Of all theWorld of Warcraftprivate servers,Turtle WoWis the closest it comes to a fanmadeWoW ClassicPlusexperience. After being around for almost seven years, the private server offers a huge suite of radical changes to the base game to freshen up andrevitalize the now 20-year-old original MMO.
Some changes are relatively minor, like updates to the Flight Point locations and Zeppelin/Boat functionality, while others are enormous changes that add significant new content and completelychange theClassic WoWexperience. Whether you’re a longtimeWoWplayer looking for something fresh, or someone who’s just not satisfied with the numerousWoWversions out there, you might just love everything thatTurtle WoWchanges.
1High Elves & Goblins Are Playable In Classic
High Elves For The Alliance, Goblins For The Horde
There are two new playable races inTurtle WoW: the High Elves of the Silvermoon Remnants, and the Goblins of the Durotar Labor Union. Both of these new races are designed to suit vanillaWoWaesthetics, borrowing Goblin customizations from existing models in the Classic version of the game, andusing original Blood Elf models(with some adjustments) for the High Elves.
Both of these new races inTurtle WoWstart in a new starting zone and come with a suite of racial bonuses.
2More Character Creation Options
New Class & Race Combinations & Customizations
Among the many changes to the originalWoWexperience are flavorful additional class and race combinations. For example, Orcs and Dwarves can now be mages, Gnomes, Humans and Undead can be Hunters, and Trolls can be Warlocks.
Additionally, existing Races in the base game have new character creation customizations. All races have hair, face, skin color, and other options that are not available in vanillaWoW.
These two features combined make for some pretty big changes to the character creation system, and allow for a lot more variety and personalization than in the vanilla game.
3New Quests & Leveling Zones
The Leveling Experience Is Completely Different
One of the biggest changes inTurtle WoWis the addition of dozens of new zones and more than a thousand new quests. These countlessnew quests span all of Azerothand include quests added in new zones and quests added to existing zones to flesh out the stories. These quests all naturally fit the vibe and feel of the original vanillaWoWquests very well, and don’t feel out of place within the existing lore of the game.
New zones house the majority of new quests, though – and there are a lot of new maps inTurtle WoW. Many of the new areas inTurtle WoWare areas that were cut from the vanilla game’s release, like Mount Hyjal and Gilneas. These new zones fill in the areas of the classicWoWworld map that were previously un-explorable with their own environments, original soundtracks, quest lines, dungeons, and even new items.
If you liked the leveling journey in classicWoW,Turtle WoWdelivers a lot of new content along the way to 60 and makes for a very satisfying overhaul.
4Fresh Endgame Content In Turtle WoW
New Dungeons & Raids For Turtle WoW’s Endgame
When you reach max level inTurtle WoW, the game is far from over – especially with all of the new endgame updatesTurtle WoWadds. Like the new leveling zones,Turtle WoWfleshes out dungeons and raids that were scrapped from the original game’s release, like the Karazhan Crypt. It also adds brand-new raids, like Gilneas City, with unique bosses, mechanics to follow, and brand-new endgame items.
The endgame experience inTurtle WoWfeels like an expansion of the original game, with new dungeons and raids that fit into the game’s lore alongside updated versions of vanillaWoWraids.
5Transmogrification & Jewelcrafting
Later-Expansion Features Adapted For Classic WoW
Like with High Elves and Goblins,Turtle WoWborrows from laterWoWexpansions for two other features: theability to Transmogrify gear, and the Jewelcrafting profession. Transmogrification was originally introduced inWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm, while Jewelcrafting came earlier inThe Burning Crusade.
These two systems will feel familiar toWoWveterans but have some particular quirks when adapted forTurtle WoW.
Jewelcrafters can make a variety of gear, notably including necklaces and rings, rather than socketable Gems like they can in the retail game – they’re almost like a specialist Blacksmith.
Transmogrification, on the other hand, cannot be purchased with Gold. Instead, players have to earn Fashion Coins from quests given by the Fashionista in the capital city to purchase Transmog.
6New Turtle WoW Mounts & Pets
And Ground Mounts Speed Up Based On Your Riding Skill
Of course, what would an expanded version of classicWoWbe without a horde of new mounts?Turtle WoWhas dozens and dozens of new mounts to get, more than enough tosatisfy diehard mount collectors. Some are available through the game’s microtransaction store, but most can be earned from in-game sources.
Turtle WoWalso updates the way that ground mounts work. Instead of a flat bonus to your speed at the 75 and 150 Riding skill breakpoints, your mounted speed increases based on your Riding skill, which now works like a Weapon skill.
There are lots of new noncombat Pets to collect inTurtle WoW, too, some of which are Critters from vanillaWoWthat are now available as companions. There are also lots of brand-new pets, but like with newTurtle WoWmounts, many of these are only available in theTurtle WoWshop.
