What Freud Can Teach Us About Item Upgrade
WoW Upgrades - The Item Upgrader
Upgrades will give you a boosts in certain stats. Each upgrade boosts the level of an item by 3. Each upgrade also boosts the random substatus.
The upgraded gear typically has a higher trade value as long as it meets low requirements (like the FB sorc's shield) or a very high stat variance (like eth titan weapons). The latter see less value from upgrading due to the necessity to roll to get a perfect version.
Recycle Points
The item upgrades upgrader allows players to upgrade their gear by giving the currency to an NPC. Upgrades can be applied to any type of armor or weapon. The item used to upgrade the item is discarded and cannot be used again. Upgrades can be used to create the enchantments.
You can upgrade your equipment anytime by visiting the upgrader in any major city. It is recommended to visit the upgrader at least once every few weeks to keep your equipment up to date.
Upgrades can cost more based on the item level, however they'll always be cheaper than purchasing new equipment. For example upgrading a Benthic chest piece to 385 levels will cost 20 recycle points, while purchasing the same item level upgrade from another player will costs 105.
Valorstones
Upgrades are functional items which can be used to level up weapons, tools, armor, and other accessories. They are purchased by players from NPCs who sell upgrades for items in exchange for various currencies, and may also be found in random treasure lists. Once purchased, an upgrade can be applied to any tool, weapon, or armor. The button will display the item's next upgrade level when there are enough materials.
The upgrade cost depends on the item slot and the current level of the item as well as the level of the weapon, which is more than bracers or gloves, for instance. Each step costs 15 Flightstones plus a specific number of crests. Some upgrades give discounts on Flightstones. Once an item is upgraded to a certain amount it is able to be degraded and returned to the upgrader for a lower amount of both currencies.
A lot of locations offer upgraders for items which include the main island and a few outposts. The NPCs offer both an upgrade items coupon as well as the chance to obtain an entirely new recipe. The upgrade discount increases as more items are upgraded. It can be increased by having players complete certain achievements or quests.
Unlike Cromwell in Baldur's Gate II, there is no upgrader for items in the beginning of Icewind Dale. Instead the NPCs that can be used to upgrade are acquired via a variety of means, which is both an improvement and a drawback.
In Season 3, the upgrade system has been modified a bit, and numerous new features added. Once a player obtains an upgrade to a specific level for an item upgrading in an armor slot, upgrading additional items to that level will cost less, even if they are part of a different gear set.
The amount of Valorstones needed to upgrade is reduced and the discount is affixed to all accounts. The amount of Harbinger Crests required to upgrade is cut too, but it is only available when certain milestones have been reached.
Crests
Players have several choices when it comes to upgrading their equipment in WoW. Flightstones are an option that is accessible to everyone who wants to upgrade. Crests are more special and are used for specific item level upgrades. Crests are an essential part of the Dragonflight gear progression system, which was introduced in 10.1 and are available in 4 ranks.
The first thing to note is that crests can only be spent on gear of a specific rank, and every rank has different requirements for upgrading. The simplest and most straightforward upgrade route costs 15 crests while the most complex may require as many as 20 crests, based on the type of gear being upgraded.
Players can earn crests by working through content at the appropriate level. This could mean engaging in outdoor activities or doing dungeons or raids in any difficulty to earn lower-level gear or Mythicbosses for raids, or dungeons with heroic difficulty for endgame gear. These crests can be exchanged with an item upgrader like Cuzolth or Vaskarn in Valdrakken for the appropriate upgrade steps and routes.
The new currency system isn't complicated to use, however it does bring some changes to the upgrade item process. For instance, when an item reaches the highest level of upgrade for any rank (Explorer, Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, or Mythic) it won't require Flightstones to be upgraded. This is to allow players to get their gear up to the highest ilvl possible on all their characters instead of relying on seasonal loot.
It's also essential to use crests in a wise manner, as they are only used for one purpose. For instance, it's a good idea to use all of your Whelpling-rank crests with the best gear you have available and then save Drake and Wyrm crests for the next round of upgrades you plan to create. This is especially relevant for items like rings and trinkets that occupy multiple slots. The discount on the account is only applicable when all slots on the character are filled with high-quality equipment.