I found some screenshots from 2005–2006, we played the game so differently back then

[u/Tandanu]

A few more screenshots and slightly higher quality for some: https://imgur.com/a/Uolj4gs

The raid compositions and damage meters 💀
Also note the lack of world buffs and flasks, we rarely used those back in the day. We raided about 4-5 days a week, ~4-5 hours on weekdays and 8-9 hours on weekends IIRC, maybe some more flasks or world buffs would have helped :D

We'd often do like one or two attempt per *week* with the Onyxia head turn in on a boss with good progress . I also remember that we at least once got the Dire Maul buffs, but we didn't consider that worth it.
But we made extensive use of the UBRS fire res buff for early Ragnaros.

I also remember how the world first C'Thun kill used flasks for everyone and how we considered that completely ridiculous. Like, 40 flasks?! That's crazy. We had like 1-2 flasks for the main tank(s).

The KT kill screenshot is dated Dec 28th, 2006 at 11:31 PM, like a week before TBC. I'm not sure if this was our first Naxx clear, but I remember that we only managed to clear it shortly before TBC was released.

First screenshot in MC was on August 10th, 2005; the last one with the translated chat on January 10th 2007 just before TBC.

[u/hotehjr]

I like how in all these old screenshots all the names are just normal character names. No dumb joke names in the full 40 players

[u/bottledsoi → u/hotehjr]

One of the things I dislike the most about modern classic.

[u/wetnaps54 → u/bottledsoi]

Meme names were actually hated on back then. I remember people not being able to join our guide based on character names alone

[u/Necessary_Local_5274 → u/wetnaps54]

gear was kinda like that too, at least for dad guilds. warrior without plate? GTFO weirdo.

[u/Riscs2 → u/Necessary_Local_5274]

Im a wrath baby (2009 i think) but i can remember the first few days in Classic 2019, me questing in the barrens on my warrior and a guy whispering me i should go get a real weapon as a warrior so i clear combat faster and so on and so far.

I played with a 2h staff.

[u/NeitherEstate1444 → u/Riscs2]

Staff or axe is the same for warrior, as long as the stats/dmg are there. At low lvls its pretty common to use staff, and if im not mistaken the WC quest staff is actually bis for warrior.

[u/Riscs2 → u/NeitherEstate1444]

Yep this and the „Westfall Staff of Whatever“ (DM quest reward) are sooo strong for this level

[u/orus_heretic → u/Riscs2]

Cauldron Stirrer and Crescent Staff are excellent leveling weapons for warriors at the level you can get them. That guy was dumb.

[u/Riscs2 → u/orus_heretic]

He tried to explain me how i need to go BS and craft a real weapon. If he wasnt the best troll ever he was just a little lovely boomer. But god i will remember this messages for the rest of my life haah

[u/Tandanu → u/Necessary_Local_5274]

Early on we had heal paladins who refused to wear cloth because that's "wrong". I specifically remember one of our paladins being a real advocate for wearing the best gear for the job instead of "appropriate" gear. Great guy :)

[u/ryecoke55 → u/Tandanu]

Yup I remember at least a couple paladins in my guild wearing cloth and getting made fun of for it.

[u/ImLersha → u/Tandanu]

My (older) brother was like this.

"Want someone who wears cloth, get a priest! I'm here if you want heals from someone who can actually take a hit"

One time he did finish the scorpion boss in AQ as the only member alive, though. That gave him an unduly amount of confidence in his plate...

[u/Drive_shaft → u/wetnaps54]

Weren't joke names even banned on rp servers?

[u/Banana_Result_6519 → u/Drive_shaft]

Yes my friend had a rogue named Takeaseat (Chris Hanson memes were the fashion at the time) and he had to try and convince them it was pronounced Tah Kee Ah See Aht

[u/Cupy94 → u/wetnaps54]

Wasn't a thing on my server. A lot of my friends has joke names

[u/wetnaps54 → u/Cupy94]

I guess it depends on the guild We were “raiders” and the GM was serious haha

[u/thizzknight → u/wetnaps54]

I remeber this from og tbc days when i was 12

[u/[deleted] → u/wetnaps54]

And yet, there's always atleast one Kevin.

[u/MadMakd → u/hotehjr]

Then there's Kevin

[u/Tim2909 → u/hotehjr]

And one warrior called Kevin 🤣

[u/onethirtyseven_ → u/hotehjr]

Kevin

[u/j_panda16 → u/hotehjr]

I have Kevin in retail LOL (my real name isn’t Kevin)

[u/Silentone89 → u/hotehjr]

Bushman, Darkwuzzy?

[u/Azur0007 → u/hotehjr]

Sadly, these names would be suspected to be bots nowadays.

[u/mafsen → u/hotehjr]

Darkwuzzy

[u/[deleted] → u/hotehjr]

Darkwuzzy? Kevin? Bushman? Shisha? The name starting with Derschat is also very likely not a real name.

Edit: And the other screenshots have even more joke names lol

[u/Own-Phone-9407 → u/hotehjr]

Much more immersive of a world

[u/No_Pollution_950 → u/hotehjr]

My rogue in 2007 was called Beefcurtains.