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There's A Whole World (of Warcraft) Out There!

Inside MaraudonWhile spending my days gearing a level 80 toon, it is pretty easy to get a bit of tunnel vision. Some days it feels like my whole world consists of the inside of Naxxramas, The Obsidian Sanctum, and the walls of Dalaran. It is very easy to take for granted the enormous amount of content that Blizzard has already created. It is largely ignored because it is not all geared towards players at the level cap.

I really started to appreciate this recently as I have been helping a friend earn her Classic Dungeonmaster achievement. While I had done all these dungeons before, for some of them it had been a long, long time. This is especially true of the instances that are more accessible to horde, or were simply so long or difficult the first time around I had little desire to go back.

Given, there is no longer any challenge in these instances, I can take a step back and enjoy them from an aesthetic or even design perspective. Blizzard has done some really cool stuff that is all but forgotten.

Remember the temple stair event in Zul'Farak? The giant waterfall in Maraudon? Or tracking down the Archmage in Shadowfang Keep? Neither did I.

Furthermore, taking the time to go back and check out these instances really gives you the opportunity to witness the evolution of Blizzard's game design. “They sure don’t build 'em like they used to.” Now if this is a good or bad thing is debatable, but the way instances flow is very different now.

Instances seem much more linear, you really don’t get lost in them very often, and I’ll tell you, I got lost in Dire Maul. The events in instances also seem to flow differently. You don’t see things like the druid event in Wailing Caverns very often anymore. Given, I hate the druid event in Wailing Caverns, but it is interesting to see the path that Blizzard has ultimately chosen.

What do you guys think? Are there any old instances that hold a special place in your heart? Or are you more content with the way things are now? I’d like to hear your thoughts on the old world. And if you haven’t seen all these places, go check them out! There’s even an achievement in it for you.

Reader Comments (39)

Yep pretty bad most of the old content is ignored nowadays...even though some do it for the ach points...oh well...guess that's good enough

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAggroLord

Molten Core, ZF, and a few others are still my favorites.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterRonaldinho

I like seeing the old dungeons now and then, would like to see a heroic MC or something ( 10man MC sounds good to me etc )

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterBarrager ( Area 52 )

Zul Farak best instance ever. I would love to see it remade for lvl 80. The stairs event is the best event . (i think i made it from lvl 40 to level 50 like 20 times)

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHimi

I still have nightmares about healing MC runs.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterjenjen

thats what i hated about old instances is that you could get lost in them soooo easy like Sunken Temple for example i hate that place soooo much

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterMicah

Maraudon and ZF might just be the two greatest instances ever.
i think blizzard should give all the low level instances a heroic mode.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSmalls

I really loved the warlock mount quest in DM. Although i did it during tbc and it was a nightmare getting a group it was a fun experience. Although i doubt i would ever want to go back.

Karazhan will remain my favourite instance for a long time. It felt like it really had depth and i really enjoyed exploring from time to time, even if it did result in a wipe from exploring medivhs quarters ^.^

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterKyle Harrison

I really like doing Razorfen Downs. And DM. And RFC. And WC.

Really, I like most of the pre-tbc instances, I regularly boost random people outside them just for the kicks and funsies of running it again, aggroing everything within a 10 mile radius, and raining volley down.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSean

ZF even compared to raid best off all time imo

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSno

one of my old favorites was Shadowfang keep. being a lock the first time around i was confused as to why some of "those dog looking thinks" were immune to everything but my immolate.and when
Arugal kept blinking around the room it was fun watching the melee have to run over and find him again.
Now its lost its touch taking me 5 min to finish it but its still my favorite.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJV

SFK for life! Maybe it is just because my favorite toons were cloth users, but I would do that instance as many times as I could. That and DM/VC when my mage was high enough I was giving free runs, I liked it so much. I still haven't gotten that dang cat off of Cookie though.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHalcath

Even though its not Vanilla content, Kara has got to be my all time favorite instance. The music, the whole place just had an awesome atmosphere.

As to "noob Vanilla content"....I'd have to say Deadmines, Razorfen Downs.
And even though I never ran this instance or liked it much, I just have to mention BRD, it's just so huge and epic n stuff.

Never got to do MC, BWL or most of the other Vanilla raids, I would definately vote for heroic mode of all dungeons.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterBobCharabini

SFK is awesome :) i've recently been making small instance teams with the goal of lvling up from 1 to 80 through instances... we failed, but it still gave me a chance to experience some of the lower lvl instances as RFC, SFK, WC and the likes :) it was much more enjoyable to do instances at lower lvls.
At higher lvls it's something you do because you have to, to get gear so you can join your guild in that naxxramas run. You dont do them because you want to anymore, which is a shame.. always liked instances :)

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterGerandor

.....Gnomeregan.... -_-"

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterLarna

Those Zul'Farrack stairs were great before they got nerfed and you barely stood a chance. Anyone else remember that far back?

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterStarets Sayas

The way things are now make more instances more accessible to more people. This can be good. However, I will always remember the 30 minutes I have spent riding around ZF trying to find the ext. Also, downing Gahz'rilla for the first time was really fun because it was the first time I had tanked an instance.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHerofTime

Freakin' Ulda man. It's just pure love for me anyway

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteryhyl

MC is the real deal, you can see the effort blizzard put into mc. I dont think one instance come close. The way Rags emerges is fantastic, the only thing on par is the way Saph rises from his bones. Its a shame the "newbies" will never go through the frustration and enjoyment of getting a 40 man together and the teamwork that is needed.

MC is best!!

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterCyo

The Deadmines or "Van" as I remember it from years back in Westfall (I've been horde the better part of two years now, but started out as an alliance paly to 70) was by far my favorite instance.

The scope of that place just seemed awesome and as it was the first instance I ever ran in WoW back in 2004; with pirates, goblins and ghostly spectars.... Walking into that huge cavern toward the end with the ship parked inside.... Using the cannon to blow open the doorway to the caves. I just loved the VC run.

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAramathis

I personally love Deadmines and Zul'Farrak. I will never forget seeing that ship, or the stair event for the first time. So, so epic...

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterPercolatte

my favorite vanilla wow instance would have to be deadmines, because as a lvl 80 death knight, i cant help but smile when fighting a hundred pirates that cant put a dent in my health :)

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterchurchill

Heroic Deadmines raid anyone? :)

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterPatrickD

started playing have way into tbc, dint get todo classic dungeons/raids pretty much lvled to 70 as fast as i could..
doing them now though at 80, some of the art work is amazing aq40 is so pretty , so im in the middle of the septer q line now...not so pretty.great lore bud all that flying by flight paths n walking, not mentioning the mats u need respect for those who did that at 60

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterTroter

i havent experienced much of the the vanila content until higher levels so i guass i never got to injoy running SFK or WC i have bad momories of my first time of VC it was a nightmare finding a group for ZF the stair event was realy fun if your low level not that much fun one shoting all of them on my mage never done DM but i ran Maraudon numorous times for geared and world events aand i failed to see he amusement of it ghomeragon i dont realy renember it to well but one thing i will never forget the hell i went though in it i never done kara or any of the BC raids uldaman is so boring i guass if you done as much as i have the magic just fades the dungeon that iam gointo renemebr is stocks not that thier anything so special about it i jsut done so much i go thier to level to get gear mats at one point to test out my power to level up my wapon skills you name it i done some vanila raiding at 70 and 80 beat both at 70 and 80 ZG AQ just went though the motion wasnt that much fun but it was intresting to see the great AQ whats in it see what the 60s had to fase and to know a bit more about the vanilla raids

February 25, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterelion

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