With a new catch-up feature for Renown, World of Warcraft makes Dragonflight kinder to alts than Shadowlands.
Having alts in World of Warcraft is virtually a given, since the game encourages players to try out other classes – and with the release of Dragonflight, bringing an alt up to speed will be easier than ever. World of Warcraft hasn’t always been kind to alts, and as the game’s nine expansion packs came and went, so did various catch-up systems for these side characters. As enjoyable as Timeless Isle was in Mists of Pandaria, present World of Warcraft players must be concerned with more than simply their riches.
With the introduction of the Evoker in Dragonflight, it seems to reason that individuals would want to level a Dracthyr character at some point throughout the expansion. However, the Evoker will also need to keep up with their primary character’s gear, Renown level, and reputation. Shadowlands was particularly known for hindering one’s alt’s Renown level advancement at launch, and happily, it seems like Dragonflight will not follow suit.
On paper, a Renown catch-up mechanism that seems functional and beautiful in its simplicity was one of the final adjustments made to the release version of Dragonflight’s beta. The approach preserves the hierarchy of primary and alternate characters while allowing players to invest in an account-wide unlock that doubles reputation growth for other characters of lesser Renown level.
Players who have attained Renown Level 10 may buy “Word of a Worthy Ally I,” which offers a 100% reputation gain boost to any characters on their account that are less than Renown Level 10. Those who have earned Renown Level 20 are also given “Word of a Worthy Ally II,” which offers a 100% reputation benefit to alts below Level 20. Because these advantages stack, World of Warcraft players who have acquired both unlocks might have a 200% reputation gain boost for characters under Level 10.
Icy Veins observed the alteration and blogged about it on their forums, where it received generally good feedback. Some players wonder whether Renown has outstayed its welcome, but when contrasted to World of Warcraft’s original reputation system, the one found in Dragonflight seems to be an objective advance. Players who have yet to level their alts in anticipation for Dragonflight’s release, but want to do so, should take advantage of the anniversary events and the Winds of Wisdom’s experience benefits.
