Not going to explain too much why, we all know why. Cataclysm was the beginning of the end and repeating that folly would only fracture the community again and unless a new retail expansion was released that somehow re-mesmerized the currently disillusioned playerbase, another fork would only make the road not worth travelling.
Do this instead:
The idea of Classic Plus seems huge, so I will only suggest the biggest parts that will make the most difference.
Firstly I’d like to establish that Heirloom Gear is THE BEST solution to the leveling problem, to the degree where it makes solo leveling boring, so it demands more challenge and rewards for groups, which makes sense since alts are just trying to level up and join the endgame fray. Right now the only challenge is to just have 3 players in heirlooms run 5 man dungeons till 60 which is definitely viable and efficient, we just need to add some more challenges to make those 3 man teams need a bit more utility to focus on achieving more out of any given dungeon whilst leveling. One thing I’d suggest but understand if it’s not viable would be to make all pre-noncurrent expansion raid gear be turned into heirloom gear that level caps at the expansion its from (example: Bulwark of Azinoth can be looted, brought to an Heirloom Vendor, Curated, and be turned into a lvl 1-70 heirloom.)
To add on…
-Less, fuller realms with free faction changes to the non-dominant faction for pvp servers.
-More dungeon features, including Tank and Healer bots for 1-60 dungeons (for standard full runs), daily challenge achievement quests (where the bots wouldn’t be as viable), and “Cursed” runs where mobs level is based on the highest level in the party, perform random abilities more frequently and have a higher chance of dropping BoE epics.
-Talent features like confirm to spend, better hybrid options that allow for riskier, resource intensive builds instead of focusing on sustainability and single-rotation empowerment, and better actives that force players to weigh the choice between a hybrid spec or commit to a single tree. Raid groups shouldnt be asking what spec a DPS class is when they have multiple choices, they should be asking what utility you bring aside from raw damage. At least make it more confusing for raid leaders so they give up on trying to gatekeep players based on class/spec.
-Faction Features such as a World Buff interface panel that alerts players when a world buff will be available for their faction, and a leaderboard for which players/guilds have performed them;
-Just do more with caverns of time. CoT should be the place where, no matter the expasion, players lvl 40+ can find something worthwhile to do.
Here’s a list of things to stay away from:
-Sacrificing class identity for class diversity. The big 4 classes, Warrior, Priest, Mage, and Rogue are the base classes for the base roles: tank, healer, ranged dps, melee dps. Every other class should be some sort of hybrid that can allow for more utility, including pvp meta-shifting mechanics. The Big 4 should be feared for doing the biggest numbers on their own, the other classes should be respected for how they disrupt that monopoly, or empower it against overwhelming odds.
-Trying to balance PvP and PvE seperately. If you want a competitive PvP environment, it doesnt have to exist in a vacuum, it can be counterbalanced with gear options. You can have imbalance in your classes as long as you allow for gear to close those gaps to the point of countering your counters (example: Warlocks are countered by Hunters, but warlocks can buy gear that reduces physical damage and increases healing, and Hunters can’t build healing-reduction or armor piercing gear. Warriors are countered by Mages, but Warriors can buy debuff-duration-reduction and cooldown-reduction gear, and mages can’t buy movement speed or cooldown reduction gear). It’s very hard to explain this without a motherloving thesis paper, but as a rule of thumb, the classes should feel fun and powerful, and the gear of their opponent should make them feel less so.
-Letting old content not be relevant. Hire more writers/devs if you must, but every dungeons should have a heroic version like Deadmines in Cataclysm (literally the only good thing i remember from Cata).
I know this post will find its way into the nether, but if youre going to disagree, try to have a triple-digit IQ about it.
