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Deleting Old Content: Good, Bad, and Ugly?

"I'm Ron Burgundy?" "I'm Ron Burgundy?"

One of the biggest side effects to the upcoming cataclysm is the destruction of Azeroth by Deathwing's return.  The Earth Warder - or Warderer for the overzealous, over caffeinated, under REMed writer - will return with a bang.  The leader of the Black Dragonflight will cut a hole in the world and leave a fiery trail from his exit wound across the Eastern Kingdom.  The effects of such a tumultuous event will be felt as far away as Kalimdor (no mention of major Northrend changes have been made), shattering The Barrens, ravaging the coastline of Auberdine and refreshing the Wailing Caverns.  It's only natural that the quests and tasks we've done over, and over, change alongside the world.

To my knowledge no developer has abandoned old content entirely.  We players do it all the time though.  When was the last time you spent more than a few minutes running around Outland?  (Farming old achievements does not count!)  For us, it makes sense to move on to the new hotness for leveling, loot and a myriad of other reasons.  Being the efficient minded players that we are, we do just that.

This, unfortunately, leaves the old areas crawling with tumbleweeds, bored mobs and unchallenged raid bosses.  Why shouldn't Blizzard nuke it and start over?  Nearly no one is using it, and to top it off, Blizzard is often ashamed of the archaic design ideas that the company implemented so long ago.  By combining the release of new races with Deathwing's destruction players will have a perfect reason to rerun all of the "new" zones, but that leads us to the bad - the disappearance of the old.

This may sound contradictory to the good point.  That is because it is.  The removal of the old content, by way of the new stuff, is going to upset a lot of people.  Blizzard surely agonized over the decision to abandon all the vanilla WoW content, but that doesn't matter to the old school.  No matter what, those rose colored glasses will make players remember the "good ole days."

*cough*Perhaps someone should archive the old dungeon content before it disappears?!  I wonder which site would be capable of such high quality hijinks?!  Any ideas?*cough*

As a consolation prize, much of the old world raids will be returning alongside Cataclysm, albeit in an entirely new form.  Apparently beheadings do not kill dragons.

The ugly is simply laziness.  I've seen, and heard, people claim that Blizzard isn't redoing anything, the company's artists are.  Subscribers to this philosophy believe that the massive changes will just be updates to art, textures and models, with little gameplay being modified.  I put the question mark in the title on purpose, as I have no fuel to add to this fire.  Are any readers out there capable of making a poignant case of laziness on Blizzard's part?  In my opinion, there are simply too many zones drastically changing, and too much raid content incoming for me to see the light.

The keen-eyed readers will note that the post lost meat as I continued down the list of topics.  The Holmes-ish readers will then deduce my stance on the subject, which applies to my girlfriend as well.  I hate to see it go, but love to watch it leave.  What about you?  Feel free to leave my girlfriend out of your comments.

Reader Comments (21)

The fact that I saw Desolace turned verdant gives me hope for at least a somewhat new leveling experience, since I used to avoid it like the plague that would banhammer my Horde toons back to lvl 1 NE druids.

Since I entirely missed vanilla and tbc, I won't "miss" any of it though I still feel disappointed that I won't get a chance to do them. I've seen a couple while roflstomping them with a group of 80's. Need to make a point to go seperate Onyxia from her head before her revamp.

Overall, though, I've only been playing since a couple months before the release of Wrath and even I feel like old world is boring and bland and I fully support the face lift/transplant.

PS. Is your girlfriend a go-er?

PPS. Telling people NOT to do something is like giving them the gasoline and matches and saying, "But don't use them". You'd have been better off not mentioning it.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterAgadax

I'm actually really sad to see the old content go. I enjoy making new characters to run old content a different way.

I sadly missed alot of Outland so I am going back now and redoing it all now that I'm 80.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJarlo

I wanna hop on my toons and go record the world before the change. So we can see the before and afters.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterHatell

Can you say you are happy with how Old World leveling is? 20 level zones, jumbled quests snding you to 9 other zones, poor quest progression.

Cataclysm = Win.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterOctaviax

Has anyone else noticed that while Deathwing explodes into the world a few miles north of Stormwind, the areas Blizzard showcases with massive changes are all in Kalimdor. So either Eastern Kindoms is so ravaged they didn't want to show us, and used lesser changes further away to demonstrate the idea, or Deathwing tiptoed out of Deepholm, flew over to Kalimdor, and then stuff started exploding. Ideas?

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterRaethos

Well they are also revamping how many levels each zone covers, so leveling flows better. That would mean changing up a lot of quests and the mobs in the zone.

I think most of both continents is going to be heavily changed.

I will miss vanilla WoW as it is now, I'm an altoholic and I always had a blast revisiting all the zone I love with a passion. I never minded the awkward flow or the zones that other people hate because I love them.

But I'm also ready for a change with 5 toons level 70+. I guess I'll just fool around in Azeroth as it is now while I can, and save the rest of my toons for leveling in the new, and hopefully improved Azeroth.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterZreena

My thing that would upset me is if older dungeons (such as Strathomle or Scholomance) or older raids( Like Zul'Gurub, Zul'Aman, or AQ to name afew) would be either takes out or revamped. Revamped is ok if they still leave a lower lvl version of it(like what they are now) but if they would take it out, people like myself who would like to get a old raid in to AQ for fun or even for ppl that lvl to get the drops would be left in the dust wanted the old world to back to. I understand the world WILL change, but we hope they will still have access to the old world dungeons/raids (Naxxramas is an example of a Revamp that worked, but i am sure there's many ways to mess up something that was good)

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterScurvymitch

As a casual gamer who probably won't NEARLY have reached the classic endgame content by the time the expansion hits, I'm both excited and sad that I won't get to experience it. On the other hand... new stuff! Everything changed!

On the whole, as raids are not why I like to play WoW, I don't think I'll mind too terribly losing the vanilla content. After all - all these changes will make for some fun RP!

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterBeka

I have a harder time believing that Blizzard is "lazy" than I do believing you have a girlfriend.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterPatrickD

I have taken a few alts into all of the leveling zone of the old world. I think I have seen it and done it enough to be happy with the changes. Some of the zones worked better then others I agree. I an one of those players who likes the run around the world quests. Some times you just get wrapped up in the quest lines story that it is ok to run like crazy and you usually get all the flight points with your exp. I am totally about the story more then anything. I like having to talk to NPC so-and-so to learn the next level of XX profession because he is the master. I think it adds lots of flavor. Just like the mount quests add something to the game.
Some of the old content I will be sad to see go. Some of those quest chains where really nice. I love the ones that lead you into a dungeen. I really liked the way outlands and Northrend flowed with the questlines. Northrend was over the top really. I know that Blizzard is ever changing just like the game that is why I welcome this.
I fear for the instance I also fear for some of the NPC. There are some that you just like seeing around or questing for. The thing is the game is not frozen in time. The game time keeps moving. This makes the world so much more really. Ok talking about real I still don't get how I make fire with out any supplies.

PS there is a web blog (TOO MANY ANNAS) they are putting together a photo gallery of the old world. I think this along with the old world instances would really rock for those whole love the old world!!

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterRedauroa

Koopa got burned!

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJuggynaut

A little of column A, a little of column B.

1.0 content just isn't up to par when it compares to 2.0 and 3.0 content. The old 40 man raids, if the encounters were tuned to max level, would still be ridiculously difficult compared to the current raid progression. Don't believe me? Get a pug and run AQ40.

1.0 content also lacks the benefit of experience the developers got from creating the content. The scattershot progression. The crappy rewards for globe trotting. 2.0 and 3.0 did a much better job of progressing both story and player through multiple zones. Doing the Grizzly Hills/Drak'tharon storyline that ultimately concludes in Zul'Drak is much better than the Test of Lore line that was all over the place with no real reason.

Lets be honest. If you woke up everyday and had to have your freshman attempt at story/design the first thing anyone saw after 5 years, wouldn't you jump at a chance to correct all your mistakes and make the experience better?

I do think certain parts of Blizzards design are lazy. The cut and past jobs of caves and ruins has always bothered me. When I went into the troll ruins in Grizzly Hills and got the same exact experience as a newbie Blood Elf in Ghostlands (complete with a nearly identical escort quest) I was a little miffed. I'd much rather they alter the asset just enough that it makes you think about the old content instead of being a carbon copy.

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterGaudim

ive been going around on my druid taking screenshots of certain places in the world that are going to change...i spent alot of time lvling in the old zones (before they cut the xp down) so they are my stomping grounds lol....ill never forget the first time i stepped foot into auberdine and darkshore beyond it....long time ago lol

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterLittleraven

oh ya thats a good point in all the new lvling area maps they dont show the bottom of eastern kingdoms they cold have a few big changes there they said STV wont be a 15 lvl spot anymore so we dont know

September 1, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterthatguy

You all know, who had more than 2/3 chars know that Ashenvale is boring (for example). I have all the Exodar questions till lvl 23 in my mind (with no Carbonite or Quest Helper). Obviously that no one could've done all the quests in all the places (if so, congrats), I'll miss it, but I hope this bring us more and more fun.

It's funny, about 2 months ago I pick my warr 80 to do achiev of Silverfang Keep, and bring with me some newbies. It was one of the cool moments in WOW in theses last few months to me, and the dungeon it's so nice. I though with me, UOOU it'll be nice if we have a 80lvl of this and the others dungeons. With Cataclysm announce what I read? New Silverfang Keep!!!! I like it a lot! :D

And the druid I was thinking and lvling was deleted. Why? I simply can't do the Teldrassil quests anymore, fu***ing boring. So? Comes Worgen druid :D

September 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDiego Camargo

Note: Dwarf Shaman, Blood Elf Warrior, Taureen Paladin and some others combination, for me. Is ridiculous. :S

September 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDiego Camargo

I admit; I'm a little heartbroken at the loss of the old content. While, intellectually, I know that this is good for the game and will breath some much-needed life into the playerbase, in my heart of hearts I am sad to see the old world 'go.' It's like I've told people. Think of it as growing up in a town, leaving it for a few years, then come back to see a volcano in your front lawn. No matter how many bad experiences you had in that house, no matter how happy you are to have moved on, you are SAD to see your past changed.

I do still enjoy leveling in the old zones but that's because I do it in small bursts. If I find myself getting tired of the content, I move on to do other things. Then I come back in the future when I'm no longer tired and see everything with those nostolgic eyes. 'Man, remember when we did this for the first time? What an experience!'

As for the lazy argument, I'd say that reworking all your old content is about the exact opposite of lazy. Tearing apart and re-designing nearly every zone, quest and NPC is something that takes a substantial amount of time. One might ask "why not just start up WoW 2 instead?" And someone has to go back through and make sure all the quests make sense with the new lore. Lazy? Hardly. Creating a constantly expanding world is lazy because you just keep making new stuff up. No need to go back and adjust.

September 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterMusic-chan

I started playing WoW somewhere around 3.0.2, so I never really got a chance to experience Vanilla WoW (except for my questing here and there) and even less TBC since you level so fast there now, and are ushered out as soon as you reach 68.
I do not however see this as making me be unable to experience it. I see these changes as a way of making me experience it in a way that Blizzard feels would be better. As I level, I will see both much nicer looking surrounding and also a smoother levelling process. I have experienced the zones enough and though I have never experienced Deep Breath when it was hard, or the necessity of not doing a Leeroy Jenkins in BWL, or even the lowly thrill of completing the Deadmines as a first instance with a few friendly PuGers. (yup, I've only ever gone there at high levels) I will now be able to actually try these things at a proper difficulty level (well not leeroy, but the other 2) and also see what changes have been made to the landscape.
IMO bring on Cataclysm!

PS I can keep your girlfriend out of my comment, but I can't keep her out of my bed.

PPS 1. I apologise 2. It's not my fault, you completely asked for it - See Agadax's comment 3. I understand the irony in the whole 'I can keep you girlfriend out of my comment' in that I have by stating such put her into my comment, but shhhh! =P

September 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterPhanttas

@ Music-chan: your example of the old house is the same way i feel about the upcoming changes.

For me to experience the new content, i'll have to delete some of my low lvl alts. Altough i will miss the old "old" world, i'll keep a positive attitude towards the next expansion.

PS: sorry about my spelling.

September 2, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterQuetlan of Bloodhoof

Достаточно интересная и познавательная тема

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October 13, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteredirtiess

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