Do you miss the pre Cata Zones?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Yeah, this is something I bitch about on these forums a lot. The old Azeroth felt dangerous and unpredictable; there were mean elites at every level randomly in zones (looking at you, elite werewolves in Silverpine), group quests, etc. The world in a way felt...I don't know the best way to describe it, because "unplanned" or "unconnected" have negative connotations, but it didn't feel like everything fit too neatly together, and there were places like Alcaz (spelling?) island and other areas that weren't main quest hubs but fit into other stories. Everytime you walked into a zone, everything wasn't neatly explained to you, you had to work for it or be on the right questlines. Cata turned everything into an ezmode theme park experience with quest hubs and flight paths every five feet, removed group quests and a lot of the really cool old quests/questlines (hunter/priest quest, scepter of the shifting sand, etc.), and took most of the elites out so newbies wouldn't have to deal with any degree of difficulty at all on their way to max level. The current leveling game is a complete shit show.

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Exactly the opposite. Sounds like you didn't even play prior to Cata.

The old zones we're mess the cata ones are objectively better.

[Xargoth6634]

The old zones we're mess the cata ones are objectively better.

Yeah? How "we're" they "objectively better?" Enlighten us, because I have a strong suspicion that you don't know what the word "objectively" means.

[Swalload]

Exactly the opposite. Sounds like you didn't even play prior to Cata.

I did, that's why I'm right and you're wrong.

[Arvandor]

the old world was one of the best created vitual rpg worlds!

cata destroy the world and blizz make the fail of the century!

[Craaazyyy]

ye kinda

/10char

[McNeil]

I really miss some of them while not so much for others, the ones I miss the most being the old Eastern and Western Plaguelands, Silverpine Forest, Hillsbrad Foothills, Tirisfal Glade, Westfall, Thousand Needles, The Barrens being one zone. These zones felt dangerous, immersive and had a real atmospthere. Now they mostly ruined it with bad pop cultural parody jokes or changing the zones to much with unnecesary stuff like healing WPL or flooding Thousand Needles. I wish I could visit these zones in retail rather than having to visit them on private servers.

[Plutarch78]

I just flew through some old vanilla zones where i started this game 11 years ago and it just breaks my heart, like many times before, to see what blizzard did with the Cataclysm Expension to them.

I wish there was something like zoning for them...that the cataclysm would only take place at level 85

Oh God...how I miss the vanilla zones. Idk, when Cata came out all the new zones felt out of place. Like new wine in old bottles in a sense. Everything just felt automated and easy, especially with heirloom gear.

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the old world was one of the best created vitual rpg worlds!

cata destroy the world and blizz make the fail of the century!

This 1000%

[Deleted]

Barrens was immense, but also disgusting in the same time. Only reason I'd like it back so I could enjoy flying over it, thinking I ain't doing that ever again and being happy it's over. Thousand Needles was a silly zone, but now it's even more dumb.

[jettzypher]

I'd say yes and no. There is a bit of nostalgia that no longer exists from visiting those areas that I spent countless hours playing through back in the day. Also, some of the changes kinda stunk. However, it gave a chance for change to happen in the world (albeit a bit too drastically). That bridge in Redridge? Seemed like that thing was never going to be rebuilt, but now it's done.

[Fatel]

Ashenvale and Azshara were my favorites and they're completely trashed now

[Liftbrul]

For sure. Visually they're not as impressive, but they've turned into such a boring on-rails experience I can't stand leveling any of my alts. Turn off your brains and go from A to B to C and boom, done, here's a free ride to the next zone conveniently at the end of the last quest line. Rinse and repeat.

[Cæli]

yes obviously. their worst mistake to date. removing access to a huge number of zones. not good for a video game. they didn't made the same mistake twice. (if you forget about the vale)

by the way, the decline of the playerbase started right after this world was replaced

[Aoyi]

I miss some of them. I don't know that I can really say they were better before. I just think its more a case of nostalgia. I had the Loremaster achievement by early Wrath, so I had experienced all of the previous zones. I haven't redone everything since Cata, but what I have done, I feel kind of mixed about.

[dextersmith]

Yes I preferred the leveling experience back then.

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Given that Barrens and STV was some of the worst zones, I think everyone rejoice they were destroyed and remade..

I hated those changes most.

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

Auberdine, that was my favorite place in wow. Nothing else though.

That globin village by the beach in Tanaris too.

[Narveid]

Every single time I go to Outland, it feels horrendously outdated. I can only imagine old EK and Kalimdor would feel even worse.

[The Iron Fist]

I like all of the Cata changes except one... Loch Modan. They completely ruined the ambiance of the zone by draining the loch and destroying the dam. They didn't even streamline the questing there much. Worst Cata zone change.

[Deathquoi]

Yes and no. I miss some pre-Cata zones like Thousand Needles, Westfall, and Tanaris. Those zones looked better before they were revamped. I very much do not miss the comparatively worse questing experience. If you leveled 1-60 before Cata you probably remember Jame's 1-60 leveling guide, which was a godsend if you didn't want to end up with an empty quest log grinding boars for 3 levels with nary a yellow exclamation point in sight. At least now there's a flow to leveling.

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I like all of the Cata changes except one... Loch Modan. They completely ruined the ambiance of the zone by draining the loch and destroying the dam. They didn't even streamline the questing there much. Worst Cata zone change.

Yes this was a horrible change. I really wish they'd rebuild the dam and remove the flooding in Menethil Harbor too.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Yeah? How "we're" they "objectively better?" Enlighten us, because I have a strong suspicion that you don't know what the word "objectively" means.

Better art in a lot of zones better story more veried quest much better levelling flow. Most of this stuff isn't even up for debate it's just flat out better you can like the old Zones more but the new ones are objectively better.

[jettzypher]

Better art in a lot of zones better story more veried quest much better levelling flow. Most of this stuff isn't even up for debate it's just flat out better you can like the old Zones more but the new ones are objectively better.

The way you present it still sounds biased and subjective. The flow of zones can definitely be held as truly better, but artwork is almost entirely subjective unless you're an authority on it (which I doubt you are).