EDIT: This has turned into a 4-part series! For the full story, read all 4 posts:
Emblems of Easymode
Badges, and Emblems, and Carrots Oh My!
The Carrot Complex
The Radish Reward

So in yesterday’s very long post I came to the conclusion that what I’m really looking for is an iconic piece of gear that provides a visual indicator that the player is skilled.

Really, it’s what I was trying to get at.

I want something I can work towards that cannot be handed to me and that I cannot be carried to. In turn, for this item to have this worth to me I would want the others sporting it to have faced the same trials and tribulations that I did to earn the piece.

It would be like our secret symbol. We pass each other on the streets of Dalaran and nod at each other, recognizing each other as a brother in arms.

My current carrot is the tier gear but the upcoming changes to badges will make it even easier (just time consuming) for any player to get their hands on my carrot.

Much as the ice stone has melted, my carrot has wilted.

Instead of looking for a carrot, I now want a radish. (more…)