World of Warcraft Classic has arrived and brought back login queue times, Barrens chat, and a whole lot of really bad Chuck Norris jokes. Much like the 90s are alive in Portland, the very specific time frame of 2004-2006 is alive and well in Azeroth.
In a turn of events that was definitely surprising for some people, World of Warcraft Classic has had an incredibly popular start. The new service has been so popular that Blizzard had to open more servers to fight overpopulation. Players have had a week to explore the features on Classic realms and, as expected, there is a fresh influx of WoW Classic-inspired memes that capture the vanilla experience.
The memes showing up across the internet range from fond reflections on fishing in Orgrimmar to TFW you don't have enough silver to buy your new spells. World of Warcraft Classic has definitely inspired a lot of discussion and debate, but taking a moment away from debating its merits (or power-leveling through it) is a healthy exercise.
5 Only The Best
Secondary professions are very important in WoW Classic and maybe players take the time to level up fishing, first aid, and cooking. That third profession has a special place in the hearts of hunters who have pets to feed. One big change for hunters in WoW Classic is the need to keep their pets happy and well-fed (like a Tamagotchi!). All that cooking pays off when hunters end up sharing some feasts with their pets in addition to their
4 Profession(al) Questing
Profession memes were particularly popular this week. In addition to jokes about cooking, the community also reflected on how much control gathering professions have on the questing experience. Skinning isn't as bad, because you can get the resources sort of passively after killing quest mobs, but mining and herbalism are a different beast.
3 South Park Throwback
The end of the three-day weekend brought back the iconic South Park WoW player, from the episode that aired during the game's original peak popularity.
2 IRL Tuesday Feelings
Ah, maintenance day. WoW Classic players once again learn that some things never change. The Blizzard maintenance window may only be a few hours long on Tuesday mornings, but it feels like an eternity and gives players a lot of time alone with their thoughts. Just "Remember to take all things in moderation (even World of Warcraft!)."
1 Missing The College Years
Although WoW Classic players vary in age, many users were in either high school or college when the game originally launched. 15 years later a lot has changed for that demographic. Many players now have full-time jobs, spouses, and maybe even children to care for. That means that finding hours to pour into the game's enormous amount of content isn't quite as easy as it was back in 2004. Real world responsibilities have a way of sneaking up on you like Jason Momoa in the middle of a red carpet photoshoot.
The WoW Classic community is definitely enthusiastic and active for now and hopefully the game continues to keep up this type of energy as the initial craze dies down. The memes are sure to continue and we look forward to all of the broke player memes that are about to pop up as users continue to hit 40 and face that expensive mount riding training bill. In the months that follow that, we're sure there will be many more about bad loot drops, DKP scores, and tanks dropping from dungeon runs.
Be sure to check back for more WoW Classic strategy guides, news, and updates in the coming days. Until then, For The Horde!
World of Warcraft Classic is available now on PC. World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is available now on PC.
Source: World of Warcraft Classic Reddit (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)