Time to say goodbye.

You may remember last year, during Icecrown progress, that I spent weeks and months grinding for an achievement. Specifically, I wanted the title "Payce the Exalted". While nothing so ambitious as "the Insane", it still took months of grinding, doing dailies with more factions than my daily cap allowed, doing so many random heroics for nothing but rep that it got silly, killing some 43,000 pirates in Tanaris and the Barrens, farming heroics Ramparts and Blood Furnace for weeks. As far as pixelated content on a screen goes, it was hard work. And through a series of posts, all containing the subtle updates of "(23/40 now)" or "Wooo! 30/40!" or the like. And finally, finally, I got there.

I did it. I was Payce the Exalted. I was so immensely proud. I set out to do it, and I did it.

So when patch 4.0.6 hit the US realms earlier, and reports started flowing in over Twitter, forums and other media, that "the Exalted"-achievement now required 50 reputations to get - and that those having previously gotten it would lose it. That's right - they're stripping you of a PvE title you've honestly earned through hard work. It was even blue-posted - it's gone;

"We also considered grandfathering in those who had already earned it but think that this title can be a unique testament to the continued efforts of reputation hunters and keep the same value as we introduce more reps and push the requirements up to match."

Well, thank you, Bashiok, for considering to "grandfather in" all the hard work put in by those of us who genuinely care about these achievements. I really feel special now, you know? Not to mention valued as a user of this game - "if you wanna keep what you worked hard for and already actually earned, you're gonna have to work even harder". What is even scarier is the precedent this is setting; who's to say anything if "The Seeker" suddenly requires 5,000 quests or "Salty" suddenly requires 5,000 fish... starting, of course, at 1,001 since the achievement haven't really been tracking since you got that damned 1,000th fish? Suddenly, our achievements appear more as temporary tokens of something we're probably not done with come next expansion anyway. I'm not sure if I really like this change of direction.

So tomorrow, I'm back to Twilight Vanquisher Payce. Or Starcaller Payce. Or Loremaster Payce. Or maybe just... Payce. Because it's not like the title I really wanted and gave my all for isn't going to be available to me again for some time unless I give up my life to grind rep (again). So until such a time as I actually get my title back, here's a screenshot taken earlier this evening in the remains of Zul'Gurub, wearing my complete Soulforge armour.


Goodbye, Payce the Exalted. I shall miss you dearly.