Are players from the original WoW community a minorty in WoW now?

[Whidbey]

Seems like not many old timers run guilds, as it seems guilds have lost all heir meaning, beyond hosting raid teams.

[Yunru]

From my list of 60 vanila friends .... only 1 stil plays wow on another server. So its kinda...vanila mass quit for good.

[Pua]

Just something I wondered lately.

I notice so many completely new players around me that I wonder if newer generations have taken over the torch from the "Original players" that started in the early years. And by new player I mean players that started in MoP and to a lesser extend in Cataclysm.

What do you guys think? Do you experience something simular?

P.s. please dont make this about what group is better etc., just focus on the main question

It's hard to really say, I suppose, because it's hard to decide on what new really is. For many, the term "Wrath Baby" accurately conveys what's new because that was (to some) the expansion that brought in all the casuals and showered them with gear. The reality is quite different, but that's how the story goes.

By that rationale, anyone who played in vanilla or TBC is pretty old school and they are, most certainly, in the minority these days. How big that minority really is would be tough to gauge.

Seems like not many old timers run guilds, as it seems guilds have lost all heir meaning, beyond hosting raid teams.

Would you mind elaborating why you think that is? I’ve been recently starting to think what guilds fundamentally are recently, and I’m interested in what you think.

[Kathranis]

Probably... WoW had its biggest periods of growth from The Burning Crusade through to the launch of Cataclysm, so even by that time the people who had started in Classic would likely have been in the minority, right?

The people who started in Classic and are still playing are also probably the most die-hard fans.

And of course, you have to consider that the vast majority of people who play WoW don't even really read about it on the internet. Certainly don't read forums, and definitely don't post on them. MMO-Champion itself represents only an exceedingly tiny microcosm of the playerbase.

So, considering that, there's really no solid way to determine the truth. The people who are posting in this thread are a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the playerbase, representing only a few regions where the game is played. Just something you've always got to keep in mind when reading threads like these.

Pretty much everyone I knew in Classic is still online on an almost daily basis. One guy switched to a European server to join a hardcore progression guild, and one guy quit to play GW2, but everyone else is still around.

[Nightslayer7]

Remember running shattered halls?

Oh man H Shalls. Never did I ever run it unless I was with my guildies XD Good times.

I imagine this is what an immortal must feel like, to be a relic of an age long gone, to remember your friends and moments from the past and the fun times you had but then to look out at the world around you and see something that shares similarities but is vastly different from the world you grew up in.

This right here, is so perfect in every way, and precisely truth.

I started in Vanilla. I played with the same guild ALL through the expansions, up untill the beginning of MoP. Only about 5 people from that guild still plays now. The rest seem to have disappeared sadly. So I would assume then that, yes, those from the "original" wow must be a minority at this point in time. Still love the game though, because regardless of how long I stop playing, I always come back to it lol.

[Ken_Silver]

Here's a funny story. My friend and his group of friends got me into playing WoW right at the start of WotLK. It was so weird. They were the "typical" (note quote marks) Warcraft guys from what I could see. Go Horde or go Home. ROFL at Blood Elves but respected their Warlocks, were around for the crazy shard staff hunt of Classic... that kind of crew. I rolled a female Orc Hunter and got started on leveling up. Most of my friends were like hurry to 70 for Wrath endgame stuff. I trudged to 55, swapped Orc Hunter for BE DK and make it to 70. Never got to raid due to gearing issues but I was there.

Most of them stuck around and began to fade from WoW mid Wrath. But all of them came back for Arthas fight & PvP. I had played during the middle of Wrath and also got my other friend to join. We liked alliance more. He rolled a Druid and I rolled a Human Warrior. I got to playing with my Horde friends from Classic/BC and informed them of Ulduar and Argent Tourney. They loved Ulduar and hated Argent Tourney. My friend and I hated Ulduar and loved Argent Tourney. For the first 2 months after Lich King raid, I hopped from my BE DK and my Alli Warrior, playing with both sides.

Then the gap between Wrath & Cata came and Cata's pre-event was announced. Some of the guys came back for pre-Cata but the rest had stuff in RL. Jobs and we had all gradated from college. The guy who got me into WoW had a kid on the way, so he was out. Most of the guys who I saw playing that were from Classic WoW did not make it into patch 5.1. Except one guy who loved his PvP. He was still on. My alliance friend and I were eating it up. Loved Cata, loved the Worgen, I loved my Human Hunter. It was good.

Fast forward to Patch 5.2? (The one before Deathwing). My alliance friend ALSO has a kid on the way. So now he bows out. My one Horde friend is still playing but he doesn't raid anymore and I can't PvP with him because I can't gear up or communicate with him on Vent. Friend who got me into WoW attempts to come back for a few months. But the game has changed for him too much. Also he was more interested in finding out who Deathwing was and beating him next patch. (His first WC game was WC III). So patch 5.3 hits. He somehow meets up with my other Horde friend and starts gearing up. But he has a baby. Horde PvP friend has college stuff. They manage to PvP once in a blue moon but can't play enough to keep it going. I also run into RL issues and stop playing WoW due to cash issues.

Mists of Pandaria is announced. I'm hyped for the game. But no one else is. Mentor friend is having RL issues with baby. Horde PvP friend is completely turned off by Pandarens, Pandaria and PvP changes. He plans to stop playing. My Alliance friend gets his account hacked. Between that and his wife (got married) didn't approve of WoW because she had an ex who gave her a bad experience with it... long story short, he quits WoW for good.

Pandaria hits. I'm in Day One as it launches, asking who else got it. Only Horde PvP guy is interested. Says he'll get it in a few days after release. No one else wants in. He plays until 1st patch of Pandaria. I don't see him online anymore. I find leveling in Pandaria too much, combined with other games that look better then WoW but do something similar to what WoW does... I let my playtime burn out and don't jump back in.

After hearing about WoD, I start to ask my friends if they're interested. The 2 guys from Classic/BC and the one who started in Wrath. Wrath Alliance friends laughs after seeing what WoD has to offer. No classes? No new race? No thanks. Not worth the stress wife will give him. Ask the other two and they give me the same answer: not the game I was playing about a decade ago. They both admit the following after though: that they are not the same person either. That friend of mine who was the Horde player with the baby is now a single father. No time to grind and play. Other PvP friend? Just not interested in the game anymore. He doesn't even play video games anymore.

So... what I'm hoping someone would take from that is this: most of those old players have grown up. One way or another, they can't find time or won't find time to play the game. Some of them are just done. A majority of them felt they beat the game after killing Arthas. Even the Wrath baby guy stopped after a while. 9 years, heck... even 4 to 5 years is a longer time then you think in real life. I'm the last one "partially" standing. If we get all the new models in time for WoD, I'll play it on release. I missed out on half of Pandaria. I still have a Pandaren Ninja/Rogue I want to level. My Human Hunter is 3 levels from 90. I still hope to see High Elves for the Alliance.

It's a testament to the World of Warcraft that people from 9 years ago are still playing it. It's amazing that a game from 9 years ago is still relevant! Here's hoping it can go even further. Here's to hoping that NEW players come into the game to sustain it. Here's hoping that some old players can make time for WoW and return to play. And here's to hoping I'm around for the next few. Cheers to World of Warcraft. I may not be one of your elite few from almost yonder-decade, but I salute you and applaud you. From the Wrath baby you brought into Azeroth, I tip my hat and drink from my keg in your honor.

[Blackmist]

I suspect many of the Vanilla raiders have quit. Especially the people willing to put up with the eternal grind of 40 mans and everything you had to do to prepare for it.

But many players from Vanilla were not raiders. They simply pottered about, slowly levelling and maybe levelling alts. For them, the levelling was the game. They were the majority and it's only now with LFR and other casual content that there's actually something for them to do at max level. I expect WoW hasn't really gained many genuinely new players since TBC.

[Deleted]

I suspect many of the Vanilla raiders have quit. Especially the people willing to put up with the eternal grind of 40 mans and everything you had to do to prepare for it.

But many players from Vanilla were not raiders. They simply pottered about, slowly levelling and maybe levelling alts. For them, the levelling was the game. They were the majority and it's only now with LFR and other casual content that there's actually something for them to do at max level. I expect WoW hasn't really gained many genuinely new players since TBC.

I'm proud to be an old Vanilla raider and still here.

[Sturmbringe]

So you are saying you are a TBC baby? n00b

I have seen a lot quit over the years since I first started playing in Dec 04. But then again, I still have people in my friends list that I see online today that I first raided MC and BWL with. Either way, as long as they don't make the Alliance do any more with Orc Jesus, I will still probably be playing come the 10th Anniversary.

No, I am not a TBC baby. I started playing in Dec 2005 and started my own account on 3 Jan 2006 during patch 1.7 if memory serves.

Here's a screenie for you since you are a fan of vanilla raiding:

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1...2711225258.jpg

and another



and another



Everyone I knew from Vanilla have quit too.

So, where are your screenshots from 2004 bro?

[Deldavala]

There is only a few left of the players I raided with in vanilla. Of us I am the only one that still raids Semi-Hardcore.

I love all the QOL changes that has happened to WoW. One of the reasons I started with WoW was due to how casual it was compared to other MMOs at the time. That and the extremely good lore/storytelling.

[Fus Ro Yay]

I'm still here, none of the players i started with is

i miss you guys ;_;

[FromTheDuDe]

I've never posted here before, but I came here because my insomnia is keeping me awake and I wanted to read the WOD info =D . But the powerful memories I had recalled reading other peoples stories compelled me to contribute my own. My original server Dunemaul is completely dead and my new Server Malfurion is also dead. Such is the woes of playing since 2005(well I mean I took a break between WOTLK release and TOC/ICC, as well as cata release to ZA/ZG re-release didn't really care for pandas till i saw WOD) I can honestly say literally no one I've played with over the years is still playing, it got so bad and the numbers so big on the "has not logged in for xxxx" that I just cleared my friends list except for my sc2/d3 buddies. I personally was a hard core raider in Vanilla/TBC(fuck Hyjal/SSC/BT attunements after Kara/Gruuls/Mag my guild fell apart like in vanilla when we couldn't do AQ40 and just farmed MC/BWL/Ony/AQ20) and then I was a casual raider in WOTLK/Cata getting the "bare" minimum epics just so if I wanted too next expansion I could jump in without too much of a loss. Doing the same thing here, bought pandas last week, hit 90 and am grinding out some gear now(will probably stop once I have everything upgraded to ~524 ilvl) to get ready for WOD. Dunno how long WOD will keep my interest though.

It feels wierd playing for so long, much like that one guy said, "I feel like Im gonna turn into a raid boss and start talking about how I was around when the world was young." I still have memories of our gear up raid in MC for alts the night Make Love not Warcraft was release. And how we had to not talk about because everyone was in different time zones lol. Also 15 man stratholme/scholomance and playing with my friends from school, none of which are even remotely interested in playing now. Not to mention the movies, oh the movies, drakedog, serenity now, boss fights from nihillum. Even today I still occasionally go back and farm the old content for quick money and memories. But I could say the same for starcraft brood war, played it for even longer and saw the rise and fall of many relationships/memories.

[Akraen]

Seems like not many old timers run guilds, as it seems guilds have lost all heir meaning, beyond hosting raid teams.

This is what I fight. Constantly. It's why I'm changing the entire structure of my guild for the first time since 2006 when patch 6.0 hits. Going to have a huge initiative to bring the fun and focus back to the guild culture. We'll see how it works. If it doesn't... well, I'll refer to the old addage "I'm too old for this shit"

[Mifuyne]

Yes they are a minority.
Anyone who says otherwise is a WotLK scrub!

[Nihth]

I've never posted here before, but I came here because my insomnia is keeping me awake and I wanted to read the WOD info =D . But the powerful memories I had recalled reading other peoples stories compelled me to contribute my own. My original server Dunemaul is completely dead and my new Server Malfurion is also dead. Such is the woes of playing since 2005(well I mean I took a break between WOTLK release and TOC/ICC, as well as cata release to ZA/ZG re-release didn't really care for pandas till i saw WOD) I can honestly say literally no one I've played with over the years is still playing, it got so bad and the numbers so big on the "has not logged in for xxxx" that I just cleared my friends list except for my sc2/d3 buddies. I personally was a hard core raider in Vanilla/TBC(fuck Hyjal/SSC/BT attunements after Kara/Gruuls/Mag my guild fell apart like in vanilla when we couldn't do AQ40 and just farmed MC/BWL/Ony/AQ20) and then I was a casual raider in WOTLK/Cata getting the "bare" minimum epics just so if I wanted too next expansion I could jump in without too much of a loss. Doing the same thing here, bought pandas last week, hit 90 and am grinding out some gear now(will probably stop once I have everything upgraded to ~524 ilvl) to get ready for WOD. Dunno how long WOD will keep my interest though.

It feels wierd playing for so long, much like that one guy said, "I feel like Im gonna turn into a raid boss and start talking about how I was around when the world was young." I still have memories of our gear up raid in MC for alts the night Make Love not Warcraft was release. And how we had to not talk about because everyone was in different time zones lol. Also 15 man stratholme/scholomance and playing with my friends from school, none of which are even remotely interested in playing now. Not to mention the movies, oh the movies, drakedog, serenity now, boss fights from nihillum. Even today I still occasionally go back and farm the old content for quick money and memories. But I could say the same for starcraft brood war, played it for even longer and saw the rise and fall of many relationships/memories.

Hey, are you from Dunemaul EU or US? Im a Vanilla player from Dunemaul EU :P

[Deleted]

I started in TBC and a majority of the people I played with back then have quit but quite a few are still playing.

[Deleted]

I'm playing and raiding since 2005.
It seems like all my guildmates from Vanilla to late Wrath don't play anymore. Or maybe they juste rerolled on a more active realm, as i did.

Seems like not many old timers run guilds, as it seems guilds have lost all heir meaning, beyond hosting raid teams.

That's completly true, sadly. Now the guild chat is almost never used, just some "anyone for scenar hm" here and there. Everything else happens on vent during our raid.

That's maybe what I miss the most. Back then there was a "guild spirit", a Faction spirit and even a Realm Spirit (f**k yeah I was proud of being on Cho'gall-EU ). It's all gone now.

[Pua]

Yes they are a minority.
Anyone who says otherwise is a WotLK scrub!

Mifuuuuuuuyne!

[Nights]

i started week after wsg was implemented, not a single player from those days on my friend list plays now, on a whole serv there is maby 5-10 ppl on horde side from vanila. In what point game is now, its totally dif game then it was back in the days so nothing wierd in fact that those ppl dont like it anymore.

Its very very sad... pve is just a joke nerfed at any ocasion, hc dungs can be solo runed by any good geared dpsers, raids is just free loot.

pvp is counter by counter followed by endless cc fest + bladestorm with immortal healers on the top of this, back in the days healers were super vurneable they needed def by their dps and any dps class could ez few shoot any healer still there was shit load of healers.

Even tho i still kinda like the game i hate how ppl act now and its rly annoying when ppl say game has not changed so much its just nostalgia, NO ITS NOT its different game...

[Lora]

Been here since the beta of classic.