Is it worth playing into WoW Cataclysm Classic?
Thu, 06. Jun 24
When?
Date: Thursday, 06. June 2024
Time: 12 o'clock
Where?
Location: United States
Street: None
Zip and city: LA
Info
Have you ever had that feeling: flipping through cable channels or an endless Netflix menu only to wonder if none of them impress you? I've had that feeling recently while playing World of Warcraft. We've never had so many versions of a game, but none of them are what I want in this MMO.
Narrowing the choices down to the "Classic" side of the equation, I've grown tired of the original and all of its variants (including Season of Discovery). Yet, every time I turn my attention back to regular WoW Classic, the specter of the impending future makes me really stop and think - and that's what I want to talk about today, because maybe you're in the same boat.
So, that's the situation with regular WoW Classic. Wrath Classic is in a great spot thanks to the inherent qualities of WoW's second expansion. We have a solid build of the game with a ton of content and a lot of welcome quality of life features. For me, this version is more satisfying than the original, and it's not twisted to the point of replacing the feel of Classic with a modern design.
But Wrath of the Lich King is over, and in a few weeks, we'll be entering the beta and pre-patch of Cataclysm, whether we like it or not.
This is where Blizzard went wrong. I understand why the studio wanted to move forward with a third expansion. It's not something I would do, but I get it. The problem is that the studio didn't give us any choice as to whether we wanted to stay in the Wrath of the Lich King era. We either let it slide, quit the game, or head to Classic or retail.
I know it would be another server to juggle, but creating a world capped at Wrath of the Lich King removes the "Cataclysm dilemma." Despite bold claims to the contrary from last year's BlizzCon, I think Blizzard is well aware that many Classic and WoW players don't like Cataclysm and won't be rushing into it unless they have to.
I really wish a time traveler would come back from a few years to tell us what the studio is doing with WoW Classic as a whole, because I don't think Blizzard has any ideas right now. It shows all the signs of throwing stuff against the wall and hoping something works. Buy WoW Cata Gold if you need.
On a personal level, the question every Classic player has to answer is whether Cataclysm is worth revisiting. Even if you hold a grudge against the expansion, it's hard to part ways with characters and guilds that may provide a strong attachment. You've been playing a character for years, maybe since 2019, and you don't want the journey to end—even if it's about to enter no man's land.
I've heard more than one player reassure me that Cataclysm is a stepping stone toward Mists of Pandaria Classic, and that will make the temporary pain worth it. I guess in that respect, we do have a glimpse of the future. Hopefully, there will be a better expansion in a year or two, and it might be acceptable to drink some Cataclysm medicine now.
I have a shaman with three zones in Wrath of the Lich King, and I find her gameplay fascinating, and the current expansion just meets the requirements of old-school WoW, which makes me satisfied. It's just difficult—if not impossible—to look ahead and think about the future, especially when I've invested so much time in this character.
Maybe it's really just about the journey, nothing more. After all, there's little you can take away between expansions in this game, other than cosmetics, mounts, and pets.
Another consideration is that retail stores will release brand new expansions later this year, at a time when Cata Classic players may be losing steam and looking for entertainment alternatives. The promise of unexplored countries is enticing.
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Written by Gladney.
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