@crazyjuan I have mixed emotions on this topic.
In one hand I can feel for those who have honestly reached pirate legend status the default way.
In the other hand just buying the last one or two rep points isn't such a bad thing as you still had to climb your way within reach then earn those doubloons.
I think the only difference is that the option to buy rep levels wasn't introduced at game launch.
I don't know if Rare has statistics on those who fort / server hopped or cheesed their way through faction quests so that isn't much different than earning the doubloons to buy your progress.
I personally will continue to progress in the traditional way but even that is slightly hampered by doing Athena voyages as my regular partner is a pirate legend now and it's nice to sail with someone of the same mindset, someone who has become a true friend.
So how would the standard of a "true pirate legend" be set?
- Someone who has never been in a crew that has cashed in it's stronghold loot?
- Someone who has never played a part in an Athena voyage?
- Someone who has never canceled a quest simply because it didn't list enough gold animals or it only had one chest?
- Someone who has never bought the remaining level(s)? It's not much different than being rewarded with rep after an event.
Really except for the last option all of the first three were available with the default game launched several months ago. Therefore they may be overlooked as being shortcuts to legendary status.
However to exclude one shortcut to pirate legend you would need to exclude all four.
That being the case we're probably only left with the first person to become "pirate legend" being that streamer who had everyone else do the work for him. :/