Rather than waiting for Blizzard to define Classic+, World of Warcraft Classic players are defining it themselves.
A new community-led initiative called the Classic Plus Project is bringing together tens of thousands of players to explain exactly what they want from a potential Classic+ release and making sure Blizzard can't ignore how big the demand has become.
Led by streamer Joardee and creator of the hardcore WoW All-Stars tournament OnlyBlacksmoke, this community project aims to figure out what World of Warcraft players want from a Classic+ release. The project received feedback from over 22,000 players within three days.
“Everyone always talks about Classic Plus and how they want to experience what we experienced in 2004. The mystery is being preserved,” Joardee told GameRant. “We want it [mystery] We want Classic Plus to bring that energy to that.”
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What is Classic+?
A return to the original release
Classic+ is the dream of many Classic World of Warcraft players. The idea is to return players to the Azeroth they grew up in, but with additional content that retains the original spirit of the game's 2004 release.
Whether it's new dungeons and raids still packed with lore, or new specializations like Tank Shaman or Healing Mage. Simply put, Classic+ is a new take on the original version of the game.
What is a Classic+ project?
The Classic+ project aims to answer the following questions: you Want it in Classic+? This is an opportunity for the community to sit down and point out specifically what they would like to see if Blizzard releases an official version of the game.
“These games are a solved problem. [developers] I think we need to consult with the community. Because the community is usually just as expert on the game as the current developers,” Joardee said.
At the forefront is The Classic+ project, a series of surveys asking questions about key elements of the game, including PvP, PvE, balance, itemization, and more.
Above all, ask your players the following questions:
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What classes would you like to see change?
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Are you interested in a new zone or would you like to repeat an existing zone?
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New dungeon? attack?
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Has working in retail improved your quality of life?
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Are there any changes to PvP?
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Do you need to rework certain specifications or add new ones?
To participate, you must first connect your Discord account. This is how the team ensures that the survey results are legitimate. The team also takes steps to protect your data, including using third-party services with robust safety checks.
But this project is more than just a survey. A community hub where classic lovers can interact with each other and maybe even see their vision for Azeroth come to life.
The site allows players to present their stories from within Azeroth for the community to vote on. The story that receives the most votes will be animated by Joardee and his team, as they did for the Kazzak short in the video below.
Joardee is also producing a series of YouTube episodes documenting the project, with the second episode due out next month.
“Somehow, I was able to gather an Avengers of votes from the classic WoW community,” Joardee joked, after a call to the community for support for the project was answered by web designers, data analysts, security and data engineers, and more.
What is your goal?
Hello, hello, hello… Blizzard, are you there?
Joardee doesn't expect Blizzard to officially approve the project. But he hopes developers have seen or heard of it and can use the data they collect in some way.
“I wish there was someone. [will reach out] “We look at this and think it’s really cool that you guys did this,” Joardee said. “I think this will be a really fun nod to the community,” he said.
Joardee said he plans to make the data public in the future once he and his team figure out how to present it.
“We still have to figure out exactly how we’re going to do it, but I promise you everyone will have all the data we have, and it will happen soon,” he said.
At the very least, Joardee wants Blizzard to take away the fact that there is a community that wants their voices to be heard.
“I would like [Blizzard] “To know that the community is hungry for interaction and the ability to provide input,” he said. “I don't think they need to make design decisions about this. If you do that, it will help and make a fantastically better game. But ultimately, the most important thing is for them to recognize that there are ways to be non-negative.”
Blizzard has a habit of only responding when community feedback is overwhelmingly negative, Jorardee said.
For example, World of Warcraft: The War Within released a pre-patch for the Midnight expansion, bringing major changes to the transmogrification system and putting new housing features in the hands of all players.
Here are the new World of Warcraft mounts, pets, transmogrification, and cosmetics you can earn from Midnight's pre-patch event:
From mounts to housing decorations, there are plenty of new things for players to collect in World of Warcraft: Midnight's pre-expansion event, Twilight Ascension.
Blizzard has changed all of the following player backlashes: The developers first increased the cost of transmogrification, then halved it after backlash.
The Housing system originally featured a low experience cap for Housing Endeavors, a time-limited community event where neighboring players complete tasks to gain shared experience.
After negative feedback, Blizzard increased the experience cap and reduced the experience loss reduction for certain activities.
“If you create a community or are a game developer, you have to teach your community how to treat yourself, and I believe that. [Blizzard has] But it happened to teach us that anger is the only way we can change anything. Because usually that’s the only way they react to something,” Joardee said.
And it doesn't have to be that way.
“I think it’s important to be proactive and talk to the players. That doesn’t mean you need creative input,” he added. “I’m not saying we should take away your agency as a game developer, but we are your customers and I think at least our opinions should be heard.”
Blizzard didn't announce anything major about Classic+ during today's State of Azeroth presentation, but did say it plans to send out a survey to the community about the game. Until an official survey is released, the Classic Plus Community Project offers ways to amplify player voices.
“It’s a fun community project where at least Blizzard can look at the data and get some useful information,” Joardee said. “But even if it doesn’t, at least we can say we tried.”
