When did Stormwind become the capital city that most people base in?

[Ragefist-stalagg]

All the capitals already had the AH patch in Classic though no? I remember seeing the AH in Thunderbluff the other day and there DEFINITELY was not an AH there when I first started playing a cow warrior back in 2004.

[Brewnor-kirtonos]

I rarely visit SW, but could see why people in their mid to late 20’s do, stockade spamming seems to be a valid leveling strategy.

I think IF will win out in the end.

Not just stockade runs but for me personally it’s been closest to my leveling zones for the 16-25 range. I did Darkshore for levels 10-16 but have been in Westfall, Red Ridge and Duskwood ever since. Once I finish up my Duskwood quest lines I’m gonna pop over to wetlands and see myself sticking around IF when I need to hit up a main city. SW looks great but is annoying as hell to navigate with the bridges and stuff, IF is much easier to get around and I love the main area. I’m also a Dwarf so I’m a bit biased.

It’s funny because I stopped playing vanilla around 2006 so I didn’t see the migration towards SW, IF was always the main city to be when you were looking for level 60 dungeons and stuff.

I personally can’t wait for a few months when you have the huge crowds of lvl 60 people hanging out in IF.

[Awenn-remulos]

The point is it’s not further. Are you even reading at this point?

Also, IF is significantly closer to Menethil Harbour.

[Smartdeath-stalagg]

Just keep crab walking.

[Melaneth-dalaran]

IF is the far better city. It is positioned better for faster travel to the big raids and since it is a circle it is far quicker to navigate.

Stormwind became the place everyone hung out in with Cataclysm.

That’s because they added everything to SW and the other cities got nothing and were left to go to pot.

All I’m saying is that Exodar and Silvermoon are STILL stuck in the Burning Crusade.

[Djdave-sulfuras]

Everyone is stating the old AH for Ironforge but its mostly due to it being closer to Menethil Habour and the raids.

[Lovefool-alterac-mountains (Lovefool)]

All I’m saying is that Exodar and Silvermoon are STILL stuck in the Burning Crusade.

They needed to yank those out of the instances they are in and bring them into the world as soon as they made the base game everything + all the expansions up to but not including the most recent one.

They aren’t going to because they are lazy and it will be a lot of work.

[Oniana-lightnings-blade (Oniana)]

Terrible idea. Teldrassil is great for questing and so is darkshore. It’s not until ashenvale that I head over to the human side.

[Fasciae-fairbanks]

Yeah where’s your meat vendor, Stormwind?

Real men don’t use meat focused pets…

'Cuz real men don’t play Hunter

[Kyrieth-deviate-delight]

I didn’t realize until recently how awesome Darkshore is for questing…my husband and I are now questing all our characters there. (7 between the two of us!)

[Dawndew-grobbulus]

Ironforge is the official capitol of the alliance in vanilla. That certainly affects people’s choices as to where to be.

Second of all, IF is close to a lot lot late game content than SW. close to IF we have BRD, BRS, MC and later even BWL. Because of this, many people would pick IF as their main place of residence.

[Reyoko-pagle]

IF was popular because it was the only alliance city with an AH. This is the only reason.

Once Stormwind got an AH and people started to leave after TBC, the new blood stuck with SW.

[Furioustyle-stormrage]

De rrtrme. mmtt frfr
Tf I er try ecenc

[Barabbas-grobbulus]

I went to Stormwind when it got an auction house. Ironforge is a terrible city.

What you talking about, Willis?!?

[Awenn-remulos]

IF is the city those who know use. You can have your angsty packed SW with its convoluted design, cramped alleyways, and weirdly tucked away services. The quiet elites will be relaxing in the open clarity of IF, buying meat whenever they need it, and getting to raids 5 mins before you.

And dwarves.

[Huggs-pagle]

On Pagle where Alliance is practically the entire server, I ended up having to go to Darkshore to level in the teens. I’ve been parked there for a while and remember why Darnassus is hated. Without a mount, it just feels like everything is so far apart. Running back and forth between AH and mailbox/Bank is a chore. IF is fine.

[Huggs-pagle]

To me, the open area between IF Bank and AH is where the peacock strutting goes. You go there to inspect and be inspected. It’s where business is done. Need Crusader enchant? IF. It was the center of the Ally world.

[Nix-remulos]

I always based out of Undercity.

/shudder
Masochist.

Nah. It is a nice, simple layout, with an auction house available wherever you go, and everything on the wheel. You have to actively work to get lost in Undercity.

I’m impressed with your navigational skills. I’ve never been able to not get lost in UC. In fact most of my time spent there is just trying to find my way out again ;p

I enjoy the bright, sunlit streets of SW but I’m finding myself in IF more often than not for practicality reasons since I’m currently questing in that neck of the woods.
One thing I will say is how nice it is to hardly ever be in a city at all. Feels like I spent all of wrath sitting around SW and Dal whereas in classic I’m only popping into IF once in a blue moon to get new spells/profession skills.

[Agerth-atiesh]

I’m impressed with your navigational skills. I’ve never been able to not get lost in UC. In fact most of my time spent there is just trying to find my way out again ;p

In vanilla, I was never able to level a Horde, because sooner or later I had to go to UC, and that was pretty much that.

[Caelle-pagle]

It will switch to IF once the masses start getting to WPL and EPL as well as needibg to go to Kalimdor. Its closer to the 5 mans, close to the raids, closer to Menethil.

Also once you get your mount IF is just easier to navigate. Portal > 2-3 steps > mount> straight shot to everything you need. No navigating canals or that stupid tower.