Why 1.12.1?

[rhoadsofrock]

I'm curious to know why, pretty much always in these days, any classic "vanilla" private servers are always this one patch?
When I started playing WoW legitimately (retail), it was during TBC 2.4.3 (first trial account was in June or July, so really the last bit of that expansion), and I remember the experience I had very well and how fun things were and how others seemed bad or annoying at the time.

Any time I try a 1.12.1 server, it always feels no different than how TBC was.

* 10 levels worth of content was added, level cap raised by 10 levels to 70, new dungeons and raids, new world with quest zones etc...
* Old pvp system was removed; no more ranks and titles, no more AV lasting days with one battle etc...
* "vanilla" dungeons being nerfed, so instead of needing 15 or 10 people for Stratholme and Scholomance, they're actually 5-man dungeons now.
* A few clunky things were improved on; interface/options menu was redesigned slightly, guilds got bank vaults, and the SAME mount system was altered so that Apprentice could then be learned at level 30 versus 40, and the prices reduced.
* Horde and Alliance finally got races that could be Paladins and Shamans, respectively.

Besides all of those changes, virtually everything else was the same. Level 60 Naxx was still in the game, so tier 3 quests, the legendary staff and all of that could still be done. You still had to run on foot for a long time. Hunters still attracted bad players that gave the class a bad rep.

I mean without going into detail of how the entire game works between both versions, the only difference I notice with "vanilla" and TBC was added content and a few adjustments.
Whereas, I'll be surfing the internet and come across pages with facts and info of how "vanilla" supposedly was, or hear from friends that still play as of Wrath, Cata and MoP etc...
And EVERYTHING that all these people talk about, seems long gone as of 1.12.1 patch.
This page for example, lists so many things that once existed in "vanilla" but are all but memories as of 1.12.1: Some things you didn't know about WoW...

I'll go and scour google for any and all private server cores that I can find for any older patches, and have so far found two, for patches 1.2.1 and 1.4.0, and in the latter have FINALLY witnessed some of what that page talks about. Mainly the old mount system (training being the cheap part, and the mounts being the pricey part, along with the old unarmored mounts being available to purchase). It also has an older Flight Master system, with an older display and, instead of actually flying from point A to point B, you're teleported there instantly.

However those two I thought I had read about being removed prior to 1.4, at least I know 1.4 was the patch that brought the armored mounts....

Now, I get the idea, of having a "vanilla" server be as balanced as possible or what ever, and having all the content of "vanilla", especially level 60 Naxxramas, when going for the final patch before TBC, but really, when the line between both versions is blurred for some and they can't even tell the differences, then where's the point? I mean, even patch 1.11 would be understandable.
And I know many "vanilla" players get nostalgic or refuse to play what's come since "vanilla", or do still play retail however still go back to a private server to keep playing what they loved the most.

Well, just my question for the day. Probably a dumb one, but anyway....

Edit: I hope this is not in the wrong forum. Was originally going to ask in WoW General, but decided to put here instead....

[Eratoc]

Sorry I can't answer your questions. What are these 1.4 and 1.2.1 servers you speak of? I'd like to try them.

[rhoadsofrock]

I believe they're both WAD core emulators (I know for sure the 1.2.1 one is). Nothing really too special except they're more primitive.... No SQL database, the entire server is run in one program window/box. To edit anything is all in ".txt" files. Like I said the only reason I even have them still, is to know what the game was like in the 1.4.0 patch version, since there's quite a bit of differences between that and 1.12.1.

Edit: As soon as I feel like setting up the 1.4 server and client again, just for the screenshots, i'll upload some screenshot comparisons to show some of what I'm talking about.

[Harambeqt]

Resilience and arenas.

[Teryaki]

Resilience and arenas.

This. I used to be a hardcore PvP'er in the vanilla WoW days. Once Burning Crusade was released, I stopped PvPing entirely. They removed the old system of ranking, which was my incentive to actually PvPing, it was not so much about the gear as it was skill. If you were ranked high you were skilled, and gear didn't matter as much. The ranking system made PvP fun and worthwhile, now its all about arenas and points, which points to me really have no meaning. This is what killed it for me.

[bone91]

This. I used to be a hardcore PvP'er in the vanilla WoW days. Once Burning Crusade was released, I stopped PvPing entirely. They removed the old system of ranking, which was my incentive to actually PvPing, it was not so much about the gear as it was skill. If you were ranked high you were skilled, and gear didn't matter as much. The ranking system made PvP fun and worthwhile, now its all about arenas and points, which points to me really have no meaning. This is what killed it for me.

Being ranked had literally nothing to do with skill. PvP was in the game because Blizzard felt sorry for all these people on PvP servers not being able to do anything with killing other players.
They didn't care about it one bit. R14 meant you had no life. It was time consuming and that is literally all there is to it.
There are so many videos out there of clicking, backpedalling high ranked players. It literally means nothing. You are blinded by your nostalgia. Everyone sucked at the game. But the few that didn't, didn't stick out through their high PvP ranks.

There was zero class balance as well. Classes didn't even have the tools to be balanced. Do you understand what a huge change spellreflect was for warrior in TBC? Or intervene?
They were a 3 button class prior to that. Nothing but pumping damage in your enemies and hoping your healer doesn't die before your enemies.

TBC brought some balance and some actual competitive PvP. Meaning WINNING got you on higher ratings.Not time, but skill and playing a fotm.
Yet, in TBC the majority of players was still ****ing terrible. So until S3/S4, you could get a decent rating with about any comp, as long as it had the potential to outplay your opponents. Meaning Holypala/Discpriest probably wasn't gonna get you on 1850.
Go to any TBC private now and you will see a few players performing well with out-of-the-ordinary comps. The majority of high rated players will be playing fotms.
But even a fotm doesn't guarantee high rating. It's mostly that these players are smart enough to choose strong classes.

[Corthezz]

Strange that I started WoW in late pre bc and never experienced the vanilla PvP but stil play on a 1.12.1 server since 2 years without even thinking about any other version? its just the truth.
Vanilla is much better cause its actualy not about waiting, fighting in instances areas, waiting again, waiting in city, waiting for port to instance, flying on the mount killing any gameplay beside arena, bg and dungeons etc etc.