https://massivelyop.com MMORPG news and opinions Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:02:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/01/casually-classic-when-will-wow-classic-stop-adding-expansions/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/01/casually-classic-when-will-wow-classic-stop-adding-expansions/#comments Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=477396 This spring, the era of Wrath Classic will officially come to an end when the Cataclysm Classic pre-patch hits ahead of the summer launch. With no current option to stay in Wrath’s setting and design, the WoW Classic community has to choose whether to bail, go forward into the next expansion, or jump to one […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/02/01/casually-classic-when-will-wow-classic-stop-adding-expansions/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/09/casually-classic-12-quality-of-life-improvements-coming-with-cataclysm-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/09/casually-classic-12-quality-of-life-improvements-coming-with-cataclysm-classic/#comments Tue, 09 Jan 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=474500 I’m in a very strange place in relation to the upcoming Cataclysm Classic. I kind of didn’t want this expansion to happen at all for the Classic servers, and confirmation of its existence at last year’s BlizzCon made me audibly groan. Yet I do want my Wrath Classic Shaman to continue her adventures, and I am slowly warming […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/09/casually-classic-12-quality-of-life-improvements-coming-with-cataclysm-classic/feed/ 10 https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/04/casually-classic-analyzing-wow-classics-2024-roadmap/ https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/04/casually-classic-analyzing-wow-classics-2024-roadmap/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=472708 With another year debuting this week, Blizzard was more on the ball than some MMO studios by already publishing its roadmap for 2024. Two roadmaps, in fact — one for retail World of Warcraft and one for WoW Classic itself. If I recall correctly, WoW Classic didn’t get the full infographic roadmap treatment last year, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2024/01/04/casually-classic-analyzing-wow-classics-2024-roadmap/feed/ 9 https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/casually-classic-the-seven-most-important-things-that-happened-in-wow-classic-this-year/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/casually-classic-the-seven-most-important-things-that-happened-in-wow-classic-this-year/#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=471183 What did Blizzard assume would happen with WoW Classic when it rolled out this legacy version of the MMO in 2019? I honestly have no idea, but I can bet all the money in my pocket (five bucks) against all the money in the studio’s pockets that the studio did not anticipate it being as […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/12/13/casually-classic-the-seven-most-important-things-that-happened-in-wow-classic-this-year/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/30/casually-classic-which-version-of-wow-classic-is-right-for-you/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/30/casually-classic-which-version-of-wow-classic-is-right-for-you/#comments Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=469017 Choice is a double-edged sword: Too little of it is restricting and frustrating, yet too much can lead to decision paralysis and feeling overwhelmed. Before 2019, your choice to play World of Warcraft was limited to a single option – retail. In the latter part of 2023, you’ve got five types of servers that may appeal to […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/30/casually-classic-which-version-of-wow-classic-is-right-for-you/feed/ 8 https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/06/casually-classic-blizzcon-took-wow-classic-into-the-plus-era/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/06/casually-classic-blizzcon-took-wow-classic-into-the-plus-era/#comments Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=466031 While the three-expansion revelation of World of Warcraft’s Worldsoul Saga stole the show at BlizzCon this past weekend, I was even more excited — and nervous! — to hear what Blizzard had in store for WoW Classic. Four years into this experiment, WoW Classic brings out a lot of opinions and strong feelings from people […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/11/06/casually-classic-blizzcon-took-wow-classic-into-the-plus-era/feed/ 33 https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/19/casually-classic-wow-classics-leveling-journey-shows-how-much-retail-has-lost-its-way/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/19/casually-classic-wow-classics-leveling-journey-shows-how-much-retail-has-lost-its-way/#comments Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=462323 In the past six months, I’ve been tracking a very interesting conversation that’s arisen over what the MMORPG genre as a whole has lost as it’s pushed forward into the current age. It’s a topic that often ropes in retail World of Warcraft, a product that couldn’t be more streamlined and packed full of quality-of-life […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/10/19/casually-classic-wow-classics-leveling-journey-shows-how-much-retail-has-lost-its-way/feed/ 26 https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/casually-classic-six-reasons-why-hardcore-servers-make-wow-classic-worthwhile/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/casually-classic-six-reasons-why-hardcore-servers-make-wow-classic-worthwhile/#comments Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=458801 The first time that I heard about the unofficial “Hardcore Classic” scene for WoW Classic, I didn’t get it. The idea of voluntary permadeath play seemed so at odds with how MMORPGs are designed and the immense amount of time that you sink into a character. It took a whole lot of effusive praise by […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/09/27/casually-classic-six-reasons-why-hardcore-servers-make-wow-classic-worthwhile/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/29/casually-classic-hardcore-realms-are-merely-a-band-aid-for-wow-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/29/casually-classic-hardcore-realms-are-merely-a-band-aid-for-wow-classic/#comments Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=455364 Let’s pause for a hot minute to absorb the fact that WoW Classic just hit its fourth anniversary. For the reheated leftovers of an MMORPG from 2004, it’s actually been an impressive run. It enjoyed immense popularity for a time, and even when it fell out of the spotlight, it still clawed its way back […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/08/29/casually-classic-hardcore-realms-are-merely-a-band-aid-for-wow-classic/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/casually-classic-eight-legacy-mmos-to-satisfy-that-old-school-craving/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/casually-classic-eight-legacy-mmos-to-satisfy-that-old-school-craving/#comments Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=436839 It was just five years ago in 2018 that MassivelyOP formally recognized an interesting and heartening trend in the MMO space: the rise of legacy MMOs and progression servers. Oh sure, they’d always existed, but we were rightly excited to see a huge uptick of studios work to deliver players a classic experience that rewound […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/25/casually-classic-eight-legacy-mmos-to-satisfy-that-old-school-craving/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/#comments Mon, 10 Apr 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=434658 “Just one more hour of WoW Classic. One more hour, then I’ll go and play something serious. Or be a productive member of society. Promise.” I’ve been saying a lot of this over the past few weeks as time and time again, I’ve been logging into WoW Classic to play the community’s highly addictive hardcore […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/04/10/casually-classic-20-tips-for-surviving-the-wow-classic-communitys-hardcore-mode/feed/ 16 https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/#comments Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=432214 While I don’t have any hard data on the subject, just observing the World of Warcraft Classic scene (and ABK’s financials) over the past couple years leads me to the conclusion that this massive phenomenon from 2019 to 2021 has started to slow. Enthusiasm is down, engagement seems to be following the law of diminishing […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2023/03/23/casually-classic-how-permadeath-runs-are-revitalizing-wow-classic/feed/ 24 https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/27/casually-classic-the-death-knight-starter-experience-is-still-the-best-wow-ever-did/ https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/27/casually-classic-the-death-knight-starter-experience-is-still-the-best-wow-ever-did/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=406246 Recently, along with what seemed like half the population of the globe, I rolled up a brand-new Death Knight in WoW Classic to take it through the starting area. I figured that this was a two-for-one deal: I’d have a Death Knight ready to go in the future if I wanted to play it, and […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2022/09/27/casually-classic-the-death-knight-starter-experience-is-still-the-best-wow-ever-did/feed/ 7 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/27/casually-classic-making-the-call-to-quit-wow-or-not/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/27/casually-classic-making-the-call-to-quit-wow-or-not/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=346850 A week ago I didn’t think I’d be sitting here and writing this, but I’m done with WoW Classic — and with this column. As you’ve no doubt read, last Wednesday highly disturbing allegations of company-wide abuse and discrimination came to light as the state of California filed a lawsuit against Activision-Blizzard. Considering how intensive […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/27/casually-classic-making-the-call-to-quit-wow-or-not/feed/ 66 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/21/casually-classic-why-its-so-good-to-zangarmarsh-and-chill-in-wow-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/21/casually-classic-why-its-so-good-to-zangarmarsh-and-chill-in-wow-classic/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=345515 Burning Crusade’s Outland shows all the hallmarks of being a playground for developers to flex and try new things. I always was amused at how each of the zones feature a strong color theme and logically fit together only so much as a little kid might try to force-merge non-matching puzzle pieces. Plus, you have […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/21/casually-classic-why-its-so-good-to-zangarmarsh-and-chill-in-wow-classic/feed/ 6 https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/13/casually-classic-wow-classics-burning-crusade-entry-ditch/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/13/casually-classic-wow-classics-burning-crusade-entry-ditch/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=344342 With this year’s Burning Crusade Classic, the dynamics of leveling in WoW Classic shifted just as they did originally. Before Burning Crusade came along — now or back then — leveling was a long slog to 60 with nary a reprieve at the top end. After the first expansion, things went a little faster and […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/07/13/casually-classic-wow-classics-burning-crusade-entry-ditch/feed/ 25 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/23/casually-classic-what-retail-wow-could-learn-from-burning-crusades-class-progression/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/23/casually-classic-what-retail-wow-could-learn-from-burning-crusades-class-progression/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=340576 Now that we’re weeks into Burning Crusade Classic, players are discovering that despite many antiquated design elements, this expansion is still a whole lot of fun with scads of stuff to do. While many (but not all!) of the community is already engaged with the endgame of raiding, dailies, and hard mode dungeons, one of […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/23/casually-classic-what-retail-wow-could-learn-from-burning-crusades-class-progression/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/15/casually-classic-what-if-you-dont-want-to-raid-in-burning-crusade/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/15/casually-classic-what-if-you-dont-want-to-raid-in-burning-crusade/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=340549 If I had to sum up what my WoW Classic guild is doing in these first few weeks of Burning Crusade, it would be “racing to 70, gearing up, and pushing hard to get attuned for raids.” Within days of the launch, we had multiple 70s and people regularly announcing some sort of attunement progress […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/15/casually-classic-what-if-you-dont-want-to-raid-in-burning-crusade/feed/ 19 https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/08/casually-classic-the-wow-classic-vanilla-era-is-over-and-i-wont-miss-it/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/08/casually-classic-the-wow-classic-vanilla-era-is-over-and-i-wont-miss-it/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=339480 With the launch of World of Warcraft Classic’s Burning Crusade this past week, the door has been (mostly) closed on what is now being called the “Classic era” — or what we used to call, simply, “vanilla.” Sure, there are some toons and hardcore guilds left to dwell in a world stuck in time, but a […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/06/08/casually-classic-the-wow-classic-vanilla-era-is-over-and-i-wont-miss-it/feed/ 50 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/25/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-racial-and-class-mounts/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/25/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-racial-and-class-mounts/#comments Tue, 25 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=337300 Now that the pre-patch has arrived for WoW Classic’s Burning Crusade, leveling characters are enjoying being able to snag a mount at level 30 instead of 40. After all these years, it’s still a thrill to get that huge jump in quality-of-life play when you’re able to take off over the landscape at a vastly […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/25/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-racial-and-class-mounts/feed/ 11 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/18/casually-classic-fondly-looking-back-at-world-of-warcrafts-burning-crusade-beginner-zones/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/18/casually-classic-fondly-looking-back-at-world-of-warcrafts-burning-crusade-beginner-zones/#comments Tue, 18 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=336570 Whenever discussion about Burning Crusade turns to which zones players like the best, it’s almost always focused solely on the seven additional Outland regions (for the record, I’m a big Zangarmarsh fan). But let’s not forget that when Blizzard released this pack back in 2007, it came with 11 zones, as four new areas were […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/18/casually-classic-fondly-looking-back-at-world-of-warcrafts-burning-crusade-beginner-zones/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/11/casually-classic-yeah-those-burning-crusade-classic-prices-are-stupid-high/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/11/casually-classic-yeah-those-burning-crusade-classic-prices-are-stupid-high/#comments Tue, 11 May 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=335602 If there’s anything that Blizzard excels in doing these days, it’s taking a slam-dunk publicity announcement and turning it into a hurricane of poop. As a fan of MMOs in general, I hate it when I see studios totally botching what should be a moment of shared excitement. I mean, hey, we have a date […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/05/11/casually-classic-yeah-those-burning-crusade-classic-prices-are-stupid-high/feed/ 47 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/29/casually-classic-the-brilliance-of-world-of-warcrafts-sound-design/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/29/casually-classic-the-brilliance-of-world-of-warcrafts-sound-design/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=333469 Can you hear pictures? Well, I bet you heard the banner graphic for today’s column because that level-up sound from World of Warcraft is burned into pretty much all of our brains. And if you think about it, it’s only one of a thousand thousand sounds from this game that you’re intimately familiar on some […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/29/casually-classic-the-brilliance-of-world-of-warcrafts-sound-design/feed/ 5 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/20/casually-classic-four-alternative-day-one-strategies-for-burning-crusade-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/20/casually-classic-four-alternative-day-one-strategies-for-burning-crusade-classic/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=332357 OK, real talk time, people. Is there anyone out there that, knowing the zone design of Burning Crusade and Blizzard’s track record with launches, isn’t anticipating an unholy mother of a mess when TBC Classic releases? We’re talking about funneling thousands of primed characters through the Dark Portal and into a single zone. It’s going […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/20/casually-classic-four-alternative-day-one-strategies-for-burning-crusade-classic/feed/ 3 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/13/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-capital-cities-through-burning-crusade/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/13/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-capital-cities-through-burning-crusade/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=331358 Even more so than they are in retail World of Warcraft, WoW Classic’s capital cities are the central bustling hub of commerce and staging for grand adventures. Chances are that your hearthstone is set to one of these, as they offer ideal places to resupply, train, bank, and encounter likeminded players. For today’s “why not?” […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/13/casually-classic-ranking-wow-classics-capital-cities-through-burning-crusade/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/06/casually-classic-three-things-im-anticipating-and-three-im-dreading-for-wows-burning-crusade-classic/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/06/casually-classic-three-things-im-anticipating-and-three-im-dreading-for-wows-burning-crusade-classic/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=330034 With the Burning Crusade Classic beta underway, it’s hard not to be dwelling on the near future of WoW Classic. Everyone’s maneuvering their accounts, leveling up characters, and mentally preparing to take the next step (back) into Outland. As I have no interest in the beta (seriously, unless you’re a streamer looking for easy views, […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/04/06/casually-classic-three-things-im-anticipating-and-three-im-dreading-for-wows-burning-crusade-classic/feed/ 20 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/30/casually-classic-in-defense-of-a-good-looking-for-group-tool-in-world-of-warcraft/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/30/casually-classic-in-defense-of-a-good-looking-for-group-tool-in-world-of-warcraft/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=329053 While World of Warcraft certainly made a number of questionable design decisions over the years, for my money one of the absolute best moves Blizzard ever did was institute the looking for dungeon tool (or LFG tool) back in Wrath of the Lich King. Players who found it too frustrating or stressful to get into […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/30/casually-classic-in-defense-of-a-good-looking-for-group-tool-in-world-of-warcraft/feed/ 85 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/23/casually-classic-how-world-of-warcraft-made-bad-graphics-look-good/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/23/casually-classic-how-world-of-warcraft-made-bad-graphics-look-good/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=327997 When I returned to World of Warcraft Classic in 2019, I steeled myself to be vastly underwhelmed by the visuals. I’m not a graphics snob, particularly with MMOs, but I know that I had gotten used to the ever-increasing polygon count of retail WoW and how lush and good-looking that client had become. It was […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/23/casually-classic-how-world-of-warcraft-made-bad-graphics-look-good/feed/ 15 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/16/casually-classic-will-wow-burning-crusade-classics-level-boost-be-the-casuals-best-friend/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/16/casually-classic-will-wow-burning-crusade-classics-level-boost-be-the-casuals-best-friend/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=327014 While the announcement of Burning Crusade Classic at BlizzCon last month was of no surprise to even comatose cave dwellers, details of that announcement were. Not everyone was expecting #somechanges or a pre-patch with the two additional races, for example. One of the most surprising parts of this announcement was the fact that Blizzard is […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/16/casually-classic-will-wow-burning-crusade-classics-level-boost-be-the-casuals-best-friend/feed/ 14 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/09/casually-classic-how-burning-crusade-revolutionized-wow-questing/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/09/casually-classic-how-burning-crusade-revolutionized-wow-questing/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=326106 While it’s been a blast stepping back into an era where I can re-experience World of Warcraft as it once was, playing WoW Classic has also reminded me of several aspects of vanilla that I never liked so much. The lack of content for casuals at endgame? Yeah, that smarts. Only one flight path per […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/09/casually-classic-how-burning-crusade-revolutionized-wow-questing/feed/ 12 https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/02/casually-classic-whats-the-point-of-playing-wow-classic-in-2021/ https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/02/casually-classic-whats-the-point-of-playing-wow-classic-in-2021/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://massivelyop.com/?p=325090 Welcome to Casually Classic, a new column here on Massively OP dedicated to examining World of Warcraft Classic from the vantage point of a hopeless casual. I’ve been playing WoW Classic off and on since its 2019 launch, which has generated a lot of observations and topics that I’d like to share with you. So […]]]> https://massivelyop.com/2021/03/02/casually-classic-whats-the-point-of-playing-wow-classic-in-2021/feed/ 30