How to Enter World of Warcraft Classic: What You Need to Know About WoW Vanilla

How to Enter World of Warcraft Classic: What You Need to Know About WoW Vanilla
World of Warcraft Classic launched in August 2019, with many believing players dropping dramatically once the rose-tinted bezels rolled out. But the original World of Warcraft experience remains a huge success for Blizzard, in fact, it has doubled the number of players who have subscribed to WoW since its launch last year. Modern World of Warcraft is expecting its eighth expansion, Shadowlands before the end of the year, exciting stuff if you've followed WoW over the years. But if you've left when the game has undergone several unavoidable changes and you're looking for a slightly more gritty MMO experience, you could do a lot worse than jumping into World of Warcraft Classic.

So what's the deal with WoW Classic?

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) World of Warcraft Classic became a thing when Blizzard finally caved in the following years to players calling for a return to the "basic" Warcraft experience. Players have gotten their fix for years through various ``legacy'' private servers, but when Blizzard ordered Nostalrius, the largest of them, to shut down in 2016, fans again asked for a ``vanilla'' official server. Blizzard finally relented and announced World of Warcraft Classic at the BlizzCon 2018 opening ceremony. But why all the noise? When World of Warcraft launched in 2004, it attracted a huge number of players and quickly grew to millions of subscribers around the world. The scale of the game aside, the world it was set in was a huge force behind the success of the MMO. Azeroth has been around since the original release of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans in 1994 and the subsequent Warcraft 2 games, based on history and lore. Warcraft 3 was probably the most popular of those early games, introducing us to many characters who would go on to play big roles in World of Warcraft, including Sylvanas Windrunner, Jaina Proudmore, and Arthas Menethil, among others. So when World of Warcraft launched in 2004, all of the story, background, and locations that had been showcased in previous Warcraft games were brought to life in Blizzard's vast MMO.

Not for the faint of heart

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) If you only have a few hours a week to devote to an MMO, Classic might not be the game for you and you might be better off looking at Modern Warcraft to fill that A-shaped hole. Azeroth. That said, if you're not particularly concerned with end-game content such as raids or level dungeons and just want to explore Azeroth as it was in 2006, go ahead. But if you want to take advantage of all that Classic has to offer, you should be prepared to spend a lot of time not only leveling up your character, but also completing various attunement quests and improving reputation to access some of them. endgame instances. World of Warcraft Classic lacks those quality-of-life improvements you might be used to in modern Warcraft, or even many other MMOs today. For starters, scaling enemies is much less forgiving, and you could quickly become overwhelmed if you're facing more than two enemies at a time unprepared. Traveling from one place to another in Classic Azeroth also takes a lot longer - flight points aren't as plentiful as they are these days and with in-game gold it's not as easy to come by. you may have a hard time saving up even buying your first riding skill and mount. But it's not entirely bleak. The increase in grind from Classic World of Warcraft is offset by a sense of real progression as you watch your character grow stronger as you gain levels, gear, and overall experience.

The benefits of starting now

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) You may be wondering if it's worth starting your journey through Old Azeroth now, almost a year after its release. The answer is a very clear "yes". For starters, you won't have to deal with queues to log into the game, or queues to kill a single Quest Monster due to player saturation. Sure, the busiest servers on big patch days can still see the occasional login queue, but they're generally less common these days. Another advantage of starting now is that the in-game economy will have stabilized. Depending on the server population you choose, the materials for crafting should be more readily available on the Auction House and at much more reasonable prices. And if you want to sell things yourself, perhaps saving up for your first mount, you should have a much more stable market to do so. While there arguably aren't as many players in the leveling areas to easily regroup with as there were at launch, guilds have been lucky to establish themselves so you shouldn't have any trouble finding the one that meets your needs and offers help. and advice when necessary.

What content is available in WoW Classic?

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) World of Warcraft Classic has seen waves of content updates since its release last year, tied to content releases from the original game. It's still unclear if the game will get "new" expansions like The Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard has said that it is "not opposed" to adding expansions to the Classic experience, but no decision has been made yet. As of this writing, WoW Classic is currently in Phase 5 of the PvE Content Program (see below) and the Ahn'Qiraj Raid has been unlocked, once you reach max level you will have access to a series of raids and bosses around the world to fight. PvE Content Schedule: PvP content calendar:

How to play World of Warcraft Classic

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) If you think you're ready to play World of Warcraft Classic, you'll need a subscription to do so. Unlike modern Warcraft, which allows you to create as many characters as you want and play them up to level 20 without subscribing, if you're looking for the vanilla experience, you'll have to put your money where you want it. The good news is that once you subscribe, you will have access to classic and modern Warcraft. You can pay for a month at a time or choose to subscribe for longer, which will cost you a little less.

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