so I have landed on a starting zone and okay there is this ability and what does the next ability do and why doesn’t the game teach me what any other button does
has way more buttons
way more stats to look at and it will be more confusing
no quest tracker on the maps and it will make it even harder to locate and to find the objectives
talent tree is more confusing than retail
no automatic group finder I guess I am not doing dungeons then
I have to find people to do certain quest? Then I won’t be playing then
I have to talk to someone to get things done well I thought I can play solo I guess I can quit classic
what no adventure guide? I guess i have to do extra work to find out what this boss does
what no accountwide progress
okay I have spend resources for my class abilities well I guess I have to micro manage
Retail : (new player takes)
starting intro that teaches you the basic rules nice
a starter dungeon that will teach you about mechanics and that I need to move or stop casting when told
easier to read talent trees and not complicated as classic
have adventure guide that will tell new player what that boss does
in retail there is a dungeon finder compared to classic it doesn’t
lesser abilities to worry about compare to classic where they have loads of abilities to read and how to manage
stats much more streamlined and less complicated to read
followers dungeons? Oh, I can solo with AI nice
quest marker on the map makes lives easier compared to classic where you have to find the objectives yourselves
oh hey warband is accountwide everything (almost everything)
visuals in fight is clearer than say in classic
visuals on character and environment more up to date and modern looking
retail more equipped with quality of life features versus classic where they don’t have any.
earn abilities automatically no need for spending resources
My conclusion to this is retail is far more equipped for new players than say classic.
When people say easy they are talking about difficulty of mechanics in group content, not how confusing the game is at a glance to a new player.
Classic raid bosses have less mechanics happening than a single trash pull in a retail dungeon. At least the earlier expansion versions of Classic. As they keep moving classic to new expansions that obviously changes.
Considering looking at the bullet points OP listed, it’s no joke. End game might be different, but getting to that point? It’s tougher in classic. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a mage use sheep, rogue sap, lock fear. Why are y’all only aiming at end game? Did an addon tell you to only focus on that?
Hard disagree, I think Classic is waaay easier. Even if you have a lot of abilities you won’t be using most of them. Boss encounters are not overdesigned. The progression paths are straightforward. What order you do things in is obvious.
Retail also has giant, super quick rotations that are hard to understand and exhausting to keep up with. Vanilla didn’t have that problem.
It’s really a matter of which style of gameplay you prefer. But I wouldn’t call Retail easier across the board, especially when we talk about the chaotic and difficult end game.
I would say leveling is more than just longer, it’s harder. I die far more often leveling in classic than I do in retail. Dying in retail is like a strange shock because it never happens. In classic if you aren’t completely aware of your surroundings and pull an extra enemy or two, it’s all over.
Mobs are a complete joke in retail, there isn’t any difficulty in them at all.