Why are so many players looking forward to WoW Classic, even though World of Warcraft is the much more extensive and versatile game thanks to Legion and the expansions released so far? And why are there hardly any good MMORPGs that capture exactly the fascination that actually characterizes online role-playing games? Our editor Karsten is looking for answers…
You may have already read it in December, my WoW column about Classic Servers is going to be a flop – and our players are to blame. In this opinion piece, I point out, among other things, that while I had a lot of fun with Classic WoW at the time, I think Legion is the better game. And that I probably won’t have nearly as much fun on the Classic servers when they eventually come back online as I had twelve years ago in Azeroth or now in Legion.
Of course, I read all of your opinions below the article, then lumped them in with Brad McQuaid’s (Everquest, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen) exciting statements about the demise of the MMORPG genre and let them sink in for a while. And now I don’t want to revise the statement I made at the beginning, but expand on it: Legion is the better game, but Classic-WoW was the better MMORPG!
When I think back to what has always fascinated me about online RPGs, it was the social component that solo RPGs like The Witcher 3 or Gothic can’t (and won’t) provide. And by that I don’t just mean that in an MMORPG we move through a persistent world where we can meet other players anywhere.
Much more important than the mere existence of other players is the interaction with them. And since we players often take the path of least resistance, I think a good MMO is characterized by encouraging that interaction across the board. But in order for players to bond, you also have to put obstacles in their way while denying them easy alternatives. Such obstacles can be difficult quests, extremely complex professions, classes specialized in certain roles, or difficult group challenges.
Classic WoW: Only together were we strong
When leveling in WoW Classic, the main reason I was constantly with other players was that two people were much less likely to need to drink or eat (and WoW was surprisingly soloist-friendly compared to other genre representatives of the time). The result was a noticeable time gain. Some elite areas were completely uninteresting without a group.
Without a core group and raid guild, it was also extremely difficult to reach the top ranks in PvP or get the full armor sets or other epic loot in Molten Core and the like back then. The farm effort before a raid was really only manageable if the community stuck together. And if you wanted to ride fast, you often had to borrow the gold from friends or guildmates….
But part of the social aspect back then was that you could see the successes you had mastered directly on your character. Not everyone had a full armor set from the raid, epic weapons, or even a legendary. Also, there was no transmog feature to “overwrite” your current clothes – clothes made the man back then. The social component here: Some proudly presented their loot in Orgrimmar or Stormwind, others longed for the “epics” and dreamed of one day being so well equipped – the perfect motivation in any MMO.
MMOs today: Role-playing games with optional multiplayer
Today, many online role-playing games work differently. They are often so smooth that you can master most of the content alone or in random groups and experience it without spending hundreds of hours. Like a solo RPG with an optional multiplayer mode glued to it. Frustrating moments are minimized. The envy of other players’ loot is kept small with alternatives and optical features such as transmogging. Sure, you can still put in a lot of time, let yourself be challenged by the highest difficulties, go after the absolute best loot pieces or a complete collection.
But you don’t have to, you have the choice today. At that time you didn’t have them in the form. There was only one difficulty level in raids and dungeons, only one tier 1 set, only a few sources of supply for epic items, hardly anything to do outside of raids, PvP and crafting in WoW. And these limitations, the lack of alternatives, the great effort behind every success meant that you had to team up with other players. And the resulting social interaction is what sets an MMORPG apart from a simple RPG. It is the togetherness that makes up the core of an online role-playing game.
MMOs in the future: A depressing conclusion
From this realization I have to draw two depressing conclusions.
1) If an online RPG wants to score with its MMO mechanics, the developers behind the project have to have the balls to make some unpopular decisions and focus on a small audience. If you are out to please as many players as possible, you will inevitably set the hurdles so low that the social component only plays a subordinate role. With most major studios looking to maximize profits, indie developers need to fly the MMO flag… some exciting projects are in the works right now.
2) I have to admit to myself that I will probably never again be as fascinated by an MMO as Classic-WoW did back then. Even if Brad McQuaid, for example, manages to deliver a really good PvE MMO with Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, I’ve outgrown the genre. I just don’t have the time for the effort that goes into every good MMO. And from experience I know only too well that many communities don’t like it too much if you regularly disappear for a few weeks or months because you want/need to watch some other games for work.
However, there is good news: the WoW: Legions, Guild Wars 2 and TESOs of this world are only mediocre MMOs, but they are the perfect games for everyone who likes to downplay their own boot in online worlds, but also from time to time want to do something with other players. The fascination of yesteryear falls by the wayside, but that’s how compromises work…
What is WoW Classic?
World of Warcraft Classic is a true recreation of the original WoW as you know it from 2006. All parts of the game – from combat mechanics and talent trees to character models and zones – have been recreated, contributing to the authentic experience.
Getting Started
All players with an active World of Warcraft subscription or game time on their accounts have access toWoW Classic at no additional cost.
- Open the Blizzard Battle.net Desktop App and select World of Warcraft from the menu.
- Select World of Warcraft Classic from the Version menu. If you have more than one World of Warcraft account, you’ll see a second Account drop-down list. In this column, select the active account you want to play with.
- Click the Install button. The progress bar will tell you when your game is ready to play.
- Click the Play button when the installation is complete.
You will need to select the realm you want to play on from several different realm types. Make sure you choose the same realm as your friends – in World of Warcraft Classic, you can only group with characters that are on the same realm as you!
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