Why do you guys love Vanilla so much?

[madhorde]

Hi,

I never played Vanilla, started out in TBC on retail. More and more stuff got added to make the game better in terms of functionality up until the latest expansion. For me WoW ended with Wotlk (my favorite expansion)

I think I'm trying to justify leveling a char on this realm, I like starting fresh with everybody but the things that I don't like is the long long lvling process, some specs not being valid, outdated graphics (both the world and spells) and the lack of double spec.
What I think I will like the most are the battlegrounds and the fact that there's no resilience gear.

Why do you guys love the grindy vanilla so much?

[Raxis]

Short answer: everything you do is so much more rewarding. Hell, getting a mount is one of the most rewarding things you can do in vanilla. Just getting to 60 is a challenge on its own. Then you got the massive raids, WPvP etc. And NO flying. Yes, you actually have to explore the world >.> Vanilla also tends to have a larger sense of community, due to the fact there is no LFR/LFD. Player actually have to communicate and work together.

[Fichi]

Short answer: everything you do is so much more rewarding. Hell, getting a mount is one of the most rewarding things you can do in vanilla. Just getting to 60 is a challenge on its own. Then you got the massive raids, WPvP etc. And NO flying. Yes, you actually have to explore the world >.> Vanilla also tends to have a larger sense of community, due to the fact there is no LFR/LFD. Player actually have to communicate and work together.

This yeah so true I agree.

[Teodice]

Most of all I enjoy the community feel Vanilla had. AFKING in Orgfrimmar/If is a thing in that sense that you run into people that you know. You might have lvled with that person or PvPed. Ive played on several vanilla servers and I really enjoy the feel of the game. Most of all. ITEMS atually matters. You are the cool kid if you got epics. Sure, PvP is really dependant on gear but if you´re good you will kill people. It will take all your CDs but you can jump epic geared guys as blue geared.

Well, just some vanilla fanatism but thats my 5 cents.

[Elementalist]

Short answer: The glory.

Long answer: The fucking glory.


No, but it was just more enjoyable as a game and community. People actually knew eachother. You even knew people from the opposite faction. The world was a lot more populated and the social aspect was just over all better. And PvE gear in PvP

[Ivina]

It is an actual game: you can win but you can also loose. In this kind of mmo, loose = loose your time mainly.
In modern wow (and most modern mmo), everything is done so you never loose your time. It is all smooth and linear.

When does your mind get challenged? Where is the game?

For example, look at the leveling with overcrowded zones. Some people just sit and cry because they can't get a mob. Other people face the problem and take actions: make a group, spread a little over spawn zone, and even if it takes more time than usual, you end up finishing the quest.

Vanilla wow actual need you to face problems and make choices. That's what I expect from a game. If I want to lay in my chair, be quiet and set my brain in zombie mode, I watch TV

[madhorde]

Short answer: everything you do is so much more rewarding. Hell, getting a mount is one of the most rewarding things you can do in vanilla. Just getting to 60 is a challenge on its own. Then you got the massive raids, WPvP etc. And NO flying. Yes, you actually have to explore the world >.> Vanilla also tends to have a larger sense of community, due to the fact there is no LFR/LFD. Player actually have to communicate and work together.

But its so grindy

[123hugo]

Everything is served on a silverplate after wotlk, xp boosts, getting mount isnt an issue, people don't have patience etc etc. I didn't play vanilla, started TBC. I HATED lvling after wotlk. Now I've spent 15 hours getting to lvl 13 and it feels so rewarding, I have to use mats, do special class quests and fighting mobs requires some kind of tactic where even LOH or other big CDs have to be used if you're not careful.
TL:DR: The challenge and the time you have to put down in the game to get somewhere

[Elaith]

It is an actual game: you can win but you can also loose. In this kind of mmo, loose = loose your time mainly.
In modern wow (and most modern mmo), everything is done so you never loose your time. It is all smooth and linear.

When does your mind get challenged? Where is the game?

For example, look at the leveling with overcrowded zones. Some people just sit and cry because they can't get a mob. Other people face the problem and take actions: make a group, spread a little over spawn zone, and even if it takes more time than usual, you end up finishing the quest.

Vanilla wow actual need you to face problems and make choices. That's what I expect from a game. If I want to lay in my chair, be quiet and set my brain in zombie mode, I watch TV

It's LOSE for the love of God, not LOOSE.

In answer to the OP, vanilla actually feels like a MMORPG, not the abomination the later iterations became. It has everything, epic quests , teamwork, lore, a real sense of danger and the greatest dungeon/raid hub ever invented in Blackrock Mountain.

[Hatson]

But its so grindy

That's honestly how MMOs were. Heck, WoW was super casual compared to all other MMOs before it. Being able to level solo? No exp loss or gear loss on death? - "What a scrub game lol!" is what most people had to say about it before release.
And then it turned out to be genre defining and became the biggest success in video game history.

Vanilla imo - as well as BC, are the perfect MMOs. (Although I admit I miss a ton of super niche spells and class features that were in f.ex. Everquest that are not present in WoW, a lot of flavours missing here and there) - but even so, it's miles better than retail has been since Cataclysm.