World of Warcraft: Classic in the Test

No other notice Blizzard left the following of World of Warcraft so emotional like this one: “Everything at the beginning. Classic comes. We return to old Azeroth.“ Since I was only with the end of the add-ons Wrath of the Lich King, in the year of 2010, my first footsteps in Azeroth did, and I knew I need to play. So many rumors, so many horror stories, and so much love, the Ur-Form of the MMORPG has-pioneer of Fans. It was time to find out what’s behind it!

Whether it is one of the players in the Guild were, Strangers in a Forum, or even a single individual, but omnipresent dwarf on the roof of the auction house in Orgrimmar – all of them had one thing in common: their love for the original “Vanilla-WoW”, coupled with almost infinite reluctance, if not a Form of hatred, to the current Version of World of Warcraft. Hardly a day goes by in the world of the art of war, without meeting a Fan of the first hour. World of Warcraft: Classic now makes it possible, in the Azeroth from the years 2006 to return to the former patch status 1.12.

I could never keep track of all. You fight because only forever against single Mobs, runs the legs sore, and can’t afford anything. What would be so GREAT? So I knew immediately, it is up to me, the myths and rumors from Release to reveal, and to see what’s up with the pink glasses really.
And indeed, I was of the World of Warcraft: Classic really positively surprised.



Heroes, it is time to return home!

Way with the Stress – everything is slower

Immediately when you first Log in to World of Warcraft: Classic I realized one thing: here the clocks tick more slowly! You don’t have infinite Manaleiste available, and must also beat the shit out of as a priest of the goblins, after three spells with the wand. At the same time, the opponents are living longer, and parts are already in the first level levels of damage. But it is precisely this self-tame goblins how powerful, deadly opponent to feel. I am in my “WoW-career” never in front of a Mob really fled, I caught myself in Westfall a few times, even screaming, in front of the cruel Murloc armies on the beach to escape.

Classic is in strong contrast to the current WoW Version, in which everything still faster, still higher, still further work. You need a lot of patience, especially due to the current onslaught of thousands of players. Some places are completely überfarmt and you are happy about every, for the marked Mob, like a small child on Christmas. So an experience I had in BFA rarely, you have to share this here, but all the opponents of your own faction.

No later than the first, marked in red Elite Quest is clear: here is one alone – groups need to be formed! And instead of chasing at high speed through instances, it leisurely quest areas to travel to on foot, and discover it after a long time the world time really properly. Quest objectives without the need for external Add-Ons not shown on the map, and must be sought with the pure help of the quest text.



Even so “small” enemy is our clumsy hero in the Classic again really dangerous!

Sit adventures with us around the campfire, tell of your! – the Community

For all the paeans to “Vanilla WoW,” there was a thing I was as ignorant outsiders always much more to be sure: the Community of that time bring back? This can’t work. In the Battle for Azeroth, I’m already almost out of the group kicked, if I only dare in a group to greet. This must be due to the nostalgia. But at no other point had I been mistaken as the here – and realized for the first time, why!

In Classic was, from day 1 to greetings, and of Unknown buffed. If someone saw that the small priestess with three gnolls at once took over, came to me almost always other players to help, to keep me in front of the spirit healer. I was shocked! Where were hiding all these friendly creatures in the last few years?

However, in the course of the Leveling was me be clear: in Classic is not alone. Since you quickly reach your limits. In the Battle for Azeroth , it is simply not necessary each other under the arms to grab. Place in the pockets, thanks to the convenient Stack sizes are always enough, some classes way tearing with AOE Skills, even 20 Mobs at once. For Dungeons or Raids, it is sufficient to press a button in the Browser to get players on the silver platter presented. However, in Classic it is communication-dependent, even in the open world to come – and this pleases me incredibly well. Only in these moments one realizes how much was missing each other the last few years – this should be at the heart of MMORPGs.

In World of Warcraft: Classic , it is also again possible only with the direct players of their own server to play together. There is no function to help cross-realm. So you know the other players also with the time in the name of, and on building a proper reputation. Who helps others, is also taken self-love to again. Who is, however, even the Next, it will get to be felt in the long term. Because it is definitely not a good sound all of the green Items from the group to roll, a few Mobs ranzupullen, and certain death to leave – rather dwarf named fat hobbit! We will see us again!



Alliances to be forged to defeat even powerful enemies!

Bugs, Features, and lack of Pixel – graphics and more

As is so often the case when nostalgia is in the game, remembers the person but still prefer the good sides of their own experiences. So also in the case of World of Warcraft. Much not worked then simply properly, and some settings for the game were acting strangely. So Tauren, for example, have to fit your body size, a slightly larger Hitbox, Elite-quest givers are not marked on the map, and the evil Murlocs to attack you from a distance. Some of the collection quests in the swamp country, you have to work three times take up, and the camera can only be used up to a certain degree, it is really set. This list really can be continued forever – to some of the quirks you have to get used to, definitely, and I can understand if it can trigger at first, Frustration among the players.

With World of Warcraft: Classic was, of course, also the graphics are from 2006, back on the home screens. Although you can feel her age well, has lost in my eyes just a little bit of the original charm. Because in Classic even a proper day-night cycle, you recognize really differences in the ambient light and the sunsets have an intensive and beautiful. At the same time, Blizzard of the possibility in the graphical settings between the “right” Classic graphics and an improved Version to switch, in which, for example, more water details are included, and the Grass nicely with the character moved.

The chaotic Launch in spite of Blizzard’s experience

With all the experience of Acitivision Blizzardwould have to actually a really relaxing Launch of World of Warcraft: Classic can expect. Already in the run-up was in the Forum already hotly debated, Blizzard would be much too few servers for the rush of going big. To Release on may 27. August showed the critics should keep in this question is definitely right. Alone the Realms for the German-speaking community have now been screwed from the beginning, two to eight pieces of high. Nevertheless, these are marked in the evening hours with “High” or “Full”. According to Blizzard’s own statements, by itself, a Realm marked as “Low” has already more resources than at the time, a Vanilla Server at all. The result today are snakes that can take from a few minutes up to several hours wait.

To give you a little insight into the chaotic, but also at the same time really funny Start of World of Warcraft: Classic, I’ve brought you a little insight. Whether right snakes in the game, so that everyone gets the head of an NPC, or simply the huge onslaught right on the 27. August in the night:





As it is now, with the Classic continues – the 6-step Plan

Already in the run-up Blizzard had announced that not all of the content in World of Warcraft: Classic at the same time to unlock. It is thus intended to be a detailed replica of the former patch of the waveform. To do this, the content was divided into six phases:

  • Phase 1 (Release of WoW Classic): The Molten core, Onyxia, and Maraudon
  • Phase 2: Dire Maul, Again (World Boss), Kazzak (World Boss)
  • Phase 3: BlackWing Lair, Darkmoon Faire, Darkmoon Cards
  • Phase 4: Zul’gurub, Green Dragons (World Bosses)
  • Phase 5: Start of the Ahn’qiraj opening event, depending on the progress of the Raids of AQ unlocked, loot from Dungeons is adapted: T0,5 gear from Dungeons, relics, Changes to loot rates and locations.
  • Phase 6: Naxxramas, The Scourge Invasions

So far, there is still no information, at what intervals, the individual phases will make it to the Server. Already now there are first a lot of Hardcore players have killed Ragnaros and Onyxia. However, for the majority of the players in the way it is currently is definitely the goal and Level 60 still in the distance!

CONCLUSION

In World of Warcraft: Classic I feel since many years back as a small, insignificant adventurer. I’m not the mighty Titanentöterin, but to help the common people, and it gives me an amazing amount of fun. I enjoy it very much, with the players around me, intensely interact, and the world by foot to explore is really huge. I had to admit quite frequently that the numerous RPG elements I missed in the current Addon easy. At the same time but there were also some frustrating moments – be it due to Bugs, or quest texts, which clearly showed where you should actually run.

All in all, however, I am really excited, and you will find me in the next time very much in the old Azeroth. Every Fan of the world of the art of war should be Classic , at least a small visit to the feel of the game world to experience. It feels like coming home – home in the old world, in the Classicnovices but is different in many ways.

The future will show in which direction the World of Warcraft Franchise in General will develop. Will be a future Addon or two plus points from World of Warcraft: Classic and back to the roots of the story go back? Or is Blizzard reinforced this, two really very different versions of the game to use, so as many players as possible to address? I’m curious to see which way the developers will go, what decisions are made here. Until then, I await eagerly the Blizzcon 2019.

What is World of Warcraft: Classic is? The old Azeroth, from the year 2004, returns to the place where, at the time, the whole World of Warcraft started.
Platforms: PC
Tested: on PC, Intel Core i7-2600K, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 1080
Developer / Publisher: Activision Blizzard / Activision Blizzard
Release: 27. August 2019
Link: Official Website