack of content.

[Ghrog]

Sure, I'll play along...

1) WotLK
2) Legion
3) TBC
4) Cataclysm


(I wasn't around for MoP and WoD except to level through them a month before Legion launched, so I can't really judge them very well. From the little I have seen though, I suspect I would have put MoP between Legion and TBC and WoD below Cata.)

[Daevied]

WOTLK>CATA>BC=LEGION>VANILLA>MOP=WOD

Seriusly MOP and WOD made the game miserable for too many years, legion is still going strong for me

[schwank05]

I think everyone feels that when they start Raiding is the best xpac ever. At least for me thats how I feel. Mop is the first Xpac to ever make me unsub so I have a special Kind of Hate for it.

1. BC
2. WRATH
3. CATA
4. Legion
5. MOP
6. WOD

It seems age is something being taken into account, I started playing in High school. I am 29 will be 30 in 2 months.

[Banard]

1. MoP - looking back on those couple years ...by far the best time in wow...story/raids/new zones to explore....everything was good.
2. Wrath - story/raids/new zones ....classes starting to evolve...everything was good.
3. Legion/WoD - story and raid were decent and levelling was 2nd to MoP..but to many negatives in each xpac.
4. Cata - horrid, hated the raids, zones were meh...although the underwater one was very interesting...hated the hunter class....only xpac i quite to play another game (SWTOR)
5. BC - in my heart it was the best but that was because of the people and community. Raids were shit, classes were shit....i only spammed one button...the only concept that was ideal back then was teir raiding and working your way through teirs. This was a lot better then each teir resetting and having 4 difficulties...of the same raid. I.E those guild doing normal NH would just be in the middle of EN now.

Never played vanilla besides leveling through it in BC....

[Dangg]

Watching BC videos a big part why players looked lame was because the game mechanics were limited and slow, not because of lack of player skill.

There is only so much you can do if not every nearly class is given a def CD, blink/speed boost, some kind of stun, several raid/dmg CDs, different abilities to handle different number of mobs (cleave, single, AOE).

[Deleted]

1) MoP
2) WotLK
3) Legion
4) WoD
5) Cata
6) TBC

[WowIsDead64]

I don't know. What's the point in constantly creating "Rate xpacks" threads? This info won't tell you anything new. There are TBC fanboys. There are WotLK fanboys. All others - are Cata's babies, MOP's babies, etc., who pretend, that they have been playing this game since Vanilla, but their "MOP is best xpack" gives them out. If you're not Blizzard employee, of course. Cuz, you know, when I mentioned, that I haven't bought Legion, when I was talking with GM, he asked me exactly this question - what xpack is your favourite. It's just standard question, they ask you, instead of collecting tons of "what's wrong with current xpack" info. I answered, that WotLK had best dungeons/raids and Cata had best leveling. And then GM tried to convince me, that Legion has all this stuff, but this is another story...

[Deleted]

For people bitching about TBC...

I was in a sub top 200 world guild during that time and guess what? I could play this game casually and still achieve all that. You logged on, did the dailies for money, raid, log off. Once a month I farmed mats for the pots and that's it. Ran some heroics for friends and that's pretty much it. Rest of the day was spent on real life socializing (I know it's shocking). If you were not raiding you had nothing else to do...that part is true but this game has always being about the raiding so I don't really understand the confusion cause you knew what you were getting.

I'm sure Legion's endless grind is better than TBC for complete no lifers and people seeking psychological help. If you enjoy it play it, I sure as hell won't.

[HuxNeva]

1. Vanilla/BC (est. only played on private servers)
2. Legion/Wrath
3. Early Cata (pré nerfbat)
4. MoP
5. Late Cata
.....
99. WoD

[Xandrigity]

Question: Are you about 20-24 years old?
Question: (if yes) - did you play TBC when you were 8-12 years old?
Question: (if yes) - how did you pass the installation process?

No, I have a teenage daughter.

[Deleted]

1. Vanilla
2. Legion
3. The Burning Crusade
4. Wrath of Lich King
5. Warlords
6. Mist of Shit.

[Eleccybubb]

1. Mists of Pandaria.
2. Wrath.
3. Cataclysm
4. Legion
5. TBC.
6. Vanilla
7. Warlords of Draenor.

MoP will always remain my favorite. Only time I wanted to PvP in WoW which is a rare thing for me. So basically only expansion that kept me fully hooked and fully subbed throughout. Also Throne of Thunder and Siege of Orgrimmar remain 2 of my most favorite raids of all time.

[Dontrike]

1. Legion
2. MoP
3. BC
4. Wrath
5. Vanilla
6. Cata
7. WoD