I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun with the retail classic experience. The subscription fee has kept a lot of the 3rd worlders away, and I'm a fan of memes so I fit in with the current player base. The strange thing is that I'm not feeling a lot of 2004 nostalgia, with part of that having to do with my experience as a Kronos private server staff member. Instead, the game just feels like a better MMO experience where folks are having to jump through hoops and really earn stuff all over again.
The funny thing is, tank players are a LOT smarter now with their approach to the game. Warriors & bear druids are leveling to the upper limit of a dungeon instance, forming their own groups with level limits so they ensure an easy run, and select DPS / healing classes in a way that doesn't contest their getting the loot drops that might interest them. That, and they load up on quests and just run the instance ONCE. Or perhaps a couple of times to get that key drop they really want from Scarlet Monastery or something.
This means that DPS / healing classes that get overlooked from the tanks that form their groups are having a MUCH harder time getting into an instance in comparison to 2004-2005. I'm really curious how Blizzard will address this. It isn't bothering me since I'm leveling a Warrior and a Shaman, and the Shaman is capable of tanking content up to Mauradon if I really push it. But for everyone else, it must be sucking.
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