Driana

I've played WoW for years. I started at the tail-whip end of Vanilla. After hitting level 8, the Burning Crusade came out. By the time I hit level 70, patch 2.4 released (the one that nerfed the whole 1-60 grind). So fortunately, I got to experience the complete Vanilla leveling experience in retail. I remember the community, and how things were in general back then. People were so kind, so patient! If you got a 5-man group together, you'd STAY together, no matter how many wipes and super-long death walks you had to do. It was the best time, and one of the best times in my life. I didn't have many friends or much of a social life in high school, so WoW filled that gap, and ultimately became something very important to me. 

I continued to play the game for years, Watching WotLK release, I remember when the "random group finder" was new. I continued through Cataclysm. But that is also where I stopped. I was so heartbroken by the direction of the game. While Cata was cool, and I really loved he underwater area, I couldn't stand what happened to the Vanilla areas. The game was changing, and it wasn't for the better. 

I took a second chance when Mists of Pandaria came out. I played it at launch. I got to 90, did all the 5 mans, but I just couldn't keep going. The game wasn't the same. I unsubscribed after the first month.

Years later, when I hit a "boring spot" in my life, I thought I'd give WoW another try. Warlords of Draenor was out, and it was during the time where everything was in the Tanaan Jungle.  I played it well. I got my flying skills, which had to be earned. I raided the end-game place in the Jungle at the heroic level. Some bosses Mythic. And I was WELL on my way to getting the legendary ring. But... I again, just couldn't feel it. There was nothing binding the community. The game had, by then, turned into something completely different. It went from being a game of community (Vanilla) to a game of ego (Draenor). There was no fabric of community, other than the guilds. But even then, there was nothing to really feel proud of in the guild. I quit after 2 months.

When legion released, I played it on launch, but again I couldn't last 2 months. I really made a point to make the best of it, no matter what. I've been a resto druid my whole life, never leveled an alt, and THIS was the expansion I've been waiting for since I was a teenager. What got me to quit was the level-scaling in the open world. (I.E. if you're level 102, all other players will be scaled down to your level -- competition has been completely removed). It was WoW communism!! What on earth was blizzard thinking? It's like levels don't even matter anymore, because you'll be scaled up or down, regardless.

So here I am. I wish I played Nostalrius, back when I had the chance. I met a player who really convinced me to do so. I regret not listening to him. 

To me, WoW is something epic. It's something to be cherished and protected. Vanilla WoW was a time when the devs really cared, they really cared about art, plot, and feel. The game just FEELS epic in Vanilla. I used to think it was just nostalgia, just some "runaway fantasy of memory" or something. Thanks to Nostalrius, and now Elysium, I am so happy to be wrong. Vanilla really WAS that much better. And I am so glad to be back. 

I'm playing the game for all it's worth. Unfortunately, I'm not a teenager anymore, so I don't have unlimited time to play anymore. But what few hours I do play, I really make the best of it. I want to give back to the community. If you ever find yourself grouped with me, you'll probably find me very tolerant and accomidating; helpful and warming; patient and teaching. These were the values I learned back in retail Vanilla, I will bring them back today. 

I'm keeping a diary of my experience here. Check it out, if you want:

http://leftreality.com/blog/