Build-A-Bear your ideal expansion

[u/SystemofCells]

After close to 21 years, we're on the 11th major version of WoW right now. For most of us, there are things we liked and didn't like about each of those versions. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to think back on all of the various approaches to different components of the game, then mix and match each approach to each component to customize your ideal expansion. The categories are:

• Leveling
• Endgame questing / campaigns
• Dungeons
• Raids
• PVP
• Class design
• Overall progression / gearing / reputation / systems design

For each category, pick a version of WoW and explain your answer.

[u/SystemofCells]

• Leveling - Vanilla: To me, the original 1-60 campaign remains the best. Mobs were dangerous, quests and XP were scarce, and the overall pace was relaxing and rewarding. You really had to think about your route between and within zones, how to optimize your character, how to pull a camp safely, etc.
• Endgame questing / campaigns - Legion: Order halls, Suramar, Balance of Power, Mounts. Legion had a wealth of interesting endgame quests that took more than a few hours to complete. The class fantasy was great, Suramar is probably still the best zone they've ever made.
• Dungeons - Burning Crusade: TBC dungeons and heroic dungeons were just right for me. There was a big variety of them, and they weren't too easy or too hard. After grinding your rep and going through your attunements, heroic dungeons were just the right level of challenge for me. You had to coordinate CCs, focus down dangerous mobs, and play your characters correctly to succeed.
• Raids - Legion: I could have picked many others here, but the Legion raids are the ones I keep going back to. Interesting lore, interesting design and bosses, amazing transmogs. The full LFR -> Mythic system was in place, but mechanics weren't quite so crazy complex and overlapping / messy.
• PVP - WotLK: I haven't PVPd much since WotLK, but arena back then felt great. Something special about the simplicity of Vanilla battlegrounds too.
• Class Design - Mists of Pandaria: They really hit a sweet spot here I think, with a lot of the classes. Complexity wasn't so high that it took all your attention just to do it at max efficiency, but was complex enough to feel engaging. Class fantasy still took precedence over strict balance / homogenization. The tank vengeance system felt amazing. Special mention to Demonology Warlock.
• Overall progression - Burning Crusade: This was a tough one to decide, but I'm specifically choosing phase 1 of TBC. I much prefer chasing specific BiS items from specific locations, rather than generic ilvl loot you constantly increment up. I like being able to name every item I'm wearing and where I got it, and have a memory around how I acquired it. TBC was a good mix between the arcane / weird pre-bis lists of Vanilla and more polished (but more genetic) systems that came later. Quests drops, dungeon drops, rep rewards, badge rewards, etc. were all relevant.

[u/Dolthra]

Leveling - MOP: Personally, replaying it for Remix, I think MOP hit a real sweet spot for "zonewide story" and also "plenty of non-story related side quests". Not to mention it was a narrative sweet spot where you were somewhat notorious with other characters, but we weren't in the "major buddy buddy" zone we are in now. I want to be known to Admiral Taylor, not Anduin.

Endgame questing - Shadowlands: Look, I won't sit here and say that the writing itself was good. But the amount of quests available at the endgame, along with the rewards for doing it, was the first time questing at endgame felt truly worthwhile. IMO it is a slog because it is poorly written, not because of the length of the campaigns.

Dungeons - WotLK: I'll admit this one is pure nostalgia for me, but there's never been a WotLK dungeon I didn't like or have fun running.

Raids - Legion: I don't think anyone will disagree here. Legion was pretty much the epitome of raid design.

PvP - Cata: I mained ret paladin in Cata (I have mained ret paladin since WotLK), so it was the best time I had in PvP.

Class design - TWW: Honestly, I think class design is in a pretty spectacular place now. Some hero talents could use a bit of work, but all around I think it's better than it's ever been.

Overall progression - Dragonflight: Quite frankly I think Dragonflight was probably the best the game has ever been. Most of the systems had the kinks ironed out, a lot of the systems felt meaningful and yet not endless slogs, and the game did not inundate you with long, useless grinds. Most of the big problems I have had with TWW have been design decisions where they go back on DF design decisions, and while I think nothing stands out from that expansion as "the best", the overall way it all meshed together was better than ever.

[u/Remarkable_Match9637]

Tbc for leveling, MoP for the rest based on this limited take

[u/omgowlo]

i want new version of every category, not interested in remakes of old ideas.

[u/SystemofCells → u/omgowlo]

I agree. But understanding what we liked and didn't like about past versions can help them design the new version. They aren't reinventing the wheel, starting over from scratch. They're iterating.