I think the garrison was a good idea but had implementation issues.
First, a garrison with a “fixed” location is not good, the player should have had options for where it could be placed, and these locations should have had distinct advantages.
For example, considering all of Azeroth: a garrison near Orgrimmar would have monthly quests to tame rare kodos, specific rare pets from the area, quests specific to that location, and ores that would only appear there if you have a garrison in that location.
Second, there shouldn’t have been an auction house or professions inside it, as this indeed created a distance between players. Having more neutral objectives, like the lumber mill, which turned the trees you cut down in the world into lumber for construction/improvement of the garrison, was excellent. It was also great to have a place for mount quests, pets, unique weekly quests, challenges, etc.
Expanding on the lumber mill idea, the concept of cutting down trees was good, and they could have elaborated it further: to cut trees, we would bring a goblin/gnome (not to cut the gnome, of course, not at that time). We would then cut the trees, and they would transport these trees to the base. There, we should have the option to decide which type of lumber we would have: crosscut, straight, medium, large, small, corner, slab, etc. We would also need to break rocks to have different sizes of stone blocks and flooring materials. With this, each house or upgrade would require a certain number of these resources, making it sensible to choose which materials we would have in stock based on what we would want in the garrison. This level of resource management and decision-making would add depth and strategy to the garrison feature.
Third, Every building should have at least 3 or 4 variants. For instance, if I want a bar in my garrison, but in Orcish style, there should be 3 well-stylized variations, each with different material requirements. Additionally, each building should have its upgrades, effectively creating a total of 9 variations for that single structure. This concept should be applicable regardless of the style - whether we want that building in Elvish, Goblin, Tauren style, etc. Such diversity in customization would significantly enrich the player’s engagement, allowing for a more personalized and diverse garrison experience.
Fourth, the option to encircle the garrison with wood in just one style (Horde) was underutilized. It should have VARIOUS types of arrangements, different kinds of fences, walls, barricades, etc. This would not only provide more options for customization but also add an extra layer of strategy and personal expression, allowing players to tailor the defenses and appearance of their garrison according to their individual preferences and the specific needs of their characters.
Fifth, I know I’ve mentioned this, but it’s important that we had various locations in Azeroth to set up our garrison. Like, 5 spots on each map, and each map having unique perks. However, these perks should not affect group content or content that gathers people, such as the auction house and professions. This would encourage players to explore different areas of Azeroth, making their strategic location choices more meaningful, while also ensuring that essential social and economic activities remain centralized in shared spaces to maintain a vibrant community interaction.