Why CAN'T people enjoy old content?

[DeltrusDisc]

I've requested a title change. THIS IS NOT ABOUT NOSTALRIUS. People have seen the thread title and instead of reading this post, assume I am complaining about that server shutting down. I am not. I never played on it. I am talking about people who say you can't/won't enjoy old content because of nostalgia, so take off those rose-tinted glasses! PLEASE read AT LEAST the OP before you respond, folks!

Exactly what the title says... Why do people have to flame others for wanting something older, in the sense of World of Warcraft? Why do people always just say "oh, it's nostalgia, you wouldn't be happy going back to play!"

This is not specifically about any expansion in particular, but rather the idea that we all must play the current World of Warcraft - nothing else. Why? Why do you say I cannot enjoy Vanilla, TBC, or WotLK? Why does it seem this is only brought up when talking about wanting to play old WoW expansions?

Let's think about this: people play INSANE amounts of OLD games, games that have not been updated, IF EVER, in a LONG time. Some of these games are also incredibly REPETITIOUS, even more so than World of Warcraft... I'll list off just a few...

Legend of Zelda: Any Title. The likes of Ocarina and Majora's Mask have incredibly high replay value. I wonder why. Maybe it's because they are simply just enjoyable games? I can't count how many times I've replayed them over the years.
Left 4 Dead 2: I only recently got into this game, but I know several people at my college who play this relentlessly. It's repetitious and from what I can tell not recently changed/added to.
LoL: I hate this game, I hate its community, but you gotta admit, it has amazing lasting power.
Super Mario: whichever one you want. Similar to Zelda.
Pokemon: don't even get me started. I know people who still play Red/Blue/Yellow, etc.
Other samey FPS games go here.
That huge Final Fantasy VII crowd isn't important, right?

Does anyone get what I'm trying to say?

So what if someone likes Vanilla, TBC, Wrath, or whatever, does it matter? Why should you care? Why should anyone care? I particularly LOVE going back and playing certain expansions and I'm not bored yet. I played during the expansions I've been playing on live and they hold my fondest memories and I've continued making more fond memories. Some people like where Blizzard is taking the game, some do not. Some liked MoP, some did not. Some liked Cataclysm, some did not.

Seriously, why CAN'T people like old games/content? Why are they not allowed to play them/experience them to their heart's content?

Really interested in hearing peoples' thoughts on this. Yes, does nostalgia exist? Of course! Do GREAT games exist? They certainly do and some of them have nigh-on unlimited replay value.

My ears and eyes are open.

[The One Percent]

I don't care. But if you think Blizzard is going to let anyone use their assets even for a non profit game, you are smoking something mind altering. And they won't make retro servers because it would take effort and splinter the already shrinking playerbase. It would also be an admission that the game has not improved in every way and they have made some shitty design decisions (garrisons for example imo).

[DeltrusDisc]

I don't care. But if you think Blizzard is going to let anyone use their assets even for a non profit game, you are smoking something mind altering. And they won't make retro servers because it would take effort and splinter the already shrinking playerbase.

Thanks for completely ignoring the post to just share your thoughts on something half-related. I'll bite, however:

I would resub at $15 a month just to play on legit Burning Crusade and Wrath servers. I'd also dabble in Vanilla to experience it for myself.

That's one. And I've already read countless other people saying the same.

So no, "effort"? Hardly any. And those players who want to experience current content will, those who want to chill out in the past, will. Maybe Blizzard needs to think about why their playerbase is shrinking and what they can do that many people have requested, to keep players around.

But let's keep this on topic, shall we?

[TheWindWalker]

Discussion of that very thing is still on-going here. http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...ralius/page733

[chrisnumbers]

What if book authors began Chapter 1 by saying "what the title says..."
lol

[jellmoo]

I'm confused... When exactly did people say that you're not allowed to have a favourite expansion/era of the game? I see people argue about which was the best, but I don't think I've seen much in the way of people outright saying that their preference is wrong.

[Mad_Murdock]

I don't know how right folks are about going back to the old days wouldn't be as grand as they think. Sure some people would like\love it. But most likely not the majority. some people love, being in love and not so much love the person they are with. I'm sure most of us all really enjoy that feeling of meeting someone you are really find attractive and the process of going through the first date, first kiss, first naked time. And thus some people are always searching for that feeling rather than the person.

People can and do enjoy old content and stuff all the time. So I'm not sure what point you are really trying to make other than think people should be completely cool with people putting up Vanilla servers against Blizzards wishes under the guise they just want to enjoy old content.

[DeltrusDisc]

I'm confused... When exactly did people say that you're not allowed to have a favourite expansion/era of the game? I see people argue about which was the best, but I don't think I've seen much in the way of people outright saying that their preference is wrong.

I'm talking about when people say how it's just nostalgia and you'll get bored or not have as much fun.

I beg to differ, I know from firsthand experience that is simply not the case. I enjoy how certain things, like classes/talents played in X expansion more than they do now. I liked talent trees. There's a lot of things that are either gone or missing or not focused on anymore that I preferred in Wrath, especially, and then TBC, and I simply don't get them in WoD.

I just don't get it. =|

[Marxman]

And they won't make retro servers because it would take effort and splinter the already shrinking playerbase.

On the contrary, it may bring back a ton of old players who simply grew tired of the direction the game has headed since mid-WotLK. Sure some players will leave live for vanilla/TBC/WotLK, but others will come back to the game as well. It's not a very good argument that legacy servers will cause a subscriber loss. There's enough evidence that points to the opposite happening.

It would also be an admission that the game has not improved in every way and they have made some shitty design decisions (garrisons for example imo).

This is in my opinion the only real logical reason to not implement legacy options. It's an admission of failure by Blizzard. An admission that their games of late have not had the same incredible attention to detail and core gameplay philosophies that made vanilla, TBC, and even other game series (SC, Diablo) so successful in the past. It could theoretically do even more harm to their reputation as a development team... even though their reputation in recent years is already in the toilet among many people.

[ryanmahaffe]

I love how most of the people here just assumed you were talking about nost when you really weren't...

I agree, if I want to play super smash brothers melee instead of the current smash because I like it more o cam just put in another disc, you can't do that with wow, people want to play old xpacs for the same reason, because they enjoyed it as a game. If this wasn't wpw no one would care as it just makes sense to play old games

That's why I supporst legacy servers, I wouldn't play much outside the wrath, cata and mop ones I guess... But it's basically "putting in an older disc"

Those old "games" shouldn't just be lost to timeas the game progresses

[jellmoo]

I'm talking about when people say how it's just nostalgia and you'll get bored or not have as much fun.

I beg to differ, I know from firsthand experience that is simply not the case. I enjoy how certain things, like classes/talents played in X expansion more than they do now. I liked talent trees. There's a lot of things that are either gone or missing or not focused on anymore that I preferred in Wrath, especially, and then TBC, and I simply don't get them in WoD.

I just don't get it. =|

Ah. I thought you were talking about old content, not the state of the game in those specific time periods. In this case I actually think that it is a bit of column A and a bit of column B. I do believe that nostalgia is a factor, but your preferences are you own. I remember Vanilla and can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to return to it, but at the end of the day it's different strokes for different folks.

Now, the crux of *why* Blizzard isn't doing anything about this is simple, and it rhymes with honey.

[DeltrusDisc]

I love how most of the people here just assumed you were talking about nost when you really weren't...

I agree, if I want to play super smash brothers melee instead of the current smash because I like it more o cam just put in another disc, you can't do that with wow, people want to play old xpacs for the same reason, because they enjoyed it as a game. If this wasn't wpw no one would care as it just makes sense to play old games

That's why I supporst legacy servers, I wouldn't play much outside the wrath, cata and mop ones I guess... But it's basically "putting in an older disc"

Those old "games" shouldn't just be lost to timeas the game progresses

How did I not list Super Smash Bros?!

And yeah, no, I've still never played on a Vanilla private server. I suppose I will sometime, but frankly, I started in TBC so I know I'm going to be lost. Things will be weird. Plus I've seen footage of Vanilla and read how messed up classes were... I don't know if I'd really enjoy that. =X

[xChurch]

Because time marches forward, and us along with it. Sure you can like old stuff and get enjoyment from it, but life is meant to be lived, not re-lived.

[Seefer]

I'm confused... When exactly did people say that you're not allowed to have a favourite expansion/era of the game? I see people argue about which was the best, but I don't think I've seen much in the way of people outright saying that their preference is wrong.

So you missed all the "Nostalgia" thrown around? Look at when anyone says they prefer Vanilla/TBC, they usually get met with many MANY "Oh it's just nostalgia" replies.

[DeltrusDisc]

So you missed all the "Nostalgia" thrown around? Look at when anyone says they prefer Vanilla/TBC, they usually get met with many MANY "Oh it's just nostalgia" replies.

"Take off the rose-tinted glasses!"

[Seefer]

Because time marches forward, and us along with it. Sure you can like old stuff and get enjoyment from it, but life is meant to be lived, not re-lived.

So if you fell in love with someone and they had to go away but you met 10 years later, were still available.........you shouldn't be together because screw reliving good times and trying to make new ones?

[Tome]

Because time marches forward, and us along with it. Sure you can like old stuff and get enjoyment from it, but life is meant to be lived, not re-lived.

Games is not life and time though.

Games are just as you said, enjoyment. They are not bound to time.

[Niwes]

Exactly what the title says... Why do people have to flame others for wanting something older, in the sense of World of Warcraft? Why do people always just say "oh, it's nostalgia, you wouldn't be happy going back to play!"

This is not specifically about any expansion in particular, but rather the idea that we all must play the current World of Warcraft - nothing else. Why? Why do you say I cannot enjoy Vanilla, TBC, or WotLK? Why does it seem this is only brought up when talking about wanting to play old WoW expansions?

Let's think about this: people play INSANE amounts of OLD games, games that have not been updated, IF EVER, in a LONG time. Some of these games are also incredibly REPETITIOUS, even more so than World of Warcraft... I'll list off just a few...

Legend of Zelda: Any Title. The likes of Ocarina and Majora's Mask have incredibly high replay value. I wonder why. Maybe it's because they are simply just enjoyable games? I can't count how many times I've replayed them over the years.
Left 4 Dead 2: I only recently got into this game, but I know several people at my college who play this relentlessly. It's repetitious and from what I can tell not recently changed/added to.
LoL: I hate this game, I hate its community, but you gotta admit, it has amazing lasting power.
Super Mario: whichever one you want. Similar to Zelda.
Pokemon: don't even get me started. I know people who still play Red/Blue/Yellow, etc.
Other samey FPS games go here.
That huge Final Fantasy VII crowd isn't important, right?

Does anyone get what I'm trying to say?

So what if someone likes Vanilla, TBC, Wrath, or whatever, does it matter? Why should you care? Why should anyone care? I particularly LOVE going back and playing certain expansions and I'm not bored yet. I played during the expansions I've been playing on live and they hold my fondest memories and I've continued making more fond memories. Some people like where Blizzard is taking the game, some do not. Some liked MoP, some did not. Some liked Cataclysm, some did not.

Seriously, why CAN'T people like old games/content? Why are they not allowed to play them/experience them to their heart's content?

Really interested in hearing peoples' thoughts on this. Yes, does nostalgia exist? Of course! Do GREAT games exist? They certainly do and some of them have nigh-on unlimited replay value.

My ears and eyes are open.

2 easy answers:

1)
ppl tend to defend that they doin it right. when you say "old stuff is better" you literally say (for them) they are doin it wrong, because they like the new stuff. so they rage and tellin you all that white knight stuff.

2)
ppl are stupid like a piece of bread. the more stupid, the less differentiated, the more point 1 becomes raging.

in short: stupid ppl. simple as that.

[Darsithis]

So you missed all the "Nostalgia" thrown around? Look at when anyone says they prefer Vanilla/TBC, they usually get met with many MANY "Oh it's just nostalgia" replies.

Well, to be fair, that is what it is.

But what has happened is that everyone has made that out to seem negative and bad. It isn't. Nostalgia helps people reconnect to things they're not connected to now, and there is no reason not to enjoy it.

[taliey]

Haven't seen anything even close to resembling 'you're not allowed to enjoy old content.'