people want Classic+ because of the design ethos and a storyline that's coherent. that's it.
I played WoW the most during TBC, but now in retrospect I know that a few things introduced then led to slow declines in the game overall. Flying; heroic dungeons; tokens for tier gear; smaller raids; quest hubs; dailies. None of them are present in classic, and I miss none of them.
We won't get a Classic+, as much as I'd like it.
- nostalgia will result in more people playing a TBC expansion than continuing to play Classic+
- the current designers and Blizzard employees don't have a Classic mindset; even if they wanted to make classic they couldn't.
- Activision is interested in microtransactions, engagement, and unending growth. A Classic+ merely promises continued subscriptions (perhaps modest growth if they did it well).
- finally, the ego of the current leadership. investment in a Classic+ would be an acknowledgement that the story writing and game design leadership have been headed in the wrong direction for years. won't happen.
We got Classic because of the fumble of 'don't you have phones?' and a gap in their release schedule pointing to declining revenues. Classic was a 'in case of emergency, break glass' maeouver, nothing more.
I'm thankful we have it. Its the most fun I've had in a Blizzard game in a decade. I'll likely stay aboard for the ride all the way through to the end of TBC, then pack my bags and move on for once and for all.