I managed a great big ding today for my Undead Rogue - 50! Not only does level 50 make her the second-highest level character I’ve had in WoW, and a stone’s throw away from BC content, but it’s the level characters gain access to the quest Donation of Runecloth. While I’ve been questing all along with the goal of eventually getting a Hawkstrider, I had hoped by the time I reached 50 I’d be within Runecloth striking distance of that birdy mount.

I think that brings up a point about reputation. Which is to say - I’m almost at the bleeding oldworld level cap and I’ve never been given the proper opportunities to earn rep in the faction I’m interested in. More on this after an aside.

That birdy mount is not to be, at least for some time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m relatively close. I’m at about 3000/21000, with Exalted in sight. That other 19,000 rep, though, might as well be a hojillion. Turning in the repeatable runecloth quest only nets you 75 rep in the faction you’re negotiating with, and requires 20 runecloth. On Dark Iron, at least, 20 runecloth goes for about 3 gold. So that’s 19,000 / 75 = about 253. At 3 x 253, that’s about 759 gold to reach exalted that way. I dunno about you, but I’d rather have the epic mount.

As a quick aside - when did epic mounts get cheap? With Exalted status it’s only about 600 gold! I’m actually asking. I’m not so much surprised as wondering when it happened. I very clearly recall when the trudge up that steep slope seemed nigh-impossible. Over a year after BC’s launch, 600 gold isn’t even that big a hill for a below 60. With my collecting tradeskills and judicious AH-play, I’m already at about 400 gold. What a wacky economy.

In the long run, it’s all good. I’ll hit Exalted with Silvermoon at some point in Outlands and can pick me up one of those fancy birds on the cheap (after I’ve already been riding around on a pimped-out horse for a time). In the meantime 2.4 is finally adding War Hawkstriders to the PvP vendor. I know a week after the patch hits everyone is going to be riding one, but … so it goes.

It’s fun to have goals, though. I’m going to max out my Skinning and Herbalism. My next quest zone is going to be Searing Gorge, which I’ve never played in before - ever. Then Burning Steppes, which I’ve only skimmed the surface of. And then - yay for Hellfire! Ahem. Sorry. Easily amused.

So all the way back to the bird mount. Why is it that the only - the very much only - way for me to gain faction with Silvermoon is to repeatedly turn in those 20 pieces of Runcloth. It’s so … so very … 2004. Bah. Look, I understand that revamping the old world brings with it some problems, but I’d really love to see the BC attitude towards rep grinding brought back to Azeroth. In the BC expansion rep grinds are everywhere, but at least they actually give you the chance to do the grind. The original view of rep grinds, back in 2004, was that they were minor distractions. At best, they were timesinks for only the hardest of the hardcore.

Now, post-BC, rep grinds are something everyone does. Even the most casual level 70 player engages in the daily questing that allows for the procurement of things like Nether Rays, crafting recipes, and epic armor. While you can make the argument that the daily quests fail to properly incentivize fun, at least they allow a player to direct their play experience. You want a Nether Ray? You know exactly what to do.

I want a Hawkstrider. The problem is that I have no way of validly (not insanely) accomplishing my goal. This is a problem.