[hugja]

This was my first thought too. Although I must admit I didn't play WoW until the release of BC (Burning Crusade) and stopped when Cata finished. So I never really got to experience what was special about Vanilla. More specifically for why I'd want WOTLK is for Arena. The last season was the most balanced that I ever experienced it and some of the most fun I've ever had playing WoW or any game in general.

Jumping back to Vanilla one thing I hate about the current expansions is quest helper and honestly this rings true for other games (Destiny for example) as well. I think the lack of a quest/mission guide is a better experience for the player. I remember playing BC and had a blast trying to complete quest. You had to really pay attention and read the quest for specifics and clues to figure out what was needed or where to go. The completion of quest back then felt so rewarding. Now you just look at your map and follow the "little dotted line"[1] then rinse and repeat. This struggling with quest is what I'm most looking forward to with classic WoW.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzOCkXsyIqo

[seanalltogether]

What made vanilla special was the restrictions placed on the world. Everybody packed into Ironforge or Orgrimmar because that's where the auction houses were. You could chat with tons of people or easily join groups to raid dungeons. Physicality in the world was an important part of the experience. You hung out at the gates of a battleground to play in them, so there was usually a crowd to chat with. When BC came along I remember feeling disappointed that the player base became so fractured all of a sudden. Places that used to be lively were now dead. Sure you always had guild chat to keep the conversation going, but as the expansions grew I remember feeling less connected to the rest of the people on my server.

[hugja]

Although I didn't play Vanilla, as I said above. I've experienced this with the end of Wotlk and beginning of Cata. The introduction to group finder and the ability queue from anywhere for anything really ruined that experience. This caused the game's world to feel empty at least for me anyways.

[abakker]

Yep. That’s definitely when I stopped being interested in playing as much. I wasn’t even that social a player (I was never in a guild), but I loved the feeling that I was in a virtual world full of people.

That crowd in the city, coupled with the worse trace options- back when mounts were for higher level players and were very expensive - made the actual quests feel a lot more remote.

Special mention to the griffins/hippogirffs. One of the greatest moments of joy I felt when I got on one the first time and could still look around as it flew.

[kitsunesoba]

I agree, late WotLK and Cata took a game that felt like a living breathing world and downgraded it to feeing like a game. The one click cross server dungeon queues and the Disneyland style on rails no detours questing are likely the primary culprits.

[kbutler]

But it will be very, very hard to keep that experience. Where you used to have to turn to other players for help, building those social relationships as they struggled through the same challenges, now the web environment surrounding the game has evolved with very complete documentation an alt-tab away, and all the other players have that as well.

[hugja]

Oh most definitely! It's certainly not for everyone. I mean even back then, if I'm remembering correctly. There was a site called Thottbot for exactly that. Which I occasionally turned to when the quest was lacking in information. Even before Blizzard officially added a quest helper to the game there was a third party add-on. However, with sites like Thottbot you still had to investigate to figure out what you had to do and I think this still gives you sense of accomplishment over just being told what and where all the time.

Edit: words

[masklinn]

That was already the case back when WoW was first released. Everquest (1) got pretty extensively documented during its lifetime (and mapped, there were no in-game maps until the 4th expansion).

[arkades]

> . I remember playing BC and had a blast trying to complete quest. You had to really pay attention and read the quest for specifics and clues to figure out what was needed or where to go.

I remember that experience of discovery. It only lasted as long as it was all ... undiscovered. I don’t think it’ll work for a repeat performance.