WoW: The Burning Crusade Classic and the persistence of memory

WoW

Every World of Warcraft player has memories, emotions and events that have left an indelible mark. The first dungeon, the first mount, the first epic item or the defeat of an incredibly powerful boss. Precious jewels in a crown that everyone wears with pride, rightly bragging about "I was there".

When Blizzard relaunched servers to play the Classic version in the summer of 2019, success rode the wave of nostalgia. For many it was a return to basics, for others it was the discovery of a game that has seen several springs and evolutions (and sometimes involution).

Full servers, an euphoria that was palpable and the popularity of WoW carried over afloat with the players cheering on a completely apt choice by Blizzard, despite the famous phrase of JA Brack some Blizzcon ago: "you think you want it but it's not true".

Watch on YouTube. The peak users and monthly subscriptions made it inevitable that Blizzard chose to continue in this epic of the revival, bringing to light perhaps one of the most beloved and iconic expansions (like Wrath of the Lich King) for settings, raids and legendary enemies: The Burning Crusade.

When I started playing World of Warcraft, TBC had already been out for a few months and for me it seemed like a milestone to be reached very far in time, given a progression system that is certainly not fast and a lack of experience on my part in optimizing that process.

In other words, I took it easy doing every possible quest, exploring Azeroth in every corner, like a child visiting Disneyland for the first time, living a virtual life in a world that has always fascinated me for the its stories and its characters.

Feats of valiant warriors that were narrated on the forums, adventures in an alien and hostile world full of mysteries and threats. When it finally fell to me to cross that demonic green energy threshold and explore a twisted and devastated world, to end a threat poised to wipe out life on Azeroth, it was thrilling, a new journey and a new adventure.

The exciting moment of the opening of the Dark Portal. For all the veterans it was an unforgettable moment. The change of landscape, from a purely fantasy scenario to one with cosmic influences, with continents floating in the void, was incredible. And especially our landing on the Hellfire Peninsula had something epic, with both factions, Horde and Alliance, battling against a seemingly endless hell horde right on the portal steps. And we, with our hero, to give the charge by throwing our heads down against the enemy, trying to make our way as far as possible within this hostile land, to establish an outpost and from there launch our assault.

These experiences I was able to relive thanks to the release of The Burning Crusade Classic, adding the added thrill of crossing the portal for the first time at the opening, surrounded by hundreds of other players, many veterans but also many, many new heroes.

The world, beyond the portal, is obviously the same, printed on fire in my memory, but at the same time different; I observe it now with different eyes, eyes that know what lies behind every corner, eyes that have perhaps lost that sense of discovery that had accompanied me years before.

The first encounter with the Fel Reaver is something that is not easily forgotten. If the photos had sound! For many certainly this is not the case and there are really many new and old players who have decided to return younger and perhaps, once again, explorers of the unknown, stopping from time to time to remember events that took place years before precisely in that place or that particular fight: an avenue of memories that creates community and that unites everyone.

For many others, however, an experience of this type is just one more reason for another speed run, to demonstrate who knows what ability to be able to level quickly, without enjoying for a second what the game has to offer.

After less than 24 hours, in fact, the first group of 5 people reached the level cap of 70, simply repeating the same dungeon over and over again for hours, and almost 48 hours after launch, the same guild above, he completed the first 3 raids (Gruul's Lair, Maghteridon's Lair and Karazhan) without too much difficulty.

A feat that would have been impossible in 2007 due to the lack of the tools we have available nowadays in WoW; an in-game guide that describes each boss and their abilities, applications that improve the quality of life with additional options and warnings for every aspect of the fighting, better voice communication software and better internet connections, but above all, 14 years of experience about the game.

The talent tree, a feature that has been removed over time but that many still clamor for. Which really leads us to wonder if WoW was hard back then, or if we weren't good enough, but that feeling had crept into our minds with the release of Classic, when Molten Core (a 40-person raid level 60) was completed less than a week after launch, and with a party consisting of just over half of the players at maximum level.

We have certainly changed as players; we have become quicker to adapt to the unknown, to a fight we do not know, we have learned progressions methods that optimize our time online, we have developed leadership qualities to direct a multitude of players of different ethnicities and languages.

And it saddens me to think how many of us have lost that sense of the wonderful, of the discovery, and of how everything has come down to a race, a race. But, at the same time, I rejoice for all those who enter this unknown world for the first time, and explore these alien lands for the first time, learning about one of the perhaps most loved characters in the entire lore of the game.

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Karazhan's opera hall, one of the most intense and atmospheric raids of the entire game, second only perhaps after Ulduar. Burning Crusade Classic will certainly be a success for the months to come, and will certainly give some respite even to those who mainly play the retail version of WoW (Shadowlands), given the endless wait for the new patch that will bring new content and activities. to play.

Sure, the aggressive monetization of TBC: Classic has perhaps tainted the experience for veterans, but we believe it will soon be forgotten, leaving room for hours of play with friends, and endless sessions at all. interior of Karazhan.

And for once, my dear Illidan Stormrage, we are ready!