I quit WoW a long time ago for Guild Wars 2 and subsequently forgot my old account details, I figured since both Dragonflight AND Wrath was coming out i’d start over fresh again but i’m kinda confused as to what to play.
I currently have two kids, single Dad but I got my kids in on WoW too so we’re a package deal. I’d like a community that’s inclusive of kids and is a safe space for them.
I also am getting quite old and don’t really like super fast gameplay, although my kids def. do love it so maybe something that caters to both of our speeds?
With that being said, what would you guys recommend? Should I go into Classic or Retail?
You can actually log into retail.
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Ah sorry confused by your comment, is Classic no longer available?
overall it’s better to not play online games. Get your kids, hike a mountain, get bikes.
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both are good entertainment, just don’t nolife them
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One of my kiddos loves outdoors activities but my younger one has some mental disabilities where she can’t go outside as much to play like her older brother, so she found her place on online games. I figured MMOs were going to be fun social thing, so we’re playing with her to give her company.
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Stick with Retail then.
If you really want to check out Classic, I’d do that on your own when the kids are doing something else.
Retail will be a much easier experience for your kids.
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Ok I will consider Retail then, thank you.
One of my issues with Retail that I forgot to mention was the box price, I have to pay for all of our subs but also purchase them the newest expansion I think which can be pretty hefty financially which is why I was leaning a little bit more to Classic.
Is there a reason why Classic would not be good for kids?
Pretty sure if you have already played WoW and purchased any expansion in the past they will give you Shadowlands for free right now.
If not, you can at least play everything up to Shadowlands with just a subscription fee.
Retail has a lot more QOL options and you mentioned one of your kids is disabled. I don’t know what disability they have, but Retail is a better option for people with disabilities because of the way it plays and includes some disability options.
Classic Wrath isn’t hard per se, but they’ve made the game more accessible for everyone, and kids will have an easier time with the classes because there’s less complexity and more ability to just “plug and play”.
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Best way I can describe between the two for me is, I don’t feel powerful in retail, I just feel like everyone else, In Classic I feel the hits when I chonk on something.
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Tough call! They both have a lot to offer. I hadn’t played Retail for a few years, then hopped into it a couple of months ago, while waiting on WotLK Classic.
I’d say there’s a lot going on in Retail. It feels faster-paced, with more going on on-screen (cast animations, etc.). There are a lot of tools that make group forming quite fast, and there’s even cross-realm and cross-faction grouping for instanced content.
There is also more types of content in Retail, for solo, casual, hardcore, whatever type of player.
I’m not into lore, but it does feel like there’s a lack of continuity in experience of leveling and gearing for end-game.
The Classic series feels a lot slower. Leveling takes quite a while, and there are fewer convenience features. If you’re not trying, you might not have enough gold at level to purchase mounts/skills as you level up, etc.
It’s also content that isn’t new, so there’s some familiarity and nostalgia for those who played it before.
I feel like Retail is more family friendly, but maybe that’s because the guilds I’ve checked out in Retail were mostly very friendly and respectful, and one even had a bunch of parents and kids.
Classic (this is totally just my opinion) seems more like it caters to edgy old dudes who want to talk politics, spam lfg with social-contract breaking topics and words, and just communicate in ways that were generally more acceptable when WotLK wasn’t Classic.
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This falls into the realm of personal choice, but both have their compelling aspects depending on what you like to do with your time.
I tend to boil it down like this…
- If you like challenging dungeon/raid mechanics in extremely well designed environments where all classes/specs are viable (just not optimal), play retail.
- If you like a more traditional RPG experience where choice matters and you don’t zoom through everything, play Classic.
Retail also has a plethora of side/mini games if that’s your jam. There’s pet/mount/transmog collection, pet battles, and mission tables. Probably a lot more that I’m not thinking of, but I consider those outside the core gameplay experience.
I would recommend trying both if you’re on the fence, or you might well find yourself playing both for different reasons 
*Edit: For the full experience, you might also want to check out Classic Era. Maybe do a bit of research before you do though. I know there’s still a reasonably populated realm cluster, I’m just not sure what it is. You’ll find way more people in Classic WotLK, but Classic Era is definitely it’s own experience!
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classic was slightly better in tbc.
classic is way better in wrath.
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These are very good suggestions and thoughts on the matter, thank you all so much! I have to excuse myself to get some work done, but I will continue to read this post as the day goes on.
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Oh, I added a note above regarding Classic Era. You might also want to explore that
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Neither tbc nor wrath are Classic WoW. They are simply retail’s first and second expansions.
actually, what you mean is “Neither tbc nor wrath are what I want Classic WoW to mean”
Blizzard’s classic wow means world of warcraft but with the original wow game style and feel.
You can’t dispute that, because its literally live for you to play and see now.
Also, who cares what they name it lol.
Your reply implies you care. Tbc soon-to-be Wrath are just retail progression realms.
Please, seek help. All you’re doing is confusing people.
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