Classic vs. Current - A Reflection

Hey all. It's Silvite Soltis back again. And today I want to talk a little bit about why I prefer Classic World of Warcraft to the current game, as well as explain why I've been playing Final Fantasy XIV while waiting for WoW Classic's release.

As you know if you read my first post, I've been playing World of Warcraft since the summer of 2005, just after Warsong Gulch and Alterac Valley were introduced into the game. Back then, the game was such an adventure, and playing on my friend's account at the time, it took a LONG time for me to get to level cap. Eventually, he got a 2nd account, transferred my priest using a new inter-account transfer service, then gave me the account, allowing me to finally reach level 60 about a year later.

Exploring with Friends, 2006

My adventures in Azeroth took ages. Every dungeon was an adventure. Every quest, epic. And every trip exploring the world, a journey. From the beginning through BC and WotLK, I felt a real sense of achievement whenever I killed a boss, finished a dungeon, or completed a long questline.

However, nowadays, that feeling is gone.

Overcoming Challenges as a Team, 2009

Though raiding in Legion was quite enjoyable, the current game doesn't hold the same sense of achievement that it once did. Leveling up, completing dungeons, and getting new gear is just so easy now that it just feels like a chore. I think honestly that's the reason why I haven't been able to bring myself to purchase BFA - Legion felt like a ratrace just to keep getting more and more by doing the same things again and again. And from what I've heard, Battle for Azeroth has doubled down on that.

That's why I was so excited when WoW Classic was announced no more than a month after I'd unsubscribed from the game in 2017. I'd finally be able to get that feeling of satisfaction back. My work in game would finally feel like it was being rewarded.

Sure, I won't have a ton of time to invest like I did as a teenager. And sure, it'll be harder to get decked out in gear, but I'll know what I need to get and how to get it. There will be clear goals and not just a ratrace for the highest item level. Quests will be challenging again. And I won't feel like I'm constantly spinning a roulette.

Actually, it's because of this reason that I've been enjoying Final Fantasy XIV a lot recently. Though similar in a lot of ways to Blizzard's behemoth, FFXIV utilizes a clever system to keep me interested - I can only get some items once per week, such as the chestpiece tokens (shafts) and weapon tokens (crystalloids) from Alphascape. Being the casual raider I am, it feels good to complete a raid or two every week, get the item, then come back for more the next week to try and complete the set. And when I finally got the 7 Alphascape Crystalloids this past Tuesday to get my 390 weapon, I felt accomplished - having put in the work for 7 weeks to earn that final item.

Silvite Soltis with Full Omnicron Set & Scaevan Magitek Codex, 10/2018

That combined with my ability to play around with my house in game, level up multiple jobs on the same character (thus not needing to replay content constantly), and do it all casually in my free time after my kids have slept have made FFXIV the perfect game to enjoy while waiting for WoW Classic.

Anyway, that's about all I've got for today. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on why I'm so excited for World of Warcraft: Classic and why the current game really isn't my cup of tea. Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you back here for the next installment!