What Freud Can Teach Us About Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades give you boosts in certain statistics. Each upgrade increases the item level by +3. Each upgrade also boosts a random substat.
The upgraded gear typically has a higher trade value, unless it has inherently low requirements (like the FB shield of the sorc) or very high stat variation (like eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the requirement to roll for a perfect model.
Recycle Points
The item upgrader allows players to upgrade gear to a higher item level by supplying the appropriate currency to the NPC. Upgrades can be applied on any type of armor or weapons. The item used to upgrade the item level upgrade will be consumed and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be applied to the enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment at any time by visiting the upgrader in any major city. To keep your gear up-to-date it is recommended you visit the upgrader every several weeks.
The cost of upgrading will depend on the current item upgrader mod level of the item being upgraded, but will always be cheaper than purchasing new gear from other sources. Upgrades like upgrading a Benthic chest up to 385 ilvl will cost you 20 recycle points. If you purchase a similar item, it will cost you 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items which can be used to upgrade weapons and tools, armor and other items. They can be bought by players from item upgrader NPCs in exchange for a variety of currencies, and can also be found in random treasure lists. Once an upgrade has been purchased it can be used on any weapon or tool using the help of button, which will display a preview of the item upgrading at its next upgrade level in the event that the player has enough materials.
The cost of upgrades varies based on the item upgrader kit slot and current item level as well as the level of the weapon, which is more than bracers or gloves, for example. Each upgrade costs 15 Flightstones plus a set number of crests. Some upgrades offer discounts on Flightstones. Once an item is upgraded to a certain degree, it can be downgraded and sold to the upgrader for a lower price.
Upgraders for items are available at many locations on the main island and some outposts. The NPCs provide an upgrade discount as well as a chance to get a brand new upgrade recipe. The discount on upgrades increases with the number of items that are being upgraded, and can be increased by having players complete specific achievements or complete quests.
Icewind Dale does not have an upgrader for items at the beginning, unlike Cromwell from Baldur's Gate II. The NPCs that can assist with upgrades are available only through a variety of methods. This is both a benefit as well as an issue.
In Season 3, several new features have been added to the upgrade system. After a player has earned an upgrade to a particular level of an item for a specific armor slot, upgrading other items to the same level will cost less, even in the event that they belong to another set of gear.
The discount is applicable to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is cut too, but it is only available after certain milestones have been reached.
Crests
When it comes to upgrading gear in WoW players have a variety of choices. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to all players for upgrading. Crests are more special and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an important element of the Dragonflight Gear Progression System introduced in version 10.1. They are available in four ranks.
First, you must be aware that crests are only available for equipment that is of a particular rank. Each rank has an upgrade path that is different. The simplest and easiest upgrade costs 15 crests. The most complex upgrade requires up to 20 crests, contingent on the type or equipment that is being upgraded.
Players can obtain crests by working through content that is of the appropriate level, whether that means walking around and doing outdoor activities for lower-tier gear, dungeons or raids of all difficulty for items of higher tier or Mythic+ heroic raid bosses and dungeons to obtain endgame gear. The crests can later be exchanged at an upgrader NPC like Cuzolth in Dornogal or Vaskarn in Valdrakken to obtain the appropriate upgrade routes and steps.
The new currency system isn't too difficult to use, but it will bring some modifications to the upgrade process. When a piece has reached the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer or Adventurer), it is no longer required to purchase Flightstones. This change is designed to allow players to upgrade their equipment to the highest level possible for all their characters instead of relying only on seasonal loot.
It's also important to use crests with care, since they have only one purpose. For instance, it's a good idea use all of your Whelpling-rank crests on the top equipment available and keep Drake and Wyrm crests for the next batch of upgrades you plan on making. This is especially applicable to items like rings and trinkets that occupy several slots. The discount on the account will only be applicable if all the slots on the character are filled with high-quality gear.