Is it REALLY vanilla WoW that people want or just the mechanics?

[LSguild]

they mechanics arent anything special its the world that makes classic great. and the social aspect of the game that doesnt exist really in the modern game anymore

[Bethrezen]

I just love classic because it play better than retail, and like an actual mmorpg. Not a single player action rpg with all the cosmetic toys, tmogs costumes, mounts, pets thrown in my face.

[czarek]

I feel like people aren't necessarily interested in replaying classic WoW for the content but more for HOW the content played. Playing through the same dungeons, raids, etc. as they did 14 years ago will be a hollow experience. But if they (or someone) created an MMORPG around Starcraft or another popular franchise, it'd be a golden opportunity for Blizzard to apply what they've learned from WoW over the past decade.

I actually think another top-tier MMORPG is inevitable. The other half-assed ones, including WoW, all need to go away first, though, and the new title needs to be one that somehow applies to huge age demographic ranges. From teens to 40+. Which kinda sucks because millenials have grown up on ezmode basically and like their games dumbed down to the point where you barely have to play them.

And what is your point? Millenials have their own retail and ofc can try how vanilla was like. Maybe they will more enjoy the odschool version? The sad truth is kids nowadays grown on shitty games and shitty mechanics or just stupid blinky things to GET JUST MORE SHINY SHITTY THING,

[Grevmak]

For me it's the core design concepts. Big ass dungeons, leveling takes time and incentivizes but does not force grouping, raidattunements and keys for things in general, classes are unique, epic quests with epic rewards.

I for one wouldn't mind some content being added, debuff limit being removed etc. but I know it destroys the whole purpose of classic's release. I can just play classes that atleast get to press more than 1 button every now and then and I'll be fine.

I'd love for TBC Class and Encounter design to meet the rest of Classic WoW's design principles. Every spec bringing something unique and interesting to the table, and being balanced around some being more supportive than pure DPS but also giving every spec a few buttons to press beyond Shadowbolt (In the same vein, nerf that darned Succubus sacrificing.)

Again, just me, I'd rather Classic to be as faithful as possible than have some mishmash that doesn't work well.

TL;DR: I miss the community-encouraging RPG WoW was once. I'd be 100% fine with new content being added that's similar. Removing some of the elements of Classic wouldn't bug me, like Debufflimit or TBC Skilltrees, but I want the core RPG aspect and community-enforcing to be alive. Same withh the huge dungeons and attunements.

[crusadernero]

Its probably lots of reasons why wow classic is so demanded.

For me its back and forth, pros and cons when debating what I prefer.

Im not able to spend the hours into classic wow as I did 15 years ago, cant be done for me. But I loved classic, the zones and everything. But that game require you to put in alot more hours to get something good out of it.

Retail? Fits me much more now than 15 years ago. less time/desire to spend tons of hours every week on gaming, let alone on 1 game(wow).

So for me, I will probably get more out of retail wow compared to classic. I will probably spend A LONG time reaching lvl 60. I have decided that I wont have any plan on reaching lvl 60 in many months.

Plus the nostalgia is pretty strong.

[Daffan]

I feel like people aren't necessarily interested in replaying classic WoW for the content but more for HOW the content played. Playing through the same dungeons, raids, etc. as they did 14 years ago will be a hollow experience. But if they (or someone) created an MMORPG around Starcraft or another popular franchise, it'd be a golden opportunity for Blizzard to apply what they've learned from WoW over the past decade.

I actually think another top-tier MMORPG is inevitable. The other half-assed ones, including WoW, all need to go away first, though, and the new title needs to be one that somehow applies to huge age demographic ranges. From teens to 40+. Which kinda sucks because millenials have grown up on ezmode basically and like their games dumbed down to the point where you barely have to play them.

I hate the specs, talents and rotations of Classic. Even as an OG Vanilla player the nostalgia doesn't blind me here. (Quantity of abilities is dope though) Even 40 man raid sizes isn't that good at all. Flexible is nicer if done properly.

I actually really like the core philosophy and design of the game instead, combined with the RPG aspects and of course nostalgia. The meaning and feeling of reward and progression is fantastic, the time sink is great and the end result is a direct injection of dopamine to the brain.

M+ in modern WoW has a really nice dungeon-loop and feels great during it, but the payoff is very hollow, unrewarding and just stupid feeling.

So yes, in a way you are right in my case.

[Tiwack]

It'll be hollow if you expect exactly the same but it'll be joyful if you're open to new experiences while also walking down memory lane. It is what you make it to be/make of it yourself.

[Daffan]

It'll be hollow if you expect exactly the same but it'll be joyful if you're open to new experiences while also walking down memory lane. It is what you make it to be/make of it yourself.

Ehh it's actually more about the human brain and dopamine. Easy rewards in Modern WoW don't trigger that at all for some. This is why Classic, even doing the same stuff 10yrs later still feels good.

[turlockmike]

2-3 months the hype will be over and servers will be ghost towns

No way dude. Games are more than just the content, it's the full experience. What are people going to go back to, bfa? To do what? Kill more loot pinatas?

[Esotaric]

In vanilla wow even the old raids are relevant.

[Zafire]

I'm coming back for the 1-60 experience. If I stick around depends on the friends I make.

[Orbusg]

No way dude. Games are more than just the content, it's the full experience. What are people going to go back to, bfa? To do what? Kill more loot pinatas?

This is what really gets me about naysayers that complain about classic having a static amount of content.
Classic has tons and tons of content that takes the average person months to years to get through.
Even old raids never really get outdated unless literally everyone in your guild is geared with every item they want from every raid.
And once you've done that?
Go slap around some people in pvp with that gear, what else are you going to do with it?
You are the raid boss at that point.

It all runs through eventually, sure, but for most people that'll take a loooooong time.

In modern you either do the most recent relevant raid fifty times or become irrelevant, just so you can get a minor ilevel bump to do the next raid fifty times when it comes out.

[Cruor]

Personally I want Cata/MoP class design with modern WoW boss design but Vanilla structure. No cross-realm, no LFG, a good progression system that's not invalidated by catch-up gear, leveling to be more than a rush to cap again, interesting stats on gear, bring back all the removed ones + the weird things that Vanilla had to make gearing fun again instead of just aiming for more ilvl.

Did you play Vanilla? I cleared everything, Kel'Thuzad included. I rushed to 60 for end game content, I hated leveling. Interesting stats on gear? The gear was awful, there was nothing fun about how bad it was. Warriors, hunters and rogues shouldn't be fighting each other for leather, that was stupid. I 100% Agree on the no cross realm and LFG, we lost something when that was put in. IMO, Wrath with no cross realm, flying mounts, or LFG would be great. Gear was good, pvp was fun, but they had added stuff to make quality of life better.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm coming back for the 1-60 experience. If I stick around depends on the friends I make.

Really? I'm not trying to shit on you, can you just explain why? leveling as a warrior honestly made me want to cry... I fought through the pain for the fun of being 60 and well geared. I got into beta and quit by like level 10... I didn't like WoW at first. The FIRST time it was ok because it was new and I was exploring, and had a friend to level with. The 2nd time (Warrior again but I wanted to be alliance at my horde friends quit the week I hit 60 and I wanted to be alliance in the first place....) I was in agony. I just fought through the pain for end game content. Level 60 pvp/raiding was a blast. I never made an alt until WOTLK and that was because DK started at 55.

[Piesor]

My opinion in this:
Players linger after one consistent world. WoW just feels like a complete patchwork with inconsistent mechanics and content when leveling up.
Endgame / gear resets every ~4 months. Classic keeps things simpler and leaves a lot of room for minmaxing stuff.

You cannot "fix" current WoW by just adjusting mechanics (and arguing a part of the playerbase that likes the current system). That won't help because the game will still be bloated with tons of content nobody wants to play.

[Nixiuz]

I do not think of Classic as vanilla WoW after learning what is going on in the beta. Classic is now thought of as WoW 2.

[Charge me Doctor]

Both versions can be "raid or die", depending on your taste, expectations and state of your character, and of course your definition of what "raid or die" is exactly.

Well, in BfA you have stuff to do at cap besides raiding. In vanilla you had nothing to do at cap besides raiding. You could grind rep and mats to eventually raid, but vanilla was pinnacle of "raid or die"

[Muajin76]

Classic is popular now because it's new. .

Classic isn't new! It's just bringing back the game from when it was first launched. I know players that have set up raid schedules already, along with raid schedules for 8.2. So...why would you want to grind resist gear and mats from dungeons, lvl to 60 while grinding gear and raiding in 8.2?

I have never seen another mmo re-release their game just to boost sales of a current live game. Blizz is trying to boost subs by re-releasing classic i think. T.T

Perhaps Blizz is running out of ways to attract players or keep existing ones?

[Jurwi]

In vanilla wow even the old raids are relevant.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing. It was stupidly hard to join a, say, BWL guild when you had just scratched a bit of MC and was way behind in gear. There was no way really to work on the issue yourself, like there is now. I don't see how it's a good thing.

[Mister K]

Perhaps Blizz is running out of ways to attract players or keep existing ones?

There are multiple reasons they are doing it, not just one. In non particular order:

• For instance, boosting subs to make investors happy.
• Giving what players want which end result is the same as above.
• Running a social test to see whether the ecosystem of classic (gameplay/mechanics etc) are something they can use for live OR using some of those classic principals for future games. They can run metrics to see what features work and what don't when building future games. This is VERY valuable information for marketing and game design.

There is probably other reasons/benefits of Classic.

[Whistl3r]

I started wow in the open beta having never ever played an MMORPG for more than an hour before hand (Ashron's call 2, tried it on my own got lost and frustrated really quickly) I've played hardcore up until Cata and then tailed off but have always played at least a few hours a week all the way up until the classic beta release. Since the Beta has been out I've not even logged into wow, I've got zero desire for the first time in 15 years to see my beloved dwarf warrior because the game I want to play and signed up for is available again. The slow (d)evolution from an MMORPG into the fantasy setting "Destiny" is pretty much complete and its taken being reminded of what we used to have for me to decide the retail wow isn't for me in its current state.
In classic im loving the pace, the interaction with other players (mostly good but im expecting that to shift a bit more on release) the feeling of danger, the size of the world, the feeling of development as i get new abilities and the joy of replacing your last grey item with a green just doesn't happen in retail where I can roll a perfectly itemised epic piece of gear from a random quest. I've played this all before but Im loving doing so, to answer the OP i think its a bit of both but if a game was made by Blizzard or anyone else that recreated these systems and play-style I'd consider giving it a go, whether they could make it success in today's market is different matter.