The gearing system in World of Warcraft is being drastically revised. With Patch 10.1 things get complicated – and yet so much simpler.
In many MMORPGs and especially in World of Warcraft, the endgame revolves around the hunt for better and better loot. The strongest weapon, the most effective piece of jewelery and of course an impressive animal set with the highest possible item level. But how equipment can be upgraded in WoW has been revised several times in recent years. With Patch 10.1 Embers from Neltharion, the developers are again trying out a major rework of the upgrade mechanics – and also canceling the bravery points.
WoW wants to make everything easier, bringing two new currencies
Even if it looks like a “typical Blizzard move” at first glance, bringing more and new currencies with a simplification, the system makes sense. Instead of the many different currencies that can be used to upgrade PvE armor of different types, everything is combined into a unified system. There are two new currencies for this:
These two currencies can be used to upgrade almost all equipment that you get from PvE content in patch 10.1.
Which items do not belong to the system? Even if the system is intended to cover a large part of the items in WoW, some items fall out that either use a different system or cannot be upgraded. This includes:
How does the upgrade work? Even if it looks like a lot of information and overload at first glance, the system is relatively simple once you have dealt with it a bit.
Upon creation (i.e. when you loot an item level) an item is assigned a category and a rank of upgrade. Most items can be upgraded between 4 and 8 times.
Each upgrade requires the two new resources for each upgrade step. The flight stones act as a kind of substitute for bravery points. They are the “mass currency” that you can accumulate.
Shadowflame Crests, on the other hand, are required for upgrading if you want to use them to raise an item to an item level that you don’t already have. Higher level items need better Shadowflame Crests (from “Whelpling” to “Aspect”). The Shadowflame Crests are capped at 10 of each type per week, but that’s said to be “so many that most players won’t hit that limit.” In addition, the cap increases. For example, if you don’t play the first week, you can collect 20 Shadowflame Crests in the second week.
However, the upgrade is significantly cheaper if you already have an item on the same slot with a higher item level, because then the Shadowflame Crests are omitted and the cost of the Flightstones is halved.
An example: If you already have a helmet with item level 415 and find a helmet at level 402 with better stats, you can upgrade the helmet to level 415 for half the flight stone cost and don’t have to use Shadowflame Crests at all. Only if you want to upgrade the helmet to 418 would a Shadowflame Crest and the “normal” costs of Flightstones be due.
The system also works in a similar way for twinks, by the way. So there is a built-in “twink friendliness” where the cost of alternates is reduced as long as their item level is lower than or equal to your best character. However, this incurs the cost of Shadowflame Crests.
For example, your twink finds a level 402 helm. It is the highest item level helm that character has ever owned, but another character of yours has a level 415 helm. Your twink’s helm can now be purchased for half the cost be upgraded to Flightstones up to level 415, but a Shadowflame Crest must also be used each time.
What is the goal of the system? Basically, Blizzard tries to make every game content worthwhile. Since you can get Flightstone almost anywhere, it can also be worth helping out friends with a lower raid level or supporting them with low Mythic+ Keystones. While harder content gives more of that currency, lower content is also worth it to a certain extent.
Incidentally, Blizzard emphasizes that the same amount of loot is still awarded. The aim is simply to create a more uniform system for upgrading that combines as many playstyles as possible.
Will the system last forever? No, not necessarily. Blizzard plans to test this type of upgrade system primarily in Dragonflight Season 2 while listening to player feedback. If well received, it could become the new standard. If that is not the case, there are adjustments or even a return to the old model.
What is your first impression of this system? A good further development and solid solution? Or complicated and cumbersome?