Some old World of Warcraft stories came to mind. I joined late, during the Burning Crusade. I played off and on until Warlords of Draenor, and haven’t touched an MMO since.

Despite mixed opinions, WoW is undeniably a legendary MMO. Its classic status comes from a vast world, diverse classes, and a wealth of details and Easter eggs.

I remember being a newbie Night Elf priest, teaming up with a classmate in the Scarlet Monastery library. After clearing some enemies, I randomly opened a book on a table, and it actually detailed Azeroth’s history. I told everyone, “Hold up, check this out,” and started reading. Suddenly, our paladin charged in with a train of mobs, and we wiped… But nobody yelled at me. After, we all spent half an hour reading that book.

These details are an obvious reason for WoW’s success, making it feel real. But there’s another factor: the language barrier between Alliance and Horde. It’s a subtle but crucial design choice.

Once, in Terokkar Forest, I saw two Horde players fighting that big bone dragon. I’d already done that quest. The dragon was huge, visually stunning as it swooped down. Figuring we’re all players, I decided to help. But as soon as I dismounted (un-cat-formed, rather), the Orc warrior charged me, while the Troll hunter kept attacking the dragon. His pet got swatted and died.

I guess the warrior panicked, thinking I was there to grief them. He had a point. That quest was brutal, requiring you to collect items and kill mobs to summon the dragon. Failing meant starting over. Seeing me dismount, he must have gotten anxious.

I ignored him, cast Fear, and went all-out on the dragon. I even pulled aggro; Shadow Priests were strong in TBC. The Orc realized my intention, turned back to the dragon, and even taunted.

The dragon fell, the Horde players looted, and looked at me. They probably thought I wanted to do the quest too. But we couldn’t communicate. I jumped a few times, they jumped back, and I mounted up and left. That’s my most memorable cross-faction moment.

This happened occasionally; sometimes Horde players even helped me unprompted. Actual PvP was rare; mostly, people minded their own business. Trusting each other without communication is also rare, of course.

This unique fun is missing from most MMOs, and it made WoW incredibly immersive. It’s like drivers interacting without words, using only lights and honks to express goodwill, malice, humility, or anger. I wondered, why did jumping become the default way to show friendliness? How did that convention start?

It’s interesting. Players from opposing factions are on edge, relying on body language. Standing still increases tension. Speed is key. Emotes like bowing are slow. The readily available actions, besides some harmless spells, are moving and jumping. Spells like Levitate vary by class and aren’t standard (and who has Levitate hotkeyed…?). Movement can be aggressive, especially a melee class running at you. Running away ends things.

Jumping is all that’s left. Harmless, it doesn’t change the standoff. But this extra action defuses tension. Like in real life, when things get heated, someone needs to break the ice.

Even in a virtual world, players rely on basic instincts. Even with communication cut off, if there’s interaction, people find a way to express themselves. It reminds me of another game: Journey.

Excellent fundamental design makes a classic. Engaging these primal instincts should be the focus, rather than shoehorning IPs onto existing gameplay. Perhaps:

“Classics are often complex enough, but not overly complex.”