Thoughts on improving level experience and new player

Hey everyone, so I’ve been doing an “ultimate neck beard challenge” in WoW where I attempt to do every quest from Vanilla all the way to TWW. The rules? I need to hit exalted with every faction, no heirlooms, no AH mounts until BFA, no flying until TBC, and so on. While it’s been a ton of fun, I’ve run into some issues with the leveling and questing system, especially with Chromie Time and how it’s handled in the more recent expansions.

For those who haven’t experienced it, Chromie Time locks you to a specific expansion timeline for leveling, but after a certain point (usually around mid-expansion), it kicks you out and the content levels up too fast. I’m literally having to level-lock myself in order to hit specific quest milestones for rep and achievements, which is frustrating. Prior to the level squish, the expansions were more set in stone in terms of leveling structure—Vanilla was 1-60, TBC 60-70, etc. That system allowed you to enjoy the content and work on factions, achievements, and exploration at a steady pace.

Now with the level squish, you can level anywhere from 1-50, go straight into Dragonflight, and then transition into TWW. This makes it harder to do some of the old content that’s required for certain quests, reps, and achievements. It feels like a missed opportunity to experience the zones in the way they were originally designed.

This brings me to a thought I had: wouldn’t it be cool if they reworked the new player experience (and even returning players) so they could actually experience the original zones? Imagine starting out in places like Northshire Abbey or Valley of Strength, just like old times. This could help get players out into the world and give them a reason to explore zones that are often ignored in modern WoW.

Moreover, if Blizzard ever implements player housing the right way, it would be amazing to showcase all your old achievements, mounts, tabards, and more. Completing those old faction grinds and doing the old content would feel rewarding and meaningful if there were tangible ways to show it off in a personalized space.

I know we’re dealing with multiple versions of the game at this point—Classic, Retail, and now with Dragonflight and TWW—but I honestly enjoy the retail version. It’s just that I think small tweaks to the leveling experience could make the game feel more connected, especially for new players. An MSQ system like FFXIV has, from Vanilla to TWW, could be a good way to experience the storylines properly while still allowing for flexibility.

What do you all think? Would it be better to rework the experience so people get a chance to do the older content without feeling rushed or lost in the process?