Would you want more/new Vanilla-like content

[Thimagryn]

Lets say TBC servers are off the table and Classic is reserved for Vanilla. Lets say we are a year into the endgame, and the game is effectively running on 'maintenance mode'.

Would you like to see new content made specifically for Vanilla Classic? Lets say a newly designed dungeon in Thousand Needles, or a revenge of Thermaplugg event, or even a remix of Karazhan tailored to a Vanilla environment.

To supplement this idea, all progression gear would be left static or sidebarred as 'transmogs, similar to how guild wars end game works. At most you may be farming new types of resist sets for a big raid, but gear and difficulty would all be on par with Naxx. The focus of this topic is new content, not new tiers of progression or a jump to TBC.

[Chaelexi]

There are options, continue on with the class weapons theme. Could do Kara basement like was planned, the BG in Stonetalon, SHimmering Flats instance, Raid/instance in Un'Goro, Deadwind Pass Story, Blasted Lands Story, Hyjal story. Grim Batol storyline.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

I'd rather real dev time such as content be strictly tied to retail WoW. Classic is Classic, you get nothing but that.

[Thimagryn]

There are options, continue on with the class weapons theme. Could do Kara basement like was planned, the BG in Stonetalon, SHimmering Flats instance, Raid/instance in Un'Goro, Deadwind Pass Story, Blasted Lands Story, Hyjal story. Grim Batol storyline.

Not to mention the second Stormwind dungeon area, altraz island, and potentially use Azshara as a competent levelling or content zone.

[Healasouhait]

Grim Batol, Hyjal and Uldum dungeons/raids who stayed as thought but never really came out come to mind. Old Ironforge too. Also that big island in Feralas (can't remember the name) with those Chimaeras on it.

[Deleted]

I'd rather real dev time such as content be strictly tied to retail WoW. Classic is Classic, you get nothing but that.

It should be like this but with time they might feel they have to do something to boost the numbers up again. Will never be after a year though

[Vineri]

Well Blizzard is the master of story tellers. Or at least they used to be.

The problem is that the story WAS told already. Any deviation would be some kind of alternate timeline. Star Wars games had the same issue, which is why they chose to jump back in time to tell a different story.

The only possible scenario I can think of would be very similar. It would involve WoW 2 ... and umm completely new game designers TBH. Ones who don't have Diablo 3 wet dreams.

The places of interest have been done for the most part, in another expansion. Having Khara in Vanilla makes no sense, unless the Dark Portal is somehow activated, which then leads to having the Outlands accessible. Newer places means newer gear, which antiquidates the value of T1, T2 and T3. Eventually cool content becomes obsolete as new players simply flock to the best possible.

Which all comes back to WoW 2 .. a fresh start in a new environment, while not crapping up the game with all the undesirable parts of current retail WoW (which is a massive PDF file!).

[Thimagryn]

Well Blizzard is the master of story tellers. Or at least they used to be.

The problem is that the story WAS told already. Any deviation would be some kind of alternate timeline. Star Wars games had the same issue, which is why they chose to jump back in time to tell a different story.

Amusing the idea, is a deviation of lore for Classic a problem? I mean the entire concept of Classic was introduced to us by... Chromie. Alternate timelines are sort of her thing, right?

An idea that amuses me would be adding Classic content that runs parallel to the time when our characters all went to Outland. Have a post-Naxx event ushering the Dark Portal, have Kazzak back in play, but don't let us through. Instead, give us a mandate by our faction leaders that tells us to defend Azeroth while the standing army is in Outland. We would be held back here defending the world from all the other little upstarts events that our TBC counterparts would never have even known about. It's a bit cheesy, but it makes sense without utterly breaking the lore.

The places of interest have been done for the most part, in another expansion. Having Khara in Vanilla makes no sense, unless the Dark Portal is somehow activated, which then leads to having the Outlands accessible. Newer places means newer gear, which antiquidates the value of T1, T2 and T3. Eventually cool content becomes obsolete as new players simply flock to the best possible.

Which all comes back to WoW 2 .. a fresh start in a new environment, while not crapping up the game with all the undesirable parts of current retail WoW (which is a massive PDF file!).

There doesn't have to be any chronological order to content, only releasing as content patches for Vanilla with no necessary end in sight. It would be in the vein of Vanilla content, where AQ, ZG, MC and Naxx were all unrelated incidences spread out around the world. They could change the order of content and (Lorewise) it wouldn't have made a huge difference. Karazhan doesn't need to have a story tied to the Dark Portal, since the Demon shenanigans that opened the place in TBC didn't really have anything to do with Outland. New places means new gear yes, but like I said, it can be handled more in terms of transmogs where the progression remains static at T3.

I think the best method would be to have a content-centric debuff specific to new content areas. It would be sorta like getting new Resist gear for each raid, where the 'Element' you are resisting is not a school of magic, but rather a content-specific buff. This means you can opt to skip an entire content patch without missing out on much, but without it you're less effective when doing content in that area. An example could be 'Arcane Instability' that reduces spell damage and increases spell damage taken while in Karazhan. New tier gear (all balanced to T3) would offer nominal amounts of 'Arcane Stability', while you could also obtain it through crafted gear, enchantments or elixirs as well.

As for reasons to do new content, there wouldn't be any incentive to do it other than to do it. Like the spirit of Vanilla, all content is optional, and we're all aware that you never had to be a raider to enjoy the game. New content is new content, and there's no forcing players to have to do it other than to be a completionist or to take up the challenge. No power creep, just a shift in balance for new content. I mean the content could literally provide recolors of existing gear, much like the TBC EPL event that offered recolor T2 gear.

[Kithelle]

Then it ceases to be classic...which is not why they're doing this, to make a second wow.

[Vineri]

Amusing the idea, is a deviation of lore for Classic a problem? I mean the entire concept of Classic was introduced to us by... Chromie. Alternate timelines are sort of her thing, right?

First and foremost, Vanilla is Vanilla. So any ideas are for the far future, not for Blizzards upcoming Classic release.

..

If Blizzard did what you mention, that might be one of the most original and ballsy thing they have ever done. An entire game designed around an anternate spin of known events. So your inquisitiveness is equally amusing

I imagine it would keep fans entertained for years as they discover everything that changed.

Given the ambition of Blizzard these days though, it's just a pipe dream. I kind of think fans know more about the game than the people who work at Blizzard. Although it is likely they will do some kind of WoW 2 eventually.

[Thimagryn]

If Blizzard did what you mention, that might be one of the most original and ballsy thing they have ever done. An entire game designed around an anternate spin of known events. So your inquisitiveness is equally amusing

Well hearthstone is arguable doing more for alternative Warcraft universe lore than anything. I'm not saying Classic has to follow suite, but I think there's potential for some of that kind of mini-content action.

[chakley]

For the purpose of a large sustained community for the long run (many years), I think PvP is the ultimate end game for longevity. And some (maybe a lot) of that depends on how they implement AV, and the attention they give it.

[Deleted]

Roll classic server and observe. My guess is that within 2-4 years the calls for new content will get louder and louder. So you should be prepared to offer some things - not big stuff that fits into an expansion, but a new raid tier or unlocking some areas like Hyjal, offering some kind of alternate timeline. But nothing big, a new area, new dungeon, new raid. Just content, not tackling the gameplay.

[Deleted]

I think it could work. I love illidan"sick in the head" and space goats but what and how would life had unfolded if arthas tears and icecap lich king himself was the a patch of vanilla with level 60 death knights. But yeah doubt from blizzard standpoint it would be worth it financially. But yeah slippery gnarly slope plus if there was no outland we'd never have brexit lol

[Kilee25]

I'm secretly hoping for some kind of "new game plus" version of Vanilla. So to answer your question - yes. As long as the level cap doesn't increase and the basic format of player co-operation doesn't change, I would love to see lots of new content, raids, and quests.

[Chaelexi]

Grim Batol, Hyjal and Uldum dungeons/raids who stayed as thought but never really came out come to mind. Old Ironforge too. Also that big island in Feralas (can't remember the name) with those Chimaeras on it.

That was used for chimera chops. The tanking food.

[Vaelorian]

If and when Classic comes out and we at first get to play the first 2/3 years in Classic..... I would not mind them adding Grim Batol. Or doing something with the portals which were in Stormwind and Stratholm to name a few. You know.. finishing stuff what they wanted to do back then.

But this is just a "nice to have". I am def. with the #nochanges crowd. And like others have said, you would end up with 2 versions of WoW. This is bad.

[Deletedaccount1]

I don't trust them to make content that will live up to the quality of vanilla. Jagex made this mistake in osrs.

People will, and already do, want TBC and wotlk servers so ruling them out is kind of a pointless hypothetical when they are inevitable.

[Vaelorian]

I don't trust them to make content that will live up to the quality of vanilla. Jagex made this mistake in osrs.

People will, and already do, want TBC and wotlk servers so ruling them out is kind of a pointless hypothetical when they are inevitable.

yes actually, this

[Rustov]

It would all have to be done with minimal dev time. Probably reused assets- not just locations, but npc models, attack animations, spell effects, and more. It would get really controversial if they brought in newer models, say Return to Karazhan stuff, as the uptick in art quality wouldn't mesh with the original art. Bosses may or may not get proper testing. It's highly likely to be sparse or crude, none of the massive, polished content patches of retail.
But I think it would come. Classic will not sustain any kind of regular population without some new content on dripfeed.