The game is a different beast now but all in all it's a far finer thing.
It is a shame that old instances get set by the wayside... but they are still there and there's nothing stopping you from dropping by. As it is though the game couldn't have continued in any other way than it did, you can only run the same old isntances so many times before they become a chore and they did become a chore. it's easy to get nostalgic now but if they hadn't expanded the two times they have so far most people who get upset about the old instances probably would've stopped playing long ago. I kinda find all the newer instances to be getting more and more interesting as they get added. So few are simply tank and spank.
Organsiing a bunch of like minded friends/guildees to reroll with you to do a world tour of old instances is not out of the question.
Duels still go on i find, the people who do so are pretty elitist though and i personally tend to avoid them. Nothing quite as irritating as being stalked by a PvP spec'd warrior calling me lame when i'm an Affliction spec'd Warlock, the most complex PVE dps spec in the game, without an ounce of resilience. My place is very firmly in alrge battlegrounds launching Seed of Corruption into concentrations of the enemy.
I am starting to hope that they'll think of somethng to make running the old stuff viable again. More of the [bind to Account" items would make some sense. Some more items like +% exp for leveling, .. or +damage % while leveling (nullifying the effect once you hit the current max level.)...
Ultra rare items that can only be looted by higher level players who are helping you grind out instances maybe?
Just a few random ideas, to allow ppl to see the entire game as they come in new, and wonder why they don't see a dungeon til level 75+. It is annoying, even too a 2 years+ player like me to level an Alt knowing how many Quests, dungeons and groups quests I have to skip simply because no one is around, or willing to take time to help.
As far as the balancing act is going, it's laughable on the whole so far,.. BUT I'll give them this much,.. on my Warrior, it definitly seems they are closing in on THREE SET TALENT BUILDS.
1. PVE Damage dealing - Fury
2. PVE "Traditional Role" - Protection
3. PVP Balanced - Arms*
* Arms is horrible and downright unplayable atm, but I see what they're trying for. And yes I do know wtf I'm doing, but the burst damage simply isn't there without the gear to scale up to where other classes damage is with Talents alone. Add to this the fact that they put ALL the tactical advantages into the Fury Tree and gave Arms only predictable, nerfed abilities, and yeah Arms is pointless.
I humiliate people in pvp as Protection spec though,.. I really don't think this "Captain America" thing is what Blizzard intended, but eh, I'm not arguing. Saves me on respecs.
Eagerly awaiting Dual spec though. Fury through my Dailies, and Tank at night? Sign me the hell up.