Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsLevel 60 Love pines for the olden days of Azeroth
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 29th 2008 at 2:00PM
We've heard the idea of "classic servers" passed around before -- some players believe that things were better way back at level 60, when Molten Core was the beginning of the endgame, Tier 3 was as high as things got, and you had to coordinate a whole 40 man raid (shudder) just to pick up a few epics. Blizzard has already said no -- they think it would be trouble to run two different versions of the game at a time, and you have to wonder if they have the capability, as much as the game has changed, to run an old server anyway.But that hasn't kept some players from continuing to ask -- someone has even put together a whole site called, cleverly, "Level 60 Love," designed to convince Blizzard to re-offer the vanilla game again. They've got a mission statement, a FAQ and forums, and even a few ways to "help" out (though you could question how signing a petition helps, but we guess every little bit counts).
It's not too farfetched -- as they point out, Dark Age of Camelot once hosted "classic" servers, and the idea of legacy raiding is something that's already happening in game. But of course it's up to Blizzard -- even if they feel the demand is there (and it sounds like it would take a lot of demand), they might just see it as a sign that they need to justify the newer content and do more things like the recruit-a-friend and quicker leveling.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Blizzard, News items, Expansions, Bosses, Leveling
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Aldheim Oct 29th 2008 3:15PM
I will grant you that I am post-BC, so I never did a 40 man. But I'm not sure why 40 guys is more epic than 25 or 10 guys. All your great "epic" fantasy properties are about small groups or even individuals.
This may be my slight RP bias, but the most "epic" moments I've had in game were times when I overcame a really hard challenge solo. Much as I love raiding, it really throws me out of the story. And 40 man loot drama doesn't sound very epic at all. *L*
webrunner Oct 29th 2008 2:57PM
What they should do is do more things either like
A) Naxx
or
b) "heroic" lvl 80 versions of all existing dungeons and raids. People might actually run Gnomeregan or Mauradon if you could get a level 80 epic Technical Vestiments set or legendary Scepter Of The Stonemother
Dillon Oct 29th 2008 3:07PM
Bingo.
Heroic versions of old dungeons would be great, and I've heard that sentiment shared many times.
Kargrym Oct 29th 2008 2:58PM
For people truly wanting this type of play, buy an account and don't upgrade to the expansion packs. you will be capped at 60, resilience would at most be a few enchants but not baked in enchants, and you could play all you want. Have the community pick an existing server they would like to play on. with naxx gone the best you could do is AQ40 but should be hard enough O.O
Brannon Oct 29th 2008 2:59PM
Making a 'classic server' is something WoW might do six or eight years out from its release. As it stands now, there's absolutely no reason at all for them to be backward-looking in their game design. Anyone working on 'classic' (aka recycled) content is someone not working on new content.
Random Cow Oct 29th 2008 3:20PM
I wonder how many people that are clamoring for 'classic' servers were playing WoW back before BC.
Probably very very few.
Week or two on a 'classic' server, they would probably be ready to do anything to get to Outland.
Turtlehead Oct 29th 2008 3:25PM
What did I see when I went to the site? Three ads for guides to speed level 1-70.
Laughed so hard I thought I was going to die.
Kassu Oct 29th 2008 3:24PM
Just find a private server and invite 39 of your friends?
goliathsdkfz Oct 29th 2008 3:28PM
can't they just upgrade old raids into a heroic mode for level 80 players. So theres a massive selection of raids ?
Cory Oct 29th 2008 3:30PM
You would be pretty amazed at the numbers of people that still prefer to do old content.
I myself am one, as well as about 60-70 friends I have. We currently still run MC, BWL, and NAX around 2 to 3 times a month as well as keep a regular raid schedule of the new content. If given the chance to have a toon that was locked in at 60 on a seperate server that I could play just on days to raid those old skool raids I would love to do it but I wouldn't completely forsake current endgame content. So the idea of a classic server is actually something that I know alot of people would approve of as a novelty thing.
Delcoro Oct 29th 2008 5:18PM
"So the idea of a classic server is actually something that I know alot of people would approve of as a novelty thing."
No, you know 60 or 70 people who would approve. In a game with 11 million players that means less than nothing.
cranberryzero Oct 29th 2008 3:30PM
I would love to see the classic dungeons be more relevant... achievements have gotten people to go back to the older dungeons, but really there's no reason at all to go back to the older dungeons except out of boredom or because of achievements, but I do think that they need to up the gear. The best way to make MC, Ony, etc to be used again is to make the gear better. Why would you spend all the time at 60 to do MC when you can easily get gear in Hellfire that's way better and less hassle to get? As far as the rest of it goes, MMOs need expansions or they die. I would have stopped playing looong ago if level 60 classic Azeroth was it.
Geo Lara Oct 29th 2008 3:30PM
I'm sorry folks but classic was frustrating as all hell.
When you hit lv 60 you basically had two choices: Go raid 4 nights a week and hope and pray you had DKP for a drop (or even if you saw a drop), or roll an alt and level it to 60. Or quit your job/school to PVP your life away for a Grand Marshal title.
I'm not even going to get into the unreasonable farming you had to do for epic mount money.
I love that BC introduced so many options for life after 70. Daily quests, useful talents trees, five man heroics, arenas, etc... I would rather quit WoW forever than to go back to those days.
pogfreak Oct 29th 2008 3:51PM
http://www.level60love.com/ourgoal.html
This is some serious lols here guys. "We want to go back to a time ... When classes were balanced perfectly".
I dont think my eyes have ever rolled so far back in my head.
Amaxe Oct 29th 2008 4:56PM
You mean like Shamans WF proccing off of WF in a endless chain reaction? I would have loved to see that... from the dealing end, and not getting pwned by a Horde shaman some 4 levels below me (which was my first experience)
Yes, WoW was never "perfect." There are always some flaws. I may complain about my Shaman in relation to the power of another class, but the 3.0.2 patch Shaman is better than the 2.4.3 Shaman for certain.
I wouldn't want to go back. Scholo was interesting when it was new and i was level 60, but things do get old eventually, and Blizz needs to keep the customers coming back
darian Oct 29th 2008 3:50PM
I think everyone can look back and remember fond moments of the old vanilla days. There was a time when there were few if any twinks in the battlegrounds, a time when massive forces railed against each other between Astranaar and Splintertree Post, a time when you could stack up as many potions as possible, and when there was a different sound for Chain Lightning.
I have all sorts of nostalgic memories for those days starting from my wide eyed introduction to the game, the first sounds and music of the Night Elven starting areas, my tomfoolery thinking Spirit was a good stat for a Hunter, and being miffed that I couldn't spend my talent points ala Diablo 2.
However, most of my nostalgia is for my own blissful ignorance and the joy that comes with experiencing the game for the first time.
Rolling back to those "simpler days" would take with it all the progress that was made in BC, as well as what we'll see in Wrath. As fun as certain aspects of Vanilla were so much of it simply pales in comparison to what has come afterwards.
No one will argue that the new PvP system, flaws and all, is worse than the old one. Few, if anyone, will argue that the old reputation grinds were better than the BC ones. I personally wouldn't enjoy going back to a time where a class might have 2 viable raid specs, if they were lucky. Tuning for full consumables is another thing I'm glad is long gone.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many, many changes that have been made between BC and now that rolling everything back to just before patch 2.0 seems utterly silly.
Even if such a server existed, you would never be able to reproduce the environment, the culture and the population that existed before BC.
The game was fun in the past, but Blizzard has been making the game more fun with each patch. As much as I might like to revisit my days of utter nubdom I'd much rather move forward and enjoy what's coming in Wrath.
hold up Oct 29th 2008 4:09PM
"I think everyone can look back and remember fond moments of the old vanilla days."
No, not everyone can :P
I was only 48 when TBC came out...
I know, late bloomer.
But it sounds like hell though. I have a hard enough time trying to find 24 other competent individuals to form a raid - i cant even imagine a 40 man.
Everything pre-TBC sounded like it was the ultimate time sink. Almost like you couldnt see endgame unless you were spending over 30 hours a week in-game.
I'm glad I can play casually and still enjoy endgame raiding
It's my belief that a 40 man Archimonde would be nearly impossible. (not impossible, but you know)
hold up Oct 29th 2008 4:01PM
Personally, I don't see the appeal of going backward like that - except to maybe see the bosses. But thats my personal feelings.
I really want to down Illidan and Kil'jaeden so I'm probably going to run those even if I can't clear them before Wrath - but once I get there, see the fight and experience the kill I'm moving on to the next thing.
Doing raids like that over and over would eventually get very tiresome. Like when you first stepped into KZ - it was like "Wow, this place is cool and fun." now its like "22 Badges please." Same thing with all the other raids. I couldnt imagine being stuck raiding the same dungeons indefinitely. I'm glad that blizz is constantly working on new mechanics and putting in new raids.
Kalim Oct 29th 2008 4:02PM
Think of it this way
In a few weeks time....for blizz to get a new subscriber....it would require them to basically purchase 3 games (classic wow, bc, and lich king). if someone wants to create a 2nd account....they ahve to go out and buy 3 games. etc etc
what you are proposing...is a way for blizzard to condone people being able to play their game....forever....with only buying 1 game.
so already...blizzard is looking a losing money. and you think that any amount of signatures is going to overshadow that fact?
D.O.T. Oct 29th 2008 4:02PM
What I would like to see is have heroic or at least “level 80" versions of the instances we used to know and love. The rewards they could drop would be level 80 badges instead of tokens - or something similar.