Which Version?

[Barta-2755908 (Barta)]

I should preface this by saying, I’ve been playing the same roster of characters since December 2004 so I don’t really need to experience any version of the game I missed out on - I’ve played every expansion even if it was only just to the end of the main campaign/level cap. I’m not dying to play some long foregone version of the game, and I don’t have any nostalgia or preference. In fact I think Retail is the best version of WoW because I enjoy the raid and instance mechanics and their complexity, if not for the struggle of PuGs in raids and M+

That all said, which version of Classic WoW would you suggest for someone that wants to turn their brain off after a day of doing keys and Heroic raids and trying to prog Mythic raids? Like… which version has a decent population, but also a decent amount of challenge?

Personally, I think Archimonde in Mythic Hellfire Citadel was the best fight they’ve designed in the entirety of the game’s history, so…. something of that calibre but with dumbed down Vanilla style rotations and a decent population would be nice.

[Eastcoast-3013167 (Eastcoast)]

TBC anniversary

[Barta-2755908 (Barta)]

What makes you say that?

[Eastcoast-3013167 (Eastcoast)]

Larger player base(300k raiders) very easy to find dungeon groups and pug raids.

[thereisdwarf-1899786 (thereisdwarf)]

@Barohtah-wyrmrest-accord

which version of Classic WoW would you suggest for someone that wants to turn their brain off after a day

For me, it’s Classic Era.

The primary reason being, it is the only WoW flavor that doesn’t progress. Ever. Every other version is on a treadmill, and hopefully you keep up. That doesn’t help me chill or turn my brain off. That’s another job.

Era on the other hand has been just where you left it in 2021. For some, they hate that. For me, I love it. I know my progress is permanent. I don’t have any pressure to “catch up”. I can simply login, play the game, and turn my brain off while I chill with my e-friends.

I can take a year long break, and come back, and my guild is still kicking. Sometimes I can’t play for weeks, and it’s all good.

Whitemane and Mankirk are the realms on Era with the largest population if that’s what you want.

I take it one step further and have been on a realm with less than 100 people on it since 2021: Grobbulus Classic Era.

It’s made the game something unique. It’s hard in new ways. Not because the content is hard. It isn’t. It’s a chill game. But because we often are running 40 man content with 20 people. We have no AH. We have sub optimal rosters and comps. We have people come and go. It makes it challenging in a unique way, but also extremely rewarding.

The sense of community here is what makes us successful, and is why we’ve made it five years as a guild on a dead server.

If that sounds like fun to you, we’d love to have you.

But either way, I would argue Classic Era is what you’re looking for to turn off your brain, chill, and relax on WoW.

[Era] Five Years of Legacy: An invitation for heroes past, present, and future

The wind blows through the trees and stars. It moves over the snow capped peaks of Dun Morogh, down past the forests of Elwynn, past the strongholds in Stranglethorn Vale, and into the south seas. Carrying something with it. Hard to name. But you feel it in the wind. Then you see the raven. High up at first. Easy to miss if you weren’t looking. But you are. Something in your gut already told you to. You don’t move. You let it come. Your fire’s low, just coals and the occasional crack, until…

[ShinyPants-1012369 (ShinyPants)]

We are progressing probably swp will hit hard so I would say anni-tbc is not a good idea for chilling. Will be good for casual play if you pretend swp does not exist in later phases.

vanilla is chill just remember for the raiding later raids you probably will be asked to heal if you have a spec which can heal but we got dual spec now. You can probably play pretty casually up to bwl, and not worry too much.

sod is probably the best bet. Consumes are easier to get due to higher herb node spawns and potion procs. Leveling is fast with 150-153% exp gains and power boost from runes. You will have to read up on which class works the best and join a guild because pugs are not happening as much.

[Eastcoast-3013167 (Eastcoast)]

@Mirrina-ashkandi

We are progressing probably swp will hit hard

It’s going to be post nerf swp. Any casual player can get raid ready and clear SSC/tk in a pug atm. There is no way you unironically think swp “will hit hard”

[PourDecision-2418047 (PourDecision)]

@Barohtah-wyrmrest-accord

Archimonde in Mythic Hellfire Citadel

I was so conflicted over the Wardads expac. It was awful for so many reasons too numerous to cover here but the fan service to include all these big wheels in Warcraft lore was top shelf. Kinda like Shadowlands shoehorned the same to distract from its many shortfalls.

But the version of Classic that mainlines the feeling for me is Era. I’d recommend one of the big clusters should you choose to check it out - Whitemane cluster of servers for PVP or Mankrik cluster for PVE. Anniversary servers which are in TBC content atm have a bigger total pop and raiding a step closer to what you’ve expressed interest in seeing. Nightslayer realm for PVP and Dreamscythe for PVE.

My personal preference is Era - the (as close as we’re gonna get) og experience. Best of luck to you, OP. Anniversary may be progressing to Wrath so you’d have a catch up to do. Era is perma 60 cap and not going anywhere.