Talking about “adventure” is just nostalgia at best, or being a noob at worst.
No two ways around it.
Wistfully describing games in such a way is just not being realistic.
There is no magic to recapture.
You outgrew that feeling and there is no bringing it back.
There are things they can and will learn from Classic, but ironically, many of the hottest topics around here are because of things they have already been adjusting to make more like classic.
Flying.
Leveling slower.
Combat pacing / GCD changes.
More time consuming PVE content.
Threat reduction.
and almost ironically, Class “balance.”
I can’t help but laugh when people attempt to say class design and balance are poor in live wow, but then praise Classic.
In the end, that “adventure” was there because you didn’t know what to expect.
You will not feel that way after playing through it for years on end. Not in live, and not in Classic.
It may feel recaptured, but its just the wistful emotions that you have tied to the past.
Level 6 toons to 60 in a row and tell me if your still feeling that after the 6th one.
Anyway, tldr
yes they should make the game and its world attempt to be as integral as possible, but you are accurate in your opening analogy about water.
Too much of it dilutes just about everything, but trying to distill out that pure enjoyment is just too subjective to justify peeling off layer after layer in a game this old.
Maybe the best thing they can do is make a WoW 2, but really, the best thing anyone can be do is be realistic about what this game and what Classic is.