After years of on and off playing, I have finally decided to leave World of Warcraft (WoW) behind. This is mostly due to the controversy surrounding Activision Blizzard, but honestly, it feels just like the kick I needed. WoW Classic and Retail WoW are vastly different. Right now, WoW Classic is in a good spot. The Burning Crusade was the best expansion of the game’s history. At release, I sunk countless hours into it. It took me back to a time when I truly loved the game. I joined a new guild, made new friends, and completed so many dungeons I had lost count.
I never finished “Vanilla WoW” —World of Warcraft before the split into WoW Classic and Retail WoW. Therefore, I never experienced any of the endgame content. However, it does feel different playing WoW Classic in the age of information. When I was younger, the game felt different. People weren’t as competent as they are now, and information wasn’t available with the click of a button. Regardless, this didn’t take away the fun, and in some circumstances, it improved the experience.
I raided the phase 1 content as a survival hunter. This relies heavily on crit to expose weakness, buffing attack power to anyone attacking that same target. When I first played as a survival hunter, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but no one understood how good it was. Fortunately, it was awesome playing it for the second time with accessible help.
Classic Wow is my preferred experience. The main reason why I quit was due to overall time concerns. The game requires you to pump countless hours into it in order for you to stay relevant.
Thoughts on Retail WoW
Retail Wow has never appealed to me quite like WoW Classic. I could never get into the raiding aspect, and instead, play the game for the story and collect the Transmogrification.
Recently, the story has been great. I enjoy the weekly story unlocks as it keeps the narrative going. Previously, I struggled to play Retail WoW. A patch would come out and I would smash out the story, only to be left twiddling my thumbs for new content to arrive. I’d constantly lose interest in the game and always struggled to get back into it. Hopefully, with the new system, it could prolong the game’s life as people will find the game more consistent.
I probably would have continued playing the story if it weren’t for the controversy plaguing Activision Blizzard. This left me with a sour taste, and honestly, it has been a relief. I feel free of the MMO prison. When I play an MMO, I always feel obligated to play like I need to keep up. As if I am falling behind if I’m not playing every second of the day. It feels like a breath of fresh air to try something different.
For now, I have no plans to return to World of Warcraft. I still watch youtube videos to keep up to date with the retail WoW story, and I still keep in contact with everyone I played with. One day, I might return. However, it feels nice to close this chapter in my gaming life.