Here’s a thought: World of Warcraft’s character progression design has changed and even diverged over time. To explain, I’ll directly compare the progression in retail (modern) WoW versus Classic.
WoW Classic: Intrinsic character progression
- Stats (weapon skills improve with use; attributes increase with each level)
- Abilities
- Talent points
WoW Retail: Extrinsic character progression (Dragonflight)
- Faction reputation
- Upgrading gear with altered power systems (engine of innovation; primalist gear; elemental overflow)
- Talent points awarded with level-ups, but no weapon progression or attribute increases
Maybe it’s because I’ve hit endgame in retail and not Classic. But classic feels more like Dungeons & Dragons whereas retail feels more like an action game.
Byte-Sized Worlds 