I was glancing through here and I have observed there are a number of threads inviting one to take a stroll down memory lane etc. This thread proposes it too, yet I'd also want to know what will players be into and where will they most likely be once endgame begins on Kronos; hopefully, it will be similar to Classic retail. For example, there were people who genuinely lived in that Heartglen, Scholomance, Tyr’s Hand, Stratholme quadrangle.
So, tell us, which were your top 10 favorite hotspots and preferred areas in Classic? Again, I am not referring to which zones you appreciated the most in general, I loved Darkshore, Ashenvale, Feralas, the outskirts of Dalaran, parts of Silverpine Forest etc., but I wasn’t spending a lot of time there once I had reached Level 60. I am talking about those areas where you were glad to have something to do or looked forward having to go to once at max level.
Here’s mine and where you will perhaps find me on Kronos.
1. Irontree Woods
As noted above, some made a living in the Plaguelands. Well, Irontree Woods was my nook in Classic. I would go there after raids and grind the dozen or so Water Elementals around the ponds, which had a tiny chance to drop Essences of Water, as a pretext to engage in WPVP. If things slowed down, one could always simply stroll to the Satyr encampments across the road, a popular spot for Felcloth grinding. And when things were silent all over, I would actually grind while listening to audiobooks (I finished several in Irontree Woods alone). May seem peculiar, but, to this day, visiting Felwood and this particular spot feels like coming back home. Special mention: Whipper Root Tubers & Night Dragon’s Breath!
2. Azshara
Being able to ride through this area again is actually a reason I believe I will enjoy Kronos. Even better, I will have a purpose again too. Another post-raid hangout, I would go there to gather Dreamfoil. Because it was abandoned aside from the occasional Azuregos raid, I would actually have WoW on my second monitor and I would read on my main. I have finished Chekhov’s best plays in this fashion – Ivanov, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Sea Gull, etc. Azshara is my mental background for them and, to this day, I play the soundtrack when I reread them. And I don’t just mean the music, I actually downloaded a WotLK private client solely to recover the night time Ambience audio file after the Cataclysm hit; it has crickets and, peculiarly, dogs barking in the distance. Truly perfect for a Chekhov play. Azshara was full of beauty and, may sound odd given many thought it empty, simply full of curiosities. Leaving the furbolgs and naga aside, there were the Satyr (you never quite got the same vibe on Satyrs as a genuinely forgotten race anywhere else, until much later, when Bloodmyst Isle was released), the High Elven expedition, the Hydraxian Waterlords representatives, the Demon Hunter around whom you could fish Stonescale Eels!, the Blue flight which fit into the area so well and were grinded ad nauseum by Leatherworkers and, of course, Azuregos, walking on the ridges overlooking the ocean; it expressed very well the idea that it was mythic beast you had found at the end of the Earth.
Uff, wrote a bit much on this one, apologies.
3. The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj
Really, the mood surrounding the place was perfect. The antagonist was so solid. The encounters you had to defeat to reach it were great in terms of setting. The only thing I hated about it was the actual C’Thun encounter itself; they didn’t pull it off properly, as a concept, in my view. Onyxia, Ragnaros, Hakkar, Nefarian, they all felt as genuine creatures you had to struggle with to slay/banish. C’Thun… they tried to work the encounter around the mind-bending theme, yet it reminded me more of a discoteque. Had to wait until Yog-Sarron to see it done right.
4. Dire Maul
Same as Irontree Woods, always felt like coming back home. Such an enjoyable instance, with such a great setting and so many nooks and crannies to discover and linger over.
5. Dueling in front of Ironforge
Not as good a place as Ogrimmar, especially for my huntress who needed space to kite. It was slowly replaced by the gates of Stormwind, but perhaps we’ll reinstate it; I did enjoy jump-shotting down the ramp snaking towards Kharanos.
6. Winterfall Village
I would go to this area in Winterspring to grind for the Frostsaber while listening to my audiobooks (I only completed the grind in early TBC). Just as in Irontree Woods, I would mostly end up engaging in WPVP. Winterfall Firewater voom voom!
7. Blackrock Spire
Great cozy setting. Generally looked forward to runs into BRS. Killing orcs and dragonkin was niftier than zombies and abominations. Kitting Drakkisath yay! And it was a good link along the way you progressed: from the base camps in the Burning Steppes into the Spire and, then, into the Lair. More organic and neat than Searing Gorge into Blackrock Depths into Molten Core.
8. Fire Plum Ridge
This was basically the volcanic rock in the middle of Un’Goro Crater. Would grind Essences of Fire this time. Another place where I perpetually engaged in WPVP; constantly switching between Tracking Humanoids and Elementals, hunting down them down through the jungle if they retreated to recover etc. Pleasant hangout.
9. Deadwind Pass
I did not actually spend nearly as much time here as in the other places, yet it was a very atmospheric spot, think most would agree. Some WPVP would happen sporadically too. If there is one thing to regret about playing on a Classic Realm, is not having access to Karazhan. I loved the setting in that instance. And it is so Azeroth. They ought to have released it in Classic, it’s where it belongs.
10. Stranglethorn Vale during the weekend
So crowded during the weekends. Seemed that a quarter of the 60s on the Realm converged upon it. It felt like things were happening, and not only due to the Fishing Contest. Most guilds reserved Zul’Gurub for offdays, so there was a constant stream of 60s in the triangle between Grom’gol Base Camp, Nesingwary’s and the entrance. And then there was the Arena and the chaps farming reputation by the pirates etc. I normally hate this Indian jungle setting, but this one somehow did not bother me. In fact, when I entered it for the first time, heading N from Booty Bay, that cobbled road almost “felt” warm. I imagine for players coming from Duskwood the sensation was stronger, if they experienced it at all.
So, tell us, which were your top 10 favorite hotspots and preferred areas in Classic? Again, I am not referring to which zones you appreciated the most in general, I loved Darkshore, Ashenvale, Feralas, the outskirts of Dalaran, parts of Silverpine Forest etc., but I wasn’t spending a lot of time there once I had reached Level 60. I am talking about those areas where you were glad to have something to do or looked forward having to go to once at max level.
Here’s mine and where you will perhaps find me on Kronos.
1. Irontree Woods
As noted above, some made a living in the Plaguelands. Well, Irontree Woods was my nook in Classic. I would go there after raids and grind the dozen or so Water Elementals around the ponds, which had a tiny chance to drop Essences of Water, as a pretext to engage in WPVP. If things slowed down, one could always simply stroll to the Satyr encampments across the road, a popular spot for Felcloth grinding. And when things were silent all over, I would actually grind while listening to audiobooks (I finished several in Irontree Woods alone). May seem peculiar, but, to this day, visiting Felwood and this particular spot feels like coming back home. Special mention: Whipper Root Tubers & Night Dragon’s Breath!
2. Azshara
Being able to ride through this area again is actually a reason I believe I will enjoy Kronos. Even better, I will have a purpose again too. Another post-raid hangout, I would go there to gather Dreamfoil. Because it was abandoned aside from the occasional Azuregos raid, I would actually have WoW on my second monitor and I would read on my main. I have finished Chekhov’s best plays in this fashion – Ivanov, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Sea Gull, etc. Azshara is my mental background for them and, to this day, I play the soundtrack when I reread them. And I don’t just mean the music, I actually downloaded a WotLK private client solely to recover the night time Ambience audio file after the Cataclysm hit; it has crickets and, peculiarly, dogs barking in the distance. Truly perfect for a Chekhov play. Azshara was full of beauty and, may sound odd given many thought it empty, simply full of curiosities. Leaving the furbolgs and naga aside, there were the Satyr (you never quite got the same vibe on Satyrs as a genuinely forgotten race anywhere else, until much later, when Bloodmyst Isle was released), the High Elven expedition, the Hydraxian Waterlords representatives, the Demon Hunter around whom you could fish Stonescale Eels!, the Blue flight which fit into the area so well and were grinded ad nauseum by Leatherworkers and, of course, Azuregos, walking on the ridges overlooking the ocean; it expressed very well the idea that it was mythic beast you had found at the end of the Earth.
Uff, wrote a bit much on this one, apologies.
3. The Temple of Ahn’Qiraj
Really, the mood surrounding the place was perfect. The antagonist was so solid. The encounters you had to defeat to reach it were great in terms of setting. The only thing I hated about it was the actual C’Thun encounter itself; they didn’t pull it off properly, as a concept, in my view. Onyxia, Ragnaros, Hakkar, Nefarian, they all felt as genuine creatures you had to struggle with to slay/banish. C’Thun… they tried to work the encounter around the mind-bending theme, yet it reminded me more of a discoteque. Had to wait until Yog-Sarron to see it done right.
4. Dire Maul
Same as Irontree Woods, always felt like coming back home. Such an enjoyable instance, with such a great setting and so many nooks and crannies to discover and linger over.
5. Dueling in front of Ironforge
Not as good a place as Ogrimmar, especially for my huntress who needed space to kite. It was slowly replaced by the gates of Stormwind, but perhaps we’ll reinstate it; I did enjoy jump-shotting down the ramp snaking towards Kharanos.
6. Winterfall Village
I would go to this area in Winterspring to grind for the Frostsaber while listening to my audiobooks (I only completed the grind in early TBC). Just as in Irontree Woods, I would mostly end up engaging in WPVP. Winterfall Firewater voom voom!
7. Blackrock Spire
Great cozy setting. Generally looked forward to runs into BRS. Killing orcs and dragonkin was niftier than zombies and abominations. Kitting Drakkisath yay! And it was a good link along the way you progressed: from the base camps in the Burning Steppes into the Spire and, then, into the Lair. More organic and neat than Searing Gorge into Blackrock Depths into Molten Core.
8. Fire Plum Ridge
This was basically the volcanic rock in the middle of Un’Goro Crater. Would grind Essences of Fire this time. Another place where I perpetually engaged in WPVP; constantly switching between Tracking Humanoids and Elementals, hunting down them down through the jungle if they retreated to recover etc. Pleasant hangout.
9. Deadwind Pass
I did not actually spend nearly as much time here as in the other places, yet it was a very atmospheric spot, think most would agree. Some WPVP would happen sporadically too. If there is one thing to regret about playing on a Classic Realm, is not having access to Karazhan. I loved the setting in that instance. And it is so Azeroth. They ought to have released it in Classic, it’s where it belongs.
10. Stranglethorn Vale during the weekend
So crowded during the weekends. Seemed that a quarter of the 60s on the Realm converged upon it. It felt like things were happening, and not only due to the Fishing Contest. Most guilds reserved Zul’Gurub for offdays, so there was a constant stream of 60s in the triangle between Grom’gol Base Camp, Nesingwary’s and the entrance. And then there was the Arena and the chaps farming reputation by the pirates etc. I normally hate this Indian jungle setting, but this one somehow did not bother me. In fact, when I entered it for the first time, heading N from Booty Bay, that cobbled road almost “felt” warm. I imagine for players coming from Duskwood the sensation was stronger, if they experienced it at all.
