Bigger time sink, BC or Retail?

[xaerus]

Pretty simple straight forward question, between the two games which do you feel would take more time to keep up with progression? Let's a say a player wanted to be able to keep up with AOTC progression and equivalent in BC, which game would require more time from the player?

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Retail by far.

[Asrialol]

Retail by far.

Really? Gearing is pretty fast and easy in retail, there's no need to farm anything daily, etc. OP mentioned AOTC progression and there isn't really much needed to put a lot of time in to do that. Gearing in TBC can be fairly easy (unless you're unlucky with that tank sword from Mechanar, I remember I was!), gotta get rep's up for heroics, atunements, professions can matter, etc.

I'd say it's pretty similar.

[justandulas]

Pretty simple straight forward question, between the two games which do you feel would take more time to keep up with progression? Let's a say a player wanted to be able to keep up with AOTC progression and equivalent in BC, which game would require more time from the player?

Retail, no question about it due to it's seasonal nature.

TBC may have a more intimidating "To do" list to be raid ready, but once you've achieved that it's done forever. Your gear never goes bad, it will always be current and able to run the raids, and it's a more relaxing atmosphere.

In retail, due to it's D3 inspired seasonal nature of things... every patch is a soft reset essentially, rendering your gear and progress kinda moot as you now have to climb the ladder all over again, rinse repeat ad nauseum. It may be easier to catch up and get raid ready immediately, but the list of chores needed to stay cutting edge is almost never ending.

So basically, TLDR...... Retail is easier to get caught up, but it never ends and your progress resets so the grind begins anew every patch. TBC has a more daunting up front list, but progress is permanent and one and done and once achieved it's smooth sailing.

[Mysterymask]

Retail, no question about it due to it's seasonal nature.

TBC may have a more intimidating "To do" list to be raid ready, but once you've achieved that it's done forever. Your gear never goes bad, it will always be current and able to run the raids, and it's a more relaxing atmosphere.

Unless of course you go in late and then the "To-Do" list becomes increasingly daunting and difficult to do depending on of course your goals.

[justandulas]

Unless of course you go in late and then the "To-Do" list becomes increasingly daunting and difficult to do depending on of course your goals.

usually the opposite. tbc had its fair share of quick gear, and catch up mechanics.

the difference is it doesn't have the seasonal nature of retail so the progression ladder remains relevant and permanent. You don't reset every patch and need to repeat the entire process essentially.

one and done content will always be easier by nature than never ending seasonal grinds

[FelPlague]

As someone who has tried to do both, classic for sure.

[Kalivox]

As some one already said, TBC has a to do list that is done forever once you do all of it. Gear also stays relevant through the whole expansion. Retail changes the to do list and gear goes bad after every content patch. Both can have huge time sinks, it really just depends how you want to play them

[DazManianDevil]

Pretty simple straight forward question, between the two games which do you feel would take more time to keep up with progression? Let's a say a player wanted to be able to keep up with AOTC progression and equivalent in BC, which game would require more time from the player?

This is actually pretty subjective, but let's give it a shot.
AOTC, when? I'm a casual mythic raider that got AOTC in mid January, many of my friends in AOTC only guilds didn't get theirs til first week of May, a 4 month gap.
My guild and theirs both raid 6hrs/week.

At what pace do you intend to play BC? BC has the attunements, once done you can raid log peacefully.
In SL, you had the initial grind of M0s, renown, cov story etc. I personally started raid logging exclusively in February, once all the previous steps were won and done.

The other factor is, in BC you'll be encouraged to run Kara, Grull's and Mags. Once the next raids, SSC and Eye come out you won't suddenly stop Kara, Grull's and Mags.
If all you want to do is raid the latest and greatest raid, BC probably takes less to keep up, just 1 raid night would do it.

Long story short, Retail only has the current raid on whatever difficulty you play. BC will have multiple raids with crazy items, so you may find yourself raiding a lot more because while you don't need DST from Grull's, someone else does :3

[Mamushi]

Farming consumables and mats for crafted gear (that is actually extremely good even compared to raid drops) and enchants takes more time/gold in TBC. In retail I literally don't have to farm/grind anything at all because you get more than enough gold passively to raid and run M+ for good gear. This is in addition to the initial reputation farm for gear enchants and items + attunement questlines.

[Tronski]

Really? Gearing is pretty fast and easy in retail, there's no need to farm anything daily, etc. OP mentioned AOTC progression and there isn't really much needed to put a lot of time in to do that. Gearing in TBC can be fairly easy (unless you're unlucky with that tank sword from Mechanar, I remember I was!), gotta get rep's up for heroics, atunements, professions can matter, etc.

I'd say it's pretty similar.

No. Retail is the grind. I don't mind grinding, I even enjoy it sometimed. I've grinded everything WoW has to offer. The insane, every rep, mounts, honor kills, you name it.

I gave up in bfa, came back for SL, gave up again. Everything is a pointless grind to increase a 3-digit number so you can do the same content again with higher number requirement and rewards that increase your 3-digit number even more.

Classic is extremely chill in comparison. You have to grind minimally to raid at top level.

[Mysterymask]

usually the opposite. tbc had its fair share of quick gear, and catch up mechanics.

the difference is it doesn't have the seasonal nature of retail so the progression ladder remains relevant and permanent. You don't reset every patch and need to repeat the entire process essentially.

one and done content will always be easier by nature than never ending seasonal grinds

but alas like Vanilla those get harder as it goes on...
As less and less people do heroics less and less people are going to successfully find groups for the heroics in order to get attuned for the various dungeons. Yes they will eventually go away but then you need the heroics and Kara still for badges for the badge gear or you end up slamming your face in BGs until you get a full set of the previous gladiator gear and as Shadowlands has shown us..people these days don't like that.

This will then cause a growing problem that will issue a growing solution

"Hey I can get you attuned, badged up for a modest price"

followed by the long bemoaning of Boost culture in full swing cause if you think just because its BC that people are going to suddenly gain a conscious and not do that then you sir are delusional.

[Kehego]

No. Retail is the grind. I don't mind grinding, I even enjoy it sometimed. I've grinded everything WoW has to offer. The insane, every rep, mounts, honor kills, you name it.

I gave up in bfa, came back for SL, gave up again. Everything is a pointless grind to increase a 3-digit number so you can do the same content again with higher number requirement and rewards that increase your 3-digit number even more.

Classic is extremely chill in comparison. You have to grind minimally to raid at top level.

grind what? anima for cosmetics? lmfao

[Maruka]

getting drops in retail feels way less rewarding

[Stardrift]

You get to skip entire tiers in retail. Obviously, retail isn't much of a time sink at all. It's why they gotta cram it full of timegates.

- - - Updated - - -

getting drops in retail feels way less rewarding

"Oh wow, I could use that!"/vanilla/TBC

vs

"Ugh, finally"/retail

[Mysterymask]

"Oh wow, I could use that!"/vanilla/TBC

vs

"Ugh, finally"/retail

This person never had to farm for DST

[Exkrementor]

You have to do alot of stuff in BC to get going. Leveling takes longer, attunements, get your professions up, grind gold for enchants/gems/consumes. But after that its pretty much raidlogging.

In retail you have to do your weekly and daily chores. Farm the Maw, do 4-10 m+ dungeons, get your renown up, grind gold for comsumes.

I would argue that BC is more interesting and more fun to get your characters ready and in retail it feels you have to waste time to get all the things done to get you into raiding.

[Mamushi]

Classic is extremely chill in comparison. You have to grind minimally to raid at top level.

I was thinking of playing Moonkin in TBC for a change since I used to main Feral back in the original one, and after checking how many bajillion Primal Fires/Manas/Mights it takes to craft the Spellfire/Spellstrike set and get proper enchants for your gear it made me feel nauseous. I can still remember competing for elemental spawns in Blade's Edge/HFP/Nagrand back then and I just know it will be much worse now when everyone is trying to minmax and knows what gear to get + there are more players now than back then.

Flasks, potions, foodbuffs, drums and enchants are going to be MUCH more expensive than in retail relative to the amount of gold an average player has. Like you actually have to devote time to gold farming in TBC which is something I personally don't really enjoy.

[someguy233]

Can’t disagree more, I don’t understand how anybody could possibly think tbc had less of a time investment. More than that, the time investment was a *grind*. From leveling to gold making, from rep grinds to the content itself. Everything about BC took more of a time investment than retail. It’s not even close.

On retail, you do at least 1 m+ per week and spend about 30 minutes or so in torghast. Bam you’re done. I’m currently 6/10 mythic and I pretty much just show up for raids and that’s it. Next patch? I’ll be doing exactly the same thing except with new content.

Granted it’s been a long time since I played BC, but I played way way more back then and I always felt like I was playing catch up. Especially with regards to the honor grind, which was frankly insufferable.

1 or 2 people have said in this thread things like “once you’ve done it, it’s done forever, but retail is seasonal. You’re always having to do it all again”. Again, can’t disagree more. Your s1 gear is no good in s2. Excited about that gorehowl drop, or your shiny new thunder? Well you’ll be replacing it in a few months at best. No different than on retail.

It may or may not take more days to get where you’re going in retail (due to time gating), but the time you *invest* (sitting down and grinding) is MUCH greater in classic compared to retail.

[Soon-TM]

Pretty simple straight forward question, between the two games which do you feel would take more time to keep up with progression? Let's a say a player wanted to be able to keep up with AOTC progression and equivalent in BC, which game would require more time from the player?

Both are time sinks, but BC is far more entertaining as far as I am concerned. YMMV ofc.