OK im gonna stop you right there - what time in wows history was ANY content challenging enough to require communication in game? Are you talking about WORLD content? Because even world content is more challenging now, HOWEVER the way the game plays out is very different. Chances are, if you stand around for 30 seconds someone else will be wanting to kill the same rare (for example) that you need and are finding hard. So instead of asking in /1 but finding out you are one of only a couple of players in the zone because everyone was spread out, so giving up and going back to a main city and asking in /2 for 2 hours while people offer to help but only if you pay them 50g. Now, you just stand around for 30seconds, and someone else will run by - because all content has been compressed into tiny "patch" zones, bunching the dwindling playerbase together.
Every single piece of content in wow has become substantially more challenging than anything in the early days. Classic has been proving that for quite some time now. I pushed multiple characters to max level in classic and tbcc without any help from anyone, not even once.
- - - Updated - - -
So you would be fine with LOTR having lazer guns? i mean how is it any different from a bow and arrow? Swords? pfffft, forget that shit, its chainsaws and lightsabers. Giant eagles? why bother? F22 Lightnings baby!
There are some games where a mix of tech is expected - doom is a great example of this. WoW is NOT one of those games.