While creating entirely new features for World of Warcraft is always exciting, sometimes you have to just go back to what you know works. Such is the case for the future of items and itemization in the next WoW expansion; Legion. Instead of creating a brand new system, developers are salvaging bits and pieces from the past to create an exciting new (old?) concept. As the old saying goes; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Here is what we know about items and itemization in Legion so far:

Items and Itemization Overview

The idea behind items and itemization in Legion is to make the world feel exciting again. Currently, to get loot that feels useful you have to participate in select end game events. This set up pigeonholes players into doing things that they may not want to do. Even worse, it takes the thrill out of exploring other avenues because you know you won't be coming across any relevant loot along the way.

The itemization system in Legion is set to change all that. The idea is that no matter what you are doing, there should be a chance that you could get some amazing loot. Wandering around the world at large should feel exciting again. This of course is easier said than done. So in order to be successful, developers plan to draw on the things players loved from the past. This is a far better option than creating a completely new system that may or may not fail. Here are some of the throwbacks we can expect to see make a comeback in Legion:

World Drops

Remember that epic moment when you would be killing mobs by the thousands and then suddenly, out of nowhere, a World Drop would appear. These items usually helped to outfit your current character and if not, you knew that they would sell for a hefty price on the Auction House. The potential for World Drops made the grind of killing mobs more exciting and they are making a come back in Legion.

Like World Drops of the past, these items will be rare, but will be obtainable from anywhere. Of course, just because developers are reusing an idea doesn't mean they aren't going to make some tweaks. Unique to Legion will be the idea that the World Drops power should remain relevant throughout the expansion. Also, each World Drop will have its own set of unique effects. For example:

• Equip: Increased movement speed by a portion of your total haste.
• Equip: Blocked attacks generate 5 rage.
• Equip: Damaging abilities have a chance to instantly kill enemies at low health.

However, perhaps the most exciting new feature of World Drops are that they have been upgraded from their Epic state. All World Drops in Legion will be Legendary. This makes them stand out and become more exciting than ever before to obtain. Talk about adding some serious spice to the item game.

Scaling UP

As if Legendary World Drops were not exciting enough, Legion offers up even more great news for those looking to equip their character using less conventional means. Every single item in Legion has the potential to drop with an increased item level. Not only can they scale up, but they can scale up farther than ever before. Items in Legion have the potential to scale up to the highest item level in the game.

This doesn't mean that you can totally forgo other means of gearing up. The best and most efficient way to get gear is still by taking on the most difficult high level content. With that being said, this feature makes getting gear more exciting than ever before. Who knows if the next item you get will potentially turn out to be the last upgrade you need for that slot? Using this idea, every time you get an item will feel like opening a surprise birthday present.

Personal Loot

Finally, duplicate personal loot can now be traded. No longer are you stuck selling or disenchanting these extra pieces of gear. So if you have an item that drops that has a power level equal to or less than what you currently have, you will now be able trade that item to any player on the tap list. This should (hopefully) equal less wasted loot and more happy players.

Remember, any and all information found here is subject to change. Keep checking back for updates as alpha and beta testing of World of Warcraft: Legion continues!