The flip side of that argument is there is pleasure to be had in doing things out of habit. It allows you to enjoy the other aspects of the same task, now that you can perform it with proficiency without devoting much mental effort to the basic mechanics. Or even just zoning out and entering into a flow state. It's akin to how driving/riding (even to nowhere) is calming and comforting to some, and you can't really enjoy the twisties until you have a good grasp on the basics anyway. There are those that will mock you when you fall, and there are also those who will pull you back onto your feet. With 12000 players active during peak hours, you will surely be able to find some like-minded people.
It's not Classic, it's Wotlk. And a game that everyone know the game, there is 0 exploration, 0 immersion anymore, only the lvl max and the gear cares, it's sad but it's normal 12 years after
the amount of toxicity you encounter on this server is 99% because of how you interact with the server.
kindness and patience goes a long way.
also. remember. just because the server is 15+ years old. doesn't mean everyone has been playing for 15+ years.
sure some people have played this server for 10+ years, but most of those people have their set friends, safe guilds they know and trust. everything maxed out. they dont need things like a friendly conversation, from a complete stranger. they already have a full friend list of people to talk to.
if you're trying to force an interaction with those people, no matter how friendly. for them it will just seem like a random that wants something from them.
almost everyone you encounter is gonna be 1 of 2 people. a fairly new players (less than a few weeks/months total played time)
or the hostile loners who run pugs all day on 10 diff lvl 80's
having the wrong expectations of certain people can mess up your entire game.
having the wrong expectations of the game can mess up your social aspect
just enjoy the game on a level that you enjoy it. if its pvp. do pvp. if you wanna raid, find the right people to do them with. if you want to socialize, make your own guild.
seems pretty simple to me.
if you're looking for Group{X} you dont join Group {Y} or Group {Z} or Group {23}
you keep looking for {X}
you can't rush things and then complain that it's rushed.