That Classic Plus Survey

Ever since Blizzard first decided to commit to Classic, they've been surveying the community about its opinions on the matter. We first found out that Classic Burning Crusade was going to be a thing through one of these surveys, and when we were wondering what was going to come after Classic Wrath of the Lich King, once again the fact that Blizzard sent out a survey about Classic Cataclysm turned out to be a pretty big hint.

With that in mind, I've been finding it very interesting that a new Classic survey has been making the rounds, and it's not about Classic Mists of Pandaria, but rather (quoth the survey) "a new version of World of Warcraft Classic". People have been calling it the "Classic Plus Survey", which is why I chose that as my post title too, but I actually think that this is largely projection on the community's part and this "new version of WoW Classic" is just as likely to be the next seasonal server after Season of Discovery. Either way, it shows us the general direction of Blizzard's current line of thinking.

Most mentions of the survey that I've seen have been relatively vague, so thanks to Dwarflord for going through screenshots of all the questions in detail, which allowed me to transcribe most of it into this blog post. It starts by asking the player to familiarise themselves with "a mix of features that could be included in a new version of World of Warcraft Classic", consisting of:

• New or unexplored storylines and lore
• New reputations and rewards
• New/reimagined raids
• New/reimagined dungeons
• New/future races pulled back
• New/future classes pulled back
• Minor class changes
• Returning player re-entry feature
• New player experience
• New group events and rewards
• Ongoing class tuning/polish
• Guild bank
• Collections UI
• Dual talent specialisation
• New/future class & race combinations
• Improved social features
• PvP honour system improvements

Most of these are not surprising on a conceptual level, as they are things that players have been talking about for a long time. New or retrofitted classes/races surprised me a little, because even though that's something that private servers have done sometimes, I haven't really seen a lot of community demand for it in the context of Classic. The only things I hadn't thought about at all before were "new player experience" and "returning player re-entry feature", because I'm not sure how either of these would even work in Classic. In retail, the former is a tutorial island, which I guess would technically be possible in Classic but would still feel a little odd to me at least, and the latter is a button that clears your bags and gives you a free set of gear, something that definitely wouldn't work for Classic.

Later on, there are a few questions that pit four of these features at a time against each other, asking the player to rate which one would be most likely to make them want to play and which one least likely.

Another question that I thought was very interesting was the one that basically asked people to declare allegiance to what I would call several opposing attitudes towards Classic WoW. Below I've bolded the ones I personally agree with.

• "A new version of Classic should stick to the original level 60 cap and fit any new content within that cap" vs. "A new version of Classic should expand to higher level caps beyond 60"
• "A new version of Classic should find ways to incorporate entirely new continents or continents from WoW expansions (e.g. Outland)" vs. "A new version of Classic should focus primarily on the existing Classic continents of Azeroth (Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms)"
• "I prefer shorter content phases for a new version of Classic to keep things fresh and keep players interested" vs. "I prefer longer content phases for a new version of Classic so I have time to fully explore the content or level up alts"
• "A new version of Classic should focus more on the levelling journey" vs. "A new version of Classic should focus more on the end-game experience"
• "A new version of Classic should focus on raid content for smaller groups (10-20 players)" vs. "A new version of Classic should focus on raid content for larger groups (25-40 players)"

The main bulk of the survey after that are several detailed lists of new features that could be added, with the question always being whether this particular feature would make you more or less likely to want to play this hypothetical new version of Classic WoW. Several of these make reference to "Classic era", which I'm hoping is just sloppiness in terms of wording, as I don't want them to change the existing Classic era servers and I also think it's probably not what they mean either... in the context of the rest of the survey, I just interpreted "Classic era" to mean something like "the vanilla game as it currently exists in Classic era".

Anyway, first we start with some proposed quality of life changes. I'll add my own opinion after each one:

• Revamping or adding flight paths, boats or zeppelins to Azeroth to make travel around the world more efficient - I'm mostly neutral about this one. I wouldn't mind them making some of the flight paths a little quicker and less scenic, but at the same time I'm not sure I'd really want a lot of additional ones added... having to leg it through the scenery is part of Classic's appeal for me.
  
• Adjusting the way items stack in bags to make inventory management easier - Sure, why not?
  
• Introducing in-game resources to help players find the right guild for them - I never really got much use out of the guild finder in retail, but I struggle to see how this could cause any harm either.
  
• Adding guild banks to Classic era - I guess that's okay? Though there's a certain charm to always having to pester the dedicated guild bank officer for stuff.
  
• Reducing the mana cost / increasing duration of group buff spells (e.g. Prayer of Fortitude) - Sure, why not?
  
• Adding flying mounts to Classic era - Er... no, and as many others have said, how would this even work, considering they had to do Cataclysm to enable flying on these continents in the first place? Maybe they put this question in as a relative measuring stick, knowing that most people will say no to it.
  
• Adding summoning stones to dungeon/raid entrances - I guess I wouldn't mind that one.
  
• Adding chronoboons to safely store world buff effects - Well, the chronoboon already exists and I'm happy that it's there.
  
• Increasing the size of the quest log - I guess this is okay as well? Having to pick and choose your quests/having to abandon some to make room sometimes does influence your gameplay in a way, but not to a degree that I personally care about.
  
• Adding the customisable HUD from later expansions so players can customise their HUD without requiring addons - To this one I would say no, as I use the default UI and the new and customisable UI in retail looks very different.
  
• Introducing a way to help players find groups for group/elite quests - Maybe? I liked the group finder we had back in original Burning Crusade for that kind of thing. But nothing too dungeon-finder-like please.
  
• Making mail delivery between players instant - Not gonna lie, I like how the fact that there's a delay when mailing things does encourage interactions between guildies when you want something to be traded immediately, but I wouldn't mind this too much either.
  

Next we have a list of "general features":

• Introducing more seasonal servers with experimental changes that run for a limited time - After how burnt I felt by Season of Discovery, I think it's unlikely they'll come up with another temporary server project that'll interest me.
  
• Creating new servers that are fixed on certain expansions like Classic era is fixed on original Classic - This one made me raise my eyebrows: so they have heard the cries for BC and Wrath era servers! This would still be a loud YES from me, even if it would be kind of late for my OG Classic characters.
  
• Adding more crafting specialisations (e.g. Weaponsmith vs. Armorsmith) - Don't really care about that one. I think there'd be a risk of any new one instantly being much better than all the old ones.
  
• Adding more legendary weapons that can be crafted in raids - Don't really care about this one either.
  
• Introducing avenues to acquiring "BiS" loot from sources other than raids - I guess I wouldn't mind this one? Though again, there'd be a risk in terms of balancing for sure.
  
• Ongoing balancing and tuning of gear/items over time - I'd be okay with this occasionally, but not like they've been balancing things in SoD.
  
• Adding pet battles to Classic - No, that would be a bit too much whimsy for Classic in my eyes.
  
• Making more content account-wide - As much as I've been welcoming the focus on more things being account-wide in retail, I feel things being per character is part of Classic's charm.
  
• Starting new progression servers that start with Classic era and continue through the expansions sequentially - This is another one that I've seen pop up in community conversations quite often. I don't think I'd personally want to go on that whole ride again, but I think it's something enough people would like that it'd be sensible to do at least for Vanilla to Wrath.
  
• Adding the ability to craft gear that is purely cosmetic - I don't really see what the point of that would be in Classic.
  
• Adding an in-game store that allows players to purchase cosmetic items with real money - NO!
  
• Adding achievements to Classic - Please no. Achievements can be fun but are very distracting and change the focus of the game a lot.
  
• New group events or scenarios with unique rewards - Sure, though it would depend on what they are. From what I heard about incursions in SoD they weren't exactly the greatest success in terms of fun gameplay.
  
• An in-game economy for player-driven boosting/farming services - I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I'm not a fan of paid boosting (even if it's done with in-game gold) so I'll say no to this one.
  
• The ability to purchase boosts to instantly level new alts - NO!
  
• Adding expanded profession/crafting options from Season of Discovery to Classic - I never really got to see that part of SoD so I have no opinion on it.
  
• New factions to build reputation with and unlock new rewards - I guess why not? Though the details of the implementation would matter.
  
• Adding customisable instanced player housing - That this is on the list when even retail doesn't have housing yet is just wild to me. I have no real opinion on it though.
  
• Adding the WoW token so players can pay their subscription with in-game gold - NO!
  
• Adding transmogrification to let players change the appearance of their gear - No, thanks. I do like transmog in retail, but it does change the general vibes of the game a lot to have people prancing around in nothing but bikinis and silly costumes all over.
  
• Adding the Crafting Orders system from Dragonflight to Classic - Now this one is interesting to me, because even though Dragonflight's crafting changes didn't fully work for me, I did think that something like the crafting order system might actually work better in Classic than in retail, so I would be up for giving it a go.
  
• Adding the guild levelling and reputation system from Cataclysm to Classic era - No, thanks.
  
• Adding more class-specific quests/quest lines - Yes, please!
  
• Increasing enemy toughness in the open world to increase the sense of danger when exploring - I think enemies in the open world are plenty tough in Classic already? There's a reason hardcore is so deadly. Assuming you're not a warrior running around in Naxx gear.
  
• Adding new zones to Azeroth in Classic era - I'll tentatively say yes, though I'm not sure what exactly they mean by new zones. I'd like to stay in the general area of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdom, but if we're talking something like a Classic Mount Hyjal or a new island off the coast somewhere, I'd be game for that.
  
• Introducing levelling heirlooms to Classic era - Please no.
  
• Adding more group/elite quests that require multiple players to complete - I actually don't really feel that this is particularly needed... but I guess I wouldn't mind it either.
  
• The ability to toggle on "hardcore/perma-death" mode where character death is permanent - I think having the existing hardcore servers where everyone is on even footing is better. An optional toggle where some characters only have one life while others can just respawn feels like an invitation to grief.
  
• Tiered levelling phases with level caps below max level - I thought this sounded really cool in SoD, but seeing how dejected I felt at the start of phase two, I'll say no to doing this again.
  
• Completely revamping quests and quest lines in existing zones - Wouldn't that just be Cataclysm all over again? Please no.
  
• Completely revamping the layouts / geographies of existing Classic zones - Same as above?
  
• The ability to play "solo self-found" (no trading, grouping, or auction house) - Don't care, but if people like it, I don't think this would be harmful. It's already an option on the hardcore servers.
  
• Adding more race-specific quests/quest lines - Yes, please!
  
• Increased XP gain for previous tiers/expansions - No, thanks.
  
• Adding new quests and quest lines to existing zones - Yes, please!
  

Next we have a list of PvP features... I don't need to add my opinion on any of these because I don't like PvP in Classic so I really don't care either way.

• Re-balancing PvP to make it more fast-paced and tactical
• A bigger focus on open world PvP
• Adding rated battlegrounds to Classic
• Adding arenas (2v2/3v3/5v5 deathmatch) to Classic
• Re-balancing PvP to make it more slower-paced and strategic
• Revamping/re-imagining the honour system to make honour a currency like it is in later expansions
• Adding more quests focused on PvP
• Adding battlegrounds from WoW expansions to Classic era
• Revamping/re-imagining existing Classic battlegrounds (e.g. Warsong Gulch, Alterac Valley)
• Adding open world PvP events to Classic (e.g. Blood Moon, Battle for Ashenvale)
• Making it easier to track your honour/rank within the existing Classic honour system

Then we have features related to classes, races and skills:

• Giving Horde the ability to play paladins and the Alliance the ability to play shamans - I don't feel strongly about this one, but having that separation is a pretty iconic part of Classic...
  
• Adding races from newer expansions to Classic (e.g. worgen, pandaren etc.) - I think most of them wouldn't fit. I think Turtle WoW has high elves and goblins, and those would probably just about work, but I think most others would feel out of place in the Classic world.
  
• Ongoing balancing and tuning of talents and class abilities over time - I think some occasional balancing might be good, but not like the crazy roller-coaster that has been going on in SoD.
  
• Adding the ability to swap seamlessly between multiple sets of talents - Please no! This was a huge game-changer in Wrath and I was not a fan.
  
• Adding new specs to existing classes - Not really sure how that would work... maybe?
  
• Adding the rune system from Season of Discovery that allows players to gain new abilities or modify existing abilities - I think no. Runes were fun at first but got tedious quickly, and classes seemed to be more defined by their runes than anything else.
  
• Giving classes the ability to play new roles (e.g. mage healer, rogue tank etc.) - I think I'd be up for that one. Shaman tanks in SoD seemed pretty cool.
  
• Adding classes from newer expansions to Classic (e.g. death knight, evoker etc.) - Like the newer races, I think they just wouldn't fit.
  
• Adding new abilities/skills to Classic that aren't from modern WoW - I don't hate this but I think I'd rather not. Classes in Classic already have a lot of abilities as it is...
  
• Re-balancing talent trees to make weaker specs more viable - Maybe a little? But as SoD has shown, this kind of balancing is hard.
  
• Adding select abilities/skills from modern WoW to Classic - I think this is another nah. Many of the runes in SoD were like that, and it just made those new abilities way too OP.
  

Finally, a list of dungeon and raid features:

• Random raid finder that automatically finds you a group for raid content - NO! Though picturing a randomly thrown together LFR group trying to take on Vanilla Naxx is so horrifying it's almost funny again.
  
• Levelling raids designed for groups below max level - I thought this was neat in SoD, but again, ultimately ended up being a bit disappointing, so I'll vote no.
  
• Adding heroic versions of dungeons to Classic - Probably no? I'm kind of intrigued by the idea of something like a heroic Stratholme for example, but... just not convinced it would ultimately be a good thing.
  
• Updated or modified raid loot - Maybe? I mean, this could mean anything.
  
• Introducing a Mythic+ style system for dungeon content in Classic era - No, thanks.
  
• Updated or modified dungeon loot - Same comment as on the raid loot.
  
• Creating new raid content within the original Classic era - I think this is something a lot of people have been asking for, but I don't know how it would fit into the existing framework of the Vanilla raids. Suddenly having a new raid that gives better loot than Naxx would feel... odd.
  
• Adding world buffs from Season of Discovery into Classic (e.g. Blackfathom's Boon) - Neutral on this one. I thought the idea of world buffs that only work for lower levels and do things like increase your run speed was neat, but I can also do without them.
  
• Random modifiers for dungeons that change every time you enter a dungeon - That sounds like the M+ thing, so again, no thanks.
  
• Adding modified versions of raids from expansions to Classic era (e.g. Karazhan, Black Temple etc.) - Not gonna lie, a Classic Karazhan would be intriguing. Though it would also have a lot of potential to be disappointing.
  
• Creating new dungeon content within the Classic era - I think this would actually be nice. I heard the other day that there's actually a new dungeon in SoD phase four, and that alone made me consider trying to level up a character after all, just to see that.
  
• Adding more attunement quest lines that require you to finish them before you can enter a dungeon/raid - I don't mind attunements, but I don't think we need more of them for existing content.
  
• Adding heroic versions of raid encounters to Classic - Please no.
  
• Introducing the Alpha/Beta/Gamma rune dungeon system from Wrath of the Lich King Classic to Classic era - I have no first-hand experience with that, but from what I read about it, it didn't sound that great to me.
  
• Ongoing balancing and tuning of dungeon and raid encounters over time - Same response as to the other balancing questions: a little bit can be good, but the example of SoD has not been promising.
  
• Random dungeon finder that automatically finds you a dungeon group and teleports you to the dungeon - NO!
  
• Re-balancing raids to make more varied group compositions viable - Not sure what that would look like...
  
• Revamping/re-imagining existing dungeons in Classic - I think I'd rather keep the existing ones.
  
• Adding support for GDKPs (raid format where players buy gear with gold) - NO!
  
• Increasing the overall difficulty of Classic era raids - Also no! Classic raiding is meant to be easy; it's why we like it.
  

After that there are only a few more generic questions, such as about your general attitude towards changes in a new run of Classic (would you like to see none, some, a lot, or don't care), and what you look for in your entertainment in general (competitive environment, low price etc.). There were also a few more opposing opinions about WoW in general, where it wasn't clear to me whether this was still meant to be about Classic in specific or retail as well, and as such I wasn't sure how I would answer:

• "The community is friendly and welcoming" vs. "There is a lot of toxicity within the player community"
• "Provides a hub for social interactions among players" vs. "Is not a great game for social interactions with other players"
• "Does not provide an immersive story" vs. "Provides an immersive story"
• "Is for younger gamers" vs. "Is for older gamers"

All in all, I've got to say I think this is a very good survey, even if there are a lot of suggestions in it that I personally wouldn't want to see implemented. It basically feels a bit like Blizzard just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks... but words are cheap so I see no harm in it. Season of Discovery seems to have had a similar approach but with actual patches, which resulted in lots of hype at launch and then a massive drop-off in interest, with people citing sometimes outright contradictory reasons for their disappointment. As such, it strikes me as sensible to directly ask "What is it you people actually want?" instead of just continuing to implement more changes and then seeing how people react.

I'm also very curious what will come of the answers. I know what I would like and what kinds of opinions I've seen a lot on reddit, but the silent majority that doesn't post in places like that may well have very different ideas.