Sandworlds: Classic WoW+ based on TurtleWoW 1.17.1 and improving on it

Built for players who enjoy a challenge and the social aspects of MMO's

Sandworlds is a Vanilla+ World of Warcraft experience that expands the original game and builds on TurtleWoW's 1.17.1 core without losing what made Classic special. Hundreds of new quests, thousands of new items, additional dungeons and raids, meaningful class improvements, and optional challenge modes to give players Classic+ while preserving the spirit of Vanilla.

Whether you're looking for difficult group content, viable class specializations, expanded endgame progression, or entirely new ways to play, Sandworlds offers a fresh take on Classic WoW designed around community and long-term progression.

Many Improvements to bring back the challenge:

• Enemies hit harder and have more HP!

• Rare enemies are much stronger, and drop specialized loot. Challenge them with friends!

• Many fixes to abilities and talents that were broken on TurtleWoW.

• Many fixes to avoid exploits: Improvements to not allow players to bug encounters (like Deadmines "safe spots"), and even deeper changes, like the Improved Environmental Damage Model: Lava and Acid no longer do damage in ticks and fixed numbers, but instead do damage in % of player's HP. This means every class and every level takes similar damage, and "lava runs" aren't impossible, but require resistance gear and preparation.

Group bonus XP

To motivate group activities, at Sandworlds we buffed the XP gained while in groups. This means more players to group up with, and less solo-leveling. WoW back to how it felt at launch.

• 1 Player → 100% → Normal XP (solo)
• 2 Players → 150% → +50% bonus
• 3 Players → 180% → +80% bonus
• 4 Players → 195% → +95% bonus
• 5 Players → 200% → +100% bonus (XP doubles in a full group!)

This might sound like a lot, but remember: Sandworlds is a hardcore experience with stronger enemies and lower XP rates. The group XP-buff and rental mounts balance that out to bring the leveling experience back to a similar level to Vanilla (slightly higher for those who know what they're doing).

Crossfaction all around

• Crossfaction guilds

• Crossfaction parties and raids

• Crossfaction battlegrounds for more balanced PvP

Every Class+Build Combination Is Viable

Many specializations that struggled in original Classic have been redesigned to remain competitive throughout leveling and endgame content.

• Retribution Paladins and Protection Paladins are fully supported

• Moonkin, Feral Cat, and Bear Druids receive meaningful improvements

• Discipline Priests gain a unique damage role

• Survival Hunters become viable melee combatants

• Arcane Mages become a legitimate DPS option

• Enhancement and Elemental Shamans are competitive

• Affliction and Demonology Warlocks remain relevant

• Assassination and Subtlety Rogues are viable alternatives

• Protection Warriors receive additional support for endgame tanking

Every class can contribute without being forced into a single role.

Expanded World Content

Sandworlds adds substantial new content beyond the original game:

• High Elves and Goblins as playable races

• 13 new zones

• 8 custom dungeons

• New raids including Emerald Sanctum and Lower Karazhan Halls

• Additional world bosses

• New battleground content

• Expanded professions including Jewelcrafting specializations and Survival

• Additional quests throughout the world

The goal is not to replace Vanilla, but to expand it naturally.

Exclusive Features

Rental Mounts

Rental mounts are available in major quest hubs, providing additional movement speed while leveling (+15% speed + 1% per character level, up to max +55% at lvl 40).

Banks in Quest Hubs

Bank NPCs are available throughout the world, reducing unnecessary travel and allowing players to spend more time questing, exploring, and grouping up with others.

Improved Inventory Management

• TurtleWoW buffed bag drops in early levels, which felt too much like retail and killed Tailoring's money-earning potential. We brought those numbers back to normal and solved it differently.

• Many crafting materials stack significantly higher than in original Vanilla.

• Players begin with a set of small starter bags (4 slots each).

Portals to Play with other races

Want to play with a friend who picked a different race? Sandworlds implemented portals in starting areas, which (only) low level characters can use to teleport to other starting zones. No more death-running for an hour across the continent.

Optional Challenge Modes

Players can choose how difficult they want their adventure to be.

• Normal Mode – Traditional Classic progression

• Hardcore Mode – Permanent death

• War Mode – Open-world PvP enabled

• Slow & Steady – Slower leveling with progression rewards

Each challenge mode provides unique rewards and achievements for players seeking a more demanding experience.

Soon updating to TurtleWoW 1.17.2

Soon the server will update to 1.17.2, adding even more features and content, but without losing any of the improvements we already did to the game.

Optional Faithful-Upscale HD Installer

We offer two WoW installers:

• Classic Vanilla version - Uses the original game assets, with only hero models updated to newer versions. This ensures all players have access to the same character customizations and that characters look the same for everyone.

• Faithful-Upscale HD version - Keeps the original Vanilla style, but upscales environments, buildings, armor, enemies, items, and more to high definition. It looks amazing on modern displays, while still feeling like Vanilla WoW.

The HD version also includes performance improvements, support for modern resolutions and widescreen monitors, and other quality-of-life enhancements.