It is what it is. That said, isn’t Blizz lucky that the playerbase saved the game from itself?
Without the pressure valve that are the Classic versions of the game, I think the bloated complexity and layering of the retail game would have put a serious dent in the sub numbers. No way to measure it objectively, especially as newer players are both used to and enjoy that complexity. Win-win, thanks to the demand for Classic servers.
Note: I thought Classic was a silly idea when it was first floated, but when the first PTR came out I totally flipped my stance. I am exclusively playing retail again atm but keep an eye on the other versions. The main reason for that is my love of the visual aesthetics of the retail version. But that’s just me. You?
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I’m pretty sure a lot of classic is some weird group from private servers that thinks it’s superior and they’re superior for playing it. Usually all I ever hear from them.
It seems like a much smaller group that want to main it as well. Most that go initially likely leave after a bit and never come back. I mean why else would they delete TBC and Wrath servers (the two most popular expansions ever)?
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Wow OP, you’re so cool for liking classic. 
I’m just a loser that enjoys retail 
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I mean classic is probably the best way to grow wow at this point.
They can’t really innovate much with retail as that would be too big of a risk to take.
Note that this isn’t about one being better than the other, just that classic was a good decision to grow the “wow” playerbase.
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I think having both was a super great idea. I have a ton of old-school WoW friends who purely play classic.
Retail is more to my pace but I have dabbled in stuff like SoD and overall can’t help but think it was a solid move.
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Can classic players please just go play classic and stop acting superior about it?
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Having “classic” is like having access to old Atari 2600 games. It’s good to know your roots.
But to pretend a 2600 game is going to hold my attention for more than 6 minutes, when I USED to play it all day, is to ignore the fact that I played it all day…
…BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE.
With SoD, Classic now feels like a weird mid-point of the PTR and Live. And that’s fine. A good place to experiment with stuff is never a bad idea. Even if the people on Classic/SoD don’t realize they’re just unpaid test subjects. lol
But to pretend Classic is some “superior” version of Live is … I mean… to each their own.
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Is this a thinly veiled new coke versus coke classic argument?
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The best part of Classic is that it shows the “you think you do but you don’t” guy was right; #nochanges turned out to be such a joke.
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Did it, though? Only in a short-sighted way.
I would argue the point was made:
You DO want this, but only in the short term. Which is understandable, the player isn’t concerned with development costs, server upkeep, maintenance, etc.
You DON’T want this in the long-term… because it’s just not that fun. And when it’s not fun, you can just walk away. But WE’RE still stuck with: server upkeep, maintenance, etc, etc.
But I admit, that more salient point isn’t as meme worthy. 
Said another way: All BLIZZARD cares about is LONG TERM. All the PLAYERS care about is SHORT TERM.
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But since it’s LONG TERM I guess we’ll change things up and alter the game to make you want to play it more.
You mean Classic? Yeah… see my comment about how I feel things like SoD are just a sort of “testing mid-point” between the PTR and Live.
If you do something like SoD on the PTR, there is an expectation that it will eventually go to Live.
If you do it on Classic… it’s just “having a bit of fun.” It’s a win-win for Blizzard. They can try something new, something crazy, something that would otherwise be HATED by the players … and if they DO hate it… meh, it’s Classic, no harm no foul.
But if they LOVE IT, in a manner that SoD is being accepted … I would expect to see these dynamics make it to Live in SOME form or fashion.
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I’m happy for them, but I have zero desire to replay an older version of the game I played. Unlike them I was never super duper into the game. I don’t have every mount, transmog item, patch note, boss name and mechanics, and npc names memorized. It’s just literally a game to me and I’d rather have the cutting edge state of the art version over the oldest.
Wrath was fun back in the day and so was leveling through old classic zones back then during it, but I was there and did that. It was a VASTLY different experience compared to today. People weren’t some super tryhard crowd in every single way imaginable on even just PVE servers. The endgame raiding crowd was a bit elitist and worst probably though.
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The argument against that is: retail IS NOT “cutting edge, state of the art.” It’s just … different.
Some people don’t like what’s different about it. They ACTUALLY prefer how Classic plays. You and I … we agree… I can’t BEGIN to imagine that, but it’s true, so let them have it. Doesn’t bother me.
The ONLY drawback to Classic has been recently when Blizzard has introduced rewards that ONLY exist in Classic. THAT is stupid and shouldn’t be a thing.
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Yeah I can see Classic is a mishmash of new server tech capabilities that didn’t exist during classic and it’s built with the newer engine and UI on the backend. Basically Classic is Classic Remastered or whatever due to the improvements to it that didn’t exist in the past.
But to say it only plays different is just wrong. I mean it has vastly more modern talent design, pvp design, class design, and world content design, and quest design compared to the past all utilizing the latest tech. Or at least the latest tech they can use considering the limitations of War Withins min requirements which I think were raised from DF.
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What I said was that “Retail isn’t cutting edge.” It’s not “state of the art.”
The things that make Retail “better” are subjective and it’s why some prefer Classic.
That’s different than some luddite just being stubborn and saying “I don’t like the new thing!111 Just gimme the old thing I’m used to!11”
Even something like Meeting Stones, which I would think EVERYONE would agree is a monumental step forward … some don’t.
Retail is more like “with lots of QoL things.” But “cutting edge?” No.
edit: kind of just arguing semantics here, which I find dull so… I’m done here. Thanks for the chat. +cheers+
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The tech in Retail is much more current for the game and how it works even just questing with scenarios and cutscenes and quest design. It isn’t state of the art by modern gaming standards, but by WoW standards it is the most current version of the game. It’s pushing the tech and features of the game in some way or shape that can alter WoW entirely and/or change the game in various ways.
But yeah np thanks for the chatterino
Why people keep on complaining about more content when they understand by know the opposite of that is even worse and they hate it as well?
Side Eyes Warlords of Draenor 
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Have you played classic tho ? Its full of bots, its basically a modern free version of wow
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