Maybe to you it is not, and you prefer the expansions.

To a lot of us it is the best. It was WoW at its peak, and 15 years later it is still the game we want to play.

Why though? If it isn't just Nostalgia, then what makes Classic better than what came after it?

I'm gonna go with depth. Plain and simple.

Leveling process takes time, but that makes it enjoyable to me, it's a journey, not a race (I'm not a speed leveler)
Reputation grinds are harsh but rewarding (e.g. Thorium Brotherhood or Defilers)
Professions are complex and rewarding (not all of them, sadly, looking at you, blacksmithing)
Dungeon design is amazing (Favorites include BRD, LBRS, UBRS, ST)
Attunement questlines (I know this is controversial, but these are awesome pieces of lore)
Rewarding solo activities at level cap (Partly related to all of the above,.. these days you stand around and spam m+)

<3 Classic <3

I don't have a lot of that nostaliga-fill cause i started to play with WOTLK in private servers, but i think that the best thing in classic is the satisfaction generated from your character growing up.

Leveling up, have better gear, get new spells and everything else that makes your character better takes time. A LOT of time.
But when success is so damn satisfying
(more satisfying than buy a level-boost from the shop ofc)

It was the community for me. I met my best friend in the ruins of Alterac, and he's going to be in my wedding next year. People did goofy shit and helped each other out. I enjoyed running into people in the middle of bumfuck Hinterlands, and having a brief chat about any enemy players nearby and other things. The world felt so big, and I loved having to prepare when I left a city, because I didn't know when I was coming back.

It was the best because it was a second life.
I didn't just log in to get the (mythic) epic loot to have a high ilvl and log off, I logged on in Vanilla to live and breath in Azeroth.

Chat with friends
Quest with a buddy
Help friends
Go fishing
Hang out with your faction in the city

• Talk with new people

• Check the Auction House

Each expansion and each experience I have had have been very valuable and unique. Retail Vanilla felt different than retail BC, which felt different than private Vanilla which will all be different than Classic. They have each had their pros and cons and felt very unique to one another. Though I am very excited to experience Classic. My expectations for Classic are reasonable and I look forward to experiencing this new example of vanilla with everyone else. I will continue to play each version of the game (have played every xpac thus far) with an open mind and will continue to support retail (as we all will with the shared sub). I just like WoW to be honest.

Why do I enjoy Classic? Interaction. I like the forced interaction which lends itself to adversity and community. Though BC offered a certain polish that was not available in Vanilla. On the other hand flying mounts, sanctuary zones and the casual nature of arena welfare gear didn't suit me. Though the difficulty of content in BC had increased which I preferred. Each expansion presented their own pros and cons which is why each expansion is valuable in its own right and each expansion will have its own audience seeking to re-experience their preferred version of the game.

I will play Classic vanilla and BC if they are available. I would casually play WotLK (my least favorite xpac). I would definitely play PvP in Cata as this is often regarded as the peak of high tier PvP arena content. I will continue to purchase any new content produced by Blizz, im in too deep to stop now.

edit: annnnd tomorrow marks a FRESH launch, with a new set of rules on Silver Hand (Lights Hope). A blizzlike experience tailored for the quick release of Classic in August. No gated content... A RACE TO CLEAR NAXX! A new rendition of the game I love, and a new experience that is completely unique to the rest!

Vanilla world is organic. Not a force, scripted theme park. Living, breathing organism with people and interaction. It's crazy how it was mentioned in every article regarding WoW addiction how it mimic the real world. If we look how retail WoW declined in that matter it all clicks. Retail WoW is no longer addicting and therefore not highly attractive as "alternative world" for many people. Addiction is bad, but it seems to describe how good state of the game was and which is lacking now.

Many people have already said some great points, so I'll try not to repeat them.

A lot of what makes Vanilla unique and the best are also many of the things that changed in BC (which would have otherwise been an even better expansion than it was, and many people love it despite that as we see here).

• No Flying Mounts

• World is interconnected completely: Sometimes a low level zone has a hidden questgiver for a high level one! Or quests span a whole length of azeroth, or Blackrock Mountain is very close to the starting zones of Elwynn because lore dictates it.

• Dungeons are varied, different, and unique. I know, BC was pretty varied, but I can't get over how they stuck so many small dungeons in the same place. No, it isn't like SM that was built to be one dungeon and split. They're just all half-hearted and half-copycatted.

• No arenas so the PvP parts of the game had room for more unique and varied specs if you enjoyed them.

• Combined usable gear rewards for both PvP and PvE. Sure, a new solution for PvP rewards was needed somewhat, but what BC gave us was unsatisfying.

Linguine wrote: ↑

5 years ago

Many people have already said some great points, so I'll try not to repeat them.

A lot of what makes Vanilla unique and the best are also many of the things that changed in BC (which would have otherwise been an even better expansion than it was, and many people love it despite that as we see here).

• No Flying Mounts

• World is interconnected completely: Sometimes a low level zone has a hidden questgiver for a high level one! Or quests span a whole length of azeroth, or Blackrock Mountain is very close to the starting zones of Elwynn because lore dictates it.

• Dungeons are varied, different, and unique. I know, BC was pretty varied, but I can't get over how they stuck so many small dungeons in the same place. No, it isn't like SM that was built to be one dungeon and split. They're just all half-hearted and half-copycatted.

• No arenas so the PvP parts of the game had room for more unique and varied specs if you enjoyed them.

• Combined usable gear rewards for both PvP and PvE. Sure, a new solution for PvP rewards was needed somewhat, but what BC gave us was unsatisfying.

• No handouts.

• Requires social interaction

• Server status & rivalry actually exist

• The content is actually challenging

• The game ISN'T balanced.

• It's the only time in WoW History that Horde vs. Alliance felt real and not forced.

• Exploration was incredibly engaging and exciting.

• The grind.

• Hanging out in Ironforge, inspecting high content players, and dreaming of what you'll look like one day.

• One gazillion other reasons

Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms had all of the best, memorable zones in the game, and the levelling process is such a long epic journey that you would be in the same zone for hours on end before moving on to the next. A lot of quests are linked together within the same region, westfall-redridge-elwynn and Black rock mountain, in a way that is convenient and fun to play... I feel that none of the expansions really followed on with that because each zone was just move on to the next.

The original music was all brilliant, duskwood and silverpine for example.
Zones had atmosphere.
The gear was always a struggle to earn and thus was an achievement itself, T2 armor or Commander PVP gear was actually worth something and players would inspect to see what cool shit you're wearing.

Being in a guild and grouping with other players was necessary and a fun experience.
Levelling with a friend is an epic adventure that took time and strengthens your friendship with said friend.
The dungeon/ raid content is great.
Alterac valley is a lot of fun and more difficult.

Professions mattered.

I played the first 6 years of this game and will be returning just to play Classic. Why? Because I never really enjoyed it as much after expansions even though I continued with a 6 year stint. Now I am playing the freebie version just to re-acclimate myself and it reminds me why I left. The expansions turned the game into an arcade style game and dumbed it down to the point it was not fun for me anymore. I want to run around and open the map and explore. I can't wait to run the barrens. I wonder if Chuck jokes will return to the Barrens. Well I think I'll roll a Warlock and do tailoring because I do remember that bag drops were few and far between in the beginning, In fact it created quite a hindrance and seemed like forever before you had plenty of bag space. Gold doesn't flow like it does now. It's a grind and that's what makes it fun. It's not just running from one quest to the next and then buying everything you want from the AH, man you gotta go work for the good stuff. Looking forward to it with great anticipation.

2 factors for me.

1. So much more of what you do matters so much more than it has in years.
2. Close-knit servers where your actions (both positive and negative) have sometimes immediate but often long-term consequences with other people.

The social aspect of it, in retail running dungeons while lvling is a breeze and no one pays attention to one another… In classic people are talking and making friends throughout the lvling journey..

I have enjoyed almost all expansions but for different things, classic is about the social aspect and the lvling journey for me.

The nolife factor makes it best for me tbh :o

There are also very few good MMOs.

So I've just joined the Silver Hand private server, it's my first time playing vanilla (started during TBC) and first time on a private server.
I'm already hooked, for the obvious social reasons but also for stuff I'd completely forgotten about.

The complexity is immense. I'd completely forgotten that you had to level up your skills with each type of weapon, for example. That you'd have to go find a class trainer to learn new abilities and that you might even struggle to afford them! Or that you'd have to read the quests carefully to figure out where exactly to go. I'd forgotten just how many different spells and things a single class could have, and how unique your character could be. A paladin running around in a weird mish mash of leather and mail because you're poor and take what you can get your hands on. Nothing is streamlined, everything is a mission and you need to interact and team up with people even just to kill bandits in Northshire! The complexity makes it challenging. Retail WoW just doesn't have that. It's too accessible, and levelling isn't even fun let alone challenging.

For me, that's what makes classic the best. The journey being the reward, not the end game content. I also love the way a server would have its own personality - I remember people having so much attitude in WoW back in the day, which just got lost with each new expac. Getting good at your class was actually a challenge, and fellow players on your server would either kindly help you or tell you how much of a retard n00b you are for asking stupid questions. Example: this morning I asked /general in Silver Hand if there were achievements in Vanilla and was immediately shot down by 5 or 6 people telling me to run back to retail and collect pets and stop wasting their time. Some were actually more crude than that but I won't repeat what they said here, ha. But I loved it! I remember there being a lot of that in WoW (not always directed at me!) and it was funny. I cared about what these veteran players thought about me and worked hard to play better. You had nice people and elitist asshats - all giving your server a personality of its own, whereas now nobody talks to you and if they do, chances are they are from a different server and you'll never see them again.

Another reason that's not been said in here or in the past.

I feel that the game doesn't guide you...your on your own...(with friends of course)...you make your own experience...you decide what your doing today...you guide yourself through azeroth the way you want...there is no quest that pops up when you log in or things you MUST do...its up to you how you want to spend your time in the game...this is why I love World of Warcraft...the freedom and mystery of the game...you have the freedom to make choices with talents, leveling, gearing up...you dont even need to level your character if you dont want...and i understand there is a cookie cutter build and such but you dont need to follow the pack

Its not like a single player game where you are directed/guided to here then here ...etc. then the game is done..

If you want to focus on pvp...pve...RP...get all the tailoring patterns and be the guy everyone goes to when they need things made...dueling professional...known as that ass that ganks people in low level areas...farmer...AH master...the list goes on and on...

Itll be like a whole new game to me, i started playing in TBC on horde and while i already know i love the lore and fantasy and game play. ill be playing alliance which is really gonna change things up.

In today's World of Warcraft (yes there is some skill still involved) the term face-rolling your keyboard and win is still very much a term you can use. In "Vanilla" however.. There is none of that. Pulling a big group of mobs ( or ADDS ) will most likely destroy you until way later end game gear is equipped. The aspect of your character slowly growing up in the world takes hold. Learning everything from the real NODE grind when it comes to professions. Farming for plans for your profession ( i.e.) crusader enchant. It all takes time and much more dedication than i have witnessed or achieved in WOTLK up to BFA. And let's not forget... The TWINKS! PvPing in STV on your rogue. Taking a stroll down to Redridge mountains sitting on the bridge drinking coffee or beer, and them BAM! Found some lowbies to gank (followed by all the Alliance now coming to destroy you... Oh Vanilla, how i miss the.. lol Can't wait!!!

1. The difficulty in vanilla makes it so much more engaging. I felt more stress trying to clear out the Ban'ethil Barrow Den in Teldrassil as a lvl 8 nelf than I did in any of the raids I've done in retail in the last several years.

2. The lack of "oh great hero" language so prevalent in retail. In vanilla, you're just another random adventurer, not "the most powerful <class> in the world, somehow coexisting with all other player characters that are all simultaneously the leader of the <class> order, all saviors of Azeroth". In vanilla, quest text is simply "hey <class>, I'll give you 15 copper to go kill some kobolds over there". That makes it so much more immersive for me.

3. That the difficulty of the game forces you to interact with other players. In retail there is no reason to interact with other players in the world.

4. The level design forces you into wpvp that is much more organic than anything in retail.

A mix between tbc/classic would prolly be the best, with the most ideology coming from vanilla with like 70/30 rate, no flying, no small world, all classes somewhat more viable, somehow reworked and matched vanilla/tbc pvp system with arenas and not being able to just 2 shot ppl with OP pve gear. Kinda hope for classic + but its just a mess to get it right ( and i dont have faith for blizz on this case) so I think we better off with just tbc.

No instant gratification. You need to work for what you want. Making friends along the way.

Tangible progression. Every ounce of power you get feels good and rewarding, and you can notice it in combat.

- Everything is available
- Everything is relevant
- Everything makes sense

(in other words, nothing has been removed or made obsolete, and there are no lose ends resulting from changes in game design philosophy between expansions)