WoTLK was one of my favorites. I’m in the minority group that was disappointed when they added things like paid name changes and paid transfers. There was a time when you knew the good-and-bad players and their investment into their character meant there was a bit of accountability behind them. Paid name changes and paid transfers were the beginning of chipping away at community in my opinion. RDF being added at ICC changed the realm I was playing on swiftly. While all the paid features still exist, I’m pleased Blizzard isn’t adding RDF.
I wasn’t aware of the controversy around RDF or the debates about “changes” vs “nochanges”, etc. The history of why the game exists in its current form isn’t terribly important to me. I personally like what has been released. It’s been really fun. I hope the numbers prove that Blizz is making the correct decision related to RDF and I hope they keep the game in the current form. The tiny frictions in the original game were part of the experience (like building groups, running to instances, etc). We came back to a fresh realm and getting groups together takes minutes. It’s been a very positive experience.
I say thank you for giving us an opportunity to experience the game again without all the creature comforts of retail. We’re having a great time!